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<blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 8030741" data-attributes="member: 18"><p>I get that this is hyperbole, but I've got to say, I think hyperbole is a big part of why these conversations go off the rails, so maybe we can like, stop using hyperbole for a week or something?</p><p></p><p>Obviously, making a creature not have a fixed alignment isn't remotely comparable to "make all of your own rules", so like, let's just not go there, eh?</p><p></p><p>I think one major elephant in the room, which you have actually acknowledged is this fear that, if you choose to run things in some sort of old-skool way, you'll be seen as a racist or whatever. Well, here's the shocking truth - society is changing, and it doesn't really matter what WotC does. Even if WotC didn't change, if people start feeling like the "default" Orc presentation is racist, well, that's how people feel. The only difference is, either you and WotC get seen as racists, or just you do. Obviously from WotC's perspective, they'd prefer not to be in that club. But them keeping elements that society starts to see as racist or sexist or whatever is not going to magically make people not see you as racist, if they see those things as racist.</p><p></p><p>Do you see what I'm saying? WotC doing nothing, or changing nothing will not prevent societal change. It will not prevent new players going "Orcs sure sound like something my racist uncle would be on about..." or "Wow, really blackface elves?" about the Drow. Sorry. Maybe society won't change that much (doubt it though, especially as people who play RPGs have long tended to be people who are more sensitive to this kind of thing, and still to some extent are).</p><p></p><p>This is why I think all these "But let's get them to try NOT to change Orcs!" comments and so on are deeply misguided. It's like, yeah, they could do that, but all that's going to happen is people going to think WotC are kinda racist. Because they need actual change to make stuff convincing.</p><p></p><p>Will people grouse? Of course they will. We're grognards for grog's sake. We'll grouse about anything. But as [USER=15700]@Sacrosanct[/USER] says, you can get off the train. 5E is already an extremely functional game and will remain so. Getting off it won't stop the rest of society from changing, though.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ruin Explorer, post: 8030741, member: 18"] I get that this is hyperbole, but I've got to say, I think hyperbole is a big part of why these conversations go off the rails, so maybe we can like, stop using hyperbole for a week or something? Obviously, making a creature not have a fixed alignment isn't remotely comparable to "make all of your own rules", so like, let's just not go there, eh? I think one major elephant in the room, which you have actually acknowledged is this fear that, if you choose to run things in some sort of old-skool way, you'll be seen as a racist or whatever. Well, here's the shocking truth - society is changing, and it doesn't really matter what WotC does. Even if WotC didn't change, if people start feeling like the "default" Orc presentation is racist, well, that's how people feel. The only difference is, either you and WotC get seen as racists, or just you do. Obviously from WotC's perspective, they'd prefer not to be in that club. But them keeping elements that society starts to see as racist or sexist or whatever is not going to magically make people not see you as racist, if they see those things as racist. Do you see what I'm saying? WotC doing nothing, or changing nothing will not prevent societal change. It will not prevent new players going "Orcs sure sound like something my racist uncle would be on about..." or "Wow, really blackface elves?" about the Drow. Sorry. Maybe society won't change that much (doubt it though, especially as people who play RPGs have long tended to be people who are more sensitive to this kind of thing, and still to some extent are). This is why I think all these "But let's get them to try NOT to change Orcs!" comments and so on are deeply misguided. It's like, yeah, they could do that, but all that's going to happen is people going to think WotC are kinda racist. Because they need actual change to make stuff convincing. Will people grouse? Of course they will. We're grognards for grog's sake. We'll grouse about anything. But as [USER=15700]@Sacrosanct[/USER] says, you can get off the train. 5E is already an extremely functional game and will remain so. Getting off it won't stop the rest of society from changing, though. [/QUOTE]
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