D&D General Rant: Sometimes I Hate the D&D Community

[payn]

I agree with everything both payn and Charlaquin have said on this, but as an addendum I do also think there's something specific to D&Ders and quarreling. Let's face this: we're nerds, and when nerds fall to debating something nerdy (especially something nerdy that has no great ramifications outside its own nerdy domain), we, um...we can "get a little too into it."

My degree is not in psych, so I'm only guessing here, but my hunch is that a lot of how and why RPG nerds quarrel about RPGs and related stuff has to do with unconscious social dominance hierarchies. Humans are very driven by social hierarchies, and those of us who've been on the lower rungs of society's broader hierarchies, when we find a more accepting and inviting sub-culture hierarchy like among D&Ders, our energy to climb that social dominance ladder can get intense. I speak only for myself: the only way I've managed to avoid these behaviors is by becoming consciously aware of them and making an equally conscious decision not to indulge them. Where I let myself fall into these habits, I do fall.

Dirty Harry said it long ago: "A man's got to know his limitations."

My degree is not in sociology, so I am also only guessing here, but some of the quarrel is because the community and market is big enough to be a thing, but not big enough to be multiple things. For example, Ford vs. Chevrolet is an old and heated debate. Though, Ford fans have plenty of comrades to fall back on and have their own agreeable discussions. Any decision Chevrolet makes about their products and offerings doesn't effect Ford. The closest D&D has come has been the E-war and 4E Pathfinder split.

 

[Mecheon]

Technically, apes are a sub-group of monkeys if we wanna get real technical about it

 

[GMforPowergamers]

If you admit you are an opinionated SOB, you don't have a lot of leeway to complain about how others treat you. You reap what you sow, and all that.

I know that this wasn't directly at me... but this is why I try to get better at this stuff... but alot of us get pulled in by each other

 

[BookTenTiger]

Technically, apes are a sub-group of monkeys if we wanna get real technical about it

I only want the level of technicality that proves my point and no other.

 

[Reynard]

Don't underestimate the value of the ignore button, either. There are a few people in this community that I just don't get along with and it always seems to turn into a fight. So, I save us both the trouble by clicking "ignore" and everyone is better off for it. I don't even do it "because that person is a jerk" -- just that for whatever reason, they and I are always at loggerheads and unable to discuss things politely.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

My degree is not in sociology, so I am also only guessing here, but some of the quarrel is because the community and market is big enough to be a thing, but not big enough to be multiple things. For example, Ford vs. Chevrolet is an old and heated debate. Though, Ford fans have plenty of comrades to fall back on and have their own agreeable discussions. Any decision Chevrolet makes about their products and offerings doesn't effect Ford. The closest D&D has come has been the E-war and 4E Pathfinder split.

and you can imagine that Ford and Chevrolet will make new cars next year. there is no way that a new 3e or 4e or 2e or basic book is coming out next year. With PF2e now out there is no major support for 3.5, and there was no major 4e retroclone... so realisticly there is no new 4e improvements and innovations coming unless 6e looks more like 4e.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Don't underestimate the value of the ignore button, either. There are a few people in this community that I just don't get along with and it always seems to turn into a fight. So, I save us both the trouble by clicking "ignore" and everyone is better off for it. I don't even do it "because that person is a jerk" -- just that for whatever reason, they and I are always at loggerheads and unable to discuss things politely.

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

 

[This Effin’ GM]

and you can imagine that Ford and Chevrolet will make new cars next year. there is no way that a new 3e or 4e or 2e or basic book is coming out next year. With PF2e now out there is no major support for 3.5, and there was no major 4e retroclone... so realisticly there is no new 4e improvements and innovations coming unless 6e looks more like 4e.

Side note: one hill I will die on is that PF2E is in a surprising amount of ways an advanced 4e, but I will happy accept others not agreeing with that.

 

[beancounter]

As someone who is sometimes guilty of being abrasive, I think the point is that we should try and express our opinions and preferences while observing Wheaton's Rule.

Personally, I never cared for Wesley Crusher.

 

[payn]

and you can imagine that Ford and Chevrolet will make new cars next year. there is no way that a new 3e or 4e or 2e or basic book is coming out next year. With PF2e now out there is no major support for 3.5, and there was no major 4e retroclone... so realisticly there is no new 4e improvements and innovations coming unless 6e looks more like 4e.

The real rub is that competing products often improve each other. Ford does its thing, but Ford buyers might be wanting those fancy ass new tailgates that Chevy has. So, Ford adds new tailgate features the Ford way. With D&D you have OSR, 3E/PF, 4E folks all asking for tailgates that work for their favorite pickup, and obviously some folks will be left pissed.