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It's the "Once people realize that I'm right and they're wrong, the world will be a happy place" syndrom coupled with the internet's anonymity.

Just don't let it get to you and remember that old quote: Opinions are like arm-pits. Everyone has them, and everyone else's stinks.

Every CCG, Wargame, and online game has the same pit of dispair. Just watch that you don't get sucked into it.

It's the 80/20 rule in action.

80% of the drama is caused by 20% of the people. In this case, only of those on the net, which is probably only 20% of the gaming population at large.

It's all so stupid.

People get their panties in a bunch over something someone said on the internet.

Who.

fething.

Cares.

It's the internet. It doesn't matter.

Laugh at the inane comments of the ITG's (Internet Tough Guys), even if they are insulting and directed at you personally. Go on enjoying the hobby and don't let it bother you. Most of the ITG's are timid, socially awkward gamers in real life anyway. They come on the net and try and see who's dong is longer to prove something to themselves.

People who are enjoying the hobby and their life in general don't have the time or inclination to troll the internet looking for fights to start or to act superior online. It's something insecure guys do to try and feel important.

So anyway, just enjoy the game and the community and let the big mouths be. The rest of us can have fun while they titty fight with one another like a bunch of idiots.

The irony of the above statement is that this is merely another form of ITG syndrome, notably the "only people with malformed genitalia argue online" strain.

Every community is the same way more or less. The Gaga community I'm involved in had a fullscale Alejandro Vs. Dance in the Dark war break out Some went so far as t say if one became a single and the other didn't her career would end. People are stupid.

Laughing Man wrote:The irony of the above statement is that this is merely another form of ITG syndrome, notably the "only people with malformed genitalia argue online" strain.

Hey brotha, I set em up, you knock em down.

We can be a regular comedy act, but with non-malformed genitalia, of course.

@Cannerus_The_Unbearable

Their are actually internet groups dedicated to Lady Gaga?

Wow.

Now I feel like our hobby is so much less weird.

Reecius wrote:
Their are actually internet groups dedicated to Lady Gaga?

You bet your sweet bippy http://gagadaily.com/boards/

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:

Reecius wrote:
Their are actually internet groups dedicated to Lady Gaga?

You bet your sweet bippy http://gagadaily.com/boards/

Their are actually internet groups dedicated to Wargaming?

www.dakkadakka.com

@Cannerus
You know, I never would have figured there'd be that much to talk about lady Gaga. Just as I am sure people who aren't into war gaming wouldn't think there'd be that much to talk about in regards to toy soldiers.

Yes, its a sad state.

Reecius wrote:It's the 80/20 rule in action.

An interesting point. I agree that really it's not so bad out there in the wide world as it is here on the forums in terms of complaints.

My problem is that a lot of these complaints are just stupid. It seems like we're just getting worked up just so we can get worked up. Hell, I'd be surprised if when GW's done with marines and starts their next Xeno book, every other Necron, Eldar/Dark Eldar/Inquisition player is going to be up in arms. It's like we're arguing for the sake of arguing, without any point or goal in mind. Yeah, I get it, it's trolling most of the time, but now it seems like every time GW announces something if you're not up in arms and mad as hell you're some, GW apologist, and if you don't think Warmachine/Hordes is the superior game on the PP forums then you're an idiot or GW fanboy. I think it's seriously gotten out of hand, and it's completely embarrassing to see grown men arguing over something so damn ridiculous as this hobby.

You said it. It would be funny if it weren't pathetic how worked up some guys get over toy soldiers.

People with the anonymity of the internet to mask them will be all kinds of arse.

I used to play an mmo called Everquest2, it's fairly old and deserted now, but back in the day this website was a hotbed of seething and open venom by people towards people they would never meet.

http://www.eq2flames.com/eq2flames-center-stage/

I also used to mod a fairly large forum for tropical fish... and there were hatreds and feuds there as well, I booted folks for death threats ffs.

Cryonicleech wrote:

Reecius wrote:It's the 80/20 rule in action.

An interesting point. I agree that really it's not so bad out there in the wide world as it is here on the forums in terms of complaints.

