Now, I'm not sure if Zak is selling this shit or giving it away, but he has it on t-shirts. You too can be a Zak S zombie.
Hell, I'd ask what the fuck this is all about, because if Zak S saved D&D then the RPG Pundit should be offering similar shirts, as they both had the same input on the latest edition of D&D - they were "consultants." But Zak has had me blocked on G+ for years (say what you want about the RPG Pundit, but he doesn't block folks that disagree with him.) Third parties fill me in on stuff like this. I could be wrong. Maybe this isn't on a shirt. Maybe it's how Zak counts sheep when he goes to sleep at night.
Now, I would argue that the OSR saved D&D, not as a multi-media property but as an actual, playable, living RPG system. No, I'm not talking about 5e either.
Now, if Zak had shirts that said A Red & Pleasant Land is the Shit, I'd be forced to agree, It's damn good.
I've got to get one to wear at Metatopia. It'll make a bunch of folks' heads explode.
ReplyDeleteThe "Zak S Saved D&D" meme was making the rounds on G+ a couple of weeks ago.
ReplyDelete(https://plus.google.com/110352289066114829231/posts/GtJqzUCq7E5)
It's a bit self-serving, but it's primarily to tweak the noses of those who naturally would get their noses out of joint by such a thing. It started as "Wouldn't it be funny..." and now has become actual free swag at Gen Con.
can't read it
Deleteas i stated above, Zak has had me blocked for years for daring to disagree with him while making viable arguments to support my positions.
If Zak had a shirt that said "Zak S Killed D&D" I'd give the man major props for being self-depreciating and funny.
DeleteThis?
Zak beating his own chest. Come to think of it, there's probably a video of that somewhere...
There probably is such a video, except maybe for the "chest" part.
DeleteRyan Dancey saved D&D. Seriously. Not only was he a critical part of WotC acquisition of TSR, he champions the OGL.
DeleteThe OGL saved D&D and Dancey was the primary and major force behind it. In all seriousness, if you consider Gygax and Arneson the gaming gods, Dancey is at the very least a patron saint.
I hope he's at Gen Con because I want to shake his hand and thank him.
Ryan Dancey saved D&D,
Deletehttp://ragingowlbear.blogspot.com/2015/07/ryan-dancey-saved-dnd.html
Wait, did D&D need saving? It never stopped working at my house...
ReplyDeleteAnd a tired old meme at that.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the Monte Saved / Ruined my game shirt?
No, I didn't remember that. Did people not like Monte? He's always been a pretty cool guy in my experience.
DeleteThe Monte Cook of Yore was very much into system mastery (the garbage options in 3rd edition, and rewarding people who learned not to use them), which rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, and once upon a time he defended ivory tower game design.
DeleteDunno how the Monte of today is, though I dig what he's done with Numenera.
Okay, I am clearly out of the loop here. What is Ivory Tower game design? I've never even seen that term before.
DeleteIt's an idea pulled from CCG design. The idea that once players master a system "Get good", they've reached this level of proficiency that makes them "real" players. It's ridiculous, and not so prevalent these days. Might be in the Pathfinder subculture though.
DeleteFuck, I admit, I'd wear a RPG Pundit Saved D&D t shirt just to piss people off.
ReplyDeleteI would as well.
DeleteI would as well.
DeleteZak S is an egotistical guy who happens to make decent D&D/RPG supplements. But this 'meme' is a bit much, even for him.
ReplyDeleteWho the eff is Zak S?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAnd who the eff cares
DeleteHe is a bit off-putting with how impressed he seems to be with himself. Never seen his show or whatever, just seen the occasional comment on a blog of forum.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Somebody's full of himself.
ReplyDeleteStart of D&D-centric sex cult in 3, 2, 1...
ReplyDeleteRoll percentile dice to see if you satisfy your partner?
DeleteHeh. Somebody's full of himself.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Who the hell is Zak Smith?
ReplyDeleteLast year, at Gencon, someone else made a shirt that said "Zak S and the RPGPundit made D&D better". I'm guessing that's what inspired this. It's the first I heard about this, since I took Zak off my G+ list.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, Zak's always been at least as shameless a self-promoter as me and probably better at it.
