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

[The Mirrorball Man]

Personally, I like this piece of art from Eldritch Wizardry. It isn't particular appropriate for young children

It's not particularly approprate for young children in the United States. In other cultures, it's different. Here, no one would bat an eye.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

It's not particularly approprate for young children in the United States. In other cultures, it's different. Here, no one would bat an eye.

Yes. Some individuals will deem it appropriate, others won't. That is true, of course.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yes. Some individuals will deem it appropriate, others won't. That is true, of course.

True, but it's not just an individual thing, it is a cultural thing. If there's one thing we should all learn from this thread, it is that treating North American culture as if it were some kind of reality by default for everyone leads to all kinds of frictions and problems.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's not particularly approprate for young children in the United States. In other cultures, it's different. Here, no one would bat an eye.

Switzerland is full of people with six arms.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Switzerland is full of people with six arms.

Yes! That's exactly what I meant! Three salves of applause for you!

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

True, but it's not just an individual thing, it is a cultural thing. If there's one thing we should all learn from this thread, it is that treating North American culture as if it were some kind of reality by default for everyone leads to all kinds of frictions and problems.

Yes, that is the popular way to phrase things.

Several years ago, I was teach a seminar about English-speaking cultures. By the end of the seminar, I had become skeptical whether culture was a real thing or simply an illusion - a lie we tell ourselves to simply the world into etho-ideologies. I spent three months reading a dozen books about culture. Unfortunately, I never found a good argument demonstrating that cultures exist.

Since then, I've stopped using the word.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yes, that is the popular way to phrase things.

Several years ago, I was teach a seminar about English-speaking cultures. By the end of the seminar, I had become skeptical whether culture was a real thing or simply an illusion - a lie we tell ourselves to simply the world. I spent three months reading a dozen books about culture. Unfortunately, never found a good argument demonstrating that cultures exist.

Since then, I've stopped using the word.

Yes, some individuals will not perceive cultural boundaries.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Are they the target audience? No?

Then that argument doesn't hold much water does it?

If I not persuaded you, then I have not persuaded you. But I do think my argument holds water. You are making a market based argument for censoring content. You are saying that this is a commercial product and sales matter more than the personal vision or concerns of the creator. If that is the case, and WOTC has good reason to believe that there are members of their target audience in these demographics (and there are, there are definitely gamers there), then it makes sense, at some point, content could be changed using your logic in order to not lose, or to attain these sales. Now, there are other factors (i.e. how much appealing to one group of people, pushes away another). But at the very least, you can see how making a free market argument, that doesn't give weight to the value of free expression and the views of the creator, is naturally going to lead to the content being in congress with your potliclal, social and cultural beliefs (I think because at the moment, things in the gaming community tend to reside more on the left, you are under the false impression that this is where following commercial considerations will naturally lead. It won't. The arguments you are making, undermine the overall argument your side on this thread is taking.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Yes, some individuals will not perceive cultural boundaries.

I don't think anyone can draw cultural boundaries, because I don't think any two people actual share identical beliefs. Trying delving deep into the question, "why do people here go to funerals?", for example. Even in, supposedly unified "cultures", the answers don't line up.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I don't think anyone can draw cultural boundaries, because I don't think any two people actual share identical beliefs. Trying delving deep into the question, "why do people here go to funerals?", for example. Even in, supposedly unified "cultures", the answers don't line up.

Yes, it’s a culture, a common ground, a frame of reference. It’s not a hive mind.