This is what I don't get here (among many things). Why does this discussion repeatedly downgrade to this vitriol?
I'm probably pissing against the wind here with this "let's all get together and sing Kumbaya" moment of mine, because when did that ever work on the internet, especially during an argument? But it's boggling my mind. I'm not against discussions or disagreements, but for the life of me I don't understand why some people are so hostile and spiteful about this matter, to the point where they continually either flamebait or disparage those who disagree with them, be it in a passive-aggressive manner or just open scorn.
I usually roll my eyes when I read comments like this my own right here, and tend to be very cynical about them, but I can't help it this time around.
People are allowed to choose whatever hobby they want and be as enthusiastic as they like about it, and specific aspects of it - like graphics. I myself dedicate most of my spare time to gaming, so I know how people can become emotional about it. But this is one of those threads where 'discussion' has reached such a disrespectful low and pointlessness that I'm suddenly slapped across the face and take a step back, after I realize how much energy I've been spending on something ultimately inconsequential and how petty I've become about it. I, and I'm going to guess that many others here, too, are in this for the fun, and not as some semi-religious crusade to reform the industry.
Because, ultimately, what is the end goal of this thread? What is its point, after 260 pages and going?
Thank you for writing this. I wholeheartedly agree with you, I wish that regardless of what people are saying, they would say it in a civil and neutral manner. I think the difference with other communities is that we don't police our own. I'm not arguing in favour of political correctness but a bit more empathy and rationality could sure come in handy lately.
I also want to second your point about the game itself. In the grand scheme of things, even if my worst fears were right, that CDPR had accepted a check from microsoft to hold back the PC I would still gladly purchase it. My trust in CDPR would be broken as a company that has PC interests at heart, but that would be the extent of it. Because a game is more than the sum of its parts and the tone, atmosphere and storytelling of witcher games are second to none. These games have soul, and that's all I can ask of them past matters of principle.
However I also believe in treating developers as human beings in the hope that maybe, just maybe, they are reading this. This means being friendly, polite, appreciative of their huge dedication but also having the honesty to respectfully tell them when I'm afraid they might be losing themselves. I might be wrong, but I'd rather try to snip in my 2c rather than resigning myself .