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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 8933666" data-attributes="member: 18">I mean, I dunno what "positive" and "non-positive" mean here, if I'm honest.Like, if you mean "nice and friendly" by positive, I personally definitely don't require that - it's a bonus but not required. I've seen brilliant criticisms where someone metaphorically took a film or book or game I liked and just basically kicked the hell out of it, turned it upside down and shook it until the change fell out of its pockets. I didn't always feel this way - when I was say, 20, I just mostly got upset by that kind of thing. But at 44? I dunno, I'm like, go for it, show me what you got.But what I like is when I can see those criticisms are valid (whether I like it or not!) or if I can't say valid for sure, at least well-argued - which means logic and substance and a real POV behind them. Like [USER=7026617]@Thomas Shey[/USER] is quite capable of this (sorry to drag you in!) - I often, maybe usually, disagree with his POV, but like, he'll usually present a proper argument for it, which will make me think.I've never been a person of utterly fixed opinions (weirdly enough), and sometimes I'm just plain wrong, and very often I've missed something important or interesting, and I like to know about that. Like if I'm pushing a system (or product or whatever in my work) which has a notable flaw, or a weird oddity or peculiarity, and I'm not aware, please make me aware!One issue that comes up a lot is that a flaw or multiple flaws doesn't necessarily mean that a product isn't good - pretty much everything has tons of flaws, but you have to consider which matter to you. This is particularly true with TTRPGs! And I like to know about those flaws. Part of this is because I've played TTRPGs so long that I've played a lot of deeply flawed games, it was often only after months or years of play we really saw how a particular issue (often mechanical/statistical, sometimes conceptual) was causing problems down the line.What I don't find helpful or interesting is "criticism" that:1) Shows that the person isn't familiar with the object of criticism and/or doesn't understand the discussion others are having.I feel like as per your comment, this almost should have a different name to criticism. With TTRPGs that doesn't necessarily mean having played it, let alone extensively, but it does mean understanding basic concepts about it. One thing we do sometimes see here, as I think a couple of people have alluded to, is "criticism" which is basically just repeating some misunderstood claim about a game. That can be disregarded, and I think it's best if it is. For it to really be criticism, there needs to be critical thinking, not just repetition of memes or regurgitation of uninformed cliches or the like. I'm sure I've been guilty of this in the past but I do try to avoid it if there's an actual critical discussion.To put it another way, some people, god bless 'em, feel the need to stick their oar in even they've got zero relevant stuff to say, and that's fine, but, if they try and act like it's vitally important criticism, not just random opinion-from-ignorance (and I don't mean that lightly or generically pejoratively, I mean when they literally are ignorant about something, like they don't even understand the mechanic). Sometimes this is just cross-talk/misunderstanding, too, which I judge more gently and certainly have been guilty of.2) Doesn't actually make any kind of critical argument.I.e. just saying "X rocks"/"X sucks". Now, to be clear - that has its place. Opinions can be interesting or valid, even if not explained. Sometimes it's a good opener. But it's really not very interesting and not really "criticism" unless you can back it up with some kind of argument/critical thinking.3) Has been well-acknowledged in the discussion already.We've all been guilty of this - there's some critical discussion and someone arrives with their "vital point" that's already been made and discussed to death and moved on from.TLDR - Your post has it slightly reversed - I like any criticism which sticks the landing, even if it's of stuff I like. I can accept flaws/issues in things I like (otherwise how the hell did I play D&D for the last 34 years?!), and I'd rather know about them than not.</blockquote>

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