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

[MrFilthyIke]

I guess that's required though, since the WotC forums are a lot more hostile and dangerous waters than good ol' ENWorld.

I don't know, things get ugly here to. Don't let the smiles fool ya.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

But one question of mine was this: a topic as sensitive and ripe with controversy as novels will undoubtedly flame more than any other message board topic. Why didn't those authors being bashed just...stop going to the boards?

My question to you is this: Why should those of us who want to be able to talk with and interact with the novel authors lose the privilege of interacting with them, just to satisfy the immature stupidity of a few idiots?

Any topic can be ripe with controversy, but that’s still no excuse for people to ruin it for everyone else.

Having the novel authors on the WotC forums was a resource.

Just asking the authors to pack up and leave is a stupid idea; just like any other forum member they deserved the same amount of respect as anyone else.

WotC should have warned and then quickly banned anyone who couldn’t grasp such a basic, civilized and fundamental concept.

The commen sense these days makes me wonder of our future

I wouldn’t put, “You’re stupid for coming back to a forum where I yell at you all the time. It’s not my job to behave myself ‘cause I can say whatever I want.” in the category of common sense.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not only is that a cheap insult I think you will find that it's largely inaccurate, at least for the recent FR line.

No, it's not a cheap insult and no, it's not largely inaccurate.

The people writing game novels for all game companies are almost universally amateurs and, mysteriously, most of them have personal ties to developers (or are developers themselves) or the publishing company.

If you hire people who could not sell a novel in the real world, you're going to end up with products of a lower quality.

There's nothing personal about that -- some of these folks have grown and become quite successful novelists in their own right. But most have not.

I have no idea what sort of people the writers are (other than not having been published elsewhere), and would not for a moment assume that they are not all fine upstanding people, wonderful friends and kind to puppies.

Making an objective statement about them (they did not sell fiction to any non-gaming outlet) is not a personal comment, nor is the observation that many people find the overall quality of game fiction to be substantially lacking.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

While I agree that good RPG writer does not always translate into good fantasy writer, sometimes it never hurts to throw an employee a bone and give them a chance. And, if the book sells, which is what they are looking for, why wouldn't they put out another one.

I'm not criticizing anyone, especialy because I have yet to read any of the novels, just pointing out the reason a company might choose to use it's existing authors.

Oh, if I were running a game company, I'd certainly use it to give my buddies a leg up. Hopefully I'd do it only with buddies I thought could write, but I wouldn't be in the least surprised if my unpublished would-be novelist buddies weren't able to turn out works comparable to non-game fiction.

I'm not saying WotC, WWGS or anyone else are bad people for their cronyism, but it's a factor in how the books turn out and are received, and leaving that off the table for fear of hurting their feelings (although, I think they already know their first break didn't come from Tor or Doubleday or whomever) is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

 

[mythago]

The people writing game novels for all game companies are almost universally amateurs and, mysteriously, most of them have personal ties to developers (or are developers themselves) or the publishing company.

By "amateurs" I assume you mean "have not published professionally before". That would be the case if WOTC didn't practice what you call 'cronyism' at all--given that they have had open calls for novels before.

I'm guessing that the point of relying on an employee is less 'cronyism' than knowing who is going to turn in material on time and to spec.

 

[Razz]

My question to you is this: Why should those of us who want to be able to talk with and interact with the novel authors lose the privilege of interacting with them, just to satisfy the immature stupidity of a few idiots?

Any topic can be ripe with controversy, but that’s still no excuse for people to ruin it for everyone else.

Having the novel authors on the WotC forums was a resource.

Just asking the authors to pack up and leave is a stupid idea; just like any other forum member they deserved the same amount of respect as anyone else.

WotC should have warned and then quickly banned anyone who couldn’t grasp such a basic, civilized and fundamental concept.

I wouldn’t put, “You’re stupid for coming back to a forum where I yell at you all the time. It’s not my job to behave myself ‘cause I can say whatever I want.” in the category of common sense.

I never meant they should pack up and leave. I meant why not put such people on their ignore list? Doesn't the boards have that? Or better yet, I am agreeing with the majority, they should've banned the ones causing the trouble. But for the authors to band together and completely sever the Novels Forum was just them running away from the problem they had instead of fighting against it. One group discussion with the WizOs and out goes many of the instigators from ever appearing on the Novels board.

They should've strictly enforced the Novels board, not shatter it. I don't know if it is entirely true, but if the authors did combine their strength and forced WotC to shut down the boards that's just as childish as the people who were trolling and flaming about.

 

[DaveMage]

My question to you is this: Why should those of us who want to be able to talk with and interact with the novel authors lose the privilege of interacting with them, just to satisfy the immature stupidity of a few idiots?

Having the novel authors on the WotC forums was a resource.

The good news is, some of the authors post here.

 

[Falkus]

hey should've banned the ones causing the trouble

What's that do? They just come back the next day with a new hotmail account and alias.

 

[KenM]

What's that do? They just come back the next day with a new hotmail account and alias.

Ban the IP.

 

[RisnDevil]

I very much enjoy gaming, and I very much enjoy the "pulp" fantasy novels put out. I very much enjoy the FR, gaming in them and reading the novels. Yes, I know that the novels often cannot portray the "action" or "mechanics" the same way the game does (but is that not more a short-coming of the system, and not the novel?), but the novels are enjoyable in their own right.

And about these "crony" authors that were game designers first and some persons would speak derisively of.... I think sometimes their novels are MORE enjoyable because they have a better idea of how to portray the game mechanics in novel form.

Not every author is going to be JRR Tolkien, but that is not a bad thing. You don't like RA Salvatore, or Drizzt, then DON'T READ ANY OF HIS BOOKS! You don't have to read them, and don't begrudge those of us that do enjoy them.

And since Wizards.Community doesn't support the authors and novels, and the members of the EN World boards are more civil and more moderated (in general), then I say they start a thread here that is JUST about novel talk! Viva la Revolution!

::Edit::
Ummmm ::cough:: ::cough:: I just noticed they do have a forum for Novel talk, but it is grouped with tv and movies, and it is at the bottom out of regular sight.......
::Edit::