One of the things I find interesting about the differences in major editions is that their biggest difference is how they silently change the social contract, and yet players adapt to them.

Like, if you take the mindset from one edition and carry it to the next you'll end up with frustration.

However, much like wide straight roads, the rules implicitly create a different way of playing the game.

Before #4thEdition, and this is even stronger in #5thEdition, you wouldn't inherently think to reskin something. What was in the rulebook was what the thing was.

However, you in 5th edition you can make a #DrunkenMaster by reskinning some #barbarian levels into your character.

Likewise, #2ndEdition and earlier we much more focused on rulings over explicit rules.

Nowhere in the books does it say that wild GM adjudication was how you played earlier editions, but it was almost mandatory for the game to work.

Likewise, reskinning isn't explicitly suggested in later editions, but it was somehow divined by a significant number of players as the way to customize characters.