# Are people here getting angrier?



## BlueBlackRed (Jul 27, 2006)

Is it me just noticing it more, or is the general feel of ENWorld a bit more aggressive and angry recently?

If so, is it a cyclical thing or has some other event caused this?

I've noticed before that the end of year holidays seem to shorten many fuses, but this seems a bit more prolonged than usual.


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## Henry (Jul 27, 2006)

Strangely enough, I haven't seen that much more "anger" than usual, and I can remember times ever nastier than this. (When DTRPG first opened, When Book of Vile Darkness came out, when Book of Erotic Fantasy came out, every single WotC restructure and layoff, etc.)

However, there's lots of things to make people shrill nowadays -- world politics, prolonged heat waves, local economies, etc., not to mention the usual press of life. And finally, larger communities have an effect, too.


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## Piratecat (Jul 27, 2006)

It would all improve if Henry would _only_ put on pants. For the love of God, man, think of the children!


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## Henry (Jul 27, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> It would all improve if Henry would _only_ put on pants. For the love of God, man, think of the children!




HA! The Hal Greenberg legacy is MINE!


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## DaveMage (Jul 27, 2006)

BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> Is it me just noticing it more, or is the general feel of ENWorld a bit more aggressive and angry recently?
> 
> If so, is it a cyclical thing or has some other event caused this?
> 
> I've noticed before that the end of year holidays seem to shorten many fuses, but this seems a bit more prolonged than usual.




*shoves BlueBlackRed*

You wanna make something of it?


Seriously, I think it depends on the topic/threads.  There have been more threads lately on game design (and WotC choices) and for whatever reason, some people are very passionate about it.


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## BlueBlackRed (Jul 27, 2006)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> *shoves BlueBlackRed*
> 
> You wanna make something of it?



Well...yeah.
That's why I started the thread.
Ya big jerk. (...hmm...does this violate the rules?...)



			
				DaveMage said:
			
		

> Seriously, I think it depends on the topic/threads.  There have been more threads lately on game design (and WotC choices) and for whatever reason, some people are very passionate about it.



This I can understand.
I've got that same icky feeling from this new stuff that I did back when TSR was about to fall into ruin.
I hope it's just a feeling...


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## DaveMage (Jul 27, 2006)

BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> This I can understand.
> I've got that same icky feeling from this new stuff that I did back when TSR was about to fall into ruin.




I kinda like the fact that WotC is experimenting.  I mean, really, at this point, don't we almost have everything we could ever want for D&D?  I say let 'em experiment.  Sure, some stuff won't be great to everyone, but that's ok.

I still love D&D and I have a pretty good feeling that the people making the stuff at WotC really do want to make a better game & better playing experience.

And as for EN World being angrier, I honestly think it's mainly in the 4e/design theory threads most of all.  If you're feeling down over it, just avoid those threads for a while and keep posting the WLD thread.      I can certainly say that once I'm ready to run the WLD that your relayed experiences and advice with it will be extremely beneficial to me, so thank you for that!


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## Rel (Jul 28, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> It would all improve if Henry would _only_ put on pants. For the love of God, man, think of the children!




If Henry puts his pants on, I'll take mine off.

We don't want to violate the Conservation of Pants.


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## GwydapLlew (Jul 28, 2006)

Rel said:
			
		

> If Henry puts his pants on, I'll take mine off.
> 
> We don't want to violate the Conservation of Pants.




But...but...I already took mine off. Does that mean someone somewhere in the world just put their pants on?   

It's a conspiracy, I tell you!


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## Mark (Jul 28, 2006)

I put my pants on one leg at a time but never seem to get around to the second leg.  That makes this my favorite _hang out_ . . .


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## BlueBlackRed (Jul 28, 2006)

So basically what you're all saying is that I'm just visiting a lot of the threads that just get people irked. Which is about all the threads I visit it seems.

And for crying out loud every single one of you put your pants back on!

You're all gamers and male gamers, of any kind, were never meant to be even partially naked.
Female gamers are to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Now I'm off to wash my eyes.


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## Piratecat (Jul 28, 2006)

In a game where we had a lich chasing after us, this comment was uttered. "We shouldn't feel intimidated by him. Every morning he puts on his pants the same way we do: one evil, undead leg at a time..."


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## DaveMage (Jul 28, 2006)

BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> So basically what you're all saying is that I'm just visiting a lot of the threads that just get people irked. Which is about all the threads I visit it seems.




You should probably stay out of the rules forum too.    

Sometimes things get a bit...um, personal in there.



			
				BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> And for crying out loud every single one of you put your pants back on!
> 
> You're all gamers and male gamers, of any kind, were never meant to be even partially naked.
> Female gamers are to be judged on a case-by-case basis.
> ...




This is what happens in meta.  People let their hair down...or other things.  *shudder*


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## reveal (Jul 28, 2006)

BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> Is it me just noticing it more, or is the general feel of ENWorld a bit more aggressive and angry recently?
> 
> If so, is it a cyclical thing or has some other event caused this?
> 
> I've noticed before that the end of year holidays seem to shorten many fuses, but this seems a bit more prolonged than usual.



 you!


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## genshou (Jul 29, 2006)

I think it's all the design threads coupled with the record-breaking heat wave.  I just avoid the heated threads (or stop reading them once the heat turns up).


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## LightPhoenix (Jul 29, 2006)

Um, I don't wear pants at all.  Where does that put me with regard to Conservation of Pants? (which btw, should be the August off-topic forum title)


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## Rel (Jul 29, 2006)

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> Um, I don't wear pants at all.  Where does that put me with regard to Conservation of Pants? (which btw, should be the August off-topic forum title)




BlueBlackRed wears pants constantly.  He's balancing you out very nicely.


