Why Do People Gatekeep in D&D and Other TTRPGs?

Today on this very special episode of Wizards & Wordslingers, we’re going to talk about gatekeepers in tabletop roleplaying games. You know, the pompous jerkwads. The exclusionary dirtbags. The pedantic *sshats. Today, we’re going to dig into what makes them tick.
Source: www.psychology...

[@plixeon]

This is why I keep coming back to you and your content. You have integrity and a gift for clarity and accuracy. Once again, well done and thank you.

[@joeycastellanos8013]

When I first started D&D during 3rd Edition, my DM had the starter box that came with a Black Dragon. I remember the other players trying to tell me how I should build my character and roleplay him. I made a Halfling Fighter. They were polite about it, but the DM could tell I was getting overwhelmed by it and he addressed it with the rest of the group. They said aw man we’re sorry, and it turned into a fun experience for me. They were just excited I was a brand new player. And I’ve been fortunate since with good players as a DM myself!

[@yourseatatthetable]

I learned a long time ago to end a lot of my opinions with, "In my opinion. of course."

[@wizardsling]

fair enough

[@mikeb.1705]

The gatekeepers that I encounter most often are the ones that believe that as a DM you MUST include everything from every optional expansion book in your game, otherwise you are not playing D&D correctly. I can't tell you how many times I've been told that I'm a bad DM because I wouldn't allow *insert gonzo race-mix / class combination* in my game. They don't ask why / why not, they just resort to gatekeepy BS and say "you're a bad DM" because we do not play the game the same way. Yet for some reason it is always the grognards who are portrayed as gatekeepers 🙄

[@BigusGeekus]

I find infinitely more people complaining about that demand than people who actually make it. Just saying.

[@mikeb.1705]

@@BigusGeekusthat’s good! Better for folks to be open to custom campaigns than not, IMO. …but that’s no excuse to accuse people of being a “bad DM”. Especially when they don’t know a damn thing about the person or the game they run. FWIW, I think most of the complaints are from people who are very new to D&D and don’t see customization of campaigns as being imaginative.

[@BX-advocate]

I've had that happen to me many times. The other guy in this comment BigusGeekus is just gaslighting based on their experience or lack thereof.

[@BMHume]

Wholesome message deserves wholesome comments. Very nice video, keep up the good work 🙂

[@Dorian_sapiens]

I agree with all of the fact vs. opinion stuff: the redundancy of prefacing an opinion with "the following is an opinion", the need for people to be able to spot the difference on their own, and which one can be (productively) argued about. That last one is interesting, because subjective opinions can seem like the most self-evidently true things ever, whereas actual facts often don't come with the same feeling of certainty. And, I always thought Fight Club was giving us great insight into what a malformed little a~~hat Norton's character was, when he called Bonham Carter's character a tourist; he had no more right to be in that group than she did, but he seemed completely, belligerently oblivious to that. Also, Rogue One is really good.

[@wizardsling]

I also enjoyed rogue one :)

[@JeffsGameBox]

Great video. Possibly one of the best on this topic. Keep up the great work! 💚👽🛸

[@wizardsling]

Thank you! Will do!

[@cgabriel7311]

**finger hovering intensifies**

[@wizardsling]

heh Good. I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon! Strike me down with all your hatred, and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!

[@Nemnar7]

This is such an interesting video! I believe this is in the same thread of gatekeeping, but Ive found that people get super passionate and argue when you mention crit fails. Fun is subjective, but both sides will insist their side is the "fun" side, and the other is "not as fun" as if fact.

