Hirelings, and the limitations of AD&D

There’s many sections in the AD&D rules that I’ve read dozens of times but still can’t make any sense of. One of those sections is the rules for dealing with hirelings. The Player’s Handbook hints at them, and while the Dungeon Masters Guide goes into great detail about the different types of hirelings, their professional skills, cost of hire, upkeep, where to find them, etc., no explanation is given on how to use them. The actual method of play is left up for the reader to invent for himself. I can only guess why, but it seems that Gary Gygax assumed that the players would learn to play from joining someone else’s game, who had learned it in turn from another game.

This is frustrating as many passages and rulings in AD&D are presented in this manner. Some subjects are laden with an unnecessary amount of detail, while others that desperately need explanation are missing them.

The BECMI Basic set, though, has been really helpful in this regard. Even though it is a much smaller volume and most rule descriptions are much shorter, they are clear, concise, and actionable enough to be used for play. The AD&D DMG spends a full page column and a half describing timekeeping, along with a play example, the Basic DM Rulebook writes it out in a few short paragraphs.

Hirelings in the Basic DM Rulebook are clearly described, as are the mechanics around them and why the players would want them. Also a short table that displays their loyalty and reactions is given, as well as directions to the DM and players on how to play with them. It’s a clearly superior set of rules than what’s presented in AD&D.

I think that the best way to play is to do what players did in the 80’s - play Basic and AD&D, taking what you want from either system, and blend them together as necessary.

Personally, I’m still committed to playing AD&D strictly as written, but this is seeming more and more like a personal crusade now than a casual hobby. And, without the benefit of a live GM with experience in AD&D, the guidance in the Basic rulebooks will have to suffice.