buzz
Adventurer
Long and rambling stuff to follow, FYI.
I was griping about Paizo's recent Pathfinder announcement, and in the process of that and talking to a friend of mine, I got to thinking.
We're talking about games.
We're not talking about a marriage, or a lifestyle choice, or a mortgage. We're not talking about anything irrevocable, or that defines us as people, or that demands allegiance.
We're talking about games.
D&D 3.5 is a game. D&D 4e is a game. The upcoming Pathfinder RPG is a game, too, just like Call of Cthulhu or Burning Wheel or Vampire. You may like playing some of those more than others. Likewise your friends.
There's no need to definitively choose, or pick a side, or "switch". An RPG is not who you are as a person. It's a game. A pastime. It's something you do with friends and acquaintances, just like basketball down at the park or Wii over at your pal Tony's house.
Ergo, I found myself wondering why I cared so much about Paizo's decision. Yeah, I was bummed a bit that Pathfinder wouldn't be 4e asap, but so what? My money will just go elsewhere (or even stay in my pocket). Or, heck, I'll keep my mind open and see where Paizo goes, and maybe play their game at some point. They certainly have never let me down in any other regard.
4e isn't a line in the sand. 4e is some books that I'll be buying in June. It doesn't make my (many, many, MANY) 3.5 books burst into flame, same as it doesn't make my copies of Trail of Cthulhu or Iron Heroes burst into flame, either.
I hear you saying: "Buzz, c'mon. My group is all gung-ho about 4e/3.5e/GURPS/etc. What if I'm not? What am I supposed to do? I don't wanna play 4e/3.5e/GURPS/etc."
You know what you do? You keep an open mind, and you talk to your group.
I feel strongly that you can't really judge an RPG until you play it. So, give that game your group is all psyched about a try. See if you like it. An informed opinion is worth way more than a plain ol' off-the-cuff opinion. If you end up not having fun, tell them.
Maybe you reach a compromise; you play Larry's 3.5 game for six sessions, then Sheri's 4e game for six sessions, then back to Larry's, etc. Or, maybe you just stop playing with those people. You keep in touch, go out to a movie or something, but you go and collect a new group that plays exactly what you want.
I know that's not always easy, but that's life. Life is change.
Now, in that Paizo thread, someone put forth the idea that this edition divisiveness is WotC's fault. I don't really buy that. WotC produces new editions of the game, ideally aimed at improving it or making it more appealing, that same way that auto companies produce new cars, or software companies sell upgrades. Again, this is just how life works. WotC does it, TSR did it, WW does it, GR does it, etc, etc.
Honestly, I think if anyone is really at fault, it's the subculture. The whole reason I wrote the rant you see above is because, IMO, we have met the enemy, and it is us.
We are the ones drawing lines in the sand. We are the ones confusing the games we play with who we are. We are the ones demanding people pick sides.
If we as a community (such as it is), as a subculture, want to keep this community healthy, this needs to stop, IMO.
I look forward to when 4e is released and there's no longer a need for a separate forum here on ENworld, and 4e can be just another category you assign to your post.
As for my group, I'm going to keep an open mind. Some of us are excited about 4e, some of us aren't. I'm hoping we can play some 4e ('cause I'm diggin' it), but that we can also work in some other games everyone can enjoy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I was griping about Paizo's recent Pathfinder announcement, and in the process of that and talking to a friend of mine, I got to thinking.
We're talking about games.
We're not talking about a marriage, or a lifestyle choice, or a mortgage. We're not talking about anything irrevocable, or that defines us as people, or that demands allegiance.
We're talking about games.
D&D 3.5 is a game. D&D 4e is a game. The upcoming Pathfinder RPG is a game, too, just like Call of Cthulhu or Burning Wheel or Vampire. You may like playing some of those more than others. Likewise your friends.
There's no need to definitively choose, or pick a side, or "switch". An RPG is not who you are as a person. It's a game. A pastime. It's something you do with friends and acquaintances, just like basketball down at the park or Wii over at your pal Tony's house.
Ergo, I found myself wondering why I cared so much about Paizo's decision. Yeah, I was bummed a bit that Pathfinder wouldn't be 4e asap, but so what? My money will just go elsewhere (or even stay in my pocket). Or, heck, I'll keep my mind open and see where Paizo goes, and maybe play their game at some point. They certainly have never let me down in any other regard.
4e isn't a line in the sand. 4e is some books that I'll be buying in June. It doesn't make my (many, many, MANY) 3.5 books burst into flame, same as it doesn't make my copies of Trail of Cthulhu or Iron Heroes burst into flame, either.
I hear you saying: "Buzz, c'mon. My group is all gung-ho about 4e/3.5e/GURPS/etc. What if I'm not? What am I supposed to do? I don't wanna play 4e/3.5e/GURPS/etc."
You know what you do? You keep an open mind, and you talk to your group.
I feel strongly that you can't really judge an RPG until you play it. So, give that game your group is all psyched about a try. See if you like it. An informed opinion is worth way more than a plain ol' off-the-cuff opinion. If you end up not having fun, tell them.
Maybe you reach a compromise; you play Larry's 3.5 game for six sessions, then Sheri's 4e game for six sessions, then back to Larry's, etc. Or, maybe you just stop playing with those people. You keep in touch, go out to a movie or something, but you go and collect a new group that plays exactly what you want.
I know that's not always easy, but that's life. Life is change.
Now, in that Paizo thread, someone put forth the idea that this edition divisiveness is WotC's fault. I don't really buy that. WotC produces new editions of the game, ideally aimed at improving it or making it more appealing, that same way that auto companies produce new cars, or software companies sell upgrades. Again, this is just how life works. WotC does it, TSR did it, WW does it, GR does it, etc, etc.
Honestly, I think if anyone is really at fault, it's the subculture. The whole reason I wrote the rant you see above is because, IMO, we have met the enemy, and it is us.
We are the ones drawing lines in the sand. We are the ones confusing the games we play with who we are. We are the ones demanding people pick sides.
If we as a community (such as it is), as a subculture, want to keep this community healthy, this needs to stop, IMO.
I look forward to when 4e is released and there's no longer a need for a separate forum here on ENworld, and 4e can be just another category you assign to your post.
As for my group, I'm going to keep an open mind. Some of us are excited about 4e, some of us aren't. I'm hoping we can play some 4e ('cause I'm diggin' it), but that we can also work in some other games everyone can enjoy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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