If somebody were to ask me what the biggest pain-in-the-ass is about being a published game designer, I would answer, without hesitation, the Fame.
Even the miniscule, niche-market fame that we get is problematic. Fame makes you do stupid shit, like play to the audience instead of staying true to your inspirations. Fame can draw the attention of some seriously disturbed people (for those of you new readers on LJ, I’ll have to relate the ongoing saga of my stalker some time). Fame leads to you being the subject of debate.
Recently, over on the RPGnet’s forum, a thread was begun with the title “Why Are Game Designers Liberal?” (I was forwarded the contents by a friend of mine, because I no longer participate on those fora. See above for a slight hint as to why.) The thread was started by a guy named Anthony W. Roberson, who posted:
“Ok, I read a lot of role-playing game designers blogs and I have sort of gotten used to all the Bush-bashing and being told I was an ignorant, racist, redneck shmuck because I lived in the South, but something I read yesterday just pissed me off completely.
I found out that Underworld was going to be available by PDF and so I surfed over to Gareth-Michael Skarka’s blog to see if I could get some info about it. While there, I read that he actually believes the whole ‘EVIL Republicans stole the election with rigged electronic voting machines’ conspiracy. And I’m going to give this man my money?? I think not.
Are all game designers so liberal? What is the connection between designing RPGs and being a leftist? Sheesh.”
That’s Fame, folks. Somebody deciding that they don’t want to buy a product because they can’t separate the creator from the creation, and because they think “Liberal” is a Bad Word.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go beat my head against a brick wall until I bleed.
We hates it, my precious.
This is why I am TERRIFIED of becoming popular.
Then you should really stop sleeping around.
That’s just too damn funny for words.
No head pounding.
Although it’s sad that you’ll lose the sale, one might discern from his comments that he’s not bright enough to understand the rules.
D.
Bitch, YOU bent over in front of me. You were begging for it.
I was picking up change.
A change of man-love, maybe.
Slap and some man-love, two bits.
This is also Fame: Because I don’t hit a lot of these PDF sites (or RPG.net any more, for that matter), I had no idea UNDERWORLD had gone PDF ’til I saw your LJ entry. Thanks to fame, I found out about it, bought a copy, and noticed the B&B Treasure Chest while I was at it and bought one of those too. :)
None of which means dude wasn’t a fucknugget, but you lost his sale, and gained two from me. That’s a net +1, yeah?
While I can understand not wanting to give someone your money due to philosophical differences, I usually believe that it’s better to do so when it’s really big deals. (Like, say, not buying Mein Kampf or in my case, not wanting to give Dave Sim or Orson Scott Card my money due to their utter nutball and/or misogynist ideas.) Stuff like what this guy said, though, is really small change. It’s not like you’re Anne Coulter (*spit! spit!*) or someone else saying that “all Republicans are baby killers!” or “all Liberals are evil!”. I shrug at things less than that, and shell out my money regardless. It ain’t worth sweatin’.
Jesus Christ, you two–get a room.
Thanks!
Why mess with the formula?
You would actually go bang your head against a brick wall until you bleed? I was just thinking about downloading Underworld on PDF but after your wall banging comment I couldn’t help but think “And I’m going to give this man my money?? I think not.”
At least this thread is still more useful and entertaining than most of RPG.net. :-)
I have seen Ann Coulter books on the display tables at my local bookseller, and I can’t help but think she’s an evil woman with a golden monkey. (See Phillip Pullman’s Dark Matter books, starting with The Golden Compass.) As I recall, there was a picture of a woman with straight blond hair on the cover of Coulter’s book, and it is almost exactly the way I picture the evil Mrs. Coulter that Pullman created.
Well, if it helps any, I had no idea Underworld was going PDF, this brought it to my attention, and now I’ll get around to finally picking it up. So hopefully I cancel out 1 asshat.
– DocAwk
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go beat my head against a brick wall until I bleed.”
Oh, don’t do that. Then he wins. :|
It’s okay everybody. We don’t actually have a brick wall at the house. A brick facade, maybe, but it would probably fall down after one good head-butt from G. :)
If it’s any consolation, I put that clearly dateless guy on my IL when he made a similar comment regarding George R. R. Martin’s comments about the eletion (something about, “That guy just needs to get over himself and go back to writing about something he understands.”
Consider yourself in good company.
Perhaps this guy just resents the traditional creative/Liberal-mindset connection. That is, if he understands that there is one in the first place.
I feel the need to correct myself. I confused this individual with another.
FWIW, the guy who made the comments about not buying Underworld posted a public apology this morning.