How to Break FREE from Identity Politics in RPGs in 3 Easy Steps.

[@DeusVultLurch]

I was never beholden to TTRPG corps because I got my start in a group of homebrewers. We almost never played official products. Nearly everything was made my someone at the table. I only left after they started trying to shift to playing 5e instead of writing games. Now I'm in a new group & we're all writing games & avoiding the industry as it should be. This is one of the few hobbies that doesn't need an industry to exist. If you think otherwise, you aren't writing enough games.

[@mikeb.1705]

My childhood play group did a lot of that. Mostly cuz we didn't have extra money to buy the games we wanted to play. So instead we made them up. We had our own version of "Star Fleet Battles", which is the main one that I remember us doing. It was hokey, but we all had a blast! And isn't that the point? 🙂

[@Tygertyger8008]

"What are you gonna do?" = "I don't want to make the effort of adapting to something that isn't familiar."

[@tenbones1274]

Bravo. Vote with your money. This might be my favorite video from you. 100% on point. I cut the cord years ago. I used to write for Paizo. The great realization for me years ago was the D&D is its own genre of fantasy. The system doesn't scale as well as other systems. When I discovered Savage Worlds back in their Deluxe edition (ironically playing Deadlands, a wildwest horror game) I realized this system would do D&D better than D&D. I simply left and never came back. It helps that I have a lot of experience with other games so ditching D&D wasn't that hard. What happened AFTER 3.x made it ridiculously easy for me to leave the entire brand behind. I *know* some of these people at Paizo and WotC (at least professionally), and their public stances, their injection of political ideology over the content of the games with corporate backing has made it radioactive to me. And so why give them money? There are a bazillion options out there. Anyone that GM's *needs* to cultivate their own group they want to play with. And being a good player means being open to what is offered. The one right a player has is the right not to play. The same is true with GM's. So find the gamers you want to game with. Find the games that give you exactly what you want (or create them yourself) And support the creators that make the content you want to enjoy. Accept nothing less.

[@MultiJoe247]

Troll Lord Games has a policy to remain nonpolitical and their castles and crusades product is my favorite d20 system. Thanks for your content brother.

[@RPGElite]

@@MultiJoe247 I just received something from them and I'll be looking that over. Looking forward to it. 👊🏿

[@pierluigi1412]

@@MultiJoe247 I think they are one of the few (maybe only?) ttrpg companies that give veteran discounts. 🇺🇲

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

​@@pierluigi1412I didn't know that. That's pretty cool.

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

I have been seeing C&C pop up more and more recently. I might have to check them out.

[@couver73]

For the first step, always remember that playing an RPG is almost always free. You don't need to buy the books to play the game. Most of the time, the resources are available to you for free if you look for them. Also, playing the game doesn't mean you support the company that made them. They are, and always will be separate entities. You can appreciate the RPG system you play while vilifying the ones who made it. I've never given Wizards of the Coast money or bought any D&D books from them, and I still play it to this day.

[@rudesthazard5769]

Voting with your wallet is the only thing that works. I think a lot of folks aren't ready to make peace with the idea that a lot of established brands and companies are utterly infested with identity junkies though. And getting some people to realize there is more to gaming than Pathfinder and D&D is, for some reason, harder than it was in the 90s/00s lol but is doable, and I have had some success with it. Ultimately, they can't take your table from you. They can't police your table, no matter how much they want to. So laugh at them.

[@Arclight84]

Stop buying their content, vote with your wallet! That's what I've done with WotC and Paizo among others. If you can't stop playing the game that you've already paid for then cut out the junk that you disagree with, its your game. Houserule it! If making something new is what you want to do then do it! I've been tinkering on my own setting for years for Fantasy RPGs. To anyone unsubscribing over this video, bye! You put out great content and I'll keeep coming back for more.

[@andrewthomas7202]

Liked it before even listening

[@radelc]

Great video. With video games like DA Veilguard and the direction WotC keeps pushing in ttrpgs, I’m wasting my time trying to convince people it’s a step backward. It’s obvious there are people out there with the same outlook as me, by just looking at the election results. Unfortunately a lot of the online game spaces have become echo chambers that don’t want me there. I should go play the game I want to play and stop giving this type of product the air I breathe let alone my money. Thanks man. Good advice.

[@minimoose7890]

The problem with online spaces for gaming communities is that the people in charge (companies and/or moderators) enforce their "values" on everyone there, so it makes it feel like an echo-chamber in effect even if there is actually a silent majority of users there that disagree.

[@Baulderstone1]

As far as online spaces go, following the advice in this video and making your own space can work. I'm a moderator over at RPG Pub, where we have a "no politics" rule. We wanted a place where we could just talk about games. We started in 2017, and it's still going. It may or may not be for you, and if it isn't try and make your own place, whether a forum or Discord server or whatever. I spent years being silently miserable at other forums, and it's been refreshing to see there were a lot of people just waiting for a place to go.

