Quote from: aspiringlich;862771Here's his perspective on 3.5:
Looking at D&D v. 3.5

He sounds fairly reasonable there, to me... but I'm not a rabid D&D fanboy.

Quote from: Christopher Brady;862767I don't like his attitude.  He comes off as a holier-than-thou elitist gamer, and those drive me nuts.

He's put out OK stuff, but he's nowhere the legend he is in his own mind.

From my perspective, we on the internet, most of whom barely know anything about an individual, should probably steer clear of proscribing onto that person what they think of themselves.

But it really doesn't matter. The hate isn't about him personally, his positions on anything, or even the quality of his individual work. He is hated because he was manning the design helm at the time when the current D&D-edition-to-hate was being produced. Even though there's no consensus on which editions of A/D&D are any good, if you go on the internet, you are sure to hear plenty of people who seem to have a strangely strong need to tell you just how horrible 3rd edition was. To these people Cooke may as well drop off the face of the earth.

Zeb Cook has this issue in many circles to, as he helmed the "disastrous, awful, unbalanced, etc." second edition. But of course, what it's really about is that Lorraine Williams canned EGG, and Cook stayed with the company (why Mentzer isn't painted with this brush, I'll never know), and that wound will never heal.

So who is Cooke? Is he worthy of lauding or hating? It doesn't matter, because the hate isn't about that.

Correction, I don't hate the man.  Nor do I hate the product.  I hate his attitude.  And I find certain things he does annoying, like having to brand everything he released (until recently, Numenera and The Strange being the ones I remember) with "Monte Cook Presents", as if they actual creators of their stuff wouldn't sell otherwise.

His discomfort to work with Mike Mearls, because he at one time had been Mr. Meals 'boss'.  His reasoning for not liking 3.5 (and his complete lack of understanding of how CCGs work.)

These things bother me.  As a person, I think he's a cool guy and he's done some decent things for D&D.  And the reason I dislike 3.x is due to being burnt out on it, not because of anything any one developer did to the system.

1) Published, successful game professional.

2) Gets to have sex with an actual real pretty human girl.

The two greatest sins in the Drama Club's infernal hierarchy of Problematic.

Quote from: One Horse Town;862759Its largely identity politics, like everything on the fucking net these days. His other half has the nerve to be a sex-positive feminist 'erotic' writer and therefore a witch-skank to the usual suspects.

"Liberals" today slut-shame as much as conservatives ever did, if not more. It's sick and neurotic and weird and makes me almost embarrassed to be in the same camp as them on many social issues.

I think it has more to do with his opinion of 4.0, which TBP loves, and any negative statement about it, even mild, makes you a heretic.

Getting off the couch to do anything is guaranteed to piss off half the Internet these days. Doctor? Shill for Big Pharma. Lawyer? Soulless parasite. Engineer? Will never kiss a girl. Artist? A burden on the rest of society. RPG writer? Worse than Hitler.

Monte's one of the good guys, I reckon. Back in my d20 days, I was a big fan of his old Arcana Unearthed/Evolved (still love the setting). Missed out on Ptolus. Numenera and The Strange both have great "high concepts" but workmanlike execution, requiring a bit of work to truly shine — a bit like Palladium material, in a way.

I chatted with him at a couple of Paizocons a few years back. He and his then-wife seemed like nice, normal people.

Quote from: Lynn;862792I chatted with him at a couple of Paizocons a few years back. He and his then-wife seemed like nice, normal people.

Well, that's a reason to hate them right there.  

Quote from: One Horse Town;862759His other half has the nerve to be a sex-positive feminist 'erotic' writer and therefore a witch-skank...

In this issue: "I Married a Warhammer Hero!"

Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;862788"Liberals" today slut-shame as much as conservatives ever did, if not more. It's sick and neurotic and weird and makes me almost embarrassed to be in the same camp as them on many social issues.

Well then that's who the 'usual suspects' are. There's plenty enough unhealthy attitudes towards both women and other people's attitudes towards women to go around.

Because he's living the fucking dream, that's why.

Quote from: Lynn;862792I chatted with him at a couple of Paizocons a few years back. He and his then-wife seemed like nice, normal people.

Marriage seems to have mellowed him in person. Not quite as much online. Before that he could and would come across as a little condescending or elitist. Would not surprise me if that old habit creeps through even now on occasion.

Once he gets rolling though hes overall fine. And some of his setting stuff is pretty neet.

As for why he gets flack. Edition fanatics seem to have it in for him. That and he has before caved under SJW pressure which may make him a recurring target. Sooner or later they will go after him again no matter what he does. The whole Strange blowup was pure fabrication on the outrage brigades part.

I met Monty a few times at GenCon. He's a nice guy. A bit reserved, introverted like many of us. Regular gamer.

Never did get a holier than thou gamer attitude vibe from him, and I can tell he really likes playing RPG games. All kinds...

He played D&D alot, and liked it, and rewrote a good chunk of it for 3e.

Then he formed his own game company and made is own RPG with sophisticated mechanics and a very detailed background, Numenera, and he's making a decent living with that now. It's a solid game system. Kudos to him for his hard work.

I've seen him at the end of conventions as well. Monday morning. Takes a lot out of him. He looks wiped out. sometimes tired too.  He takes a bit of time off, ...and then comes back renewed with tons of new ideas. And always an interesting new game or supplement, or a new twist on an old one.

I think I'd like playing in one of his games, and I don't mind GMing games he has designed like Numenera, and 3e D&D. They seem like natural extensions, and a solid rpg in each case. My players have fun trying out new ideas in gaming worlds he has designed, using mechanics he designed as well. We have fun, and that's what counts.

Not sure what everyone else on the Internet has their knickers all twisted up about, but twisted they are, and whatever they are doing their balls are being squeezed so hard they are turning blue, and they are crying all over these other forums...

Monte is welcome here, and at my gaming table anytime. He also helped save D&D you know, I won't ever forget that.

Quote from: GameDaddy;862812I can tell he really likes playing RPG games. All kinds...

That was the impression I got too.