For the first time in almost six months, I went back to the WotC forums, to see what reactions to the 4th edition release were happening over there, and just to browse around like I used to back in the days of yesteryear.
And now I'm back. It's so freaking terrible over there, a black hole of juvenile whining, petty bickering, and just a good helping of mental failure, punctuated only by a few trailing points of sanity and manners that I recognize as fellow travelers from here.
Paizo is a paradise of a forum in comparison. Never forget that. Just wanted to say thanks to all the Paizonians for making this forum a place I check in eager anticipation, rather than numbed dread. A place where I can read posts for hours if time permits, rather than having to close my browser in disgust after minutes.
This is no joke post, and I couldn't really think of anywhere to put it besides here due to my origional reason for looking over there.
Thank you all for making Paizo's forums what they are. I, and I imagine a lot of others, appreciate having a community like this so much that it's truly hard to put into words.
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And now I'm back. It's so freaking terrible over there, a black hole of juvenile whining, petty bickering, and just a good helping of mental failure, punctuated only by a few trailing points of sanity and manners that I recognize as fellow travelers from here.
I completely agree with you BB. My friend occasionally directs me to a post over there and it leaves me enraged all night! I told him last time he has to stay off those boards for MY health and well being ;0)
I agree, this is the only forum I ever contribute too. I dont post much but I feel part of the comunity and always get a civil response. Long may it continue!
Elcian
*sniffles*
I love you man! :D
You're not getting my Bud Light Lilith.
You're not getting my Bud Light Lilith.
Wouldn't want it anyway...:P However, that fine and dandy burger you were munching on...
I'm gonna throw a blanket stereotype for everyone to see:
I don't post on the WotC forum because a majority of the posters are disillusioned power gamers whom believe the core books are LAW (as opposed to RAW).
Paizo brethren, in my opinion, are open minded and far more creative. It just seems like higher quality communication.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! WHoooOOoOOOoOoOoooOOO-*cough* *sputter*.
A friend of mine goes on those forums just to mess with the power gamers' heads.
...and I come here to mess with all of yours'.
You're not getting my Bud Light Lilith.Wouldn't want it anyway...:P However, that fine and dandy burger you were munching on...
Damn, and here I thought I might actually be able to get rid of this so-called beer. :P
Let's all hold hands, sing coombayah together, and feel blessed that we aren't on the WotC boards.Louder Sebastian. I can't hear you.
We attorneys are not allowed to sing kumbayah. It's something that happens in law school, near the end of our First Year. That's all I can say or else we'll have to kill you.
Now...That being said, I agree completely with the sentiment. I loathe going to the WotC forums, but feel so at home here, surrounded by <sniff> almost-family.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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I may just have to adopt the practice of not posting on the wizards forums just so I don't assault a random stranger after reading 4E posts. Six years of posting there and I'm starting to hate it.
On the contrary I love everything here (just wish it was busier).
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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We attorneys are not allowed to sing kumbayah. It's something that happens in law school, near the end of our First Year. That's all I can say or else we'll have to kill you.
Now...That being said, I agree completely with the sentiment. I loathe going to the WotC forums, but feel so at home here, surrounded by <sniff> almost-family.
I was going to try and fake like I still had feelings, as if law school hadn't torn them out of me years ago.
[]Abort attempt at human emotion[/]
The purely logical choice is to avoid the WotC forums.
Non-denominational Amen.
The people on these boards are like a second, geekier family.
The people on the WotC boards on the other hand are munchkin trolls who make me want to kill someone. I created an account there and visited the threads once and have no intention of going back.
Well said! There is only one other BB that is as civil as this one. That is UtterAccess.com (Access as in Microsoft).
I think the reason is that there aren't signatures here. Hooray for no Sigs!
These are my favorite boards, period, and it's because of the civility and general coolness of you all.
Well, I've been lurking many gaming bb's for a while, and Paizo's the one that I decided to become active on.
The reasons are pretty simple: some of the most cordial, well educated individuals post here, there's little to no flaming, and the discussions are insightful and educational.
