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

[FitzTheRuke]

My complaint in Morrus' thread and then in this one has never really been about the art: it is and has been about the way we allow ourselves to treat each other. I think Mr. Rinaldelli deserved a more patient, welcoming reception than he was given, especially in light of English not being his first language. I think beancounter deserved a more patient and charitable hearing than he was afforded, and I most definitely think it was way, way out of line for a few members to accuse him of bigotry and racism, of all things. I mean, come on....

Ideally, you are right, but I also felt that the accusations of "dogpiling" and "disingenuousness" were equally uncharitable to the other responders. It seemed to me that posters defending beancounter (and beancounter themself) were not holding themselves to the same standard that they were expecting from others. (And, in fact, caused most of the animosity that's been on this thread, whether they meant to or not).

A post with inflammatory statements (minor to major, depending on inference) caused inflammatory responses (minor to major, depending on inference). In my mind, everyone is responsible for how they take a post, as well as to how they give it. (Seeing as we all know how hard it is to have all our intents read clear with short, poorly-written bursts, as posts always are).

IMO, everyone should always be more charitable. We're all in this poor-communication form together.

 

[Vaalingrade]

So, if you were rich enough to commission your own illustration without effort, or simply you close the eyes and imagine your fantasy world, you would choose something different, right?

Why am I bothering when I'm okay with what's there?

And if I were, I would for, again, everything but Eberron.

None of this is proving the point the poll was retroactively biased toward.

 

[Yaarel]

No, I get it, you'd rather the fantasy be more subtle and hinted at instead of giant explosions of magic light and bold crystals etc. You want something that feels more like every day life in a fantasy world without extravagance. There is beauty in everyday life, after all.

Yeah, great characterization of the images.

We all - as D&D gamers - love fantasy. The realm of imagination.



Some of us want a setting where reallife only borders the fantasy realm, and the incursions from there are hints of the possibilities that exist beyond.

Some of us want to adventure in that fantasy realm and encounter these possibilities full-on.



I want both. In my settings, generally:

The material plane is mostly reallife, and mostly about the martial power source. The fantasy elements tend to be subtle or infrequent or local.

However, the spirit realm, namely the ethereal plane, including fey and shadow, is the fantasy realm. The martial power source is almost nonexistent there. The magical power sources are the reality.

 

[Helldritch]

I went for the:"I'm uncertain with those change". Sometimes I like it, sometimes I hate and sometimes, I don't know what to think or care. There are some great piece as there are a few trash. The alt cover of RotFM was gorgeous! The alt cover for the new coming book, not so... Maybe I am simply not the pastel genre...

 

[Fifth Element]

if they use the purple/pink/blue palette is because it feels "magic" as "magic" can be imagined by my young 8 years old daughter. I feel delighted when I see her drawnings, clearly. But definitely is not what I think when I imagine a fantasy world that boost my imagination.

This is what it makes me think of. The trim for these boxes were pink and light blue respectively. Call me old-school, I guess.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I never realized that the 'one book is scrying the other book' thing was a reference.

 

[Fifth Element]

I never realized that the 'one book is scrying the other book' thing was a reference.

Yeah I love that callback.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, notice the bold colors with high saturation ... decades ago.

 

[Guest 7034872]

Ideally, you are right, but I also felt that the accusations of "dogpiling" and "disingenuousness" were equally uncharitable to the other responders. It seemed to me that posters defending beancounter (and beancounter themself) were not holding themselves to the same standard that they were expecting from others. (And, in fact, caused most of the animosity that's been on this thread, whether they meant to or not).

A post with inflammatory statements (minor to major, depending on inference) caused inflammatory responses (minor to major, depending on inference). In my mind, everyone is responsible for how they take a post, as well as to how they give it. (Seeing as we all know how hard it is to have all our intents read clear with short, poorly-written bursts, as posts always are).

IMO, everyone should always be more charitable. We're all in this poor-communication form together.

Okay, that has to be right (and not just the bolded portion).

This is how forum flame wars all across the internet start: between three of us, we each start off with assertions that are inadvertently opaque and so inadvertently more extreme than what we actually hold. We then each respond to each other's inadvertent extremes because that is what's right there on the screen, after all. Then people start thinking that people are being dishonest even though they aren't. And people understandably start getting offended.

 

[Helldritch]

Heh, notice the bold colors with high saturation ... decades ago.

Hishhhhh... Never liked these covers. Pastels...