RMN PLAYS

but playing and commenting on games on RMN really is not that rewarding in and of itself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the PLAYING part--I'm effervescently grateful for the smorgasbord of great free game content RMN offers. All those free games, many of them good, many of them complete, some of them good AND complete!? It's the best thing since sliced bread and as a gamer I'm happy to contribute to it in my own small way, tossing in my couple dozen free games to the thousand and thousands on here. And yes, I like leaving the occasional comment to share whatever random flotsam is in my mind while I'm playing. But it's the COMMENTING part I'm finding can get me down.

Like...dedicated detailed and thoughtful commenting on each game you play? Man, that's a crap shoot at best. The problem is that I can spend time and effort thoroughly spelling out every area where a game can be improved, and yet for every person who can take criticism graciously, there is someone who will react with such quietly spiteful rage that it is like they think I anally raped their mother while pouring sugar into their gas tank rather than playing their game and giving detailed feedback. Either that or debate me point for point on minutiae which I also don't have the energy for. It's just demoralizing. I know I could just take a "fire and forget" approach to feedback, but part of the satisfaction of taking the time to write a detailed review is seeing the creator's reaction to your time spent intellectually engaged with their work.

And while it didn't happen this time, in the past people have nuked their whole game pages in a fit of pique, taking my brilliantly written and entertaining review of their crappy game with them into oblivion. It's kind of a minefield out there and it makes me understand why I haven't submitted more than a mere 25-30 reviews over the six years I've been active on RMN.

Honestly, rather than play a game and provide feedback to someone who's an unknown quantity, I'm better off making sure I only play games that I know I will like everything about, or if I risk playing games I'm not positive are awesome, make sure I only comment on games made by people I know as a fact have learned how to take criticism.

I'll just spit out the unspoken flipside to this before anyone else says it, I guess. I certainly have dealt with my own issues of learning to take criticism over the years, and I have certainly experienced my own feelings of resentment towards the idea that a critical review is something one should be grateful for.