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Author Topic: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become  (Read 11649 times)

Monero

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This site and rpgpub are the only two sites where I don't have fear of being banned. But because of obvious asshole behavior, but because I dare say anything that goes against the established and rigid dogma that's allowed to be expressed.

I honestly feel like it's back in the 80s and 90s when the Right wing Christians would go absolutely nuts if you dared expressed ideas that went outside of their rhetoric.

Sites like rpg net will literally ban you and invent ways that you violated their "racism"policy. Same with enworld and many Reddit communities.

When the fuck did all this occur?

Trond

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We have had some discussions about this. Personally I noticed something going wrong on rpg.net around 2011 or thereabouts. It was as if the so-called feminist antiracist punks with mommy and daddy issues had taken over.

Opaopajr

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I never saw the happy days of TBP (the big purple) and I joined there and here roughly at the same time, back in 2010-ish. Supposedly it was much better before then. For me it had very little 'there' there beyond sheer volume of posters allowing some diversity of RPG discussion. But even then it had its RPG darlings that it'd tout ad nauseum.

BoardGameGeek and its sister fora for CCGs and RPGs was always a nullity to me; the most superficial salesman/cheerleader spiel temerously seeking consensus with new target gamers. It was a place to be if you didn't know anywhere else to go. The gamer equivalent of a Power Center retail anchor and getting chatted up by the sales staff.

Reddit never interested me either for years and years. It read like sanitized water cooler talk, as if it was placed right out front of the HR dept and the latest birthday cake gathering. I never understood the appeal.

I am sure others are ecstatic being there and they are welcome to it.  8) May they continue their fun. It isn't for me and I have not learned as much about what interests me from them, but such is life. Viva le difference!

We typically don't want cross forum drama, but these are my feelings as I traveled various gamer communities. Why things have turned this way? Probably gets into politics, which is the other no-go for this forum. Let it be and enjoy sharing what you like -- we might be able to share back!
« Last Edit: January 01, 2023, 11:47:38 AM by Opaopajr »
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You know, people keep comparing non-TSR D&D to deck-building in Magic: the Gathering. But maybe it's more like Katamari Damacy. You keep sticking shit on your characters until they are big enough to be a star.
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weirdguy564

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Let’s see.  RPG.net. 

My first issue was a joke made about my own religion. 

2nd issue was defending RPG Pundit for writing Star Adventurer.  In reality I wanted my thread to stop talking about the author’s politics and stay on topic of the game’s good or bad points.  I was told off for telling people what to do, and that Pundit’s poor behavior was very relevant so people could avoid giving money to the “wrong” people.

Then it happened again with David Guyll who wrote Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool.  Again, I wanted to just talk about the game, but apparently David said something on twitter.  He’s now a Nazi worse than Himmler because he used the term “woke” when talking about WotC.  I don’t believe David is anything like that.  I’ve spoken to him on Legion of Myth podcast, and wrote emails back and forth about typos in his game.  He even offered to get me a replacement book for free.  Yeah.  What a monster, right?

I never looked back.  Their site starts with 5 causes as pop ups, including Black Lives Mater, a horrible charity that keeps all the money for themselves. 
I’m glad for you if you like the top selling game of the genre.  Me, I like the road less travelled, and will be the player asking we try a game you’ve never heard of.

Grognard GM

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I never looked back.  Their site starts with 5 causes as pop ups, including Black Lives Mater, a horrible charity that keeps all the money for themselves.

The pop ups are insane, and they just grow and grow. None of them have a thing to do with gaming, and they're all written like "this matter is settled, if you disagree you're Hitler, and we'll ban you."

Dear readers, for a laugh, give this a try. Google some rpg question, then check your results. Each hit has a handy part of a paragraph, showing you how that particular site may be discussing your relevant query. Except the RPG.net hit is just spouting "current thing" stances, no info!
I'm a middle aged guy with a lot of free time, looking for similar, to form a group for regular gaming. You should be chill, non-woke, and have time on your hands.

