I posted a link to my zombie game article on the BGG wargamer forum (yes, guilty of shameless self-promotion). Then some idiot left a nastygram (as if an article on a paper wargame in Foreign Policy Magazine was an insult to the hobby).
Then I suddenly realized just why Grogheads is different from BGG. Someone posts a thought or a link here, and people respond with a comment, a witticism or a smiley. In other words, people on Grogheads seem to genuinely wish each other well. On BGG, there are too many folks to whom nastiness on the forums serves as self-medication for their anger. And who needs to deal with anger on a hobby forum? It's not like there's a shortage of meanness in the world.
Grogheads has a nice atmosphere. People here seem very comfortable in expressing themselves, probably because the community is supportive. Or maybe it's the moderation, or the membership, or whatever. Much like why bumblebees fly or why an obscure TV show named Star Trek became a legend, some things simply work.
My compliments to all of you Grogheads. Even if the name does sound like a forum for drunken sailors.
Michael
if only you knew how many names we tried through the domain name registrar service before we settled on "GrogHeads".
sometimes your 'conclusion' is just the place where you got tires of thinking ;D
I'm glad you enjoy it here - there's an atmosphere we've tried to create and overall I'd like to think it's been pretty successful. Personally, BGG drives me nuts. Too many people on too many personal crusades to set the wargaming world on the path they want, with (as you rightly noted) very little tolerance for other opinions.
Sadly, I've noticed it at CSW as well, such as the Game Stats & Trends thread where I was told to take a hike because I dared to suggest Combat Commander is a card-drive wargame...
its the people!
thats all there is to it.
Assholes don't last long around here.
We don't want group-think, but we do ask folks try to get along.
Except Dan and Star. They're like a grouchy old married couple.
Im not grouchy. Im hungover.
compared to that loveable mountain of snuggly fun Jarhead Im frikin Mickey Mouse.
I don't spend much time over at BGG but then again why would I when I have a place like GrogHeads.
I go there to look at the photos.
BGG is a handy database and source of help files and the like. The forum community is horrendous, though. A mass population of passive aggressive idiots all playing Internet Tuff Guy.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on January 29, 2013, 01:36:18 AM
BGG is a handy database and source of help files and the like.
+1
I never spend any time with the community there so I honestly can't say I know anything about it. From how it sounds I don't think I'm missing much.
I tried sticking up for Michael over there. We'll see if it helps. Doubt it - the mod team there is more interested in squelching arguments than anything. Even if someone is a dork and needs to be argued with...
But Mike said something bad about XCom so I don't like him anymore!
I just got it for Xmas and haven't played yet. Now I have to rebuild my suspension of disbelief.
As for Star...well the best we can hope is that some day he will learn to go potty outside.
Quote from: Longdan on January 29, 2013, 12:54:44 PMAs for Star...well the best we can hope is that some day he will learn to go potty outside.
the problem is getting him to do it when he's
supposed to, as opposed to just whenever the whim strikes him.
Thanks for the fire support, Brant. Arctic Blast nailed the problem with BGG. Except that I didn't know BGG had moderators. Though Michael Dorosh seems to think he's one.
I've decided that I will no longer participate in unmoderated forums, or at least game forums. In fact, I'm realizing that the quality of a forum is determined by the quality of the moderators. Most are either too passive or too aggressive. We've been lucky at Grogheads.
Not to mention that Grogheads has better avatars than BGG, where I don't know what half the badges mean.
Michael
we don't need no stinking badges ;)
Aside from agreeing with most of what's been said here (although I can't comment on the BGG forums, as I've only visited there a few times), I don't really have anything to add, except this:
bayonetbrant, LongBlade, and the rest of the staff have done an incredible job here. And the people that frequent this place are...well, to save time, I'll just oversimplify and say they're pretty damn cool.
In almost two decades of surfing the internet, I can honestly say this is the most at home I've ever felt on "ze webs". So thanks to all of you for making Grogheads what it is.
