D&D General Of Consent, Session 0 and Hard Decisions.

[Micah Sweet]

Okay. So you don't mean clinical when you say "clinical." You mean unfamiliar. Unfamiliar terms will always be unfamiliar to you unless you take time to interact with and think about them.

I also mean, "clinical", at least in some cases. You are welcome to feel differently.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Politics - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Politics is not "The Government"

Politics is society, it's expectations, and it's interactions through the body politic, the people who make it up.

A chair is not political unless it's used to make a political statement. But a chair used to make a political statement becomes political.

Someone using an ideological position to make a decision for a group is making a political decision and a political statement.

The bulk of the definitional material to which you linked had to do with decisions governments make (on whatever scale), and the whole thing is quite clear that different people and groups have different definitions of the term, so I don't think my claim is straight wrong here.

 

[Steampunkette]

The bulk of the definitional material to which you linked had to do with decisions governments make (on whatever scale), and the whole thing is quite clear that different people and groups have different definitions of the term, so I don't think my claim is straight wrong here.

Oh, not at all.

When most people say "I don't talk about Politics" they just mean whatever the current hot-button topics are, or the current slate of politicians. Which can often be incredibly frustrating for the people who have to -exist- as those hot button topics. (waves in trans woman)

But there's a lot more to politics than just governance. It's why people say "Art is Political". Because art can only exist within society it can only reflect, refute, or minimize elements in the society it was created within.

Anyway. Let's get outta the weeds, mm?

 

[Remathilis]

If we've reached the point where everything is political, how do we in fact define politics?

It's like beauty; everyone's definition is basically "I know it when I see it."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If we've reached the point where everything is political, how do we in fact define politics?

If it causes otherwise sensible people to argue like low-grade morons, it’s politics.

 

[bedir than]

Something I don't think has been brought up in this discussion of "being an adult" and "not being a jerk" and the use of safety tools is that most here are demanding that the OTHER does all the work.

There are people saying "It's up to them to tell me."

But the more mature approach is to be welcoming from the start, to engage in conversations regularly and to join in partnership with the people you open your table to.

That would expand the player base, as you aren't requiring future players to be these stoic "adults" who don't make waves.

This approach is inviting, welcoming and, sure, a bit of work. But it's also how those who play in public show the power of the hobby to people who don't play already. A conversational approach inverts the "don't be a jerk" idea to instead be a "we're all going to become friends here" style.

It's a lot more fun than being constantly worried about jerks

 

[SteveC]

If we've reached the point where everything is political, how do we in fact define politics?

In the context of session 0 and X cards, I'd say one of the things that tell me "this game isn't right for you," is when someone says "everything is political."

I have two gaming groups I see weekly. We don't talk politics in either one, but I know that a lot of people in one group really disagree with me on political issues. And yet, I'd jump on a plane to help any of them if they were in trouble. One of the things we've lost, in my opinion, over the years I've been alive is the ability to be friends with people with whom we disagree. That's in general, but I've found that maybe gaming is the last refuge for just having a shared interest and enjoying some time together.

 

[Steampunkette]

In the context of session 0 and X cards, I'd say one of the things that tell me "this game isn't right for you," is when someone says "everything is political."

I have two gaming groups I see weekly. We don't talk politics in either one, but I know that a lot of people in one group really disagree with me on political issues. And yet, I'd jump on a plane to help any of them if they were in trouble. One of the things we've lost, in my opinion, over the years I've been alive is the ability to be friends with people with whom we disagree. That's in general, but I've found that maybe gaming is the last refuge for just having a shared interest and enjoying some time together.

Yeah, I mean, who cares if they think I'm a threat to their children just by existing?

Let's roll some dice!

 

[SteveC]

Yeah, I mean, who cares if they think I'm a threat to their children just by existing?

Let's roll some dice!

If you think I'd accept someone like that in my life, let alone game with them, I'll just point out that you don't know me at all.

But I think this is a great example of what I want to avoid when gaming. Thanks for that. And if you're making any assumptions about me, I expect they're laughably wrong.

Sorry to the mods, I will 100% not make any further comments on this line of discussion and feel free to delete both posts.

Edited to add: I'm not going to be any further part of this discussion, it's definitely for the best.

 

[Steampunkette]

If you think I'd accept someone like that in my life, let alone game with them, I'll just point out that you don't know me at all.

But I think this is a great example of what I want to avoid when gaming. Thanks for that. And if you're making any assumptions about me, I expect they're laughably wrong.

Sorry to the mods, I will 100% not make any further comments on this line of discussion and feel free to delete both posts.

Yeah, I'm not talking about your specific table, SteveC. And no, I don't know you. I'm also not making assumptions about you beyond your explicit statements.

I'm talking about the whole "We can't allow politics to interfere with being friends just because we disagree!" thought terminating cliche that gets flung around SO OFTEN. And yet here you are, saying that you wouldn't let someone into your life, much less your game, with that kind of political ideology. Now don't get me wrong, here: I agree that you shouldn't have someone like that at your table. They're going to make a lot of people uncomfortable and make your gaming space exclusive rather than inclusive.

You've decided to have an inclusive table, which I laud you for. But that decision is a political one. And not always a popular one, depending on the particular table. cough cough Lanasa cough