D&D 5E Thoughts on this article about Black Culture & the D&D team dropping the ball?

[JonnyP71]

FWIW, Kotaku has had some pretty decent coverage of D&D by Cecilia D'Anastasio-
https://kotaku.com/tag/dd

Hmmm, not so sure about that. She wrote a recent article on gender in D&D in which she roundly criticised AD&D - however it was so factually inaccurate that it become obvious she'd only glanced at the subject matter before going off on her rant...

At that point I stopped reading anything she wrote.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Strange how only the "american problems" always come into focus. The issues with Curse of Strahd and the vistani are just as worse, but the roma-issue is mostly an european matter and thus no reason for someone on the other side of the atlantic to make a fuss

I know some people who raised a fuss. Thing is, there are fewer gamers over here than over there who would have a reason to be upset.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tell that to Forgotten realms, as its only "black culture" in the form of Chult is indeed pretty monolithic compared to all the other human ethnicities.

Like I said, progress has been made, but the journey isn't over.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I really don't see this happening. Probably because everyone knows that a consultant is just that - a consultant. They don't make the actual final decisions.

See "lack of power" in the post you quoted.

But I was referring less to "consultants" and more to "members of the design team".

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Eltab]

Being a person with a Minor in History, I've always thought that the treatment of "Africa" in many games to be pretty shallow. The continent is bigger than the US and has never been culturally homogenous. Ancient Egypt, Carthage, Timbuktu, Zimbabwe, Zulus, Arabs, Pygmies, Afrikaaner, pre-historic 'damp Sahara' peoples, so many other groups spread across places and times. Somebody (many somebodies) could make a career out of going to different places and doing the foundation-level Anthropology research for various tribes/clans/cultures/whatever.

Jumping up and down on a game designer because he took the knowledge he had ready-to-hand and applied it to a game to have fun - instead of indulging in a public emotion-fest - is a silly way to expend valuable time better spent on, say, RESEARCH to learn about foreign peoples and cultures yourself.

 

[gyor]

Tell that to Forgotten realms, as its only "black culture" in the form of Chult is indeed pretty monolithic compared to all the other human ethnicities.

No Chult isn't the only black culture in FR, in my opinions not even the most major.

Turami of Turkish would be the biggest and most important and influential, the Chultans we're never a major influence, but the Turami are the majority of the population in Turmish, the Forgotten Realms only major democracy, with representives elected from all the municiplaties and sent to the Assembly of Stars.

Then their are the cities of the Thinguths, Lapals (who interbred with Netherese to form the halruaa, and Tashlans.

And down South there is the Continient of Katashaka, of which Chult is arguably only a colony.

 

[JonnyP71]

Edit- I honestly don’t get this, unless you’re thinking about a different article?

Yep, this one:

https://kotaku.com/d-d-wouldn-t-be-what-it-is-today-without-these-women-1796426183

Edit - sorry, wandering off topic a little...

 

[Phasestar]

When stuff gets past the designated PoC cultural gatekeeper, that's when he/she becomes the lightning rod/scapegoat: "What happened? How did this get published? Why didn't YOU of all people catch this?"

But why not have a ready made sacrificial lamb on the team, amirite?

Because having that go-to goat is next to the least amount of effort you can exert in trying to avoid situations like this, beating out only not trying at all. In a very real sense, then, the question "Were there any _______ on the team?" is an oblique accusation of laziness. That you didn't care enough about correct portrayals or avoiding offense that you couldn't even spend throw money at a token.

This seems remarkably cynical to me. I would personally never hire someone as a "token" to scapegoat or sacrifice to the public in case of criticism. I think there's nothing wrong with saying "FR/D&D may benefit from doing more research to make some of the non-European inspired nations and cultures more interesting and varied", but this is an entirely different thing.

I don't presume to speak for any group of people, I speak for myself and that's all I really expect of anyone else.

The D&D team is also not a large team and their focus, at the end of the day, is making great D&D rules and content. They've accomplished that - the rest of this is interesting but secondary and I would rather them spend their budget wisely rather than hiring scapegoats.

 

[robus]

Yep, this one:

https://kotaku.com/d-d-wouldn-t-be-what-it-is-today-without-these-women-1796426183

Edit - sorry, wandering off topic a little...

Not seeing the rant? More of a Hidden Figures of D&D article? Perhaps there are factual errors, but the article was about getting to know some of the women involved in early D&D... where’s the offense in that?!