[@mcsnaga]

I run games for TTRPG novices and seasoned players. All play things differently.. but generally most adapt to the style played by the majority.. whether that's RP-focussed or combat-orientated, though I encourage all. Oh, and everyone knows it's the Holiday Special. ;-)

[@ExtraneousB]

This is one of the things I like about Bob the World Builder. He talks about how to "have more fun playing TTRPG's." Now I don't think Guy is actually a gate keeper, but the name of his channel kind of assumes there in a single way to "Be a Great GM" or "Be a Great Player." Now in his content he makes it clear that he has a certain approach to gaming and his channel is for people who want to improve at that approach or be exposed to a different approach and does not judge people who have a different approach than he does. And the title of his channel is designed to be catchy, but it does kind of allude to the idea that there is a right and wrong way to game. A more accurate yet less concise title for his series would be "How to be a Better Storyteller in Role Playing Games." And note I love his channel as well because I have a very similar approach to role playing.

[@FoxTrick101]

Role-playing os for everyone, you just have to find the table for you.

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

Yeah, but we're talking about people demanding the game be about then and we all must bow our heads.

[@meerkatx]

@@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115 And somewhere there is a table that will work for them. There is a table for everyone, but not every table is for everyone.

[@joseacevedo8314]

Some people have such a love of the game that when things start to change they feel attacked. Then they lash out at those that have a different opinion.

[@tygrataps]

Overall good discussion. Kayley and Cooper sound like fun players- for the right groups! Hang out with your friends (even if you only known them for the game), play the game, enjoy yourselves. Where issues come in is when those two players have to be in the same game. They might find a way to happily coexist, somewhere there being a happy medium between those two extremes. I hope so. More likely, one of the following is going to happen; a. they both end up unhappy b. one of them decides to leave and find a group that better fits their wants and needs c. one of them demands that the other leave for being a 'toxic influence'. What we keep seeing in multiple cutural fronts is option c- various fandoms, comics, movies, video games, roleplaying games. Traditionally, gamers have been open to seeing others come in and enjoy the hobby. What we've been increasingly seeing is that people are invited in and we're being told that we're playing the game wrong and that we're some kind of -ist for not going along with the newcomers preferences. I have to laugh every time I hear 'gaming is for everybody'.. to which I mentally add 'except if you're one of the old school players'. I've pretty much given up on trying to find a group because of how bad it's gotten. I miss the interaction that I've enjoyed for so long, just wish that it was still around. So no, it isn't about different preferences in gaming. It's when people force their opinions upon others and they have nowhere else to go.

[@mikeb.1705]

You are not wrong.

[@KingZNIN]

Odd I've gamed with a dude in their later 40s and he was fine, but a guy that's more "traditional minded" but was genuinely fine was removed because he was an "ist". Odd how 2016 showed how bad some people are. That and also a guy that wasn't even able to drink yet throws a fit when they game with a girl for tge first time.

[@Nolinquisitor]

This question do not interest me. But this question does : Why do RPG Publishers gatekeep the writing, the words, the illustrations, the values, what's allowed, what players should like, praise, and think?

[@wizardsling]

i dunno, man, if you don't like what the RPG publishers are putting out, make your own stuff

[@Nolinquisitor]

@@wizardsling I hear that often, or « It’s not made you. » or « If you don’t like it don’t buy it. » That’s not good for anybody.

[@KingZNIN]

​@@Nolinquisitor examples?

[@hawkname1234]

I think you're presenting a straw man. I doubt you could point me to any TTRPG publisher telling customers what to like, except to say, maybe don't be a bigot or hurt your players.

[@sleepinggiant4062]

I'm having trouble with your volume level and having to turn it up considerably. You could compare sales of chocolate to nutella. My rule is have fun, but to keep in mind that your fun is not more important than anyone else's at the table - it can't be at there expense. You must be a good fit for the table. The table does not need to change to fit you.

[@wolfleclair1399]

Gary Gygax created the as to now best selling tabletop rpg, Empire Strikes Back is my favorite while Return of the Jedi is my little brothers favorite.Chocolate is better than Nutella for me because Nutella hurts my teeth, just like pixie stix. But regardless of those factual points, Twinkleberry is an adorable character name, but I am actually getting to a point-please bear with me here. There are a lot of players(And some DMs)out there that I have noticed who will throw around gatekeeping like it is a be all end all term, while there are gatekeepers out there-there are also those who misuse the term against others. Mind you I think this can all be solved with proper communication, and you're right-like what you like. Great video as always, you always have wonderful points. Would honesty love to see you and Aten from We❤TTRPGs do a collaborative video. I hope you're having a great time and sorry for missing some of your videos, I will try to catch up but life have been nuts. =^_^=

[@direden]

Well said!

