Quote from: Chris24601 on September 17, 2024, 07:37:15 AM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on September 17, 2024, 06:39:07 AM

Quote from: Omega on September 17, 2024, 06:13:13 AM

Quote from: blackstone on September 16, 2024, 10:08:44 AMPlaying yourself in a RPG lacks creativity and shows narcissism.

This is false.

There are alot of reasons why players sometimes play effectively themselves. Its been a thing since the start of D&D. And it was a thing in writing long long before that.

Longevity doesn't establish correctness.  Generally speaking, self-insert characters are toxic, whether in literature or RPGs.  The fact that people have been doing it for a long time just confirms that garbage roleplaying is not a new thing... and it's not.

Coversely, survival horror campaigns (zombies, nuclear holocaust, alien invasion, etc.) where everyone plays themselves and your starting gear is whatever you have in your pockets/car are honestly way more fun than playing an anonymous starter character (it can also be hilarious).

Longevity may not establish correctness, but it does suggest it, particularly given the absence of evidence beyond your statements (I went looking and there's zip, squat and zilch to back your claims).

 You know what does show up as narcissistic behavior? Gaslighting people with claims that what they like to do is badwrongfun in order to get them to do what the narcissist wants.

What?  There's no "evidence" for any of your claims, either, other than your anecdotes.  Where did you "look"?  As for your final paragraph about narcissism and gaslighting, I expect you to drama queen, but that's drama-queening a little too close to the sun...

Greetings!

It is interesting how the Woke developers and staff at WOTC are presenting New 6E D&D now. Their Woke ideology has so warped their minds and abilities, that they are producing nothing more than Marxist Mommy State approved propaganda--presented in the form of a game.

The art--my Gawd, the new PHB art is absolutely terrible. It's like bad comic book art. WTF? Just think--WOTC used to have world-class artists. Really top-tier artists. Now, they are reduced to producing BS that is like a Freshmen College art major did it.

Adventure writing, and modules. Well, even here, their Woke ideology has corrupted their minds. We have seen silly Ren-Faire modules, college "Hot Mess" modules, and magic coffee shop adventures. Compare this slop to Night BELOW, RAPPAN ATHUK, THE ENEMY WITHIN, or KEEP ON THE BORDERLANDS as modules from different years and companies in the industry. I think the contrast is staggering to see, and I think it also reflects not just how the Woke ideology has corrupted the people at WOTC, but also the new people, such as they are, that WOTC has hired. The quality of the game mechanics has suffered. The quality of the actual writing, editing, and story presentation has suffered and degraded enormously. Even comparing more recent modules of WOTC to earlier 5E modules, the comparison is poor. Even amongst their own self-same company within recent years, the decline in overall quality of modules has been sharp. None of this BS now compares even to TOMB OF ANNIHILATION.

Ah well. Time for me to light up my pipe and pour me some fresh coffee.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on September 17, 2024, 08:04:32 PMThe art--my Gawd, the new PHB art is absolutely terrible. It's like bad comic book art. WTF? Just think--WOTC used to have world-class artists.

It's doubly insane when you consider this is the same company that publishes Magic: The Gathering. In the past, MTG has had some of the best fantasy art in the world. It's taken a slide in recent years, but it's still reliably better than D&D art.

Again just look at the artist list for 2024. Like three times the size of 2014 and seemingly made up of random artists online which explains the inconsistent style. On top of that, at least one of the people they contracted pretty much said in that they injected their own political stuff in it. The draconic sorcerer the artist said on X they made the colors deliberately  like a pride flag and "pretended" the weird tattoos are supposed to represent top surgery scars. So the artists they are getting are pushing their agenda whether or not it's in the brief:



So who's more to blame?  Wotc letting it pass, or the artist injecting this gay shit where it's not in the prompt?

I would expect a small company to hire randoms, not the "big dawg" company. And yet for 2024 it seems they went full blown getting "fans" and not professional artists to draw stuff, which explains the weird style.

Quote from: GeekyBugle on September 17, 2024, 02:25:44 PMI have to wonder if the screams about ignoring the woke (for whatever BS "reason") have anything to do with the tides turning and corporations starting to reject and fire the woke...

Recent entries: Pixar, GenCon, lot's of brands on non-entertainment products...

I bet in a year or two tops we'll see some RPG publishers start making noises in this regard too. Especially now that Pixar (Disney) has started turning away from propaganda and embracing profit.

First said RPG publishers will need to purge most of the blue hairs from staff.

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 17, 2024, 10:57:48 PMAgain just look at the artist list for 2024. Like three times the size of 2014 and seemingly made up of random artists online which explains the inconsistent style. On top of that, at least one of the people they contracted pretty much said in that they injected their own political stuff in it. The draconic sorcerer the artist said on X they made the colors deliberately  like a pride flag and "pretended" the weird tattoos are supposed to represent top surgery scars. So the artists they are getting are pushing their agenda whether or not it's in the brief:



So who's more to blame?  Wotc letting it pass, or the artist injecting this gay shit where it's not in the prompt?

I would expect a small company to hire randoms, not the "big dawg" company. And yet for 2024 it seems they went full blown getting "fans" and not professional artists to draw stuff, which explains the weird style.

What page in the Nu-PHB is that on? I went to the Sorcerer & Dragonborn section, don't see anything resembling that pic.

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 08:28:46 AMWhat page in the Nu-PHB is that on? I went to the Sorcerer & Dragonborn section, don't see anything resembling that pic.

