...for wokeness.
I posted exactly the same 'looking for players' pitch that I have here and on 3 other sites, word for word. Now, with Reddit's reputation, I thought it likely that a Mod would eventually have an issue with it (as it included incredibly mild mention of me not wanting snowflakes), but the post was auto-removed at posting, to 'keep the community safe and civil.'
I'm beyond frustrated right now, and no I won't remove my incredibly mild caveats, as anyone offended by them is not someone I want to game with. It's amazing that someone can say "only other BAME or Queer players please," but I can't say I don't want someone that uses prog language.
Aaannnddddd I just got finished going through Discord TTRPG servers, and every single one of them mentioned inclusivity and zero tolerance for wrong think.
"Inclusivity." Has any other word been twisted to mean it's own antonym as much as this?
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 02:42:26 PM"Inclusivity." Has any other word been twisted to mean its own antonym as much as this?
"People's Republic."
You might have more luck asking for groups that avoid certain topics rather than certain language. Instead of saying "don't use prog language" try something like "avoid digressing into politics or current events".
You do what I do. You advertise and treat it like you're selling something. You are. You're selling your gaming experience you're offering.
Clearly state your age and that of your players (I'm in my 50's but my group has players in their 50's down to their 20's). And you advertise the kind of game you run. State you're not interested in politics that aren't part of the game. That alone *should* scare off most of the weirdos (but not all).
Then you treat it like a job interview. You'll get nibbles and an occasional bite - but you check them out and sort out the NO's from the maybe's. Then you interview them. I usually do it over a meal and a drink. And be honest. SJW's rarely get irate to your face over a meal. But let's be real, you'll know within 2-minutes whether or not there is a RED flag. And if they make it over that 2-minute mark... then you're in negotiations.
Does this sound like a lot of work? Sure. But I'm in it for the long-haul. I'm looking for players that might spend *decades* gaming with me. It's worth it to me. If you're looking for casual flakes... well the hobby has been flooded with them. I see this as hazards of reality.
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 02:17:37 PM
...for wokeness.
I posted exactly the same 'looking for players' pitch that I have here and on 3 other sites, word for word. Now, with Reddit's reputation, I thought it likely that a Mod would eventually have an issue with it (as it included incredibly mild mention of me not wanting snowflakes), but the post was auto-removed at posting, to 'keep the community safe and civil.'
I'm beyond frustrated right now, and no I won't remove my incredibly mild caveats, as anyone offended by them is not someone I want to game with. It's amazing that someone can say "only other BAME or Queer players please," but I can't say I don't want someone that uses prog language.
Not that you should have to, but you could try using "does not use prog language" instead of "snowflakes" and see if it's auto-blocked with that?
Yeah Reddit is exclusionary but I've had a lot of luck keeping it short and not mentioning anything except the name of the game and likely locations and time slots. Pick a trad game (and not brandname D&D) and that will automatically filter out the zealots. I've formed two great groups of gamers this way with no issues. If you post political stuff elsewhere use a burner. It sucks to have to do all that but there are a lot of regular well adapted gamers on Reddit and many are lurkers.
The advice about being very subtle in my wording, to slip past the Commissars is probably good advice. Frustrating, living-under-a-Communist-regime advice, but practical.
I know for a fact that a lot of these groups, that can have hundreds of members, MUST contain normal people. Accessing them, and letting them know what I'm about, without setting off the censors, is the trick I guess.
This must be what it felt like to be gay in the 50's, and going to bars to pick up a date, but using hidden signals and tricks to not get arrested.
PS - I didn't actually use the word snowflake, I did mention pronouns and problematic though (holy words of the cult).
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 03:23:12 PMI did mention pronouns and problematic though (holy words of the cult).
Yeah, that was your mistake. Objecting to demands for unique pronoun usage is now taken in itself as active transphobia.
So I successfully got a sanitized thread up on r/rpg, we'll see how that goes.
I had planned to do the same with Discord, but any ones I saw either had wall to wall anime and Furry avatars, or universal pronouns. So I noped out quickly.
Does anyone know of any good non-woke place, Discord or elsewhere, to look for players?