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## BlueBlackRed (Jul 29, 2006)

Rel said:
			
		

> BlueBlackRed wears pants constantly.  He's balancing you out very nicely.



Oh no, I ain't balancing out anyone.
Everyone should wear pants around here.
We have to set an example.
Do you want the gamer guys at GenCon to walk around in their undies?

I thought not.


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## Rel (Jul 29, 2006)

BlueBlackRed said:
			
		

> Oh no, I ain't balancing out anyone.
> Everyone should wear pants around here.
> We have to set an example.
> Do you want the gamer guys at GenCon to walk around in their undies?
> ...




It's relatively rare for me to see anybody in pants at GenCon.  Cargo shorts seem the garment of choice for the guys.  Though there is a higher percentage of kilts than you'll see in the general population too.

I leave it to the informed reader to guess as to what lies beneath these kilts*. 






* But Hellhound is one of those in question and, really, who are we kidding with regards to him?


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## Dinkeldog (Jul 29, 2006)

genshou said:
			
		

> I think it's all the design threads coupled with the record-breaking heat wave.  I just avoid the heated threads (or stop reading them once the heat turns up).




This seems to be one of our regular patterns.  People get more easily angered and respond more angrily at two times of the year:  the holidays when the stress is on and during the midsummer when the heat is on.  It really happens every year.  The fact that the US is going through a pretty much record-breaking heat-wave nationally (per the Chicago Tribune weather blog) doesn't seem to be helping things much.

If it helps, think about puppies playing in a field.  Or kittens, if you're a cat person.


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## BlueBlackRed (Jul 29, 2006)

I was thinking that maybe it's also new blood.
Around late spring I noticed a lot of new names. And (to me) it appears that they, but by no means all, have been a bit hotheaded.

But I'm fairly sure it's just the threads I'm visiting.


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## Dinkeldog (Jul 29, 2006)

Frequently when new posters come it takes them a short while to figure out the nature of the community.  Some figure it out shortly (this is a great place with a wonderful self-moderating crowd, after all) and are great and valued members of the community!  Others, well, when Grandma has decreed that a friend is no longer welcome at the house, all we can do is wish them well in finding a place that has the type of community that they're looking for.  Sometimes it's a more rough-and-tumble place like Nothingland or CM.  Sometimes it's just, you know, elsewhere.


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## Thornir Alekeg (Jul 30, 2006)

Could be coincidence, but I seem to have noticed that during the summer months in the U.S. tempers seem to be a bit shorter on these boards.

Maybe its all the students with more time on their hands...or more likely the teachers releasing all their pent up rage from the school year (rage at being told they have to wear pants when they teach).


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## EricNoah (Jul 30, 2006)

About the design threads...

I think it reveals a deeper truth about RPG players.  We're pretty convinced, as a group, that we could "do it" (design RPGs, write adventures, etc.) better than the pros if only we had the time, resources and inclination.  And maybe some of us could.  

What that turns into sometimes is an attitude of utter contempt for the designers and the companies.  That attitude is always going to put us in the role of "bitchy customer".  It's not a very pleasant atmosphere to be in most of the time, in my opinion.  Constructive criticism has its place.  "The designers were smoking crack" or "they did XYZ just to irritate us" [or to cater to lazy/unskilled/stupid customers], and similar, does not have a place here.  Again -- in my opinion. 

The 4E threads are a different matter -- as I've said in other threads, I think there's the spectre of this community fragmenting when that fateful day arrives.


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## Dimwhit (Jul 30, 2006)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> The 4E threads are a different matter -- as I've said in other threads, I think there's the spectre of this community fragmenting when that fateful day arrives.




I think 'fragmenting' is a mild way to put it. Though there's no reason ENWorld can't cater to all editions, I'm sure things will get bad when that time comes along.

That's why I vent at the Circvs. I've found that being over there makes me much more patient and happy over here. Not that I do that much venting, but it is a good break.


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## elforcelf (Jul 30, 2006)

But I am a flumph! I do not wear anything at all!          :\


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## jonesy (Jul 31, 2006)

Only here can a thread about anger turn into a thread about pants and the wearing of them. Which I am.

But seriously, no, I haven't bumped into any angry people. Maybe you should put your pants back on so you won't either (emperors new clothes?).


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## Piratecat (Aug 1, 2006)

LightPhoenix said:
			
		

> (which btw, should be the August off-topic forum title)



Done, and done.


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## Ambrus (Aug 1, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> In a game where we had a lich chasing after us, this comment was uttered. "We shouldn't feel intimidated by him. Every morning he puts on his pants the same way we do: one evil, undead leg at a time..."



But liches don't sleep, don't defecate and have no sexual needs to satisfy so why would they ever have need to take their pants off after attaining undeath? If they never take them off then no, they don't put their pants on in the mornings the way your puny mortal PCs do. Know fear!  

On the other hand, considering most liches are clerics or spellcasters (and a fair number of them former females) who wore robes in life, chances are that they've never worn pants and saw no reason to start once they died, so a great deal of liches probably remain pantless for eternity. So there's a clear dichotomy amongst liches; the perpetually pantless and the eternally dressed.

Besides, if a lich were to put on a pair of pants, chances are that it'd simply dimension door itself into them or command some undead lackey to pull them up. I mean, what's the point of sacrificing your afterlife for eternal eldritch power if you have to still have to dress yourself the same way 99% of sentient humanoid beings do?


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