[@wizardsling]

thanks bruther!

[@simontemplar3359]

The TLDR is: you made an excellent and thought provoking video, and you showed immense grace in the comments despite some folks clearly not getting it. This was a very dense and excellent 10(ish) minute video. You made some excellent points that touched on psychology as well as sociology. I wish I could like double-subscribe or triple-like this video because there's so much here that's worth hearing. I also noticed the fountain pen nib on the d20 in your logo, and that is S I C K! So my perspective in terms of rules sets is that I favor simpler mechanics that are more conducive to emergent storytelling. I like swingy and risky combat encounters, and I don't like when the party turns into demigods. But nowhere in there do I have the right to say any of that is objectively good or bad. My taste is not synonymous with fact. I've tried to play Pathfinder and really didn't like it. I found the rules to be more complex than I could hang with and still enjoy. Overall, the big numbers and complex mechanics were just not for me. Does that mean it sucks? Heck no. That game provides employment for some and lots of enjoyment to others. It isn't for me to judge those things. CS Lewis famously argued that the worst sin is pride because it is the wellspring of all sins. Hang with me for a sec: pride makes us unwilling to forgive for fear of appearing weak; it makes us unable to show grace for the same reason. It makes us judge others and ask questions like "who are they to talk to me like that?" As a fictitious character (Marcellus Wallace) said: F pride. It only hurts. It never helps. I see only a reflection of insecurity, of fear of other, and meanness in gatekeeping. Gatekeepers presume that their version is correct and its purity must be defended at all cost. I don't mean to run to the nazi example, but history shows us a powerful warning for the danger that distaste of "other" and obsession with "purity" can cause. We hear that all the time as prejudices are sneaked into conversations about language. A great example is "ask/aks." Many people from certain demographic communities will use the aks pronunciation. I have heard and to my shame I have corrected people. I learned later that "aks" is not only an acceptable pronunciation, but it may well be the original. I then had to say, well maybe my poor attitude betrays a sense of superiority. Why would that be? Pride. I will say something that may make me seem provincial or just a simpleton, but I am a convinced and believing Christian and I believe that the second we have anything other than love and goodwill toward others, the second that we put ourselves as judge, in those moments, we have lost the plot; in those moments we have usurped God's right to judge and made a deity of ourselves (and the alignment of that deity is "chaotic suck" ... nobody got time for that) I truly believe it is and must always be about treating one's neighbors how one would like to be treated. Who is my neighbor? Everyone. And I genuinely love you all and wish you only happiness.

[@kaboose111]

It also keeps outside weirdos from trying to warp what you enjoy to their personal philosophy...Warhammer 40K.

[@KingZNIN]

40k the game that insults authoritarians and fascist ideologies?

[@eoris12]

It happens on other levels. Reviewers also gatekeep aggressively. Game System mastery dudes destroyed my game online without reading it well or playing it even once. Why? I never knew, but it felt like they were offended by it on a personal level. Like I had done something to wrong and designed to hurt the ttrpg community. I was very sad hearing them bash the game for almost 2 hours, and laughing at all the effort I put into it. In the end, they were some of the folk who managed to destroy the game's reputation, to the point people would refer to the book in their terms, without even ever having seen it. If you're wondering which game I'm talking about, it has the worst character sheet ever... apparently. For the positive comment, the ttrpg community overall is wonderful, devoted to their games and groups and their evil is usually just inadequate fun. Even the dudes I just criticized were just having fun, so I guess my book made at least a couple of guys laugh out loud for a while. No hard feelings.