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 03:58:51 PM
So I successfully got a sanitized thread up on r/rpg, we'll see how that goes.
I had planned to do the same with Discord, but any ones I saw either had wall to wall anime and Furry avatars, or universal pronouns. So I noped out quickly.
Does anyone know of any good non-woke place, Discord or elsewhere, to look for players?
Honestly, I have yet to find a single one. Even when it think I finally have. If you're gaming online, you're gonna get some into the game with a low threshold of offendability at some point.
I recently thought I'd found such things, only to get something about "I don't want to hear about the problems of cis-het white males". I've lessened my participation level in that game since that moment.
Everyone in online ttrpg gaming seems to have a tolerance level of 0 for anything that doesn't fall in line with the Ideology.
So I've basically quit doing it.
Reddit is awful. Although amusing to see how many warnings I get for telling the truth. It's a coliseum filled with ranting, braindead leftards. I swear the average age is 14 for that place.
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 03:58:51 PM
I had planned to do the same with Discord, but any ones I saw either had wall to wall anime and Furry avatars, or universal pronouns. So I noped out quickly.
Does anyone know of any good non-woke place, Discord or elsewhere, to look for players?
Have you checked Discords dedicated to the specific system or setting if either is not homebrewed?
The Autarch Discord doesn't seem very woke, but if you're not doing ACKS or Ascendent, you might not find people.
So here's my sinful sentence on the Reddit thread they allowed up:
--Read this so no-one has their time wasted: I grew up during the 80's and 90's. I am irreverent by nature and enjoy blue jokes and double entendres. My table has no X cards, politics, or trigger warnings. Like Fonzie, you must be cool.--
Currently on a 50% upvote rate. :o
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 03:58:51 PM
So I successfully got a sanitized thread up on r/rpg, we'll see how that goes.
I had planned to do the same with Discord, but any ones I saw either had wall to wall anime and Furry avatars, or universal pronouns. So I noped out quickly.
Does anyone know of any good non-woke place, Discord or elsewhere, to look for players?
The Hyperborea Discord has a no politics rule that is strictly enforced and little to no wokeness. Almost a complete absence of pronoun talismans, a couple of anime avatars (oh how edgy!) and generally just very chill peeps who just wanna talk gaming. We discuss other old school systems a bit but obviously the focus is on Hyperborea, which is a pretty rad setting and 1e type system.
Every time I poke into the r/DnD reddit its taken me very little time to be convinced its not a good place.
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 17, 2023, 06:30:12 PM
The Hyperborea Discord has a no politics rule that is strictly enforced and little to no wokeness. Almost a complete absence of pronoun talismans, a couple of anime avatars (oh how edgy!) and generally just very chill peeps who just wanna talk gaming. We discuss other old school systems a bit but obviously the focus is on Hyperborea, which is a pretty rad setting and 1e type system.
How does one get to this wonderland? ???
Quote from: Stephen Tannhauser on January 17, 2023, 08:13:18 PM
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 17, 2023, 06:30:12 PM
The Hyperborea Discord has a no politics rule that is strictly enforced and little to no wokeness. Almost a complete absence of pronoun talismans, a couple of anime avatars (oh how edgy!) and generally just very chill peeps who just wanna talk gaming. We discuss other old school systems a bit but obviously the focus is on Hyperborea, which is a pretty rad setting and 1e type system.
How does one get to this wonderland? ???
Huzzah!
https://discord.gg/VtBMuGpr
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 17, 2023, 08:16:42 PMHuzzah!
https://discord.gg/VtBMuGpr
Well, as is my typical character of luck, I managed to screw up the signup process in a way that it looks like it'll need the admins to fix.
Put simply, my first attempt at a password was rejected as too simple or common for use, but whenever I tried to enter a followup using the email I want to use, it kept telling me, "Email is already registered." So I can't claim the account unless I provide a password but I can't provide the password for my existing email because it tells me it's already registered. Is there a way out of this Catch-22?
Quote from: Stephen Tannhauser on January 17, 2023, 08:27:53 PM
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 17, 2023, 08:16:42 PMHuzzah!
https://discord.gg/VtBMuGpr
Well, as is my typical character of luck, I managed to screw up the signup process in a way that it looks like it'll need the admins to fix.
