thread: 2005-12-03 : I Cop to Hyperbole
On 2005-12-03, Andy K wrote:
>>In fact, I challenge everyone who thinks we've been accomplishing things to post links here.
Seriously, guys, f*ck that noise (and I read the interesting throughts in the previous VB post, too, good stuff)...
If you talk about accomplishing things in terms of Theory, discussing GNS and the Big Model, then I'm not qualified to answer, cause honestly I haven't given a rats' ass about most of that chat - I gained enough to analyze my own gaming problems, and got the hell out. It just wasn't interesting to me, and this is coming from someone with a BA in Philosophy. But of course, I never begrudged anyone who dwelled in the theory realm, as long as they were helping in other areas as well.
But if I take Ben's statement above:
Here's a list of RPG Theory threads from the last year where something got done.
And change it to read:
Here's a list of threads *involving RPG Theory* from the last year where something got done.
Then you've got easily 90% of all Actual Play, Indie Game Design and Publishing threads. All of those threads have been loaded with theory even if it didn't bubble to the top in jargon and the like. The theory in the other forms had been leaking, like radiation or toxins or something into the other forums for years now as pragmatic action, praxis, direction and structure. In the past year, I honestly believe that the pragmatic theory—->other forums/talk knob has really been turned up.
So yeah, maybe you haven't been blowing minds in the Starbucks coffeehouse and turtleneck sweater standup beat poetry environment that Theory and (especially) GNS Discussion theatres, but that shit's been leaking into the other discussions, hardcore, for a while.
I get the vague sense that the above Ben/VB talk was a kind of beating yourself up about not being more productive. If I'm wrong, then ignore the above. But if so, I just want to let you know that a huge amount of thick theory stockpiled in those forums leaked over to the others; the ones that really matter, the ones where people are making, publishing, and playing games.
-Andy