Also, glad you're sticking around DicedT. :)
+100
The balance is right, the people are great, the mix of content is spot-on...there is nowhere quite like it.
Home from home.
...ok, who's turn is it to go and get the beer?
Quote from: bob48 on January 29, 2013, 05:33:00 PM
+100
The balance is right, the people are great, the mix of content is spot-on...there is nowhere quite like it.
Home from home.
...ok, who's turn is it to go and get the beer?
and the women - JESUS!!!! always forgetting the women!
Quote from: LongBlade on January 29, 2013, 08:55:50 AM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on January 29, 2013, 01:36:18 AM
BGG is a handy database and source of help files and the like.
+1
I never spend any time with the community there so I honestly can't say I know anything about it. From how it sounds I don't think I'm missing much.
+2 BGG is a great resource, but I've never felt the urge to visit their forums. From what little I've seen, it isn't a place I'll be frequenting.
Quote from: bob48 on January 29, 2013, 05:33:00 PM
+100
The balance is right, the people are great, the mix of content is spot-on...there is nowhere quite like it.
Home from home.
...ok, who's turn is it to go and get the beer?
I made Welsh Rarebit tonight (over Italian fried pork medallions). Does that count?
Quote from: LongBlade on January 29, 2013, 07:39:00 PM
Quote from: bob48 on January 29, 2013, 05:33:00 PM
+100
The balance is right, the people are great, the mix of content is spot-on...there is nowhere quite like it.
Home from home.
...ok, who's turn is it to go and get the beer?
cheese on toast? pfffft
I made Welsh Rarebit tonight (over Italian fried pork medallions). Does that count?
Cheese on pork ;)
Welsh on Italian. Not kosher.
Quote from: Longdan on January 29, 2013, 12:54:44 PM
As for Star...well the best we can hope is that some day he will learn to go potty outside.
in a thread about whats good here dont go being a complete asshole.
It is not all about you.
Thanks, Starfury and Longdan, for demonstrating how they do things on BGG. You guys are really good roleplayers.
So for us newcomers, how do they do things on Grogheads?
Michael
Don't ask to look in the closet. I would feel alone if he didn't pop up and call me names.
Quote from: DicedT on January 28, 2013, 10:10:36 PM
I posted a link to my zombie game article on the BGG wargamer forum (yes, guilty of shameless self-promotion). Then some idiot left a nastygram (as if an article on a paper wargame in Foreign Policy Magazine was an insult to the hobby).
Then I suddenly realized just why Grogheads is different from BGG. Someone posts a thought or a link here, and people respond with a comment, a witticism or a smiley. In other words, people on Grogheads seem to genuinely wish each other well. On BGG, there are too many folks to whom nastiness on the forums serves as self-medication for their anger. And who needs to deal with anger on a hobby forum? It's not like there's a shortage of meanness in the world.
Grogheads has a nice atmosphere. People here seem very comfortable in expressing themselves, probably because the community is supportive. Or maybe it's the moderation, or the membership, or whatever. Much like why bumblebees fly or why an obscure TV show named Star Trek became a legend, some things simply work.
My compliments to all of you Grogheads. Even if the name does sound like a forum for drunken sailors.
Michael
Mike, I'm a long time member of BGG and I have learned that you really really have to be careful with that site. For every helpful post and thread, there are 10 others that are basically trying to be as pedantic, insulting, or contrary as possible. If you want to have fun, go to a wargame thread and say how you like Kickstarter better than P500. That's a fun one. Or just go and try to make as broad as possible of a definition of what a "wargame" is - you will literally get guys telling you that, if it is not a Consim, then it is not a wargame (or if it is not hex-based, it is not a wargame). I'm sure, if a game has zombies and is not historical, that was bound to get some pedantic nastiness.
