OSR is too multi-varied and bifurcated to ever be dominated by a single approach or worldview.

Case in point. I was part of an OSR server that leans heavily Leftish, but have recently joined others that lean the other way. There is healthy variety within it, and the Lefty parts are small compared to game movements like PbtA.

Quote from: Omega on December 21, 2021, 11:42:51 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 21, 2021, 04:33:54 PM
Welcome to theRPGsite!

The OSR is not depressing. If you like D&D you should seriously look into the OSR

How much longer is that going to last though before it is co-opted like pretty much everything else?

Some of it already has; Goodman Games and DCC are skewing that way. But the OSR isn't one singular system, it's a design philosophy, and I don't see certain other producers of OSR (ACKS or Pundit for two prominent examples) EVER surrendering to the wokerati.

My pending system isn't OSR, but there will be woke content in it over my dead body... one of the reasons I'm doing my own open use content license instead of just using the OGL is to have what is essentially a "faith and morals" clause allowing use of actual IP (not just mechanics, but trade marks, trade dress elements, and sections of fluff text) if a third-party adheres to traditional Western/Christian morals in their content, but prohibits use of anything but the basic mechanics (the expression of which must be changed to avoid copyright infringement) by those who want to produce Woke/Anti-Western Culture material with it.

I feel that strongly about what associations I want my system to have. Maybe that ultimately dooms my system to another failed RPG startup, but I'd rather that result than cave to the woke.

Quote from: SaveVsDeath on December 21, 2021, 12:00:12 PM
So I've been a lurker here off and on for years, but recently I've found the only sanity coming from the TTRPG hobby is here and a few other individuals. I actually rediscovered this site when I went looking for a game today and I just got demotivated to even try because recently every game has been utterly distasteful due to the abhorrent ultra-woke players and DM's. I hate Critical Role for bringing these fragile little douchebags into the hobby.

I've never felt so unwelcome in my beloved hobby; ironically, as a black man only recently did I feel that way. I never felt unwelcome before. Now i do.

But yeah, that's all. Just needed to get that off my chest. Peace, homies.

Hey don't be depressed. You've found an oasis where you can say what you want and be you, without explanation or apology. You're among the ranks now. Don't fret about what the woke morons are doing, dive into the gaming threads and pitch in with questions or your own insights. Drop that baggage at the door, and have a drink.

Welcome to Mos Eisley.

Yeah, I know it can be depressing initially. When ttrpg (especially D&D type games) are your hobby, like it is for me, It's hard when companies go a direction that pander to certain groups. But, I'll echo what others have said, the OSR is awesome and there are other games worth looking into.

QuoteSo I've been a lurker here off and on for years, but recently I've found the only sanity coming from the TTRPG hobby is here and a few other individuals. I actually rediscovered this site when I went looking for a game today and I just got demotivated to even try because recently every game has been utterly distasteful due to the abhorrent ultra-woke players and DM's. I hate Critical Role for bringing these fragile little douchebags into the hobby.

I've never felt so unwelcome in my beloved hobby; ironically, as a black man only recently did I feel that way. I never felt unwelcome before. Now i do.

But yeah, that's all. Just needed to get that off my chest. Peace, homies.

Treating hobby as some one community, was mistake at least since 80s that always lead to dumb quarrels, and obviously get worse and worse with time.
And I don't think it's fault of Critical Role. In my observation in my way more conservative country stage was dominated by leftists of various sorts for decades, both prolific commentators and designers. Those leading woke crusade are not Critters, they are people who were in hobby for decades. PAIZO started what 15 years ago, and it was clear from the get go they are woke.

You just have to pick and choose people to play with. No other way.

Quote
Frankly, there's probably more of us than there are of the other sides' true believers in gaming (and a whole bunch of people doing the current "cool thing" without even knowing anything but what they fed); they just have the billion dollar toy company and social media behind them that gives them an awfully big megaphone.

IMHO progressivits dominated popculture at least 15 years before post-Trump explosion.
And unfortunately I'm quite sure they are winning in numbers. I can just easily compare conservative or even anti-woke groups power in Poland to those progressive I see vast difference. Rebel offshots of people fighting against woke impelements - if lucky gets 50% of what wokesters hold. Rarely.

That's reality. Nerd/geek population is vastly turned into left-side.

QuoteThere is healthy variety within it, and the Lefty parts are small compared to game movements like PbtA.

TBH I think you could make quite fine anti-woke games based on PBTA/FITD considering for instance focus on archetypical characters for given genre. Alas historical occurences won't make it easy I guess. On the other hands not all are specifically woke.

QuoteMy pending system isn't OSR, but there will be woke content in it over my dead body... one of the reasons I'm doing my own open use content license instead of just using the OGL is to have what is essentially a "faith and morals" clause allowing use of actual IP (not just mechanics, but trade marks, trade dress elements, and sections of fluff text) if a third-party adheres to traditional Western/Christian morals in their content, but prohibits use of anything but the basic mechanics (the expression of which must be changed to avoid copyright infringement) by those who want to produce Woke/Anti-Western Culture material with it.

I see your radicalism is growing. I remember mentioning you gonna demand PG-13 content.
Gooooood.

QuoteYeah, I know it can be depressing initially. When ttrpg (especially D&D type games) are your hobby, like it is for me, It's hard when companies go a direction that pander to certain groups. But, I'll echo what others have said, the OSR is awesome and there are other games worth looking into.

I must say I'm glad I never expect much from producents of popculture, and sans Tolkien which is sacred book, I don't care that much about any producers or franchises per se.
I mean as conservatist I abhore left for various reasons, but because of social small-circles nature of RPGs (I never get or cared about convention playing) it's like least deal to me.
I'd gladly run anti-woke games on woke systems even.

Those people were never your friends, they are merely merchants, and all ancient texts will tell you to not hold merchants in high regard

Quote from: Omega on December 21, 2021, 11:42:51 PM
How much longer is that going to last though before it is co-opted like pretty much everything else?

Remember Sworddream? The SJW tried to control a bit, then splintered off and disappeared.

Felt the same way after coming back after a few years of not being able to game at all (uni was rough because I didn't get a degree in underwater basketweaving gender theory) but I'm glad I discovered the OSR when I came back. There are still a couple of places that are OSR tangential whose forums are still nice but at least the craziness is relatively out of the OSR (aside from a few woke infiltrators that I've called out who came in as "artists" when their art is garbage)

Anyways, sorry for the ramblings, and happy gaming!

Welcome aboard SaveVsDeath!

The "hobby" only actually matters at your own table. AKA, if you have 4-6 people who can sit down and have fun 2-4 evenings every month, you win.

At least until America collapses into a marxist shithole. If we're all lucky, it will be a slow multi-decade collapse so our very cheap to enjoy hobby will continue to be viable.

The OSR is an interesting sub-hobby because it's heavily DIY and small press, aka garage band business. Thanks to the cheapness of POD and PDFs, the threshold to enter the OSR is just sweat equity so anyone who wants to write RPG stuff can do so.

I'm right there with you. Thankfully I have a good gaming circle of friends because the wider hobby is largely controlled by legitimately insane cultists.

I just found the site tonight and have already tried to dive in as much as possible. Seems like a cool place where maybe I can actually chat about RPG stuff without insane religious dogma being thrown at me.

Hopefully this is a wake-up call for EVERYONE sane in the hobby that gatekeeping is a GOOD thing. Gates keep out the barbarian hordes that just want to destroy what's been built because they're incapable of making anything themselves.