[@wizardsling]

that sucks that happened to you. As an author, I'm well familiar with being (unfairly) trashed in reviews

[@eoris12]

@@wizardsling I don't think it was necessarily unfair. I mean, what do I know? But it was hard. Thanks for the video. I always click when I see your name come up. So thank you for all you do. It's always well made and heartful.

[@TwinSteel]

🥳👍🏿❤️

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

Because tourists will always try to twist everything to their taste, making the hobby a grey goo to later move to the next thing to infect. Just for reference, the study LEGO made on how boys and girls interact with toys.

[@wizardsling]

thanks for helping me prove my point

[@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115]

@@wizardsling well, you always have to delete a traitor before an enemy at the gates. Or just look at Star Wars. It would help you a lot the study LEGO Made.

[@TwinSteel]

Per LEGO "girls today feel increasingly confident to engage in all types of play and creative activities, but remain held back by society's ingrained gender stereotypes as they grow older." 🤷🏿‍♀️

[@BigusGeekus]

@@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115 "Delete a traitor before an enemy at the gates"? So delete you, before the remaining Pat Pulling fanboys?

[@mavfan21]

My college journalism professor said the same thing about saying "I think"! I never do it.

[@skoosc]

I think you've missed something that's core to the gatekeeping ethos that's really worth addressing or at least investigating further which is the sense of ownership around intellectual properties in fandoms and hobbies. People in fandoms invest a lot of time, money and energy into these properties because they find some meaning in them which fosters a loyal fanbase. You then get the caretakers of these properties changing the property in some way that causes these fans to get upset, complain or perhaps even abandon the property because of it. I don't think these feelings are necessarily wrong or invalid. There are big commercial enterprises that don't really treasure the value that these fandoms provide for people and see them only as a resource for intellectual strip mining; where as much money is extracted as possible without any respect for the existing fandom or even the property in general. And when the fandom complains it can be dismissed and simply labeled as 'bad faith opinions of a toxic fandom'. Not to say that people should be kept out of TTRPGs, I agree with you that there's enough space in the medium to accommodate everyone and that labeling people to try to keep them out isn't acceptable. But I think there's more to the gatekeeping position than just labelling them insecure grognards who can't separate fact from opinion. As for positive stories of togetherness, I can't think of a single great example but I can definitely say I've found new life long friends through just asking for players on looking for group pages if they'd like to join a game I was running.

[@yourseatatthetable]

Personally, I've long felt that any 'Gatekeeping" going on is a bad idea; as it fits into that absolutes category of personal opinions and views. Instead, I champion those who try to be Diplomats of the Hobby. People who choose to encourage play, game immersion, and positive supporting of this hobby we all love and share. Our particular styles or preferences in 'how we play' should never be the 'We Must Play This Way!" For me, my love began in the late 70's and lasts till I die and I truly wish to see the hobby grow and flourish, lasting far, far beyond our small parts within it. There are no 'wrong ways' or 'right ways' to play; to enjoy the flavor of the hobby. One only has to look past D&D to see the wide range of that 'love', both in published works and the vast range of the offerings and sharing's of those who play. In my opinion, of course.

[@wizardsling]

100%

[@artistpoet5253]

Well, I prefer the original but I do really enjoy ROTJ.

[@DiscoBarbarian]

there is nothing wrong with Gatekeeping what you love. protecting your table is a Virtue. this isn't kindergarten, you are under zero obligation to play with everyone. don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[@wizardsling]

that is a different type of gatekeeping, which I explain in the video

[@DiscoBarbarian]

@@wizardsling then I guess we are in agreement.

[@KingZNIN]

​@@DiscoBarbarianassuming you're not being a weirdo about it doing stuff like "No girls allowed" stuff. I can't stop you if you do tho.

