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TSR TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events). TSR3 is run by Justin LaNasa, Stephen Dinehart, and Ernie Gygax. The controversy has been raging for over a week...

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events).

TSR3 is run by Justin LaNasa, Stephen Dinehart, and Ernie Gygax. The controversy has been raging for over a week, since TSR3 announced itself with a press release.


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Stephen Dinehart and Ernie Gygax have since deactivated their Twitter accounts; Justin LaNasa doesn't appear to have one, but it is believed he is the person operating TSR3's Twitter account. A couple of days ago, Ernie Gygax posted about recent events on Facebook (note that he edited the post, but the original can be seen here).

I wish to state in the strongest terms that I never meant to hurt anyone of any race, creed or color. My video From the Bunker caused some to feel that they would not be welcome or would be looked down upon. That was never the intent, I was reacting to focus of modern role play into a more background and Role Play rather than the wargame that so made so many lives happy over 40 years ago.

As a gamer it meant that most of us were not worthy of any attention from others of our own age. We were Nerds. We were brainy-acks and others would snicker. Older classmen would ask to "borrow" something of ours to then pass back and forth a game of keep away. I used to receive some special attention from about 4 Juniors in my Freshman year. I played the Violin and often I began to wish that I had Super Powers, perhaps become a Giant.. I was far to shy and then embarrassed as attractive ladies would just lower the eyes while the jocks or other socially vibrant fellows had some fun at another geeky nerds expense. Thank goodness I grew 4 inches my junior year.

The only real comfort zone we all could share was a table in the lunch room. At least the fledgling TSR found fertile minds in those who had only those like us - gamers. Rather than have to risk embarrassing myself, since Phy Ed was going to force us to dance with those wonderful and yet scary girls. Well to get my Diploma I had to slave for a month to Mr. Gerber the head of the Phy Ed department. Fortunately I knew all about janitorial work as before D&D and TSR dad only made $5,000 as a Cobbler (five children) and we had food stamps and even free school lunches. Yes you had to go to the councilors office every week to collect your free lunch passes. Obviously you could feel all the eyes on you and the talk about....

Everyone has been welcome at my gaming table and multitudes of new friends have been created by the time spent playing the games we Love. Look at pictures of gaming on my site or anywhere I run games. Everyone is welcome, just like a Boot Hill game leave your guns at the bar until you leave town. If you come to the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum Jeff R. Leason will show you courtesy and a smile and you will see that gaming with elder gamers is a safe and entertaining environment.


 

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Mannahnin

Scion of Murgen (He/Him)
In the vast sea of Twitter, that is not the only tweet. I guess, you only see what you want. Not the nastiness that got Ernie to close his Twitter account just to save his sanity from the constant negative barrage his account received.
Can you provide screenshots of this nastiness, or is it a convenient but unproven and unprovable assertion?
 


Sacrosanct

Legend
This is the stuff that gets me riled.

This person, one of the leaders of TSR3, Dinehart, took the time to type this into Twitter. Then he looked at what he had written, smiled at his own cleverness probably, and thought "yep, that's my message. That's what I want to announce to the world" and clicked 'send' on it.

This is the leadership (and the direction) of the 'new' TSR.
Well, it's not just this either. The inner circle of these guys? Ernie, Justin, Dinehart, and the rest? These are a group of people who have said, publicly on forums or twitter, comments like:

LGBT people are mentally ill with brain deficiencies
Liberals want to drive white men out of the hobby
Liberalism is a brain disorder
Woke leftists won't stop until white conservative men are dead
PoC are genetically inferior to white people
Women secretly want men to control them and secretly love being depicted in chain mail bikinis because no one wants to be a fatty in the game

And when people start calling them bigots on twitter, we have people trying argue that it's these guys who are the victims of bullying. What utter horse pucky. :mad:
 

Gradine

The Elephant in the Room (she/her)
You know what's great? Blocks.

Block puzzles? Classic. Blocking? I mean yeah, someone's gotta protect the QB. Also, blocking? Actors gotta stand somewhere. Building blocks? Fun and creative?! Sign me up! Why, you could build your own interesting RPG settings with those! Even ones with Giants! And lands!

Yep, blocks and blocking are great fun. More folx should give 'em a try!
 

In the vast sea of Twitter, that is not the only tweet. I guess, you only see what you want. Not the nastiness that got Ernie to close his Twitter account just to save his sanity from the constant negative barrage his account received.

Psychologists all agree a constant negative barrage, especially from a crowd leaves the victim isolated and vulnerable and at risk of harm.
Psychologists also agree that there are people who seek this type of attention as a form of validation. Therapists agree that there are coping mechanisms and behavioral practices one can institute to avoid or reduce this type of “negative barrage”.
 


Sacrosanct

Legend
In the vast sea of Twitter, that is not the only tweet. I guess, you only see what you want. Not the nastiness that got Ernie to close his Twitter account just to save his sanity from the constant negative barrage his account received.

Psychologists all agree a constant negative barrage, especially from a crowd leaves the victim isolated and vulnerable and at risk of harm.
Yeah dude. constantly calling someone an aberration to nature (what they've done) doesn't hurt anyone, but calling someone a bigot for saying that is driving them to a mental breakdown. do you even hear yourself?
 

imagineGod

Legend
Can you provide screenshots of this nastiness, or is it a convenient but unproven and unprovable assertion?
That was answered that in civilized socities, the legal authorities will review all the hate that Ernie Gygax received on Twitter, especially if he comes to any harm. And the Twitter uses who are traced to have been party to that online violence will answer to the law, not to yet another vigilante crowd.
 

Much of this is bad analogy and some of this is simply false. Untrue.

No one is going to Ernie's house. No one is yelling at him in his daily life except possibly his family (including Rob Kuntz) over the phone, trying to talk some sense into him. If he doesn't like how people on social media react to the things he says in public he can... Just not go on Twitter...

Bullying means to harm, intimidate, and coerce someone who appears to be vulnerable. Ernie is a grown adult who chose a position of responsibility as an Executive VP and spokesman for a business. I'm sure the response he's gotten has hurt his feelings, but if his mental or emotional health as a 61 year old adult and EVP is not such that it can sustain harsh criticism, he really shouldn't court controversy.
Anyone can be bullied
Anyone
Your boss can be a bully. A coworker can be a bully. A lover
You're dismissing victims if you cannot view grown adults as potential targets of bullying

And Ernie is vulnerable in this case. Because the mob has the power. It has the numbers. Control of the platform. It knows his name and they're all faceless eggs

If the comments were entirely focused on the business and his role as the spokesperson that would be one thing. But they were personal
 

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