[@Dereliction2]

What you're proposing is already happening in gaming -- the culture *is* changing. Look at the recent major video game flops and you'll see that they're all (or almost all) connected to Idpol and left narratives. But it is also happening in tabletop, it's just harder to see because the community isn't as visible or reactive as video gamers. I'll add that people need to learn to gatekeep and become wardens of the things they love. We're seeing the result of allowing people who hate us and even hate gaming itself to weed their way into places that allow them to corrode and gatekeep instead. For those paying attention, realize that their goal is to weaponize what you love against you until it has been destroyed and can be discarded. Protect and preserve the things you enjoy, and like you say RPG Elite, even create more of it, or risk losing it forever.

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

One thing though. The gaming industry is much wider and bigger. The table top industry is a lot smaller and more niche. Most of the beloved brands like Warhammer, BattleTech, D&D, etc are all fully encapsulated. So while gaming has had a drastic shift TT industry has been going more and more to the left. And sales keep increasing. So at this time there isn't a ton of leverage to balance things out.

[@Dereliction2]

@@dimesonhiseyes9134 Success of the new D&D version and its push toward a new model, encapsulated as you describe with wokeness, may give insight into how the culture of TT gaming will proceed. It may just fragment and see players depart for other, non-TT gaming altogether, rather than disperse into the OSR or other less woke options. There are simply so many options for gaming and leisure these days that it's difficult to see how D&D and TT itself will not lose ground.

[@DoctorTopper]

Isn't one of those companies in one of the links in the description? My favorite system was cypher until i found out, now its confusing how to react.

[@arridhaiosbuyesti7914]

Just stumbled across your channel today and have watched quite a few of your videos now. It's refreshing to find a channel that is saying all the things I've been telling people for years. Thank you for your work and thoughts.

[@ottawamonsterpocalypse7729]

Alright, since you specified where I have a problem: Catalyst. There are specific miniatures I want that are only in the plastics and the available 3D alternates have not been to my aesthetic desires. If/when they show up from Iron Wind instead, I buy them there. Where I have had success: Paizo and WotC direct products. I've stopped. The old stuff I already have is still good. I do not need to buy new books from either. The older editions are preferable to the new ones anyways. Just my opinion. But if one likes a game, they don't have to obsessively buy every product that comes out. And in the case of high fantasy, oh boy are there a lot of options. I can't think of a more bloated gaming genre. But even if one doesn't want to switch. 20 year old game books are still good. They aren't like 20 year old underwear. They don't have to be dropped in the rubbish bin just because they are old as all get out.

[@Scott-sk1rb]

A very on point video. Yes, will probably upset some people, but you can't make everybody happy all the time, just be true to yourself, it's why we watch your videos!

[@sciencefictionrpgcom]

This was good. Thank you.

[@andrewthomas7202]

Now that I listened, can I like it again? Seriously though, can I mention the fantasy rpg I and my cousin created? Thanks for another great video!

[@AdamFunderburk-t1z]

If I wasn't already subscribed, I would subscribe again after this video. Thanks for your well-reasoned and ethical voice in this subculture.

[@youtube-critic]

I'm sticking around! Awesome message. People need to stop throwing tantrums when they don't get their way and start focusing on their life, emotions, and reality, and leave others alone.

[@Ratenef]

I learned at a young age to like the art not the artist. If I tried to judge the music, books or art that I liked, for what it was, by the beliefs or the actions of the creators, my choices would be greatly limited. Unless they are using their art to specifically preach their beliefs, at which point the art has been hampered and I can toss it accordingly. The same goes for game companies. I care not for the culture or beliefs of the company as a whole, I measure them by the products they produce. If they start using their products to push their ideologies, then I bounce. Also I am discriminate with regards to which products by a company I buy. There is a product for the Vampire RPG 5th edition which is all about romance, love and lust in the setting and I did not buy that book as I don't see those topics being of any interest to myself or my players, nor do I believe they need to be played out in any of my RPG sessions. You want a vampire romance, go buy a trashy urban horror novel, and leave it out of my games.

[@robertreed537]

Good video. As a person from Gen-X, if we couldn't afford a game, sometimes we would make up our own. Sure it would have flaws at first (heck even store bought one's have that), but your friends and yourself will be making something you like and want. I know my friends and I have played at least 2 homemade games. I think we had more fun with those than any we have ever bought. Blessings to all of you, and keep your imagination alive.

[@romanista77]

As a personal policy, I don’t subscribe to any KZbin channels. But, I often dip in to your channel and appreciate your videos. Thank you for your honesty and courage in posting this video. We need more souls with this attitude no matter if we agree or disagree.

[@ottawamonsterpocalypse7729]

Also, just going to put this in from a store perspective. If you wait until it's on the shelf locally, the corpo has already got their money. Tell your FLGS in advance of the product release when you have no interest in a product if you truly want to make sure the corpo doesn't see money. Otherwise, if you wait until it is on the shelf, you basically transfering the cost to the store. I see this a lot as an LGS clerk where someone asks us to order a product and then leaves us holding the bill because something the company did was unappreciated but they wait until the product is in to tell us they are cancelling or just never show up. My store has lost hundreds of dollars, if not thousands to this across the last few years. We need to be told what we should and should not be ordering in the current economy and especially we need not to be told to order stuff that is not going to be picked up by the requester. Remember the chain of supply. You can find out when your store needs to give its pre-orders to the supplier for items. If you get to your store before they do their pre-orders, the store will not order from the supplier and the supplier will decrease their QTY from the corpo. That is how you leave the corpo holding the bill for their mistakes.

