Brian Tickler wrote:
>>Subject: 4 levels of Gloranthan roleplaying
>>
>>Numbers 3 and 4 could as easily be replaced by:
>>
>>3. It's just a game world, my friend. Pretension provides false rewards.
>>4. Get a social life. You're dangerously introverted. Stay away from my
>>neighborhood. :)
Martin responds:
>Cute smiley notwithstanding, this is a personal slap. As ad hominem
>attacks generally mean that you have no substantive argument to make, I
>suggest you lose.
And ad hominem dismissive replies generally mean you've got no substantive response.
While other people might be having a serious go at you, I don't think Brian was. In fact, I think his point - that one person's idea of what is a desirable goal may not be someone else's - was cleverly made, and I can't see any sign of "j'accuses, rants, personal insults, or the like". I think you're confusing wit/mild sarcasm for deliberate rudeness. Brian's not suggesting you're a "dangerous introvert" of the level 4 kind; after all, you yourself say you're committed to the noble ideals of Level 3. *If* Brian had said "3. It's just a game world, you pretentious wanker", then maybe you would have had a right to be annoyed.
Martin:
>Now, would anyone care to come up with as sensible an explanation for
>problems such as Nochet, Koromondol, etc., and help me come up with more
>exciting names for Barbarian Town, etc.?
Well, yes, isn't this precisly an approach that various people here (Rick, Nick, me, et al) have been suggesting? I'm glad to see we really don't disagree at all then. Gary Switzer has already come up with a cracker for "Rabbit Hat Farm": I'm sure equally good explanations could be dreamed up for all or any you dredge up.
And what's wrong with "Barbarian Town" anyway? Someone - presumbly the Gloranthan who drew the map (some round-shouldered Lunar sage in his far-off ivory tower?) - called it "Barbarian Town", possibly because he knew there was a settlement there and that "barbarians" lived in it, and he had to call it something, otherwise there'd be a big empty gap on his map and he'd have to put in yet another hydra or elephant to fill it. The actual inhabitants might have another name for their town, maybe not: after all, the RW is littered with numbingly prosaic names for all sorts of places. The northern Chinese capital Peking/Beijing means "Northern Capital". Nanjing, the southern Chinese capital means, yes, you guessed it, "Southern Capital". The Vikings called Constantinople "Miklegard" which simply means "Big City". The Turks call it "Istanbul", which is a corruption of a Greek phrase meaning pretty much the same thing.
Martin, about Nick:
>Well, almost without personal attacks. He's trying, folks, give him
>credit. Years ago, you couldn't say boo without a lengthy diatribe on how
>Greg's early manuscripts say aha.
I think you're confusing Nick with someone else. As far back as I recall, Nick has never had much time for the scrapings from Stafford's wastepaper basket. BTW, if what you say there about Nick isn't a "personal attack" of the type you find so galling, it's at the least fairly patronising.
Cheers,
MOB
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