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<blockquote data-quote="JohnRTroy" data-source="post: 4896799" data-attributes="member: 2732">I think the Thomsons who ran Comic Buyer's Guide coined a phrase that is akin to nostalgia but not exactly the same.&nbsp; It was coined in response to &quot;The Golden Age of Comics&quot;&quot;The Golden Age is 12&quot;.In other words, people's own perceptions color these personal golden ages.&nbsp; Give or take a few years in either direction, this golden age is when you think entertainment is best.&nbsp; You had the best movies, music, TV shows, comics, RPGs, etc.&nbsp; Years down the road, you're not likely to be as excited or enthused for these items as you were back during this time.&nbsp; You might see current trends through a more cynical eye, you might be jaded, things might have changed too much, etc.This is pretty common.&nbsp; I see comments on YouTube about bands from the 1980s and people saying &quot;they just don't make music as good like this anymore&quot;.&nbsp; Well, I remember music critics saying the same thing comparing the contemporary acts to the 1960s.It's an important facet to consider.&nbsp; It's not a judgement or anything, but I know I'm not as immune to it.&nbsp; For instance, I was and am a very Gygax loyalist--purchased all of Gary's works, etc, and I've enjoyed almost everything he ever wrote.&nbsp; But no matter what I've read (and I've read tons of his work, even stuff unpublished), you can't always recreate the same personal magic and level of enthusiasm when you were at your own &quot;golden age&quot;.Even the same creators might not seem as special, and it might not be because they've changed, it might be because you are a little older (experienced, jaded, cynical, whatever etc.)I'm not saying this is the only reason, but I do think it is a big part.&nbsp; I think any criticism of these subjects need to take this factor into account.&nbsp; I'm not saying there are objective reasons for why the old/new game is worse/better/the same, but there are also hidden subjective factors.&nbsp; I like some of the old school bloggers, but sometimes I feel there are certain essays that try too had to defend things with a veneer of objectivity that should really be phrased as &quot;it's just not my style&quot;.&nbsp; (For instance, James at Grognardia likes to say the 1e art was better than 2e art, and from most artistic standpoints I say that is false--the reason the artists were replaced was because many of them weren't as good as the later artists--when TSR had more money, they could pay for better artists, and I think the neologisms like &quot;Gygaxian Naturalism&quot; are a little much).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="JohnRTroy, post: 4896799, member: 2732"] I think the Thomsons who ran Comic Buyer's Guide coined a phrase that is akin to nostalgia but not exactly the same. It was coined in response to "The Golden Age of Comics" "The Golden Age is 12". In other words, people's own perceptions color these personal golden ages. Give or take a few years in either direction, this golden age is when you think entertainment is best. You had the best movies, music, TV shows, comics, RPGs, etc. Years down the road, you're not likely to be as excited or enthused for these items as you were back during this time. You might see current trends through a more cynical eye, you might be jaded, things might have changed too much, etc. This is pretty common. I see comments on YouTube about bands from the 1980s and people saying "they just don't make music as good like this anymore". Well, I remember music critics saying the same thing comparing the contemporary acts to the 1960s. It's an important facet to consider. It's not a judgement or anything, but I know I'm not as immune to it. For instance, I was and am a very Gygax loyalist--purchased all of Gary's works, etc, and I've enjoyed almost everything he ever wrote. But no matter what I've read (and I've read tons of his work, even stuff unpublished), you can't always recreate the same personal magic and level of enthusiasm when you were at your own "golden age". Even the same creators might not seem as special, and it might not be because they've changed, it might be because you are a little older (experienced, jaded, cynical, whatever etc.) I'm not saying this is the only reason, but I do think it is a big part. I think any criticism of these subjects need to take this factor into account. I'm not saying there are objective reasons for why the old/new game is worse/better/the same, but there are also hidden subjective factors. I like some of the old school bloggers, but sometimes I feel there are certain essays that try too had to defend things with a veneer of objectivity that should really be phrased as "it's just not my style". (For instance, James at Grognardia likes to say the 1e art was better than 2e art, and from most artistic standpoints I say that is false--the reason the artists were replaced was because many of them weren't as good as the later artists--when TSR had more money, they could pay for better artists, and I think the neologisms like "Gygaxian Naturalism" are a little much). [/QUOTE]

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