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, since TSR3 announced itself with a press release.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

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.

TSR - Ernie Gygax on New TSR, WotC Beefs, Trademarks, Licensees, 5E, & More

A YouTube channel, 'Live From the Bunker', interviewed Ernie Gygax about the new TSR. I've watched and decided to try to transcribe the most relevant parts of it, but the full hour-long video is below if you want to see the whole interview and full context. Ernie Gygax is one of D&D...

www.enworld.org

 

[Charlaquin]

As a general rule I like to think that politics don't really come into play during my games. But then I remember in 2017 I ran an adventure called "Liberty's Pride." Liberty was was a Paladin whose mount, a rainbow colored griffin named Pride, was stolen by the evil archduke whom I modeled after President He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Beside himself with grief, Liberty couldn't function properly and the most popular Paladin in the land was put out of commission. So Liberty's husband hired the PCs to go find his Pride and return it to him. Nah, you're right. That adventure wasn't political at all.

In all seriousness, I guess it's how you define politics. I'd be turned off by a D&D campaign revolving around the idea of bourgeoisie adventurers ignoring the true monsters, capitalist overlords, in favor of acquiring wealth from the proletariat "monsters" who are not the people's true enemies. But if someone wanted their character to be LGBTQ+ or have a particular phenotype then I don't think of that as a political choice. Making sure someone feels welcome isn't a political issue to me.

This is really key. In many ways, the different sides of the culture war live in different worlds. We have fundamentally different understandings of what is or isn’t political.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Someone is interviewed and says a few dogwhistles about "the blacks". When asked to clarify what they mean their business partner jumps in with a couple of n-bombs. It also turns out that both of them are following a famous neo-Nazi with a murder conviction (this part is not analogy; the neo-Nazi in question is Varg Vikernes).

How does the partner going more overtly offensive fit into the strategy? Making the initial person seem more reasonable in their apology? The association is still there, which brings down the whole partnership/company.

 

[Charlaquin]

How does the partner going more overtly offensive fit into the strategy?

It appeals to a certain audience, whom they appear to be trying to court.

 

[billd91]

This is really key. In many ways, the different sides of the culture war live in different worlds. We have fundamentally different understandings of what is or isn’t political.

And there are those of us who believe it's definitely political (because virtually everything involving identity and equality, even to something as humble as equal membership in a hobby community, is political), but believe it's definitely right to extend equality to everyone. Honestly, the whole culture war thing is about as political as you can get.

 

[CleverNickName]

And there are those of us who believe it's definitely political (because virtually everything involving identity and equality, even to something as humble as equal membership in a hobby community, is political), but believe it's definitely right to extend equality to everyone. Honestly, the whole culture war thing is about as political as you can get.

That's not the definition of the word "political," though. According to the dictionary, "political" has three meanings:
relating to the government or the public affairs of a country,
relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular political party, and
interested or active in politics.

There's nothing in there about ideals of identity or equality...unless someone tries to conflate those ideals as also being the ideals of a political party (to "politicize" them). And that's usually when the moderators step in.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

And there are those of us who believe it's definitely political (because virtually everything involving identity and equality, even to something as humble as equal membership in a hobby community, is political), but believe it's definitely right to extend equality to everyone. Honestly, the whole culture war thing is about as political as you can get.

What I hoped the past four or five years would teach everyone is that politics is not a dirty word, and definitely not something you can just brush off as some unsavory topic not to be broached in polite company. Politics is everything! It's the good, the bad, the gross, the gorgeous. It's in games and movies and all kinds of stories, and when people say they want politics out of something, it's often because they just don't agree with a given perspective, or they know they're on the losing side of some issue.

The "ugh, politics" reaction is just ignorance, magical thinking, or both at this point.

 

[Charlaquin]

Words are funny like that - they mean different things in different contexts. In a certain sense, yes, everything is political, but in the context of a conversation about “injecting politics into media,” what we’re really disagreeing about is what constitutes a disruption of the status quo. Is trans people existing a normal thing that shouldn’t raise any eyebrows, and trying to exclude them politically motivated? Or is the very belief in the validity of trans identities inherently political, and representing them in media therefore “injecting politics” into it?

 

[Stephen Shomo]

We don't live in different worlds, objective reality is not hard to find if you choose to look for it.

 

[Saracenus]

There is a pithy definition of politics, "Politics begins when a third person enters the room." Gross oversimplification but there is a point. As soon as you have to negotiate how you share that space with more than one person you are in essence in a political situation. Where people get into trouble is when they believe that their needs/desires are not political and everyone else's are.

The question then becomes what is negotiable to share the space with others. Erine doesn't want to share the space with people that do not conform to his views on gender. That is his non-negotiable. It puts him into direct conflict with a lot of people who have a broader view of gender. He believes that he is not being political and that is position just is. It. Is. Not. He is also wrong. He has chosen this hill to die on...

TL;DR There is no way to not be political when you play any game with more than one person.

 

[billd91]

That's not the definition of the word "political," though. According to the dictionary, "political" has three meanings:
relating to the government or the public affairs of a country,
relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular political party, and
interested or active in politics.

There's nothing in there about ideals of identity or equality...unless someone tries to conflate those ideals as also being the ideals of a political party (to "politicize" them). And that's usually when the moderators step in.

That's a very narrow definition of political and generally not one held by political science as a discipline. While those things in the definition are political, the full scope of what is political goes FAR deeper than government and parties. If you're looking at dynamics of power between groups, particularly when they compete, you're talking about things that are political. If you're looking at how societies are set up and the theories that order them, you're talking about things that are political. And you can't separate identity and privilege/equality and how they relate (or don't) from discussing things that are political and that relate to political power.
Even denying that they are political... ends up being a political stance.