So. I've just had a rather unfortunate exchange with a few of the more regular posters here on theRPGsite. Apparently I'm an illiterate [expletive ad nausium] and my attempt to defend an RPG that hasn't even launched yet (mostly because I do not agree with blanket labels, especially if they are derogatory) and my questioning of those who would do such a thing off-handedly.
I hope the issue is closed, but it leaves me with questions. I'm sure part of it is how I worded things, and I know that a large part of what I said was either taken out of context or mostly misinterpreted compared to what I meant, but in the end I was basically just assaulted. My character, intelligence, and spine were all called into question. Funny really. I've never had to fight in the physical realm. Must be something about being bigger than most people. Ah, the internet.

But I digress. My questions. Outside of a half dozen of you guys that have been kind enough to comment on my artwork, I have not had a lot of interaction here. I really haven't had the time. But to be honest, I was disappointed with Gencon and the game (above) in question was one of the few promising things I saw. So. Is there really room for everyone's opinion? Or is it just whoever can bash everyone with aggressive behavior wins? Are there any other rational people here or have I already met all six of them? Is it really worth my time to visit this site if I am going to be so disrespected? (I assume respect is earned by how smart you sound in your posts?)

I could use some veteran input here. Right now, this place vexes me.

Thanks!

Harsh
(Oh yeah, New Artwork coming up shortly!)

Yeah. Well, I think the idea that "any opinion can be voiced." is not the same as
"any opinion is welcome." The problem is that people like to bash things--it doesn't matter if its here, or if its other forums, people just get all worked up over things.


I don't entirely understand it myself. Of course, I am mostly invisible. So, I don't seem to get the full brunt of anything. Of course, I'm just a game author, a peculiar one at that, so I'm mostly to busy on my own ideas, to notice most hubbubs. I might try and discuss something, but I feel little need to throw a tantrum. I've not always been that way, but really. Some things aren't important.

Something to think upon. RPG.net (the bigger RPG forum) doesn't even account for a noticeable amount of real world opinion on games. Compared to us, its HUGE. The problem of course is that the internet, is still somewhat of a minority thing. Oh, people ebay. People email, and TXT, but discuss things? Unless its very very interesting or dear, people tend to just not bother. Heck, of my two game groups. ONE emails me regularly. One occasionally. Despite other uses: MMORPGs, or Fantasy Football on it--they almost to a person simply do not interact online; especially about tabletop rpg's.


Which means that when you reflect on this, that RPGsite, RPGnet, combined, don't really have much of an impact on the greater worlds choices or opinions.

Its just us few, vocal minority. Even ENworld seems somewhat divorced from the vast majority of people I know who game. (Now mind you this is an opinion based on my experience, in a not too small city, but one with a significant gamer population to its ordinary population.)


There are people whose opinions I respect here about some things, many I don't, and a greater number who don't register on me as I don't register on them.

I think its cool to share what you like, just remember, what you like? That's great and grand, and worth sharing, even if just because you think its cool. Just don't expect anyone to agree, because by and large, we gamer who post? We're a contentious lot.  On the other hand, sometimes we might, just don't take any of it too seriously.

Good advice Silverlion. I have a hard streak in me that detests injustice. Especially so if people twist my words or intentions into something foul. I guess I'm just a bit on the idealistic side. I believe I'll just revert back to lurker mode and only show up to pimp my wares. I always thought that was a bit cheap and that actually being involved in a community would be good all around, but now I'm thinking not.
Thanks for the thoughts!

Some folks find the culture shock of posting here difficult to aclimatise to. Some things to bear in mind when posting here.

- Whatever reason someone might have, they have a right to call bullshit when they see it. If they think it's bullshit, they'll say so in many cases. It's up to the original poster to defend himself from these charges.

- You need a thicker skin here than on many other RPG forums, but much of the discourse is better as a result of being able to directly challenge people (although quite often it degenerates into No U kind of stuff). YMMV.

- Hubris > bad

- Whining > bad. From my POV, this is the worse sin on the RPGsite. Avoid subjects that push your buttons or be prepared to to be engaged by dissenters. Move to other threads and by and large (but by no means a certainty) you will be engaged in the context of the new thread, not by what you have posted elswhere. There are exeptions, for sure, but in a great many cases, you'll find that we 'fire & forget'. This is why i think whining is frowned upon - it's keeping a disagreement from 1 (or more threads) alive. So, for a more enjoyable experience - fire & forget. Some posters will drag things up, some won't.

- Just for emphasis, thicker skin.

I really like that black & white piece a couple pages back, with the stone creature.  The shadows are very effective.  I really get the sense of a battle in progress just as the cool mountain night is coming on.  Very nice.

I'm with Silverloin. Don't take it personally and please do keep posting, mate! I'd hate it if there were only a couple of us left posting stuff up.

Right. Thicker skin. Thanks guys.

