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Actually, I'm a certified English teacher: I get paid to critique writing skills. That makes me an authority figure in the matter. So thank YOU. I didn't mention what my teaching job was before, but proving myself here is more satisfying than keeping it quiet. Yes, I'm feeling a trifle smug saying that. It's always nice to feed a troll his own foot.

I don't like Mat Wards writing. Never met him either. I'm a Nurse, I help save lives. Does that make me insignificant?

Battle Brother Ambrosius wrote:

Beerfart wrote:I'm not flaming anyone.

I'm just wondering if any of you are someone to be listened to concerning Matt Wards skills.

At this point, I don't see that any of you are.


If you feel offended by my questioning, perhaps it's your own inequities that are "flaming" you.

And that is entirely your own opinion. If you seriously believe that only your own opinions matter, and you refuse to accept people who disagree with you, you are a sociopath.

If you feel that people who disagree with you are inequite, then perhaps you should really think what I said.

I didnt say you were anything.

I've posted no opinion.

I simply asked a question.

BTW...I love it when people call me a hypocrite...while BEING a hypocrite.

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:I don't like Mat Wards writing. Never met him either. I'm a Nurse, I help save lives. Does that make me insignificant?

Of course it does, cause you're not a doctor.

timetowaste85 wrote: How do you know none of us have written books? Or are famous musicians? Or famous actors.

Because if you did...you'd have some respect for someone else who has....like Matt Ward.

Beerfart wrote:

timetowaste85 wrote: How do you know none of us have written books? Or are famous musicians? Or famous actors.

Because if you did...you'd have some respect for someone else who has....like Matt Ward.

You've obviously never heard authors talk about each other off the record, then.

Respect isn't what I'd typically call it from many of them.

Beerfart wrote:

Battle Brother Ambrosius wrote:

Beerfart wrote:I'm not flaming anyone.

I'm just wondering if any of you are someone to be listened to concerning Matt Wards skills.

At this point, I don't see that any of you are.


If you feel offended by my questioning, perhaps it's your own inequities that are "flaming" you.

And that is entirely your own opinion. If you seriously believe that only your own opinions matter, and you refuse to accept people who disagree with you, you are a sociopath.

If you feel that people who disagree with you are inequite, then perhaps you should really think what I said.

I didnt say you were anything.

I've posted no opinion.

I simply asked a question.

BTW...I love it when people call me a hypocrite...while BEING a hypocrite.

Actually, you have posted an opinion. You said that you dont't believe any of us worthy of listening. Before that you proclaimed between the lines that you think people are nothing if they cannot somehow compare themselves to Matt Ward.

And how do you know that if someone has done something significant they would love everyone else "significant"? Do you really think that for example Tom Cruise has respect for the work of Matt Ward?

timetowaste85 wrote:Actually, I'm a certified English teacher: I get paid to critique writing skills. That makes me an authority figure in the matter. So thank YOU. I didn't mention what my teaching job was before, but proving myself here is more satisfying than keeping it quiet. Yes, I'm feeling a trifle smug saying that. It's always nice to feed a troll his own foot.

So as an English teacher, you would say that Matt Wards writing skills are inadequate for the job at hand? Based on what? Nothing more than your personal opinion? Or do you have some professional reasoning?

Thus far I havent tasted my own foot. Again, I'm simply asking questions.

Didn't like my last comment, so you have to go back and attack one of my older posts, huh? Anyway-I'll answer it. Writing is difficult-I'll agree to that. I'm working on a novel now myself and constantly have to erase and re-write. BUT-what we have issue with in Mat's writing is the Bro-mance of Necrons with Blood Angels against 'Nids (thus destroying everything previously written by other writers-he has no respect for his coworkers) and his actions of the Grey Knights against the Sisters of Battle (similar disregard of previous writers, also no real reasoning as to why they had to-very vague descriptions). Once you throw in the over-use of "blood this" and "blood that," it gets to the point of writing as a 7th grader. We made fun of Phil Kelly for his similar actions with "wolf" everything as well, but his fluff is a lot better, thus he meets with less criticism.

