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Followin up by Bananadine 04/18/2009, 8:40am PDT
Bananadine wrote:

I think I am gonna try filtering the noise out of a Tim Rogers review. I haven't ever read all the words in one of those either! It would probably be harder though.


I did this. That is, I tried filtering a Tim Rogers review--I didn't actually rewrite it, because as I was carefully reading all the words in it, I observed that if it were digested to its essence then it would basically end up as a normal review like from GameSpot or whatever, plus a few weird Tim Rogers-y bits, and that wouldn't be worth a lot of work.

But as I was reading I saw Tim actually suggesting that game designers should pare down their user interfaces in order to make them more elegant and keep them out of the way of the player--he said that if you can hide a numeral from the player without making the player feel hopeless and lost, then you should hide that numeral! This is a strange opinion for an Action Button writer to hold. It made me very curious and so I asked him in his comments thread why he would write that way, and whether he was trying to keep busy people from even bothering with his work. This is what he said:

Tim Rogers wrote:

one thing i have noticed is that all of the people who claim to “hate” my writing cite “too long” as the number one reason for said hatred.

i’m not trying to keep “busy people” away, really, not so much as i am trying to make sure that only people who enjoy reading in general manage to get through to the end.

because, see, if one of the bad-attitude-having people put off by the sheer length of these pieces (i’ve seriously seen some people on some forums wish i were DEAD because my articles are “too long”) ever managed to finish the entire article and then concoct an actual reasonable list of things they hated about it, i’d probably end up feeling bad.

and for the most part — i think i’ve been over this before — i don’t edit this stuff, no. i just let it all hang out. i have a review template in google documents and i just slam sentences in there from time to time, never really sitting down and giving reviews my full attention. i just slam sentences in, list a few cryptic notes at the bottom so i have some idea of what points i want to cover, and . . . . . . . a couple weeks pass, and we have a review. or we don’t.


He says he's... throwing out chaff in order to block criticism. Have I been trolled? Is Jerry Whorebach secretly Tim Rogers??

I asked him to specifically address the point about paring down game designs, but he never answered. :(
PREVIOUS NEXT REPLY QUOTE
 