I think Grogheads has an advantage by being more open to what being a "war-gamer" or "strategy-gamer" means. We realize that people like to read about different types of games and different types of strategy, that you don't have to pigeon hole and do an us-against-them. We also (well, some of this thread is an exception) realize that you can talk about game but not have it be a personal attack.
So thanks for joining up Mike! I really liked your article about females in video game depictions of combat!
Also, if you like zombies, I'm literally chomping at the bit for the deluxe version of Victory Point Games
Dawn of the Zeds to be released (apparently very soon)! What games do you like?
Thanks, Montfort. I haven't played a a lot of zombie games (All Things Zombie, Zombies! the card game, and Last Night on Earth). My gaming group likes Last Night on Earth, but I kind of like the Zombies card game with the little plastic pieces. It captures that surrounded feeling that every zombie game needs.
Mike
Quote from: Longdan on January 29, 2013, 08:42:33 PM
It is not all about you.
well you insluted me by name in a thread about how things are done different here, which they are. theres quite a bit of freedom of discourse here along with a fair bit of self moderation. enjoy it on the web, its quite rare.
Stop sending me PM's.
stop messing up threads
*MOD HAT ON*
The OP was talking about how cordial and excellent this site is, let's quit the back and forth and get back to the topic, which is how awesome we are!
*MOD HAT OFF*
MOD EDIT: When the Mod Hat is on - that does not mean you get to get the "last word." Consider this a warning.
Quote from: DicedT on January 29, 2013, 11:03:54 PM
Thanks, Montfort. I haven't played a a lot of zombie games (All Things Zombie, Zombies! the card game, and Last Night on Earth). My gaming group likes Last Night on Earth, but I kind of like the Zombies card game with the little plastic pieces. It captures that surrounded feeling that every zombie game needs.
Mike
I'll offer up a second mention of Dawn of the Zeds. I have the original print run in all the 'glorious quality' earlier Victory Point stuff came in. ;D Fun game, though. Purely solo simple strategy game where you use your limited resources to try to stave off doom.
Quote from: DicedT on January 29, 2013, 11:03:54 PM
Thanks, Montfort. I haven't played a a lot of zombie games (All Things Zombie, Zombies! the card game, and Last Night on Earth). My gaming group likes Last Night on Earth, but I kind of like the Zombies card game with the little plastic pieces. It captures that surrounded feeling that every zombie game needs.
Mike
Zombies! is alot of fun especially after you get a few expansions and an extra bag o' zombies. My wife even likes to play that one with me. :)
I like zombie games. But then again, I like games.
Back to the OP. Every site has its trolls. We try to limit them, but sometimes they can't help themselves.
I'm not interested in trying to outdo BGG. They are significantly bigger than we can ever dream of becoming. Instead, it is my hope that we can grow and prosper in our own way. Staying on topic has never been a strong point of my mod style. Keeping the food fights to a minimum, however, is a good goal.
So while we let things get a bit rough-and-tumble in our politics forum, I'd like to ask everyone to check their fire outside of it. Thanks.
Quote from: LongBlade on January 30, 2013, 09:41:20 AM
I'm not interested in trying to outdo BGG.
Especially in terms of 'amount of crap on screen at once'. I don't think they can be exceeded in that capacity...it's ridiculous.
HERE'S ALLTHEINFORMATIONONEARTH AT ONCE!
BGG is a different place and I rarely go there. If I may say so i feel it is unseemly to compare the two at all.
Two different places with different agendas and a certain amount of crossover population, superficially similar
subject matter. They do whatever they do over there. It has been useful as a reference.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on January 30, 2013, 05:15:24 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on January 30, 2013, 09:41:20 AM
I'm not interested in trying to outdo BGG.
Especially in terms of 'amount of crap on screen at once'. I don't think they can be exceeded in that capacity...it's ridiculous.
HERE'S ALLTHEINFORMATIONONEARTH AT ONCE!
That pretty much sums up a trip to any page over there. ;D