Orthodox D&D

From Against the Cult of Commodity's "Orthodox D&D - a curious find." I went through the trouble to read the scanned paper, so I thought I might as well transcribe it. What Is Orthodox D&D?The philosophers have only interpreted RPGs in various ways; the point, however, is to play. This question, simple as it is, has been the focus of much discussion in dungeon and dragon game circles. But among intellectuals it has gradually become fashionable to greet any profession of faith in Dungeons & Dragons Rules for Fantastic Medieval Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures with ironical disdain. Great disunity has prevailed even in the 'DIY' camp as to what constitutes the essence of Dungeons & Dragons, and which rules it is 'permissible' to criticise and even reject without forfeiting the right to the title of 'D&D'. In consequence it came to be thought of increasingly 'academic' to make scholastic exegeses of old texts with a quasi-Biblical status, instead of…