Grumpy RPG Reviews - Blacks in Gaming

Thunderfoot · Feb 27, 2012

Dannyalcatraz said:
Alas, I'm in training for the next couple of months with an eye towards becoming a professional mediator- being an attorney SUXXXX!

Yeah, just keep telling yourself that we you get your paycheck.

We entertainment types will console you on our way to the soup kitchen.

Of course being out of work and poor does leave a lot of time to volunteer for True Dungeon which gets me to GenCon every year for free.

jonesy · Feb 27, 2012

Thunderfoot said:
Not true actually - While the term classifies as white person for most official documents in the US. (though in Federal documents it is slowly changing to a choice of White Hispanic or White non-Hispanic.)

Huh? I'm not understanding any part of that answer. Which part are you talking about? It's not true, but it's official? What do Hispanics have to do with it?

Thunderfoot · Feb 27, 2012

jonesy said:
Huh? I'm not understanding any part of that answer. Which part are you talking about? It's not true, but it's official? What do Hispanics have to do with it?

What I meant was - the term Caucasian to refer to a white person is not exclusively used by the US because it is a scientific term (sort of). However the US used it an an "official" descriptor of white people (on applications, records, etc.) but is currently phasing it out in favor of White Hispanic or White non-Hispanic. Though many US businesses and States still use the Caucasian term for all white people for documentation.

Sorry about the confusion

jonesy · Feb 27, 2012

Thunderfoot said:
What I meant was - the term Caucasian to refer to a white person is not exclusively used by the US because it is a scientific term (sort of).

That can't be accurate. Caucasian skin tones vary all the way to dark even in the original definitions which were talking of people all the way to Africa and India. That was 19th century science. And this is what the Oxford Dictionary says now:
"..the classification is outdated and the categories are now not generally accepted as scientific.."

However the US used it an an "official" descriptor of white people (on applications, records, etc.) but is currently phasing it out in favor of White Hispanic or White non-Hispanic.

Yeah, but, Hispanic? What are they classifying as White Hispanic? What if a Brazilian or a Portuguese immigrant comes there?

jonesy · Feb 28, 2012

Umbran said:
The skin color, to us, still implies a great deal about cultural background, and that is also important.

After the direction this thread has taken, I'd say it's really not. Skin colour should be removed from the cultures and races and placed alone by itself in a tangent with attributes like hair style and clothing, since in this world that we live in one can have any skin colour and still belong to almost any culture.

The imagery in the games should reflect this variety. Especially when we are talking about made up worlds that have no need to hold the real world as a crutch.

We already have a hundred settings based on cliches from our past, and mostly from Europe.

Dannyalcatraz · Feb 28, 2012

After the direction this thread has taken, I'd say it's really not. Skin colour should be removed from the cultures and races and placed alone by itself in a tangent with attributes like hair style and clothing, since in this world that we live in one can have any skin colour and still belong to almost any culture.

Well, that's a nice thought, but let's be honest- a setting based on the customs and traditions of medieval Europe (fantasy trope #1) but populated by 99% blacks and Asians would be a hard sell.

Thunderfoot · Feb 28, 2012

jonesy said:
That can't be accurate. Caucasian skin tones vary all the way to dark even in the original definitions which were talking of people all the way to Africa and India. That was 19th century science. And this is what the Oxford Dictionary says now:
"..the classification is outdated and the categories are now not generally accepted as scientific.."

Yeah, but, Hispanic? What are they classifying as White Hispanic? What if a Brazilian or a Portuguese immigrant comes there?

Yeah, I believe it when the anthropologists stop using it.

The classifications are as follows:
White - Hispanic
White - non-Hispanic
Black - African decent
Black - Hispanic decent
Oriental
Indian
Native American
Polynesian
Aboriginal
Other (please specify)

I had a friend from Egypt who was a Sgt in the US Army. He got upset because he said they need a White - African, because Egyptians are not black. (his words). Frankly, I think it's all pretty ate-up.

Thunderfoot · Feb 28, 2012

Dannyalcatraz said:
Well, that's a nice thought, but let's be honest- a setting based on the customs and traditions of medieval Europe (fantasy trope #1) but populated by 99% blacks and Asians would be a hard sell.

I prefer a Russian setting using Native Americans and Polynesians. :lol:

Dannyalcatraz · Feb 28, 2012

Siberian Luaus would be a bitch...

Lwaxy · Feb 28, 2012

Thunderfoot said:
White - Hispanic
White - non-Hispanic

And that leaves out whites of Arabic descend.

Not that much better.

I do agree that a medieval settings with mostly blacks would probably not sell. But a mixed setting likely would. No one has ever had any issues with me putting people of different skin tones in my medieval settings st least.