[@gregoryspurgeon8974]

To the question of the video: You mentioned, and addressed well, the objection that your fellow players may not want to try anything new. If you are a GM, you are in demand. Run some combat one-shots to dip their toes into the new sytem. Then create the game, and they will come. Hopefully. No need to persuade or cajole. Just tell your friends that you're creating this and that you hope some of them will give it a shot.

[@RPGElite]

@@gregoryspurgeon8974 This is some killer advice. Kudos. 👍🏿

[@dave7f611]

We're doing grown up things. SUBSCRIBED! ;-)

[@briansmaller7443]

I just gate keep who I play with and buy what I want that is not infested with identity politics.

[@PaulCottier-if6un]

The problem I have with cutting the cord with D&D now that I'm more aware of their divisive behavior, especially recently, is their past content has been very good in my opinion and provides a lot of game creation elements. their most current content this year seems completely divisive and I will not be buying any current content from them, which is fine, it just acts as a catalyst for my creativity as a GM.

[@zarekodynski9077]

QoTV: what I did was make my own game, as you know! Indominant Superhero RPG! My personal view is that companies should be apolitical in operation and in what they produce, and that’s what I did. Tbh it happens on both sides of the political spectrum, and to me creating a game should be about entertainment and quality, not about politics.

[@spencesanders7879]

Great Video!

[@marioevildm7410]

Bravo! I cut Hasbro from my life in 2023 move to Shadowdark all my D&D and start playing some modiphius game like Star Trek, Cthulhu Conan 👍👍

[@luckycurse62]

@@marioevildm7410 Star Trek has been woke for almost 60 years. How can you tolerate that? An asian man, a black woman, and a Russian on the bridge? Talk about diversity hires. Some of the aliens even had non-binary genders.

[@kilrathikiller]

As always, a great video with good insights. I've actually been using that link for a while now, but I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on Monte Cook Games? I think I saw one of your videos recently where you suggested the Cypher System and I think it's even in the description of this video. I was a bit interested in Numenera which uses the same system (I think) and I think you recommended it recently as well. So yeah, long story short, do you think they're as bad of a company as what's on that forum post? I don't know anything about Shanna Germain, but they say that she's the main reason for listing them as red.

[@patkelley8293]

Great message!

[@MrMindflayer]

Straight facts. Ive drifted to smaller ttrpgs over the years, hell even before the cultural nonsense. Definitely don't pay people who hate you, but remember, this is a game about playing pretend. You said it best, CREATE! Take your old D&D books, break them down, take them apart and craft something you feel good about. There are no limits in this hobby and everyone should remember that. Great vid

[@lentulus01]

Good insight on the election.

[@BobSmith-oo7ei]

You just got a subscriber for this.

[@tadwilliams4439]

Wow! Words of wisdom! I followed Dungeon Craft's advise as a DM and put the Master back into Dungeon Master. I don't do woke stuff at the table because this IS a particular long-standing fantasy rpg. I use the rules and adventures more as a guideline than a "you absolutely MUST fo it the way we say" kind of thing. And, it works great! Thank you for being there for us.

[@basilforth]

I see the Wayne Grudem on the shelf! Well done!

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

Oh man. I started playing in the mid 90's. Yea D&D was obviously king back then but the amount of games that had a sizeable player base was much much more. I ran and participated in groups from at least 4 or 5 different games. There was much more variety and there wasn't as much of a brand dependency. Now getting anyone to even consider something other than 5e is incredibly difficult to find. Finding someone to consider something other than Pathfinder or 5e is almost like finding a unicorn. There are tons and tons of options explore those other options. At the least it makes you a better player and a better GM. I implement rules and concepts from other games into my 5e game all the time, some of the games aren't even TTRPGs. Explore something new. Always be curious.

[@ClementiasQuests]

🎉. Provocative intro and I stayed for the whole thing. I started playing ttrpgs Jan 2020. So immediately I discovered it that some of the big boy companies are badly behaved. Once I walked away from those BIG NAME games I was amazed at the depth and variety of our options. Currently enjoying Powered By The Apocalypse style games in part because the creators invite anyone and everyone to taylor the system to their needs. No $$$ required Overall it’s just more fun supporting small creators

[@minimoose7890]

Make Adventuring Great Again? :-P After being in the TTRPG community for a while, I've stopped buying products from the bigger companies for multiple reasons, but the thing that makes that most feasible is there are so many smaller publishers and individual creators producing content that is often more original, more unique, and/or less expensive -- and that means I have a library that is less homogenous and has more variety, which I think long-term will help run more sessions than a library that is just from one big corporate publisher.

