Quote from: jeff37923 on March 11, 2022, 11:15:16 PM
Before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, the Kickstarter for this begins an April 1st.

It also looks like it just pays lip service to Norse Mythology.

Quote from: Shield Maidens Description

The Shield Maidens Kickstarter will launch at 2pm GMT on Friday April 1st!

'Hear well this prophecy, child of Heimdall, for it speaks of your sisters. As the age of the world grows weary, the gods will wage great wars and the glory of humankind will be as to nothing. In those days will stride forth Shield Maidens who carry great power, and theirs will be the hands that bring forward an end to all that has gone before. Remember this, child of Heimdall — though in the days of unending winter, even dragons may forget.'

A brand new science-fiction roleplaying game, Shield Maidens is written by Alison Cybe to meld a cyberpunk world with Viking mythology. You will become one of the Shield Maidens, fighting the endless battle against Ragnarök and the end of the cosmos, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your sisters, to face the gods themselves. By merging technology and myth into a divinely-fuelled hardlight Guardian Shield, you will be the last hope of humanity. It is up to you and your sisters to decide the fate of the cosmos, and to turn the wheel of time yet again.

Shield Maidens is a 2D6 system, with the D8 Shield Dice used when you call upon the unwieldy power you hold as a daughter of Freya. There is no class system in Shield Maidens, and you are not limited by what skills you choose but rather who you truly are – the power of your Guardian Shield scales against your highest qualities, be they Observation, Understanding, Might, Speed, Resilience or Expression.

Shield Maidens blends ancient Norse mythology and cyberpunk technology; plasma rifles with wolfen iconography are a common sight among the Fenrir Drengr; star spanning empires search for Ymir's blood, a substance used to fuel the engines of ships, Guardian Shields and the artificial sun of Midgard; Dwarves mould and contort their realm from above, their physical bodies no longer of use; and the Jötunn battle endlessly against the forces of The Pure.

The old gods are present but uncaring, and have allowed their children to rampage throughout the cosmos whilst the Allfather slumbers. Freya, patron of the Shield Maidens, waits in Vanaheimr, the war between the gods of at a standstill. It will not be long before the skies alight once more with their wrath, though none now live that remember the cause...

Shield Maidens represents the freedom to choose to be who you are. You are tasked with breaking the chains that bind you, both metaphorically and physically. Freya has entrusted not only the fate of Midgard, but that of Yggdrasil itself to you and your fellow Shield Maidens; you must remove the icy grip of the Fenrir Empire and usher in the spring. You will stand against tyranny, oppression, and empires that stretch into the stars... perhaps even Odin himself...



The Shield Maidens Kickstarter will launch at 2pm GMT on Friday April 1st!

The art on the page is all female, except for a motorcycle (which I guess could identify as female).

Where does it say that the rules allow for Shield Maidens not born female?

https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/shield-maidens

EDIT: Really, compared to Thirsty Sword Lesbians, this is a some pretty weaksauce pandering to the SJW community.

Well, based on the answers of mongoosematt the OP was accurate.

Quote from: oggsmash on March 12, 2022, 02:24:01 PM

  No, it has a specific meaning for everyone who uses it in a sentence these days. 

I would dispute that. However, I think we can agree to disagree on that one.

Quote from: oggsmash on March 12, 2022, 02:24:01 PMDo not attempt to make it my version of how those terms are used, when you know full well what it means. 

I do now - it was not my intention to malign you in any way, I just wanted to be sure we were both talking about the same thing. It's all good.

Quote from: oggsmash on March 12, 2022, 02:24:01 PM
I am willing to judge based on what you do though, explain how they are against diversity and that pretty much ends it.

Would you mind if we put a pin in this and return to it at a later date? We have a bunch of things coming up in the previews over the next couple of weeks or so, and I don't want to undercut all of that just yet

  No worries I dont want anything spoiled.   As for what people mean when they mention diversity and social justice, yeah we can agree to disagree as to how it is meant in almost all discourse these days.

Have to tip my hat to mongoosematt. While I believe this is run of the mill virtue signaling, it is pretty clear that he doesn't 'hate' anyone. He wants you to play the game if it sounds fun regardless of what you think of him.

Not many have the stones to go four pages plus with this crowd.

  I do not disagree with that.  I own lots of stuff I do not play, and I could see myself giving this a look if for nothing else to take its place with the other 200 rpg books, but if it has the signals just to have them....it will probably be a pass.  I will wait for more previews  and ultimately to see it in the store before I pass that judgement though. 

Most of us hate this woke bullshit and can see the debilitating effect it has on our hobby, but we can't go alienating product producers who we might think are woke instigators. There is a lot of difference between how Evil Hat has acted with Thirsty Sword Lesbians and Mongoose Publishing is acting with Shield Maidens. We can't go jumping at shadows, especially when that shade has been cast by a questionable source like Shawn Driscoll (I'd still like to know what he posted on the Mongoose forums that was deleted, and if it even did happen). If we scream badwrongfun at the slightest provocation then we are no better than the woke scolds that we can't stand.

