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I found the "Wheel of Time" series to be so boring I couldn't finish the first book after 4 tries.
"The Hobbit" is also one of the most boring books I've ever read.
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I too lost interest in the WoT series, though for me it was about four books in.
Haven't read The Hobbit but it was a slog to get through Fellowship and I gave up ten pages into Two Towers.
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I've never read any fantasy books other then forgotten realms, i have never read any Sci-Fi books, never read lovecraft, and i hate any tv show or movie by Joss Whedon.
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None of these will get you shunned.
It's actually often a mark of the cooler-than-you RPG-er to shun really popular series works like Tolkein, Jordan, Whedon and Lovecraft.
You can follow it up by talking about your love of Zelazny and Le Guin, maybe name-check a few other Appendix N writers and suggest that Clarke Ashton Smith is better than Lovecraft to really round it all out.
If you really want to be shunned you should try stuff like: "What kind of loser sits around rolling dice and pretending to be an elf or whatever? Losers. Loo-sers."
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None of these will get you shunned.
It's actually often a mark of the cooler-than-you RPG-er to shun really popular series works like Tolkein, Jordan, Whedon and Lovecraft.
Really. The Tolkien hate is especially cliche at this point. So you couldn't handle big words or pretty phrases. Wow. You're a real man and it's broken my will to live. Whatever.
On the other hand, I couldn't stand Firefly. I couldn't make it through the third episode. But I love The Avengers. So, it evens out I guess.
None of these will get you shunned.
It's actually often a mark of the cooler-than-you RPG-er to shun really popular series works like Tolkein, Jordan, Whedon and Lovecraft.
You can follow it up by talking about your love of Zelazny and Le Guin, maybe name-check a few other Appendix N writers and suggest that Clarke Ashton Smith is better than Lovecraft to really round it all out.
If you really want to be shunned you should try stuff like: "What kind of loser sits around rolling dice and pretending to be an elf or whatever? Losers. Loo-sers."
it will with my family:) i myself am proud my only knowledge of lovecraft is from Pathfinder:) and i do love the lord of the rings and hobbit movies:)
I hate running or playing Sci-Fi tabletop games besides Star Wars. I try to run/play them, I really do, but I just can't get into them.
I'm hoping that I have better luck with Shadowrun.
I have never played a paladin or cleric in 13 years of gaming.
I am a filthy optimizer. Once made a character so broken, he was ascended to godhood just so I could never play him again (in that setting, Heh Heh)
I like monks and think they're wonderful characters to play.
I love superheros, but I can't read comic books. Not enough substance.
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Confession: I don't like costumes heroes like batman or superman.
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I'll reiterate the same ones I used in the other "shunned" thread.
I hunt, fish and love to play sports. I've ridden horses miles and miles across the country. I know the words and love to sing songs by Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and the REAL Hank Williams, not to mention Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
Man, I love me some Flatt and Scruggs....
And as I'm typing this, I'm watching my second football game of the day.
i also love football and monty python:)
I'll reiterate the same ones I used in the other "shunned" thread.
I hunt, fish and love to play sports. I've ridden horses miles and miles across the country. I know the words and love to sing songs by Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and the REAL Hank Williams, not to mention Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.
Man, I love me some Flatt and Scruggs....
And as I'm typing this, I'm watching my second football game of the day.
Why would this get you shunned exactly?
Even though I'd rather watch paint dry than go fishing, and I can't stand Hank Williams (Sr OR Jr) it's not like any of those things take away your nerd card in this day and age.
No, it's NOT liking things that gets people all het up.
For example: I don't like Battlestar Galactica. At all. Either version. I could never understand why it was so popular while it was on. Never liked Lost either.
I'm finding more and more often that I'd rather play rpg's with women. both under and over age.
I'm finding more and more often that I'd rather play rpg's with women. both under and over age.
I'm confused, are you supposed to not want to play with women?
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I shower every day.
I'm finding more and more often that I'd rather play rpg's with women. both under and over age.I'm confused, are you supposed to not want to play with women?
I believe he is speaking of playing with women to the exclusion of any male player.
I like the Lord of the Rings movies, but couldn't stand to read the books. I did read the Hobbit, which wasn't bad. I also enjoyed the Hobbit movie.
