After a bunch of social media posts and videos asking "could you play D&D with a Trump supporter?", I've decided to talk about the other side of the argument. And watch the end, where I talk about the real problem: a leftist DM!
I could if they kept their real world politics out of the game world. I'd still keep a very close eye though on my in game gold pieces and magic items regardless...
I'd play with anyone, who left that mess out of the game. They can argue with someone else, later.
In theory, yes. In practice, I find my leftist, progressive friends tiresome. Whenever casual talk wanders into political topics, I tune them out. It's all TDS and "Conservatives are Nootzies!" nonsense.
If they keep political discussions out of the game, sure. Probably only on a temporary basis though, like at a convention. I don't want to have to walk on eggshells all the time and worry about proper pronouns and all that shit while I'm trying to relax and game, or worry if stuff like slavery or spiders or their other mental issues are going to trigger a panic episode. I've tried having friends like that, and they ALWAYS play hall monitor with what you say and do.
There are plenty of people who call themselves Leftists I game with. However, none of them live like Leftists and would probably be called Nazis for being insufficiently woke.
Worth noting is that I live in a part of the country so politically conservative that the last Democrat mayor was Pro-Life and put down the attempt at riot in 2020 after the first window was broken (and left the arrestees in the city-county lockup over the weekend before having them arraigned); so what counts as Far Left here in general would probably be Far Right on the coasts.
As such, playing with a "Leftist" here is probably akin to playing with a Democrat in the Clinton years in terms of obnoxiousness.
Watched the video...(well, listened to it running). A few years ago I gamed with a dude quite frequently who was literally head of the socialist party in the state. We never had any issues, but now? He has seemed to go off the deep end. TDS is real.
Half my Star Wars group are Trumpers, for the sake of decades long friendships and the good of the game we don't talk politics at the table. We also know most the stupid culture war rpg stuff that gets argued about online is at best ill informed, half the table also worked at WotC for +/- full decades, so the idea of fucking up campaigns over real world culture war is ridiculous.
Of all things, it's the 80's Reagan BS of the welfare queen that made them into conservatives, and it didn't take effect upon them until middle age, just bizarre. Gamers are weirdos though.
I've played with people of all kinds of politics, including some that are far left. As long as they keep it out of the game, I'm fine with just about anyone at a neutral site. I don't, however, tend to invite leftists into my home.
The other caveat is that there are plenty of leftists that would never play in a game that I run--what with not catering to their pet causes and all.
Final OTOH, is that it is rare for me to meet anyone more conservative than me who is also interested in gaming. Know plenty that meet that criteria who simply aren't interested in games. So despite my strong streak of classical liberalism, usually everyone in the game is to my left, at least a little.
Don't care who you voted for, just show up, participate and keep real world politics out of the game. There is a time and place for everything and if a person can't go a couple of hours without talking politics then perhaps they need to re-evaluate their priorities or at least find a new game.
I do it every week. My players are mature enough to not make everything they do about their pet political causes. The ones that can't do that aren't my players any more.
Sure, why not, I've even played with a vegan.
I can (and do) - but they happen to be good friends and we don't tend to bring up religion and politics, generally. I wouldn't if they were some rando, though.
Yeah, I live in the SF Bay Area which is very concentrated with leftists, and don't have problems playing with them. I don't have problems playing with conservatives, either.
Specifically, when Pundit talks about GMing by what most progressives are in the U.S. today
Quote from: RPGPunditIf you're talking about a postmodern leftist... if you're talking about someone who's like what most progressives in the United States are today
...
They can't understand the nature of of symbolism. They can't understand the nature of myth. They can't understand the hero's journey, and what little they can grasp of it makes them think that it's bad.
...
You really have to do an enormous effort which is what has happened in our society to train people to the opposite. You have to to deeply indoctrinate them to break away from this idea of understanding symbol and understanding myth because because that is something that is inherent to humanity all of our all the myths throughout the world derived from these same origins.
