thread: 2006-08-27 : Kerflufflizing
On 2006-08-31, Emily wrote:
Anyone who believes-in or promotes the Forge community as an inviting, un-clique-ish place; has an obligation to support all compatriots with a requisite minimum degree of enthusiasm. Or else risk being a hypocrite.
Interesting statement. I think there is a logical flaw here. Based on the above, it would then follow that if you lie about how much you like a game, or support a game you don't know anything about you are not being a hypocrite because you are giving the requisite minimum amount of support. This also takes a very narrow view of what support is.
Support does not necessarily mean talking good about a game. It can also be letting someone know, directly and perhaps privately, what you think they might benefit from changing about their design, or marketing, or layout etc.
Support can mean playing a game and writing up one's actual play, but there are only so many hours in the day that anyone has in order to play all these amazing games.
Basically, support means contributing to some one else's efforts and we're all limited on what we can give.
In fact, the reason why we are as successful as we are is because there are so many of us connected to eachother. Everyone can find the (finite) set of games that appeal to them that they can fully get behind and support—in whatever form that takes. No one person could ever support all the games. We have to find allies and collaborators amongst all the great mass of us. We can't expect everyone to devote all their time to our game, and we can't expect anyone to devote any time to our games unless they are doing it out of sheer love and joy of doing so.
Really, that's our strength. The giving of joy-ness of it all. That's why any of us do this (that, and we're borken and thus can't not do it : ). That's the glue that keeps the reciprocity going. You are giving to me by making this amazing game that I love, and so I want to give to you by sharing with others what it was like to play it. You gave to me by helping me figure out how my mechanics were wonky, so I give to you by taking part in a playtest of your game that looks fun to me.
But it's all volunteer. All from the heart. And if it isn't then there is a problem.
At least, that's how it seems to me.