I actually LIKED the 3 Transformers movies, though could have done without Megan Fox, or the british girl from #3. I also like Shia LeBouf as an actor.
I hate science fiction books, and refuse to play in a sci-fi rpg. I am just not a fan of futuristic crap, nor with guns.
I don't get the hub-bub about Doctor Who. I tried watching it, and thought "What's the deal with the fanboy/girl-isms towards this?".
I don't like Wolverine or other characters similar to him. My preferred type of hero is more akin to Captain America. And they never should have turned Venom into a good guy.
I think Marvel is better than DC. Doesn't mean I hate DC, just that I think Marvel is much better.
No, it's NOT liking things that gets people all het up.For example: I don't like Battlestar Galactica. At all. Either version. I could never understand why it was so popular while it was on. Never liked Lost either.
An interesting assertion Rynjin. As usual your analysis is worth considering.
Let's see.... I like Monty Python, so that's not going to work....
What DON'T I like that might trigger shunning....
I like Firefly.
I am sorta 'meh' about Star Trek and Star Wars. I enjoyed the original Star Wars movies, but felt the story was derivative and predictable. But it was fun. The "prequel" trilogy I found almost silly, but I suspect that is also a common attitude among gamers...
I never watched a full episode of either version of Battlestar Galactica, but that's because I just don't watch that much TV anyway. I might have gotten into it if I ever watched one.
Hmm... tough to find something that I actually actively didn't like.
Wait! I have it!
I didn't like several of the 3.5 splat books, especially the Book of Exalted Deeds and the Book of Vile Darkness, and I banned both of them at my table.
There, that oughtta do it.
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The only reason I tolerate Lovecraft is that he was a friend of Robert E Howard.
You monster!
Umm...another one for me, since you mentioned it: I actually enjoyed the Star Wars prequels. I thought they were very fun movies, good action, solid acting (in most places), and good effects.
Plot-wise it may have fell short, but I'm of the opinion that Star Wars wasn't exactly a high complexity/elevated/whatever you wanna call it plot either.
So I guess there ARE some things that liking it will get you shunned by some people (universally disliked things and things not "in your age bracket", for instance, if the Brony backlash is any indicator).
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I don't understand why Lovecraft or ay horror writer is worth my time.
I couldn't stand A Games of Thrones, the book, and I quit about halfway through. George R.R. Martin is a dirty old man. Yes, I am a bit prudish but sex can happen off-page, thanks.
I've read the entire Wheel of Time series, and I really like Brandon Sanderson's efforts in concluding it. (This may be the prevailing opinion, but I don't know).
I read the Silmarillion, and I liked it, but I don't lord it over others as the pinnacle of intellectual fantasy writing (As some elitist gamers do).
i ahve never seen battlestar galactica and HATE doctor who!, i mean i really hate doctor who, in fact other then monty python i hate all british tv shows. also i think Family Guy did a better job with Star Wars then george lucas:)
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Thaco was both better, simpler and made more sense.
Do I win?
Bonus round... I like playing wizards who neither nuke nor buff.
Super extra bonus round:
When it's my caster's turn in initiative my most common (like 75% of the time at least) response is 'I think we're good...'
I couldn't stand A Games of Thrones, the book, and I quit about halfway through. George R.R. Martin is a dirty old man. Yes, I am a bit prudish but sex can happen off-page, thanks.
This is probably one of the main reasons I'll never pick the series up. That and the grimdark nature of the whole thing with the constant killing-off of the cast.
I couldn't stand A Games of Thrones, the book, and I quit about halfway through. George R.R. Martin is a dirty old man. Yes, I am a bit prudish but sex can happen off-page, thanks.This is probably one of the main reasons I'll never pick the series up. That and the grimdark nature of the whole thing with the constant killing-off of the cast.
I expected myself to drop it for the same reasons, but I actually ended up liking it in the end.
Then again, I don't consider it "THE BEST BOOK EVERZ!!" which might as well be heresy for some.
And to be honest, there are other ways to raise the stakes and get some tension in a story than just killing.
