How to Be An Effective Angry Gamer

[Ashrum the Black]

Okay, Okay! I get it!

I'll be 5 minutes early next time, and I'll have my character sheet pinned to my chest, and I'll bring a keg of Dew next gaming session!

I have seen the errors of my ways!

-Dave

 

[Kae'Yoss]

At least they'll be reconsidering whether it's a good idea to invade us.

So they just blast us instead. Thank you very much, Mr. Springer (both Axel and Jerry).

But you're right: Pointless rants won't achieve anything, but that won't stop anyone. And sometimes constructive criticism won't achieve anything either.

 

[Thresher]

The internet is fraught with people who act impulsively and on emotion, its much like road rage. People cant see another person's body language and get angry at an inanimate object they see in front of them. Just watch how people treat other pedestrians in a que as say compared to how motorists react when stuck in a traffic jam and you get a general idea of this behaviour.
Same with phone conversations, its easy after being stuck in a phone que for 20min's to an ISP listening to crap music and grinding your teeth and then tear the other guy on the end of the line a new verbal for having been stuck so long without being able to give 'your opinion'.

Would you be the same ranting loonie when presented with the author of a book you, at best mildly disliked or is it more truthfull to react on impulse with a body of text that contains no face to face contact?
Some people dont have the force of personality to be up-front about how they feel about another person's behaviour, attitude or appearance. While they may have those feelings you will find they tend to present a 'face' of how they want others to see them rather than reveal exactly what their personality is.

To be honest, my only real (big) gripe with WoTC is that they treat their customers like kids, and to be honest the written feedback Im sure contains endless tears and whinning about things that suck. Which is not always the best way of getting across a message if you want to have youre point of view read, so we're stuck being treated like brats.

 

[TiQuinn]

My only question is does this apply to all game publishers, or just everyone except Wizards of the Coast?

It seems that more often that not, Wizards' general response to gamers suggestions/criticisms has been "if it doesn't make money immediately, then they're not interested. Thanks for your comments, next!"

Sometimes, the only way to get your point across is to say a product stinks and then drive the point home with your wallet. Then wait for someone who actually wants to listen to what you have to say.

 

[Morrow]

Mike Mearls is my hero.

Morrow

 

[Tidus4444]

Right out of Mr. Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People. It was true in 1936, and is just as true today.

I'm reading Mr. Carnegie's book right now. Great stuff. The thing I think that most pertains to this thread is his advice that if you want people to do something, make them want to do it.

 

[Numion]

It seems that more often that not, Wizards' general response to gamers suggestions/criticisms has been "if it doesn't make money immediately, then they're not interested. Thanks for your comments, next!"

I know it's hip to be anti-WotC and all that, but isn't your statement just a bit ignorant? After all 3e was birthed with the help of the biggest survey ever done on RPGs. Yes, with actual information and opinions gathered from actual gamers.

 

[DaveMage]

What mearls said also works both ways as well.

What has always impressed me about EN world, is that it truly is a place where publishers and consumers can interract with each other and genuinely be interested in what each has to say.

I think it's truly awesome that publishers take their valuable time to listen to concerns expressed here. And that I, as a consumer, get to exchange thoughts and ideas with them.

I have gained extreme amounts of respect for folks like Jim Butler, Clark Peterson, Wil Upchurch, and many others for their time and responses they've given here (and especially in the Publishers forum). I make it a priority to purchase their products since I know that not only will I most-likely be getting a top-notch product, but also that they will be responsive to issues the community brings forth.

 

[Henry]

quote:
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Originally posted by TiQuinn

It seems that more often that not, Wizards' general response to gamers suggestions/criticisms has been "if it doesn't make money immediately, then they're not interested. Thanks for your comments, next!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know it's hip to be anti-WotC and all that, but isn't your statement just a bit ignorant? After all 3e was birthed with the help of the biggest survey ever done on RPGs. Yes, with actual information and opinions gathered from actual gamers.

The above statement does seem a little hyped, but it does have a grain of truth in it.

WotC has one quality that is both its greatest srtength and its biggest weakness: it is attached to a VERY large corporation. This corporate power gives them the ability to create beautiful professional products, and advertise them in many venues, but it also means that they have exponentially higher overhead than, say, Malhavoc Press, or Green Ronin.

The OGL is a blessing for many reasons, one of which is to allow small-press companies the ability to do projects that thousands of fans want, but for which WotC couldn't even make up their overhead on.

So, no, if WotC can't see a profit in it, they can't be irresponsible by making it.

 

[TiQuinn]

I know it's hip to be anti-WotC and all that, but isn't your statement just a bit ignorant? After all 3e was birthed with the help of the biggest survey ever done on RPGs. Yes, with actual information and opinions gathered from actual gamers.

No, I don't think it's an ignorant statement since Wizards has ocassionally been very vocal about what they will and will not do, i.e. no modules, crunch vs. fluff debates (god, how I hate these buzzwords). I'm saying that while I agree with Mike Mearls statement as it pertains to smaller publishers, it doesn't work with the largest and most influential one. And 3rd edition was only birthed after it was bought by Wizards of the Coast/Pre-Hasbro. There was a definite change in direction once WotC came under Hasbro's direction.

I agree with Henry's POV. I was harsh, but I was accurate. WotC, as a part of publicly traded, stockholder-accountable Hasbro, does not follow the idea laid out by Mike.