D&D 5E Toward a new D&D aesthetics

[John R Davis]

Well I watched the Eye of the Beholder documentary on D&D art.
Pretty interesting.
Art does help sell a book, fund a Kickstarter and such.
D&D art has always evolved and now to a point where I haven't book a 5th ed book in a few years.
The art, and theme, has changed.
I have changed.
We are no longer on the same journey.

 

[reelo]

Hell Plate Armor is an anachronism if we're limiting it to 12th century

You're damn right about that. For me, the ideal "heavy" armour in RPGs should be Brigandine.
Full gothic plate is way too specialised for something an adventurer would wear daily.

 

[FrozenNorth]

This is disingenuous. This poster is not 'debating in bad faith'. His detractors really are though. This post of yours includes you in the latter group.

Can’t that poster defend themselves? It’s strange to engage in a thread for the sole purpose about complaining about your perception about what was said about a third poster, who may not even be posting in the thread any more.

 

[FrozenNorth]

That said, I don't disagree that a lot of DnD art is quite generic and overly safe (even though I'm pretty sure we disagree about what generic and safe look like). I would also love to see more distinct art styles distinguishing the different settings.

There are quite a few more same sex couples in the art, and while LGBTQ+ issues are more mainstream now than they have ever been, there is still a substantial minority (in the US and in the international market) for whom that is controversial.

So, from my perspective, saying WotC is playing it safe is a bit overblown.

 

[reelo]

There are quite a few more same sex couples in the art, and while LGBTQ+ issues are more mainstream now than they have ever been, there is still a substantial minority (in the US and in the international market) for whom that is controversial.

That, for me, is perfectly fine. Bring all the racial and gender/orientation diversity you want. But please don't make it bland and samey. As long as most fantasy art looks like it's been made by pupils of Samwise Didier and/or Wayne Reynolds, I'm not interested.

The One Ring 2E has great art. Mörk Borg has great art. OSE has great art. Upcoming Dolmenwood has fantastic art. Hyperborea has great art.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Can’t that poster defend themselves? It’s strange to engage in a thread for the sole purpose about complaining about your perception about what was said about a third poster, who may not even be posting in the thread any more.

Your post is disingenuous and honestly pretty ugly. What was happening was a dogpile. What's strange is you finding showing kindness and consideration to another human being to be strange.

If you disagree with a person, just disagree with them. Treat them and their arguments with respect.

 

[beancounter]

Can’t that poster defend themselves? It’s strange to engage in a thread for the sole purpose about complaining about your perception about what was said about a third poster, who may not even be posting in the thread any more.

@Ulorian

It's just not worth it.

I appreciate Ulorian and a few others speaking up about the incident, the environment here, and the behavior a some others in the thread.

It's really over for me. I've become a "marked man". The Mod's bias is rather blatant. He completely ignored the behavior of others and only accused me of not giving others the benefit of the doubt. By doing so, he has given people de-facto permission to be rude, arrogant, condensing, snarky, and other such behaviors towards me without consequences.

For me, this forum has become toxic.

Every time I post, I'm going to be thinking "Am I going to invoke the wrath of the mod and his sycophants"..

And the way some people suck up and cow tow to the Mod is rather pathetic. There is one member in particular that liked every single post the mod made. If that isn't a textbook example of brown nosing, I don't know what is.

The mod likes to participate in threads as a "regular member" without his "mod voice". However, the reality is, that his status as a Mod gives his opinion a lot more weight than a non mod.

And as I mentioned above, his opinion acts as guidelines for the "right opinion" or the "party line", that other must follow, (or at least tread very carefully if they disagree). If you step out of line, it becomes "open season" on you.

It not an environment I care to be part of.

Predictably, the mod will swoop in with the dreaded red text and ban me.

He'll say I broke the rules, but that's just cover for his power hungry ego trip.

Further, I guarantee this post will disappear.

Also, predictably, the usual actors will come to his defense to show their unwavering loyalty.

 

[Yaarel]

OK, you were all right. I was wrong.

Is this post sincere or sarcastic?



The original post by @Stefano Rinaldelli is a poll whose questions were less useful because some contained inaccurate generalizations. But to its credit, the tone strove to be nonjugemental and neutral.

Yet some of the posts that you posted earlier came across as judgmental, even insulting. Such as using the term "disneyfied" in a pejorative way that turned out to be untrue because the term was used incorrectly and in any case early D&D images were ecclectic since the beginning, including examples of "cute" images in 1e and 2e. Later posts seemed peppered with insults, like "pathetic". One can understand how some responding posts might feel less patient or generous, no?

 

[Umbran]

Every time I post, I'm going to be thinking "Am I going to invoke the wrath of the mod and his sycophants"..

Given that you have experienced no "wrath" to date - no warning points, no thread bans, and before this only one bit of colored text that was an invitation to discuss moderation that you chose not to take, it is unclear why you feel this anxiety.

It not an environment I care to be part of.

Okay. Goodbye. I hope you find an environment more to your liking.

Predictably, the mod will swoop in with the dreaded red text and ban me.

Well, the colored text is necessary because you are, technically, breaking our guidelines of discussing moderation in-thread. Not that you've actually suffered any moderation yet, but there it is.

Technically, I should ban you from the thread, but there seems little need - your statements indicate you'll be leaving of your own accord. There should be no need to ban you.

He'll say I broke the rules, but that's just cover for his power hungry ego trip.

Further, I guarantee this post will disappear.

As most of the folks here know, we rarely delete posts. So, no, this post won't disappear. Folks reading this exchange can see what happened. We are not afraid of the history.

Also, predictably, the usual actors will come to his defense to show their unwavering loyalty.

"Unwavering loyalty? Oh, now that's rich.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Is this post sincere or sarcastic?



The original post by @Stefano Rinaldelli is a poll whose questions were less useful because some contained inaccurate generalizations. But to its credit, the tone strove to be nonjugemental and neutral.

Yet some of the posts that you posted earlier came across as judgmental, even insulting. Such as using the term "disneyfied" in a pejorative way that turned out to be untrue because the term was used incorrectly and in any case early D&D images were ecclectic since the beginning, including examples of "cute" images in 1e and 2e. Later posts seemed peppered with insults, like "pathetic". One can understand how some responding posts might feel less patient or generous, no?

The initial posts from this individual were actually quite reasonable. The responses were not. You are glossing over that in your post to make your position seem stronger. He (?) did not use the word disneyfied in a pejorative way. It seems like you felt it was used so? Just because you reacted to a word in a certain way doesn't mean it was intended as a weapon. Take the time to look at the world from your 'opponent's' viewpoint.

I keep finding myself bringing up the word 'disingenuous'. Here it is again. This post is disingenuous.