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Author Topic: The final step in constructing the Temple Of Ron  (Read 862 times)

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The final step in constructing the Temple Of Ron
« on: December 05, 2006, 06:47:44 PM »
Ron Edwards has declared "closed" the fora on the "GNS theory" and "RPG theory" in general.  That really isn't very significant to me: GNS theory is a forge-creation (well, really a particular take on a theory originally created on usenet), that has long since been shown to be utterly meaningless drivel and jargon with no practical purpose other than to allow assholes to feel superior about playing games that aren't actually fun.

The only thing that makes this news mildly interesting is the context: you see, in theory, the Forge is supposed to be a place where people collaborate on the creation of "indie" games.  No one was ever too clear what they meant by "indie"; since if they mean "small press" that would mean pretty much everyone other than Wizards anyways. Probably, "indie" to them is code for "pretentious pseudointellectual games that are poorly made and no one in their right mind would purchase".

Now, though as I mentioned the Forge has resulted in the production of games, what it is most famous for is the production of massive reams of pseudointellectual onanism. Guys who often don't even actually roleplay creaming their pants over writing and discussing pages and pages of stuff that sounds like academic theory about rpgs (even though by any real academic standard its nothing of the sort), and wetting themselves with joy anytime they can come up with a new piece of lingo that either means nothing at all or needlessly replaces a normal english word.

The "mildly interesting" part is that, viewed a certain way, it would seem that Ron Edwards, cult leader of the Forge, is recognizing this problem and trying to push the Forge back toward its supposed mission statement.

But its not quite that simple.  Ron Edward's principal motivation, like any cult leader, is his own self-aggrandizement. If you keep that in mind, and you consider that his entire strategy for fame has been the production of the aforementioned ludicrously pretentious games that appeal to the lesser Swine; and if you look closely at how he worded the shutting down of the "theory" sections, it all becomes quite clear.
Edwards isn't shutting down the GNS and theory fora because he sees them as the mental dead end they really are;  if he had said "GNS theory, and every other gaming "theory" is pseudoacademic nonsense, and the only way to really create a website dedicated to the creation of good RPGs is to focus entirely on creating functional and adaptable systems for actual play and fun, so let's quit the mental masturbation and actually make games that are worth playing" THAT would have been news.

But he didn't.  He didn't even say "I'm closing this forum because GNS is actually a theory that goes nowhere and actually works in a way that is counterproductive to good game design", he didn't even say "I'm closing down this forum because GNS theory distracts people from actual game design".

He said, and I quote:

Quote

This forum is no longer available for posting. It has served its purpose: to develop a sensible framework for discussing play, and the children of play, design and publishing.


In other words, he's saying that the theory the way he designs it is no longer up for discussion. And why not? Because the theory has already developed a "sensible framework". It is complete as it stands, there is no longer any flaw in it worth mentioning, and it will now form the basis for all future game design on the Forge, without any questioning or alteration of the theory allowed.

In any good cult there is the moment they graduate from the evolutionary stage, to the dogma stage, where the Leader's teachings are enshrined, forever unchangeable, as pure dogma, the foundation of blind belief.  Like a modern day Council of Constantinople, Ron is creating his church and knows that the necessary foundation for any good religion is to have an unchanging, unquestionable foundation.  It doesn't matter how logically unsound that foundation might be, all that matters is that it cannot be questioned or altered.

So here Ron has set his dogma.  Why now? Probably because he has nothing more to say, and leaving the theory open to ongoing discussion would only result in two things: people pointing out that the theory is full of shit being the first (and by far the least dangerous to him), and the second being followers of his coming up with heretical alterations to the theory that stole his own thunder (and that's the clincher, the one that he's really nervous about).

So there it is, the word of Ron, and all discussion ends there.

Will it lead, as some suggest, to more emphasis on game design at the Forge, and therefore more games being produced?
Possibly.
Probably.
But who really gives a shit? Everything that they make now will be based on the sacred holy script of Edwards, founded upon a theory that doesn't work, based on faulty thinking and pretentious wankery.

They could produce a hundred thousand RPGs.  If they're based on GNS, they will all be utter garbage, they will all be financial failures, none of them will radically alter the gaming industry, and no one outside of the Forge and the drooling forge-fans on RPGnet will really give a rat's ass.

But the cult of Edwards will proceed. He will continue to get those drooling forge-fans that he so desperately craves, and that's all Ron Edwards really wants. Now there won't be any more pesky questioning of his holy word in his own sacred temple.

RPGPundit  Dec 3 2005
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