After seeing that part of the article, I was hoping to get a broader range of opinions on whether that concern is justified, instead of falling victim to confirmation bias based on a single article from someone who might have his own preconceived slant.

I don't have as broad an experience as some here, most of my time playing has been with one group. However, I've sat in one-shots (with aforementioned 8-year olds, teens) and I listen to a number of live-play podcasts and that initial "how do you do this" is definitely there, but it really does fade quickly. Then again, there are posts on this here forum by people saying that their group just didn't get it. I guess it's a mixed bag? Given most of us here are fans of the system, it might be difficult to find dissenting opinions.

One of my concerns in looking at the dice pool system that FFG uses for Star Wars has always been that it would lead to the sort of heavy pre-roll "dice pool debating" that AngryGM reports that he encountered.

I think that most systems have that, don't they? I cant count the number of times in Hero or D6 where a player goes "I'm going to hack that super secure mainframe" "Go ahead, but that's a 40 difficulty." "Oooh, and I only have 3D+2 - never mind. Go ahead and shoot the lock." or the like.

The overall reaction is why I almost didn't post it.

I'm glad you did, it feels good to talk about this sort of FUD in a civil manner.

I like to think that he's helped others improve their games, but I too take issue with that attitude - particularly if someone were to bring it here , the very home of the game. I know it's just a schtick (man I hope it's just a schtick) but I'm sure it turns people off.

His “schtick” is so annoying to me that I can’t read his stuff. I can’t make it even halfway through. It so clouds the message that he’s trying to send that I am not capable of comprehending what appears to be the true meaning behind his words.

The whole “constantly screaming angry New Yorker” thing gets really old, really fast.

If someone actually did that in person to me, I would either punch and kick them and keep punching and kicking them until they could no longer make any noise, or I would walk away.

In that situation, I hope I would actually just walk away, but I couldn’t guarantee that.

Angry's preferred gaming methodology is derived from the mechanics and tropes of the various iterations of Dungeons & Dragons. Once you understand that, you understand his perspective. And a lot of other table-top gamers, if we're really being honest with ourselves. In the grand history of this hobby, the whole "narrative" thing is pretty new. And is one of the few things that, mechanically , a tabletop game can do that a video game can't.

Once you understand that, you understand his perspective.

It's one thing to have a different perspective and another altogether to attack one you don't like/understand. Nobody will argue his right to be however he wants to be, but if he's going to come over here and tell us we're "playing wrong" then he can expect a little discussion on the topic.

Once you understand that, you understand his perspective.

Oh, I see. He's too slow of mind and set in his ways to adapt and evolve to new forms of Role Playing Games. Got it!

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of caustic reviewers like this jackass or the Angry Video Game Nerd. At least the Nerd is occasionally funny (and James himself is pretty well spoken when he breaks Kayfabe ), but it still wears thin REAL fast. Life is too short to spend it running around being pissed at things you cant control.

Except for Batman v Superman. It's okay - nay, mandatory - to be pissed at that.

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of caustic reviewers

I blame the 90's, we had so much snark back then.

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of caustic reviewers like this jackass ...

Some of us like the style, even if we don't always agree with the content (like about the dice). If you can't discuss the content, or don't have the sense of humour or fortitude of character to distill the message from the medium, then what possible value are you contributing?

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of caustic reviewers

I blame the 90's, we had so much snark back then.

I graduated HS in 1992, and I find myself constantly having to dial back the snark and at least try to post like a grown-up.

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of caustic reviewers

I blame the 90's, we had so much snark back then.

I graduated HS in 1992, and I find myself constantly having to dial back the snark and at least try to post like a grown-up.

Yeah, snark was our thing back then. Then you get hacks and shills like Pitchfork that ruined it for everyone.

It's one thing to have a different perspective and another altogether to attack one you don't like/understand. Nobody will argue his right to be however he wants to be, but if he's going to come over here and tell us we're "playing wrong" then he can expect a little discussion on the topic.

It's a stylistic choice. He's writing as a character that plays up the a-hole advice giver to 11.

Seriously, go listen to Happy Jacks, Fear the Boot or one of the other RPG podcasts he's been a guest on. You can hear the clear division between Scott Rehm, the guy, and Angy GM, the character.

Think Don Novello and Guido Sarducci.

Meh. I don't have much patience or use for "performance art" reviews and commentary. I want actual accurate information, not someone putting on an a-hole mask and doing a song and dance.

