Does a publisher/author's interaction here influence your purchases?

[Greylock]

OK, ok then. MythusMage is a swell guy, too.

 

[jdrakeh]

Nope. There are some people whom I thoroughly dislike IRL and/or online, but I still find that they design an excellent game, so I buy their stuff. Likewise, there are a lot of folks whom I really enjoy conversing with on a regular basis IRL and online that I feel couldn't design their way out of wet paper sack if their life depended on it (their stuff I don't buy).

Sometimes, complete [insert profanity] make great games and nice folks make largely unplayable disasters. I've found that by and large, a person's demeanor has zero bearing on their ability to design engaging products worth playing. I can, in fact, think of only one designer whom I can honestly say that I 'hate' - and I've even purchased one of his games (of course, that was before I knew who he was and that I hated him).

With that one possible exception, a publisher or designer's public behavior has never dissuaded me from purchasing a product. In fact, there are some folks considered to be jaded [insert more profanity] by the majority of hobbyists whom I wish would design more games, just 'cause they're really, incredibly, good at it

 

[WayneLigon]

People saw John as violating the social contract between playing and GM, giving no consideration to the possibility that John's suggestions could produce an experience that people actually enjoy. That anger at the GM could get the player so involved in the game he is eager to return week after week so he can engage the GM in a contest.

OK, a third person (re: my previous post).

Was that where he was talking about a superhero game he was running? I remember him writing an article about one, and the things he did to some of the characters were ... interesting. At first, I was of the opinion that, if a GM did those things to a character of mine in the manner that Wick did to them, he and I would be going outside at some point. After reflection, I really had to say 'he must know those players one hell of a lot better than I know mine', to get the reaction he got.

I still cannot imagine a situation where 'anger at the GM' can be any good at all. I suppose to someone it might be a good thing - I can accept that - but I've never encountered a player like that in all the years I've been gaming. To a man, they just leave and don't come back. I knew one or two GM's like that early on. They got out of the hobby because eventually no-one would have anything to do with them.

Those two articles about his superhero game, and some comments he made around the time Orkworld was released, did color my opinion of him/his work. I honestly could not beleive that someone would treat their players like that. He's designed some amazing stuff, and while I wouldn't dismiss anything he did in the future out of hand, I'd take a closer and more critical look at it than I normally would.

 

[GMSkarka]

Now I haven't met Gareth Michael Skarka in person. I have corresponded with him in the past. I have found him to be courteous, respectful, and a good person.

Thanks for saying this.

I have to admit that reading posts from people who have no problem "naming names" to slag on me (often while criticizing *my* professionalism), is kinda depressing (hasn't been a great day to begin with), so it was very nice to read someone with the opposing view who is willing to "name names" as well.

Thanks again. It was very much appreciated.

 

[Kaji]

I've seen many publishers present here on the boards, and it's part of the draw of Enworld for me. Rather than go and attempt to manage multiple accounts on publishers who are doing things I'm interested in, I can count on most of them to provide feedback and information here. It's very helpful.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Yes it influences my purchases.

For the most part there's no one here at ENWorld that I wouldnt purchase a product from. But I've pretty much sworn myself off of stuff like BW and DITV due to the elitist attitudes of those The Forge cats and thier ilk. They might even be great games but they'll get none of my hard earned cash. On another message board that I frequent I read a post where someone (who is a devotee of indy games) refered to people who played D&D and Magic the Gathering (in his local scene, which happens to be my local scene as well NYC...) as "the great unwashed"

Also even though I purchased the HARP PDF before I saw this d00ds post, I'll probably never purchase another ICE HARP based product again. It just seems that he (Rysr I think his name is) cant promote HARP without taking a couple of shots at D&D and seriously you should be able to talk about the merits of your game without nutkicking D&D on a D20 board. It's honestly been a while since I've read a post from him, maybe it's different now but for the most part I just skip over his posts.

I've actually purchased products that I normally wouldn not have touched due to how polite and decent an author or representative from a company was. Mutants & Masterminds come to mind. Even though I'm a HERO fan I bought both M&M 1st and 2nd Edition mostly because Premas and Kinson (sp?) come off like decent cats. I mean theyre good products as well so that factored into it as well. Same with Monte Cook and Phil Reid.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

FAR too many of my favorite writers, artists, musicians, and poets are utter bastards. Though, I would be lying if I said publishers comments on these boards haven't affected my purchases.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I get along so well with GMS here at ENworld that I have to read his blog on an almost daily basis to renew my distaste for him.

 

[Glyfair]

In both a negative and postive sense, definitely. However, there are at least two different ways they'll affect me negatively (and possibly more positively).

There is the jerk online. These people just cross the lines of social propriety so much, that I have no desire to see any of my money heading in their direction, directly or indirectly. These people I avoid and try to avoid their stuff. If they have a great product, and I hear about it and love the concept, I might buy it, but it would have a high threshold to meet.

However, more important is the person who not only can be a jerk online, but by doing so also give me reasons to not to want their products. In this case, FFE was the perfect example (although, admittedly, it wasn't their messageboard behavior).

I honestly believe that FFE had a lot of products that were great ideas. If executed better, they could have been top products. The first product I bought was highly disappointing. I then heard a couple of products were pretty good, and considered trying them at some time. Then Jim Ward posted a rant that basically said that people who attacked the products for having bad rules had their priorities messed up. That pretty much meant that I would only pick up their products at bargain basement prices or less (I'll pick up anything that might have some value for the right, cheap, price).

The rant didn't just showed he had no respect for other points of view about a quality gaming product. It also showed he didn't respect a priority I had in gaming products. I certainly wasn't going to even consider a product his company produced when he said that something I think is important he didn't feel was something to work towards in a quality product.

 

[WayneLigon]

I get along so well with GMS here at ENworld that I have to read his blog on an almost daily basis to renew my distaste for him.

He has a nice LJ. +added as Friend