Disclaimer: Personally I love the idea of 4e and can't wait. Partly, you see, I am not invested into 3e at all.
However, I see a lot of anger here and elsewhere and I can sympathize. I personally know vendors and retailers that were promised, to their literal faces, by wotc personnel and reps, that 4e isn't coming until August 2009. This is my ode to you.
wingsandsword 'Clever Title Goes Here' said:
I may feel negatively about their choice to announce 4e after recently making statements that it was a long ways off, but I know they have their bosses at Hasbro to account to and they have their reasons (even if I may not agree with them).
"I may feel negatively about
coallition forces' choice to remove the stable infrastructure of Saddam to replace it with pure chaos, after recently making statements that the
invasion was for the Iraqis' benefit, but I know
they have their commanders and armies to account to and they have their reasons (even if I may not agree with them)."
Ankh-Morpork Guard 'There Is No Dark Side' said:
Again...there's a difference here. You can not like WotC all you want. Or like them.
But the second you start going after the people themselves you're crossing a line. I'm sorry, but for all the time I've been on ENWorld, I've never seen it being treated as acceptable to attack people directly, especially members of this board, employees of other companies or not.
Its not about being thin skinned or anything like that. Its about actually having a place where people can feel welcome. And when you go after the people, even in so-called satire, that's not welcoming at all. In fact, its insulting.
"Again...there's a difference here. You can not like the
Third Reich all you want. Or like them.
But the second you start
going after the Reich Soldiers themselves you're crossing a line. I'm sorry, but for all the time I've been on earth, I've
never seen it being treated as
acceptable to insult ANY soldiers directly, especially fellow soldiering men across nations, soldiers of other nations or not.
Its not about being thin skinned or anything like that. Its about actually having a place where soldiers can feel welcome. And when you go after the soldiers, even in so-called satire, that's not welcoming at all. In fact, its insulting."
Thaniel said:
Exactly who 'lied' and when?
If it's about posts like "There will be no 4e" and the like, I suppose you've never heard of a non-disclosure agreement. I wouldnt be surprised if, in addition to the "you won't tell anyone about this" there was some "you will explicitly say that we're not working on this". Lying is one thing. Protecting company secrets is another, in my opinion.*
*From someone who knows all about lying to protect company secrets (in an entirely different market, not even remotely RPG-related).
"Exactly who '
killed villagers' and when?
If it's about posts like "
we didn't rape any Vietnamese girls" and the like, I suppose you've never heard of a war and war propaganda. I wouldnt be surprised if, in addition to the "you won't tell anyone about this" there was some "you will explicitly say that we did not kill or rape anyone".
Raping and killing is one thing. Protecting the national image and propaganda line is another, in my opinion.*
*
From someone who knows all about lying to cover up instances of rape and non-geneva convention killing (in an entirely different nation, not even remotely RPG-related)."