WalkerP - Thanks. Hopefully I will get the chance to go back to that one and finish it out. I have been pretty busy lately. I have high hopes for that illustration. I hope I can at least come close to the mark.

Harsh, its really good to remember that some of the people who post here (or anywhere else for that matter) are complete silly-billies.  They might well be able to express themselves in tough talk, or apparently well constructed and barbed arguments.  But they are still silly-billies.

Conversely some folks here (and everywhere else) are interesting, informed, enthusiastic about the hobby and related activities and art forms, and take care to express themselves equitably.  Not out of some notion of cow-towing to enforced rules, but out of basic human dignity.  

Clearly its not as simple as anyone who disagrees with you or expresses themselves forcefully is a silly-billy.  But people who chose to express themselves in hyperbolic and deliberately aggressive language generally fall into that category.

You will have no doubt seen this in art and illustration circles.  Two critiques can be worlds apart in tone and subtext and yet be based on exactly the same core information.  

Some people apparently revel in speaking as if they are from DeadWood.  Certainly if one's mission is to build up an internet persona or reputation then this is an issue which needs to be attended to.  One wonders about what is lacking in their lives or characters that makes them that way.  Or perhaps they are in fact from DeadWood.  Who knows?  Some people just don't communicate on the internet with much seriousness and therefore don't consider their words as having much impact on others. But to concern yourself too much with those kinds of people is the road to madness, and more importantly missing out on the input of the more sane posters.

I've posted a few times on other threads than my own, but I just don't have the energy for the kinds of debates that have sometimes transpired.  So I guess I could fall into that "cheap" category, but I'm happy to chat about my work and issues that arise around it, so I guess I try to make that my involvement here, such as it is.

Quote from: Harsh;239961So. I've just had a rather unfortunate exchange with a few of the more regular posters here on theRPGsite. Apparently I'm an illiterate [expletive ad nausium] and my attempt to defend an RPG that hasn't even launched yet (mostly because I do not agree with blanket labels, especially if they are derogatory) and my questioning of those who would do such a thing off-handedly.

But I digress. My questions. Outside of a half dozen of you guys that have been kind enough to comment on my artwork, I have not had a lot of interaction here. I really haven't had the time. But to be honest, I was disappointed with Gencon and the game (above) in question was one of the few promising things I saw. So. Is there really room for everyone's opinion? Or is it just whoever can bash everyone with aggressive behavior wins? Are there any other rational people here or have I already met all six of them? Is it really worth my time to visit this site if I am going to be so disrespected? (I assume respect is earned by how smart you sound in your posts?)

I could use some veteran input here. Right now, this place vexes me.

Harsh - first of all I love your artwork - keep up the good work there.

I am by no means a veteran on here but there are a number of people on this site that have a very bigotted and blinkered attitude about things. Since Pundit allows freedom of expression here you just have to accept that these people will not change their blinkered view and therefore any more discussion with them is useless. I was involved in that thread argueing very much in a similar way to you but I decided that they had made up their mind and wouldn't budge - so anyone defending the game was just going to get verbal abuse.

I'm sorry you feel bad about your experiences but there are people on here who do not share the views of those who use strong language to get the view known.

Gavin

Hodge & Gavkin,
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, and sorry it took me so long to get on here and reply. I have basically been buried in my artwork and taking care of house 'stuff' for the past few. All good to keep me sane and to sleep well at night. lol.

I should be able to start posting some of my newer stuff in Oct. (I hope).
Thanks again!

Harsh

Busy, busy, busy....I have a project hatching that I need some help on. I need as many cool scenes of zombies as I can come up with. Any suggestions of what you think would look cool?
So far I have the traditional graveyard and a foggy street scene settled on, everything else is up in the air...

What kind of zombies?

Zombies breaking through doorways looming over heroes who are pulling back from the door.


Zombies clambering over a vehicle that has someone hiding behind i with broken glass all around
.
Zombies scaling the outside of a building to get heroes on top of it.


Of course a lot depends on the zombies. If they're slow shamblers with little cunning they won't do as much as swifter, cunning pack predators. Are they just undead? Are they made by radiation (Glowing), or technology? Are they servents of a force? Who might dress them like castle guard, or soldiers?

Hmm...good questions. I should have known you would have ideas.

I would go with the traditional undead variety of shambling going to eat your brains zombie, I think. Although the others sound fun too.

Animal zombies. Makes a bigger impression when there's a few of those, I think.

I like the idea of semi feral zombie packs--animal like with cunning, but that's because they make a credible threat in our zombie happy worlds. Shamblers work in vast vast numbers, with a slow malign inevitability. It's not that they alone are a threat, but there are always more.


For shamblers:

A crowded alleyway with a person scrambling up a wall away from the zombies, with out of sight to him rooftops covered with zombies.


A figure cowering under a car at a somewhat distant visual point with hundreds of shamblers around.