tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post4489467333758874314..comments2024-03-27T01:28:28.346-07:00Comments on False Machine: You Should Read Thispjamesstuarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13288777018721199748noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-75571414335097116412021-11-23T00:00:57.102-08:002021-11-23T00:00:57.102-08:00Hope you don't mind knowing that *every* time ...Hope you don't mind knowing that *every* time you buy something made by an awful artist, you're giving them money that they can, and probably will, use to hurt, abuse, and traumatize other people. And you're taking time that could be spend on much lesser known, and probably much better artists instead. I'm sure mansplanning about how good this guys edgy elfgames are on a post literally about nothing BUT this guys issues isn't harmful to the victims at all!Super Scattman.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07277735700868081771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-4950348238163947142021-08-11T14:10:25.673-07:002021-08-11T14:10:25.673-07:00Perhaps you should re-edit your pervious defense o...Perhaps you should re-edit your pervious defense of Zak?Ryu238https://www.blogger.com/profile/10011281472578951724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-1765848869306559292019-03-03T23:40:24.191-08:002019-03-03T23:40:24.191-08:00Well damn. And I was looking forward to Violence I...Well damn. And I was looking forward to Violence In The Nympharium too.<br /><br />Important to remember at times like these: It's better to find there's a cancer in the system than to have an undiagnosed cancer. Even if getting that diagnosis is very unpleasant. We will be stronger for this. Ultimately the only loss is what was already claimed by the tumor. Now the body can regrow.<br /><br />And to think, I thought the "fuck-all-of-you" post was over the Coins & Scrolls guy being upset over you not wanting to do a Veins of the Earth follow up.TPmanWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08415910295872695542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-16690819014810739672019-02-18T18:08:07.925-08:002019-02-18T18:08:07.925-08:00gosh what are the odds that a loud and continual a...gosh what are the odds that a loud and continual advocate of Currently Popular Values in the nerdogeekosphere could be a rapist, when has anything like this ever happened beforespigothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10731224119469018601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-62218606320586597112019-02-15T10:26:27.937-08:002019-02-15T10:26:27.937-08:00Wow.
A few months ago i stopped following Zak blo...Wow.<br /><br />A few months ago i stopped following Zak blog, mostly because the whole vitrol an discourse drama was too much for me, and i wanted to read about weird worlds, rules and creative content. I always knew that he was a polemic personality in the OSR, but i mostly ignored that aspect of him, trusting on his word that it erupted from misinterpretetion, jealousy, or something like that.<br /><br />Mandy was brave, stripping up his mask. I *Cant* sit idle and ignore what he did anymore. Thanks for making this, for letting us know. Bruno el Vagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01603496144405395641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-66296293739153116752019-02-14T16:44:51.342-08:002019-02-14T16:44:51.342-08:00Thank you for making this post. Thank you for making this post. Ancalagon_TBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13602961033235852856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-9662514950810973162019-02-14T16:08:06.440-08:002019-02-14T16:08:06.440-08:00Him leaving the scene can only be healthy for crea...Him leaving the scene can only be healthy for creativity. The spotlight will be less focused on a single part and it will let different people emerge. Creators will more freely interact with people in and out of the scene.Evlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15442829447189093399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-91908979325164830572019-02-14T16:06:41.788-08:002019-02-14T16:06:41.788-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Evlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15442829447189093399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-40219535746027050162019-02-14T14:27:22.656-08:002019-02-14T14:27:22.656-08:00I'm very sorry for Mandy and the other women i...I'm very sorry for Mandy and the other women in the post. And I wish I had never bought anything of his. But I'm glad you shared this, b/c I really didn't know about it. Depressing for bystanders and a fucking horror show for the people close up. Sigh.Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08057182508701974364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-4369471950669443112019-02-14T13:26:15.683-08:002019-02-14T13:26:15.683-08:00I feel duped in the same way you were. Like right ...I feel duped in the same way you were. Like right now, we have the RPG scene largely unified in "Fuck that Guy". Mark Diaz Truman is getting reamed by people for daring to have written a lukewarm request for civility like 3 years ago. I honestly thought he had some kind of unrecognized Asperger's syndrome because he'd say things that sounded like someone who didn't understand human motivations. Now it's pretty obvious that he knew and understood, just didn't care unless it served his ego.Jon Wakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032743116466886545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-19153375322343118332019-02-14T10:59:53.437-08:002019-02-14T10:59:53.437-08:00Thanks Patrick. Now I'm sad.Thanks Patrick. Now I'm sad.AndreasDavourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17170806742393291962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-11910335466254992212019-02-14T10:37:01.193-08:002019-02-14T10:37:01.193-08:00Perfectly said. Altogether true and observable. Th...Perfectly said. Altogether true and observable. Thank you for the dose of reason in an unreasonable society.TheBurgundianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15079745737501166481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-56758753350040556672019-02-14T10:35:36.908-08:002019-02-14T10:35:36.908-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.TheBurgundianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15079745737501166481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-68402481143730543182019-02-14T08:47:17.547-08:002019-02-14T08:47:17.547-08:00Well, this is heartbreaking. I've been a big f...Well, this is heartbreaking. I've been a big fan of Zak's commentary (though not his politics). His blogroll has been the launching point for my daily crawl through the OSR blog community for years. Which explains why I'm only finding out about this scandal today when he deleted his blogroll.<br /><br />For those of you who are wondering how to reconcile what's happened with your enjoyment of stuff that Zak worked on, just remember what I always say:<br /><br />The art is not the artist.