148 it looks like, right before the JonBenet Ramsey Loli-looking wild magic halfling (gnome?) sorcerer.

While topical to the industry, I honestly feel like talking about WotC and NuD&D is just staring into the Abyss.

There is zero value proposition in pursuing the brand, even watching it implode doesn't require wading into that mess to know all it does it take valuable time and energy in pursuing good gaming options in the wake of that implosion.

Would anyone here seriously trust WotC to do anything with that brand at your table worth consuming? And if so, *why*?

The closest I can get is people that like to collect Soviet Propaganda art. But at least that aesthetic has some artistic value. I don't see it with WotC D&D. Just like I don't see it with Disney Star Wars. It's bad in form if not function. Especially when the function isn't really gaming - it's propaganda. It's tantamount to rationalizing eating the bugs is *just* eating your daily allotment of protein and hey! it comes in peanut-flavor!

The only reason I can see for pursuing the brand is because it's "the brand".  There are way too many people who will know/want to play "Dungeons & Dragons" but if you mention an OSR game they look at you like you're speaking Greek; they have no idea what they are, why they should be playing "an old game" (instead of the most recent edition), etc.

I know locally I'd probably have a MUCH easier time finding players if I wanted to run modern D&D than to say I'm running OSE/BX/C&C/insert retroclone here, because people don't know what those things ARE and when you mention it it feels more like "let's play an obsolete version of the game that you have to find online, not the current version that's fully stocked at the game store you can just grab off the shelf"

Similar problem in wargaming trying to get people to play stuff other than Warhammer.

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 08:23:19 AM

Quote from: GeekyBugle on September 17, 2024, 02:25:44 PMI have to wonder if the screams about ignoring the woke (for whatever BS "reason") have anything to do with the tides turning and corporations starting to reject and fire the woke...

Recent entries: Pixar, GenCon, lot's of brands on non-entertainment products...

I bet in a year or two tops we'll see some RPG publishers start making noises in this regard too. Especially now that Pixar (Disney) has started turning away from propaganda and embracing profit.

First said RPG publishers will need to purge most of the blue hairs from staff.

That would count as "Making noises in that regard".

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 18, 2024, 10:15:15 AMThe only reason I can see for pursuing the brand is because it's "the brand".  There are way too many people who will know/want to play "Dungeons & Dragons" but if you mention an OSR game they look at you like you're speaking Greek; they have no idea what they are, why they should be playing "an old game" (instead of the most recent edition), etc.

I know locally I'd probably have a MUCH easier time finding players if I wanted to run modern D&D than to say I'm running OSE/BX/C&C/insert retroclone here, because people don't know what those things ARE and when you mention it it feels more like "let's play an obsolete version of the game that you have to find online, not the current version that's fully stocked at the game store you can just grab off the shelf"

There are many people who play a brand simply because of that network, even if they know about other games and might even prefer some other games.

I often play less popular and/or "dead" games when I can convince a group to go for it, but I still dip into games that I have less intrinsic interest in because it's a point of overlap interest with other players. Since grade school in 1980 or so, I've known and liked other RPGs compared D&D, but I've still played D&D from time to time.

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 17, 2024, 10:57:48 PMI would expect a small company to hire randoms, not the "big dawg" company. And yet for 2024 it seems they went full blown getting "fans" and not professional artists to draw stuff, which explains the weird style.

wotc has been hiring randoms since 5e. I knew at least one artist they commissioned, but never used. I'd bet quite a few pieces were like that. Some of the others were retreads.

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 18, 2024, 09:47:52 AM

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 08:28:46 AMWhat page in the Nu-PHB is that on? I went to the Sorcerer & Dragonborn section, don't see anything resembling that pic.

148 it looks like, right before the JonBenet Ramsey Loli-looking wild magic halfling (gnome?) sorcerer.

Ok, my bad. I was looking for a Dragonborn Sorcerer, not the Aasimir Draconic Sorcerer.

That really does look like a FtM situation going on there. I fucking hate identity politics so much, thankfully the pendulum is swinging.

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 07:04:46 PM

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 18, 2024, 09:47:52 AM

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 08:28:46 AMWhat page in the Nu-PHB is that on? I went to the Sorcerer & Dragonborn section, don't see anything resembling that pic.

148 it looks like, right before the JonBenet Ramsey Loli-looking wild magic halfling (gnome?) sorcerer.

Ok, my bad. I was looking for a Dragonborn Sorcerer, not the Aasimir Draconic Sorcerer.

That really does look like a FtM situation going on there. I fucking hate identity politics so much, thankfully the pendulum is swinging.

the worst part is according to the artist that was something she added in her own. Not part of the brief.

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 18, 2024, 07:16:18 PM

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 07:04:46 PM

Quote from: Nobleshield on September 18, 2024, 09:47:52 AM

Quote from: M2A0 on September 18, 2024, 08:28:46 AMWhat page in the Nu-PHB is that on? I went to the Sorcerer & Dragonborn section, don't see anything resembling that pic.

148 it looks like, right before the JonBenet Ramsey Loli-looking wild magic halfling (gnome?) sorcerer.

Ok, my bad. I was looking for a Dragonborn Sorcerer, not the Aasimir Draconic Sorcerer.

That really does look like a FtM situation going on there. I fucking hate identity politics so much, thankfully the pendulum is swinging.

the worst part is according to the artist that was something she added in her own. Not part of the brief.

But WotC's editors saw it and approved it...

Ergo WotC can't wash their hands from it.