Creative Director
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As a general rule, we try not to do much moderation here; when things started getting pretty ugly and cruel on the 4E boards, we DID have to start moderating, and Lo and Behold Paizo got attacked for the moderation! It's sort of a lose-lose situation. I do love the fact that there are strong supporters of Paizo on these boards, but I can do without the kind of misguided support that makes these boards a hostile place to ANYONE.
So again. I'm begging now. Lay off the attacks on ENworld. Lay off the attacks on 4th edition. That type of grief doesn't help anyone... in fact, it HURTS Paizo.
Seriously, a small part of my brain thought I was being economical by quoting what EN World's title bar says. It answered both the question of who's in charge of EN World and what the site's focus is about. It does come across as pretty patronizing...I apologize.
I apologize in return. I like to think I'm easy going most of the time, but if I get the perception of being patronized (wrong or right) I get angry pretty quickly, and my tone becomes really sharp. Probably unnecessarily so. It's a red flag to a bull for me.
And since Wicht had somewhat covered what EN World's focus was, I wasn't sure where you were coming from and I assumed the worse. My bad, I assumed you were attacking when you were trying to inform. You see, Wicht had already talked me down and gotten me to lay off the critism.
If I had a time machine, I wish I could have just asked for clarification on the intent. There were a lot of replies in this thread that were directed to no one, but seemed to be replying to something said previously. Not quoting anyone, or referring to no one specifically lends the appearance of being non-confrontational, but also opens it up for any poster to think that any comment was directed at them.
Anyway, I regret the misunderstanding. At the request of James Jacobs, I'm going to pass on actually discussing EN World any further.
As the OP, I don't believe my message was about hostility towards ENWorld. What I was expressing is that as a D&D/ENWorld fan for years, the dawn of Pathfinder has reduced my interest in my once-favorite website dramatically--and I wondered if fellow fans felt the same.
So while I've lurked at ENWorld for years, I plan on posting actively there to see if it can be as entertaining and as topical for Pathfinder as it has been for D&D.
That said, if my message read otherwise despite my intentions, then my apologies to James and to my fellow posters for it.
-Peter
As the OP, I don't believe my message was about hostility towards ENWorld. What I was expressing is that as a D&D/ENWorld fan for years, the dawn of Pathfinder has reduced my interest in my once-favorite website dramatically--and I wondered if fellow fans felt the same.
So while I've lurked at ENWorld for years, I plan on posting actively there to see if it can be as entertaining and as topical for Pathfinder as it has been for D&D.
That said, if my message read otherwise despite my intentions, then my apologies to James and to my fellow posters for it.
-Peter
Peter:
I re-read your original post, and it wasn't that hostile...I think I unloaded some mis-directed hostility on you; for that I apologize.
Though I don't find ENWorld to be in any way anti-Pathfinder, I think (as others have said) that is simply more of nod to the roots of the site: previewing the new edition of D&D.
And though some bad choices (imho) by WOTC with respect to the GSL may eventually mean I cease being a Paizo customer entirely, it won't be for want of a quality product. For a long time I was convinced that 4E would eventually bury 3.5, and most holdouts would switch. I am no longer so sure, as the ill-advised GSL might actually bring out the oft-feared fracturing of the D&D fanbase. Something like that is bound to bring up strong feelings on both sides.
In any case, I think my 4E related-posts will stay on ENWorld, my Pathfinder posts will stay here, and I'll make a final decision once I have both 4E and the "completed" beta in hand. And that might simply be the best state of affairs for which we can hope.
As the OP, I don't believe my message was about hostility towards ENWorld. What I was expressing is that as a D&D/ENWorld fan for years, the dawn of Pathfinder has reduced my interest in my once-favorite website dramatically--and I wondered if fellow fans felt the same.
I think what you observe over on ENWorld is the same thing anyone who finds they enjoy a D20 game that's not D&D. I personally like True20, and I realize at ENWorld I'm not going to find the same kinda lovin' as I do on the True20 boards.
The majority of the people on ENWorld play D&D, so they have a great interest right now in the anticipation leading up to 4th edition. Anything else is just noise right now. I think if Pathfinder had launched two years ago when things were starting to wind down for 3.5 the reaction and discussion about Pathfinder would have been a lot more animated over there.
So rejoice that Paizo has a great board where you can find people from all over to talk about the Pathfinder game!
In support of ENWorld, they did give Pathfinder its own place. True20 didn't get that. While the News people there don't scower the web for every new tidbit on a game that is still in Alpha testing, they do post scoops when someone alerts them to it. So if someone wants to turn "Eh"World to a real place for Pathfinder support, the trick is to go there and participate (and not fight).
If you want Pathfinder to be seen as a reminant game, as the "those refusing to upgrade" game, as a game with little to no innovation, then stay here in our own little safe corner. But if you are like me and want Pathfinder to be seen as a new take, a genuine upgrade, as the true successor to 3.x, then be on ENWorld as well as here. Yes, the 4E boards are not friendly. Yes, there are 4Eers that will come onto the Pathfinder boards and bash us (report them). But by refusing to go away and outlasting the small minority that engage in taunting is the only way to seen as a viable community.
If you are like me and believe that in 2 years 4E will have about 1/4 of the fanbase it does now, then those gamers will need an alternative. Pathfinder is a close jump. If there is a serious community on ENWorld that is entheusastic, friendly and helpful, then the game will inherit a significiant portion of those gamers. If not, then they'll go elsewhere (or even leave the hobby).
As a general rule, we try not to do much moderation here; when things started getting pretty ugly and cruel on the 4E boards, we DID have to start moderating, and Lo and Behold Paizo got attacked for the moderation! It's sort of a lose-lose situation. I do love the fact that there are strong supporters of Paizo on these boards, but I can do without the kind of misguided support that makes these boards a hostile place to ANYONE.
So again. I'm begging now. Lay off the attacks on ENworld. Lay off the attacks on 4th edition. That type of grief doesn't help anyone... in fact, it HURTS Paizo.
I couldn't agree any more than I do. All of this edition change stuff has been fracturing enough without additional fuel.
Best.
I don't think it is "attacks", it is more the realization of loosing something that has been a part of our lives for a long time. The EnWorld News page has been my Home Page since they day I found it, but I recently changed it to Paizo because more and more the news there was nothing that intrested me.
As we get closer and closer to 4E release date, I feel both sad and fustrated that the game I love is moving on without me and in a direction I choose no to follow. But with every sneak peek of the new books, I realize more and more it is not a game I want to play. I even cancelled my pre-order for the Player's Handbook, I just saw no reason to waste money on something I will never use and reading it would just make me upset again.
I am glade that Paizo is here with Pathfinder, without you guys, I might have just stopped playing all together.