[Rant] Am I the only one to be tired of extreme opinions related to RPGs?

[Odhanan]

I think the forums tend to reflect not how people act in real life, but how people wish they could act in real life. In real life (TM) I don't express extreme opinions for fear of alienating or angering those people I am forced by proximity to be around day after day. On the forums I can express my extreme distaste for lemmings, since I don't have to see anyone if I don't want to.

Well no. I see your point. I don't agree with it. First, the whole RL/online thing is boggus. When I'm pissed off at a post I'm reading, I can tell you my frustration is very real. So that's an artificial difference in my opinion: you're still affecting real people in their real life the way you behave on a chat or message board.

Second, if someone just pretends to be all nice and sweet when not on a computer and suddenly acts like a [censored]ss on a message board, I think this person is a coward who should be taught some manners and buy some balls, to be crude. Then maybe I wouldn't have to read people who pretend to be cool by being obnoxious/cocky on various message boards.

Third, the ignore button. I actually use it. But that's not my responsability to ignore someone who's obnoxious and unpolite. That's the responsability of this person to stop.

In addition, misinterpretation of written information is very easy. In my Project Management classes they often say that only 10% of the information in conversations is conveyed by the words themselves, the rest is from tone of voice and non-verbal cues. Smilies help to convey some of that on messageboards, but it is still very easy to misinterpret or read more into a written message than was actually intended.

I agree, but then again, if someone is smart enough to know this kind of thing, then this someone is smart enough to use this knowledge and write in a way that accounts for this fact, right?

 

[Dragonbait]

My hat for Extremists nows no limit





Did I do that correctly?

 

[Odhanan]

Yep

My hat of Xtremists know no limit!
PS: reminds of a joke that went like this:
"If it was me, I would put the nazis, communists, and all extremists in concentration camps and be done with it!"

 

[William Ronald]

To me, I think that what matters most in gaming is whether the people at each gaming table are having fun. I believe that there are many different styles of games, many different types of gamers, and that fun is what matters most. If a game or a game product does not fit your personal tastes, fine. Others may like it. While there are some bad games and bad game products, many things in gaming are just a matter of subjective taste. Also, if someone likes or dislikes something, I can better understand a coherent argument as opposed to someone just writing something is great or is horrible.

I try to act online in the same way that I act in real life. Online, I try to respect people -- even when I disagree with them. Generally, this has helped me to have good conversations with people I disagree with on an issue. While I think it is fine to disagree with someone, I think that most people want to be treated with respect.

 

[Nightfall]

LOL well, I may be on an idealistic rant here, but I know my limits!

Seriously though, I read you say that this or that product "sucked", but I've never read you writing this down without at least explaining yourself and most importantly keeping the tone polite, respectful, even friendly towards other people who don't have the same opinions. I think that's the whole problem I have with the behaviour. That's the idea that if somebody has a different opinion, then it's okay to flame, be disrespectful and make loads of insinuations.

So you're saying I'm good at explaning my position even if you don't agree with it? Good. Thanks. Btw Thanks again "Dad!"

Tur,

Eh maybe a few. We'll see.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I agree, but then again, if someone is smart enough to know this kind of thing, then this someone is smart enough to use this knowledge and write in a way that accounts for this fact, right?

Sure, if this someone actually takes the time to think about what they have written. At work I will read and reread an e-mail to make sure it conveys exactly what I intend (and even then I don't always get it right). On a messageboard like this, I usually do not subject my own posts to such scrutiny, unless it is in a thread where things are already touchy.

 

[werk]

I prefer opinion over casual authoritarian judgemental labeling.


That game sucks (not acceptable)
I don't like that game (acceptable)



Such a small difference, such a large difference.




(voted yes)

 

[Faraer]

I agree. Bombastic binary opinions are strutting, and therefore obnoxious in a forum whose purpose is communication. Overstatement occasionally has a rhetorical use but it far more often just causes confusion and bad feeling.

As werk observes, people too often translate 'I feel/think' into 'it is', which is simple psychological projection.

This kind of hyperbole -- which I'm not wholly innocent of myself -- also isn't effective in convincing anyone.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Further, I'm referring to the whole fight of guys who like this versus that, and "if you like this, you ought to loathe that". Example? "You like C&C, you ought to hate D&D's rules. You like Gary's style of modules and AD&D? You ought to hate Third Edition. You're a fan of the character immersion/drama, dungeon crawling ought to suck. You just can't like both nor live and let live." You have to choose a side.

That is the absolute truth. I don't understand the "versus mentality." Why can't a person like both? In my case, I like both D&D and C&C, as well as elements from True20 and Arcana Evolved. I like multiple settings and multiple genres as well. This also goes back to edition wars. Why is it that people insist at times that their system is the "one true system" and that everybody else's system is "wrong"?

Gaming is supposed to be about fun and adventure. Every one of us has different tastes in how we approach that. Game systems are merely the engine to the adventure. DM's should use the game system that works best for them and their group, not what is the popular choice. Maybe we use different systems, but that's okay. We all drive different cars as well. In both cases, they are the tools needed to get us from point a to point b. Campaign settings, too, are also a path to adventure.

I, for one, would love to put the edition wars and versus mentality behind us. We are all gamers, and we should discuss gaming. If you're using AD&D rules in Eberron, C&C rules in Spelljammer, Arcana Evolved rules for Dark Sun, or D&D rules for the Temple of Elemental Evil, it's all good. Why? Because you're gaming, and you're having fun.

 

[Ranger REG]

That is the absolute truth. I don't understand the "versus mentality."

I cannot understand it either. I also cannot understand the need to promote a favorite product by bashing other products.