What strikes me is that this sounds bizarrely similar to Ron Edwards' infamous "brain damage" rant where he claims that humans have a natural understanding of story - but that White Wolf RPGs damaged the capacity of players to understand it.
http://indie-rpgs.com/archive/index.php?topic=18707.0
Edwards even similarly takes aim at postmodernism as "errant garbage".
---
Personally, I don't find there's any connection between someone's politics and their understanding of myth or story. People's personality and politics will show in their stories, but there can be great stories of many different styles.
I'm also partial to the work of some postmodern authors like Philip K. Dick and Neil Gaiman, say.
Could I? Yes.
Would I want to? No.
Past experience has shown me that the same brain damage that makes someone a Leftist, also makes them very poor role-playing gamers.
How Would I "know" if someone was a 'Leftist' while playing? Or a 'Trump supporter'?
If we leave contemporary politics out of the game sutuation - then there is no way to KNOW someone's political leanings.
- Ed C.
I did in the past, but could I do it with the new crop? Highly unlikely, I have trouble playing with other humans let alone anyone that might fall into an extremist mind set.
Not only could I, I'd say 60-70% of the people I play with are outright leftists. Granted, I don't talk about my politics at the game table, so they don't know I'm conservative. I suspect if I actually voiced my opinions on political topics the way they seem compelled to do, they would quit the game.
If they are not suffering from major TDS, not making everything and anything about politics then yes.
If not no patience for " what do you mean all orcs are evil in your game or how dare you not include wheelchair ramps in all your adventures locales in game".
Sane goes for those on the right keep it out of game and we can get along.
I have a lefty in my group now. He's been playing with me off and on for about 20-years. I know outside our group, he's swamped by TDS-riddled freaks. But at my table? Dude is totally chill and pleasant.
On the flipside I also have a guy that is pretty far-right. As in "Pinochet did nothing wrong".
I DO notice my Lefty-player seems very open to a lot of non-lefty ideas, but still maintains his "left-status" and his mild-TDS doesn't interfere with reality.
We don't engage in a lot of political talk until after our sessions, or before while people are arriving.
The people that I have had issues with in recent years are almost *exclusively* millennials and all of them are avid 5e players or Pathfinder. I weed out ones with obvious signs when I do my sit-down dinner/lunch sniff-test. But those with the "signs" - the Danger Hair, the gauge earrings, piercings etc. (none of which I normally used to care about - but are now uniform for millennial slacktivists) within that millennial age-range almost invariably blow it. I *do* give them a chance to prove me they could fit... it rarely happens. They will make some casual utterance about concerns about violence or the inherent or implied racism in D&D as if because I'm Asian, and not white, they're earning some kind of points with me. All I can think about is "Oh you poor dumbfuck. Time to get the check."
I've had younger players and older - never had a problem with any of them.
Quote from: Abraxus on January 31, 2025, 08:32:29 AMIf they are not suffering from major TDS, not making everything and anything about politics then yes.
If not no patience for " what do you mean all orcs are evil in your game or how dare you not include wheelchair ramps in all your adventures locales in game".
Sane goes for those on the right keep it out of game and we can get along.
Agreed.
I'd play with anyone as long as they are not dicks at the table.
I could, just like I can train with or teach a leftist BJJ. Now...if he wants to get loud about his thoughts about folks, well that is what the sparring time in class is for and I can still feel just fine about his thoughts and ideas I might not agree with even if they give my heart a flutter to hear them out loud. Can not really work the tension out at a game table like that, but I can not see a person monologuing about it to me at a game table. Right or left politics. I suppose it could happen, but I dont think I have the vibe that most people feel comfortable shitting their politics out around.
To me, the conflict is not so much about politics as it is about morality. I can game with anyone of any politics (and pretty much have, from a monarchist to a communist). What I won't game with is someone who is unrepentantly criminal/morally abhorrent. It doesn't matter if you "keep it off the table" or not, if you are someone who molests kids or advocates for genocide, etc., then I'm not going to want to game with you, because I'm not going to want to associate with you at all.