My problem is that a lot of these complaints are just stupid. It seems like we're just getting worked up just so we can get worked up. Hell, I'd be surprised if when GW's done with marines and starts their next Xeno book, every other Necron, Eldar/Dark Eldar/Inquisition player is going to be up in arms. It's like we're arguing for the sake of arguing, without any point or goal in mind. .

Nah
There is some justification in Necron/DE et all complaining when their much needed update is bypassed, yet again.
That is not complaining for the sake of a whinge. That is sheer frustration.

Complaining about people complaining over a legitimate gaming grievence...
now THAT is whingeing for whingeing's sake

Every comunity has its drama queens and we are no exception, as long as mods on forums keep it under acceptable dosages its OK I guess.

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Nah
There is some justification in Necron/DE et all complaining when their much needed update is bypassed, yet again.
That is not complaining for the sake of a whinge. That is sheer frustration.

Complaining about people complaining over a legitimate gaming grievence...
now THAT is whingeing for whingeing's sake

Against my better judgement and at risk of starting a HUGE flame war there is no issue with Necrons. You haven't been bypassed and to think in those terms is completely self defeating. The only issue is the 5% of people on here saying that there is an issue. An update will come. In time. Same as everything else. Maybe you are getting frustrated but chill. Deep breath in through the nose, out through the mouth and relax.

Instead of getting all worked up over what you don't have work with what you've got.

this quote, from the previous page, is just so full of win...

While your enemy cowers in a corner with their arms raised above their face to futilely protect them, real men pull off complex 408-move combos that involve transforming into a fiery phoenix of doom and releasing unrelenting waves of liquid napalm Satan clown death upon them.

Reecius has the vote from me in summing it up. Cogent points indeed.

As for drama in 40k, personally I have seen a fair bit. Based mostly on friendships, with the real conflict being played on a 6' x 4' arena.

YMMV, but FWIW, all interwebs arguments are just our way of venting that we pay$10 and up for a cool toy.

Interwebs = anonimity = lack of accountabilty. *pokes reader in the eye Nyaaaaaagh!

MeanGreenStompa wrote:People with the anonymity of the internet to mask them will be all kinds of arse.

I used to play an mmo called Everquest2, it's fairly old and deserted now, but back in the day this website was a hotbed of seething and open venom by people towards people they would never meet.

http://www.eq2flames.com/eq2flames-center-stage/

I also used to mod a fairly large forum for tropical fish... and there were hatreds and feuds there as well, I booted folks for death threats ffs.

Tropical fish are SERIOUS BUSINESS!!1!

I'm also a member of a Doctor Who forum, and some of the arguments there would bury this place, especially when it gets onto politics or religion or, god help us, the new series. I come here to relax, I chose this site among others because it's so quiet most of the time.

Around the time Christopher Eccleston revealed he was leaving the show, just after it had started airing, the backlash from certain quarters was impossible to contain. The Admin and Mods did some firefighting for a few days and eventually closed the site for several days to cool it off because it was so out of control, the only time done in the site's 10 year history. Even more extraordinary was that this made the national newspapers and was reported in the Daily Mirror and possibly others, clearly a slow news day to require such padding but still an achievement for an internet group.

Howard A Treesong wrote:I'm also a member of a Doctor Who forum, and some of the arguments there would bury this place, especially when it gets onto politics or religion or, god help us, the new series. I come here to relax, I chose this site among others because it's so quiet most of the time.

Around the time Christopher Eccleston revealed he was leaving the show, just after it had started airing, the backlash from certain quarters was impossible to contain. The Admin and Mods did some firefighting for a few days and eventually closed the site for several days to cool it off because it was so out of control, the only time done in the site's 10 year history.

Isn't it the only time in a 10 year history that Dr Who was actually being screened?

Seriously there are better things to argue about than who is the best Dr or who has the most out of date codex!

I was thrown off a campaign in Evony simply because I dared to say that an OP was mistaken in his belief the owner of facebook was Richard Branson. he winged and whined like a girl until I was told to go!! The world is too FUBAR'd without resorting to childish sniping and arguing over such contrivances.

