Memo to all 4th Edition Designers and Developers

[Captain Tagon]

Agreed. 'Boss' is conspicuous in its absence.


I blame the new shoe-wearing kender/haflings and I recommend a round of mass beatings.

Thirded. 'Boss' is the only positive slang term worth mentioning. For serious.

 

[Fifth Element]

Awesome! Nothing gets critics of 4E onboard with the new edition like ridiculing them. That must be why you are the brand manager. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

If you can dish out criticism for using a word "too much", then you should be able to take some gentle ribbing for doing so.

I think Mr. Rouse and his colleagues have taken abuse pretty well over the past several months, being called liars and worse. If you're such a 4E critic that you complain about the word "cool", then you're probably not going to buy it anyway, so where's the loss?

 

[Primal]

Very mature, Scott... tell me -- did your studies include any courses on how to treat your customers? This is not the first post from you that could be seen as 'condescending' and impolite or even outright insulting to a portion (however minor) of your customer base (I'm referring to a certain thread on the WoTC forum in which you accused some fans of "whining every time we try something different").

 

[The Ubbergeek]

"whining every time we try something different"

It have some truths - change anything and you will hear always at least one complaining loudly.

 

[Primal]

It have some truths - change anything and you will hear always at least one complaining loudly.

Do you think it is a wise marketing strategy to *publicly* call some of your customers "whiners"? What if you complained at your FLGS how they have filled the shelves mostly with Manga books and they'd say: "You people! You always have to start whining when we try something new and different!"... would you feel you were treated politely? Would you still shop there? Even if the staff clearly treats you in a condescending or even insulting manner? We're talking about the D&D Brand Manager here, after all, and how he apparently wants to treat his customers...

 

[Nymrohd]

What customers? The people who whine day and night about every single thing announced about 4E? Let's be realistic. Most of them are so addicted they will buy it even if you kill their mother and the rest are not planning to buy it and just are being creative little trolls. Sure there are people who present constructed criticism but then again there are some who should be treated just that way.

 

[AZRogue]

I think Scott is counting on most of us having a sense of humor. Will some people get offended? It seems so. The humor factor probably outweighs any possible negativity generated, though. YMMV.

 

[BASHMAN]

I think you forgot "Rouse-Tastic"

 

[Nymrohd]

Gnarly!

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

It's all right

I started the thread where I complained about over-use of the word 'cool', among other things, and I'm not offended by Scott's post.. I actually found it pretty funny.

I really hope the WoTC writers don't take his suggestions to heart, though. I may have to make up my own chart with Gygaxisms just to balance things out!

It's a balancing act when we have industry people here; we have the right to (and should) speak our minds, but it's important to realize that these are real people that we're criticizing and that they're doing their best. It's especially tough for marketing folks, since their job is to promote their company and their product, rather than to have a frank and candid conversation.

So I say we cut Scott a little slack.

Ken