Flame Warriors ~ View topic - The Self-Styled Guru

*Last edited by Slashco on Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:02 am; edited 1 time in total*

Here's one inspired by the C&C Generals (and more recently, Act of War) message board.

The Self-Styled Guru is most often encountered on video gaming forums. He is generally a decent gamer (or at least one with a lot of time on his hands) who, through an equal mixture of real knowledge and ego, has decided that he is the all-knowing authority on that specific game. His trademarks are the smug, authoritarian review and the long, essay-like post full of 'scientific' analysing of the game and its various mechanics. Regardless of whether he gains followers or not, he will often come to believe he represents all players of the game in their views and desires, and addresses letters containing his personal wishes to game designers and/or board admins in the plural, i.e., "We believe that...", "We demand", "The players demand" etc. Convinced that his particular view is always in the majority, he is unfazed by responses like "most people don't care about this (issue/feature/whatever)"...

Since he is often the type who will spend a large part of his daily life on the forum, SSG is a powerful warrior who will defend himself with Tireless Rebutter-like tenacity and drown his opponents in long, wordy replies when challenged. For this reason, most warriors prefer to leave him alone. SSG will often attract a number of Sycophants and Newbies who come to worship him as a quasi-religious figure.

Lurker Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 7

Okay... This one hits quite a bit too close to the mark for me to be comfortable. I've also seen (and been) this poster on occasion at a couple RPing boards I post at.

You shouldn't worry. There's a difference from expressing your opinion on a game and decreeing game doctrine. Making suggestions and giving your insights don't make you a Self-Styled Guru. Declaring yourself an expert and using your self-appointed credentials as a means of discrediting dissenters does.
_________________

Tireless Rebutter / Archivist
The Grand Suggestion List

This blows.

Bah. I've seen 'em. they're aggrivating.
_________________

Tireless Rebutter / Archivist
The Grand Suggestion List