Living in London I don't think it would be very practical for me to only game with Ulster-Unionist Atheist Paleoconservatives - I'm probably the only one...

I'm fine with a wide, wide range of political views, as long as everyone can keep it civil.  Not being English I have a bit of trouble with the English class system, which is still nearly ingrained here as race distinctions are in the USA.  Player X once complained about short-term player Y, an unemployed 'incapacity benefit' type.  Player X is an actor.  I joked "Not posh enough for you, eh?"  Player X took grave offence.  In retrospect, I realise that saying that to an Englishman would be the equivalent of saying "Not white enough for you, eh?" to a white American.  Classism is nearly as grave a sin here among liberals as racism in the US, at the same time as being deeply ingrained.  I'm first generation middle class Ulsterman and my Ulster friends are all working class, so I have a bit of trouble with middle class English mores.

A different issue, I once had a player in a long running campaign who was a real-life Crowleyan Chaos Sorcerer.  He got on well with the evangelical Christian player, but I found him creepy.  One day he 'accidentally' brought a Chaos spirit to the game.  Not sure if it's some kind of mental energy or a coincidence - I didn't know it at the time - but the game was a total shambles, the window on my back door smashed, showering glass everywhere and traumatising a nervous player.  My part-Finnish wife put up a protection from evil ward on our front door after that (a traditional Finnish charm).  I ended up dropping the guy, and his Crowleyism was certainly part of the reason.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;240336That would rather restrict my gaming, if I could only game with vaguely greenish and Jewish people who are also straight.

Homosexuality is an interesting one.  I'm a straight male.  I had a very good player in my game who was queer as a three dollar bill.  His PC though was a heterosexual female, which worked great.  I have no trouble NPCing love interests and such for a straight female PC, whether the player is straight male, gay male, straight female or lesbian female - and I think I've seen all those combos.  I think though I would have trouble with a player playing an overtly gay male PC who wanted the PC's sexuality to a be a big part of the game.  Again, I don't think it would matter what the player's own orientation was.

I recently played in a game with an overtly gay GM.  He kept asking me if my hulk-smash Barbarian PC was gay; also would I like to play a disabled character (with an in-game bonus).  This in a 1st level 3e D&D game, not some points-buy game.  I got a little uncomfortable:  "Thongar likes WOMEN!!"
He also wanted all the players to choose a multicultural array of human ethnicities for their PCs.  This in a typical pseudo-medieval vanilla D&D setting.  Luckily I'd already got an idea Thongar looked vaguely Amerindian - 'Native American' - which kept him happy.  I got the impression he wouldn't have been too happy if Thongar was a blond Aryan as well as an able-bodied straight male.

As long as they're not a twat at the table, they can believe in Michael Jackson for all I care.

I can game with people with different viewpoints from me as long as they're not extreme, and they don't push them down my throat, or assume I agree with them.

For example, I played in a group a few years back that had a creationist and a vaguely racist person.

The creationist/fundamentalist was actually a pretty cool person and after we both agreed not to talk belief systems, we got along very well.

The vaguely racist person was harder to deal with. He assumed that since we were all white guys at the table he could make racist jokes. He'd also make jokes about handicapped people (my son is autistic), so he was the total package. I used to dread game night.

I laughed to myself when he met my hispanic wife.  

After a while I quit the group and didn't game for a few years. Now i'm playing online, and may be getting back into a local group I've played with before, depending on whether I decide to move away or not. Those guys are mostly cool, but I'm definitely the odd man out, making for a bit of an uncomfortable feeling. That's what it comes down to for me- comfort level.

Quote from: S'mon;240439He also wanted all the players to choose a multicultural array of human ethnicities for their PCs.  This in a typical pseudo-medieval vanilla D&D setting.  Luckily I'd already got an idea Thongar looked vaguely Amerindian - 'Native American' - which kept him happy.  I got the impression he wouldn't have been too happy if Thongar was a blond Aryan as well as an able-bodied straight male.

You weren't gaming with Bruce Baugh by any chance??

Quote from: Monster Manuel;240444The vaguely racist person was harder to deal with. He assumed that since we were all white guys at the table he could make racist jokes.

I love my old friends from Ulster, but I cringe when they're visting me here in London and we're in public (say on the Tube), or when we're playing an online PBEM with strangers, and they say... stuff...

Quote from: Kellri;240448You weren't gaming with Bruce Baugh by any chance??

No.  I did recently donate my collection of Baugh's d20 Gamma World stuff to my local animal farm.  

Quote from: S'mon;240435Player X once complained about short-term player Y, an unemployed 'incapacity benefit' type.  Player X is an actor.  I joked "Not posh enough for you, eh?"  Player X took grave offence.

Player X is a tosser, then. If you judge someone unfairly, you ought to expect people to take the piss. He fully deserved to be put in his place.

Quote from: S'monIn retrospect, I realise that saying that to an Englishman would be the equivalent of saying "Not white enough for you, eh?" to a white American.  Classism is nearly as grave a sin here among liberals as racism in the US, at the same time as being deeply ingrained.  

I don't have sympathy for people getting all shitty when accused of bigotry. Either I'm not bigoted, in which case I'll just say, "what the fuck?!" and be confused, not offended - or else I am bigoted, in which case I should be questioning myself and sorting myself out.