should we buy prints of purshuh now? too late we ran out of monans NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 03/24/2009, 3:20pm PDT NEW
    Why don't you just read the Action Button review? by Jerry Whorebach 03/24/2009, 11:22pm PDT NEW
        Fuck you Jerry! The site is down and there's talk of Korean girlfriends! NT by Quétinbec 03/24/2009, 11:39pm PDT NEW
            It just went down in the past 10 minutes. :( NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 03/24/2009, 11:42pm PDT NEW
            EMERGENCY ASIANS (BUREAKU GRASSU) by Fussbett 03/25/2009, 12:10am PDT NEW
                Would, Would, Wouldn't, Would, Would, Would, Would If She's Really Reading That NT by col.schickn 03/25/2009, 12:13am PDT NEW
                So who is this guy? by Quétinbec 03/25/2009, 3:38am PDT NEW
                    Re: So who is this guy? by Choson 03/25/2009, 6:32am PDT NEW
                Hahaha emergency asians. by Zsenitan 03/25/2009, 8:33am PDT NEW
                    Q: What's your name? A: Sex Machine NT by Entropy Stew 03/25/2009, 8:36am PDT NEW
                        (The bottom guy) by Entropy Stew 03/25/2009, 8:38am PDT NEW
        Re: Why don't you just read the Action Button review? by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/25/2009, 12:12am PDT NEW
        Re: Why don't you just read the Action Button review? by Bananadine 03/25/2009, 7:41am PDT NEW
            NT by Fussbett 03/25/2009, 10:35am PDT NEW
                Re: NT by Bananadine 03/25/2009, 10:44am PDT NEW
                    Followin up by Bananadine 04/18/2009, 8:40am PDT NEW
                        so according to him, if you can't stand reading an actionbutton review BOOK you by Weyoun Voidbringer 04/18/2009, 1:51pm PDT NEW
                            icycalm weighs in by Bananadine 04/19/2009, 5:10pm PDT NEW
                                a conversation with a scorn elemental by Bananadine 04/24/2009, 8:52pm PDT NEW
                                    I like the part where he called you a baby. by Jerry Whorebach 04/24/2009, 9:45pm PDT NEW
                                        Re: I like the part where he called you a baby. by icycalm 04/26/2009, 5:59pm PDT NEW
                                            Re: I like the part where he called you a baby. by Jerry Whorebach 04/26/2009, 7:30pm PDT NEW
                                                Re: I like the part where he called you a baby. by icycalm 04/26/2009, 7:41pm PDT NEW
                                                    Re: I like the part where he called you a baby. by Souffle of Pain 04/26/2009, 7:50pm PDT NEW
                                                    You know what, I bet Jerry already did that. by Bunyip 04/26/2009, 7:50pm PDT NEW
                                                    "You're too stupid to see I'm right" --Invincible debate technique! by Fussbett 04/26/2009, 7:53pm PDT NEW
                                                    "Philosophy isn't FOR you, go back to QUAKE." <--------------------------awesome by Jerry Whorebach 04/26/2009, 8:54pm PDT NEW
                                                        Re: "Philosophy isn't FOR you, go back to QUAKE." <----------------------awesome by Bananadine 04/27/2009, 6:05am PDT NEW
                                                    Re: I like the part where he called you a baby. by motherfuckerfoodeater 04/27/2009, 12:19am PDT NEW
                                                    Kevin Klein in "A Fish Called Wanda" NT by Zsenitan 04/27/2009, 2:26am PDT NEW
                                                        DON'T CALL ME STUPID by up with pod people 04/27/2009, 8:28am PDT NEW
                                                    (WITTGENSTEIN) NT by Fortinbras 04/27/2009, 7:29am PDT NEW
                                                        (DENIS DUTTON) by Fortinbras 04/27/2009, 7:53am PDT NEW
                                                            Re: (DENIS DUTTON) by Bananadine 04/27/2009, 8:01am PDT NEW
                                                                (Wittgenstein) is the new <---is a vampire NT by Zsenitan 04/27/2009, 10:06am PDT NEW
                                                                    Ohh ohh ohhhhhhhh you know what else, Lem has an awesome bit on philosophers. by Zsenitan 04/27/2009, 10:27am PDT NEW
                                    Re: a conversation with a scorn elemental by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 6:25am PDT NEW
                                        Re: a conversation with a scorn elemental by Bananadine 04/25/2009, 7:05am PDT NEW
                                            The nature of genius. by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 8:26am PDT NEW
                                                icycalm, circular argument man by up with pod people 04/25/2009, 9:13am PDT NEW
                                                    NPD NT by Entropy Stew 04/25/2009, 11:26am PDT NEW
                                                    Dull minds talk about others, average minds talk about events, great minds talk NT by about concepts. 04/25/2009, 2:08pm PDT NEW
                                                        looks like icycalm's still stoppin' by! NT by up with pod people 04/25/2009, 2:56pm PDT NEW
                                                            Re: looks like icycalm's still stoppin' by! by Bananadine 04/26/2009, 5:37pm PDT NEW
                                                        How stupid. by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 3:25pm PDT NEW
                                                            caltrops devotes most of its threads to complaining about people NT by because you're just so much BETTER 04/25/2009, 3:38pm PDT NEW
                                                                We are world leaders in having a purple website. by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 3:46pm PDT NEW
