Krypter said:
I agree with SWBaxter and others that Mage presents a romantic-savage anti-modern anti-scientific ethos predicated on standard po-mo moral relativism.
That's why the game has a faction of objectively evil demon-worshippers. Yep. Real relativistic there.
Over a dozen people that have played the game with me and others are also of like mind in this, and yes, they often sympathize with the Technocracy. Neil Postman's Technopoly does a far better job of explaining the Mage ethos, and subtleties therein, than the game.
Actually, Technopoly explains the subject of Technopoly. It's an inspiration if you choose to take mage in a certain direction, but it's hardly the whole of the game. Technopoly doesn;t have much demonology in it, for instance.
I have read almost all the Mage books and run a campaign for a number of years, and that is how it comes across, irregardless of the writer's intentions.
Then you'll be able to pluck a quote out of the chapter in the
Mage Storytellers Handbook in the chapter entitled "The Awakened Struggle", where it discusses the differences between the Technocracy and science. Similarly, you'll be able to do the same thing by referring to the Storytelling chapter of
Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council.
Then, with these textual citations in hand, feel free to reiterate your point by somehow reconciling your position with these bits of text, which directly refute them -- I mean, in the text and everything. It should be easy, since you've "read every book," right?
Unfortunately, eyebeams' scornful replies are emblematic of the elitist ("you're reading it wrong") mindset prevalent at White Wolf, and one of the reasons many people shy away from their games.
For someone who critiques the game for casting aspersions on science, you certainly are relying on a sentimental position.
There are some things that fans don't like to hear:
1) You are not necessarily going to get everything you read on the first try.
2) Your ability to get it is not an indicator of something's qualities for anybody but yourself.
3) Some things are matters of taste.
4) You are not entitled to have every game conform to your political or recreational tastes.
5) Your dislike of something does not necessarily have a decent reason, thanks to points 1 to 2.
It may be arrogant, but it's also true. With gaming, I'd add:
6) You changes to something to accomodate what you do like do not replace points 1-2.
With Mage, this last bit is common. The game is extraordinarily flexible and can be modded for supers, space opera, high fantasy and so on -- and even a combination of these in the same campaign. You can take certain facets and emphasize them, so that the heroic Technocracy are fighting loathesome demon-summoners and necromancers.
But Mage is not about occult superheroes in space. It is not about totally heroic Men in Black fighting demons. It has its own distinct theme and it has elements that are not easily reducible to high concept stock phrases. If you don't want to be bothered with *really* getting into that core and running with it, then you can have fun other ways -- but those ways do not magically change what the game was written about.
It's been my experience that good Mage games to wander all over the place, but do eventually work with the core themes of authoritarianism versus liberty, of the pitfalls of human potential and the problems created by real freedom. Other uses of the game are fun, but they tend to be more disposible than the "canon" themes.