Way to get girls (?!): the new column for the new Dragon.

[Vigilance]

I have to say... one thing that's odd to me about the reaction to this, are the people that need to ascribe a "motive" to the column.

"Why are they using this? To get girls?"

Did anyone ask what their "motive" was for Wil Wheaton's column?

I have a feeling the ulterior motive runs as deep as thinking it was a good column that would appeal to their audience.

 

[boerngrim]

I thought it was a nice, amusing article. Anything that involves women in gaming is good IMO. I like women! I like gaming! I like women gaming! I like reading about women gaming!

 

[Hussar]

Ahh, but, Vigilance, you forget that many have the G.R.O.S.S.* rules tacked to the wall of their gaming room and that women in the hobby should be "just another guy". Considering the readership of Dragon was about 5% women, I'm thinking that adding in some stuff to maybe, just maybe appeal to a new demographic might not be a bad idea.

Whether the column works or not is another issue, but, sheesh, at least, after thirty years, they're trying. Give them some bloody props for that.

*Get Rid of Slimy Girls

 

[Samnell]

Did anyone ask what their "motive" was for Wil Wheaton's column?

Or for that matter, the standard editorial in every print issue of Dragon or Dungeon? Lots of those amount to an anecdote or two about a recent or past game, reading a game book, or whatever, with a nod towards the content of the magazine that month. That's hardly different from what Shelly wrote.

 

[Cadfan]

Or for that matter, the standard editorial in every print issue of Dragon or Dungeon? Lots of those amount to an anecdote or two about a recent or past game, reading a game book, or whatever, with a nod towards the content of the magazine that month. That's hardly different from what Shelly wrote.

But Shelly's a girl. She writes girly.

*climbs up into his tree house and pulls the rope ladder up behind him*

Seriously, it was a really good article. It entertained, it made a subtle point about change and new things, and it presented a DM technique, all without making it obvious that it was doing either of the latter two things.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

...it made a subtle point about change and new things...

That was subtlety? "Change happens -- suck it up."

 

[Glyfair]

Ahh, but, Vigilance, you forget that many have the G.R.O.S.S.* rules tacked to the wall of their gaming room and that women in the hobby should be "just another guy".

Indeed, there was a surprising amount of that attitude seen when the Astrid's Parlor forum was put up in the WotC 4E section.

 

[hectorse]

I really liked the article.

I am from Mexico, never had a problem knowing what a brownie where or the ISO thingie. the snack comment I didn't understand, but then again if I am reading something NOT IN MY LANGUAJE, or even foreign interpretations of my languaje (Spanish from Spain for example) I ASSUME there will be words that I don't completly understand.

Duh!

And I found a really good part of advise in how her new DM broke the ice by pre-killing their charactaers. Maybe the DM didn't really want to kill them, but just by putting time bombs on them, she became more protective of an otherwise normal character.

That's as good advise as any.

And I enjoyed a more relaxed approach to the column.

 

[WayneLigon]

Indeed, there was a surprising amount of that attitude seen when the Astrid's Parlor forum was put up in the WotC 4E section.

The Paizo thread for the same thing is amazingly bitter, hostile and just plain weird, with the addition of bizarre conspiracy theory mutterings. And it starts off with another claim by someone who says that because English isn't his first language that he can't understand the column. If you can understand a D&D rulebook and understand the posts on a message board, then you can understand the column.

 

[MacMathan]

Just my 2 copper but both my wife and I love Shelley's book and the column.

It is great to get a non-traditional and novice viewpoint on the hobby out in the public eye.

Then again I liked Wil Save and his books also.