All this past week, SJWs on D&D Twitter have been DEMANDING that they must be paid a "living wage", presumably paid by YOU, for their making games no one likes or videos no one watches or just tweeting 'diversity'.

There IS a way to make a living wage with RPGs... but probably not for SJWs.




[video=youtube_share;W5rFJ9WiwA8]https://youtu.be/W5rFJ9WiwA8[/youtube]

LOL. This "living wage" bullshit is hysterical.

Here's my response: Coffee is for closers!!!

When you choose to "eat what you hunt" for a living, aka any job based on commission sales (like art, game design, food trucks, freelance whatever, etc), you MUST accept the risk vs. reward OR you get a regular salary job and accept that situation. And that risk level is x10 harder when you want to sell entertainment, aka unnecessary luxuries.

BTW, "coffee is for closers" is a real thing, not a movie meme. I've worked sales boiler rooms where everything from leads to snacks to pens were dealt out based on your weekly sales success. Those were crazy places, but if you're a cash driven nutter, they can be kinda fun and very lucrative.

This has been around a while now and designers in board games have been pushing for a "pey per word" fee and then throw a fit when we point out that you are expected to produce less words. Not more when submitting a design.

Or artists wanting "pay per hour"... hah-hah! You funny kid. No.

Or designers wanting Pro level royalties for an unknown. And of course they throw a fit when we point out those people getting better pay or royalties had to work and build up their reputation to get that.

And so on ad nausium. This is nothing new.

Well the usual way to demand higher wages is to go on strike.  They should try that.  

Now that FFG has closed their RPG department, is there any RPG company left, other than WOTC, that has a staff of full time RPG writers?

Why is it the people who do the least useful work are the ones who complain the most about a "livable wage"? I can replace a cashier with a kiosk and a robot can flip hamburgers; writing new RPGs doesn't even approach the level of usefulness of either of those tasks. Not to mention, none of those people actually want to work, anyway, which is the main point of your video. They just want to do a $500k Kickstarter based on something they MIGHT do, then expect everyone to buy fifty copies of it with zero marketing.

What's really funny is how hard Gygax busted his ass to make D&D. Publishing a boxed set in 1974 was probably 10x harder than today, and that dude had a full-time job and a family to support.

Well said!

Quote from: Brad;1120931Why is it the people who do the least useful work are the ones who complain the most about a "livable wage"? I can replace a cashier with a kiosk and a robot can flip hamburgers; writing new RPGs doesn't even approach the level of usefulness of either of those tasks. Not to mention, none of those people actually want to work, anyway, which is the main point of your video. They just want to do a $500k Kickstarter based on something they MIGHT do, then expect everyone to buy fifty copies of it with zero marketing.

What's really funny is how hard Gygax busted his ass to make D&D. Publishing a boxed set in 1974 was probably 10x harder than today, and that dude had a full-time job and a family to support.

They like to conflate 'work' with the person.

A person, in my opinion, has a variable worth, but save for the most atrocious wastes of space, can be net-valued at 'priceless' (yeah, I'm an optimist...).

But the work is another matter entirely. In other words, if your dog food is garbage, dogs will not eat it (and dog owners won't buy it), no matter how pretty the packaging and how neat the ad jingle is.

More to the point: the energy you expend via labor is only worth what someone else values it for. If I dig a series of holes, preparatory to putting in fence posts, then yes, I am generating income (assuming someone is paying me for this) or increasing value (assuming it's my land instead). If I dig a hole, fill it back up, dig it again, ad nauseum for 8 hours, what have I done of value?

And this is why we need to start teaching basic economics again.

I mean no sarcasm when I ask what do they mean by a "living wage"? If your job isn't satisfying your fiscal needs, do something else. You get paid what you think you're worth.

I suggest that they move to a country with the best combination they can find of low standard of living but viable communication channels.  Bingo, they'll still be paid what their work is worth, but now they'll be able to afford food, shelter, etc.

Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1120943I mean no sarcasm when I ask what do they mean by a "living wage"? If your job isn't satisfying your fiscal needs, do something else. You get paid what you think you're worth.

If you actually try to understand what they're saying, it boils down to the notion that they should be able to pursue whatever career they wish, but still gain the same financial standing as people who choose more lucrative careers. For instance, if I decide to be an artist and make sculptures, I should be paid the same amount as a doctor or engineer because we shouldn't have to give up our dreams for money. It's the most asinine thing I've ever heard in my life, and an outgrowth of morons who don't understand the real implications of socialism. Using their logic, there is zero point to do anything other than sit in a basement and play videogames all day because if it's whatever you want to do, you should be paid to do it. Like why am I even bothering busting my ass to get more education and spend countless hours in class, at work, taking care of my kids, etc., when I should just be goofing off and getting paid the same as a neurosurgeon? The end result, of course, is that there will no longer be neurosurgeons, and everyone will just be jacked into the matrix engaging in hedonistic fantasies, which I assume is the goal...easier to control people that way.

Quote from: Brad;1120949If you actually try to understand what they're saying, it boils down to the notion that they should be able to pursue whatever career they wish, but still gain the same financial standing as people who choose more lucrative careers. For instance, if I decide to be an artist and make sculptures, I should be paid the same amount as a doctor or engineer because we shouldn't have to give up our dreams for money. It's the most asinine thing I've ever heard in my life, and an outgrowth of morons who don't understand the real implications of socialism. Using their logic, there is zero point to do anything other than sit in a basement and play videogames all day because if it's whatever you want to do, you should be paid to do it. Like why am I even bothering busting my ass to get more education and spend countless hours in class, at work, taking care of my kids, etc., when I should just be goofing off and getting paid the same as a neurosurgeon? The end result, of course, is that there will no longer be neurosurgeons, and everyone will just be jacked into the matrix engaging in hedonistic fantasies, which I assume is the goal...easier to control people that way.

I have nothing to add other than "Bravo!".

Quote from: Brad;1120949If you actually try to understand what they're saying, it boils down to the notion that they should be able to pursue whatever career they wish, but still gain the same financial standing as people who choose more lucrative careers. For instance, if I decide to be an artist and make sculptures, I should be paid the same amount as a doctor or engineer because we shouldn't have to give up our dreams for money. It's the most asinine thing I've ever heard in my life, and an outgrowth of morons who don't understand the real implications of socialism. Using their logic, there is zero point to do anything other than sit in a basement and play videogames all day because if it's whatever you want to do, you should be paid to do it. Like why am I even bothering busting my ass to get more education and spend countless hours in class, at work, taking care of my kids, etc., when I should just be goofing off and getting paid the same as a neurosurgeon? The end result, of course, is that there will no longer be neurosurgeons, and everyone will just be jacked into the matrix engaging in hedonistic fantasies, which I assume is the goal...easier to control people that way.

Yes. Hedonism is the end goal.

I remember seeing a post from one of them once that literally said "Just because I'm working a "Dream Job" doesn't mean I'm not entitled to a living wage."

RPG's are a niche cottage market.. but honestly right now? This is the best, most open time you can ever get into the industry. Self publishing is easier than ever, and multiple companies have ways you can write for them, design your own products under their rule system, and put it up on Drive thru rpg for Sale.

This is the time where you can write RPG's as a labor of love and get some supplemental income to your day job. But you don't quit your Day Job.

For those of us not on Twitter, is there any screen caps or links to where this is being discussed?