Ha. Did You See...

[Vocenoctum]

First word in the 4th line of the above letter.

You're right, it's no big deal. but it might be nice to publicly express our support of the magazine. As I said, we wouldn't criticise if we didn't care.

I read it like 10 times, but knew when I posted, it would magically appear

After thinking about it, I think it's more that threads run one of three ways;
1) the what's in dragon thread. Runs for a few days until everyone has it
2) the discussion about a good article, usually dies pretty quick
3) the rants, where people keep piling on and getting abusive. They might not last as long, but they are more memorable, so maybe that's where the perception comes from.

 

[babomb]

I do really like the card idea. That ought to make an amusing write-up in the magazine. If a letter is written, I think it should include something to the effect of

If the likes of Gary Gygax, Monte Cook, Chris Pramas, Erik Mona, [as many others as you care to mention], all active posters on the EN World board, are "nobodies," we wonder whom Mr. Bickler would consider "somebody."

 

[William Ronald]

I think that at least sending in a card or postcard would be a good idea. As for the nobodies remark, I must presume that the letter writer does not truly know much about EN World. In several of the forums here, some of the industry's top notables post regularly. I think he would benefit from actually visiting more than one thread on EN World. Indeed, I think we should invite him here as a courtesy. Perhaps he might actually see that there are valuable discussions here, including some featuring industry notables.

If I recall correctly, Paizo does not have a message board and EN World has been recommended as a place in Dragon and Dungeon/Polyhedron to contact Paizo editors on line.

I would argue that the reason why Dragon and Dungeon/Polyhedron are discussed on these boards is that they do matter very much to all of us. Indeed, I think some of the threads have been heated BECAUSE many of us care about the magazines. So, perhaps the best thing to do is to prove Mr. Bickler wrong. Perhaps we can also send in a list of people who post on EN World who have published professionally -- including Dragon and Dungeon/Polyhedron writers.

 

[jgbrowning]

How's this for a rough draft?

Here it is: Quoted from Dragon 311, p10.

Quibbling Somebodies

I would like to take this opportunity to send all of you that are working on my favorite magazines a note telling you all to keep up the good work. It must be very difficult to work with the constant annoying buzz of Internet geeks pontificating about your horrible transgressions in magazine creation! Seriously, I feel for you. I was surfing EN World this morning when I stumbled upon the message board update regarding a post by Erik Mona. Now I rarely read message boards, because I find that they are mostly a bunch of nobodies quibbling incessantly over nothing, but I do check them out when written by someone from the industry. I was absolutely shocked when I read the posts regarding your magazines! These people had nothing nice to say about anything. The way I see it is if they don't like the magazines, they should cancel their subscriptions. Oh, wait ... none of them had subscriptions. In fact, a bunch of them say they think the magazines suck because they just look at them in the store and don't buy them. That is obviously a great way to judge the content of a magazine! I read your magazines just about from cover to cover and always find great information. Even if an article, adventure, or Mini-Game isn't my personal taste. I always find something I can put to good use in my games.

Did you note that I said games? Yes, I DM two different games a week. I actually play the game that so many of these message board geeks rip apart but don't actually play!

Keep up the good work, and know that at least one person you are writing for each month is going to really enjoy what you work so hard to create.

Jeffrey J Bickler, Brick, NJ

In response:

This letter is from the entire ENworld community in response to Jeffrey J Bickler's letter in issue 311.

Mr. Bickler's visit to our forums seems to have been an unfortunate one. Unlike his portrayal of a bunch of message board geeks who rip apart games they don’t actually play, ENworld is actually populated by the largest community of Dungeons and Dragons players on the Internet. Our posting members include such industry authors/publishers as, Monte Cook, Chris Pramas, Gary Gygax, Matthew Sprange, John Nephew, Clark Peterson, and Dragon’s own Erik Mona.

The reason why we have such an industry presence is because the people at ENworld care deeply about the game. We spend hours discussing minute parts of the game, have whole forums dedicated to rules questions and house rules as well forums for other d20 games. The people who make the books and magazines we love to praise, as well as rip apart, understand that the feedback created by ENworld helps propel the industry, in general, forward.

In order too not only criticize, but also to provide praise, ENworld created the Ennies award ceremony. These awards praise the best of the industry with a focus on d20 material. Although the awards are only three years old, and undergoing constant procedural consideration, they are rapidly becoming the benchmark awards for d20 products.

Mr. Bickler’s portrayal of ENworld as negative is far from the truth, for it is one of the most positive things in this industry: a source of direct, unadulterated feedback to the game manufacturers. This can lead to harsh criticism or to lavish praise (often at the same time, for gamers are a mixed bunch with different likes and dislikes), but most of all, it lets the game players speak directly to the game producers which only benefits everyone involved.

The ENworld community.


This could be cleaned up a lot, but i think it hits the main points that i'd like to respond to.....

wadda yall think?

joe b.

 

[Agamon]

Sorry, I have to pick some nits here...

• Evil Clown Posse Advertisments

That's Insane Clown Posse, they're only Chaotic Neutral.

• Disappointment with Issue 100

You mean Issue 300, yes?

And now to add someting semi-relevant to the thread...This guy is clueless. If he's got a problem with posters at certain sites, he needs to get the facts straight. The elitists are at RPGnet. The idiots are at WotC's boards. The nice, normal, well-informed people hang out here.

And he doesn't read message boards because their full of quibbling nobodies, but how does he find when industry poeple post then?

And isn't he just a nobody quibbling about nothing in the magazine? Hmmm, hypocritical much?

And, obviously, no one posting their opinion on the mag here can play the game and make what we like and don't like about Dragon known. No, none of us play D&D, we just come here to be grumpy about it...

La-hooser.

 

[Agamon]

Re: How's this for a rough draft?

<snip letter>

This could be cleaned up a lot, but i think it hits the main points that i'd like to respond to.....

wadda yall think?
[/B]

Excellent, Joe. A much better reasoned and well-stated rubuttal than what La-hooser wrote.

 

[diaglo]

In response:



Original D&D (1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

And mini-games? adventures? are you sure Mr. Bickler isn't confusing the fine writing in Dragon Magazine with Paizo's other magazine: Dungeon. For someone who claims to read and reread the material in your magazine, he doesn't seem to know what he is reading.

diaglo/ official grognard of the ENWorld community.

 

[Wicht]

Excellent job Joe. I would sign onto that letter or something similar.

 

[Sirius_Black]

Re: How's this for a rough draft?

This could be cleaned up a lot, but i think it hits the main points that i'd like to respond to.....

wadda yall think?

A very classy letter Mr. Browning. It is much more mature than Mr. Bickler's letter.

 

[Morrus]

That letter is great!