New Faces (Forked: Its the terminology that kills me...)

[ProfessorCirno]

Somebody on this thread compared growth to cancer.... If that doesn't sound bad to you, then I don't know what to say.

Haha, I was one that mentioned cancer. In my defense, I didn't compare growth to it; I was simply stating "Growth isn't always good."

For that matter saying growth has negative aspects is an entirely spurious argument, since not one person on this thread has said they disliked growth for any reason other than "These kids today with their new fangled music. Why back in my day we had real music, played on rocks, and we liked it!"

Sure they did. Well, I did at least. Bad growth or misappropraited growth can lead an industry to grow out in one and ONLY one direction, causing it to become very shallow and dangerously inept at looking towards long term business. See also the video game industry, which is beginning to look like it's going to hit another crash.

Growth keeps the hobby alive. We like the hobby, therefore we should like growth. What on earth harm can new people entering the hobby do to anyone here?

The problem comes in "voting with your wallet." Again, "bad" growth - quotations now added for when I get chewed out for using it - can cause an industry to grow in one direction and lose depth. Still, I do suppose there's worse things.

Break into your house and force you to conduct your battles to Vanilla Ice instead of the Conan soundtrack?

...Like that ;p

So if you don't think growth is bad, why are you yelling at people for claiming that growth is good?

Because their big argument is centered around "UNLIKE YOU FOOLS WHO THINK GROWTH IS BAD, I THINK IT'S GOOD!" I mean, jeez, the post I quoted literally had it's entire argument based around "LOL OLD PEOPLE. WE LIKE NEW THINGS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS BETTER, BUT YOU WOULDN'T GET THAT."

Growth = growth. New = new. It's not good or bad inherently. It's like swimming and trying to decide if it's for fun or to not diel; you have to take stock of the situation. Pants? Uh oh. Bathing suit? Ok. Naked? We'll see.

...Also, I should apologize for shamelessly ripping off Demetri Martin there.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I honestly think that we seriously DO need an evangalistic movement bringing in people to the hobby. I want D&D to be mainstream. I want D&D to be this massive, worldwide hit because that means I could get to play anytime I wanted, with whomever I wanted. I would mean that I no longer have any gamer shame to worry about. It would mean that game designers would be treated like rock stars in Korea.

Good grief, why is staying a small, niche hobby a good thing?

Unfortunately, as evangalistic movements do, I think all that would do is make gamers more looked down on

Still, admittingly, I would not mind being treated like a rock star in Korea. Learning the language is a bit difficult, mind. Tell you what - you guarantee rock star status in Korea, I'll join up with your side

 

[hong]

Haha, I was one that mentioned cancer. In my defense, I didn't compare growth to it; I was simply stating "Growth isn't always good."

You say this like cancer is a negative thing.

Sure they did. Well, I did at least. Bad growth or misappropraited growth can lead an industry to grow out in one and ONLY one direction, causing it to become very shallow and dangerously inept at looking towards long term business. See also the video game industry, which is beginning to look like it's going to hit another crash.

Ah, this must be one of those rare crashes where people make money.

Because their big argument is centered around "UNLIKE YOU FOOLS WHO THINK GROWTH IS BAD, I THINK IT'S GOOD!" I mean, jeez, the post I quoted literally had it's entire argument based around "LOL OLD PEOPLE. WE LIKE NEW THINGS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS BETTER, BUT YOU WOULDN'T GET THAT."

WHILE it is considered OUTRE in some QUARTERS to post RANDOM WORDS in ALL CAPS, an even better PRACTICE is to do the SAME with LeTterS. NothInG drawS attEntION to yOUr pOsts likE RanDoM CapiTALisAtIoN. ThiS IS evEN bEtteR ThAn StuDlYCAps, whereBY cApitALS aRe AlterNATeD WitH LoWERcasE, beCaUse tHE inFOrMAtION cOnTeNT is MaxIMisED (uSinG the SHAnnOn dEFiNiTION of INFoRmATioN, tHe ONe TruE deFinITion, oF CouRSE).