That and they have nifty avatar pics.
There is that.
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It just seems like higher quality communication.STFU n00b. u r t3h lame0rz. lol
Sorry... it had to be done. ;)
Shouldn't it be STFU n00b u r t3h l4m30rz. F34r m3 rotflmao.
Sorry I had to....
As everyone else has said I love this place. It is the first forum I have used in a while, and I chose it due to the almost complete lack of flame wars, and the insightful comments most people post here. Thank you all for making these forums a daily must-visit site for me.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE MORONS
Hippys ? One would think that those who sniff granola and huggle trees would avoid electronic media like the bubonic plague ...
I do agree with the OP's sentiments however.
I almost started this thread myself.
I haven't even visited the WotC site since I found this haven about a month and a half ago. After posting over there a few times I realized that the majority of the people on those boards are like pirhannas, just waiting for a drop of blood so they can tear into each other as viciously and insultingly as possible. By contrast, the people here are more like... people.
I read a post here about a guy who was injured on the job and received a card signed by numerous Paizo staff members. WOW! After that, I was a true Paizo fan. I went to my FLGS and told the owner about some of the cool stuff going on at Paizo and suggested he start carrying the Pathfinder and Gamemastery books. He just smiled and told me that Erik Mona helped him get his first writing gig in the industry. He also said UPS would be delivering a Paizo shipment the next day (they did, and I bought a copy of Burnt Offerings and a Critical Hit Deck).
I will probably end up buying the 4E core books, but the rest of my gaming purchases will have the Paizo label on them.
Thanks guys.
I actually never bothered with message boards until I discovered this place. All in all, I like this board and the community it represents. Paizo kicks ass!
Same for me....
I really have the impression of talking with fellow gamers here. Even though I've been playing D&D for like twenty-five years, I still learn new stuff everyday from you guys.
Keep on rolling (dice, that is...)!
Ultradan
Where else will I find the support and commiseration I need to deal with the disembodied voices of all those accusing Marshmellow Peeps? WoTC? Don't make me laugh.
Seriously, though, don't. If I laugh, they'll know where I am.
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I actually never bothered with message boards until I discovered this place. All in all, I like this board and the community it represents. Paizo kicks ass!Same for me....
I really have the impression of talking with fellow gamers here. Even though I've been playing D&D for like twenty-five years, I still learn new stuff everyday from you guys.
Keep on rolling (dice, that is...)!
Ultradan
Me too! I cut my teeth on Paizo boards then tried to ask a few questions over at WOTC boards only to be ripped a new one. I know not to stray now.
We tend to share and develop ideas in a more constructive manner here and not try to force-feed our opinions on each other. Generally, I see it as an across-the-board respect (no pun intended) for fellow gamers and their opinions. We also tend to protect each other from the occasional troll attacks that the board gets and all respond with flaming posts to burn the vile monster. We wants our boards to stay this way, it looks like.Love ya'll also! I wish we could all live in the same town and walk by each other everyday with hearty greetings of "Morning, Ultradan! How was the ambush last night? Heard ol' Zombie talking about it down at the Gas-N-Go. Said them grimlocks gave you hell!"
What a great world it would be....
FH
Some of the comments in the 4th edition section have been a bit mean spirited but I guess that's to be expected . . . this is a divisive issue for most gamers. But on the whole, even on such a sensitive subject, the people at Paizo seem to treat others like human beings. It’s very refreshing . . . and it’s something special and unique on the web as a whole.
I hope everyone here realizes that it’s our duty to protect and nurture this wonderful atmosphere.
I'd hardly say mean spirited- it seems perfectly in proportion with how we've been jerked around.
And yes, these boards are light years away from WotC boards- which are horrid <shudder>I don't tend to like messageboards, but you guys have shown what can happen when everyone acts like decent grownups. Pat yerselves on the back.
Love is futile. All will be assimilated.