See below:

https://www.therpgsite.com/news-and-adverts/looking-to-form-a-group-of-people-with-lots-of-spare-time-for-regular-games/

Warlock

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Recent TLG "controversy" is a good example of how insanely cult-like TTRPGs communities had become recently. No longer you can remain neutral. If you are not sure what I'm talking about here's the whole story:
https://youtu.be/EzWbQUNeQxU

Crusader X

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Recent TLG "controversy" is a good example of how insanely cult-like TTRPGs communities had become recently. No longer you can remain neutral. If you are not sure what I'm talking about here's the whole story:
https://youtu.be/EzWbQUNeQxU

I saw those twitter conversations about Troll Lord Games.  And I think its great that the vast majority of twitter users responding to the "controversy" of staying neutral are people who are expressing full support for TLG.  The "you are with us, or you are against us" fascists are greatly outnumbered, and they really look like out of touch whack jobs.

SHARK

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Recent TLG "controversy" is a good example of how insanely cult-like TTRPGs communities had become recently. No longer you can remain neutral. If you are not sure what I'm talking about here's the whole story:
https://youtu.be/EzWbQUNeQxU

Greetings!

Great article and commentary by Clownfish.

All of these Libtard morons screeching about company's posting that they are non-political is so mind boggling and pathetic. I can remember many jobs that I worked at where the general policy--beyond being patriotic for America--was no politics, no religion. If you ran your mouth about any of that while on company time, company premises--BOOM. You would be fired. Other employees and customers do not want to argue with you or be lectured to by you about politics or religion. That was pretty standard policies at most companies.

It also isn't surprising that many young activist Libtards are unemployed, and even holding down a minimum wage job as a Barista at Starbucks is a huge challenge for them. You see this all the time with so many of them.
"Why can't I dress however I want at work?";
"Why can't I sext my boyfriend while I am at work?";
"Why can't I run my mouth about politics at work?";
"Why can't I argue with customers and insult them?";

They literally believe they are entitled to act and behave like however they want at work, and have absolutely zero regard for authority, their bosses, their coworkers, or customers. They have zero sense of responsibility, humility, duty, and zero fucking work ethic.

So, fuck 'em. Let them be poor and broke and live in flop-house apartments wih gangs of their freak friends, going nowhere in life.

So often, these are the rank and file of the morons on Twitter, and the troglodytes that have infiltrated the RPG hobby.

Troll Lord Games needs to stand tall, and keep on crushing it.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

Ratman_tf

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This site and rpgpub are the only two sites where I don't have fear of being banned. But because of obvious asshole behavior, but because I dare say anything that goes against the established and rigid dogma that's allowed to be expressed.

I honestly feel like it's back in the 80s and 90s when the Right wing Christians would go absolutely nuts if you dared expressed ideas that went outside of their rhetoric.

Sites like rpg net will literally ban you and invent ways that you violated their "racism"policy. Same with enworld and many Reddit communities.

When the fuck did all this occur?

The big discussion thread on that topic.

https://www.therpgsite.com/the-rpgpundit-s-own-forum/rpgnet-s-decay-tbp-madness/

It's been a slow burn over many years.
The notion of an exclusionary and hostile RPG community is a fever dream of zealots who view all social dynamics through a narrow keyhole of structural oppression.
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Armchair Gamer

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I saw those twitter conversations about Troll Lord Games.  And I think its great that the vast majority of twitter users responding to the "controversy" of staying neutral are people who are expressing full support for TLG.  The "you are with us, or you are against us" fascists are greatly outnumbered, and they really look like out of touch whack jobs.

Over on RPGNet, most of the sympathy is with Jason Vey for being “censored.” I can understand the position, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it (I suspect he would have been fine if he hadn’t brought race and class into it), but I wonder how many of TLG’s critics would have taken, say, Gina Carano’s side against the Infernal Mouse?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2023, 05:50:48 PM by Armchair Gamer »

Omega

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Re: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2023, 05:48:22 PM »
BoardGameGeek and its sister fora for CCGs and RPGs was always a nullity to me; the most superficial salesman/cheerleader spiel temerously seeking consensus with new target gamers. It was a place to be if you didn't know anywhere else to go. The gamer equivalent of a Power Center retail anchor and getting chatted up by the sales staff.

