What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[Irlo]

Sure! I'd have no issue with that at all. As I've said about a million times on this site, I'm not trying to force the single view of what I deem correct on folks, I just wish others could say the same.

I haven’t seen anyone here advocating for forcing a view of what’s correct on anyone else. Discussing opinions, explaining positions, telling publishers what we want to see and what we don’t want to see … none of that is about what’s “allowable” or “prohibited.”

 

[cranberry]

Possibly because, in the real world, slavery has primarily targeted a specific group of people who still suffer the ramifications of it today.

Just one group?

History of slavery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of enslaved people have differed vastly in different systems of slavery in different times and places.[1]"

 

[Micah Sweet]

If it makes you uncomfortable to play a game that doesn't include slavery in it, you can feel free to avoid that game.

...Somehow, I don't think that answer, despite being 100% true, actually feels like an option to you.

I play plenty of games that don't include slavery. I don't mind that some do.

 

[Faolyn]

What do you actually mean by "heard and respected" though?

If more people like "sexist" art, do we keep it in, or don't we because "everybody deserves to be heard and respected"?

Do we teach flat earth theory in schools because everyone deserves to be heard and respected.

If say 99% of people like something but 1% doesn't do we have to remove it to respect their views?

Flat earth "theory" isn't a theory for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the people who use that term don't actually know what a theory really is. Since it lacks any supporting evidence, it doesn't get taught along with theories that do have supporting evidence. Comparing sexist art to flat earth nonsense is like saying, "What's better, Nude Descending a Staircase or the Second Law of Thermodynamics?"

 

[Scribe]

I haven’t seen anyone here advocating for forcing a view of what’s correct on anyone else.

Then you are selective in what you see, or perhaps have an ignore/ignored by issue.

"Wizards cannot provide X because its sexist." is advocating for forcing one's own view and/or moral panic on the largest publisher in the space.

 

[Faolyn]

Just one group?

History of slavery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of enslaved people have differed vastly in different systems of slavery in different times and places.[1]"

No, of course not just one group. But a very large percentage of RPG writers come from a background that, at one point, had African slaves in it.
You'll notice that it's pretty common for RPGs to have slaves rounded up by evil slavers (like the idea of rounding up Africans and selling them), rather than the slaves be people who were prisoners of war or who were sold into slavery because of a debt, as was often the case in the real world.

 

[Faolyn]

I play plenty of games that don't include slavery. I don't mind that some do.

So play those games instead of complaining that a different game isn't including slavery anymore.

 

[Micah Sweet]

T

If it makes you uncomfortable to play a game that doesn't include slavery in it, you can feel free to avoid that game.

...Somehow, I don't think that answer, despite being 100% true, actually feels like an option to you.

The difference to me is, it seems you would prefer that games including content some find uncomfortable to have that content removed at the publishing level, whereas I think those choices should be made at the table. It seems more fair to me, but there's nothing wrong with feeling differently.

 

[Micah Sweet]

No, of course not just one group. But a very large percentage of RPG writers come from a background that, at one point, had African slaves in it.
You'll notice that it's pretty common for RPGs to have slaves rounded up by evil slavers (like the idea of rounding up Africans and selling them), rather than the slaves be people who were prisoners of war or who were sold into slavery because of a debt, as was often the case in the real world.

Would you be ok with those other forms of slavery in published RPGs, or are you mentioning them to make a rhetorical point?

 

[Scribe]

So play those games instead of complaining that a different game isn't including slavery anymore.

"So play a different game instead of complaining about a single book being in a theme or style you dont like."

We have been told in this thread that is an unacceptable answer, multiple times.