Quote from: blakkieBut without it we are just monkeys banging rocks and eating cheetos.

That's just what we are.  Your garbled, vacuous words are interrupting my banana eating time.

ook!

Everybody back away slowly. When the librarian says "Ook!" like that he means business.

Quote from: blakkieMost people that use computers wouldn't know an N-P junction if someone handed it to them. But it sure as hell is important for somebody to know and understand it to make those damn computer-thingies do their magic.

Except I'm one of those people who make the things, and I think it's all useless.

At least useless to me.

-clash

That's because the bulk of RPG theory (certainly the bulk of what gets written) is really just people using sophistry and semantics either to vacuously argue de gustibus non est disputandum, or to engage in value judgments from a position of power.

RPG theory would be much more interesting (and useful) if there was strong common agreement about the purpose and goals of RPGs. There isn't. If you take the most famous theory, it purports to use that realization as a foundation, but since the theory is defined and controlled by people who only understand one subset of goals, it can't be a foundation for other approaches; instead it winds up being exercised as form of power to say "by my rewording of your definition of what makes a good game, my game is better than your game"

Quote from: flyingmiceExcept I'm one of those people who make the things, and I think it's all useless.

You don't have an idea of how to go about making these things? Oh sure you think having a bigass, multiple multipage HTML, self-referencing glossary, with extra essays on the side Theory Of Everything is pretty damn useless. I do too. Because it isn't big enough to fit everything and it's too big for utility.

But take that Elder Gods thread. Sure it's kinda trailed off to a sad little death of trying to explain something to Settembrini, with RPGPundit the last one left making interesting (to me) posts!  But earlier on (say the first 15 posts) it really worked for me to both confirm I was headed in the right direction and further my handle on Lovecraft.

Quote from: blakkieYou don't have an idea of how to go about making these things? Oh sure you think having a bigass, multiple multipage HTML, self-referencing glossary, with extra essays on the side Theory Of Everything is pretty damn useless. I do too. Because it isn't big enough to fit everything and it's too big for utility.

But take that Elder Gods thread. Sure it's kinda trailed off to a sad little death of trying to explain something to Settembrini, with RPGPundit the last one left making interesting (to me) posts!  But earlier on (say the first 15 posts) it really worked for me to both confirm I was headed in the right direction and further my handle on Lovecraft.

You clipped off the important part of my post.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceYou clipped off the important part of my post.

-clash

Ok, I'll leave the '-clash' in there from now on.

Quote from: blakkieOk, I'll leave the '-clash' in there from now on.

-clash

Quote from: blakkieMost people that use computers wouldn't know an N-P junction if someone handed it to them. But it sure as hell is important for somebody to know and understand it to make those damn computer-thingies do their magic.

True, but what has made computers widespread is the fact that these days the average user doesn't need a PhD in Electrical Engineering in order to run one.

Quote from: CessnaTrue, but what has made computers widespread is the fact that these days the average user doesn't need a PhD in Electrical Engineering in order to run one.

Absolutely.  Sure if you know what you are looking for (and have really, REALLY good eyes? ) you can find N-P junctions on the computer you'll find them there. But mostly what people see is the hopefully ergonomic interface that lets them just use the thing out of the box without resorting to a wire-wrap tool or a soldering iron.

Such is an admirable thing in an RPG. Something that works out of the box without a bunch of fiddling and jiggering and such.

But there are still some people that like soldering irons and jiggering and get all fustrated when their shiny new smoothly functioning computer isn't intended to be pulled apart like a tinkertoy set to be remade into a lawnmower.

Then sometimes the computer comes with instructions in Czech. Or Chinese if you are expecting Czech. That's a Bad Thing I think. And sometimes people that can read English will say the instructions are written in Czech but only people that speak Czech will notice this and the people that don't speak Czech will be able to read it in English just fine. And that too has some sort of Bad Thing in there somewhere.

......what was the question again? I think I need a banana and some cheetos.

Shouldn't this go in the Theory subforum? Just asking...

I have very rarely seen a theory discussion thread that was good.  As mentioned by others already most seem to devolve to a few posters compairing egos.  Also there seems to be a lot of people basically saying 'my idea is right' rather than actual discussion.

Personally I've never used anything from RPG theory discussions, but I've ran great games and still run great games (at least my players think so).  People were running great games before the theory discussions got big and will continue to do so after the discussions are over.

Ah well... just my two cents and some pocket lint.

Quote from: JongWKShouldn't this go in the Theory subforum? Just asking...

But then nobody would see it? :hehe:

P.S. It would also be like going to keg party and asking people if they like to drink.

Quote from: blakkieBut then nobody would see it? :hehe:

P.S. It would also be like going to keg party and asking people if they like to drink.

You have, this time, successfully argued as to why this thread should stay here, though in principle I was first inclined to move it.

But I do just want to note, the Theory section is remarkably active, way more than I ever thought it would be.

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