Mike Mearls has been on a tear the last few weeks. He has now called people in the NRA terrorists on the level of ISIS members, said that if you like complexity in games that you're a gate keeping women hating evil person (igoring the irony that the game he is responsible for has a lot of complexity in it), and this week if you believe in due process that you're a rape apologist. This is in addition to firing people that he disagrees with politically from D&D.

Here is where I'm at: I like 5E just fine but when the head guy is so upfront about hating me and people like me, it's hard to be excited about playing.

My choices are a consumer because as a right of center person I have no cultural power to use against the white leftists in Seattle is either not to purchase the products or ise my rights as a shareholder in HASBRO to go after Mearls job.

I'm almost to the point that he needs to lose his job over his lack of professionalism. I'm not big on mobs going after people's jobs but if #DnDGate wants to make something materially better, writing to the CEO of HASBRO with the evidence of how Mearls has been acting will do just that.

Stop what? Stop buying or using their products?

When their products no longer entertain, aren't useful, or otherwise start to suck.

Quote from: Lurtch;1058595I like 5E just fine

Sounds like it's not yet time for you to stop buying or using their products.

Vote with your wallet. It's the best thing you can do.

I'm left of center. But honestly? I don't like real world politics intruding in my hobbies. My hobbies are escapism.

My GM for my game on saturdays is politically on the right. But we both get along because we don't bring it to the table.

I've not interested in following or looking into the politics of people who make my RPGs, Games, Books, movies etc...

Politics are a very nuanced thing. Reporting on people's views are often skewed by the reporter's POV, so it's hard for me to really have an opinion on these things.

So no, as long as the game itself is enjoyable to me, then I'll still buy into it.
Of course if the game itself has all sorts of unpleasant politics (or whatever ) in it, then I'll not buy it.

If I say you're as evil as a member of ISIS would you still want to give me money?

I draw it in two places, either one is sufficient:

1. When the author injects the politics in the game to the point that you really can't ignore it when using/reading the work.  At that point, the product quality has deteriorated, as much as if something else was wrong with it.

2. More rarely, when the author can't seem to stop to such a degree and volume that when I attempt to use the product, I'm hampered by nagging thoughts of, "the guy responsible for this is a frothing idiot."  That is, the product might have been enjoyable once, but now it's enjoyment has been compromised.  

So far, the latter one hasn't happened with an author.  It has pinged on a few musicians and actors, but those are a little harder to ignore when using their products.

For both reasons, I try to avoid creator opinions outside their creations until they make it impossible for me to ignore them.

Quote from: danskmacabre;1058603I've not interested in following or looking into the politics of people who make my RPGs, Games, Books, movies etc...

Politics are a very nuanced thing. Reporting on people's views are often skewed by the reporter's POV, so it's hard for me to really have an opinion on these things.

So no, as long as the game itself is enjoyable to me, then I'll still buy into it.
Of course if the game itself has all sorts of unpleasant politics (or whatever ) in it, then I'll not buy it.

Agreed on all counts. I can admire a creation without feeling any need whatsoever to admire or agree with the creator on whatever unrelated opinions they might hold.

But as you say, if preaching creeps into the content itself, then...even if I happen to hold the same views, I'll start turning away. Don't like to be preached at.

Yeah, like others, I don't care about authors' politics. If an author doesn't like me or people like me, I don't give a damn.

If the author has done stuff that is actually criminal - or stuff that I think should be criminal - that's the point I'll have a problem with buying it. If the author has committed major fraud or murder, say, then I'll likely given them a pass. (The only example that comes to mind offhand for me is Varg Vikernes.)

I'm leftist as well... Generally, I don't care too much about poeple's politics or religion, etc. outside the hobby. As long as they don't shove it down my throat...

However, I'd not buy anything from a militant SJW if they were bleating all over the place trying to tell other people what they can and can't play. I just would hate the idea of giving them money....

Or a prawn like Matt Loter who assaults people because he doesn't 'like' their attitude. And I wouldn't buy anything from a Neo-Nazi (obviously).

I draw the line at where the company is the problem and or the designer is going really off the rails.

There are a couple of publishers I'll never buy another product from because they are dirty or their designers are, or both. And thats everything from treating their workers like slaves and worse, to dirty business practices like running game shops out of business, to designers ripping people off, attacking people, or going so far overboard it marrs the games they made.

The other line is when agendas start becoming blatantly rampant in the product itself or are using the product to virtue signal.

So far Mearls has been acting up on his own dime rather than WOTCs. Though WOTCs antics on other fronts are starting to creep up there. I think it is important to not blame the company for one of its members being a creep unless the company then backs or empowers the bad behavior. But there are other companies with skeletons in their closets that I know of personally and I am not putting money in their pockets.

"I dont care who the designer murdered. I just want my pwecious game!" is never an excuse.

My tolerance for games as political statements has become pretty much zero over the last year or two.  I'm okay with authors having political views and expressing them, but if I feel like the given work has become part of their effort to promote their politics, I'm out.

Strangely enough I don't find the smell test to be failed more by politics I disagree with.  I have absolutely no issue with games that contain all sorts of ideas I disagree with.  And it doesn't give me the eye roll inducing sensation.  So maybe the smell test is more about the goal being something other than gaming?  Maybe I'm smelling an agenda?  Just like those RPGs and video games that have popped up over the years meant to be explicitly Christian?  They just smell forced and seem cringe-worthy regardless of my personal thoughts on the matter.

I don't let the writer's politics affect my enjoyment of a product (unless they are actively advocating genicide or something). I separate the art from the artist. Many of my favorite books, movies and songs were made by people who were deeply flawed or even terrible (I think sometimes those two things go hand in hand with being creative). I'd rather buy an interesting book or game from a person who isn't wholesome than a bland product by someone who I just happen to agree with politically.

When it starts to bleed into their product and is written as if it's a 'truth'.  Green Ronin pissed me off when it came to the Freedom City and the stupidity of their Lady Liberty newest incarnation.  You're going to give a spirit of hope and justice (as I stay with the original Superman quote of 'Truth, Justice and the American Way') to a person who is likely mentally ill, commonly beset with depression and violent mood swings.  Right.  No.

Strike One.

Quote from: Lurtch;1058595At what point do you decide that a RPG writer's/ publishers actions make you stop

Democrat customers don't care about such things, since Democrats control the industry. In the meantime, voting with your wallet is all you can do pretty much. What's happened with comic books is starting to happen with RPGs.

When it comes to comics? I've spoken with my wallet. If the books get too political? I don't buy them. At all.

I was already gone from Marvel when they started getting really stupid. And defiled one of my favorite characters with their idiocy.

I currently don't buy any Marvel or DC comics at all.

With the idiocy starting to infect gaming. It will likely just result in the same. Me buying less products period.