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<blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 8114103" data-attributes="member: 59082">So you're suggesting that authors have the responsibility to make sure that what they write won't offend anyone? Not only is that impossible, but it doesn't seem necessary.Furthermore, you talk about material as if it is inherently offensive. Taking offense is a subjective experience. This is not to say that there aren't things that the vast majority of people will find offensive, and thus should be limited in terms of public exposure. But there's a lot of range in terms of potentially offensive material. If artists continually retreat to whatever the latest offense is, it becomes a diminishing range of what is considered &quot;appropriate.&quot;I also don't think we can completely take away any responsibility form the person who is offended. They can choose not to play in that group or game. I mean, if I joined a group and found out that the players like to rape and pillage, I'd probably just opt out - I wouldn't ask them to change their game, if they were having fun with it. I'm not going to try to dictate another's fun, no matter how deplorable I might find it to be - not unless it is actually harming someone.And of course the great things about RPGs, and I would say one of their defining features, is that every sort of game experience is possible. I wouldn't want to limit that range of possibilities, even while I personally wouldn't encourage allow certain behaviors at my table. That is my right, as an individual GM - and the right of players to play or not.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mercurius, post: 8114103, member: 59082"] So you're suggesting that authors have the responsibility to make sure that what they write won't offend anyone? Not only is that impossible, but it doesn't seem necessary. Furthermore, you talk about material as if it is inherently offensive. Taking offense is a subjective experience. This is not to say that there aren't things that the vast majority of people will find offensive, and thus should be limited in terms of public exposure. But there's a lot of range in terms of potentially offensive material. If artists continually retreat to whatever the latest offense is, it becomes a diminishing range of what is considered "appropriate." I also don't think we can completely take away any responsibility form the person who is offended. They can choose not to play in that group or game. I mean, if I joined a group and found out that the players like to rape and pillage, I'd probably just opt out - I wouldn't ask them to change their game, if they were having fun with it. I'm not going to try to dictate another's fun, no matter how deplorable I might find it to be - not unless it is actually harming someone. And of course the great things about RPGs, and I would say one of their defining features, is that every sort of game experience is possible. I wouldn't want to limit that range of possibilities, even while I personally wouldn't encourage allow certain behaviors at my table. That is my right, as an individual GM - and the right of players to play or not. [/QUOTE]

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