Re: [NetEpic ML] FW: Jervis

From: <primarch_at_...>
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 02:04:44 -0000

Hi!

Hehe, this one crops up every once in a while. Lately GW has tried to
make an effort to seem more "caring" but statements like the one in
this message still appear from time to time.

There are certain truths about GW that will never change:

1. "the right attitude" in GW terms, if you find flaws in thier games
it is YOUR fault, because you are a "power-gamer" and always try to
exploit their "fair games". If you don't like thier new game, you are
a hopeless "old-timer" that GW nor retailers of GW products should
waste thier time on. If you win games all the time by exploitation of
their rules, its your fault because that was not the "spirit" of the
rules. Note "spirit of GW rules" change according to the whim and
desires of the GW designer trying to make a point, so dont think you
can find any logic in them.

2. "we're professional designers, all of you are amateurs". This one
makes me laugh. They view themselves very highly (godly) as far as
their "designing skills" go; IMO their "skills" are average in the
best of times and mediocre the majority of times. We can all think of
companies and other non-GW game designers that truely earn the
name "designer". Just because GW has a large market share and their
games are played by many does not confer to their rules a aura
of "good design". Whats even more laughable is that they easly
discard your opinion and mine when it goes against thier game design
saying "your an amateur". Funny thing is that their rules are
consistently published with major flaws and NO non-GW employee player
testing. Yet they have the nerve to call themselves "professional
game designers". Heck how many times has a GW game won an Origin
award for best rules? Of course they have a pretty hefty contempt for
Origin and most national game associations since they do not
acknowledge the "GW superioity". Even we of the net epic group, by
their "standards" we are "amateurs", have learned that the keys to
proper rules implementation and design is playtesting and editing.
too bad they have not learned those simple truths in the many years
of "designing". For the amount of resources available to them, in
comparison to other companies, they indeed produce shoddy work.

Are their comments offensive? Sure, but the offended are usually
people like you, me and the others on this list who activately think
and are discerning in what they play and like-two things GW would
prefer their customers NOT to have. It gets in the way of all that
spending.

Whats mind boggling is that these bozos don't even have the business
sense to refrain from such comments on a public forum. While their
underlying philosophy may be such as to squeeze from you as much
money as they can, its another matter to boldly slap it in the face
of their customer base. They have not yet learnt that the gaming
industry heavily relies on word of mouth from gamer-to-gamer. If I
had a nickel for every newbie turned away from GW games by bad press
from older gamers, I'd have a LOT of nickels!

Then again, there's a lot to be said about being insulted by GW's
actions and comments, after all that was the spark that started Net
Epic! Good things do come from righteous indignation!

Peter



--- In netepic_at_y..., "Mr Wizard" <mr_wizard_at_S...> wrote:
> Dear group,
>
> Reading any interview from the GW team disheartens me. These guys
really
> think they are gods. They act like they are standing on mount
Olympus
> dispensing rules and games to the lowly mortals (us).
>
> > We were very disappointed with the attitude of older players and
it taught
> us a lot,
> > that our tastes were more sophisticated than the big bulk of the
market
>
> Talk about a slap in the face. Where does he get off saying this! I
am
> insulted constantly by GW because I don't agree with their crap. I
thought
> companies rewarded people who have stayed with them for year. Yet,
here
> veterans are told how dumb they are. This why I will never another
GW
> product. Basically I pay over $50 to be insulated and braided
because I have
> the audacity to question their rules.
>
> >...because they are not Games Designers like us they don't, say,
see this
> beautiful >elegant machine, they like a bit of detail.
>
> I PAY FOR YOUR GAMES! I KEEP YOU IN BUISSNESS! "Games Designer" or
not I AM
> THE DAMNED CONSUMER! Look at Epic 40K. NO ONE BOUGHT IT. I don't
care it
> it's a "beautiful elegant machine" it still sucked. I wish I could
just slap
> this guy. The whole interview he's telling everyone how dumb they
where for
> not buying Epic 40K.
>
> >Do you think one game system can cover everyone?
>
> >No, I think there is a lot of room for different games...
>
> As long as the games are GW products!
>
> >We have some nice ideas of what we can do with Dwarves in 40k at
some time
> in the >future, but we want a bit of separation from the Squat
background,
> we don't like the >name, we don't like the actual army list
ourselves, none
> of the Games Developments >team are
> >inspired by it, and so they are going on the back burner and maybe
we'll
> return to it >completely fresh.
>
> Yes, but can hundreds of gaming community members be wrong?
Basically GW is
> more interested in capitalizing on current pop-culture (Look Gundam
Wing and
> anime is popular! Lets make a giant robot / anime inspired army.
Hey lets
> integrate new age Mysticism and call them the Tau. Wow! Cool! Wait?
What?
> No, were never going to Finnish the Necrons or SOBs, haven't you
figured
> that out yet? You damned Old unsophisticated games how dare you
want us to
> support current armies! [lighting flys from Olympus].) The GW crew
is just a
> bunch of 11 year olds how never grew up. One of these days someone
will
> dethrone GW and Jervis will be that old bum from A Clock Work
Orange (I hope
> to be wearing white and kicking his ass). "Go ahead! Do me in. I
don't what
> to go on living in a world were old unsophisticated games don't
appreciate
> my "beautiful elegant machines".
>
> Your Humble Servant,
> Nathan H. Hoderny
Received on Fri Aug 03 2001 - 02:04:44 UTC