And this explains the situation now with gaming. Many on the right see their lefty friends as misguided or wrong (though there is a growing framing of some liberal positions in stark moral terms, like transitioning kids or radical abortion positions). I can game with someone who is wrong, because we all are frequently wrong. But the left is increasingly (because for many leftists, their politics have taken the place of their religion) of the mindset that conservatives/right wingers are intentionally morally evil. And they don't want to be at a table with someone morally repulsive (which I can understand... if they were actually following a genuine morality).
This is why, overall, I think a right-winger is likely to be more accepting of a left in their group than the other way around.
Quote from: Eirikrautha on January 31, 2025, 04:46:37 PMTo me, the conflict is not so much about politics as it is about morality. I can game with anyone of any politics (and pretty much have, from a monarchist to a communist). What I won't game with is someone who is unrepentantly criminal/morally abhorrent. It doesn't matter if you "keep it off the table" or not, if you are someone who molests kids or advocates for genocide, etc., then I'm not going to want to game with you, because I'm not going to want to associate with you at all.
And this explains the situation now with gaming. Many on the right see their lefty friends as misguided or wrong (though there is a growing framing of some liberal positions in stark moral terms, like transitioning kids or radical abortion positions). I can game with someone who is wrong, because we all are frequently wrong. But the left is increasingly (because for many leftists, their politics have taken the place of their religion) of the mindset that conservatives/right wingers are intentionally morally evil. And they don't want to be at a table with someone morally repulsive (which I can understand... if they were actually following a genuine morality).
This is why, overall, I think a right-winger is likely to be more accepting of a left in their group than the other way around.
Something your post made me think of is that my closest friend is a self-described "bomb throwing feminist liberal" and she and I get along great. Then again, there's a big difference between a liberal and a leftist.
This is all extraneous to the OP though, because she isn't into RPGs.
Quote from: Brad on January 30, 2025, 07:59:23 PMWatched the video...(well, listened to it running). A few years ago I gamed with a dude quite frequently who was literally head of the socialist party in the state. We never had any issues, but now? He has seemed to go off the deep end. TDS is real.
Similar situation. A friend I used to game with was an out and out communist, self proclaiming in the southern US, which is pretty bold. We got along well, even if we strongly disagreed politically. It just didn't come up in gaming, or even mostly just hanging out. Then in 2016 he just broke. It was all politics all the time and I suddenly became hateful and distasteful.
So yes, I could and have. I would again provided they don't make it a big deal, or push the "silence is violence" crap.
I played chess regularly against a communist, and a circle of others. I avoided the Russian players, though. They were like level 20 magic users and we were level 3. I never knew their political positions.
I'm left-leaning. My GM is conservative. We get along fine at the table. We just keep political topics minimal.
Quote from: Cathode Ray on January 31, 2025, 08:46:10 PMI played chess regularly against a communist, and a circle of others. I avoided the Russian players, though. They were like level 20 magic users and we were level 3. I never knew their political positions.
Ha, I thought I was a half decent amateur until I met some 11-year-olds in Kathmandu. Holy crap can those Nepalis play chess.
Quote from: Koltar on January 31, 2025, 01:27:07 AMHow Would I "know" if someone was a 'Leftist' while playing? Or a 'Trump supporter'?
If we leave contemporary politics out of the game sutuation - then there is no way to KNOW someone's political leanings.
- Ed C.
Give them two cows in the game and see what they do with them
I find that if everyone at my table treats one another with respect, that's all that really matters. I have a wide variety of friends, with a wide variety of backgrounds and political leanings, and fortunately we are all able to get along pretty well, although we make sure we don't discuss politics at the table - although it has happened in the group chat and caused some tense situations in the past. Still, as a whole, the group is pretty good at policing it.
I've gone to plenty of local Tuesday night D&D sessions. Really the only things majorly distracting from the game are people who yell so loud that your ears are ringing afterward and overt fetishes that have no place in the story.
Quote from: Koltar on January 31, 2025, 01:27:07 AMHow Would I "know" if someone was a 'Leftist' while playing? Or a 'Trump supporter'?
