TrizzlWizzl
First Post
I realize I might be overly critical or just plain wrong, but I have to say I find Mat Smith's writing to be some of the most putrid and condescending tripe I have ever laid eyes to. His "In the Works" updates on the WotC webite are just plain unreadable, lacking both an understanding of his audience and any hint of talent in the realm of expository composition. I really need to know if I'm the only one bothered by this man's intentionally juvenile style ("youthful" is how he might put it), because I find it odd that despite massive layoffs at WotC this guy has managed to hang on to a job.
He writes as though he's trying to talk an eight year old into eating his brussel sprouts, using astoundingly insipid metaphors in a purile attempt to excite his audience. In the (unfortunately not) last "update", he draws parallels between roller coaster rides and WotC's 1st quarter release schedule. Yes. He is working at WotC as a copy writer and you're not.
Almost every D&D player I have ever met has had one thing in common: the language of the game, which is completely unafraid of using arcane nomenclature to describe the fantastic elements inherent in magic and dragons. While Mr. Smith has no problem using "big words" he almost never seems to use them to explain or clarify anything, utilizing them instead to describe the things he's talking about as "unfathomabley awesome!" or some derivitive thereof. He seems to want to be my best buddy or something, using words like "gonna" and "really" more often than I do in my day to day speech pattern. He throws periods into the middle of sentences in a vain attempt to appear breezy and conversational but all he does is wind up starting every other line with "and" or "but" or "which". Used every now and then there might be some impact, some feeling... but Mat over does it.
His audience is what... about 30 years old on the average? Using phrases like "Hook me up for some of that" hardly seems like the right way to appeal to anybody. Never mind the fact that he misused the idiom ("with some of that" would be the method heard most), the problem is that what relevant or interesting information is there has been plastered over with Mat Smith's irritating and pandering prose. I'd really like to read about the upcoming books... I'd like to find out what they're all about, what I might find in them, why they might be cool. Smith's attempt to appeal to my geek out reflex makes it almost impossible for me to actually read what the man wrote. I don't need to know if the book is worthwhile, I need to know why.
His ad copy sucks too. Point is: how is this guy still employed? Does his style work on you? Do you find it affable and appealing? Personally I hate it and I can't understand how they could let go of so many talented writers yet hang on to this untalented one. Am I alone here? Do I just need to read his crappy updates and get over it or is there a group of people out there that feels the same way I do?
He writes as though he's trying to talk an eight year old into eating his brussel sprouts, using astoundingly insipid metaphors in a purile attempt to excite his audience. In the (unfortunately not) last "update", he draws parallels between roller coaster rides and WotC's 1st quarter release schedule. Yes. He is working at WotC as a copy writer and you're not.
Almost every D&D player I have ever met has had one thing in common: the language of the game, which is completely unafraid of using arcane nomenclature to describe the fantastic elements inherent in magic and dragons. While Mr. Smith has no problem using "big words" he almost never seems to use them to explain or clarify anything, utilizing them instead to describe the things he's talking about as "unfathomabley awesome!" or some derivitive thereof. He seems to want to be my best buddy or something, using words like "gonna" and "really" more often than I do in my day to day speech pattern. He throws periods into the middle of sentences in a vain attempt to appear breezy and conversational but all he does is wind up starting every other line with "and" or "but" or "which". Used every now and then there might be some impact, some feeling... but Mat over does it.
His audience is what... about 30 years old on the average? Using phrases like "Hook me up for some of that" hardly seems like the right way to appeal to anybody. Never mind the fact that he misused the idiom ("with some of that" would be the method heard most), the problem is that what relevant or interesting information is there has been plastered over with Mat Smith's irritating and pandering prose. I'd really like to read about the upcoming books... I'd like to find out what they're all about, what I might find in them, why they might be cool. Smith's attempt to appeal to my geek out reflex makes it almost impossible for me to actually read what the man wrote. I don't need to know if the book is worthwhile, I need to know why.
His ad copy sucks too. Point is: how is this guy still employed? Does his style work on you? Do you find it affable and appealing? Personally I hate it and I can't understand how they could let go of so many talented writers yet hang on to this untalented one. Am I alone here? Do I just need to read his crappy updates and get over it or is there a group of people out there that feels the same way I do?
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