[@nabra97]

I believe that you, personally, don't have to play with everyone (or everyone who is short of being completely intolerable) thought. Including, you may not be ready to accomodation for a person with certain special needs, for example. You just should be up-front and respectfull about that. Also, I don't fully agree that you shouldn't have a discussion about opinions. In these two cases ("how to play ttrpg "the right way"" and "what movie in a franchise is the best one") there are really no points in it (well, unless you are just having friendly debates and are enjoying the process), but when it comes to how to do a group project or even as far as to what should be in the law, it's a very important discussion to have

[@gunjfur8633]

Funny, because they're called ROLE-PLAYING-games

[@heatherharrison264]

I haven't played tabletop games, though I have observed from the outside, as I became interested in the systems due to video games, which I have been playing since the late 1970s. If I somehow found the right group, I might give tabletop a go, but I would only want to do it in person since online anonymity brings out the worst in people, and I would view it as a social activity, which means actually interacting with other people face to face. I'm the sort who is more interested in the organic, emergent storytelling aspect and would prefer to reduce combat and play fast and loose with the rules. In computer RPGs, I prefer those that have a lot to offer in terms of characters, story, and exploration, while most of the time, I merely tolerate the combat, and I will abandon a game if the combat gets in the way too much. I'm sure my preferred play style will cause combat-loving gatekeepers to look down their noses at me. I'm sure some of them will even want to tell me to "git gud." I'm far too old and cantankerous to care what they think, but for new people still trying to find their way, these sneering gatekeepers can be intimidating. Video games are also full of gatekeepers, and they have been since the beginning. When I was a teenager, I was sometimes part of the problem, as I got caught up in the Atari vs. Commodore vs. Apple holy wars that were raging at the time. This video gets at the root problems - difficulty in discerning fact from opinion and difficulty in accepting another person's distinct opinions as valid. Whenever I see someone use statements like "objectively good" and "objectively bad" regarding matters that are clearly subjective, I immediately expect any discussion with that person to be troublesome. A related problem is gatekeeping based on perceived skill level. While it is acceptable for a group to tailor a game to highly experienced players and therefore not want to admit newbies who might slow things down, it is annoying when people denigrate those whose skills might not be up to their exacting standards, especially in discussion forums outside of the games. In video games, snide statements such as "skill issue" or "git gud" (when used unironically) are used to shut down discussion and make a social space less than welcoming for those who are new to a game or those who might have legitimate points of discussion about the difficulty of a game. (Do people ever say "git gud" in the tabletop gaming context? If so, I'm sorry that our video game pathology has spread?) Any discussion of a FromSoftware game is bound to get polluted by this, as these games are known for their difficulty. These statements help no one, whereas non-judgmental explanations of a game's systems could be very helpful to newcomers as they try to determine whether the game is right for them and as they work to overcome challenges. I sometimes wonder if these difficulty gatekeepers, having climbed the difficulty curve and succeeded, now want to pull up the ladder behind them so that others can't join in their success. I see this a lot in video games, and I would expect to see it in the more tactical, combat-focused side of tabletop games too since these games also rely heavily on complex game mechanics that take time to master.

[@leonelegender]

Git gud

[@abb7918]

I don't disagree, but I believe this topic is tainted with current issues from outside of TTRPGs. Gatekeeping happens at all sides, not just one and usually I deem it as a practice coming from bad faith. But I also believe some people do it out of genuine fear for corporations changing the game that they are enjoying to make more revenue but reducing the enjoyment that some players currently have. MTG shifting focus to commander and prioritizing monetization is a good example. Or them "reimagining" certain works of fiction. While there is in theory enough space for everyone to find something they enjoy, it does suck seeing something you like change in ways you really don't like, especially if you've invested a lot of time and money into it. The way some of these changes are enforced are also very questionable and arguing against them also just results in more dogpiling. I just wish people would stop this black/white thinking that is honestly making me worry for the future if it is already this bad for games.

[@notsureicare488]

If its about purely game systems or how you enjoy playing(see Grognards vs. Critrole fans) just stop it. But not all gatekeeping is bad. The whole orc thing where people see a violent race and think "Thats a black person", those people are not welcome.

[@mikeb.1705]

What gets me is when they do it even though you have actual black human peoples in the same game world >.