[@JasonV_DM]

There is a conversation here that's being skipped by a lot of people in the hobby. Is the big red ampersand a good custodian of the hobby? As their tide rises, are they making it harder for ALL ships that follow? Are some of the struggles we currently have in the hobby (entitlement, narcissism, and outside interference) connected to the lower value and easier principles that have taken over?

[@geoffreydeshazer]

I started out with other systems before playing DND. I think for me what make it easier to switch to other systems is recognizing what DND does well and what it does poorly. One of the things DND does poorly for me is exciting combat. When the DM calls for initiative rolls everyone grinds to a halt. Then your players spend the next hour or more running 12 or 18 seconds of fighting in the game world's time. I started initially looking for ways to improve that aspect of the game and as I did I discovered alternative rules which made lots of sense coming from other systems like index card RPG. I started to recognize other things DND doesn't do well, like character customization, which requires official classes and sometimes multicasting to get a character like what you thought up on your head, or the fact that everyone is basically a medieval super hero, so every encounter becomes about hitting something until it dies rather than running away, negotiating, or sneaking by or a million other possibilities. The fact that low level play in DND is more fun than high level play because the more powers and abilities your character gets, the fewer real options your character has. So I started looking for other games that did those things better. Crown and Skull does those things better.

[@HermieMunster]

Can’t go round the Internet talking pragmatically with common sense. Good video.

[@Baulderstone1]

I'd be a little wary of the list at RPG Site. By all means, it's worth checking out, but it is a list put together by a lot of different people. Some people are diligently posting accurate information, but some of the entries have objecively false information. I agree completely that you shouldn't buy from companies that hate you, but we need to be careful not to slip into a mirror of cancel culture, with people smearing companies as woke for false reasons. I was glad to see you recommended people actually talk to the company. RPGs are a small world, and most game designers are not hard to talk to.

[@orokusaki1243]

Toughest part of cutting the cord with is that so many people see it first and to them it is "roleplaying games". Easily 40% or more market share, and game tables running it. Players can be notoriously low-investment, so it's the minority who want to play/try several different systems. And of course time can be at a premium, so people tend to go with what works, that interests them. Definitely like seeing Traveller, Year Zero, and Cypher in the recommended list in the description. I'm also an enjoyer of Edge Star Wars, Call of Cthulhu, some PbtA titles, and a few others.

[@GodOfMoxie]

Glad you guys over there are breaking free of identity politics, hopefully a great time for everyone from all walks of life to get around a table and just roll some dice. America nerd culture also trickles down to the gaming culture of other countries so feels like this should be a good for everyone. To get away from the big companies, the easiest way is to be the change, buy some new system you have wanted to try and read it, if you just want to be a player not a GM its hard to change anything. My main game system is ADVENTURER CONQUEROR KING SYSTEM and the game was banned from being mentioned on rpg reddit just because the creator is a conservative.

[@NemoOhd20]

love this channel. Not unsubscribing. :)

[@christophersanders3252]

Man, it's been a great week! Praise the Lord and pass the dice bag! I recommend the Cairn RPG system. The whole rule set is only 10 pages and it can be quickly adapted to any time period. I taught brand new players who have never played any rpg in just an hour, including character creation!

[@jamessparks3731]

Appreciate the content :)

[@oettrpg]

Politics such a volatile topic right now. Your bridge to TTRPG talk seems to be really triggering! I've learned that if people are shocked they don't hear what comes next because they are processing the shock. Anyhow, on your video: Vote with your wallet! I love to buy products from smaller creators who put the love of the hobby before corporation and politics. I Love Runehammer and Freeleague products personally. On the topic of politics just because it was brought up, I think a majority of voters on both sides were misinformed. The way algorithms and advertisement works, people are likely see only one half of the argument where there is highlighting of one and lowlighting of the other. As a person who watched and criticized both sides I'm open to what's to come but feeling loss for the policies we could have had that left with the side who lost. In a perfect world I wish I could just make my own president and combine the policies I liked from both sides lol. Anyways, Happy Gaming!

[@HandlesAreStupid2024]

Been saying this for 15 years.

[@jhenderson1489]

All solid advice. 👍

[@Nightbreed24]

They'll either learn to play some ball or double down on it. If you are their villain, don't spend your villain gold on their products. Some have already stated, that they have no use for it. This never ended well in the movie business by the way. And they'll never have the resources to pry the older editions out of your hands on a dark night.

[@shadowandson3550]

We all saw a real life Miracle on camera ,I think it was a clear message from on high. That being said,lets not mess this 2nd chance up. God bless you all!

[@Game-Preacher]

When I cut the cord with certain companies all of their books that I owned went into a cardboard box and out the shed. My money is best spent on games that do not push their identity politics on me or my players.

[@archiebrace3052]

The diffculties I have with "cutting the cord" is I am not big on the fantasy genre, preferring espionage or science fiction. I don't get to game much (at all) due to family commitments and finding a group with my interests. I would have to play fantasy TTRPGs because that is all any groups that are available play, and they all play games produced by companies that have been called into question. Sure I could GM my own game, but I am 56 and only GM'd one Top Secret game once in the 80s, and the interest just does not seem to be there. So I pretty much don't play. :(

[@RPGElite]

@@archiebrace3052 No. That's not true. You have simply told yourself it's true. ☺️ There are many ways to play the tabletop RPG you want to play. You could play solo. You can play in a smaller group. You can play virtually where your pick of player groups expands exponentially. You can choose to teach new people the game of your choice. There are many ways around this. You just have to be willing to expand your approach.