To sum up, and simplify for you, we criticize Mat's writing because he writes as if he is still going through puberty and has no respect for his coworkers' previous writing in other books and he tosses fluff that everyone has come to accept into the garbage can. And actors and musicians throw their opinions out all the time and hate talk against others too. So your argument is invalid.

I believe this post answers your question about my background making me adequate to critique. Or at least it would, if you accepted anyone's opinion but your own. I have listed in here what makes his fluff writing bad. Professional reasoning has now been shown. If you haven't noticed, not a single person has jumped in to agree with you: instead, everyone posting in this discussion is rallying against you. That should be telling you something about your "questions." If you wanted to have a discussion on the matter, that would be one thing. Instead, you attacked a multitude of us and tried to play it off as us being offended by nothing. You've insulted our intelligence and our viewpoints, and we, the people, are pissed.

Ward is an employee, most likely a salary one. He gets no royalties for his work. He is assigned a project until he completes it in the time schedule he is given.

I have a professional technical (+20 yeas in the field) writer on my payroll. She is there to help me with my works, both business and the creative aspects on what I do. Ward does not comes close in being an exceptional writer with his chopped up writing style.

I think people are more angry with his Retcon on anything he touches as they are pretty extreme IMHO.

Financial Success is measured by profit. Even though Ward has put out two pretty over the top codexes in the last half of GW's fiscal year, their most recent financial report states a loss of sales and a loss of profit. Ward is part of this failure but since he is on a salary his employment is safe until the company needs a scapegoat and he'll probably be the next person to go.

What will Matt Ward do when he gets fired/leave from Games Workshop. Regardless if it is true or not, he has a bad reputation as a writer/game designer, and regardless in what people think, in the entertainment industry information travels in close circles.

I would not want to be in his shoes trying for gainful employment within his field of expertise with his negative reputation that has been labeled on him.


Now Back on Topic
I enjoyed the Satire of what the OP quoted and I know I'm going to cut and paste it. The whole Lord of the Rings/ Star Wars influence is pretty funny.

Battle Brother Ambrosius wrote:
Actually, you have posted an opinion. You said that you dont't believe any of us worthy of listening. Before that you proclaimed between the lines that you think people are nothing if they cannot somehow compare themselves to Matt Ward.

And how do you know that if someone has done something significant they would love everyone else "significant"? Do you really think that for example Tom Cruise has respect for the work of Matt Ward?

Asking a question is the same as formulating an opinion? Don't think so.
Same as flaming?

Being a nurse, doctor, lawyer, cop or any other important job is not the question here.(obviously, for those of you needing help with "keeping in context") I'm wondering if any of you are games designers, actual fiction writers, or have any other professions/skills of note that make you someone to be listened to concerning this professional writer's skills.

I dunno why any of you would take offense.
If you think I've done something here against dakka's rules...please alert a mod.






Automatically Appended Next Post:

timetowaste85 wrote:
To sum up, and simplify for you, we criticize Mat's writing because he writes as if he is still going through puberty and has no respect for his coworkers' previous writing in other books and he tosses fluff that everyone has come to accept into the garbage can. And actors and musicians throw their opinions out all the time and hate talk against others too. So your argument is invalid.

So as an English teacher do you normally 'insult' your students work with baseless and irrelevent comparisons? ("going thru puberty") How is that working out for you professionally?

"no respect for coworkers previous writing" You mean like Phil Kelly's total revamping of the wildly respected and popular Dark Eldar Codex? I suppose he's a hack as well?

Professional reasoning has now been shown.

It hasnt.

If you haven't noticed, not a single person has jumped in to agree with you.

As an english teacher, how would you say that one can "Agree" with a question? "Do you think that cake is tasty?" 'I agree' is no sort of answer to that inquiry.

You've insulted our intelligence and our viewpoints, and we, the people, are pissed.

Alerting a mod is the proper recourse....try it if you're pissed.

Mat Ward isn't dead - but really, at this point, lets let him rest in peace...