I'm not going to lie to you I did NOT even read a single post on this thread I will after I post this.

One of the best things in this hobby is the type of people that are in it. No matter how bad off you are there will always be someone fatter, smelly, ugly, mean, rude, A half wit, or just a Scott. You will always find someone worse then you at the store. It doesn’t matter if you go to a games work shop store or your local retail store. There is always that one guy that makes you sit back and smile. “You know life isn't really that bad". I'm sorry but I love the fantastic Drama that comes out of this hobby.

I think the problem most people have is they take the hobby way to serious. For instance I once had a kid say to me and I quote, "If my dwarfs were real they would kill you." Stuff like that just doesn’t happen when I play soccer, or watch foot ball. I implore you please do not try to take this away from me. I go home every day with a warm fuzzy because I know I'm not in last place.

In short Gw is the male version of the soaps don't take that away. Where else can you have a kid say "hey do you want to battle my army?" <------- you can't make that stuff up!!

I don't know if I have anything to add to this but here goes because I have been pondering this very question. The internet is the perfect home for extreme ranting of all sorts due to the mostly anonomous nature of it, because its easy to shout your mouth off if you don't have to do it face to face. As far as the rules discussions go its fine as long as you and your close circle of gamers can agree on house rules and hope one of you is not a rules lawyer its meant to be fun. The storm of anti GW feeling is more troubling after all the games we love wouldn't exist without them I think the problem comes from early adopters who feel betrayed that the game no longer seems to be going the way they would like and feel the price rises etc are aimed solely to exclude them from the hobby. I was dismayed to see that Privateer are coming in for the same flack although it proves my point about the early adopters any way ramble over.

The internet ate my baby.


The drama goes both ways. If the companies wouldn't pull bonehead plays, we wouldn't have alot of the issues that are cried about.

When I see people crying over cheese, or beardy, or whatever the flavor of the month term is, I laugh.

Seen it all the first time around, will probibly see it the tenth.

It's past the point of amusing, though.

When I see the prices rise, and the product degrade, it kind of loses its meaning, after a while.

Privateer has its own set of problems, with accusations of elitism aimed at the player-base.

elaborate please (pm me maybe...)

Laugh at the inane comments of the ITG's (Internet Tough Guys), even if they are insulting and directed at you personally. Go on enjoying the hobby and don't let it bother you. Most of the ITG's are timid, socially awkward gamers in real life anyway. They come on the net and try and see who's dong is longer to prove something to themselves.

Yup and they usually shut up quickly when you kill them with whatever 'useless' unit is in your army heh heh..

Howard A Treesong wrote:
I'm also a member of a Doctor Who forum, and some of the arguments there would bury this place, especially when it gets onto politics or religion or, god help us, the new series. I come here to relax, I chose this site among others because it's so quiet most of the time.

I concur... dakka was reccomended to me for not being 'the other site' (you know the one) an LO is generalyl quiet too.

PS : was it tom baker vs david tennant?

As others have mentioned, drama is unavoidable in any internet-based interaction as anonymity dehumanizes everyone, making it much easier to act like a complete jerk.

Think about the Allied propaganda common in WWII, Nazi's and Japanese were often depicted as bestial, dehumanizing them and making it all that much easier to respond with absolute force, or making the terrible casualties suffered (by both sides) more acceptable in the public eye. In the U.S., African slaves were not considered people, but objects to be owned like a chair or horse... thus making the hardships inflicted upon them more acceptable as they were just "things" not human beings. The internet serves this same purpose... we all have avatars, fake names and internet "persona's" that are iron-clad because no one (or very few people) know the truth of our existence. On the internet we are all not quite human... not in any real sense, so it is all too easy to be a prick to other posters because there's no real-life negative impact. In RL, if you treat people like s**t they'll eventually stop inviting you to things and hanging out with you, and you'll find your self alone. On the internet, even social retards can continue to "force" themselves into the scene because unless they get banned... they can continue to participate.