[@gavinruneblade]

QotV: The hardest ones to switch away from are when I don't know of any other good options. The way to get out is to cultivate the habit of trying new things. Then I am less likely to be attached in the fist place, and I'm more likely to find those options that are out there.

[@SWMASTERJEDI]

Truth Brother Truth! I wrote a Mandalorian fanfic lol 😂

[@Dudeman715]

Actually man my players and I really want to play a game where we can start a village that after questing for a bunch of resources and progressing the story turn it Into a city. Is there a ttrpg that has a solid set of rules for that?

[@MysteriousAya]

Most of my tables straight up don't know my politics save for one, a group of people who came from friendships and decided to play TTRPGs rather than the inverse. There have been times where there are people I agree with politically I look in the eye and tell them, "Keep it out of the table or leave." I have even done that to a GM (we were doing round robin of GMs) who decided in a Cyberpunk game to bring a devisive political activist group into the game as an enemy for the session. Internally I agreed with his stance that 'these people bad' but I looked him in the eye and told him "Either this drops or you drop" because everyone was there to enjoy a game, not listen to real world rhetoric. To this day he has no idea I agree with him politically. I play games with people who if I said my politics out loud I'm almost certain there would be no discussion and I'd be kicked, banned, and unfriended from every associated discord on the spot, but we have fun playing the games and talking about them. We all know that when it comes to the game table, IRL is left at the door and readily check any new comers any time they go down that path.

[@orokusaki1243]

Regarding the main point: yeah, it is like the majority of people in the hobby are melting down. Single-minded, tunnel-visioned, low-investment, gullible folk. A bit tired of the perversions and extremism, hope they can come back to their senses. Sadly, my in-person range is in a mostly Blue county. I'm not adverse to online but it feels too much like a video game at times (I got back into tRPGs after a 20 year hiatus during which cRPGs and jRPGs were the only option), and at other times it can be fiddly and encroach on immersion. Thanks SoS, for being a beacon! Getting RPG spaces back, and eliminating the bad businesses, is certainly a noble cause that we might all do well to support.

[@TheLilbigjohn]

He man i just subscribed and consider myself an old grognard. I subscribed and rang the bell as I truly enjoy your input.

[@CrimsonCreed-ct5dk]

💯 respect! Needed to be said! Thank you!

[@rogerb181]

Love this. Will continue to watch. Just play a game you want try out. Invite players you want. I have no problem walking away from toxic companies. I tend to go to older versions of games. I also use channels like yours to seek out games to try. I love Gamma World and bought Mutant Year Zero to try out on your recommendation.

[@Densoro]

The identity politics you're so upset about are an indictment of the culture _before that,_ which punished people for having an identity different from the 'norm.' That culture said, 'If you're on the rainbow flag or a different color from me, we will give you special treatment -- special treatment that is WORSE than the average citizen. We will cancel you, chase you out of your career, kick you out of your house, _make up crimes you never actually committed, and refuse to protect you under the law if somebody deep-sixes you.'_ So they said, 'Treating somebody like they're less-than-human just because they're different from you in some benign way doesn't make sense. Get that out of here.' You complain about 'creating a culture which is hostile to different views,' but hating diversity instead of just _allowing people to coexist IS_ that culture. It's not suddenly different when _your_ friends do it.

[@jaeg.3806]

He doesn't get it man. You'd think he would given his age and his color, but it seems like he never had the black nerd experience nor does he understand the causes behind that generally ill experience. It is what it is now I guess.

[@RottenRogerDM]

@@jaeg.3806 Or his real world XP does not nicely fit in your judgement box?

[@TheFilmSmythe]

I love your channel. Your commentary is always thoughtful and thought provoking. Thank you.

[@Yobotistan]

Video of the year

[@Baulderstone1]

Great video. That's sound, practical advice.

[@DoctorTopper]

You said Tales of the Valiant but A better substitute for D&D Pathfinder is Castles & Crusades (free PDF, longer lasting, zero politics, support veterans and libraries. Convert ON THE FLY). A better 5E compatible substitute is Meister Manual Complete RPG

[@DareToWonder]

just subscribed

[@ReustersPlace]

Do not fund people who hate you!!

[@ReustersPlace]

The signed a “letter of submission” pledging their eternal support to Kamala. They will tell you they hate you

[@RPGElite]

And that's the way the cookie crumbles. 😎

[@Griffonbait]

The people who left are not the kind of people worth playing with! Whiners and complainers, woke or not, are not worth your time and effort to continually appease their antics, especially when your aim is to have fun. Let them play with themselves so that they can play in their safe play-ces.

[@Valcien]

Thanks, algorithm! Subbed.

