Containing all the charm, complicated systems, page-long spell descriptions and inconsistencies of the beloved first edition of the game, yet presented in a much more readable format with all the nostalgic late 80s and early 90s artwork and cutting edge layout.
I was recently asked why I like AD&D 2nd Edition so much--is it a better game? Is it more fun to play? Is it just the nostalgia? Nostalgia certainly plays a large part; even though it's not the first game I ever DMed, it's the system which ruled over my longest, most memorable campaign. It will be hard to replace those memories, and they certainly guide my judgment here.
Whether it's "better" or "more fun" is certainly subjective; that really depends on what your players find fun or interesting. I've learned that there are several player types--some live for the thrill of tactics, mechanical computations and maximization of character efficiency, others enjoy the narrative that their characters help create, with many different strata in between, all perfectly good reasons to enjoy a roleplaying game.
For me, I appreciate that the system allows a certain grittiness--resources are limited, and character abilities need to be supplemented by using tools or the environment to succeed in prolonged encounters. Characters cannot create light at will, so you need to carry around light sources. Spellcasters can't fling unending cantrips in combat, so they need to be creative on turns in between casting spells to be effective. Healing can't be generated spontaneously, so priests need to manage their spell availability carefully. Fighters are sometimes simply outmatched, so retreat is often a perfectly good strategy.
I also appreciate the lack of skills (we don't currently use non-weapon proficiency) and tracked abilities. Without a perception or diplomacy check to rely upon, players have to listen to the DMs descriptions carefully, be creative in using the clues they provide, and it's more important what is said than how skillfully a player rolls in social encounters. Sure, there are rules to guide a DMs adjudication in these matters, but the open-endedness of the mechanics gives players great faculty to be creative. Modern editions of the game certainly don't preclude this, but older editions don't necessarily provide skill checks as crutches. Because most melee-oriented characters don't have "x times per day" abilities, they have to find other ways to contribute in encounters when their sword won't work--whether it's engaging NPCs in social encounters, carrying around a lump of wax or pouch of crushed chalk for those times where you just need to jam a lock or blind a guard, or tipping over a burning brazier onto foes their other weapons are unable to harm.
Finally, I appreciate the lethality of the game. Surviving the early levels is hard. Even if you manage to somehow do that, at any time the bite of an errant venomous creature or undiscovered poison needle can end your character's life instantly. And if you're unlucky enough to encounter the undead, paralysis can fell the mightiest warrior, and level drain can undo weeks or months of progress (if you somehow manage to survive).
I don't think anyone can argue that AD&D 2nd Edition is the tightest rule set; certainly Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons 5e have built upon decades of gameplay to provide systems that are both functional and easy to understand. If you and your players enjoy tactical combat (especially if miniatures are involved), if you enjoy rewards for making efficient, effective choices in character building and equipment selection, and you enjoy having flexible rules to create and adjudicate encounters, then these systems certainly excel in that. I run a Dungeons & Dragons 5e game currently, and love these aspects of the game.
As a player, however, nothing quite scratches the itch the same way that Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition does. It's like gaming on hard mode--it's lethal, unapologetic, and rewards caution and calculation and creativity in ways that I don't think are matched by any other game.
Happy gaming, whatever system you're currently playing!
