Around 10 to 14 years ago there was 'organized play' of D&D games on Wednesdays.

I was working the evening or closing shift at the game store and some guys came in early and the first thing they started doing was arguing about the Presidential candidates that year.

It was annoying.

 I actually walked over to their table and said "Guys you are here to play Dungeons & Dragons not yammer on about politicians in 21st century America. Those two people will not affect how the game session goes tonight - so give it a rest - Alright!?"

For those who don't remember " TFTG" is my acrobym for "Tales From The Gamestore".

- Ed C.

My regular group doesn't talk politics at game sessions. WE get together to have a good time and leave the troubles of the real world behind for a little while. It is relaxing to be able to escape for a while which is why I don't use woke bullshit gaming products.

It not only a matter of respecting other people's opinions and beliefs, but to refer to the OP: why bring up either politics (or religion for that matter) at the gaming table? It has no bearing on the game.

The group I've been with now has been together for 22 years (The Burning River Sell-swords). It has changed over time. People come and go for one reason or another. We've either have or had people that that are left or right of the political spectrum, believers and non-believers.

We've always held the love of the hobby is what keeps us coming together. The bonds of friendship we've created at the table. We've come to each other's aid in need of help. We've celebrated our triumphs in life, and shared our grief. We've watched our group grow. We've brought our children in and they have grown up within our group, now to the point they have kids as well.

Now some of us are grandparents (myself included). We're looking at the downhill part of our lives going into retirement. I can say that I'm lucky to go into my autumn years with the Burning River Sell-swords. You couldn't ask for a better group of friends. The fact that in about ten years, I can retire and look forward to gaming with my friends until I shuffle off this mortal coil gives me comfort.

Wouldn't it be a shame if we ended it all over an election?

I agree.  I don't allow the discussion of politics at my game table.   Has nothing to do with the game.

You have all the days and nights when we aren't gaming to discuss this.   Do it then.

There's a single ideology that preaches "everything is political" and thereby are justified bringing up politics and politically hot subjects.  If that ruins your fun, it's your fault for not being "on the right side of history."

Honestly, I'm kind of over "no politics at the table" and I am now more "I want to stomp your guts out for using your politics to ruin the game."

Quote from: BadApple on November 27, 2024, 09:29:21 AMThere's a single ideology that preaches "everything is political" and thereby are justified bringing up politics and politically hot subjects.  If that ruins your fun, it's your fault for not being "on the right side of history."

Only grifters like Anita Sarkeesian believe and spread that bullshit.

She and her ilk are stupid twats.

Quote from: blackstone on November 27, 2024, 09:36:05 AM

Quote from: BadApple on November 27, 2024, 09:29:21 AMThere's a single ideology that preaches "everything is political" and thereby are justified bringing up politics and politically hot subjects.  If that ruins your fun, it's your fault for not being "on the right side of history."

Only grifters like Anita Sarkeesian believe and spread that bullshit.

She and her ilk are stupid twats.

Sadly, roughly 40% of the population of the Puget Sound area are these types of grifters.  This is a big reason why I am now a political refugee from Washington taking refuge in Florida.

Politics are downstream from philosophy, morality, ethics, even religion. Politics are the dirty nitty gritty policy decisions and balance budgeting and handshaking and compromise that all platonic ideals upstream get blended through before their imperfect implementations grace us.

RPGs are a bit upstream from politics metaphorically, the best games I've run touched on myth and archetypes.

philosophical wanking aside, my policy is with friends it's okay as an after or before game decision because I can trust my friends to be civil. for strangers or just acquaintance I have a flat no politics rule at my table.

Honestly? My saturday GM is Republican. We don't talk much about politics at all. but what little we do talk about, We are both equally perplexed by. So it's sort of a strange harmony.

Quote from: blackstone on November 27, 2024, 09:36:05 AMOnly grifters like Anita Sarkeesian believe and spread that bullshit.

She and her ilk are stupid twats.

 Is she even relevant anymore?  Seems like people caught on to her and she had to scale back because she wasn't getting alot of attention anymore.

Quote from: GhostNinja on November 27, 2024, 08:38:19 PM

Quote from: blackstone on November 27, 2024, 09:36:05 AMOnly grifters like Anita Sarkeesian believe and spread that bullshit.

She and her ilk are stupid twats.

 Is she even relevant anymore?  Seems like people caught on to her and she had to scale back because she wasn't getting alot of attention anymore.

She backed off from media activism for a few years. She recently announced her return. The reaction has been mostly "Meh, her again?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/kotakuinaction2/comments/1fkja31/feminist_anita_sarkeesian_is_back_to_game/

Quote from: Koltar on November 26, 2024, 09:07:51 PMAround 10 to 14 years ago there was 'organized play' of D&D games on Wednesdays.

I was working the evening or closing shift at the game store and some guys came in early and the first thing they started doing was arguing about the Presidential candidates that year.

It was annoying.

 I actually walked over to their table and said "Guys you are here to play Dungeons & Dragons not yammer on about politicians in 21st century America. Those two people will not affect how the game session goes tonight - so give it a rest - Alright!?"

For those who don't remember " TFTG" is my acrobym for "Tales From The Gamestore".

- Ed C.

Tell it to the woke, they're the ones usually shoehorning politics into everything.

I have a transgender player in my online game now. They treat me respectfully, I treat them respectfully. I'm not going to start giving my views on trans issues when they are just there to game and have a good time.

I had a group of left wing players a couple years ago. Everything was fine for a good while, but they eventually formed a cabal and started disrespecting the game, me and the other players. Obviously at that point the game couldn't continue.

Quote from: Ratman_tf on November 27, 2024, 10:36:48 PMShe backed off from media activism for a few years. She recently announced her return. The reaction has been mostly "Meh, her again?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/kotakuinaction2/comments/1fkja31/feminist_anita_sarkeesian_is_back_to_game/

Yeah, she is a grifter.  Hopefully she will fall on her face and I hope all of the youtubers will point out her past and all the crap she does and causes her to disappear again.

I think this sort of thing varies from group to group. I used to have a weekly game with friends I went to high school with and we often talked and debated politics, but it never got ugly and usually happened after the game (and there were always a range of views present). I think that is harder to do with people you know less well or who aren't similarly aged peers. Most groups I am in politics are hardly mentioned. If and when they are I try to keep everything as friendly as possible.