Why the hate, people?

[Storyteller01]

Don't look for the perfect system, look for the perfect group. I have found that the right group makes any system better, while the right system rarely improves on a bad group.

Cheers! Besides, the perfect group tends to house rule the system anyway...

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

One of the things I miss most from my younger gaming days was the trying and playing different game systems. Sometimes I would decide I didn't like the system for myself, but I cannot think of a system I played that I hated or I thought was so bad that it was worth ripping to pieces publicly. Now I play D&D/d20 because I erally don't have time for a lot of systems and my firends and I all agreee that we have fun playing D&D or one of a couple of d20 games that are pretty similar. One of the things I enjoy about the EN World game days is a chance to check out other games without having to make a large investment and convincing my friends to try it.

 

[Arnwyn]

I honestly believe that a depressingly large segment of the gaming population is still struggling psychologically with having been ostracized/bullied in their developmental years, and this sort of vehemence is nothing more than lashing out at the ghosts of their pasts.

They set themselves up as opposed to something, and then rail against it, because it alleviates the issues of helplessness and ineffectuality that they struggled with when they were growing up. It gives them a sense of identity, and more importantly, allows them to dish out some of what they had to endure themselves.

I'm not sure how you reconcile this belief with the existence of all the other internet messageboards that have nothing to do with gaming where the same "hating" occurs.

 

[fusangite]

I'm not sure how you reconcile this belief with the existence of all the other internet messageboards that have nothing to do with gaming where the same "hating" occurs.

Once again, arnwyn, just what I was thinking!

 

[Crothian]

Cheers! Besides, the perfect group tends to house rule the system anyway...

a good group will bend the system to how they play...a good game has trouble bending the players to it....

 

[Saeviomagy]

I knew an amateur psychanalyst that loved to say "on se pose en s'opposant". I can't translate it while keeping the little wordplay, but the idea is that it's easier to create your sense of self through reject than through acceptance. Easier to define yourself as an "X-hater" than as an "Y-fan".

I think more than that - humanity loves division and conflict. There always has to be some opposition. Noone hates political parties with no support - they just ignore them. Noone hates football teams that have no fans. If the opposing viewpoint has no supporters, people won't speak out against it.

The key is that there has to be some other group to rail against. Just watch threads where people come to a consensus. Does everyone stay there, saying over and over how they're glad everyone agrees? No! The thread fades, and it's participants go looking for other groups of people who oppose them.

 

[maddman75]

I'm not sure how you reconcile this belief with the existence of all the other internet messageboards that have nothing to do with gaming where the same "hating" occurs.

I think the formula is more like

Anonymity + Audience = Jerkwad

 

[Pants]

I think the formula is more like

Anonymity + Audience = Jerkwad

There is a Penny Arcade strip that demonstrates this formula rather well, although I don't think Eric's Grandma would like it...

I've only played 2 game systems during my fairly brief gaming existence. I've played d20 and AD&D. The reason being that my group likes D&D. We don't want to learn a new system, we're happy with what D&D does for us. If I ever play with a new group that isn't so afraid of trying new systems, I really wouldn't mind trying out WoD, GURPS, HERO, Shadowrun, and maybe a few others (though I'd stay away from Rifts...). I'm open minded, but until I have a group that is willing to try something new, I'm not going to spend the money on some gaming system I might not ever use.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Yes it is, I came in for a good argument....

I'm sorry, this is abuse, you want room 12A....

 

[Harold as a Verb]

...And these five reasons are why it's a great place to DISCUSS, but a terrible place to ARGUE.

<pedantry>
Arguing != Fighting. EN World is an excellent place for both discussions and arguments, but a terrible place to (try to) fight.
</pedantry>