D&D General Rant: Sometimes I Hate the D&D Community

[CubicsRube]

I know as an occassional poster here i can often back out of posting something because someone is looking to pick a fight of prove something that really doesn't matter.

Imagine how it looks for the community that read these posts but don't actively get involved.

I for one get routinely surprised about how pedantic and by the rules we have to be at times for a game that is supposed to encourage imagination. So much so that slight changes completely ruin the idea of d&d for some Let alone how many different ways there of running games in other systems and genres!

It's not a good look. We all have to remember it's just a game and we have our preferences. We can even run our games our way and not have to tell anybody about it. There are real world problems that need to be addressed in our lives but this forum isn't going to change that and I for one would prefer if we had more of a supportive community.

 

[Hussar]

On the whole "orcs are evil" debate.

Most people don't really care what you do in your home game. There might be a handful that do, but, well, that's what the Ignore function is for or just not really worrying about it.

But what I think tends to set off things is when people start criticizing WotC for removing "orcs are evil". Because very often you get this sort of statement: "Well, WotC can do whatever they like, in MY game, orcs are always evil" and no one seems to have too many issues with that. ((Yeah, yeah, there's always THAT guy, but, typically, no one gets too fussed about it)) Then you every so often get something along the lines of "Well WotC can do whatever they like, because pandering to ((insert whatever you like here - lowest common denominator, new, young, etc. gamers)) is the way of things now, in MY game, orcs are always evil".

Unfortuntately, the difference between those two statements can sometimes get a bit blurry and people get dog piled when it's really not an issue.

OTOH, if it REALLY doesn't matter to you what the official line is on orcs, then why are you telling everyone how you aren't using the official line? Is it just looking for affirmation? What's the end goal here?

 

[HammerMan]

I have been lurking here. But I just had a friend send me a tic tok to watch, and it is a creator with a not super small platform telling people not to play. At all. Like 100% gate keeping.

 

[Mecheon]

Actually, not every community is like this.

Yup. Can absolutely confirm

Some communities are nice, chill, and welcoming

some communities are the Voltron fandom which famously had someone try to blackmail the producing studio into making their preferred ship canon. i don't touch that and I've history in the Sonic fandom which was always one of the Bad Ones

 

[James Gasik]

For a long time, the Zelda fandom was basically this:

"We want a new Zelda game! We want it to be new and innovative and exactly like older Zelda games!"

 

[Mind of tempest]

I have been lurking here. But I just had a friend send me a tic tok to watch, and it is a creator with a not super small platform telling people not to play. At all. Like 100% gate keeping.

why as it will either be pathetic or depressing either way it will be interesting?

 

[Art Waring]

I know as an occassional poster here i can often back out of posting something because someone is looking to pick a fight of prove something that really doesn't matter.

Imagine how it looks for the community that read these posts but don't actively get involved.

Honestly, its a bad look.

As a future content creator, I come here to try and share ideas, share my passion for the hobby, and find like-minded people to converse with.

But, I sometimes am faced with arguments that are there just for the sake of arguing, to make some point for the sake of making a point, to either "win" some perceived argument, when I am not at all interested in arguing points, winning arguments, or trying to burn others just to get some kind of semantic victory.

I am trying to have constructive conversations, that actually result in positive outcomes, but its not easy.

 

[CubicsRube]

Honestly, its a bad look.

As a future content creator, I come here to try and share ideas, share my passion for the hobby, and find like-minded people to converse with.

But, I sometimes am faced with arguments that are there just for the sake of arguing, to make some point for the sake of making a point, to either "win" some perceived argument, when I am not at all interested in arguing points, winning arguments, or trying to burn others just to get some kind of semantic victory.

I am trying to have constructive conversations, that actually result in positive outcomes, but its not easy.

Keep fighting the good fight.

I believe one of the best things we can do with our lives is to be a good example to others.

....if only i could put it into practice!

 

[beancounter]

One thing I've consistently seen on this and other forums is the narrative that if you disagree with the majority, you must be thread crapping or a troll. It's a dirty (and lazy) debate tactic that attempts to discredit someone you disagree with without having to come up with a counter argument. The sad part is how many people think in those terms (as evidenced by the number of likes such a posts receives)

In the past 10 years or so, I've also noticed this "if you're not 100% with me, then you're 100% against me" mentality has gained a lot of momentum. Sub-groups that should be working together with a common goal instead bicker about nuance. Divided we fall - and all of that... Ideological litmus or purity test are stupid, but do serve to solidify the "righteousness" of said subgroup.

 

[Azuresun]

I know as an occassional poster here i can often back out of posting something because someone is looking to pick a fight of prove something that really doesn't matter.

Imagine how it looks for the community that read these posts but don't actively get involved.

I for one get routinely surprised about how pedantic and by the rules we have to be at times for a game that is supposed to encourage imagination. So much so that slight changes completely ruin the idea of d&d for some Let alone how many different ways there of running games in other systems and genres!

It's not a good look. We all have to remember it's just a game and we have our preferences. We can even run our games our way and not have to tell anybody about it. There are real world problems that need to be addressed in our lives but this forum isn't going to change that and I for one would prefer if we had more of a supportive community.

One thing I sometime do, just out of curiosity, is peek in near the end of any thread here that's gone for 20+ pages. Almost without exception, it will be 2-3 chronically online posters who have had their horns locked for days, and are well into Oh-My-God-Nobody-Cares levels of pedantry and points-scoring, finding new ways to say "I'm not saying you're having badwrongfun, but here's why your fun is wrong, and also possibly bad.