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I think people whining about people dying in a Song of Ice and Fire exaggerate. Seriously. They raise their hackles about
To also contribute to my general shunnedness:
I find Tomb of Horrors cheesy, shaky, of poor design, and with few redeeming qualities.
I've only read the first book so far, but I've been told (and spoilered) that a lot of characters die.
So either you're reading up on a different series, or then you're just being dishonest with us.
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I think that Tolkien has no sense of narrative rhythm. The Silmarillion made me want to claw my eyes out.
I love Lovecraft, but he wrote exactly one story about 200 times.
I couldn't finish book 1 of either Wheel of Time or Song of Ice and Fire.
Though I love it, there are parts of Star Wars (yes, IV, V, and VI) that are objectively bad.
But those were just the warm ups:
I read through two Twilight books because my love of werewolves overcame my hatred of Stephanie Meyer's writing...to a point.
I love bards.
I will take actions that make narrative sense, even if it results in a TPK.
I always take dancing lights. Always.
None of these will get you shunned.
It's actually often a mark of the cooler-than-you RPG-er to shun really popular series works like Tolkein, Jordan, Whedon and Lovecraft.
You can follow it up by talking about your love of Zelazny and Le Guin, maybe name-check a few other Appendix N writers and suggest that Clarke Ashton Smith is better than Lovecraft to really round it all out.
If you really want to be shunned you should try stuff like: "What kind of loser sits around rolling dice and pretending to be an elf or whatever? Losers. Loo-sers."
...so mocking Tolkien and Lovecraft is fine, but I should be shunned for liking Le Guin's works?
That just sounds backhanded. I actually like Tolkien and Le Guin, but I find Lovecraft just a tad overrated.
As for Martin, I've only read one of his books and it was good. Not perfect, but good. I am reading a Terry Pratchett book now.
I've only read the first book so far, but I've been told (and spoilered) that a lot of characters die.
So either you're reading up on a different series, or then you're just being dishonest with us.
I have read quite a bit further, and no, I am not being dishonest with you. Sure, lots of people die, but when you're discussing major characters, it's not the same thing. Okay, maybe I was a bit off.
I think that Tolkien has no sense of narrative rhythm. The Silmarillion made me want to claw my eyes out.
The Silmarillion wasn't originally meant to be released in its current form. It was edited and released posthumously by Tolkien's son. I'm assuming that if Tolkien had published it himself that it would have ended up better.
Hmmm, as for the topic at hand... I never actually went out of my way to read the Silmarillion because I wasn't interested in something that wouldn't be completely finished even though I liked Tolkien's other books. Will that get me shunned by anyone? :D
When it's my caster's turn in initiative my most common (like 75% of the time at least) response is 'I think we're good...'
So its your turn and you do nothing? Yeah, I totally hate those guys. They're the ones who just came to steal my snacks and beer. SHUN!
No but really, I have a ton of horror stories about just that thing.
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I couldn't stand A Games of Thrones, the book, and I quit about halfway through. George R.R. Martin is a dirty old man. Yes, I am a bit prudish but sex can happen off-page, thanks.This is probably one of the main reasons I'll never pick the series up. That and the grimdark nature of the whole thing with the constant killing-off of the cast.
He's not killing off the main cast. It's just that, unlike most fiction, he didn't have a huge blinking neon arrow pointed at certain characters that had "MAIN CAST" written in 30 foot tall letters.
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Don't know if any of these will get me shunned or not, but meh...
I've read the entire WoT series. I felt Sanderson did an excellent job of picking it up, of resolving several plot lines, and ending the series. I also felt highly unfulfilled by his ending of the series. Now I've heard that Jordan had it mostly ended himself, don't know if this is true. But I've read Mistborn, and I got the same feeling. A great ride through the story but the ending leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.
I've read the first two books of GRRM, and half the third. I hate his writing, I dislike his world, and I don't feel any of his characters. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think he's a bad writer, I just personally don't like it. To me, it feels like the fantasy version of Maurrey, trying to entertain by shock value moreso than story. Also I definitely prefer a more heroic fantasy over his darker fantasy.
I've read the Hobbit, but never managed to make it past the Two Towers. Everytime I've tried, I always get stuck around that point, the story feels so slow and I just can't bring myself to finish it.