If we leave contemporary politics out of the game sutuation - then there is no way to KNOW someone's political leanings.
- Ed C.
You'd think that would be true of vegans and cross fit fans, but you'd be wrong. Turns out, some people over share no matter what the venue. With politics, I've met both left and right that do this. However, there are more on the left in the last 30 years, and most of the ones on the right that are like this aren't gamers.
Nor is this limited to those topics. That's really my criteria. I can't game with someone who simply will not shut up about an irrelevant topic while the game is going on. Trying to drag the game around to be about their irrelevant topic is even worse. If I ever meet a knitter or dog sled racer or stamp collector that exhibits that problem, they'll be out on their asses too. So far I've been lucky I guess.
No.
It has been made clear to me that I am not approved to play any version of D&D with the possible exception of AD&D 2nd Edition.
:D
Quote from: Armchair Gamer on February 01, 2025, 04:43:05 PMNo.
It has been made clear to me that I am not approved to play any version of D&D with the possible exception of AD&D 2nd Edition.
:D
Oh come on, you can't leave us hanging like that.
Quote from: D-ko on February 01, 2025, 06:56:53 PMQuote from: Armchair Gamer on February 01, 2025, 04:43:05 PMNo.
It has been made clear to me that I am not approved to play any version of D&D with the possible exception of AD&D 2nd Edition.
:D
Oh come on, you can't leave us hanging like that.
Sorry to disappoint, but it's just a joke at how I'm not the right kind of fan for WotC or Paizo, and not interested in OSR/BrOSR styles of play, so my options are pretty limited. :)
Oh, I understand. I had great memories even with 5E way back when Curse Of Strahd was new; things have changed unfortunately, both in the culture and the way the game is presented. It's odd to me that the company doesn't even have webpages for many of their recent physical releases, pushing everyone toward having their app do everything for you. It completely misses the point of why I like tabletop gaming. 4E has quite the unbelievable history with them trying to do a similar digital transition back then. The leader of the project had a breakdown and committed various acts of violence, delaying the use of technology integrated with the game.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Melissa_Batten
Quote from: RNGm on January 30, 2025, 05:49:41 PMI could if they kept their real world politics out of the game world. I'd still keep a very close eye though on my in game gold pieces and magic items regardless...
Same. I have one player who's far left. But... so far... manages to jeep that off the table when playing.
I do it every week but I play with people who are mature enough that they don't feel the need to make everything they do about their political beliefs.
Sure, I'd game with a leftist. I game with people whose company I enjoy. That's pretty much the criteria. "Don't be an ass" is important; political affiliation is not.
I both welcome a my table and will gladly play at a table of anyone who isn't deranged and insists on pushing his views on others or into the game.
I think the idea Pundit talks about (higher probability on the left to try to) is right (no pun intended), but luckily I haven't come across it. I live abroad so no Trump stuff but my current player group has plyers from both extremes of the political spectrum and for almost 2 years we had 0 political IRL problems.
Quote from: Armchair Gamer on February 01, 2025, 07:29:37 PMQuote from: D-ko on February 01, 2025, 06:56:53 PMQuote from: Armchair Gamer on February 01, 2025, 04:43:05 PMNo.
It has been made clear to me that I am not approved to play any version of D&D with the possible exception of AD&D 2nd Edition.
:D
Oh come on, you can't leave us hanging like that.
Sorry to disappoint, but it's just a joke at how I'm not the right kind of fan for WotC or Paizo, and not interested in OSR/BrOSR styles of play, so my options are pretty limited. :)
Why aren't you interested in anything OSR? BTW, the BroSR is an entirely different thing.
There are plenty of supplements, modules, etc. that you could easily adapt to whatever version of D&D you play.
Take a look at Expeditious Retreat Press (https://www.xrpshop.citymax.com/page/page/2561954.htm). They have been making modules for about 20 years now for OSRIC, and are of really good quality. They have arguably the world's largest dungeon, The Pits of Arden Vul.
Pacesetter Games (https://pacesettergames.com/collections/bx-rpg-1) is another one that makes some pretty good modules.
