[arg_discuss] Re: Communities and resources

[despain at quantumcontent.com]

>> Have I shot myself in the foot here?
>
> Nah.

Glad to hear you don't think so.


> I tend to be fairly aggressive in trying to suss out the parameters of
> assertions people make in a discussion, so at least from me (the one who
> used the phrase "anti-game), you're going to see a challenging of basic
> ideas and theories, not ad hominem.

You weren't the only one who used the phrase, and I didn't take it either
time as ad hominem. My concern isn't that people will boycott my game
because they don't like me personally. My concern is that because I talked
about how things work on the back-end, some users may post something like,

"Oh, now I see what studio is making this game. I probably won't get into
it. They think players should all just get along and won't let people
double-cross or try weird things to get ahead."

Someone may get that impression from my posts to the current thread, but
it's not actually true, and I think if something like the above quote were
posted to UnFiction a lot of people (lurkers, for instance) wouldn't even
give the game a try.


> To say that I felt like I was being "attacked" is an overstatement.
> Let's just say I sat up a bit straighter in my chair, and
> wanted a bit more detail/reasoning behind some things that were said.

I didn't feel like I was attacking or being attacked either, but I can
see where other players and developers may have taken this thread
that way.

(snipped for space)
> My spidey sense twitches somethin' fierce when I read pretty
> broad generalizations about a community that has thrived because of
> individual accomplishments *which then contribute to the whole.*

I completely understand the desire to standing up for a community you
love. I'm just saying... sometimes love is blind. Not that you should
change, just that as developers, that can bring on its own challenges.

Wendy Despain
quantumcontent.com