I've never read Lovecraft. Just never taken the time to do so.
I despise Firefly, and it has nothing to do with the show. I've got two friend who declared it was the best thing ever so many times I now hate it because of that fact. Probably not the best reason, but if you met these two you'd understand why.
I don't read comic books (usually), but lover superhero shows/movies.
I like country music (old and new both, oddly enough, though most new country is really more pop).
I like anime and sometimes want to insert elements into my games. This is of course in addition to other forms of media. Also giant swords are awesome!
I really don't like level based systems, much preferring point based systems. Despite this, I enjoy 4e and Pathfinder. The 4e Swordmage is my favorite class.
I like Star Trek and Star Wars both. I've always felt Star Wars should be classified as Fantasy, not Sci-Fi.
I like Boob Plate armor and not for it's combat effectiveness.
I don't drink alcohol and have a low tolerance for those that do. Particularly those who choose to drink to excess or get together not to game but to drink. There are many (probably most) that can do both without issue, but often it only takes one person to derail things.
The new BSG was a pretty good show, but the only reason I finished watching the series was because of the board game, which I consider one of the best board games ever made.
I have issues playing modern settings or anything based on historical events. Things feel too 'real' to me. I don't play RPGs to play real life, I play for the fantastic. Superheroes I can usually do with little issue. Stargate was okay, but still too grounded in reality for me. Pirates are another example where my opinion differs based on setting. As long as there's something fantastic involved, I'm usually cool. But most stories, while they may possess a bit of the fantastic here and there, are too grounded for me to enjoy. Deadlands on the other hand, even with it's strangeness, has always been a setting I avoid.
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When it's my caster's turn in initiative my most common (like 75% of the time at least) response is 'I think we're good...'So its your turn and you do nothing? Yeah, I totally hate those guys. They're the ones who just came to steal my snacks and beer. SHUN!
No but really, I have a ton of horror stories about just that thing.
It's better than wizurds that blow their wad on the first encounter and then insist that the party stop because they're sleepy.
I don't drink alcohol and have a low tolerance for those that do.
I'm with you here, and were I hosting a live game I wouldn't allow it in my home nor partake if I was at someone else's (and probably would have a low tolerance for being around other people drinking - I loathe the smell of alcohol of any sort). I got lamblasted for a page and a half by a guy who insisted you had to allow alcohol at a game to have fun, and that the only way to get over my dislike of it was to drink myself and see how fun it is.
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None of these will get you shunned.
It's actually often a mark of the cooler-than-you RPG-er to shun really popular series works like Tolkein, Jordan, Whedon and Lovecraft.
You can follow it up by talking about your love of Zelazny and Le Guin, maybe name-check a few other Appendix N writers and suggest that Clarke Ashton Smith is better than Lovecraft to really round it all out.
If you really want to be shunned you should try stuff like: "What kind of loser sits around rolling dice and pretending to be an elf or whatever? Losers. Loo-sers."
...so mocking Tolkien and Lovecraft is fine, but I should be shunned for liking Le Guin's works?
That just sounds backhanded...
Not what I wrote: not what I meant.
I actually think all boorish negatively should be discouraged and anyone who chooses to define/describe themselves by what they dislike is a sorry, sorry soul.
And I love Le Guin's fantasy writing. It's great!
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I hate Star Wars. The Empire Strikes Back was okay-but just okay. Every other movie in that series was a chore. The originals were just as stupid and goofy as the prequels-which while I didn't like those either, were to me of a very similar quality to Episodes 4-6. And the fan base makes me sick. Say what you will about Trekkies, at least as much as they hated Wesley Crusher they didn't drive Wil Wheaton into hiding by sending him an avalanche of death threats. (Though I am sure there were a few at least.)
I think there is such a thing as WrongBadFun, and no I am not going to say when, but there's one particular reason people will do/not do something in their games that I find to be completely unacceptable and we'd all be better off if they stopped.
LotR was a much better movie than book. The movies dragged at some points, but the books were meandering snooze fests. And Tom Bombadil is the worst character and dropping him from the movie was the best thing Peter Jackson did since Dead Alive.
