A bit tired of people knocking videogames...

[Dannyalcatraz]

What we're saying is that it's usually ridiculous to say something like "X is bad because it's from video games," because it's often not from video games, and when it is from video games it's also from everything else, which makes it abundantly clear that the fact that it's from video games has nothing to do with why you dislike it, which means that we end up having to guess at why you dislike it.

Except to the speaker, it IS something from videogames. That may ultimately untrue due to a lack of exposure to the true origins of whatever, but the speaker is not trying to obfuscate or lie. It's like someone thinking Blondie did the first version of "The Tide is High."

And in many cases, such as my personal experiences or those of my friends, the origins ARE from videogames.

What WE'RE saying is don't guess, ask. Or if that's too much, ignore. Don't ask us to change terminology because you don't like it.

 

[Dannager]

Who's hammering away? It's no different than using other terms to give the listener an idea of what you are about to start mentioning. I hear people use the term sandbox a lot in D&D. As far as I can tell, their campaign world does not take place in a sandbox, and I've never seen anyone playing D&D in a sandbox. But if I use the term sandbox, you're going to have a general idea to what I'm referring to.

Right, a sandbox game is a widely accepted and understood term. The term "videogamey", or even just saying "This feels like a video game," has no widely accepted meaning. We have to guess at what you might mean by that unless you explicitly tell us what you mean - and, nine times out of ten, when we actually get to the point of examining the complaint itself, it turns out to have nothing to do with video games in particular. You could just as easily skip over the whole allusion to videogamey-ness and just explain what you don't like and why.

HINT: "It's like a video game," isn't a reason dislike something, unless you dislike video games (and, therefore, you can be reasonably expected to dislike things that are like video games).

More worthwhile discussion, less "I hate it because it's like WoW!" please. (And yes, if you're responding to this thread you're probably not exacerbating the issue very much, but there are a lot of people who do, even here on ENWorld.)

 

[billd91]

HINT: "It's like a video game," isn't a reason dislike something, unless you dislike video games (and, therefore, you can be reasonably expected to dislike things that are like video games).

Or you like video games but prefer for certain tendencies of theirs to be confined to the video game medium rather than influence refereed RPGs.

 

[Raven Crowking]

The term "videogamey", or even just saying "This feels like a video game," has no widely accepted meaning.

Funny how that happens only whenever a term provides a convenient shorthand for something someone dislikes, and how what is meant is not understood only by the people who really like the same thing and/or have a vested interest in no one having such a convenient shorthand.

HINT: "It's like a video game," isn't a reason dislike something, unless you dislike video games (and, therefore, you can be reasonably expected to dislike things that are like video games).

The steering console of this vehicle is like a video game controller =/= that I don't like video game controllers; merely that I think they are inappropriate to steer a car with.


RC

 

[Oryan77]

The term "videogamey", or even just saying "This feels like a video game," has no widely accepted meaning.

Just because you don't accept it or you don't understand what a person may be referring to when they say it does not make it any less accepted or even less widely accepted. "Widely" is subjective. If it wasn't widely accepted, then why is it such a popular term to use? Enough people use it that it bothers you. As far as I'm concerned, it is a "widely accepted" meaning. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't an accepted legitimate term.

If someone told me, "It's a bit too videogamey", I will understand exactly what he's referring to. I don't need to know any specifics even if I wouldn't agree with his criticism on those specifics. I still understand where he's coming from when he says it. You may not know what he's referring to, and you may need to know more specifics about why he doesn't like it, but we understand his meaning. That's when we would ask him, "Oh yeah? What parts feel that way to you?" and the conversation begins.

See watch, I'll show you...

Hey Dannyalcatraz, healing surges are too videogamey. I don't like using them in my D&D world. What exactly do you think it is that I don't like about them?

I'll use the term all day long to describe content that I feel belongs only in a video game regardless if it has ever even been in a video game. The specific history of the content is meaningless to me. That does not mean I do not like video games. It also does not mean I would not like that content in a video game. It doesn't even mean I think people are stupid if they do use that content in their own game. It simply means I think of D&D in a different way than video games and I like to preserve that flavor.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hey Dannyalcatraz, healing surges are too videogamey. I don't like using them in my D&D world. What exactly do you think it is that I don't like about them?

Well, if you're like me, they remind you of how characters in games like Tekken or MK can heal a bit during combat, and some can do so by executing certain moves. Kinda blech in an RPG, IMHO.

They sure do rock in arcade fighter games, though.

 

[Mark CMG]

Right, a sandbox game is a widely accepted and understood term.

Not really. It's a term that means many things to many people. When taken in context, its meaning in the moment is usually understood. It's a lot like the term "videogamey" in those respects.

 

[Oryan77]

Well, if you're like me, they remind you of how characters in games like Tekken or MK can heal a bit during combat, and some can do so by executing certain moves. Kinda blech in an RPG, IMHO.

They sure do rock in arcade fighter games, though.

I gotta spread the xp around? WTF, Dannyalcatraz is the only person worthy of getting my xp. Who do I have to talk to around here to just simply get all of my xp transferred over to Dannyalcatraz's account?

Anyway, that's pretty much what I would have said if someone asked me about healing surges. It's been explained to me how hitpoints are not supposed to be a representation of a characters health, so therefore healing surges can make sense. Even though I don't believe that was the designers intent when implementing the rule, even if that is how I should think of it, I don't like it. Similar to what Dannyalcatraz said, it reminds me of seeing my screen go red when I get shot in Call of Duty and then the red slowly fades away and I'm full health again.

People may not like that opinion, but it doesn't mean I can't use the term videogamey to express that opinion. It makes sense to people even if other people don't understand.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Healing Surges is too video gamey!

*plays previous editions*

*Takes no penalties whatsoever when at low HP*

*As long as you have 1 you're at full strength!*

*Plays like every video game ever that works the same way*

*Feels no dissociation*

 

[The Shaman]

Healing Surges is too video gamey!

*plays previous editions*

*Takes no penalties whatsoever when at low HP*

*As long as you have 1 you're at full strength!*

*Plays like every video game ever that works the same way*

*Feels no dissociation*

*Compares too unlike things*

*Misses point*