3 Fan Communities That Hate Their Own Members

[Morrus]

Courtesy of Cracked.com:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-fan-communities-that-hate-their-own-members

We're #2, in between Comic Books and Indie Music. While we certainly are guilty of being very edition-warry (and other warr-ies), the description doesn't really resemble anything. That said, it is Cracked, so it's supposed to be funny, not accurate.

 

[Henry]

I dunno - his description of girl gamer experience matches many interviews I've heard with different ladies at Happy Jack's, a few of the Ryan Costello interviews, etc. where a potential gamer for life was almost ruined by some jackass who didn't know how to handle an "ulterior motive" no more sinister than to have fun in a damned game. I wish the guys who didn't want a girl to ruin "guys night out" would be up front about it -- they'll still look like jerks, but at least they'd be honest.

I loved his MODOK confession, for sure.

 

[JamesonCourage]

the description doesn't really resemble anything. That said, it is Cracked, so it's supposed to be funny, not accurate.

This is my huge problem with Cracked. "Funny" is placed before accuracy, and unlike, say, QI, the funny doesn't make up for the stuff they say.

It's like the Game of Thrones trailer that called Jorah "Lord Friendzone" because they couldn't remember the character's name. That part is funny, but when they go on to forget as many characters as they do (I think they forget the names of Theon and maybe even Daenerys, but I'm not 100%), it makes me think they're idiots or divorced from reality. And that's not funny to me, unfortunately.

 

[Umbran]

While we certainly are guilty of being very edition-warry (and other warr-ies), the description doesn't really resemble anything.

The section on how women are treated resembles the experience of a few ladies I know. So....

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

It's like the Game of Thrones trailer that called Jorah "Lord Friendzone" because they couldn't remember the character's name. That part is funny, but when they go on to forget as many characters as they do (I think they forget the names of Theon and maybe even Daenerys, but I'm not 100%), it makes me think they're idiots or divorced from reality. And that's not funny to me, unfortunately.

IDK, I'm always having to ask my wife "Who's this guy again? I thought he was at the wall?" There's alot of characters and many look similar. They wouldn't be the first to joke about keeping track of who's who in GoT.

 

[Phototoxin]

I've not found this with RPGs (except on forums on the internet which isn't real!) but have in MtG where it's a very cut-throat environment. Basically its WAAC. Wargames vary on the game and community, e.g. 40k is FUBAR but I find that Malifaux is balanced and fun. Warmahordes is the same as MtG in terms of community and fun. Since I play TT games for community/social interaction/fun I find that I'm leaning towards RPGs a lot more than TT (also waaaaaay less expensive) since TT require a higher buy in and an equal amount of time for a lot less fun on your 'investment'.

A lot of it depends on the people but RPGs tend to be 'pre-screened' - I don't play with random power gamers and we can always say 'sorry table full' whereas with war-games it's expected that you can play anyone with the same points value (which doesn't balance it anyway!) With war-games / mtg the person with the better army-list/deck usually wins (exceptions being idiot players and balanced games e.g. malifaux and to an extend warmahordes though it has hyper power-creep too). I'd rather play chess and be owned by kasparov rather than loose to Nooby McGee with his Eldar-Inqusition-Tau-Chaos cheese ball army of doom or similarly win to Nooby McGee with his 'all on foot assault imperial guard army'.

TLDR: I'd rather play a game that involves fun, story/narrative and skill as well as dice as opposed to 'list hammer' and in a game that encourages social interaction above being 'that guy'

 

[Tom Strickland]

People have a fundamental right to "free speech" and I have a fundamental right to avoid wallowing in filth.

I have not been following that site, and I certainly will not now because of a prominent, referenced article filled with crude and vulgar themes and language. I started reading the #2 section and ended up skimming to avoid the major snark/smarm/sarcasm factors but kept bumping into the fetid crags rising sharply into the stratosphere which impeded any sort of interesting--let alone pleasant--journey.

GamaSutra is another I recently stopped following because of shockingly in-your-face obscene language without warning in showcased articles.

No thank you.

 

[Mallus]

... and I have a fundamental right to avoid wallowing in filth.

Out of curiosity, was anyone questioning this? Or did you just feel like proclaiming your anti-wallowing stance?

Anyhoo... Cracked.

I only read Cracked when someone I know links to it, but I've their pieces are pretty good, often better as commentary/analysis than humor (but funny enough). "Lord Friendzone" is thing of beauty.

This was a solid 'meh'. Maybe a 'meh+'. The authors isn't exactly wrong about those 3 fandoms, of which I'm a big part of 1, and a minor player in the other 2. But his focus on the worst of them is just... kinda boring.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

It's sad that it can be hard to get girls interested in gaming. I'm generally hoping there will be at least one girl in a gaming group, just because I think the atmosphere is improved by having a female representative present.

 

[Tom Strickland]

I'm generally hoping there will be at least one girl in a gaming group, just because I think the atmosphere is improved by having a female representative present.

Thankfully, I have sometimes been able to enjoy the presence of a gal in gaming groups I've DM'd online and in person. Such have been welcome additions to groups already comprised of varying ethnicities and ages, aside from differing philosophical and political outlooks, and also tastes in humor.

A woman who is a childhood friend of a couple of guys much younger than me in one of my gaming groups is returning to play after a hiatus and is bringing her younger brother.

[There is certainly a moderating effect on the roughest jests around the table by those who subscribe to a core civility when appropriate and welcome.]

And so the gaming goodness moves through the seasons.