D&D General (Anecdotal) conversations with Asian gamers on some problems they currently face in the D&D world of RPG gaming

[Eric V]

D&D is full of stereotypes, east and west alike.

Which makes them equal, I'm sure.

Anyhow, it looks like D&D is keeping their Evil Book of Stereotypes in print and just slapping a disclaimer on it.

That italicized part? That's how you reveal yourself. Thanks for finally being honest.

 

[Mercurius]

Which makes them equal, I'm sure.

That italicized part? That's how you reveal yourself. Thanks for finally being honest.

What did I reveal about myself? Its called a joke.

 

[Cadence]

As for your alternatives, similar issues: is there a game where one is actively roleplaying a slave owner and using the n-word?

What in OA did you see equivalent to RPing a slave owner and using the n-word?!? Stereotyping marginalized groups is bad... but I don't remember anything that bad in OA.

EDIT: I think I misread. Sorry!

 

[JEB]

So WotC is using the exact same statement as Warner Bros.? Is this a joke? These are truly strange times.

Noted in the OA thread too. I mean, it's a little different from WB's:

The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise is the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.

But yes, very strange. I'm hoping this is a placeholder for a more thoughtful response, but I wouldn't place bets on that. (Particularly since they also put the disclaimer on every single pre-5E product, which feels like future-proofing more than anything else.)

 

[Mercurius]

What in OA did you see equivalent to RPing a slave owner and using the n-word?!? Stereotyping marginalized groups is bad... but I don't remember anything that bad in OA.

He's referring to my mention of Tom Sawyer, which I gave as an example of a problematic literary work in discussing altering historical works.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

What did I reveal about myself? Its called a joke.

Yeah, I have no clue what you revealed. But the people defending these stereotypes reveal a lot about themselves.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Noted in the OA thread too. I mean, it's a little different from WB's:

The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise is the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.

But yes, very strange. I'm hoping this is a placeholder for a more thoughtful response, but I wouldn't place bets on that. (Particularly since they also put the disclaimer on every single pre-5E product, which feels like future-proofing more than anything else.)

It makes me think that maybe the DMs Guild/Drive-Thru RPG people put that up til WotC came up with something. I just don't see WotC quietly adding that and not mentioning it at all on either Facebook or Twitter.

 

[Campbell]

Generally when I discuss freedom of speech I am speaking to more than legal codes. I am speaking to the ability to express oneself creatively or intellectually to the public space. Our ability as a society to communicate with each other. The movement towards digital publishing, just in time inventory management, market failures in traditional publishing, social networks, and consolidation of media has pretty much lead to the death of the commons. Our shared spaces are pretty much all owned by private entities.

What this means from a practical standpoint is that publishers have for more control over access to their content than under a traditional publishing model. You can lose the ability to purchase content or even lose content that has already been purchased sometimes. It might even be revised without forewarning. Traditionally publishers had to put their stuff out there to the commons and it was out in the wild. They could release new editions or stop printing old editions, but there was a lot more out there in the wild.

This is not me defending Oriental Adventures. I do not have access to the text nor do I care to purchase it. I am sympathetic to the issues people are raising. I am not just not sure I want Wizards of the Coast to have the power to decide if it should be available or not. Just like I am not crazy about recent social media account purges.

I do very much want a more socially conscious Dungeons and Dragons and am willing to vote with my wallet to make that a reality. I think effective social pressure is the cornerstone of democracy. I just wish we could find our way back to a public commons where we can be protected by the First Amendment.

 

[Eric V]

What did I reveal about myself? Its called a joke.

In very poor taste. I'd ask you to try reading that "joke" as someone who finds their culture stereotyped in OA but I am guessing you either can't or can't be bothered.

 

[Panda-s1]

I am sympathetic to the issues people are raising. I am not just not sure I want Wizards of the Coast to have the power to decide if it should be available or not.

um. do you not understand how copyright law works, or......?