Put simply, my first attempt at a password was rejected as too simple or common for use, but whenever I tried to enter a followup using the email I want to use, it kept telling me, "Email is already registered." So I can't claim the account unless I provide a password but I can't provide the password for my existing email because it tells me it's already registered. Is there a way out of this Catch-22?
'Try to sign in' and hit the "I've forgotten my password" link to reset?
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 17, 2023, 05:13:25 PM
So here's my sinful sentence on the Reddit thread they allowed up:
--Read this so no-one has their time wasted: I grew up during the 80's and 90's. I am irreverent by nature and enjoy blue jokes and double entendres. My table has no X cards, politics, or trigger warnings. Like Fonzie, you must be cool.--
That sounds like the perfect game for me—basically, players and a GM who know how to have a laugh and not take themselves too seriously with all that political bollox.
No one is holding a gun to their head saying they have to join up. I do something similar when looking for an online game. No 'safety tools' and a 90s gaming style that will inevitably contain horror or other material that won't suit everyone. Simples... And fuck 'em if they don't like it. ;D
Quote from: Stephen Tannhauser on January 17, 2023, 08:27:53 PM
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 17, 2023, 08:16:42 PMHuzzah!
https://discord.gg/VtBMuGpr
Well, as is my typical character of luck, I managed to screw up the signup process in a way that it looks like it'll need the admins to fix.
Put simply, my first attempt at a password was rejected as too simple or common for use, but whenever I tried to enter a followup using the email I want to use, it kept telling me, "Email is already registered." So I can't claim the account unless I provide a password but I can't provide the password for my existing email because it tells me it's already registered. Is there a way out of this Catch-22?
hmmm. I don't know. Is this a Discord thing or specific to that group?
Quote from: rytrasmi on January 18, 2023, 09:25:43 AMI don't know. Is this a Discord thing or specific to that group?
No idea, I've never used Discord in my life. (Yes, I'm that much of a Luddite. I didn't even get a cellphone until 2014.)
I will be trying the password reset idea when I get a moment to spare for it.
I find "no political discussions allowed" sorts out most of the freaks.
Quote from: Spinachcat on January 19, 2023, 12:44:25 AM
I find "no political discussions allowed" sorts out most of the freaks.
It feels a bit like antibiotics where the infection becomes resistant.
For instance, you put 'no politics,' then they act/are confused when you point out them going on about LGBTIQ+ or BLM. "It's not political, it's just morality!"
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 22, 2023, 03:34:08 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat on January 19, 2023, 12:44:25 AM
I find "no political discussions allowed" sorts out most of the freaks.
It feels a bit like antibiotics where the infection becomes resistant.
For instance, you put 'no politics,' then they act/are confused when you point out them going on about LGBTIQ+ or BLM. "It's not political, it's just morality!"
That's when you break out the corollary to the "no political discussions allowed". If the "personal is political", then the person is incapable/unwilling to make any distinctions about what is political or not, and thus will have those distinctions made for them, or given too much trouble, kicked out over the failure to understand/act on this.
Quote from: Steven Mitchell on January 22, 2023, 07:43:45 AM
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 22, 2023, 03:34:08 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat on January 19, 2023, 12:44:25 AM
I find "no political discussions allowed" sorts out most of the freaks.
It feels a bit like antibiotics where the infection becomes resistant.
For instance, you put 'no politics,' then they act/are confused when you point out them going on about LGBTIQ+ or BLM. "It's not political, it's just morality!"
That's when you break out the corollary to the "no political discussions allowed". If the "personal is political", then the person is incapable/unwilling to make any distinctions about what is political or not, and thus will have those distinctions made for them, or given too much trouble, kicked out over the failure to understand/act on this.
Or just include Identity Politics under the No Politics rule.
Quote from: Grognard GM on January 22, 2023, 03:34:08 AMFor instance, you put 'no politics,' then they act/are confused when you point out them going on about LGBTIQ+ or BLM. "It's not political, it's just morality!"
That's when I cast the STFU spell on them.