tail wags dog: streamers want to say 'aaargh' so we are getting a pirate adventure

jasper · Jan 8, 2019

SkidAce said:
Monster Hunter International?

Correct. I need to reread the series.

Paul Farquhar · Jan 8, 2019

I don't care what you call me, but I have been playing D&D since 1981 (on and off), and I LIKE PIRATES!

D&D players said "aaargh" in the 80s.

lowkey13 · Jan 8, 2019

*Deleted by user*

Ovinomancer · Jan 8, 2019

3catcircus said:
There is a bit of difference between hating something new just because it is new, and hating it because it didn't need to be improved to begin with.

There have been plenty of things that got better with each edition of D&D for some players, yet some would consider those changes to not be an improvement. The difference now is social media gives a minority of players a disproportionate voice to change the game. In the past everyone was equal in this regard unless they took the time to write an actual, coherent, well thought out letter to try and influence tv shows, game designers, manufacturers, whoever. Now, one person can go and write a crayon letter on twitter or post a ranting incoherent video and they are all too often taken seriously

Two things:

1. We aren't talking about crayon letters posted to twitter, but content viewed often by nearly a million fans. In comparison, ENW, the largest fansite for D&D, gets less views. The streaners being discussed aren't just anyone on the web (else ypu could do it, too) but the very popular and widely viewed.

B. WotC ain't stupid. They run polling all the time. If you think they're mostly oistening to Mercer and crew, you're badly mistaken. 5e is the most market driven edition ever, and WitC is keeping a keen ear to the ground. They're paying attention to streamers, yes (because who wouldn't help out massive free advertising?), but that's not their driving focus for new material. If you dislike sharing the market with people that want other things (frex, I've never watched a game stream or video and still want pirates) you might want to re-evaluate participation in mass-market social hobbies.

Immortal Sun · Jan 8, 2019

billd91 said:
Hey, I know all the buzzwords too and if you think that you should be able to hang the title of grognard on anyone complaining about an edition change after so short a development cycle, well you go ahead and appropriate it all you want.

But you may not get the same respect.

Being a long-time 4E fan, the respect of grogs is something I am completely disinterested in.

lowkey13 · Jan 8, 2019

*Deleted by user*

Immortal Sun · Jan 8, 2019

lowkey13 said:
On the other hand, any grognard would tell ya that you can't put "long-time" and "4e" in close proximity to each other.

/ducks

I'm really not sure to take this as a cheap shot or as humor, 'cause it ain't funny. So perhaps you'd like to clarify?

Yunru · Jan 8, 2019

Reynard said:
People align themselves with uncharitable terminology all the time. Sometimes they do it to take that terminology back. Sometimes they do it to show they don't accept others' value judgements. Sometimes they do it just to be difficult.

And sometimes they're just self-deprecating too.

SkidAce · Jan 8, 2019

So why are we using Urban Dictionary instead of Merriam Webster?

To preempt the answer...because words and meanings change with the times.

Which leads to my point:

Grognard was a descriptor of a type of old grumbley gamer, but it wasn't always meant derogatorily.

Naturally, when a term that people are used to starts becoming a curse word, some may feel slighted and push back against the change.
[MENTION=6981174]Immortal Sun[/MENTION] is "completely disinterested in the respect of 'grogs' ". (no disrespect to you, just an example).

So obviously "grognard" has become/changed into a harsher term. Maybe it always was, and the gaming environment I was around adopted it as a "badge of honor". Hard to say.

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But [MENTION=6779196]Charlaquin[/MENTION] , I gave an (anecdotal) example of grognard being used in a positive way.