Like a lot of folks have already said (damn I have to jump in on threads earlier), the more users, the more disagreements - sometimes heated - will occur.

I've lately been turned off by a number of threads on rpg.net, but I realized in the last day or two that the discussions that annoy me the most are started or propogated(sp?) by a small (but, unfortunately, vocal) fraction of the entire userbase.  These are folks that can only express their opinions in negative terms (one in particular is almost guaranteed to use the terms "hate" and "loathe" at least once per post when discussing any genre/playstyle/mechanic s/he doesn't happen to like or understand) and refuse to really discuss any topic beyond "this is what I want, and everything else is just rubbish."

So I've learned to stop reading threads started by those users.  I also stopped paying attention to posts like "I've forgotten how to play D&D, maaan...like, not the rules, but HOW to play D&D, you know?"  And rpg.net suddenly became useful to me again.

I suppose we just have to wait and see how this site evolves.  I like the hands-off moderation style; most of the folks on this board seem mature enough to not let a disagreement lead to a total meltdown.  But more active modding might be necessary as theRPGsite grows.

Quote from: pigames.netWell, I hate d20 - not because I don't like the game itself, but because it brings out the worst in people. Same goes for Exalted and many Forge games. I really can't stand the attitudes that are created by love for these games.

Hate the sinner, not the sin. :cool:

The open and free nature of this site means that you're likely to get more open conversations about people's Loves and Hates, because no one will be stopping you from saying what you really think.

There's a good side and a bad side to that.
The good side is that without a "thought police" the quality of the debates here are much more worth reading.
The bad side is that there's more open negativity.
Note that I say more open negativity; there's just as much negativity on RPG.net, its just all got to be covered up by a thin veil of politeness and tolerance. Scratch the surface, and there's probably more hate there than here, because people can't just let it out get certain arguments over with.

I haven't really seen any decline in the quality of the conversation here so far; I think more people means more quality discussion.  And thus far we have not had a real Troll (by my definition of a troll: ie someone who is only and purely disruptive, who's here to try to wreck threads/forums and never posts anything positive at all), or even anyone who has come close to making me consider banning him for "negativity".

BTW, its not a "banhammer".  Its a "Spiked Baseball Bat of Great Justice".

RPGPundit

Pundit:

I didn't mean there was more negativity here than at the Great Purple Site. That could hardly be possible. It's just that there is more than there used to be here, and I miss the love. When I play or run games - any games - I get pumped with joy and energy. The better the session, the more energy. I'm an old man, and my reserves of energy are low. Negativity bleeds off that joy and energy faster than anything else I know. It's like putting on lead shoes. If I actually read any of 99% of the posts on RPGnet, I put on those lead shoes and jog a mile. I begin to wonder why I'm doing what I do. Is it worth the effort? Here I can bound over mountains with little effort, but the negativity is creeping in.

BTW, I don't consider your screeds as negativity - they are far too amusing to be negative, and the love you bear for games is blatantly obvious beneath it all. It's the repressed, sour, bitter posts that curdle the joy from my life, and they abound on RPGnet, and there are more of them here than there used to be.  

-clash

I don't sense a huge amount of 'negativity' over at RPG.net.  :confused:

That's perhaps because I only look at about 3% of the threads there (i.e. only the ones that interest me).  I've generally found discussions about True20, C&C, RC/Basic D&D, Rolemaster 2e, Mystara, WFRP, etc. to be pretty constructive.

I guess I've been pretty fortunate at 'Big Purple'.  
:shrug:

Over the years "hate" posts and threadcrappers get a big ignore from me. That and I don't read every thread here so I'm not up on all the "haters", I only read what interests me.

But what "really" gets my dander up is the "misuse" of quotes to make a "point".

Quote from: Mystery ManOver the years "hate" posts and threadcrappers get a big ignore from me. That and I don't read every thread here so I'm not up on all the "haters", I only read what interests me.

But what "really" gets my dander up is the "misuse" of quotes to make a "point".

"Really?"  I admit I "misuse" them, but it's often to provide a kind of "emphasis" that you'd have when "speaking" but don't have in "text."

That, and, of course, to indicate that I don't agree with certain terms being used.

I could start using italics.  

The only counter to too much hate is to pour on the love.  (Imagine Barry White saying that line and suddenly this thread becomes sexy.)  Talk about the things you like.  Or talk about the things you hate in the games you genuinely love.  Invite people onto threads to gush about a beloved game.

And Gabriel, you need to consider cutting back on your Palladium obsession.  You're a cool cat and I generally agree with your rants, but the longer you dog Palladium the less credible you look.  People are going to start writing you off as that Weird Guy With the Palladium Hate-On.  I'd hate to see that happen.

Gaming and love? Let the Gunnery Seargent speak:

"God loves Traveller! God has a hard-on for Traveller! That´s why we keep sending him dead editions of that game."

Quote(Imagine Barry White saying that line and suddenly this thread becomes sexy.)

I did, and it works!

As for Palladium: I`m a lover! And I made Ron love it too (I hope)! Next GenCon Ron, Pundit, Eyebeamz and me are gonna kick some major Coalition ass!! Right boyz?

Let the gunnery seargent speak again (cadence):

I love books from Uncle Kev,
More ideas than I´d ever have.

They have a kewl cover and awesomeness,
No place for pretentiosness.

I don`t know, but I`ve been told,
Pally-books have all been sold.

Quote from: jrientsThe only counter to too much hate is to pour on the love.  (Imagine Barry White saying that line and suddenly this thread becomes sexy.)  

Say that again.. but slower.


Oh yeah....


OK, so anyway.

Quote from: flyingmiceI didn't mean there was more negativity here than at the Great Purple Site. That could hardly be possible. It's just that there is more than there used to be here, and I miss the love.

I have to wonder how much of that is due to an influx of immigration of dissatisfied RPG.net users, myself included.  Has there really been an increase in negativity here?  Could it be that there's simply less agreement on a certain style of gaming as the user base here has grown?

I have to say that I've been finding the prevailing attitude at this site very refreshing.  It's been challenging, with people expressing deeply held and conflicting beliefs about their preferences in roleplaying games, but there is an active demand to explain and defend one's self, or at least stand up for one's own beliefs.  In other words, there's a pretty high concentration of toughtful discussion, without the artificial pleasantries of enforced civility preventing honest exchanges of ideas.  Ironically, the absence of heavy-handed moderation doesn't seem to be inviting an atmosphere of unbridled un-civility -- quite the contrary, I see regular agreements to disagree here.

!i!

Quote from: GrimGentI've never really understood how someone can muster actual hate for a game.

I have enough trouble mustering hate for serial killers.

I think part of the reason why this site works is that by removing the taboo from "Dude, you suck" and "Dude, your favorite game sucks" we have removed the titillation around implying such things.  There's just not the same thrill.

Sir, I believe you are at a lower atmospheric pressure than your surrounding environment.





You're right that didn't titillate me at all.

Quote from: jrientsI think part of the reason why this site works is that by removing the taboo from "Dude, you suck" and "Dude, your favorite game sucks" we have removed the titillation around implying such things.  There's just not the same thrill.

QFT.

What TPTB at the other place don't get is that banning overt expressions of hostility doesn't ban hostility -- it just encourages that hostility to manifest in a passive-aggressive manner, increasing the overall level of negativity (and douchebaggery).

I don't get game hate either.

KoOS