D&D 5E Toward a new D&D aesthetics

[Scribe]

I will say that I had a perfectly reasonable discussion on the subject with @Scribe either in this thread or the other one

I believe so as well.

 

[Undrave]

Hishhhhh... Never liked these covers. Pastels...

No ill will, but your comment just reminded me of the TFWiki article on 'neon'

 

[ersatzphil]

Mr. Rinaldelli has a habit of making statements that get him reported for pushing against if not outright breaking the forum rules about inclusivity. I suspect this is very much primarily a matter of language and of much of Europe having different POV than America on matters of marginalization and what language is ethically acceptable, not any sort of malice, but it does mean that many around here are not as willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Is that fair? I don't know, actually. I think it's complicated.

As an American who spent several years in Europe, with a chunk of that time in Italy - I strongly, strongly suspect that's the case. To mangle an old saying: never ascribe to malice what can adequately be described by a misunderstanding.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

As an American who spent several years in Europe, with a chunk of that time in Italy - I strongly, strongly suspect that's the case. To mangle an old saying: never ascribe to malice what can adequately be described by a misunderstanding.

I'd say that is an improvement on the classic saying, but yes exactly.

I have known almost as many continental Europeans who think racism is not really a problem in Europe as I have known Europeans of Color who know for a fact that ain't true.

 

[ersatzphil]

I have known almost as many continental Europeans who think racism is not really a problem in Europe as I have known Europeans of Color who know for a fact that ain't true.

A vivid memory of Belgium in the mid 00's: waiting in line to get into a bar, and seeing the group ahead of me - clearly of Arabian descent - being told that the bar was at capacity, and told to go elsewhere. I wandered up, lily white, and was told to come in and have a good time. Utterly shocked me.

 

[Hussar]

The Occam's razor suggest me that if they use the purple/pink/blue palette is because it feels "magic" as "magic" can be imagined by my young 8 years old daughter.

Might I suggest that you might get less negative reactions if you refrain from comparing those that disagree with you to eight year olds? May not have been your intent, but that's what you are saying here.

Considering how much pushback the whole "Disneyfication" bit has gotten, doubling down by then stating that liking this palette is because it appeals to an 8 year old isn't particularly productive.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

A vivid memory of Belgium in the mid 00's: waiting in line to get into a bar, and seeing the group ahead of me - clearly of Arabian descent - being told that the bar was at capacity, and told to go elsewhere. I wandered up, lily white, and was told to come in and have a good time. Utterly shocked me.

Yeah Belgium was actually one of the places I was thinking of, exactly. I've a friend who is an Ethiopian Belgian, and she often talks about the government and culture's intolerance of Arab and African people, refusal to even hear explanations of why specific "fun national cultural characters associated with a holiday" are racist, and just general unwillingness to deal with the contradiction between the racism experienced by people there every day and the national attitude that Belgium has no race problems at all.

 

[Hussar]

As far as bright colors go, let's not forget our 2e PHB:

That's not exactly dark. Oh look isn't that purple too?

 

[Azzy]

As far as bright colors go, let's not forget our 2e PHB:

View attachment 154495

That's not exactly dark. Oh look isn't that purple too?

Still not grimdark enough. How's this from the originators of the term grimdark:

 

[Malmuria]

The more I think about it, I do think there is a gendered component to this discussion, in so far as certain colors or even themes get coded as "masculine" or "feminine" in the west. This isn't about what aesthetics people actually prefer, but more about how we might unconsciously read images in a particular way based on our upbringing and culture. This might also be at play in wotc's thinking, if not in the art direction itself than in the marketing.