I think that the context of the comment is important. This was in the rather informal setting of a reddit AMA. The whole point was to provide a platform for quick, direct communication and off the cuff responses to questions from the L5R community. I'm not trying to come down on one side or the other of the debate as far as the pillowfight comment goes. But I do think that this kind of reaction to a comment on reddit (of all places) would really discourage FFG from giving this kind of access to their designers in the future. I think it was an amazing thing that FFG did to provide the designers of our favorite game in a forum where we could ask them anything we want in real time. For me, FFG should be applauded for giving fans of the game that kind of access to designers. And now it seems like we're punishing them for that.

I think this type of reaction would just encourage them to put out sterile PR speak all the time. (If anyone here is a football fan - like the New England Patriots response to every question - "We played hard as a team and we're going to work hard in preparing for the next game": repeat for every question.) "We're very excited for the release of L5R and we are looking forward to Gencon. / The next L5R expansion will grow the card pool and provide interesting new game interactions."

6 minutes ago, YasukiKaito said:

But I do think that this kind of reaction to a comment on reddit (of all places) would really discourage FFG from giving this kind of access to their designers in the future. I think it was an amazing thing that FFG did to provide the designers of our favorite game in a forum where we could ask them anything we want in real time. For me, FFG should be applauded for giving fans of the game that kind of access to designers. And now it seems like we're punishing them for that.

I think this type of reaction would just encourage them to put out sterile PR speak all the time. (If anyone here is a football fan - like the New England Patriots response to every question - "We played hard as a team and we're going to work hard in preparing for the next game": repeat for every question.) "We're very excited for the release of L5R and we are looking forward to Gencon. / The next L5R expansion will grow the card pool and provide interesting new game interactions."

Nobody should be afraid to comment on the actions of FFG due to fear of losing access. If that is the lesson they are learning here, that would be a pity. We're not punishing them. We're simply saying that this could have been handled better. I'm guessing they'll use this feedback and do better in the future when engaging with customers/fans directly, which is kind of the whole point.

5 minutes ago, A_to_the_C said:

Nobody should be afraid to comment on the actions of FFG due to fear of losing access. If that is the lesson they are learning here, that would be a pity. We're not punishing them. We're simply saying that this could have been handled better. I'm guessing they'll use this feedback and do better in the future when engaging with customers/fans directly, which is kind of the whole point.

And I agree they should take that feedback in. It just feels to me like the type of response that doesn't encourage open conversation or access. It felt more like a torches and pitchforks response rather than a constructive criticism. That's just my interpretation though, maybe I'm way off. (Happens a lot!)

Most companies are rather safe then sorry. FFG doesnt allow much interaction on the forums.

The AMA was a rather unique occasion and I don't think they will repeat it any time soon. We all lost if that's the case.

And for what?

Because some person said he thought 2 fictional characters looked sexy and some other person said yeah they do. ?

Well at least no one will get offended by an off the cuff comment.

Plus someones job might have been put at risk. It truly is magnificent what people are prepared to do to back up their own prejudices.

Oh BS. If FFG put someone's job at risk over the mild criticism we've seen here, then no job at FFG has ever been safe. They must all be on hair triggers.

Yes, perhaps someone got scared off by the exploding discussion, though I'll point out that most of the blowing up came from those overeager to defend the mistake.
Those critizing the mistake made it clear from the beginning that they had little issue with FFG or the person who made the mistake and that they'd simply prefer for FFG to do better.

Back in 2015 " West Point Annual Pillow Fight Turns Bloody, 30 Cadets Injured" due to " cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects" . Pillow fights are serious business in rl so maybe also in Rokugan. Maybe all of this was a huge misunderstanding due to the faulty explanation of the type of pillow fighting!!!

1 hour ago, Matrim said:

It truly is magnificent what people are prepared to do to back up their own prejudices.

People lying just to be right can be found in page 35 of Way of the Human, First Edition . The I cannot belive I'm wrong can be found on page 30 of the same book. In Second Edition they added Time to Move On in page 45.

Oo

I knew pillowfights were more dangerous than people tend to think - but I thought that was more because our eyes are actually super squishy and actual feathers can poke out of the pillowcases[1] than anything else!
Who puts hard objects into pillowcases?!

[1] And sheets, too. I've woken up with more than one long but super shallow scratch on my arms more times than I can remember.

12 hours ago, Nickciufi said:

You're missing MY point entirely. This is not considered a "less-than-respectful" light by many, many people, myself included. You talk about it like it's a foregone conclusion and that we all agree that it wasn't acceptable behavior. I vehemently disagree. Simply because a handful of people choose to take offense with it does not mean that it was, in and of itself, an offensive statement. The statement was totally fine. You guys are skipping over "was this offensive or not" and jumping right to "IN AN OFFICIAL FFG TOPIC".

First of all, nobody said that everyone should find it unacceptable. Feel free to find a quote to prove me wrong, but I really don't think I am.

Second, you say "the statement was totally fine", but that's a statement of opinion. It's no more valid than the ones who thought it was offensive. You're telling people that because you weren't offended, no one should be.

In fact, you could describe it as an attempt to "impose, by other means than civil penalties, [your] own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development, and, if possible, prevent the formation, of any individuality not in harmony with [your] ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of [your] own." If you wanted to be really wordy about it, that is.