Tabletop Botches the Rules!

Wil Wheaton's tabletop raised $1,414,154 from a crowdfunding campaign to produce Season 3 of Tabletop. They have a producer, a production staff, a makeup person that powders Wheaton's nose yet in the first two episodes of Season 3 they botched the rules in both games. Not so bad when playing Tokaido but BIG TIME
in Forbidden Desert.

What a hack job for those donating and wanting a top notch production on board games. Some may say this is not a big deal, but to me it is a BIG DEAL. The core of the show is board games and they botched it. Even the slightest rule changes in some games throws the BALANCE of the game off and makes it a completely different animal. Wheaton sounds pissed at his producer in his blog post which can be read here:

wilwheaton.net/2014/11/forbidden-desert-on-tabletop/

Wheaton should be pissed at his producer and his rationalization to me doesn't fly. Wheaton should refund his backers from the Crowdfunding campaign, resign from Tabletop and join the ranks of other video bloggers that don't have gaming as their priority but VANITY.

I don't know, that's between him and his supporters/fan base.

To me its a classic example of the focus being on the cute jokes like "DR. Lickhertitty"
rather than the game.

The faux pas so egregious, that it truly is proof that such videos are killing the hobby.

Get my god damn pitch fork and torch.

The faux pas so egregious, that it truly is proof that such videos are killing the hobby.

Get my god damn pitch fork and torch.

Please Mr. Crayons, lets show some civility. I think a pink slip delivered by Mr. Barnes is all that is necessary.

Apparently Will thinks you're a nitpicking übergamer... ha

I’m annoyed and disappointed that we’ve aired two episodes this season, and we’ve made a rules error on each of them (not such a huge deal in Tokaido, but a huge deal in this one, because we unintentionally made the game much easier on ourselves.) I know there’s a big mistake coming up later this year in Stone Age, too.

Ultimately, the goal of Tabletop is to be entertaining, to introduce people to boardgames, and to get people excited about playing games. If we misunderstand a rule here and there, it’s not the end of the world, because that happens in real life when we play at home, but I do hold my show to a higher standard, for obvious reasons.

I don’t think this is going to get in the way of anyone’s enjoyment, except for the übergamers who nitpick and complain about every mistake or sub-optimal play we make, but I’m honestly not making this show for them, anyway.

Look, I play lots of games wrong and I don't give a shit. Now this show... clearly should be held to a higher standard (as Will himself echoes) but this is truly not my business because I don't like the show. It's between him and his audience. If they're ok with it... fine. If not.. well then we have an issue that luckily I won't be involved in.

I think boardgaming is becoming cool. I see little cafe's with TTR and Dixit on their shelves, there's bars/cafes that cater to that clientele almost exclusively. There is a hipster bar here in Vancouver that is all about selling to geeks. Geeky names for drinks, geeky games on the shelves, a couple in the corner playing magic...

I can't stand the fucking place. I go to the Legion where everyone leaves me alone and set up a game there if I want.. or I go to the PCOV (Portugese Club of Vancouver) that's filled with old men drinking wine and if we play cards in the corner they really don't fucking care. There isn't a parade of people coming by and asking questions.

Boardgaming is growing, the net is a big part of that and probably vlogging is too. Unfortunately I don't think it's growing the direction I would like... but it's a minor quibble and I figure there will still be a niche crowd for pretty much anything you're into.

Eh, fucking up the rules is part of the hobby...I would actually be disappointed if we didn't have at least one rules fuck up PER SESSION.

We have a long running joke...when we discover a botched rule, the game goes into "dispute". Someone generally announces loudly how disgusted they are that the rules were mis-taught/ignored/forgotten and declares the dispute, indicating that should the winner be the person that benefitted from the rule, they will actually not have won.

That said, I do not understand why Mr. Wheaton doesn't assuage this issue by becoming Wesley Crusher and going back in time to fix the problem.

I actually made a big rules goof in my review of Cyclades...Bruno Cathala himself emailed me to tell me what I did wrong, I was so embarassed...especially because I really like his games.

How do you fuck up playing Forbidden Desert anyway? Were they drinking? I certainly hope not, there is no place in hobby gaming for intoxication.

