The Tielfling and The Gnome: On the Set of 4th edition

[Aeolius]

See? There's PLENTY of hostility and unpleasantry in that classic joke.

Why did the gnome cross the road?
He was stapled to the chicken.

 

[Stogoe]

I thought that was what communication majors were all about...

I know, I know...Is phony major!

 

[ImperialParadox]

So....Warcraft stole and twisted the teifling concept into the draenie and WotC stole the evolved concept back? Win for WotC? I guess?

At least we now have the perfect icon to represent the typical 12 year old's fantasy girl now! Thank you WotC for the new tiefling!

And yes, I do know it was meant to be humorous, and I found it somewhat funny, but I can't help to think the new gnome's image and potrayal is a subtle marketing ploy to convince more people how 'silly' and 'lame' and 'uncool' gnomes are. Admittedly I find all the new fluff changes annoying and unecessary, and I'll add the 'new gnome' to the list. But as was previously said, if that is how the majority of the designers potray gnomes in their game, no wonder they are getting rid of them.

Lastly, I'm annoyed to see them continuing to push this idea that non-PC's are monters, and monsters simply exist to be slain and looted. Granted, they are exaggerating the idea a bit to be funny, but they do seem to be emphasizing a 'hack & slash' mentality. Though I'll reserve full judgement for when I see more detail on their social challenges system. Hopefully it will still retain roleplaying and not reduce social interactions to combat-like die rolls.

I hope to see something I like soon, because the more I hear about 4th edition the less I like it, though I know I'm likely in the minority on that opinion.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I hope to see something I like soon, because the more I hear about 4th edition the less I like it, though I know I'm likely in the minority on that opinion.

Don't worry even if the game as a whole isn't to your tastes elements you like should be easy enough to port back into 3e.

So....Warcraft stole and twisted the teifling concept into the draenie and WotC stole the evolved concept back? Win for WotC? I guess? At least we now have the perfect icon to represent the typical 12 year old's fantasy girl now! Thank you WotC for the new tiefling!

No arguments there I like the tiefling

but I can't help to think the new gnome's image and potrayal is a subtle marketing ploy to convince more people how 'silly' and 'lame' and 'uncool' gnomes are

My problem as well, to me it looked like someone in marketing said "Crap those message board people are really getting upset over gnomes. Let's convince them gnomes were silly and unfun and our changes were so much better.

 

[Clavis]

That video was so geeky that I feel like just having watched it will keep me from getting laid for months!

I want those minutes of my life back. With interest.

 

[Vigilance]

But I do want to ask: why are we expected to empathize with "totally imaginary" characters like Hamlet or Othello, but not someone's Gnome character?

Because one was written by the greatest writer the English language has ever produced and typically acted by phenomenal performers, and one is a guy at a D&D table with a chocolate milk stain on his Rush tour t-shirt?

Are the Shakespearean characters somehow more worthy?

Uh... yeah, they are. Shakespeare is the foundation for all secondary and collegiate literature curriculum and has universally recognized artistic merits.

The gnome? Not so much.

Does the fact that the Gnome had bug-eyes somehow make him so inhuman that he is worthy of death and ridicule?

No, the fact that he's a toon makes it funny as hell though. Haven't you seen Roger Rabbit? The amount of punishment toons can take is AMAZING. Plus, they're into the pain in a weird sort of way.

And they can't be killed, except by acetone.

How many people here would feel bad to see an "imaginary character" they liked (whether Optimus Prime, Bart Simpson, or whoever) killed and robbed? Are you saying it wouldn't bother you even a little?

Bart Simpson vs. Optimus Prime sounds like the greatest video game ever made already. Now you're telling me you can kill people and take their stuff in this game?!?!?

Where do I send my preorder? Would you prefer a blank check or just my credit card number?

Maybe not. I have met a depressingly large number of humans who only care when its someone they know (or only themselves) that's hurt.

Dude, get over yourself. You are not a noble crusader.

Here's a little tip: people might empathize with Othello and Hamlet, but they go to see their misery and downfall because it's ENTERTAINING.

They might get enlightened as well, but that's gravy.

Antigone's pain can be entertaining and that's ok.

In fact, it's cathartic.

I don't take D&D any more seriously than any other game (little), but "people" (whether real people I meet on the street or cartoon people) deserve better than that. I can't help but feel bad for them if they are mistreated.

Um, what?

You feel bad for the way cartoon people are treated? So you have a Wile E. Coyote legal defense fund set up?

And I have to wonder about the people who made the cartoon, or laughed at it: what's funny about someone being killed?

Well, Kenny dying got a little less funny after it happened about 100 times... ahhh... who am I kidding. Kenny dying is STILL hilarious.

do you laugh when you see stray dogs run over in the street?

Well, that depends. Are these real dogs? If so, then no, that would be horrifying. Toon dogs however, as previously mentioned, have been scientifically proven to be immune to everything but acetone.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Tell any English major that their degree is about spelling and grammar, and they'll start fuming.

<--- English major

I just found it implausible that someone with a doctorate in English would tell a class not to sweat spelling and grammar, to put it mildly.

 

[Piratecat]

Let's slide the subject AWAY from empathy, compassion, and hypothetical dogs, and TOWARDS gnomes, tieflings, and badger minions.

Thanks.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So....Warcraft stole and twisted the teifling concept into the draenie

No. The folks saying this apparently never played Warcraft II or III.

Draenei were originally -- in the sense that it's what players first knew -- the "other" race that lived on the orcish homeworld and were first known for being almost driven to extinction.

It's only when Blizzard started casting about for a race to add to the Alliance with their Draenor/Outland expansion that they said, "hey, what if those draenei were ones warped by magic, and they were originally more buff and more player character-ready?" So then they came up with there being more macho draenei as well, and then, to further wed it to the demon invasion theme (that wasn't really brought through the expansion as much as Blizzard apparently planned on doing), they made them the precursors of one of the demon races.

None of that really has much to do with tieflings, other than the fact that they have backwards-bending legs and horns.

 

[Klaus]

The tiefling sounded and behaved exactly like a dude playing a bad grrrrl does.

The video was alright, but I wish they refrained from the "kicking the animal" bit in the end. Didn't like it when Shrek and Fiona made baloons from animals in a kid cartoon either.