Reddit never interested me either for years and years. It read like sanitized water cooler talk, as if it was placed right out front of the HR dept and the latest birthday cake gathering. I never understood the appeal.

Oh BGG has gone full woke on top of their covert censorship of anyone the deem verboten. They will bend over backwards to kiss the ass of any company that greases their palm. And allow racial slurs against gamers that they look down on. But god forbid you call someone out on trolling or speak out against one of their hatemongering darlings.

Reddit is very hit and miss. I poked in a year ago and it was ok I guess. But not worth the hassle. But one of my friends is on it and reports that any given subredit can be total hell to speak out on as the groupthink is at mob rule level. This and the D&D subredit is pushing agendas on the sly. Other subs are just fine, quiet, but fine.

PulpHerb

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Re: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2023, 08:35:54 PM »
Dear readers, for a laugh, give this a try. Google some rpg question, then check your results. Each hit has a handy part of a paragraph, showing you how that particular site may be discussing your relevant query. Except the RPG.net hit is just spouting "current thing" stances, no info!

Even better, for the three I just tried TBP didn't even show up despite scrolling to at least 30 entries.

PulpHerb

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Re: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2023, 08:37:27 PM »
Recent TLG "controversy" is a good example of how insanely cult-like TTRPGs communities had become recently. No longer you can remain neutral. If you are not sure what I'm talking about here's the whole story:
https://youtu.be/EzWbQUNeQxU

Is this the one about Jason Vey mouthing off about vax at cons?

I couldn't get why TLG was getting so much flak...yeah, he wrote AA, but he wasn't stating policy for TLG as far as I could tell.

Warlock

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Re: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2023, 03:01:21 AM »
Recent TLG "controversy" is a good example of how insanely cult-like TTRPGs communities had become recently. No longer you can remain neutral. If you are not sure what I'm talking about here's the whole story:
https://youtu.be/EzWbQUNeQxU

Is this the one about Jason Vey mouthing off about vax at cons?

I couldn't get why TLG was getting so much flak...yeah, he wrote AA, but he wasn't stating policy for TLG as far as I could tell.

Yes, that one. I'm not saying he was wrong to voice his opinion, but that twit was downright insulting and I'm not suprised it got attention of Stephen Chenault. Jason was politely asked not to engage in the political/controversial topics while his account is obviously connected to TLG (alternatively he could delete all the links to TLG from his profile and continue voicing his opinion on whatever topic he wants). That's pretty straightforward company policy.

This was, however, not the reason why the hate came down on TLG. It is the statement that they want to remain apolitical and focused on games that caught the fire. I suspect some left wing content creator was behind this attack - most of the negative replies were coming from people that don't even follow TLG, have BLM in their profiles, and came there solely on the purpose of causing more drama.

If you go to the RPGnet you will find a now trending topic on TLG. Hypocrisy there is worth the read. I can bet they would approve TLG if Jason Vey has spoke against vaccines publicly and got silenced by the associated company. More - they would demand him fired.

Grognard GM

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Re: It's absolutely insane how suppressive most TTRPG communities have become
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2023, 03:23:31 AM »
Dear readers, for a laugh, give this a try. Google some rpg question, then check your results. Each hit has a handy part of a paragraph, showing you how that particular site may be discussing your relevant query. Except the RPG.net hit is just spouting "current thing" stances, no info!

Even better, for the three I just tried TBP didn't even show up despite scrolling to at least 30 entries.

Yeah, it only really works for older games, or D&D  ;D

I think all the threads with actual useful info (rules queries/houserules etc) are 10-12 years old minimum at this point (some good Dark Heresy content for instance). What a damning statement all of its own.
« Last Edit: January 02, 2023, 03:25:44 AM by Grognard GM »
I'm a middle aged guy with a lot of free time, looking for similar, to form a group for regular gaming. You should be chill, non-woke, and have time on your hands.

See below:

https://www.therpgsite.com/news-and-adverts/looking-to-form-a-group-of-people-with-lots-of-spare-time-for-regular-games/