The reasons why "novel-talk" is taboo on WotC Boards?

[Razz]

I first started perusing the WotC boards just shortly before they wiped out the Novel Discussion thread. Just recently I decided to read up on the rules of discussing novels and came to the conclusion of how horribly stupid it is not to talk about FR novels on an official WotC FR message board. You can't even mention how silly it is on the boards about that rule.

So what's the deal? Why did they have the big cahones to cut the board entirely? That's like enjoying everything on your birthday except you can't have your birthday cake!

In other words, what's the whole story behind cutting it? Will they ever bring it back?

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I think it was because too many people were saying insulting things about certain authors.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I think it was because too many people were saying insulting things about certain authors.

With some of the posts that I remember, 'insulting' was just the start of it.

 

[Corsair]

Well in fantasy in general, it does seem that there are a large number of authors (not just WotC, but fantasy authors in general) who think if you slap a bunch of swords and magic onto a generic plotline with uninspired characters, you get an instant hit. Many seem to just be mailing it in and waiting for their next royalty check. It's unfortunate, but for every great fantasy author, there are dozen hacks.

 

[Glyfair]

While I can understand the policy, it can get truly annoying. For example, discussing various bits of background about Eberron can get tricky when some of the information has only appeared in novels (even though the novels are technically "non-canon").

 

[wingsandsword]

Yes, it's stupid, it's one of the reasons I don't bother much with the WotC boards. You can't discuss a company's novels anywhere on that company's message boards, sounds a little strange.

What happened was overzealous fans were extremely hostile to the authors, critical of the books, and generally unfriendly. WotC responded by banning any discussion, or even reference to the novels.

 

[Bront]

WotC has forums?

 

[WayneLigon]

Given some of the thing I'd seen, I don't blame them. It wasn't honest criticism; these people were going for the jugular. Like so many other things, a small group of people that seem dedicated to being as hateful as they can be has ruined things for the rest of us. Me, I don't know why those people just were not perma-banned or site-banned.

 

[Alzrius]

(even though the novels are technically "non-canon").

Actually, novels are canon unless they obviously break from the setting in a major way (e.g. Planescape novels that had the Lady of Pain speaking, etc.). The problem is that a lot of novels have instances where something happens that, by the rules of the game, shouldn't be able to happen.

 

[wingsandsword]

Me, I don't know why those people just were not perma-banned or site-banned.

On the d20 Modern boards, there used to be a limited exemption to the Absolutely No Politics or Religion rule, since it's a game set in the modern day and making absolutely no references to any real-world politics, political figures, or religions (especially in a game with divine spellcasters) was a little difficult. Things went pretty well (the mods even said they were amazed how well things were going), the boards handled everything from discussions of real world artifacts like the Lance of Longinus and Holy Grail, to alternate spell lists for different faiths, to producing game stats for a ressurected Adolf Hitler, all with moderation and good taste. Then one new user posts a "campaign idea" where in his game, one of the two major US political parties turns out to be the "real" source of terrorism and they are the backers, members and trainers of Al-Qaida and the PC's would go around killing every member of the party as a "terrorist". A newbie posting utter nonsense was apparently too far, and while the thread was locked and deleted (and the poster presumably banned), the exemption that had lasted for almost two years was revoked immediately (not that it would have prevented somebody from posting that).

With the Star Wars boards, since there have been no new sourcebooks for a year now, there is a lot of speculation about what's going on. They decided that all speculation shall be confined to one thread, then they closed even that thread and discussion of the future of the RPG is forbidden.

With the Forgotten Realms books, it gets pretty annoying when a major metaplot/storyline event for the setting is revealed in a novel, but you can't discuss how it works in a game context until a game sourcebook mentioning it comes out, and even then you can't reference the novel in any way, or else.

The WotC boards are pretty quick-on-the-trigger to ban entire topics or fields of discussion. In fact, every set of boards I've frequented (d20 Modern, FR, Star Wars) each has had big swathes of popular discussion banned becuase of a small number of immature people. I guess that's required though, since the WotC forums are a lot more hostile and dangerous waters than good ol' ENWorld.