Dude, REALLY?

I've been mentioning the whiners and crybabies out there and suggesting that they rethink things and realize nobody is out to ruin their fun. Well, as expected people don't listen, preferring instead to try and convince others in the stupidest and nastiest of ways that if the other person likes something the commenter dislikes then they suck.

Normally I try to avoid pointing (with exceptions) directly to these things and focusing instead on counter commentary, with the idea that it is better to discuss ideas than to ridicule people. Today, I take a different tack.

I received an email from a good friend of mine pointing out how negative people are getting about both grognards and 5e lately. Here's the text of emails from my friend about the issues I'll point to and ridicule:

Apparently there was a twitter firestorm accusing D&D Next of trying to pander to the OSR by the inclusion of electrum pieces and 10 foot poles in the equipment list. The chief "twit" told people to play Pathfinder instead (which someone pointed out also included electrum pieces and 10 foot poles.)

Why are so many gamers assholes?

I then pointed him to a rant on Tenkars Tavern that just had me shaking my head at the abject stupidity with which bile was vomited forth by a commenter. My friend then summed up a bunch of my thoughts in a polite fashion compared to what was running through my thoughts after reading Biting Halfling's ridiculous rant.

I generally read and enjoy Tenkar's Tavern, but early into his D&D Next / Mike Mearls rant fest I stopped reading those posts. His point of view is clear (he is never going to like any "new" version of D&D), but his comments showed again and again that he would willfully ignore any reference to late 3e and 4e and pretend that Mearls was making stuff up instead of reacting to some players real concerns and experiences.

It is obvious that Biting Halfling has a similar axe to grind. That the D&D Next playtest had 4 innovations (his words not mine) should be a cause of celebration, , not censure. How many innovations do most games have in final form?

You know, I don't care if people like D&D Next or not. Play it or don't. But if bloggers want to continue to just gripe and whine due to ideological hatred of WotC, I'll just ignore them.

Fortunately there were enough people with functioning brains and some sense among the commenters over there that I didn't feel the need to dive into the muck at that time.

Now is the time.

To Biting Halfling, and the 10 foot pole/electrum piece twit

Dude, Really?! Seriously, get some help. Therapists can do some good if you're willing to work on your issues.

I dislike some of the system ideas in the various editions, but as I've noted on the blog a couple of times, I play what entertains me and let others play what entertains them.

Think about that for a while and then have a big helping of Wil Weaton advice. "Don't be a dick."

. . .

General note: Normally it is considered impolitic to call out another blogger or blog, but in this case I am making the exception because it is only fair to provide readers with access to the available info so they can make up their own minds. I took a couple of days to make the decision and did not do so lightly.

We among the OSR blogging sphere need to stop acting like spoiled brats and put on our grown-up pants. Most of us are older, and we should act more mature. This kind of thing does nothing to help our cause and only serves to make us look bad when we are trying to win over WotC or other game publishers to produce things we would like to see. This is why we can't have nice things. People like you, Bitey, make it difficult for any of us to be taken the least bit serious.