Quote from: Lunamancer;876460I once attended a workshop given by Gary Gygax where during the Q&A someone asked him why he included so many pole arms in AD&D. His answer always stuck with me. He had this vision of an orc army, each with a different type of ole arm.

Dude sure liked his pole arms.

Generally, if we're talking mechanics, I tend to prefer something like the aforementioned Earthdawn's Social Defence for genres where a quip can contribute to winning or losing a fight. If I want to deemphasize that, I prefer just having the skills and playing it out:).

Quote from: RPGPundit;877146Dude sure liked his pole arms.

It's because they're likable;).

It's because like most creative geniuses, he was a little nuts.

Quote from: RPGPundit;877623It's because like most creative geniuses, he was a little nuts.

Or maybe because he was a wargamer and history buff. He knew the importance and variety of pole arms in combat.

Quote from: RPGPundit;877623It's because like most creative geniuses, he was a little nuts.

If you intend to imply that polearms aren't likable, those would be fighting words and we should settle it with a polearms duel:D!

Quote from: Omega;877805Or maybe because he was a wargamer and history buff. He knew the importance and variety of pole arms in combat.

Part of the workshop was a debate between Gary and the museum curator about how the pole arms were used in combat. The curator's position was that the purpose of these polearms were for show. To look menacing, to intimidate the enemy. Most of the additional blades were useless, and they all basically had the same function.

Gary's view was largely informed by his childhood, where he and his friends created replicas of these weapons, and the additional features of these weapons actually could be used effectively if you had enough practice. So his position was that of course they were all used in combat.

Pole Arms are likeable. So are trains. But the guy who can't shut up about trains ever is still a bit batshit.

Quote from: Lunamancer;877903Part of the workshop was a debate between Gary and the museum curator about how the pole arms were used in combat. The curator's position was that the purpose of these polearms were for show. To look menacing, to intimidate the enemy. Most of the additional blades were useless, and they all basically had the same function.

Gary's view was largely informed by his childhood, where he and his friends created replicas of these weapons, and the additional features of these weapons actually could be used effectively if you had enough practice. So his position was that of course they were all used in combat.

That's a fun part I didn't know. Thanks:).

Quote from: RPGPundit;878457Pole Arms are likeable. So are trains. But the guy who can't shut up about trains ever is still a bit batshit.

Of course, but the guy who talks about trains in a book about pretending to be a train driver is in a wholly different category;).

I doubt if that book was the only time he discussed the subject.  Otaku never stfu about their interests.

Quote from: yosemitemike;879015I doubt if that book was the only time he discussed the subject.  Otaku never stfu about their interests.

Not sure whether you mean Gygax here under "otaku", so I'll answer in general.
Anyone is behaving appropriately when talking about his or her interests to other people that share those interests.
People earn the "distinction" of being Otaku when behaving inappropriately. (The word itself is derived by an old-fashioned greeting, and implies "you're so out of touch you'd use one of those"). You don't become an "otaku" by talking about football to football fans. You do if you try to talk about American football to people who are interested in the kind of football that is better known across the world, and assume they must mean they like your kind of football.
Of course, it is just as inappropriate to do vice versa. The point is, what is an appropriate topic changes with the people that are listening you:).

Now back to the assumption that you meant Gygax there...
If Gygax was talking about his interests to other people interested in history and/or reenactment, and for all I know that was the case, he wasn't acting like an "otaku". From what I know he was talking about it to a museum curator, to a reenactor like himself known as Gronan these days, and via his book, to other people interested in playing the role of someone who uses polearms. All D&D players can be assumed to have at least some interest in the above if they want to play fighting man classes. Many don't, but at least the people near him seem to have been into reenactment, and quite heavily at that.

If you have other examples, say, about him talking about polearms to an old lady who thought history is about constructing genealogy trees, I'd be interested to know those;).

Yup, I got one friend who is always talking about Magic the Gathering. Which is fine with most of us who have played the game (I quit about three years ago from physical collecting and two years ago from video games/online). But talking about Magic to members of our social group that have no interest in nerdy stuff just makes him seem weird at the bar for example. Gotta know your audience to have a conversation, otherwise you are just talking to yourself in the close proximity of another person.

Quote from: RPGPundit;878457Pole Arms are likeable. So are trains. But the guy who can't shut up about trains ever is still a bit batshit.

Yes, I am.