Wednesday Words: Mike Mearls

Normally this is where we highlight a quote from another great gaming site or blog, but today we are going to take a look as some words from a different source, D&D Head of R&D. 

When we look to the past, we learn that there are far more things that tie us together than tear us apart. The fact that we play this bizarre, arcane game puts us on the fringe of normal. Whether we like powers, feats, ascending or descending AC, Thac0 or base attack bonus, those are all details. We like to dream of worlds beyond the mundane, of great battles and victories that occur only in the shared imagination of a gaming group. To borrow from the forward to the 1st Edition Player’s Handbook: "As diverse as this mélange of enthusiasts is, they all seem to share one commonality: a real love for Dungeons & Dragons and a devotion that few other games can claim."

This is our game, and it is as healthy, vibrant and important as we make it. The rest is details. Don’t let that details drive us apart when the big picture says we should be joined together.

Mearl's attempt to diplomatically unite the Gaming Community is one that I certainly respect, even if I don't have much respect for the edition that he represents.  The fact is that our community is full of unusually (and perhaps overly) opinionated people.   We argue over things that other people would probably deem strange and/or unimportant such as: who would win in a fight between Conan and Drizzt, which is the best Star Wars film, and of course which edition of D&D was the best.  

Amidst the seemingly endless debate, dubbed the "Edition Wars" it is nice to hear someone of notoriety remind everyone that there is more than unites us than divides us, though often it doesn't seem that way. 

Anyone who hasn't should go read the full piece over on the Wizards website.