[@kostasmanousakis1081]

Hey, man. You are a good man. Keep up the good work

[@silverlock05]

👍

[@ninjunc]

The most powerful tools in a free market economy is your "wallet". The problem with modern consumers is that they've traded that power for comfort, convenience, and fleeting social clout. "I don't want to change game systems because it would be hard...even though I don't like the forced agenda" is the exact reason we have so much trash out there. From TTRPG to video games to sports. The trash persists because we keep buying it. It took years to get this point, it will take mere moments (comparatively) to stop it. We just all have to stop buying their trash.

[@slaapliedje]

The crazy thing to me has always been where they insert identity politics not just in the rule set, but into the campaign settings (like the latest Dragon Age has done). It might make sense if you're doing some modern horror game or something else taking place in the 'real' world. But in a fantasy game? People are generally too concerned where their next meal will come from, or surviving the goblin / orc horde that is coming their way than they should be concerned about pronouns or other silliness.

[@Skeloric]

QotV: For me I have zero problem with jettisoning any company that displays such blatant cowardice as being "nonpolitical." As stated, I too vote with my money. That said,I am very anti-corporate and avoid DnD and Pathfinder and its pastiches and clones. I like little companies where I can safely see exactly where they honestly display their values alongside the quality of their product.

[@sleepinggiant4062]

Absolutely agree. Don't buy their products. Simple as that.

[@Skeloric]

I'm one of the demographics that will be physically harmed by the next four years and I am as likely to buy product that displays values I desire to see out in the world. (But not only on the basis of values, if the system is dreck I'll look elsewhere.) So this is one of those things where even the absence of "identity politics" - as you perceive such - is itself a display of identity politics. I just don't see companies winning this argument by attempting neutrality when neutrality will be labeled as cowardice. Gaming is too niche to remain aloof. Someone somewhere within the company will end up making a statement and the company will have to choose a side. And honestly,I also will pick and choose gaming groups based upon my values and I deem neutrality to be a display of weakness.

[@plixeon]

I would think the truth you are speaking would cause people to follow you, not unsubscribe. But I guess people are people.

[@gammaknight2215]

There's a biblical principle that applies here. The duty is ours the results are God's. If you don't believe in God then you can just say the universe or random chance or karma or whatever but change starts at home. This goes for games or just society in general.

[@RottenRogerDM]

Or hero kids especially for those who want to play with kids.

[@RottenRogerDM]

Oh, FYI DC HEROES RPG will be up on Kickstarter soon.

[@jackmalin2528]

To be honest they often do good stuff. Its not a problem of being stuck in one system i play plenty but i see no reason not to play something i wana play just because i dont like what the creators agenda is.

[@DareToWonder]

PRINCPLE OVER POPULARITY!!!!

[@Daiqatana]

Aaaaayyyyyyyyyy I see that Walter Martin book. My brother in Christ. Yes!

[@tednovy7762]

Growth is change, just as stagnation is the little death.

[@geoffreydeshazer]

Crown and Skull is a great game. I won't be getting the new DnD. This game is better from a DM perspective and a player perspective. There's lots more freedom and there are real stakes.

[@beardyben7848]

I want to make something clear. Let's say you already play games you like with people you like. Quick test, does the idea that someone you don't like: 1. making the game you like and play 2. playing the same game you play, but at another table make you feel upset or angry? That's not a problem with the game. That's a problem because it affects your Identity. I'm not saying don't be upset, and certainly make your own decisions, but that's not the game. Please remember, deciding to play or not play a game only really matters to you, your social group, and small creators. It's never going to touch the bottom line of a medium-sized or larger business.

[@shadowandson3550]

It turns out that people hate being told they have been fooled more than they dislike being fooled.

[@erc1971erc1971]

When it comes to so called "Woke Companies" I have no problems cutting them off from my wallet. This ideology is so warped nothing they produce even remotely interests me anyways. What does make things difficult for me is when a non-woke company bows to the social pressure and starts altering their products to appease the woke. Sadly the publisher of my favorite RPG is guilty of this...Pinnacle Entertainment, the maker of Savage Worlds. I know it may sound like a trivial thing, but in order to appease the woke they have replaced the term "race" in their products with "ancestry." No one talks like that, and when I read that in my book it is like a big woke hand slapping me across the face and pulling me out of my escapism into whatever made up world I game in. They have also tweaked some of their artwork for the same reason, however, this never bothered me as I was never a fan of their art style anyways. I wrote them a polite email and explained that I won't buy products of theirs that use this, and if they revert back I will gladly be a customer of their again. Luckily, Savage Worlds is designed for people to make their own material. So, my friends and I do just that - our imaginations will give us material to keep gaming fresh for as long as we are on this Earth.

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

Sound advice, man. Vote with your wallet. Vote with your feet.

[@DareToWonder]

Men make a stand, boys sit things out.

