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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ColonelHardisson" data-source="post: 264793" data-attributes="member: 363">What follows is a general rant, not necessarily inspired by anyone or anything in this thread...but it seems in keeping with what the thread is discussing.Y'know something? The more I see arguments along the lines of "[insert any given game here] is for [insert flattering portrayal of aforementioned game's fan base], while [insert either D&D3e or d20] appeals only to [insert unflattering portrayal of D&D3e or d20 fans]," the more tired I become of gaming, or at least online gaming communities. I see this kind of reasoning on HackMaster boards, boards devoted to D&D of editions other than 3e, and boards devoted to RPGs from GURPS to Harn to Chaosium's BRP to...well, you get the picture. And, yes, we see the reverse, where D&D3e or d20 is seen as the be all and end all of RPGs, and the rest suck.I keep saying it - it's geeks calling geeks geeks. Almost every gamer I've met in real life has been reasonable, friendly, and willing to give new and different games a try. I've never run across, in real life, the sheer vitriol and venom found online when it comes to the relative merits of one game against another. Is it because people who hold such hateful opinions have no other outlet for their venting? Or is it simply people being argumentative for the sake of being argumentative? I don't know. I'm especially mystified by people who play really obscure games - and Harn, for example, in the scheme of things, is pretty obscure, in the objective sense of the word - that are extremely vocal about their disdain for other RPGs. There really aren't that many RPG players out there to begin with; why alienate potential players? I don't know about everywhere, but I know that in my area, which is a major metroplitan area, there aren't enough gamers (and thus games) for someone to afford the luxury of pooh-poohing the possibility of playing a game that might not be one's first choice. More than likely, someone with such an attitude would not be gaming at all, or doing online gaming. Online gaming is an interesting alternative, and very handy for someone who lives in a remote area or is housebound, but gaming really is a social endeavor that is best when done face-to-face. I think keeping an open mind, and trying to acquire a taste for other RPGs, would be a good way to go.I've played plenty of RPGs over the years. I'm lucky in that my favorite has been D&D. But, believe me, the times that I had the opportunity to game, even if it was a game I normally wouldn't choose to play, I took the opportunity and had fun. I've seen people vow things like "I would never play 3e (or whatever game)! Death would be better!" Come on. Such a person who is really so dogmatically inflexible must not actually game, but rather sits with the books, alone, rolling up characters for games never played. And maybe they deserve such a fate, for being so fanatical about something that should be taken lightly - a game.Maybe I just need a break from this stuff...</blockquote>

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