I'd say really, Mike Mearls saved D&D, for a variety of reasons, one of which was hiring both Zak and I.
And yes, you could certainly say "The OSR saved D&D". Zak and I were both hired as consultants because of our Old-school cred and because it was clear that old-school had huge potential, and that it was the sector that had been most alienated by 4e.
Also, based on conversations I had with various people, including Zak, I think I probably spent more time involved with the Consulting than Zak did, though I could be wrong.
I know that (from what Mearls told me) one piece of early advice I gave Mike led to a banner being made in the WoTC offices to act as a reminder to the staff; I suspect that at least is something I did in the Consulting that Zak never did.
Frankly, I suspect I cared more too. Again, I could be wrong, and if Zak wants to say differently I'll believe him, but it seems to me that for him it mattered mostly as a job and as something interesting and for his own CV in the hobby; but for me, it mattered because it was both the culmination of a childhood dream and the final step in a crusade I'd been undertaking for my entire blogging career.
I have to give you credit. While I have, at times, thought you were a bit too convinced of your own importance when it comes to people disliking your work, you at least tend to discuss such things head on, and without trying to drum up a lynch mob to follow you on your crusade.
DeleteYou have also made a lot more logically consistent arguments for the things you advocate that go beyond "I'm fucking awesome and you are pathetic and suck if you disagree."
And I'll take this opportunity to apologize for grousing about your recent project. I honestly do hope that people that enjoy it buy it, and if you made something that people enjoy, that you profit from it. I would rather promote things I love and am passionate about than take shots at other people's hard work, especially when I haven't yet seen said work, and I didn't do that when Dark Albion came out.
Where did you grouse about Albion? Are you using another name on theRPGsite?
DeleteAnyways, Albion kicks ass, screw the T-shirts, buy Dark Albion!
"Made D&D better..."
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear it would've been hard to make it worse than the 4th edition. Never seen or played so can't say if that's true.
"Saved D&D..."
As if there was some chance of it being destroyed or forgotten? Been kicking for 40 years and will for 40 more regardless of who currently owns the official name version.
My interactions with Zak have been less than wonderful. He might have made a decent contribution to 5e and I don't mind egotism, arrogance, and self-aggrandizement... but, seriously, fuck that guy. I may share some of those traits (or all of them); however, I'm not too good for any gamer in this community. A condescending douche is the last thing I would want to be... or come off as.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Zak was passionate about D&D (or cared about saving it), but he probably gave more of a shit than S. John Ross. He has publicly stated that D&D is something he wouldn't bother wasting his time with... unless there was a paycheck in it for him. Reading that pissed me off then and I'm still not cool with it.
On the other hand, S. John Ross was the only other consultant that went out of his way to give me some kind words of support when the pseudo-activists came out in force against me (and Zak) when 5e launched.
ReplyDeleteSJRoss is a nice guy. It's ok to not like D&D--he doesn't pretend it's an objective judgment or anything, just taste.
DeleteWow, it's working already.
ReplyDeleteWow. The Boy in the Plastic Bubble has left his self censored circle.
DeleteQuite frankly, I'm amazed. You'll actually have to interact with folks that aren't fanboys and may actually disagree with you. Because disagreeing with Zak gets one blocked on social media.
Now, this "fucking cop" (as you called me before blocking me on G+ years ago - and called Greg C 'The Pope of the OSR' before blocking him) can finally respond to one of your comments on G+. Yes, I do read some, especially when folks are kind enough to take screen shots for my benefit. Poor work around, but hey, what are friends for?
Zak - (in reponse to the question - What's the problem with Tenkar's opinion?) Tenkar's response is essentially what Tenkar always does which is respond to marketing he doesn't like by loudly complaining about it and, therefore, spreading marketing of the very thing he is complaining about.
Now Zak, we both know my audience is almost exclusively the OSR. My posting about your egotistical method of marketing yourself didn't gain you any fans or lose you any. Net sum? Zero.
Those that think you are the Second Coming of the Messiah still do. Those that think you are a douche still do.
Those outside the OSR? I doubt many saw the post and even fewer cared.