Quote from: S'monI think though I would have trouble with a player playing an overtly gay male PC who wanted the PC's sexuality to a be a big part of the game.

I don't give a toss where people want to put their genitals, I don't want their genitals as part of my game. Their relationships certainly should be, though. I mean, PCs should have spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends. Makes 'em more human, instead of everyone playing Captain Teflon Psycho.

Quote from: Monster ManuelThe vaguely racist person was harder to deal with. He assumed that since we were all white guys at the table he could make racist jokes. He'd also make jokes about handicapped people (my son is autistic), so he was the total package. I used to dread game night.

That sounds awful. Me, as a player I never play bigoted characters - chauvinistic, as in, "we [nationality, occupation, etc] are the bestest, it's not that you're crap, it's just that we're so awesome", but not bigoted. But as GM I have some bigoted NPCs, because it can be funny (like making fun of "ocker" Australians who are bigoted), or ludicrous ("die infidels!") and also so that the players have someone who deserves being hated. I mean, players need that, a few NPCs who are genuinely real cunts and thoroughly hateable. The bigoted NPCs are never presented sympathetically, they're always a bit stupid or lazy or using it as an excuse for sheer nastiness.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;240455I don't give a toss where people want to put their genitals, I don't want their genitals as part of my game. Their relationships certainly should be, though. I mean, PCs should have spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends. Makes 'em more human, instead of everyone playing Captain Teflon Psycho.

I mean I'm not comfortable with playing out the gay male PC's trip to the bath house, even if it's kept at a PG level of discreteness or a '6 Feet Under' level of dramatic skill, nor am I comfortable with playing potential love interests, boyfriends etc for a gay male PC.  Likewise (off topic) I wasn't comfortable with our German doula's suggestion I should learn to lactate so I could share the joy of breastfeeding my son: "I'm not that comfortable with my sexuality, thanks".

Quote from: Kellri;240434No, it ain't gleichman or anybody else on the RPGsite.

In the interest of a 'What if', I likely wouldn't game with you or many other here if it came up.

Hate D&D and D20, so those people are out. Hate light rule games, so those people are out. Seems a bunch of people think I need to bend my campaign to get them a new character immediately if they should die, so those people are out. Etc.

Religion and Politics could even come into play depending upon the person. Engine, Serious Paul, Kyle, Jackalope, Stormbringer, Walkerp etc are completely out. This is the only place I'd deal with them at all- and I really don't deal with them (except Engine) even here.

My current group is all Christian/Conservative, with one good-natured Atheist/Liberal.


In your case, for some reason you impressed the guy such that he thought you "a shill for a 'murderous communist regime' and an 'athiest'". I must wonder just how you did that, maybe just by saying where you're from (only a really stupid person to reach that viewpoint based on that), or maybe you said something that sounded like it came from a a 'murderous communist regime' and an 'athiest'". In any case, there are lots of people online. Shouldn't be difficult for either of you to find other players.

Quote from: gleichman;240465In your case, for some reason you impressed the guy such that he thought you "a shill for a 'murderous communist regime' and an 'athiest'". I must wonder just how you did that,

All he said was "God is dead, and the People of my country killed him for his bourgeois ways."

Hey, i worked hard to get onto that list. Sigh, always ignored...

Quote from: gleichman;240465In the interest of a 'What if', I likely wouldn't game with you or many other here if it came up...My current group is all Christian/Conservative, with one good-natured Atheist/Liberal.

Well shit man, that really narrows it down. Lemme think...Do you like Israel? How about Black Powder firearms? Traveller gearheading? Link Wray? Awana? Titty bars?? I just can't imagine there's NOTHING we can agree on.

QuoteI must wonder just how you did that, maybe just by saying where you're from (only a really stupid person to reach that viewpoint based on that), or maybe you said something that sounded like it came from a a 'murderous communist regime' and an 'athiest'". In any case, there are lots of people online. Shouldn't be difficult for either of you to find other players.

The idea that one American would accuse another of being a communist is just laughable. I knew some in the US at university (20 years ago), but I can honestly say I've NEVER met a dyed-in-the-wool true believer in any Communist country I've visited (pretty much all of them except Cuba & N. Korea). How do you spot them? Look for the Mao-suit and the Little Red Book?

It's not about finding other players. It's just the principle of the thing. The guy himself is one of these 'Bible Verses in the Sig' kinda dudes if that says anything.

Hmmm, two issues here. Tolerence level towards subject matter and tolerence level towards players (the kind you would game with). The former is less controversial I guess. With the latter it's all about the social accpetability of one's prejudice (which I suppose could apply to the former as well).

Regards,
David R

Quote from: S'mon;240439He also wanted all the players to choose a multicultural array of human ethnicities for their PCs.  This in a typical pseudo-medieval vanilla D&D setting.

Heh, this makes me think of my current AD&D Forgotten Realms character,  named Hamzah ibn Usuman, who is very loosely based on the idea of a medieval Songhay-esque warrior (the in-game explanation is that he comes from a tribe in the Shaar area).  

It's sort of a running gag in the game that he sticks out like a sore thumb because he's the only black man in all of the Realms.

To make things more interesting, I keep coming up with "tribal customs" (very loosely based on Islam, or rather Islam stereotypes) that make life more difficult for the party.  I think my favorite is my running joke about "in my tribe, they would stone you to death for that" whenever one of the female PCs does something my character doesn't like.