D&D General I really LOVE Stomping Goblins

[Jfdlsjfd]

Although it could be fun for, say, a Diablo style game, it's completely unnecessary. Just say, "In this setting and game, goblins are inherently evil chaos spawn with no redeeming qualities unless you hate babies and dogs." Nobody can make killing goblins by the dozen ethically problematic except you.

Morality is a strange thing. I played a the kingmaker computer game recently... I had no problem playing the mite against the kobold and having both groups slaughter themselves (with my enthusiast contribution)... and I found a location where a few mammoth were grazing. 180 xp apiece. I attacked them... paused. Reflected. Reloaded.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I think it's the basic understanding that any game like Baldurs Gate, or Kingmaker, there are challenges based on programming.

I don't mean complexity in development and coding limitations, like making goblin X in the game have all of these potential personality paths, I mean more of how in most video games, goblins are inherently evil and that's perfectly OK, and people playing those games aren't criticized. But in TTRPGs, if you treat all goblins as evil, then you get a lot of flack for it.

That is, it's not about ensuring that every "evil" race can be both good or bad, but an observation on how the race itself is treated as a whole within the game. If someone treats goblins in their TTRPG the same way as CRPGs do, they get criticized for it. And why? Some folks want to play their TTRPGs with same delineation between clear good guys and bad guys that CRPGs do. Not wanting to add all those complexities and moral ambiguities into your TTRPG doesn't make it a bad playstyle preference.

 

[Umbran]

It's no secret that I tend to lean more towards the more modern design changes (not all orcs are evil, get rid of default alignment, etc), but one thing that always struck me odd was how we give more moral weighting/judgment on TTPRGs than we do for things like CRPGs.

Well, we, here, talk more about TTRPGs.

Moreover, for those who play a lot of CRPGs, they've chosen the games that meet their tastes. That means that, by and large, if you have different groups of CRPG players, they are playing different games. Even if CRPGs were being discussed, the two groups wouldn't generally be in the same discussion.

In TTRPGs is the space where two groups, playing the same game are doing so for markedly different experiences.

 

[Scribe]

Not wanting to add all those complexities and moral ambiguities into your TTRPG doesn't make it a bad playstyle preference

I'll probably get in trouble if I expand on this, but the market for both TT vs Computer, are not the same, and the TT side has developed (recently) different expectations.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Well, we, here, talk more about TTRPGs.

Moreover, for those who play a lot of CRPGs, they've chosen the games that meet their tastes. That means that, by and large, if you have different groups of CRPG players, they are playing different games. Even if CRPGs were being discussed, the two groups wouldn't generally be in the same discussion.

In TTRPGs is the space where two groups, playing the same game are doing so for markedly different experiences.

Yes, true. But someone who likes role-playing heavy CRPGs don't tend to tell those who like action RPGs that they are different moral levels.

That's kind of my point. With TTRPGs, we criticize others who don't play the same preference we do. Even people who play video games where goblins are all inherently evil will criticize someone who plays TTRPGs that way. Which is odd, IMO.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I'll probably get in trouble if I expand on this, but the market for both TT vs Computer, are not the same, and the TT side has developed (recently) different expectations.

I'd be willing to bet most people who play TTRPGs also play video games. At the very least, it's a large overlap. And what I'm getting at is that it appears that folks are OK with goblins being inherently evil in CRPGs that they play, also criticize others who play that goblins are always evil in TTRPGs.

 

[Krachek]

And in Captain Blood, back in 1988, you could at will use your spaceship weapons to destroy inhabited planets in a Death Star Way. I kind of liked the sound effect. I probably slaughtered billions. Populous was a great contender as well.

populous! The pc game in late 80, where you shape the land and then fload everything!
That was a king of megalomaniac feeling.
Thank for the memories!

 

[CleverNickName]

If all you want out of D&D is a group of low-level enemies that you can stomp repeatedly, by the dozen, on sight, without feeling any moral or ethical complications, why would you choose to slaughter humanoids? D&D has tons of uncomplicated options that will fit the bill...skeletons, giant bugs, zombies, oozes...heck, there's even a vegan option (twig blights).

From reading this thread, it seems like the questionable morality and ethics are the entire point. And that's not really my jam.

 

[Scribe]

I'd be willing to bet most people who play TTRPGs also play video games. At the very least, it's a large overlap. And what I'm getting at is that it appears that folks are OK with goblins being inherently evil in CRPGs that they play, also criticize others who play that goblins are always evil in TTRPGs.

I think there's a decent overlap from TT to CRPG, but not as much the other way.

As to your last sentence, I don't want to read too much into that but I agree, completely.

 

[Reynard]

Morality is a strange thing. I played a the kingmaker computer game recently... I had no problem playing the mite against the kobold and having both groups slaughter themselves (with my enthusiast contribution)... and I found a location where a few mammoth were grazing. 180 xp apiece. I attacked them... paused. Reflected. Reloaded.

I am completely incapable of an evil run through of a video game, no matter how much cooler Sith are than Jedi. It's frustrating sometimes.