Getting noticed isn't always a win. Lots of people still remember Hitler. Doesn't really do much for his sales.
DeleteYou know I like have a public blog, Tenkar? and you can come over and be angry at me over there whenever you want?
DeleteAnd Venger, you've already been beaten to the punch:
http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2015/06/i-got-nominated-for-bunch-of-awards-so.html
Wait.
DeleteYou block me on G+ so I'm supposed to go to your blog and what? ask you to fill me in on your missing comments on G+?
please.
your egotism knows no bounds.
I have a little ointment for that:
Deletehttp://ragingowlbear.blogspot.com/2015/07/ryan-dancey-saved-dnd.html
Zak, my Hitler reference was to mirror your own provocative prose while calling back to a couple of our interactions regarding Vikernes and Lovecraft. I think it's great that you're successful, just wish you'd get over yourself.
DeleteI do a thing: it sells books or it doesn't.
DeleteYour crazy pop psychology theory isn't relevant unless it doesn't--then you can ask why I keep doing it if it doesn't.
I saw on G+ you stated you only block posters that don't answer your questions, yet you seem to ignore most questions yourself.
DeleteIt must be a lovely bubble of self indulgence.
Link to a question I have not answered anywhere ever, Tenkar.
DeleteFrom above, which you have thus far willfully ignored.
DeleteOh that. I assumed it was rhetorical but I'm happy to answer:
Delete"You block me on G+ so I'm supposed to go to your blog and what? ask you to fill me in on your missing comments on G+?"
No you are supposed to go to my blog if you have any questions or concerns that you need me to see.
...and also therefore realize I am not a figurative "bubble boy" in a "self-censored circle". I just happen to have G+ as a place only for people I happen to like.
Do you have any other questions, Erik?
At least that dopey puckered-up selfie is gone for the nonce.
ReplyDeleteI was under the impression the shirt was not intended to promote Zak S but a jab in the eyes of those who've demonized him beyond reason... many of whom will be at GenCon as guests, a booth operators, and/or running games.
ReplyDeleteIt's just another salvo in the grudge match between the fake-social-justice society and Zak.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWell Nate, according to Zak, my post is part of his publicity plan.
ReplyDeleteI fell into Zak's publicity trap say's he.
Which makes it even more interesting if he claims it wasn't to promote him.
It's both. Duh.
ReplyDeleteHaving a team of psychotic trolls who stalk your every move is a lot more fun when it makes you money.
And when you're desperate for any kind of attention at all
DeleteConsidering my real jobs get me a lot more attention than my hobby ever will, that seems like a kind of failed premise from the start, Matt Celis.
DeleteWe're a team now? Sweet.
DeleteI've herd stories about your trolling of others for years. I guess you have to know it from the inside to manipulate it from the outside
DeleteThus his constant need to respond. Sorry, Zak, I don't know what your "real job" is. Never heard of you except from your comments on blogs and forums about your hobby. All of which seem desperate bids for attention. Perhaps your real job gets you attention as well. That's good as you seem to need it very, very much. I hope it heals whatever pain spurs the need.
DeleteOh, your real job fucking prostitutes and spreading herpes? Fuck off Zak. Go back to your porn cesspool and stay there.
DeleteShouldn't that be "pissoffzak"?
DeleteThat's it, I'm making a shirt that says "Lorraine Williams Saved D&D" and wearing it to next year's NTRPG con. For the lulz.'
ReplyDeleteToo soon.
DeleteI'm sorry but this is damned petty on all sides. Very disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI've never read anything he's written and D&D plays just fine in my game.
ReplyDeleteHow about #wesavedDnD instead? I save D&D by promoting it to other groups that don't actively game, or who say "Oh, I played that years ago ..."
ReplyDeleteI'm even running a game at probably the most unlikeliest of places in the next few months.
#WeSavedDnD
Oh it's very punk rock, think Sex Pistols.
ReplyDeleteThat was punk rock 40 years ago. It is now de river. Punk rock today would be playing violin in a philharmonic and wearing a top hat and tails.
DeleteDe rigeur damn auto correct
ReplyDelete