[@MiseryRex]

I like D&D, so I buy it, the new edition is great and fun to play. Their sales numbers seems to say that the majority of he people who play and buy RPGs agree. The sales figures of games like Pathfinder and the current Edition of D&D are the vote, they are the referendum, and clearly show what the prevailing, consensus, ideals are in the gaming community. When the sales figures of a game you produce and market match that of any major publisher your opinion will carry weight. Do that, please. The fact that you are likely unable to do this is another referendum on what the gaming community really values. Go ahead, Put your money where your mouth is. Or please quit complaining about it.

[@RPGElite]

This is my channel. I can do and say what I want on my channel. You don't have to come here and watch the videos I create. Move on and stop trying to silence someone who has different opinion. That's the problem with you folks. I nailed it. You can't handle someone having a differing opinion. So, take your weak, beta behind somewhere else and complain about what they say on their channel. I'm not the one. Bye, Gertrude.

[@MiseryRex]

@@RPGElite I was in no way trying to silence you, I was just offering an opposing opinion and instead of trying to address any point I made you dismissed them. Good job. I also offered a way you could objectively prove that your opinion has real-world merit. That seems to have triggered you. I wonder why.

[@luckycurse62]

​@MiseryRex These alpha males are always easily triggered. They speak in generalities because they don't really understand what it is they dislike. Woke is just their catch-all word for anything they can't fathom. Gays exist. Woke. Trans exist. Woke. Everything he just accused you of is everything he is incapable of handling himself. He doesn't even understand this populist movement he is a part of. They packaged all of his "alpha" fears into some amorphous blob of hate and people moved on it. This has happened many times in history. Identity politics is the distraction. Watch what happens next.

[@luckycurse62]

​@@MiseryRexhe deleted my comments because he is trying to make a "safe space" for his supposedly alpha self. Talk about pathetic. This guy is as phony as the cult he bought into.

[@RPGElite]

@@MiseryRex Nothing has triggered me. You are less than zero in terms of importance in my life. I just see this passive aggressive nonsense for what it is so just move on to somebody else's channel please because this lightweight trolling you trying to do is over. That means this is the last thing I'm going to say and if you say anything else this thread will disappear and so will you. You have a nice night.

[@Morthrai]

So you're not in favour of real world politics in games but you've made a right wing political video...

[@Frustwell]

Are you honestly incapable of making the distinction between a corporation's pouring dogmatic silliness into a game and someone just holding political views and talking about them with others in the hobby? "right wing"? I have voted Labor my entire life. You are welcome to explain to us how people who have nothing but disdain for the Great Unwashed because they instead share their every opinion of spoiled upper-middle class college educated brats are "left wing." Go on. Do your best. Do you read books? Have you ever read those of people like Thomas Frank or Christopher Lasch? These are serious left wing thinkers. Whose views are more in line with those of ordinary people than they are with those of "woke" people. Because the latter are frankly traitors to what it truly means to be left wing.

[@RPGElite]

@@Morthrai This is not a right wing political video. Do not start or you will disappear from this channel forever. I'm not playing games with you punks. This is about tabletop RPGs so make a comment about it or get lost.

[@rwsorden]

This was a weird video for me. I don’t really get the point. RPGs are games. Games are for fun and escapism. If the game is not fun or you find it offensive, don’t play it. If the game is too expensive, don’t buy it. For me, it’s that simple. I don’t see any value in trying to guess the political or philosophical motivations behind the companies/people that are making them. Games are simply not that important in the grand scheme of things.

[@Tusitala1967]

Let's say there's an example in which you don't have to guess a company's motivations. A C-suite member of a company decides to discuss the company culture and agenda in a public forum and claims that inclusion is at the forefront of the company's efforts in all things. Then he follows that by saying something like "and we can't get white dudes out of the hobby fast enough"; presumably to make the game more "inclusive". Would you honor their efforts by staying away from their products, or would you force your whiteness into their safe spaces in the pursuit of "fun and escapism"? Let's also presume that the interior art has some sweet shots of sandal-wearing dwarves doing some baking, just as an enticement.

[@RPGElite]

With all due respect, that is a superficial/facile, shallow viewpoint of tabletop RPGs in general. It's not a board game and if you think it is, this is definitely the wrong channel for you, because for an RPG Elite, it is much deeper than that. Not saying you can't have that viewpoint. Do your thang. It's just displaying an ignorance of the space and of this channel. Peace. 👊🏿

[@rwsorden]

@ Wow - you went awfully hard in that response for no reason, passing judgment and subtly insulting someone - and topping it all off with a bow of self-importance and self-righteousness. I have been involved with RPGs for 42+ years, so I think I have a pretty good handle on them and the effort and committment it takes to be part of an ongoing communal narrative. But, as you like to say, you go on ahead and “do your thang”, that thing you seem to do best: retaliating and alienating those who don’t hold the same precise views as you, oh dear cult leader.