[@KingZNIN]

Wasn't that because of a different game where the fantasy world is in the real world and the orcs are in Africa. The not all orcs[goblins and so on]have to be evil group was mixed with the tiny other group. I see a lot of people claim everyone that's not pro orcs are evil

[@cgabriel7311]

0+00=10 and i will die on this hill.

[@wizardsling]

lol at your table you can make that equal 10, obviously. Run your table how you want. Gatekeeping would be telling other people at other tables that have nothing to do with you that they are wrong for ruling that 0+00=100

[@kontrarien5721]

My brain isn't working . . . Then is 0+10 (10+0) = 100? Sure looks like 100! Is 20+0 still 20? Do you change anything else?

[@hawkname1234]

Great message. Gatekeepers are just bad children. Your fun is not wrong.

[@saraphys5555]

Im gonna share something that happened last year... There was a comment-discussion thread on a Zee Bashaw video, and the general gist of the conversation going on was "I hate it when people tell me to play another game, instead of letting me homebrew". Except, the *details* of what was being said, was more along the lines of "Im completely remodelling D&D 5E into something I wanna play, but these biggoted @55holes keep telling me to go play this other game! I wish they would die!"... Except, after following the trail back, It turns out this person was basically completely remaking 5E d20 into this other game... except, instead of a d6 system, they wanted 5e's d20 system... and people weren't "targetting and harrassing" them; they were telling them that they've basically made this other game, so why not give that a try first? To which there response was "I only play D&D!"... I couldn't help but enquire and defend someone else who had commented at this point in this comment chain; asking why D&D is so great, that you wont try anything else... and their response was a toxic cesspool of (what I like to call) 5E'er logic, with no understanding of any other game systems that exist; and completely unwilling the entertain the notion that any other system could be good...or even better...for them or their group. Essentially, their response was a fanatical, rabbid response of "D&D is the *WORLDS GREATEST ROLEPLAYING GAME* and you are stupid if you dont play it!". Now, I admit, despite staying calm and trying to talk to these multiple people who were now chiming in against me, I did my best to be neutral... But these 5E'ers, man; they are toxic people...and I can only keep the Aussie in me down for so long before I start using the "C"-word as an adjective and punctuation... So, While I may have started with Basic D&D and AD&D2e, my list of games Iv played since the 90's include Shadowrun, Battletech, Call of Cthulhu, World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf, & Mage, mostly), Star Wars... and then in the last decade or so, Dragon Age & Fantasy AGE, FFG Star Stars, Call of Cthulhu, Fallout, Cypher System, End of the World, and Traveller... Oh, and D&D 3.5.... I haven't played "all the games", and whats good is subjective... But I feel Im at that point where Im checking out of the communities, because (especially in WotC's case) the community they've cultivated is a toxic one, and they put the *fantatic* in *fandom* ... ...sorry, you asked for happy stories...and I just dont have those with the D&D community.

[@KingZNIN]

Dnd like all Fandom are toxic. That'd the nature of fandoms. There's dumb people on all sides as people are dumb. Some just more than others.

[@bmonci1]

Because gates and the fences they allow access through exist for good reason. Otherwise there is a subset of people who come in and show no respect to that which lies within and ruin it. Fuck em. Have your own space; go crazy with it. People have different preferences, and I don't have to accommodate yours to the detriment of my own and my players'. 🙄

[@KingZNIN]

So who are the scary they? An old high-school friend from my gamergate years "they" were women in General.

[@bmonci1]

@@KingZNIN depends on one's tastes. Everyone is free to keep those whose preferences don't align out of their lives, to include gaming. I personally am not into having people in my game who are easily butt-hurt, edgelords, and generally those who are basically losers IRL and therefore need to use the game as a weird desperate power vector. And those people would be wise to exclude me, because I'd happily call out the antisocial behavior that always manifests from those traits (and have). Gamergate was not about hating or excluding women. It was about being force-fed an ideological narrative at the expense of game quality.

[@KingZNIN]

@@bmonci1 how so? I'm talking about the later part. As I said I was part of gamergate, and oh boy did I have an are we the bad guys moment.