There's lots of great stuff out there. Don't sell yourself short.
Quote from: jhkim on January 30, 2025, 11:47:00 PMYeah, I live in the SF Bay Area which is very concentrated with leftists, and don't have problems playing with them. I don't have problems playing with conservatives, either.
Specifically, when Pundit talks about GMing by what most progressives are in the U.S. today
Quote from: RPGPunditIf you're talking about a postmodern leftist... if you're talking about someone who's like what most progressives in the United States are today
...
They can't understand the nature of of symbolism. They can't understand the nature of myth. They can't understand the hero's journey, and what little they can grasp of it makes them think that it's bad.
...
You really have to do an enormous effort which is what has happened in our society to train people to the opposite. You have to to deeply indoctrinate them to break away from this idea of understanding symbol and understanding myth because because that is something that is inherent to humanity all of our all the myths throughout the world derived from these same origins.
What strikes me is that this sounds bizarrely similar to Ron Edwards' infamous "brain damage" rant where he claims that humans have a natural understanding of story - but that White Wolf RPGs damaged the capacity of players to understand it.
http://indie-rpgs.com/archive/index.php?topic=18707.0
Edwards even similarly takes aim at postmodernism as "errant garbage".
---
Personally, I don't find there's any connection between someone's politics and their understanding of myth or story. People's personality and politics will show in their stories, but there can be great stories of many different styles.
I'm also partial to the work of some postmodern authors like Philip K. Dick and Neil Gaiman, say.
Well there's two possibilities, I suppose: the first is that postmodernists do understand symbol and archetype, which is of course true of the older postmodernists (the genX or early MIllenials and up), but they just think that symbol and archetype as objective concepts is EVIL and WRONG, and needs to be destroyed through DECONSTRUCTIONISM. So they know that it's real, they fear that it is good, and they work to try to destroy it so future generations won't get it.
The second is that postmodernists (namely the ones who have been born sometime after 1990 and therefore have spent their entire lives in institutions run by postmodernists) have never actually been able to understand symbol and myth, they understand tropes and understand shallow personalities (which are the replacement for heroes) and they understand thought/speech-crimes (the replacement, or rather distraction from, actual Evil).
But they can't comprehend the idea that an Orc represents a force of consuming evil, of barbarity and bloodlust, and so instead they think "They're being racist to black people, who remind me of orcs!!"
The latter are hopelessly broken, but are in some sense victims, like if one imagines a child who was raised all his life by the Hitler Youth. They don't know any better.
Those of the Left who DO know better and unspeakably evil.
No, I´d rather quit the hobby all together, that ship has sailed.
My current AD&D 2e group consists of me and five other players.
I'm a Conservative, two of the players are leftist libtards, one is a moderate center-left guy, one is Libertarian and the last one, the Libertarian's brother, doesn't care about politics.
Needless to day, I don't allow political discussion at the table and my players know it. Anyone who insists on bringing up political conversations will be booted from the table for good.
This arrangement has worked for everyone, because my campaign has going on continuously for three years, now.
Greetings!
No. I have zero tolerance for Leftists and any of their BS. NOT HAPPENING. It is bad enough I have to see them and hear them spew absolute nonsense and BS in society, on various online sites, and so on. I sure as fuck do not need to tolerate Leftists at my game table. It is my game table and I am the master. Noone is "entitled" to participate in my game at my game table.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Quote from: SHARK on February 06, 2025, 03:36:01 AMGreetings!
No. I have zero tolerance for Leftists and any of their BS. NOT HAPPENING. It is bad enough I have to see them and hear them spew absolute nonsense and BS in society, on various online sites, and so on. I sure as fuck do not need to tolerate Leftists at my game table. It is my game table and I am the master. Noone is "entitled" to participate in my game at my game table.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Without trying to be sarcastic, brother, you are one eloquent poet, respect. I couldn´t have said
it better myself, you crystallized my sentiment 101%.
I'd say that the vast majority of people I've played with have been broadly socialist. I've always had fun games.
