What defines the "edition war" and why are participants / moderators opposed to them?

[Rechan]

Personally, I think edition wars are worse not because they say "Your preferred method of fun sucks", but because they inevitably make derogatory comments about the USERS.

"Your Edition is ruining D&D/Not D&D!"

"Anyone who enjoys X edition clearly isn't a good DM because it's so simplified."

 

[ExploderWizard]

The biggest issue I see is that once things get to war status, many individuals take comments about gaming related subjects too personally and sooner or later the unmasked personal insults start flying. An annoying side effect of proactively keeping this from happening sometimes shuts down intelligent discourse.

 

[Piratecat]

As I lie here, arrayed upon my golden palanquin while being fed dainty tidbits o' sweetmeats from non-community-supporters*, the antics of my ancestral jesters bore me mightily and I demand to be amused. Edition wars do not amuse. Thus, we have no place for them here.

Now dance! Dance for my amusement, without enthusing over which edition is best! Dance!**





* See? Another reason to subscribe, avoid your turn in the I-have-to-see-Piratecat-in-a-toga line. Really, it's for the best.

** Coffee. Need more coffee.

 

[Turtlejay]

Every group has a small number of agitators. A forum group like this is bound to have trolls and white knights and all sorts who thrive on drama.

The problem arises when a great discussion gets co-opted by such folks and they use it to entertain themselves. I think a vast majority of posters, regardless of their gaming preference, are nice people. Most post here out of a passion for the hobby.

When one of the agitators gets wind of an edgy thread, they move in and post some of the above mentioned charged comments. Other agitators are drawn to it, and the thread loses all value quite rapidly.

Sometimes these wars start out of a genuine misunderstanding that degrades into a shouting match. Snoweel made a good point earlier, certain phrases or words have a charged meaning that get under the skin of well meaning posters. I would argue that those phrases are rarely used in ignorance.

Perhaps *this* post could be viewed as inflammatory by some. That's the last issue. It is hard to argue objectively about something that is mostly subjective. Editions, games. . .they are just words on paper. Like religion and politics (taboo!), they are only alive when they are discussed and *used*. Our judgements of editions are colored by the entire experience. Gamers in our group, the atmosphere, the adventure, they all color our overall experience. When criticisms are leveled, it may appear that all of these things are being dumped on.

Add to that the anonymity of the internet, and you have edition wars.

Jay

 

[Mikaze]

Now dance! Dance for my amusement, without enthusing over which edition is best! Dance!**

If you say so.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KRnMJs0Y_s"]YouTube - Rednex Cotton Eye Joe 1994 edition[/ame]

Actually it's probably something that isn't restricted to this hobby, considering how people act elsewhere. I'm sure anonymity and lack of physical proximity helps.

It's good ol' GIFT.

A not grandma-friendly, as in NSFW, but accurate explanation.

 

[Ariosto]

Keefe the Thief: I would rather that, when people look at my post, they would see what I in fact wrote. I did not "label" anything. Perhaps you could speak for yourself?

A succinct and verbatim repeat of what I actually wrote there:

One is "better" than another only in the thoroughly subjective sense of coincidence with one's personal preference.

 

[Pbartender]

Now dance! Dance for my amusement, without enthusing over which edition is best! Dance!

Yes! As you wish, my Master!

 

[DaveyJones]

If you say so.

d00d,

you need to dance for your audience. PKitty is a video game designer. the edition you want is:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5QmSokw6g]YouTube - Lineage II : Dwarf`s Dances - Cotton Eye Joe (rmx)[/ame]

 

[Mercurius]

Agreed that no good can come of it, nor can the assertion that ended this post. It is baiting to those who feel that 4e is the best edition, or that 2e is the best edition.

Uh, I'm pretty sure that diaglo was being facetious.

Personally, I think edition wars are worse not because they say "Your preferred method of fun sucks", but because they inevitably make derogatory comments about the USERS.

Yes, exactly. I don't see a problem with saying "I don't like X-edition" or even "X-edition sucks" because it isn't directed at any person (although you could argue that it could be used passive aggressively). Saying "advocate of X-edition sucks" is where it goes too far and is inappropriate.

But I find it equally irking that, in many peoples' minds, statement A is bad but statement B is OK:

A: X-edition sucks.
B: X-edition sucks, IMHO.

This is irking because people who say B is ok but A is not often seem to assume that this itself is a objective fact, that not using "IMHO" is inherently bad communication and the person must be falling into One True Wayism. There is a subtle irony here, mainly because in one way or another, we are all prone to One True Wayism, but instead we play a semantic blame game. Not to mention that jumping too quickly to an accusation of One True Wayism is just sloppy thinking. It is not unlike assuming someone is sexist because they say "Mankind" instead of Humanity." We need to look more to the essence, I think.

I would further add that an accusation of One True Wayism is itself a kind of ad hominem and a conversation ender, not unlike Godwin's Law.

The only time I use "IMHO" or "as I see it" etc, is when I feel the need to be (perhaps overly) explicit, to emphasize my own subjectivity; this often occurs as a tactic of diplomacy when I'm expressing my opinion about someone else (e.g. "IMHO, you aren't seeing the full picture"). But I don't think it is necessary to do so when expressing my opinion about a thing or concept, and certainly not a game.

I think there is a problem when our interpersonal context requires us to do so all of the time. It dilutes communication, obfuscating it in a kind of politically correct jargon.

 

[Rel]

Now dance! Dance for my amusement, without enthusing over which edition is best! Dance!**[/size]

THIS

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWuW5b0SEQM]YouTube - Go-Go Dance in Bikini[/ame]

...is the best edition of dancing.