The challenge, for those who really want to improve ANY internet community... is to treat other posters as if they were standing right in front of you... holding a beer, sharing a plate of chips. You can still disagree, still be passionate about your beliefs or opinions... but act as if a black eye is only 2 feet away.

I have one simple rule: "Is what I'm about to say going to help anyone or anything?" If the answer is "no", then I either re-phrase my comments, or don't post.

Phototoxin wrote:PS : was it tom baker vs david tennant?

It wasn't that kind of argument, in fact there are rarely ever "who was the best Doctor" arguments. In this specific instance some people felt betrayed by Eccleston leaving the series so quickly, also the BBC didn't help by putting out false explanations that they had to later retract. For instance, it was said that he didn't want to be typecast which wasn't actually true but came from the press office anyway. When the series had been off air for 16 years and just shown the first episode, and then his resignation was announced, some people's blood began to boil as they saw the the new series doomed almost before it began. Since then typical flame wars attempt to divide people into two factions, either you love the show and everything in it, and are branded a RTD-lover, or you hate it all and are a rabid RTD-hater. Most people are in the middle somewhere, but people are quickly pigeonholed, for instance as a RTD-hater, and dismissed regardless of how reasonable their criticism is or their track record for actually liking the programme normally. Frankly there's a lot to like and be disappointed about in the new series but that's probably normal for a TV programme.

It's a large forum with many areas, and lots of people and associated problems, are limited to quite specific ones. The New Series section is among the worst for flame-wars, I completely avoid it now because it's full of naive prejudiced sorts, most are probably a bit young or sheltered. But I've seen whole discussions where new companion Amy was called a slut and the like for trying it on with the Doctor, as one person said "what do you expect from a kissogram?". Another came to the consensus that a female character lured from the street into a house to be killed was a prostitute, probably because she looked a bit worse for wear. She'd probably been at a party, but loads of people decided she was either a prostitute or a rape victim.

But the absolutely worst area is the Toy/Merchandise section, the clique of regular posters is dreadful, there's so much childish arguing and newcomers get an especially bad ride IMO, frequently your questions or opinions are flamed, or you are ignored entirely. There's a certain small elite who either have 'sources' for good/reliable rumours or insider information or who are particularly artistic/creative when it comes to making toy customs, and many massage their egos and flame/ignore anyone else. It's quite repulsive.

Having said all that, the majority of the forum is a friendly place where even heated discussions don't degenerate into name calling, it's just a few people and topics.

Think there is drama in the hobby? Sure. It's competitive and people tend to have a significant financial and emotional investment in it. That said, when I compare what I read on the interwebs and have seen first hand in the hobby to competitive youth sports (or even non-competitive youth sports, i.e. the hug me-love me leagues), the hobby has a long way to go before it equals the drama that you find there.

Slipstream wrote:We care about the hobby, even if GW don't listen to us; that is why opinions are so divided.

THAT answers everything! The fact that no-one listens to YOU is a very narrowminded viewpoint.

Why should they listen to you [the gamer] and do exactly what you say?

They research and base their decisions on hundreds of customers comments, playtest hundreds of hours and scenarios, design what they can within the rules to give the majority what they want and what GW, in their huge experience of gaming and buiness, can give which gives them the best return.

Just because they don't do what you want, when you want it, does that mean that GW are not listening?

Speaking of drama...

@MeanGreenStompa

Dude, death threats over tropical fish? Holy Crap! People are so strange! Hahaha, that kills me.

My fish is da win, bwarrrr!!! I crush you!!

@Gitsplitta
You hit the nail on the head, man. The trick is to try your best to write as if you were talking to someone face to face and that it was someone you respected. That eliminates 90% of the problems. It can be really hard to do, and in the face of a true troll, you just ignore them.

Yakface is really good at that. He used to always be the voice of reason around here when the big egos flared up and the vitriol started flying.

He was like the journal entry at the of the Dougie Howser show! Our morale compass!

My fish is da win, bwarrrr!!! I crush you!!

LIES! Your fish smells of scale polish and shame! Have at you!