To be fair since moving to The Shire I haven't played with any of the locals and given the amount of fishermen, farmers and oil peeps in the area it's a bit more right wing. OTOH there's bit of distaste of Trump in the area given the golf course debacle.
Not really, I've dealt with plenty of shit from these people in wargaming and a bit in RPGs (Alot of this happened before I was even really political), so not really in the mood, the issue is the leftoid views his politics as the simple nature of reality that you must except and not political after all.
I don't want to play with anyone who's being tedious about any real-world topic while I'm trying to play a game. A guy I know went into the Obama version of TDS back a decade ago; he could not show up for a game without some rant about the libtards or trying to get the left-leaning DM to debate him about random things, which just wasted everyone's time. I don't care whether someone's being tedious and wasting my time with liberal talking points or conservative ones, in any event it all works out the same in the end.
Quote from: SHARK on February 06, 2025, 03:36:01 AMGreetings!
No. I have zero tolerance for Leftists and any of their BS. NOT HAPPENING. It is bad enough I have to see them and hear them spew absolute nonsense and BS in society, on various online sites, and so on. I sure as fuck do not need to tolerate Leftists at my game table. It is my game table and I am the master. Noone is "entitled" to participate in my game at my game table.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
This.
I won't even knowingly associate with a lefty, I certainly won't spend any of my free time with them.
No, I have in the past during college. Leftist the specific term, not a liberal but an extremist. Leftists actually don't have the ability to put down the politics or ideology.
I also prefer games with some structure and realism while people on the left seem to like games with limited consequence, or faux realism. Fate, Fabula Ultima or 5e while ignoring many rules. They use the games and their character as a conduit for their ideology.
I've just had better roleplaying experiences with people not on the left; even moderate lefties. Which i do believe is more of a last 10 years thing. Its also just easier without a lefty because if someone in or out of character makes an offhand comment no one will care.
I have no objection to role playing with someone of any ideology, as long as they can be nice to me and respect my beliefs. I currently role play with mostly people on the right (of various diverse forms of conservatism) but I play with one left leaning person as well. Plus I encounter scores of leftists in LARPs.
As a forever DM I only look for high-level play from the people at my table. I want ringers. Being dead serious about creating an environment for high-level play I get into a zone where response to character action is on point and the players are invested with each other to the point I am window dressing.
This makes questions like this pointless and meaningless. We are creating immersion weaving are lived experiences into our characters, entering unknown territory which richly rewards the creative mind. I see the players losing themselves in immersion. I call it the zone. Accomplished artists probably know what I am referring to. Injecting politics into this space just doesn't happen. Pro-players, get some if you can.
Lol, just got kicked out of a game/discord the day before the first session when one apparent far leftie said that he "hates to do this and bring up politics" but declared that he couldn't play in a campaign with a Trump supporter and asked if there were any. I simply responded "I am." and the GM booted and blocked me within two minutes. This was the first time real world politics were brought up in the lead up to the campaign. The tolerant left strikes again!
For all that's said by the left about tolerance...
And for all that I appreciate tolerance of varying perspectives and ideas...
I feel like they oftentimes don't actually care about ideological tolerance save insofar as it benefits them and their pet causes. In fact, if you possess thoughts that they deem harmful to those causes, then you're out. Liberal now oftentimes means leftist, not pro-free-speech.
Which is a bummer, especially when sites like Discord will even themselves police user speech in the real world. It's like the social stigma isn't enough, and now they want to add corporate punishment to the mix. Let's just hope free speech stays intact, more generally.
That said, I do sometimes play D&D with leftists. Sometimes I even DM for them. I don't disqualify based on personal ideology, or wrong thought, only tangible problems at the table.
Quote from: KindaMeh on March 30, 2025, 11:31:31 AMThat said, I do sometimes play D&D with leftists. Sometimes I even DM for them. I don't disqualify based on personal ideology, or wrong thought, only tangible problems at the table.
