Monday, June 29, 2015

I Got Nominated For A Bunch of Awards So Cam Banks Compared Me To Hitler

Sorry I've been posting light--Mandy's been in the hospital again a lot (they've decided to feed her through her heart, which is strange and dangerous but so far ok).

Anyway, it's nice to wake up to see Red & Pleasant Land and the 5th ed Player's Handbook both got nominated for 4 Ennies each! RPL got noms for Best Adventure, Best Setting, Best Writing and Product of the Year.

Contessa also got nominated for Best Blog, so congratulations to Stacy and the crew.

The Ennies require self-nomination, have a small group of judges, and can overlook small publishers, so this is as much a measure of LotFP and the DIY D&D scene's growth since the year Vornheim lost Best Supplement to a bunch of dungeon tiles as it is of anything else but, still, it's a nice thing. I hope to see more stuff like Deep Carbon Observatory, Yoon-Suin and Slumbering Ursine Dunes up there in the future.

Of course these nominations are not a nice thing for everybody. Like, for example, failed game author and RPG drama club weirdo Cam Banks. Remember, this is twitter, so to get the tweets in chronological order, read up from the bottom:

So, kids, while I'll appreciate it if you vote for Red & Pleasant Land, just be aware that doing it makes you like a Nazi.

Red & Pleasant Land:
Identity. Heritage. Xenophobia.

27 comments:

Daniel Dean said...

Enjoy the textbook definition of self-fulfilling prophecy.

remial said...

well for what it is worth, I think that you are one of the nicer Hitlers out there. better writers as far as Hitlers go too.

Rusty said...

Hitler tweets have disappeared?
@boymonster states comparison was not his intent.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

All the drama aside...congrats on the nomination. RaPL is great and worthy of the nomination and win.

Gabriel Harley said...

Congrats on the nomination. BUT HOLY SHIT THAT THING WITH MANDY'S HEART! So sorry you guys have to deal with that. I've been through a bunch of heart stuff myself (open-heart surgery, artificial valve, aneurysm, and blah); if I can offer any advice or just an ear, feel free to get in touch.

Zak Sabbath said...

Thanks, Gabe, thanks everyone

Anonymous said...

I don't think Hitler ever even played D&D...

Chris Dunlap said...

Red and Pleasant Land is a cool piece of work. Congratulations on the nomination!

Unknown said...

Holy fuck those grapes are sour with unbalanced little seeds at their centre.

Although on the other hand R&PL is obviously 0% creativity and 100% pandering to everyone's well-voiced desperation for gameable teacups and giant spell-enhancing eggmen with hollow heads, if it wins it won't mean anything.

What happened to Cam's facade of being everyone's friend and not saying anything bad about anyone especially when it has no basis?

der eisenhofer said...

Congrats! Mandy got hardcore Cyberpunk now?

Zak Sabbath said...

Cam's not everyone's friend, he's a man with a certain kind of sensibility and demeanor:

-don't make waves
-don't discuss ideas if it might cause trouble

He fell in early on (as most people do) with people who shared his sensibilities--Disneyish, lite, pop, avoiding difficult subjects and complicated ideas--and who had a specific conversational style--heavy on Feels and support, light on analysis, details, fact-checks etc.

In game circles these people vent but often vent with a veneer of game design ("Mechanics shouldn't be clunky!") but fall apart when any real discussion occurs ("Ok, what's clunky mean?""FUCK OFF I HATE YOU")

This was a kind of indie discussion status quobefore the OSR got any wider recognition--people who happily and uncontroversially repeated platitudes to each other about Good Responsible Games that were rarely tested or questioned and hung out in the same places (physical and online).

When we came along, asking for a more detailed and useful level of conversation that would actually help make better games, many of Cam's more outspoken friends, fans, and allies starting venting in our direction. They basically manufactured any fact that would back up their arguments and got called on it.

Cam sided with his friends, but usually does it in a very Cam way: Support your friends unquestioningly, ignore any disagreement, no matter how polite or rational. His game design reflects these narrow horizons.

But once in a while he gets his blood up and just can't resist the opportunity to shit on the folks who've poisoned the garden of smug.

Imperator said...

I wish Mandy and you all the best and hope that she gets better.

Hitler comparisons. Guess that's the last resort.

Konsumterra said...

there should be a spread for bread called i cant believe its not hitler

Meta said...

I think you deserved getting nominated for Art cover and Interior Art. That's a shame. It seems like ones prefers nice neutral and icy pictures without any soul. Anyway, congratulations for your marvelous work, which is fascinating dozens of french players like me.

Ynas Midgard said...

Congrats on the nomination! To be honest, I'm not really into your art (can't really put my finger on why, really); however, I appreciate the consistent vision you manage to deliver, and R&PL is definitely worth the wider recognition. Looking forward to reading more astounding works of yours.

Sorry to hear about Mandy; wishing you guys the best.

Marten said...

Hey Zak, I sincereley hope Mandy gets better and really feel for you guys.

About the Hitler-comparison – there is a nice idiom about that here in modern-day Germany: It's whipping out the Nazikeule (Nazi-bludgeon). Beat down on any (political or otherwise) opponent with it in lieu of actual arguments. Funny that it happens to you.

Anyhow, best of luck with both health- and award-issues. And in that order.

Johnny Lemuria said...

(a) Whenever I think of Hitler now, I'm going to think of a beautiful blonde woman eating cake without her hands. So, thanks?
(b) Vornheim sounds fantastic, but I haven't managed to find a place to buy it. Is it still on sale, perhaps as a pdf?
(c) Congratulations.

Zak Sabbath said...

the pdf is available all over --
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/91110/Vornheim-The-Complete-City-Kit

We are doing a reprint of the physical edition prett soon

Johnny Lemuria said...

Thank you!

Jeff Heikkinen said...

It's a good thing you included the translation, because at first I read that as "Nazi-ukelele", bringing a rather different image to mind. Albeit one that does convey about the right level of comical ineffectualness.

Nostack said...

Good luck to Mandy, man. Do not let petty stuff occupy your head.

Purgatus said...

Am I the only person who doesn't know what that photo is or has to do with RaPL?

Zak Sabbath said...

It is Charlotte Stokely, our party's wizard. She is eating a red and pleasant land cake

Purgatus said...

Thank you. Makes so much more sense now.

Purgatus said...

In other news: congratulations, richly deserved. Red and Pleasant Land is literally the finest and most fever-dream inducing rpg product I have ever read. It's a masterpiece.

Chris Negelein said...

Congrats! And ... mmmmm, cake! I'm hoping you guys do for Alice in Wonderland what Ken Hite did for Chthulu

Jay Murphy said...

Wishing the best most possible outcome for Mandy. RaPL is getting the recognition it deserves; best RPG product offered to date ever.