MongooseMatt is being cagey with a new product roll out and that is understandable. Best we can do is wait and see.

Just my two cents.

It looks like the same stuff we've all been seeing for the last 5-6 years in books, movies, TV, etc.

Writers no longer come up with interesting characters. Instead they default to making angry black lesbians with shaved heads and blue/pink colored hair. They even take things another step further by replacing existing iconic heroes with such characters.

Here's an interview video of the guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeH_TeAjxrs
He's woke. I'm voting with my wallet here and not sending any money to the guy.

Here was my post that was deleted by MongooseKat.

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll on March 12, 2022, 06:40:34 PM
It looks like the same stuff we've all been seeing for the last 5-6 years in books, movies, TV, etc.

Writers no longer come up with interesting characters. Instead they default to making angry black lesbians with shaved heads and blue/pink colored hair. They even take things another step further by replacing existing iconic heroes with such characters.

  That might be working for them.  I do not know, I just know if that is the case with this, I won't be buying it.   It does look like it is on that trend, but as I said, I will give it a fair look.

I'm seconding Jeff and FingerRod.

I think many here are making a mountain out of a molehill. Even to the degree that some of these statements can be construed as "virtue signaling", they're pretty tame compared to most. And given that this isn't even an established IP being taken over to promote woke stuff it's like: Who cares?

They can do with their own original IP whatever they want. It's not like they're spitting on an existing fandom.

Props to MongooseMatt for keeping his cool while walking into the fire.

Quote from: MongooseMatt on March 12, 2022, 02:01:29 PM
Recently, we updated the Traveller Core Rulebook. The reason we did this is because we were coming to the end of a print run and so, obviously, needed to reprint. However, our graphics and art have massively improved since the rulebook was first printed, and so we completely reformatted the layout and commissioned new art.

That was why the rulebook was changed/updated.

While we were at it, we took the opportunity to make a few tweaks, including changing pronouns to they/them. This was not an effort at virtue signalling (aside from a forum post or two, we barely mentioned it), but simply because we knew more women were playing and we wanted the game to feel more welcoming to them. NO other reason for it.

Shield Maidens is the same. We really just want to be welcoming. We are not looking to shove anything down your throat.

I see...

Like I said. No RPGs have been deliberately unwelcoming. Why all the pronoun nonsense then? I mean, the 1st Vampire the Masquerade has been using both (he/she) for decades. Were they not being inclusive enough then?

Twitter is only 'one' aspect of the woke scolds. I perhaps should have included TBP crowd as well.

And I don't accept that this was not an effort to virtue signal on Mongoose's part. You've got to tonge the arse that feeds you am I right? $$$$$

I find it even funnier that you've popped on here to try and play both sides of the coin. On the one hand you're trying to placate us anti-woke scold types and on the other you're virtue signaling to the other side.

Personally, I don't really have a problem with diversity per se. But I really find it a bit insipid when companies try to latch on to an agenda and then try to pass it over to regular gamers who just want to play games. Companies are either complicit with this asymetrical censorship, or part of the problem.

Of course from my lefty perspective this is typical 'company man' behavior. I'm not blaming Mongoose Matt incidentally I'm sure he's a decent enough chap. He's just trying to sell us a product while trying to provide a semi-palatable narrative here. Then, he will be on TBP letting them know how inclusive/diverse the game is.

I'm just not buying it metaphorically or physically. I'm not against the game's concept, but I don't really like high fantasy stuff.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on March 11, 2022, 08:26:53 PM
Considering that two days ago they tweeted out: Forget what you thought you knew, as Norse mythology only got the facts partly right, this isn't a surprise. They are just correcting the mistakes in Norse mythology based on the most recent scientific data.

Snorri Sturluson was a shitlord colonialist liar and his eddas are cultural imperialism. cough cough

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 06:45:07 PM
They can do with their own original IP whatever they want. It's not like they're spitting on an existing fandom.

Well obviously. But we don't have to buy it either.

So, it's all good... And everyone gets to have a choice in the matter.

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 06:45:07 PM
I think many here are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Say it's not so.

Quote from: HappyDaze on March 12, 2022, 08:34:10 PM

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 06:45:07 PM
I think many here are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Say it's not so.

Yeah.... but it's a lot of fun doing it.

Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on March 12, 2022, 08:35:03 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on March 12, 2022, 08:34:10 PM

Quote from: VisionStorm on March 12, 2022, 06:45:07 PM
I think many here are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Say it's not so.

Yeah.... but it's a lot of fun doing it.

Maybe, but it gets tiring when some schmuck tries to manipulate your stance into supporting their own private bullshit.