 

[samual]

lol, hong's reply is hilarious. I have consistently enjoyed your responses as I have lurked on the boards.

Anyhow, I have been away from the gaming table for about seven years, which makes me a new player again (if I can find a game). The quote in the OP makes me wonder if returning is such a good idea. If this is your perspective then you are going to chase people away from your table. Sorry guys, but attitude matters and people pick up on it pretty quick.

I don't want to be a part of OBESITY! It is a serious epidemic!

 

[Nifft]

The quote in the OP makes me wonder if returning is such a good idea. If this is your perspective then you are going to chase people away from your table. Sorry guys, but attitude matters and people pick up on it pretty quick.

I don't want to be a part of OBESITY! It is a serious epidemic!

Returning is a great idea. Welcome.

(And we were mostly fat before you got here anyway.)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Arnwyn]

Me: New people in the hobby = healthier hobby.

So tell me, EN World: are new faces a disease, or a good thing?

For me, personally? They are a "nothing" - new faces in the hobby are completely irrelevant to me, my friends, and our particular game.

But then again, since I'm only interested in gaming with close personal friends as one thing among many others that we do, new faces are more than likely not all that welcome.

As for the "healthier hobby" concept? Don't give a rat's patutie about that, either.

 

[Fifth Element]

WHILE it is considered OUTRE in some QUARTERS to post RANDOM WORDS in ALL CAPS, an even better PRACTICE is to do the SAME with LeTterS. NothInG drawS attEntION to yOUr pOsts likE RanDoM CapiTALisAtIoN. ThiS IS evEN bEtteR ThAn StuDlYCAps, whereBY cApitALS aRe AlterNATeD WitH LoWERcasE, beCaUse tHE inFOrMAtION cOnTeNT is MaxIMisED (uSinG the SHAnnOn dEFiNiTION of INFoRmATioN, tHe ONe TruE deFinITion, oF CouRSE).

You're right, that does draw attention. But now my head hurts from reading it. Please stop.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

Good grief, why is staying a small, niche hobby a good thing?

Elitism.

 

[Andor]

Elitism.

I think gamers starring as the bad guys for a season on Buffy is about as elite as we are going to get.

 

[ironvyper]

Games need regular support. I know some of you guys are the creme de la creme of gaming, you know and love all kinds of out of print products and all that, and you sneer at people who love new stuff as if they're gauche little kids incapable of understanding true quality, but let me explain to you how us beer and pretzel types work.

We like new stuff. Ok? We do. I know some of the people on ENWorld TOTALLY DO NOT GET THIS, but new stuff is fun. This is a hobby. New things are fun to get excited about, fun to try, and fun to experience for the first time. Eventually the new stuff becomes old stuff, and then we want new stuff again. Not because the old stuff suddenly starts sucking, but because this is a hobby. And one of the fun things to do in a hobby is... new stuff. Stamp collectors don't collect the same stamp over and over. Taxidermists don't stuff, unstuff, and restuff the same carcass. And gamers don't play the same game over and over with the same materials. Not most of them, at least.

Without new stuff, a lot of the allure of the hobby dies. This is why the overall "health of the hobby" matters. Its what finances the new stuff that keeps a lot of us interested.

Feel free to sneer if you must.

Not looking to sneer but you dont need a big industry to have new stuff. As it theres more new stuff coming out then anyone could possibly buy and read it all so if the industry shrank a little or even alot it wouldnt get rid of your new stuff.

Hell you dont need an industry at all for new stuff. For instance one of the first game systems i tried was the first edition of the warhammer roleplaying game. It had been unsupported by GW for about 4 years when a friend introduced me to it. We got all our new stuff online from fan fiction and creation sites and some of it was way better then anything officially produced. We kept that up till the new edition came out and now its back to fan sites and fan created material until FFG figures out what they're doing with it.