Yeah. The issue for me (living in the pacific northwest) is that it's pretty one-sided. I can tolerate lefties if they don't bang on about politics or ideology. But during the course of an evening side topics come up. I sit there and imagine how my leftist friends, ranting at the table about how all conservatives are fascists and how Trump and Elon are Nazis who deserve to die painfully would react if it came up that I voted for Trump, twice. I honestly don't know how such a scenario would shake out. I'm not gonna lie to them, but I'm not going to mention it unless asked directly.
So I game in this funky state where most of the time it's a non-issue, but I'm always mentally prepared for the day when I might have to stop going to the gaming pub if things go badly one night over politics.
Quote from: Ratman_tf on March 30, 2025, 03:41:54 PM]I sit there and imagine how my leftist friends, ranting at the table about how all conservatives are fascists and how Trump and Elon are Nazis who deserve to die painfully would react if it came up that I voted for Trump, twice. I honestly don't know how such a scenario would shake out. I'm not gonna lie to them, but I'm not going to mention it unless asked directly.
I suspect that you know deep down how it would shake out and that's why you don't express your own views as freely as they do. It's a sad state of things unfortunately.
I don't associate with communists, so I don't have to worry about it.
I game with people who would have been considered centrists or maybe even centre left 10-15 years ago which is now "far right".
I myself, am very conservative and am everything communists hate: straight, White, Catholic with multiple children, a stay at home wife with pets and support my family on my income.
Quote from: Ratman_tf on March 30, 2025, 03:41:54 PMI sit there and imagine how my leftist friends, ranting at the table about how all conservatives are fascists and how Trump and Elon are Nazis who deserve to die painfully would react if it came up that I voted for Trump, twice.
I would walk out and not talk to them if it were me. Not for the difference of opinion but the implied threats of not conforming.
I have a fairly non-mainstream sociopolitical philosophy. Usually I just keep my views to myself. There have been times where I hear someone ranting about one issue or another and I pay it no mind. Where I draw the line is when it tips into threats, lies, or dehumanization. I call that out directly, regardless of the side of the aisle. If they retract and mellow out, we're all good or otherwise we part company.
I think a lot of traditionalist ideas are bad but usually I can approach with logical arguments and alternative ideas and we can share a beer after the debate. With the leftists, it's more of a cult like membership or death view. I wish this wasn't the case, I wish those that have gotten to this point would see that most of us are just people trying to make day by day.
Quote from: Ratman_tf on March 30, 2025, 03:41:54 PMQuote from: KindaMeh on March 30, 2025, 11:31:31 AMThat said, I do sometimes play D&D with leftists. Sometimes I even DM for them. I don't disqualify based on personal ideology, or wrong thought, only tangible problems at the table.
Yeah. The issue for me (living in the pacific northwest) is that it's pretty one-sided. I can tolerate lefties if they don't bang on about politics or ideology. But during the course of an evening side topics come up. I sit there and imagine how my leftist friends, ranting at the table about how all conservatives are fascists and how Trump and Elon are Nazis who deserve to die painfully would react if it came up that I voted for Trump, twice. I honestly don't know how such a scenario would shake out. I'm not gonna lie to them, but I'm not going to mention it unless asked directly.
So I game in this funky state where most of the time it's a non-issue, but I'm always mentally prepared for the day when I might have to stop going to the gaming pub if things go badly one night over politics.
I was in the same boat until the local government mandated vaccinations and summer ended so the game had to move into the house. We had one last game in the car port where I was expecting to be kicked out of the group but we had a nice game then the other unvaccinated guy and I were booted via email the next day.
Imagine being so tolerant you kick people out of a game for not succumbing to propaganda.
I play with a devout communist who wears the hammer and sickle hat, tried to make a character called "Karl Marx" , and other items right out of Mao's Little Red Book.
Once I told him to cut that shit out and I'm forbidding either side from cropping up at the table as we are here to have fun not shove ANY propoganda down people's throat he's been just fine and is a solid player.
Just had to talk to him like an adult and tell him the issues that he is causing for myself as the DM and the party with being uncomfortable with that nonsense.