Editorial RPG Codex Editorial: Games Journalism Scandal

[ghostdog]

Hey, I was talking about Grotsnik himself doing it (fuck second-hand editors), and I'm sure that at some level he surely will, if he writes another one. It takes a lot of effort writing something like this and you definitely get better by time. And I really hope he does write more

 

[IDtenT]

We should get hiver to edit it.

 

[Haba]

Now we just need an investigative journalist to uncover who grotsnik is really...

If you guys want grotsnik's articles edited next time, and I hope there is a next time, then someone other than me's gotta do it. Because, like I said, I find grotsnik's style pretty easy (and exciting) to read, and am surprised anyone should have any trouble reading it.

The issue wouldn't be so dominant in a different site, Codex's typography is lacking at best. You know, small font size, tight line spacing, large blocks of text...

Shorter paragraphs would at least alleviate the problem a bit.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

It's not too late to edit it. It seems lots of people are going to be reading it, would be worth the effort.

Then again, Codex does not scale to your level.

Nah, just food for thought for the next articles... which I hope will appear at least twice in a blue moon.

Did I mention I registered on RPGCodex because I read a couple of well written articles form around 2006-2007 ? Intelligent, funny and to the point, they really made me think the people here were serious, smart and humorous gentlemen. I wasn't completely wrong, but boy was I in for a surprise

2006-2007 was around the time that Vault Dweller was in charge. It was his Gothic 3 review that really sold me on the Codex.

 

[Infinitron]

Because, like I said, I find grotsnik's style pretty easy (and exciting) to read, and am surprised anyone should have any trouble reading it.

I imagine long sentences are nothing compared to long words

Germans gonna German

 

[LeStryfe79]

RPG Codex is not even a real games journalism site. Where are their unboxing videos?

This needs a quality emote me thinks

 

[Crooked Bee]

Because, like I said, I find grotsnik's style pretty easy (and exciting) to read, and am surprised anyone should have any trouble reading it.

I imagine long sentences are nothing compared to long words

Germans gonna German

Have you ever read a book? You know, one that isn't a children's book with pictures? If you have, I don't see how you can have any problem reading grotsnik's article.

 

[Jasede]

The issue aren't the sentences, it's the formatting.

Edit: I found one German sentence.

Vor dem von Doppelsäulchen getragenen Rundbogen des Klostereinganges von Mariabronn, dicht am Wege, stand ein Kastanienbaum, ein vereinzelter Sohn des Südens, von einem Rompilger vor Zeiten mitgebracht, eine Edelkastanie mit starkem Stamm; zärtlich hing ihre runde Krone über den Weg, atmete breitbrüstig im Winde, ließ im Frühling, wenn alles ringsum schon grün war und selbst die Klosterbäume schon ihr rötliches Junglaub trugen, noch lange auf ihre Blätter warten, trieb dann um die Zeit der kürzesten Nächte aus den Blattbüscheln die matten, weißgrünen Strahlen ihrer fremdartigen Blüten empor, die so mahnend und beklemmend herbkräftig rochen, und ließ im Oktober, wenn Obst und Wein schon geerntet war, aus der gilbenden Krone im Herbstwind die stacheligen Früchte fallen, die nicht in jedem Jahr reif wurden, um welche die Klosterbuben sich balgten und die der aus dem Welschland stammende Subprior Gregor in seiner Stube im Kaminfeuer briet.

Since I'm bored I translated it, keeping the pedantic German style:

In front of the round arch of the entrance to the monastery of Mariabronn, carried by two pillars, there was, close by the path, a chestnut tree, a lonesome son of the south brought here by a pilgrim of Rome ages ago, a sweet chestnut with a strong trunk; its round crown suspended gently above the path, breathing broadly in the wind, slow to grow its leaves in spring when everything around it was already green and even the cloister trees already displayed their reddish early foliage, only to then, around the time of the shortest nights, drive forth from its bushels of leaves the muted, white-green rays of its strange blossoms, their scent admonishing and oppressive, and to then, in October, when fruits and wine had already been harvested, drop from its withering crown in the autumn wind its spiked fruits which did not ripen every year and for which the boys of the cloister fought and which the Walhizian subprior Gregor roasted in his chamber at the fireplace.

 

[Infinitron]

Have you ever read a book? You know, one that isn't a children's book with pictures? If you have, I don't see how you can have any problem reading grotsnik's article.

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

 

[Krash]

Oh man what an article

Will brofist grotsnik anywhere and everywhere for this.

 

[Crooked Bee]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

 

[IDtenT]

Have you ever read a book? You know, one that isn't a children's book with pictures? If you have, I don't see how you can have any problem reading grotsnik's article.

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

I bet it looks fine in Lynx running at 400x300.

 

[Surf Solar]

I have no idea what's going on still :<

 

[hoverdog]

 

[IDtenT]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

That's much narrower though. As in it's actually typeset into a letter format. I.e. look at the margins.

 

[Infinitron]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

That article doesn't take up the entire width of my monitor like Codex articles do.

 

[Haba]

Now, if it wasn't so late, I'd whip up and example of what it could be with a proper styling. Maybe someone else can demonstrate.

 

[IDtenT]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

That article doesn't take up the entire width of my monitor like Codex articles do.

Why do you repeat me?

 

[Infinitron]

TypesettingDex

 

[tuluse]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

That's much narrower though. As in it's actually typeset into a letter format. I.e. look at the margins.

I was wondering why people had trouble with the formatting and now I know. I had my browser only using half my screen (so 960 horizontal pixels), and it looks fine.

So set max width on the middle column and people will stop bitching.

 

[Crooked Bee]

There are no problems, it's just formatted a bit uncomfortably and unusually for a website article. Almost as if it's a copy-paste from a .txt file.

Depends on what kind of website you have in mind, I guess. Because I don't see how, e.g., a random article from the London Review of Books has a much different formatting. Does it also look like copy-pasted from a txt to you? Nor are the paragraphs much shorter than in grotsnik's piece.

That article doesn't take up the entire width of my monitor like Codex articles do.

So what? It's still the same kind of formatting (txt dump, as you call it) even if the individual lines are longer. And you can't get rid of the width problem by paragraphs or sentences being shorter, either.

Of course, you could say you just have a problem with the Codex's front page formatting in toto. In that case I'd refer you to DU. ^_^

 

[Infinitron]

So what? It's still the same kind of formatting (txt dump, as you call it) even if the individual lines are longer.

Yes - the point is, that sort of formatting requires a different paragraph width to be comfortably readable. Probably better to change the formatting than the width.

 

[IDtenT]

TypesettingDex

Codex should be TeX compliant.

 

[Crooked Bee]

So what? It's still the same kind of formatting (txt dump, as you call it) even if the individual lines are longer.

Yes - the point is, that sort of formatting requires a different paragraph width to be comfortably readable. Probably better to change the formatting than the width.

So it becomes "unreadable" if individual lines are just twice as long? How do you read other Codex articles such as reviews, then? They all use the same width, and practically the same style.

 

[Infinitron]

So what? It's still the same kind of formatting (txt dump, as you call it) even if the individual lines are longer.

Yes - the point is, that sort of formatting requires a different paragraph width to be comfortably readable. Probably better to change the formatting than the width.

So it becomes "unreadable" if individual lines are just twice as long? How do you read other Codex articles such as reviews, then? They all use the same width, and practically the same style.

They typically have more variety. Shorter paragraphs, bolded and unbolded text, images and videos, bullet points, chapter headings, etc

It's easier on the eyes.