                                                                    i can't prove it, no. by not icycalm, i swear 04/25/2009, 4:28pm PDT NEW
                                                                        "I don't know why I keep reading this website I hate." - A Genius NT by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 4:39pm PDT NEW
                                                                        I have a hard time imagining Steven Hawkings wiping his own ass. NT by Jerry Whorebach 04/25/2009, 5:44pm PDT NEW
                                                                        Caltrops is JUST LIKE this thing nobody here has going on in their life NT by Souffle of Pain 04/26/2009, 1:16am PDT NEW
                                                                            bad news. you don't notice it because NT by you're him 04/26/2009, 8:58am PDT NEW
                                                                                Re: bad news. you don't notice it because by Zsenitan 04/26/2009, 11:22am PDT NEW
                                                                                    fact != strawman, keep resistin the truth as long as you can by that guy 04/27/2009, 11:08am PDT NEW
                                                                                        THAT'S ALL THERE IS ON CALTROPS TO READ THOUGH! NT by Fortinbras 04/27/2009, 11:15am PDT NEW
                                                                                            highlights of caltrops by that guy 04/27/2009, 11:28am PDT NEW
                                                                                                When QB and JW talk about themselves, it doesn't count as talking about people? NT by Fussbett 04/27/2009, 11:31am PDT NEW
                                                                                                This man loves Caltrops, but hates the snarky ding-dongery that goes on there. by Jerry Whorebach 04/27/2009, 4:53pm PDT NEW
                                                                                        hey man, I'm a high point! I don't gotta resist nothing. NT by Zsenitan 04/27/2009, 11:47am PDT NEW
                                                                                Ha ha, OH NO, I'm the guy who hates shitty fucks that write badly about games NT by Souffle of Pain 04/26/2009, 1:26pm PDT NEW
                                                                                    worse, you're the guy who cares about him NT by not pathetic at all 04/27/2009, 11:08am PDT NEW
                                                                                        Reacting to things, discussing them NT by I'm so above this 04/27/2009, 5:05pm PDT NEW
                                                                                        I honestly don't understand this post. You're kind of stupid. NT by Souffle of Pain 04/27/2009, 6:51pm PDT NEW
                                                                    Also we are spirits in the material world. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 04/25/2009, 9:00pm PDT NEW
                                                                I had every intention of continuing to discuss the matter elsewhere! by Bananadine 04/25/2009, 4:10pm PDT NEW
                                                                Over the pc (fahg). NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 04/25/2009, 8:59pm PDT NEW
                                                        "dull minds talk about others" by up with pod people 04/25/2009, 7:19pm PDT NEW
                                                            Yeah so anyway fuck this clown. A/S/L? by Zsenitan 04/25/2009, 7:35pm PDT NEW
                                                                long hair? fantastic, I look like tank girl. by up with pod people 04/25/2009, 7:45pm PDT NEW
                                                                    Man this is tight, this is gonna be an old school yaoi-ass hookup. by Zsenitan 04/26/2009, 7:55am PDT NEW
                                                                        The yaoi scene could be blown wide open if they hired a second artist sometime NT by Fussbett 04/26/2009, 9:41am PDT NEW
                                                            today i learned that quantum mechanics and that stupid videogame reviewer are NT by equally important 04/26/2009, 8:51am PDT NEW
                                                                Einstein didn't spend his evenings writing hilarious AIM logs about stupid by patent applications >:( 04/26/2009, 12:49pm PDT NEW
                                                                    you call each other cunts all the time with verbosity NT by so what's the problem? 04/27/2009, 11:09am PDT NEW
                                                        What types of minds use clichés and famous quotes in debates? by Fussbett 04/25/2009, 10:22pm PDT NEW
        Tim Rogers rich? by Fussbett 03/25/2009, 10:38am PDT NEW
            Re: Tim Rogers rich? by Quétinbec 03/25/2009, 6:10pm PDT NEW
                I'll chip in on the looks again. by Fussbett 03/25/2009, 6:38pm PDT NEW
                When did I become the resident Tim Rogers expert? :( by Jerry Whorebach 03/25/2009, 8:20pm PDT NEW
                    Excellent work, Jerry. NT by Quétinbec 03/25/2009, 10:17pm PDT NEW
                    Tim, I still like you NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/26/2009, 8:50pm PDT NEW
        Re: Why don't you just read the Action Button review? by Creexuls, a monster >:3 03/25/2009, 8:29pm PDT NEW
            Look man, he gave us a link. Why do we always turn on those who show us kindness NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/25/2009, 8:33pm PDT NEW
                It's like a begrudging link. by Creexuls, a monster >:3 03/25/2009, 8:53pm PDT NEW
 
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