It's one thing to have a different perspective and another altogether to attack one you don't like/understand. Nobody will argue his right to be however he wants to be, but if he's going to come over here and tell us we're "playing wrong" then he can expect a little discussion on the topic.

It's a stylistic choice. He's writing as a character that plays up the a-hole advice giver to 11.

Seriously, go listen to Happy Jacks, Fear the Boot or one of the other RPG podcasts he's been a guest on. You can hear the clear division between Scott Rehm, the guy, and Angy GM, the character.

Think Don Novello and Guido Sarducci.

Oh, my issue isn't with his schtick, my issue is with him posting earlier in this very thread that we are "playing wrong." His post here didn't feel as much as a performance as perhaps he intended. It doesn't hurt me, I'm pretty confident in my GMing abilities. However, lots of new folks frequent these forums and aren't familiar with his particular ... um, scent, and I'd hate for them to get the wrong impression.

Oh, my issue isn't with his schtick, my issue is with him posting earlier in this very thread that we are "playing wrong." His post here didn't feel as much as a performance as perhaps he intended. It doesn't hurt me, I'm pretty confident in my GMing abilities. However, lots of new folks frequent these forums and aren't familiar with his particular ... um, scent, and I'd hate for them to get the wrong impression.

Exactly. Go be a raging A-hole and attack the game all you want (overlooking the fact that he's got some factual errors and is flat out wrong in places), but when you attack other PEOPLE, that's when you've crossed the line. You've gone from being a character to being a legitimate jerk, and I have no time for you.

I took Concise Locket's advice and did a little homework - I read some interviews and I watched some unboxing videos. I get it, it's fine. Not my thing! But people enjoy it and that's okay. And I hope people get something from his work. I just don't think there's a ton of sense in going to a baseball stadium full of baseball fans to talk about how baseball is a bad game.

And I appear to have been correct in my supposition that I was GMing when this here fella was taking his first steps, so I'll stop ranting like an old kook.

In his defense, the whole "permission to play any wrong way" is just a catch phrase of his and was not meant to be singling this particular RPG out. Yes his style is not for everyone, but as a new GM I've found much of his content very enlightening. There's a lot to learn about GMing and he's one of the few that tries to demistify it and for that I'm grateful (and a Patreon supporter )

I just don't think there's a ton of sense in going to a baseball stadium full of baseball fans to talk about how baseball is a bad game.

It's a style and business decision to drive traffic to his website and Twitter account. Film Crit Hulk does the same thing - while typing in all caps - when reviewing movies. Hulk has even accused movie fans who complain about illogical plotting and plot holes in movies as not knowing what they're talking about . And that's the equivalent of slapping someone in the face with a glove.

It's a style and business decision to drive traffic to his website and Twitter account

Fair enough. I have just the solution for my own tastes!

In his defense, the whole "permission to play any wrong way" is just a catch phrase of his and was not meant to be singling this particular RPG out.

In his review he singled out this game, but in his post here it seems like he singled out us and that's where I took issue. But thanks for the clarification.

I've been yelled at for wanting to interpret nat 20 and nat 1 ability checks in DnD as triumph and despair so I'm not immune to the "wrong way" accusation but it's fine. We've all got to find the way that is fun for our tables.

I've been yelled at for wanting to interpret nat 20 and nat 1 ability checks in DnD as triumph and despair so I'm not immune to the "wrong way" accusation but it's fine. We've all got to find the way that is fun for our tables.

If you're all having fun, it's not the wrong way! I narrate my actions similarly when I roll well - or not so well, as is usually the case.

So... side-question, tangentially related... do any of my fellow posters have a forum or the like to recommend, if there were gaming topics one wanted to discuss that were wildly off-topic for FFG and Star Wars both?

So... side-question, tangentially related... do any of my fellow posters have a forum or the like to recommend, if there were gaming topics one wanted to discuss that were wildly off-topic for FFG and Star Wars both?

Enworld is the big one and it has a general RPG section that would suit probably. There's also rpggeek and reddit if you're into that kind of thing

So... side-question, tangentially related... do any of my fellow posters have a forum or the like to recommend, if there were gaming topics one wanted to discuss that were wildly off-topic for FFG and Star Wars both?

Enworld is the big one and it has a general RPG section that would suit probably. There's also rpggeek and reddit if you're into that kind of thing

Giving Enworld the once over, I have the sneaking suspicion that the question "Can anyone recommend a system for a mid-to-low-magic fantasy campaign, with no classes and no levels" would go over well... seems pretty D&D/Pathfinder-centric.