D&D General (Anecdotal) conversations with Asian gamers on some problems they currently face in the D&D world of RPG gaming

[Hussar]

China and Japan are different, and Ireland and Russian aren't the same, but in D&D you can find together monsters from different folklores and mythologies, Irish, Greek or Nordic cultures.

Japanase cultural influence is stronger in Western civilitation today, but today we can know more about some Korean fiction. Could you mention any Chinese or Korean franchise more famous than Japanese IPs?

In my city or region we say the expresion "don't sell honey with a vinegar face" (or something like this) to warn against bad diplomacy if you have a goal and you need help by others. If China wants to more culturally influencial than Japan or South-Korea has to show a kind face and can forget past offenses, uninentional or not.

Maybe they are right about annoying stereotypes but if they want to sell their titles in Western market then they will to "sallow toads" ( = put ups with an unpleasant situation) and show us their best smiles while they tell us about their last manhuas and donghuas.

Umm, what?

We're talking about a book written in the US, by Americans, for the US market. China had zero input into this. Korea had zero input into this.

I agree, we can find monsters and elements from all sorts of different folklores and mythologies from all over Europe and beyond in the base game. Which is kinda the point. You cannot simply paint all of East Asia with a single brush. And that's what Oriental Adventures does. It tries to pretend that the only culture of note that we need to be aware of is Japanese culture. Nothing else matters.

Do you see the issue now? Like I said, if this was a book about playing in Mythic Japan, then all my issues vanish. I would shut up and go away if that were true. Unfortunately, it's not true. It paints multiple cultures with a single brush, blatantly ignoring other cultures and influences while pretending that that single culture is the only one that matters.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I agree, we can find monsters and elements from all sorts of different folklores and mythologies from all over Europe and beyond in the base game. Which is kinda the point. You cannot simply paint all of East Asia with a single brush. And that's what Oriental Adventures does.

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that you can't paint all of East Asia with a single brush, but you can do that with Europe?

 

[Guest 6801328]

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that you can't paint all of East Asia with a single brush, but you can do that with Europe?

You can. And lots of writers/publishers do. But it would probably be preferable not to.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

You can. And lots of writers/publishers do. But it would probably be preferable not to.

So which country's folkore do we base the future of D&D on? Germany? Greece? The United Kingdom?

 

[MGibster]

So which country's folkore do we base the future of D&D on? Germany? Greece? The United Kingdom?

The United States of America of course.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

The United States of America of course.

Any Native American tribe in particular?

 

[MGibster]

Any Native American tribe in particular?

The best tribe of them all. Texans.

 

[Guest 6801328]

The best tribe of them all. Texans.

Roll 4d6 drop 3 highest for Int.

 

[Bagpuss]

Could you mention any Chinese or Korean franchise more famous than Japanese IPs?

Does Jackie Chan count?

Mulan?

Outlaws of the Water Margin is a pretty famous Chinese story, it's 108 heroes has influenced a number of CRPGs, but a lot of the reason it is better known in the west is due to Japanese retelling of the stories.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Quick question: Why are we defining cultures by political borders and racial groups?

I know many culturally Japanese people living in the US and culturally American people living in Armenia.

Why are we positing a cultural tie to race (culture is not biological) and political borders (many subjects of the Soviet Union weren't Russian culturally)?