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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 8984685" data-attributes="member: 6680772">My take on this is that WotC is the wrong entity to go to for this kind of thing.When you’re a freelancer, companies like WotC aren’t your employer, they’re your client. Your irregular client is not the one you go to to get mental health support. What is needed is an independent association for RPG freelancers that can steer members to this kind of support and provide other kinds as well.Because the thing is, what is true of WotC is true of any RPG company that hires freelancers. WotC is the whipping boy du jour, but not long ago it was Paizo. Any company can catch some controversy, leading to online harassment of those who take work from them.But really, rather than pure freelancers, I suspect this really about YouTubers/streamers/online personalities who have carved out a niche in creating D&D content. They’ve hitched their wagon to D&D, and by extension WotC, because it’s the biggest game and their safest bet to get views. They’re in a Catch-22, because they want the independence to criticize WotC, but they also want access. On one hand, they can’t afford to pass up opportunities such as this summit, but participating comes with sharp criticism at best, and harassment at worst.What needs to happen is that both WotC and these creators need to get off the parasocial fence. WotC should start a sponsorship program, similar to what Chess.com does with chess streamers. That creates a framework work wherein these creators can receive support from WotC, and in return WotC can benefit from their coverage. I suspect that this kind of arrangement would actually decrease criticism and harassment to a certain extent, because there will be no ambiguity or perceived hypocrisy about where the creators stand.Otherwise, WotC should just get out of the social media content creator game altogether. Better for WotC, and better for the creators.</blockquote>

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