[@rwsorden]

@@Tusitala1967 I know what situation and person (KB) you’re referring to. Here’s how I felt when I originally read about that. It did not offend me, even with me being irrelevantly “white”. I also thought it was a weird and pointless thing for KB to say, assuming what I was reading was true and not taken out of context. And then I moved on, because I had more important things to do….and KB and his opinions/statements had no direct impact on the trajectory of my life. There was no need for me “honor his/their efforts” because he/they are not relevant to my life at all. And I never “force my whiteness”, whatever that means, on anyone. In terms of RPGs, I only play them with people who I’ve invited or who have invited me into the privacy of my/our own homes. And regarding the sandal wearing dwarven bakers, I gotta look into that - it does sound kind of funny! The bottom line for me is this: none of that KB-stuff ruffled my feathers enough for me to get all anger/rage/hate filled, though. There has always been identity politics in RPGs, depending how hard you choose to look for it and what lens you are interpreting things through. I have chosen to ignore the identity politics and get on with having treasured moments of fun with my friends and family.

[@MichaelFischer-pf7ft]

I left D&D shortly after I became a Christian, because of all the spellcasting, demons, and undead. Now I'm writing my own Christian-themed RPG's and playing them with youths from my church -- one fantasy game that's complex and full-featured, another fantasy game that's stripped down for beginners and young people, and the third that's a Christian superhero game. I don't miss the old game at all. "Principles before popularity" -- I like that.

[@luckycurse62]

That's a whole new level of woke.

[@thefiendishdm9976]

If as a Christian, you believe that playing D&D specifically is a sin, then for you I absolutely believe that it is. However, the problem with Christians abandoning D&D specifically is that most people that play it are agnostic at best, and outright God-Hating atheists at worst. So we as Christians, when we abandon D&D are totally abandoning these lost people to the adversary. We also miss an opportunity to witness to these lost individuals. Not by hitting them over the head with our Bibles, but by living God-like lives and loving on them as individuals. Remember, TTRPGs are games, and a game is just a tool. And tools can be used for good or evil. Something to think and more importantly, pray about.

[@RPGElite]

This is giving yourself more credit than you deserve, and it is also trying to be God. It is also unbiblical in a couple different facets. But I'll keep this comment short. How do you know Christians are abandoning these people because they have convictions about not playing a game? That’s taking the place of God. Trust me, you are not Him. God is sovereign. Not us. His Providential hand guides us in our walk with Him. If you trust that, you trust He will lead and guide. There are elements in many TTRPGs Christians should stay away from. It doesn’t mean we abandon TTRPGs. But we also do not compromise our convictions and let our liberty be an occasion for the flesh, nor wound the conscience of others because of it. Something to pray about.

[@screenmonkey]

I think you may need to rethink a thing or two. One, 99% of Christian focused media blows chunks, it's worse than the cheap toys found at the clearance section of a Dollar General. Mostly because Christian media focuses on the most shallow, sanitized gluge of interpretation. Puts the message before the Art, rather than letting the art first to enhance the message. If you think playing pretend is going to make you commit thought crime and prevent you from being a good, decent loving human being, that follows the teachings of Christ, then you need to hit the gym of ethics and morality and do some heavy lifting by doing volunteer work helping those less fortunate, cleaning up some parks and caring for animals at the local shelter, and engage in some deep reading of the entirety of scripture (not just the ESPN highlights of Sunday services) and engage with deep conversation with people who can debate ethics and morality further than just cheering on. If you think im being a jerk remember this. That's what Jesus did when he was alive. He debated, he studied thoroughly, he flipped a table and chased out the money changers, and filled his life with good works. Even if you stripped out the magic what he did was a miracle, he demonstrated what a good man could do. Like Mr Rogers

[@thefiendishdm9976]

@@RPGElite As I said, if one believes doing something is a sin, then for that person it absolutely is. It's the concept Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 8. All I suggested is that before making a snap judgment as to automatically saying this or that is sinful, pray about it. I said nothing about abandoning our convictions, or being a stumbling block to others and their walk. I've seen far too many Christians say D&D, or even books like Harry Potter, are evil without any thought, without even praying about it first. Absolutely I've made similar snap judgments based on my will alone instead of seeking His first. It's one of the myriad reasons why I, why we all, need Christ. Because it's not about our will. We are to seek Him in everything we do. Including these silly table-top games we play. So I'm at a loss as to how you came to the conclusion that I have put myself even close to the position of God. If we can use these games as witnessing tools, I believe that we should. Again, not by preaching at someone that you know will be put off or reject what we say if that's what we do right off the bat. But whitness to them by example, by living a Godly life and loving on them as a person. Advangelising to them can come after that. TTRPGs (especially D&D) are a field ripe for the harvest. God Bless, Brother.

[@Veninax]

All I gotta say about the election is wait and see what's coming. We'll see how you feel then.

[@RPGElite]

@@Veninax This is about tabletop RPGs. Politics were brought up as a bridge, not the main topic. So don't think you will come onto my channel and use it as a platform for your opinion on the election. I'm not interested. Make a comment about what it was about or move on to someone else's channel that will allow you to do that because I'm not the one. Get.

[@Veninax]

@@RPGElite My man if you don't want people talking about your 'bridge' maybe you need a different bridge. But anyway being this mad about '''identity politics''' is corny and I think you need to expand your horizons.

[@nateshelton1052]

Step 1: block all your snowflake, liberal friends and find some reasonable people to game with.. Step 2: Repeat Step 1 until you hear no more crying.