[UA] Albino Love (OT)

[Patrick O'Duffy]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Royal Minister of Stuff" <yokeltania at yahoo.com>
To: <ua at lists.uchicago.edu>

> Seriously, though, elitism is a HUMUNGOUS problem in
> gaming society.  I slip into every now and then and
> one of the reasons I avoid Wwolfness is that there
> just seems to be an air of "Better-than-thou" ness to
> the whole milieu.  Maybe I'm wrong, but this is an
> opinion thing, not a research thing.

For what it's worth, I think you're wrong. You're taking an attitude held by
_some_ players of WW games, and projecting that attitude onto the games and
the company as a whole.

> Actually, the main reason I jump all over Albino
> Fleabag stuff is as a form of self defense.  They've
> got some very alluring style on their side.  A lot of
> the stuff they put out is like marketing candy. It can
> be an effort of consumer will not to pick up one of
> their shiny new supplements.

And why would picking up a WW supplement be a bad thing?

> Unfortunately, I also find it harder and harder to
> work with as I get older and the WoD gets more "nailed
> down."

Then ignore the stuff you don't like, just as you'd ignore the stuff you
don't like in a UA sourcebook.

Again, why is this a particularly WW sin?

> I've been chastized for expressing my opinions on the
> big WW before and there was some validity in it.  I
> also know that a lot of the people on this list get
> paychecks from their work on the WoD.

Mea culpa, I'm one of those. I like to think I'm not particularly biased - I
write WW games, but I generally don't play them or have any emotional
investment in their worlds - but I could be wrong.

You're entitled to hold any opinions you want to, of course. I'm not
'chastizing' anyone for opinions. I'm just disagreeing with those opinions,
and saying elitism is stupid. It ain't like I'm coming to your house to
tattoo 'VAMPIRE RULEZ' on your arse.

> But most of the worst gaming experiences I've ever had
> center around the WoD and its followers.  It seemed
> like White Wolf set out to turn everyone against D&D
> and the "old bad way" of gaming and encouraged things
> like interviews for roleplaying groups or "selective
> casting," shit I really don't need.  It seemed like
> they tried to strain the geek out of gaming and that
> hurt.

I strongly doubt that that is true - again, I think you're projecting the
attitudes of some gamers onto the company. I can't see WW as being
'anti-D&D', given that they're one of the largest publishers of D&D material
after WotC.

But even if it was true - are these attitudes unique to White Wolf? Is there
something _wrong_ with not playing with gamers whose styles are incompatible
with your own? Is there something wrong with wanting to run a _good_
campaign, and working to improve whatever you perceive as the game's good
qualities?

> I like to see the elitism tables turned every now and
> then, but, like I've said before, I'm trying to quit.

We're talking about an industry where the biggest players make less money
than tire rebalancing centres. It's a pocket industry. Elitism in such a
small environment is nonsensical, as far as I'm concerned - it's like
fighting over which local hooker has the most pockmarked thighs. There are
better things to spend intellectual energy on.

> (I'm down to six White Wolf disses a day, now.)

Maybe your doctor can perscribe a patch, like they give to smokers...

--
Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia

Okay, it's started. His brain is wrong. If I empty this bag, we can collect
it as it runs out of his ears.

- Yelena Rossini, TRANSMETROPOLITAN #54


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