<br /><br />Many good artists are terrible people. I've had the (mis?)fortune to float around the edges of Hollywood (My wife was a TV producer. I walked the red carpet at the Emmys as her +1. It's our 20th Valentines Day together), and I can tell you there a A LOT of awful human beings in that business. That doesn't make the movies and shows bad. Harvey Weinstein is at least as much the abusive misogynist that Zak is; the Lord of the Rings movies are still awesome. Roman Polanski is a fugitive rapist; Chinatown is still one of the best movies ever made. Do you like anything with a child actor in it? There's a pretty good chance that kid was sexually abused by someone involved in making the show. Pablo Picasso: terrible person; Guernica: amazing painting. <br /><br />If you are unwilling to enjoy something based on it's own merits rather than those of it's creators, you aren't going to be able to enjoy much. That's an ugly truth but we live in an ugly world.<br /><br />I won't be following Zak anymore, and I'd like to punch him in the face for mistreating Mandy, who always seemed like an awesome person. But I wouldn't refuse to buy something that looked cool just because Zak was involved with it. <br /><br />Finally, I hate the puritanical driving people from the public square for wrongthink that is so popular today. But it is shamefully satisfying to see it happening to someone who was such a big proponent of it.jamescbennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06603912011980275273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-78444218342709177052019-02-13T15:59:09.186-08:002019-02-13T15:59:09.186-08:00Patrick, I love Maze... I feel sad that your work ...Patrick, I love Maze... I feel sad that your work on it has been shadowed over by the crummy behavior of ZS. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Way to go for making the hard decision to cut ties with a creative colleague. It gives me hope to see how many decent people are supporting Mandy and others who have come forward. ixazalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587395497017712184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-38375300318555394512019-02-13T08:44:57.039-08:002019-02-13T08:44:57.039-08:00Old School Enlightenment? What would that look lik...Old School Enlightenment? What would that look like?The Byzantinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13099463881655126437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-59214717538973368572019-02-13T02:02:16.253-08:002019-02-13T02:02:16.253-08:00Mandy had certainly grown conspicuous by her absen...Mandy had certainly grown conspicuous by her absence as far as RPG stuff went. I remember wondering about that and looking around a bit back in December or late November, but being a distractable sort I didn't dig very deep.<br /><br />My head and stomach are going around in circles about this. I'm a pretty upset guy right about now, mostly at Zak, a little at myself.Jeff Heikkinenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13856981023882223505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-39743478116537164532019-02-12T12:18:31.347-08:002019-02-12T12:18:31.347-08:00Patrick - thank you for making it possible for me ...Patrick - thank you for making it possible for me to support you as a creator. <br /><br />I came across Veins of the Earth some time ago, and fell deeply, unreservedly in love with it. I followed it to Deep Carbon Observatory, and Fire on the Velvet Horizon, and loved them too. And then, as a member of a community that had one of its members literally *harassed off the internet* by Zak S (the SomethingAwful TradGames forum), I shamelessly pirated your books because I simply could not justify giving money to anyone who maintained a relationship with that monster.<br /><br />I just bought my legitimate copies of Veins and Observatory, and Velvet Horizon will happen with my next paycheck. Thank you for doing the right thing.Anemonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13929026606722498581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-3011816640740970032019-02-12T10:38:11.346-08:002019-02-12T10:38:11.346-08:00You could run it at your local game store, charge ...You could run it at your local game store, charge a symbolic amount for doing so and donate the money to charity (maybe one helping abused people).Enzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05040144888171294476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-87514147210201273112019-02-12T08:45:25.120-08:002019-02-12T08:45:25.120-08:00Thank you for sharing. Well written.
So I got Maz...Thank you for sharing. Well written.<br /><br />So I got Maze in January and now I'm doing a bit of head scratching about what to do with this book. Only read 1 section so far.Jonathan Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10055077746859104169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-89985775519144888642019-02-12T04:37:36.707-08:002019-02-12T04:37:36.707-08:00Great post Patrick. I've frequently been bewil...Great post Patrick. I've frequently been bewildered by the hostility you've received on G+ at times, which seems to have come from the followers of a certain cult of personality.<br /><br />Glad you've got freedom to go in your own direction without a shadow on your back.<br />evilgazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03606909688636306455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-85041882097186091492019-02-11T19:28:34.889-08:002019-02-11T19:28:34.889-08:00I feel like it's possible that the "OSR&q...I feel like it's possible that the "OSR"/"Adventure Games" world will actually become more healthy with Zak gone. There is a feeling out there that OSR people are prickly, mean, and argumentative, but that is at least in part Zak's influence. It's conceivable that, with Zak gone, more creators might feel more open to OSR ideas.Phill L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09128302191918158828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-33646049268473168242019-02-11T15:59:34.401-08:002019-02-11T15:59:34.401-08:001. The original Renaissance had to end- in chaos a...1. The original Renaissance had to end- in chaos and discord (heh)- that the Enlightenment might follow. <br />2. In your September 2017 post you describe people like Paolo somehow finding or being drawn to antagonize Zak. I have no desire to make any of this harder for anyone- I just wonder if bullet catcher, whipping boy (Paolo and others) and trophy positions were all filled with people who he had groomed. With respect, CS.Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840786259312125329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-7314365655831564432019-02-11T15:56:09.234-08:002019-02-11T15:56:09.234-08:00It usually seems to take him a few days to put out...It usually seems to take him a few days to put out a big 'press release'-style thing, like after the Peterson pic or when those books got destroyed.HDAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13506175636615989219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4522018539311056682.post-70928967893247314352019-02-11T11:25:04.894-08:002019-02-11T11:25:04.894-08:00I’m glad that this is finally out, with no further...I’m glad that this is finally out, with no further doubt or ambiguity. Mandy is very brave to face the social media firestorm. It’s good to have some closure, in any event.Lord Mhorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13607546479231973229noreply@blogger.com