On that note, I can think of 5 pieces of media off the top of my head where the movie was far superior to the book. I know that's blasphemy among nerds, but sometimes a mediocre book makes an awesome movie.
I hate when shy, bookish nerds are the main character because there's always included within this air of self-congratulations. "Ooh look how much smarter we are than everyone else. The muggles will never see it coming, but we're special!" (One reason in particular that I hated Orson Scott Card even before he revealed what a repugnant old codger he is. That sort of intellectual narcissism was all over the Ender series and his Iron Man comics.) I don't think the masses are as stupid as so many educated people I know think and I am so weary of the constant stream of media that insists on reiterating that idea.
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I don't drink alcohol and have a low tolerance for those that do.I'm with you here, and were I hosting a live game I wouldn't allow it in my home nor partake if I was at someone else's (and probably would have a low tolerance for being around other people drinking - I loathe the smell of alcohol of any sort). I got lamblasted for a page and a half by a guy who insisted you had to allow alcohol at a game to have fun, and that the only way to get over my dislike of it was to drink myself and see how fun it is.
Yea, I don't get that opinion at all. While I've mostly gamed with my core group of friends since around '95, I've also gamed with numerous other groups from different lifestyles. Each group is different, and I've gamed with those who prefer gaming while drinking and those who don't.
I'm fine with those who drink a couple beers during a several hour session. It's generally not disruptive behavior. But I have at least one friend who will drink 6 beers in the first hour, and will have brought something harder for later. When things change from drinking while gaming to gaming while drinking, that's when I leave early.
I have never played a paladin or cleric in 13 years of gaming.
I am a filthy optimizer. ...
Those two statements stand in direct competition.
CoDzilla is the optimiser class of choice, isn't it? And Pally-Wallys are the martial choice for optimiser players.
If your optimizing you could pick any class really. If you really want to split hairs there isn't a martial class to pick from because the game is boring as a martial and favors bending reality.(though I'd pick a barbarian or archer if I had to pick a purely martial class).
I don't think its healthy to split hairs and pick at peoples post if they're all about opinions...
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One reason in particular that I hated Orson Scott Card even before he revealed what a repugnant old codger he is. That sort of intellectual narcissism was all over the Ender series and his Iron Man comics.
I couldn't tell you anything about his run on Iron Man, I didn't even know he had written for it, but I can't imagine that he turned Tony Stark into a "shy, bookish nerd". Stark may be a genius, but he's a genius who like to party.
I think that Tolkien has no sense of narrative rhythm. The Silmarillion made me want to claw my eyes out.The Silmarillion wasn't originally meant to be released in its current form. It was edited and released posthumously by Tolkien's son. I'm assuming that if Tolkien had published it himself that it would have ended up better.
As far as I know, Tolkien only reluctantly even attempted to turn the Silmarillion into any sort of narrative. It was originally a sort of combination of middle-earth encyclopedia and myth/legend resource. Tolkien originally started the entire LotR effort as a linguistic exercise to see if he could create entirely new languages. As he was doing this, he was also raising kids and he started merging his linguistic exercise with his desire to tell his kids bedtime stories. That's basically how "The Hobbit" was born.
After his publishers harassed him for months about writing a sequel to "The Hobbit" he finally, and somewhat reluctantly, agreed to do so, but, as he says in the original book's jacket notes, "the story grew in the telling" and he realized that he had an opportunity to do something really special as an adult morality tale. So he did. His publisher was not pleased, and not only because the writing took years longer than they had originally expected to get "The Hobbit II".
All during writing "The Hobbit" and while writing "LotR" Tolkien worked exhaustively on what is now called "world-building." He created calendars, maps, genealogies and other boring content. He wrote a lot of poetry to exercise his new languages, and spent a lot of time translating from one language to another and back again. Eventually he had volumes of notes that constituted the backstory, history and mythology of middle-earth.
That's what Christopher Tolkien finally took and turned into "The Silmarillion" because, AGAIN, his publishers hounded both Tolkiens to create a sequel to "Lord of the Rings."
It is doubtful Tolkien ever would have created a narrative version of "The Silmarillion," even if he were as long-lived as his elves. That was never the point of the exercise to him, and he was mostly content with the legacy of his two great works.