[@MythicalMastery-qj9jp]

the guy is wrong again

[@wizardsling]

thank you for your contribution to this discussion

[@Archaeo_Matt]

From "On the Concept of 'Tribe' and 'Tribal Society'" (1966), by Morton H. Fried: _Unfortunately, if I had to select one word in the vocabulary of anthropology as the single most egregious case of meaninglessness, I would have to pass over “tribe” in favor of “race.” I am sure, however, that “tribe” figures prominently on the list of putative technical terms ranked in order of degree of ambiguity as reflected in multifarious definitions._ I'm far more likely to want to gate-keep Dr. Kennedy; then again, I regularly invoke concepts from neuroscience, and organizational management, so perhaps I should just let that sleeping dog lie. On one hand, I don't really see much in the way of ranked individuals (bear in mind *rank* can be temporary or situational) who can really do much except sputter and fuss about all the ills of the hobby "these days." Our gatekeepers have gates, maybe even gatehouses, but no actual fences or walls. I've owned my books for more than 40 years, how are they going to stop me from playing? As long as I have roughly 4-6 people to sit at my table, I can play to my heart's content. On the other hand, and this is where I have the problem with those who try to gate-keep the hobby as a whole (gate-keep your own table as you desire), many people seem to be willing to listen to any talking head on the internet that they believe either thinks like them or thinks the "right way." Then, it becomes a matter of so-and-so the influencer said I have to do _xyz_ or it's not really role-playing; and, I don't think _xyz_ is for me, so I won't bother trying. For my own part, I really do not in any way think that people should play the way I play, or that there are important benchmarks that function as minimally sufficient conditions to constitute "real" role-playing gaming. No one is laughing harder that WotC/Hasbro and Paizo; they're more than happy to keep selling stuff to consumers that may not even ever go on to play. As a note to the gate-keepers: Don't forget that the consequence of not taking potential new players where you find them, and "coaching them up" to play at your table, often won't be keeping them out of the hobby. All you'll actually get is an army of players who have been taught how to play by the people who only care about looting them. Cheers!

[@joebyrnes9254]

I’m going to have push back against your portrayal of so called gatekeepers as I don’t think you’re either engaging this in good faith or fully understand the exact issue here. Tourists are not just folks who want to engage with a hobby a different way like a flavor loving, character playing Role-player vs a dice hoarding, numbers crunching war gamer. Tourists are folks who view the IPs they consume as an aesthetic just as much as a hobby. They can’t enjoy the IPs for what they are so long as it doesn’t fit their moral and political sensibilities. That is because, they want to wear it as an aesthetic and if it has a quirk or something about it that doesn’t fit or can cause them to be made fun of online or in public for liking it. This is why they demand hobby IPs be dramatically changed and suited for a “wider audience” why they preach “X is for everyone” it’s because they want to wear it and be told how cool they are for liking it. Now a lot of these sweaty gamer nerds, are not nearly as socially adept or socially susceptible to social pressure. Gatekeepers are the nerds who were made fun and bullied for liking the stuff they like. They’ve developed strong social bonds among each other and like their IPs for the way they are. You’re right to say that gatekeepers are motivated by fear. That’s because these hobby’s have been a safe haven for them most of their lives. So to suddenly have what’s basically the cool kids who made fun of them for liking board games and plastic figures because it’s cool now. They’re going to rebel agaisnt any attempts to have their beloved IP changed or to have anyone they don’t like come in.

[@KingZNIN]

So that's why those nuts on the internet form I read were complaining about women, none whits, and LGBTQ people appearing in D&D. They were bullied by those groups in the Earl to mid 2000s

[@leonelegender]

You ooze condescendence , you really think you are the smartest cookie in the box don't you

[@wizardsling]

I'm the oatmeal raisin disguised as a chocolate chip, lying in wait, unsuspecting...

[@Whichendup]

Uhm Akchyualy humans are "mammals" on a rock hurtling through space, not "bugs".

[@wizardsling]

you have blown my mind