tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post8206845014718736284..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: God, IAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-31516773301568645802010-10-20T06:07:54.888-06:002010-10-20T06:07:54.888-06:00The way you write it is surprisingly arrogant, int...The way you write it is surprisingly arrogant, intolerant and inflexible. Pity that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00801468265072232351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-28808702655447676902010-10-19T23:10:31.308-06:002010-10-19T23:10:31.308-06:00I see what you did there. :-)I see what you did there. :-)-Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02331863932906631618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-1083271979921776012010-10-19T21:23:20.784-06:002010-10-19T21:23:20.784-06:00I thought about that several times as I wrote it, ...I thought about that several times as I wrote it, Alexis.<br /><br />The question of whether "the lot" was a singular or a plural subject, similar to the use of "none", caused my hesitation.<br /><br />Even in grade school in the late 70's, I recall being taught the subject of "none" to be singular, ignoring the context of the preposition in all cases.<br /><br />It seems today, however, that the context of the preposition dictates the status of singular vs. plural.<br /><br />After I'd posted the comment and thought about it some more (can I even make an equal comparison of "the lot" and "none"?), I was going to go back and change it. Then RL got in the way and I totally fucking forgot about it.<br /><br />Ah, well.Ethanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762615024207105680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-3384097203683990912010-10-19T15:38:04.267-06:002010-10-19T15:38:04.267-06:00Agreed, Alexis.
"Get on board or get off my ...Agreed, Alexis.<br /><br />"Get on board or get off my train." How we go about it may be different but the essence remains.<br /><br />Good gaming.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-89191091589494414142010-10-19T14:51:15.416-06:002010-10-19T14:51:15.416-06:00The lot of you are basically saying the same thing...The lot of you <i><b>are</b></i> basically saying the same thing.<br /><br />Thank you Ethan.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-36782044056175008412010-10-19T12:40:38.302-06:002010-10-19T12:40:38.302-06:00Yeah, the lot of you is basically saying the same ...Yeah, the lot of you is basically saying the same thing.<br /><br />I just love that each of you is writing it clearly, fluidly, and with wonderful, proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.<br /><br />Thank you, from the bottom of my grammatical soul.Ethanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10762615024207105680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-81202319910701194162010-10-19T08:07:30.315-06:002010-10-19T08:07:30.315-06:00Runjikol,
Funny that someone felt the need to def...Runjikol,<br /><br />Funny that someone felt the need to defend your minor comment - twice - when in fact you agreed with me. Obviously, my purpose in writing this post was to invite the aggrieved author of both long comments to tell us what's what, to remind us that we're being too serious for his sensibilities and to remind me, in particular, that my overall demeanor should not be one of barely restrained anger, but apparently of long-winded nebbishness.<br /><br />Funny how one phrase can get under someone's skin.<br /><br />Oddbit,<br /><br />Being a long time reader of this blog, you're well aware of how this post fits into my overall agenda, as opposed to being a stand-alone manifesto. I know very well the inconvenience of having someone at the table whose sensibilities disrupt a campaign (or a post), unrestrained by DMs who hang onto their grade school ideologies like grim death.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-20672023421601143782010-10-19T00:55:00.480-06:002010-10-19T00:55:00.480-06:00Well then, you misunderstood completely what I mea...Well then, you misunderstood completely what I meant by "Group Consensus"<br /><br />When you're playing and the GM makes a call or a decision, you should honor that and move on. The GM has heard the arguments, and is responsible for keeping the game moving. He is trusted and (hopefully) fair and impartial. Socially it's appropriate to discuss it later after the game - but at the table it's rude to take time away from other players like that (as you so clearly pointed out Oddbit)<br /><br />On the other hand when you're deciding to engage in a game like activity with people who are your friends, and one of them goes, "I like mystery adventures" and another goes "I made these nifty dice trays" and another is like "I'm interested in swashbuckling type fights" and the DM goes "This is MY game. We're going to do what I want - and if you don't like it, go away" that's something else entirely.<br /><br />Dice rules, House rules, who brings the food, what type of game everyone is interested in playing - these are some of the things you can have discussion about. If you run a game regardless of the preferences of the people who are supposedly your friends, and more to the point, have "barely restrained anger" at the thought that, you know, you might want to include the ideas of a group of friends in your activity for your group of friends, then that's arrogant, narcissist, and selfish.<br /><br />Also: last time I checked consensus doesn't mean "Everyone has to do everything this way". Often it means, "Hey, we'll play this type of game for a few weeks, and then this other one next." Communication, sharing, understanding, and compromise. Most of the people I'm playing with learned these skills in grade school. :-) YMMV.-Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02331863932906631618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-31776270064464776222010-10-18T18:09:54.821-06:002010-10-18T18:09:54.821-06:00I've spent an hour in a game waiting for the &...I've spent an hour in a game waiting for the 'group' to come to a group consensus. That's an hour wasted to me. The GM should have made a call and moved on. The 'group' finally came to a consensus when we got the one player making a stink to give up.Oddbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12091924105175846386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-13556603396541671012010-10-18T16:32:16.201-06:002010-10-18T16:32:16.201-06:00It doesn't sound like people enjoying themselv...It doesn't sound like people enjoying themselves and having fun with you is a priority.<br /><br />"Barely restrained anger," seems to be a disproportionate response to the offhanded mention of group consensus.<br /><br />It may be "you. . . you. . . you" when it's all conceptual, but the instant you begin playing a *game*, it becomes a social activity.<br /><br />I expect fair adjudication, risk, reasonable consequences for my actions, neither punishment or reward for my IC actions - in short all the things you describe.<br /><br />The idea that you've ever ran a session that didn't invite chaos is fallacy - side conversations happen, things are missed and forgotten about, people become tired.<br /><br />What exactly is the point of your post? You state a bunch of precepts of old school play (which most people in these games already accept). You state that they can do it the way you want or leave. Well, I can tell you, the sky is blue, you'll have to die and pay taxes, and the cost of living keeps going up.-Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02331863932906631618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-91724242465245268222010-10-18T15:44:39.294-06:002010-10-18T15:44:39.294-06:00It's funny how that happens - one phrase can r...It's funny how that happens - one phrase can really niggle and get under one's skin. <br /><br />The terms of play should be described up front. It helps everyone know what they're in for. If the GM says 'x' is the only way I'll run a game then players agree there's nothing left to bitch about.<br /><br />In building a world that's a labour of love and sharing it with players then those terms have even more gravitas. I have an ongoing labour - http://blog.kharathel.com - that is across decades with lots of love and passion. When I GM there I expect players to suspend their disbelief, get involved in the game-world, or <b>f@(# off</b>. So I'm on a similar page.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com