Anti-Nero/Game Rhetoric...

Lately I've noticed a marked increase in the anti-nero rhetoric.  And it is pretty vehement.  Quite a few people have mentioned, numerous times, how much they hate the rules, hate Joseph Valenti, hate the plotlines, lack of immersion, etc.  Sometimes it is loud and very vocalized.

I'd like to throw out there that you don't have to like Nero, you don't have to like Joseph Valenti, but we should remember that a lot of us travel in the same circles and quite a few still play Nero.  I think sometimes we forget that and it can lead to a lot of hurt feelings.

While WAR left Nero for a number of reasons, that does not mean that we hate Nero or its rules set.  We saw an opportunity to be involved in a different kind of game and took advantage of it.  We may have had our differences with the National organization for Nero, but that doesn't mean that dislike the chapters still running, their owners, or their players.  A lot of our players still play Nero and I wish them great times and wonderful events.

Players, owners, etc. can have issues with Nero and National, but still provide constructive criticism.  We don't have to be venomous or bullying, or purposefully try to make people feel bad for playing the Larp of their choice.

Really, quite a few of the posts and whatnot that I have read over the past several months go beyond trolololol'ing and in to the realm of being mean for mean's sake.  I was pretty astounded at some of the stuff I read.  If it were directed at me or a game I was running, I would be totally devastated.  

And while I may have focused on Nero for this particular post and topic, because that's what I have heard the most of lately.  Though it isn't limited to that.  Different Larps have different styles of game play and not every Larp is for everyone.  There are some Larps that I have absolutely no interest in going to, because I like a particular style of game or genre, but that doesn't mean that it isn't other peoples golden unicorn of Larps.

Again, this isn't just about Nero.  There are a lot of Larps that have recently started and people tend to get pretty anxious right out of the gate, understandable, but remember that remaining and phrasing questions or concerns in a positive manner can get much more accomplished. 

Not to mention all the volunteers that donate time, money, and energy to running the game.  So why not avoid making people feel bad?  There's a difference, again, between offering actual constructive criticism and being a jerk about it.   

Have I lost my cool and totally ranted my head off before about a Larp? Hells ya.  Many times.  I try very hard not to do it in public and I never do it on the internet.  I am very emotionally connected to Larp.  I put a tremendous amount of effort in to it.  So I take some stuff that happens personally.  But I recognize, too, that sarcasm and hostile posts will only serve to make the "fire" of the situation worse.  Having a calm and measured discourse, listing out specific points/likes/dislikes is MUCH more likely to be received in a more positive light and mayhaps action will be taken.  If it isn't, well, not too much you can do.  Being a total d-bag though solves nothing.  It makes people totally ignore you and everything you have to say is totally wasted - even when you might have valid points.

In the end, respect and restraint can go an awful long way and win you quite a few supporters. 

What do you think? How do you handle the situation when you seriously disagree with the management of a Larp/rules of a Larp/etc.?