Compromise and Conceit

This post at Grognardia reminds me of why I am uncomfortable with the “old-school movement” and its pronouncements on all things nerdy. Putting aside the strange fascination with naff artwork and Dr. Who style special effects, the weird, almost religious obsession with pronouncements by one strange, pedantic, over-opinionated game writer (i.e. Gary Gygax) is almost religious in its intensity, and disturbingly forgiving of his mortal traits. The thread in question, where people variously try to understand a completely pointless and meaningless quote by a man famous for his indecipherable prose, makes my point. But Wax Banks makes it better, with a few digs at Gygax’s noble character on the way.