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A common talking point among the ooze collective that are reply guys, is that marginalized game designers—queer, BIMPoC, disabled, not-male game designers don’t want violent TTRPGs to be a thing.
Yeah, they’re reply guys, but that’s worth digging into.
#TabletopChopShop
Yeah, they’re reply guys, but that’s worth digging into.
#TabletopChopShop
If you squint and turn your brain off, you can kind of see where they’re coming from.
There are a lot of marginalized RPG people criticizing the wanton violence of D&D—I do the same, too—because many of us can’t help but see ourselves in the recipients of D&D violence.
There are a lot of marginalized RPG people criticizing the wanton violence of D&D—I do the same, too—because many of us can’t help but see ourselves in the recipients of D&D violence.
And there’s a separate thrust of #gamedev effort trying to write games that aren’t really about killing, whether that be Star-Crossed or Visigoths vs. Mall Goths or This Is My Final Recording.
Of course, that’s a diverse scope of games, but you don’t kill in any of them.
Of course, that’s a diverse scope of games, but you don’t kill in any of them.
The reply guys are wrong, of course. There are scores of extremely violent indie games, like Lancer, You Are Doom, Karaduun, or even my game, Bolt!
I can’t speak for the other games, but the more I worked on Bolt, the more shameless I got about how VIOLENT Bolt really is.
I can’t speak for the other games, but the more I worked on Bolt, the more shameless I got about how VIOLENT Bolt really is.
Because let’s be real, violence in fiction—in the right context—is often fun and cathartic as hell!
And as Quinn Murphy explained the other day, the fantasy of action genres—including action TTRPGS—is the fantasy that violence can solve your problems. https://twitter.com/qh_murphy/status/1276149564232421377
And as Quinn Murphy explained the other day, the fantasy of action genres—including action TTRPGS—is the fantasy that violence can solve your problems. https://twitter.com/qh_murphy/status/1276149564232421377
You know those days when the rage at the sheer INJUSTICE of the world just BUILDS, and makes you fantasize about finding the worst people in the world and [VERB]-ing them in the [NOUN] and cackling as they [REDACTED]?
Yeah, you can make-believe at that at the right table.
Yeah, you can make-believe at that at the right table.
Violence isn’t necessarily bad.
In fact, it’s often good—both in media and in real life!
But the context is important. Naming the villains is important.
Intentionality is important.
I’ve talked about this before. https://twitter.com/ajeypandey/status/1235258697112264712
In fact, it’s often good—both in media and in real life!
But the context is important. Naming the villains is important.
Intentionality is important.
I’ve talked about this before. https://twitter.com/ajeypandey/status/1235258697112264712
Again, not every game needs to be violent or gritty.
But reveling in violence is, in fact, fine, whether you’re space communists in mechs shooting fascists, or fighters attacking and dethroning God, or swashbucklers clashing swords with a dashing nemesis.
But reveling in violence is, in fact, fine, whether you’re space communists in mechs shooting fascists, or fighters attacking and dethroning God, or swashbucklers clashing swords with a dashing nemesis.
Think about WHOM your game justifies violence against, WHY violence is justified against them, and HOW MUCH violence is justified.
Ask yourself if the players can see themselves in the enemy.
Then ask yourself when you would and would not like that to be the case.
Ask yourself if the players can see themselves in the enemy.
Then ask yourself when you would and would not like that to be the case.
