The end of all edition wars?

[jdrakeh]

I mean, I agree with you that the D&D fan base can exhibit some ridiculous partisan behavior, but why not just play the games that you like. . .

Which is what I'm doing! I no longer enjoy D&D. Not because of the new edition, mind you — that probably had a better chance of reigniting my D&D passion than anything else. No, it's because I can't discuss that edition anywhere online (right now) without a few dozen people dropping in to remind me how badly it sucks, how stupid I am for liking it, or how morally superior they are to me for playing other editions.

Now, if this wasn't happening at every D&D forum that I know of, it would be relatively easy to ignore individuals. As it fate would have it, however, this is happening at every D&D forum that I know of, which makes it much easier for me to ignore the game. I have an IL with (I believe) over 100 people on it here. It's my smallest ignore list for a D&D discussion forum. Everybody who is on it is on it because they attacked other posters for playing an 'inferior' edition of D&D.

In that light, the decision to go play other games isn't excessive at all. I think you'd have to be a real masochist to put up with half the crap that comes along with the D&D fanbase for very long. I tried doing that for more than ten years. Finally, I decided that D&D isn't worth it anymore. I have as much fun with games like Rolemaster, HarnMaster, etc and don't have to endure any nerd rage to talk about them online. It's great!

 

[Gentlegamer]

For war consisteth not in battle only, or the act of fighting, but in a tract of time, wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known: and therefore the notion of time is to be considered in the nature of war, as it is in the nature of weather. For as the nature of foul weather lieth not in a shower or two of rain, but in an inclination thereto of many days together: so the nature of war consisteth not in actual fighting, but in the known disposition thereto during all the time there is no assurance to the contrary. All other time is peace.

There is no one true game or edition. Every gamer has different preferences. Let's stop raising each others' hackles with snarky comments regarding play styles, mechanics, or systems. Let the will to contend give way to peaceful co-existence of preferences. Let there be peace.

 

[JohnRTroy]

In that light, the decision to go play other games isn't excessive at all. I think you'd have to be a real masochist to put up with half the crap that comes along with the D&D fanbase for very long. I tried doing that for more than ten years. Finally, I decided that D&D isn't worth it anymore. I have as much fun with games like Rolemaster, HarnMaster, etc and don't have to endure any nerd rage to talk about them online. It's great!

But the great contradiction of that is that you're still here on a site that's pretty much dedicated to D&D. No offense but it sounds more like a public protest or a putdown of the "other fans". I mean, if you enjoy the game why not keep playing it, and drop out of the various message boards that upset you so much.

It's almost like saying you won't vote because you hate political advertisements, or you won't buy a certain product you love because you hate the advertisements.

What's more important--enjoying the hobby or enjoying the discussion of the hobby?

 

[Altalazar]

It is possible to criticize without attacking. I think that sort of tact might be what is lacking.

No system is "superior" as that is a subjective judgment.

Really, all one could ultimately say is that either they like a system or they don't, and give the reasons that they like it or don't. Then someone else who likes similar things can make their own judgment.

(I've written up my own reasons why I won't be playing 4E on my blog, which I won't repeat here).

Suffice it to say, I have chosen to play 3.5E, but I don't begrudge those who play 4E. I am saddened that 3.5E as a system is dead (in a sense) but at the same time, I know there is plenty of 3.5E material out there, enough to last a lifetime, and I need not buy another book for it (because they are all out). So there are pluses and minuses to all of it.

Probably at some point a system reaches full maturity and it just needs to close - not that you wouldn't play it anymore, but there would be no more rule books and no more supplements needed - anything more would just be retreading old ground. At that point, the game company moves on to something else, like a new edition (or maybe even a new game).

I don't like 4E enough to play it. When the inevitable 5E comes out, I'm sure I'll look at it and judge it on its own merits as well.

 

[diaglo]

No system is "superior" as that is a subjective judgment.

that's your opinion. and a valid one.
but i'll agree to disagree.

 

[Oni]

No system is "superior" as that is a subjective judgment.

Really, all one could ultimately say is that either they like a system or they don't, and give the reasons that they like it or don't. Then someone else who likes similar things can make their own judgment.

Does that mean there is no such thing as a bad game?

 

[Remathilis]

Does that mean there is no such thing as a bad game?

Yes. Except for FATAL.


@ jdrakeh: Good luck with you're search for a low conflict RPG. I suggest you avoid any White-Wolf RPG and anything Palladium puts out. They make D&D edition wars seem tame.

Oh, and avoid Star Wars d6/d20 as well. That is a never-ending fight that will rage till judgment day and trumpets sound.

 

[jdrakeh]

But the great contradiction of that is that you're still here on a site that's pretty much dedicated to D&D.

There's really no contradiction if you're aware of the many non-system-specific discussions that go on here. ENWorld is ostensibly a D&D-only forum. Anybody who posts here regularly knows that it is much more than that

I personally consider ENWorld to be the best general RPG discussion forum online. RPGNet long ago staked its claim as the largest such site, but I don't care for it in terms of content or moderation. ENWorld has, IMHO, more interesting discussions about plot, GM advice, etc and better moderation.

Almost none of that stuff is D&D-specific. Likewise, there is a lot of stuff here that I can discuss in the context of retro clones without having to fear that the thread will turn into an all out edition war (there will usually be at least one assclown who pipes up with "Why play X when you can play the real thing?!?" of course, but it's far easier for me to ignore).

I mean, if you enjoy the game why not keep playing it, and drop out of the various message boards that upset you so much.

I really don't enjoy the game anymore, for reasons already stated. Also, as previously stated, I have quit posting at sites that I consider to have little or no value. EnWorld isn't one of those sites, for reasons mentioned above

What's more important--enjoying the hobby or enjoying the discussion of the hobby?

Enjoying the hobby — which is why I quit playing D&D. It was holding me back from doing that, currently. I have no doubt that I'll drift back to it someday, but that day won't be coming anytime soon.

 

[Oni]

Yes. Except for FATAL.

It's funny that's exactly the game I was thinking of.

 

[jdrakeh]

@ jdrakeh: Good luck with you're search for a low conflict RPG.

As I've mentioned many times now, I've already found several. Thanks, though. Also, yeah, the nWoD/oWoD divide has been just as bad as D&D edition divides tend to be, though I don't think it has been worse. Also, the big hate of nWoD/oWoD divide has only occurred one time (so far).

IME, the various different editions of the oWoD core books pre-nWoD prompted relatively little fan outrage. I was pretty big into WW games at the time that the second and revised editions of all those books came out. The whining seemed to be confined primarily to one tiny group of people.

More importantly, those divides rarely seemed as hateful as those that accompany the release of new D&D editions. To wit, I can't think of any widely known perjoratives that have been created specifically to refer to players of any given edition of WW games — D&D haters have a veritible lexicon of such jargon from "3etard" to "TETSNBN"

Don't believe me?