I wish we could all live in the same town and walk by each other everyday with hearty greetings of "Morning, Ultradan! How was the ambush last night? Heard ol' Zombie talking about it down at the Gas-N-Go. Said them grimlocks gave you hell!"
What a great world it would be....
FH
Get that gamer's retirement/vacation community set up, Fakey. We'll be havin' pints and grub down at the Inn of the Broken Moon, talking shop about DMing techniques. :D
All is love. Resistance is futile.
Fixed it for ya. ;)
Paizo is awesome. :)
ENWorld is awesome. :)
Many others, not so awesome. :(
-The Gneech
Yes, I feel extremely lucky to be able to tag along, riding the coattails of the greater gaming minds assembled here. Cheers to you all.
I like these boards too, for many reasons.
(1) They are well-organized; I rarely have to search too long to find the topic in which I am interested. I was always amazed at the sheer bulk of posts onteh WotC boards and the continued failure to institute a search feature.
(2) These boards are informational. There are critiques of products, and many of them are well-reasoned and neutral. Reading "Product X rawks" or Product X sucks" is not helpful, and there seems to be far too much of that elsewhere.
(3) Aesthetically, these pages suit my eyes. The colors schemes are not annoying or cluttered.
(4) Paizo projects a sphere of interest in their customers. Besides the high-quality products, they seem very interested in feedback and working to incorporate consumer interest into their products. Perhaps that is one major reason I have consistently purchased Paizo products (mainly Dungeon, a subscriber since Issue 9, and Dragon, where I subscribed for the first time under Paizo's authorship). By contrast, I have purchased exactly one 3.5 book from WotC.
(5) There is a distinct sense of community here. I have never been one to post overmuch, but I find I am generally predisposed to like or respect most posters here.
So kudos to Paizo. Your products are among the strongest in the hobby, and now the first place I look for DnD material. Thanks for helping make my hobby fun.
I have to say I love this board too, tough I've been here only
for a short time.
*feels like sitting 'round the campfire indeed*
Will one or more of you enlighten me and those of us who don't bother to read the WoTC message boards what exactly you have observed. Are the posters there complete sychophants who are passionately in love with 4th edition, or are they for the most part against it, to the point of being irritating? I have just gotten an account with D&D insider (mainly so I can get the 3.5 version of Tsojcanth due out in October) and I haven't read the boards... So help a fellow Killer GM out will ya...
Will one or more of you enlighten me and those of us who don't bother to read the WoTC message boards what exactly you have observed. Are the posters there complete sychophants who are passionately in love with 4th edition, or are they for the most part against it, to the point of being irritating? I have just gotten an account with D&D insider (mainly so I can get the 3.5 version of Tsojcanth due out in October) and I haven't read the boards... So help a fellow Killer GM out will ya...
I haven't been on the WotC messageboards, but from what I've read on the subject here, it sounds like there's a lot of 'rules lawyers' just waiting to tell you that you're wrong about anything you post, and will continue to argue about it even after you tell them they're right.
Loads of fun...
Ultradan
I haven't been on the WotC messageboards, but from what I've read on the subject here, it sounds like there's a lot of 'rules lawyers' just waiting to tell you that you're wrong about anything you post, and will continue to argue about it even after you tell them they're right.
That pretty much sums it up.
I haven't visited the WoTC boards for years, but I blame them for the belief that there needs to be a 4th Edition, and that Grappling is clunky, etc...
In short, everything there is an argument. You can't have a discussion, since a discussion can actually have more than one person as "right."
Bad memories. Bad memories.
I remember being told that a weapon can't have Flaming and Frost on it, because it "didn't make sense," and any DM who allowed it was an idiot.
Really open minded there...
I'm with all the positives posted here too. I've said it in Dungeon and I'll say it here again: Paizo has an openness to criticism, a love of creativity, a respect for its readers and a maturity in its readership. I have never been part of a message board before this one, and I am so happy to have found such a confluence of creativity, collaboration and respect. And I'm not just talking about the Paizo staff!
Cheers to you all!