Ourph said:
The treatment Mike Mearls receives isn't any worse than the treatment that, for example, Gary Gygax (also a frequent poster to these boards) and his work often receive, and as far as I know Gary isn't holding EN World accountable for the fact that not everybody likes his work or ideas on game design. People with strong opinions can't really afford to be offended when others dissect and critique their work with the same unsympathetic bluntness that they employ in forming and voicing their own thoughts. Mike isn't shy about sharing his opinions with the world and I don't see why "the world" (i.e. ENWorld) should be shy about sharing our opinions with him.
Possibly, if he keeps insisting his personal opinion is "the truth", as he did earlier.
Be embarassed if you like, but it seems to me that when someone is willing to be blunt and honest about their opinions people should feel free to be blunt and honest in response to those opinions. If Mike doesn't like the response he receives maybe he shouldn't be in the business of publishing web articles that essentially tell people "something you like is stupid, and here's why".
First, I'd like to see where Mearls has declared his "one true way and all others are stupid" statement. A link would be very nice.
Second, if you are offended by his 8 year old, tongue-in-cheek written article about KotBL, written as a
fan, then you have missed out on a joke, I'm afraid.
And am I imagining things, or are you implying that Mearls has made statements that he is offended by ENWorld, somewhere? If so, I would like a link to those sources, as well, please.
I will always be ashamed and embarrassed when any game designer is attacked here on ENWorld. Especially one who was once a fairly regular member our or community.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
Yes, I know it's cool and trendy to bash The Man, especially on the internet, but it's always shameful to see it done to former members of our community who happened to have "made it", or at least as close to that as can be done in the RPG industry.