D&D General The New York Times on D&D

[Bedrockgames]

I’m strongly opposed to Rob Kuntz’s views but I wouldn’t call this a hit piece. The NYT does good journalism, and this article is covering a legitimate issue in the D&D community.

I am probably on the opposite side of the fence from you on this part of the article but I agree that this is just covering a a legitimate issue and doing so in a journalistic way (I think people are only seeing Kuntz but not recognizing that the article also is giving voice to the contrary position). It is basically just laying out the discussing that has happened in the game community and among designers about these topics

 

[Swarmkeeper]

The argument that all species are now "becoming humans with decorations" is an odd one to me. I mean, we're specifically talking (again???) about the detachment of ASI from species - ASI which might grant a mere 5% increase in one or two ability modifiers. While I admit those feel significant and we generally want our PC's "prime requisites" (that reference is for you @Lanefan ) to be as high as possible, due to the inherent swinginess of the d20, a 5% difference is truly not that noticeable during 5e gameplay, IMO. Not to mention, anyone can still play that strong, durable orc - and just because a particular halfling in the party might be as strong, it doesn't impact the playability of that orc PC one bit - and both those PCs will still have a few varied and interesting mechanical traits granted by their species that can benefit them and their party - and it's ultimately up to the player to decide how important their PC's species is for roleplaying purposes - and...

TL;DR: ASI is about the least significant/interesting aspect of what previously differentiated species.

 

[Morrus]

My original thought was, wow! D&D on the (virtual) front page of New York Times! We’ve come a long way since the early 80s is when I first learned to play!

It’s hardly unusual. It’s happened so many times in the last 10 years that I stopped counting a couple of years ago.

D&D General - D&D In The Mainstream - Again!

With the latest mainstream article* (this time the New York Times for the third time!) from a major news outlet covering the resurgence of D&D, I thought I'd take a quick look at similar articles which have appeared on the radar of major newspapers and broadcasters recently, including The...

www.enworld.org

 

[Xethreau]

People are widely uneducated about who Elon Musk is and why he is interested in acquiring D&D. This piece is valueable in my view because it brings the matter to non-TTRPG folks in terms they can understand. For a lot of white Americans, this will be the first, most accesable time they will hear that "race is a construct." It should hopefully raise awareness for why the shift in terminology and game mechanics are important.

I rather like the shift of ability score increases from species to background! It's rather clever.

 

[GothmogIV]

It’s hardly unusual. It’s happened so many times in the last 10 years that I stopped counting a couple of years ago.

D&D General - D&D In The Mainstream - Again!

With the latest mainstream article* (this time the New York Times for the third time!) from a major news outlet covering the resurgence of D&D, I thought I'd take a quick look at similar articles which have appeared on the radar of major newspapers and broadcasters recently, including The...

www.enworld.org

I believe you. NYT is a big fish in the American media, though. Pretty cool for TTRPGers.

 

[Morrus]

I believe you. NYT is a big fish in the American media, though. Pretty cool for TTRPGers.

Yup, NYT has written about it a whole bunch of times. As has everybody else on the planet! Celebrities openly play D&D. D&D has been cool for years now. Nerds rule the world now, don’tcha know?

 

[TiQuinn]

Which part?

I think the NYT journalistic standards have been in decline for several years, quoting Rob Kuntz is fishing for divisiveness from someone who is a small outlying voice in the greater industry, and the issue of race vs. species is not really a legitimate issue. It has been standard to move away from describing that option as "race" across virtually all of the major publishers are this point, and the vocal minority in this case is a trollish contingent wanting to turn it into an outsized cultural war for their own benefit. But for the NYT, "if it bleeds, it leads" so to speak.

 

[dave2008]

I think the NYT journalistic standards have been in decline for several years, quoting Rob Kuntz is fishing for divisiveness from someone who is a small outlying voice in the greater industry, and the issue of race vs. species is not really a legitimate issue. It has been standard to move away from describing that option as "race" across virtually all of the major publishers are this point, and the vocal minority in this case is a trollish contingent wanting to turn it into an outsized cultural war for their own benefit. But for the NYT, "if it bleeds, it leads" so to speak.

Not sure about the NYT standards, but the rest of this I agree with. I mean, this was still journalism and fairly evenly played compared to a lot of stuff I see being pawned off as journalism.

 

[TiQuinn]

Not sure about the NYT standards, but the rest of this I agree with. I mean, this was still journalism and fairly evenly played compared to a lot of stuff I see being pawned off as journalism.

That's fair and understand your perspective but I don't think I can really go deeper on why I feel that way without getting even more political so I just have to leave it at that.

 

[Clint_L]

I think the NYT journalistic standards have been in decline for several years, quoting Rob Kuntz is fishing for divisiveness from someone who is a small outlying voice in the greater industry, and the issue of race vs. species is not really a legitimate issue. It has been standard to move away from describing that option as "race" across virtually all of the major publishers are this point, and the vocal minority in this case is a trollish contingent wanting to turn it into an outsized cultural war for their own benefit. But for the NYT, "if it bleeds, it leads" so to speak.

No, if Elon Musk, arguably the most powerful man in America, is putting his oar into the debate, it becomes News. That is why the NYT is covering it, and they refer to his involvement in the article.

Look, I have always been against using "race" and am firmly in support of the switch to "species." For me, that not what makes this a legitimate news story. It is a legitimate news story because Kuntz represents a vocal minority who Elon Musk has chosen to champion. So you have an intersection of D&D, which on it's own maybe gets an article in the arts and culture section or whatever, plus controversy that tangentially links to the current American furor around DEI initiatives, PLUS Musk coming in with his megaphone, and that combination makes it a significant news event.

The NYT has high journalistic standards. They are a massive institution so when they make a mistake that itself becomes news, but they have an outstanding reputation for professionalism, at least among journalists. They don't really do "hit pieces." This isn't the best article and it's written for the layperson, not us, but it's not a "hit piece."

It's there for the average American who might be wondering why Elon Musk has been making noises about D&D.