This is nothing new, the majority of the tabletop episodes have some sort of egregious rules error

Who the fuck cares, Weeks? Go do better. Bring back pierre the eurosnoot and songs and do it better or shut the fuck up.

This is outrageous! I buy ALL the games on Tabletop and play them by the rules Wil Wheaton teaches me on the show. Neither myself nor anyone I game with ever even opens the rulebooks that come with our games. Now I find out we may have been having fun COMPLETELY wrong. I didn't support or even know about that crowdfunding shit, but I think Wil Wheaton himself definitely owes me some money. My group's entire boardgaming experience has been ruined by these so-called "minor" errors. Thank you, Mr Weeks, for bringing Wheatongate/Tablegate to our attention. Otherwise my group may have continued enjoying those games oblivious to the errors.

Well, I will say that Weeks bringing this to light has completely reversed my opinion of Wheaton. Previously I had regarded him as on par with the Risen Christ and board game divinity on par with Vasel, Schloesser and Thornquist. If it were 2005, he would have been vested with a caricature avatar. However, now that I know that he is human, I am quite crestfallen.

Should I ever game with him, I will be sure to perform a thorough audit of the rules.

"Place the board in the middle of the table."

"Are you SURE, Wil?"

JonJacob wrote: Apparently Will thinks you're a nitpicking übergamer... ha

I’m annoyed and disappointed that we’ve aired two episodes this season, and we’ve made a rules error on each of them (not such a huge deal in Tokaido, but a huge deal in this one, because we unintentionally made the game much easier on ourselves.) I know there’s a big mistake coming up later this year in Stone Age, too.

Ultimately, the goal of Tabletop is to be entertaining, to introduce people to boardgames, and to get people excited about playing games. If we misunderstand a rule here and there, it’s not the end of the world, because that happens in real life when we play at home, but I do hold my show to a higher standard, for obvious reasons.

I don’t think this is going to get in the way of anyone’s enjoyment, except for the übergamers who nitpick and complain about every mistake or sub-optimal play we make, but I’m honestly not making this show for them, anyway.

Look, I play lots of games wrong and I don't give a shit. Now this show... clearly should be held to a higher standard (as Will himself echoes) but this is truly not my business because I don't like the show. It's between him and his audience. If they're ok with it... fine. If not.. well then we have an issue that luckily I won't be involved in.

I think boardgaming is becoming cool. I see little cafe's with TTR and Dixit on their shelves, there's bars/cafes that cater to that clientele almost exclusively. There is a hipster bar here in Vancouver that is all about selling to geeks. Geeky names for drinks, geeky games on the shelves, a couple in the corner playing magic...

I can't stand the fucking place. I go to the Legion where everyone leaves me alone and set up a game there if I want.. or I go to the PCOV (Portugese Club of Vancouver) that's filled with old men drinking wine and if we play cards in the corner they really don't fucking care. There isn't a parade of people coming by and asking questions.

Boardgaming is growing, the net is a big part of that and probably vlogging is too. Unfortunately I don't think it's growing the direction I would like... but it's a minor quibble and I figure there will still be a niche crowd for pretty much anything you're into.

I admire this attempt to elevate the conversation at hand, but bringing reason into a Steve Weeks thread is like bringing your debate team to a pie fight.

The Lone Voice wrote:

The faux pas so egregious, that it truly is proof that such videos are killing the hobby.

Get my god damn pitch fork and torch.

Please Mr. Crayons, lets show some civility. I think a pink slip delivered by Mr. Barnes is all that is necessary.

Whadya mean? I'm totally on your side, man. I think the overwrought angst about wheaton's error calls for his balls on a stick roasting over a fire fueled by copies of Next Generation. My jackboots are in lockstep with yours.

Oh, and a pink slip for making fun of such superb hyperbole? What is this? BGG? And Barnes is Octavian? XD You crack me up.

Weeks is very misunderstood around here. He has one of the most unique senses of humor in the hobby and is a generally pretty civil guy too... although he is making fun of all us in a way he is still passionate and interesting. His threads bring out a lot of people..


I guess I just think you guys are too hard on him.