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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 8491159" data-attributes="member: 12731">Let me first get this out of the way:Is this a thinly veiled attempt to justify most if not all games being cluelessly chauvinistic, misogynist or excluding? No. Do I want to be able to publish racist right-wing conspiracy supplements now? No.That's another extremely frustrating aspect. You can't enjoy the simple things in life without getting treated as if you were the drek of the internet.I'm making a completely different point.The following is general commentary not directed at anyone in particular.In other areas of life, you can have sensitive and inclusive books, movies and other expressions of art. And you also have expressions that offend or exclude. At the same time.Sure people criticize what they don't like or what they feel is insensitive, as is their right. But rarely do anyone do what has been depressingly common in our hobby, which is to seriously suggest all games (of professional quality) should meet the same standards, trying to effectively push the outre or the wild out of the general discussion. Recently in this hobby entire communities expect you to discuss such "problematic" works* exclusively from a problematizing angle; chiefly or even only discuss their flaws, and generally never confess to liking things if those things have flaws in the areas of inclusion, equality or representation. Never should you focus on what you like. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />*) The very notion of "problematic works" gives me unpleasant chills down my spine. It has never ended well. Let's hope this time, the frenzy just dies down with no worse effects.Moreover, in general life you can be a celebrated artist (director, author, etc) even if you do the occasional (or frequent) work that offends or titillates without the general conversation trying to paint the creator personally as hateful, derogatory or narrow-minded. Not so on the discussion forums I frequent. It has become the standard assumption that if I can interpret your work as racist, you must be racist. Your motivations are irrelevant - I take the right to project my interpretation onto your desires and motivations.Directors and actors and novelists and painters can remain celebrated when their characters and images act out offensive sequences and themes. But not in this hobby, not today.As I said I find it heartbreaking and frustrating, and I can't wait for signs that more people realize this and a shift will finally occur to where my fellow roleplaying hobbyists start being basically accepting again, or at the very least starts to treat stuff they take offense to with tired ignorance rather than frenzied proselytizing.I wish more people would see this for what it is - an overreaction. Wanting more games where you fit in and feel welcomed is perfectly fine. Wanting all games to be that way is existentially horrifying.</blockquote>

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