Taken from theferrett

[conuly]

In which we find out that the Israeli Army is irrationally prejudiced against Dungeons and Dragons.

Comments

[yadfothgildloc.livejournal.com]

...but the pictures are of LARPers!

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

My thought exactly. I guess rolling a 20 sided die doesn't make a good visual imact.

[l33tminion]

To give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe the photo in question shows a DnD based LARP. Nonetheless, it presents a false impression... *sighs* The article did not look well informed. (Or well edited, for that matter. There's even a "teh" in there...)

[yadfothgildloc.livejournal.com]

It looks like a translation from Hebrew, so I'll cut them slack.

Larps don't do real combat though, they still throw dice for it. They took pictures of reenactors or some guys just goofing around.

[l33tminion]

Depends on the LARP. Some might do boffer combat (with foam padded "weapons"). The LARPs I've been in used toy weapons for ranged combat and a variety of systems for close combat (although none of those systems involved dice).

[leora.livejournal.com]

They do mention both table top and what we call LARPing in the article though. And they say the latter is quite popular and is done using fake weapons. So, maybe that's the popular RPG culture in Israel. I don't know much about Israeli gaming.

I like the logic presented though... we can't have soldiers who play DnD, because people who play DnD tend to have a detachment from reality and/or a weak personality. We can tell that they are detached or have a weak personality, because they play DnD.

[yadfothgildloc.livejournal.com]

I've only played in one LARP, but I've been around quite a few more. I've not seen much non-dice combat, but that's the way the cookie gets stomped on and completely obliderated.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

What interests me is how closely this mirrors complaints from groups such as the notorious Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons (BADD).

But, I must say that I agree with the general principle of the Isreali army, and I hope they expand upon it. Anyone who enjoys fictionalized violence and thinks that pretending to kill people is a wonderful way to spend a weekend is not the kind of person who should be allowed near a loaded gun.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Actually, that means nothing.

I, personally, play those kinds of games, even D20 Modern (that is, D&D with guns and cars).

Does that mean I can never become someone in a job that involves a gun? I can't be a cop or a security guard or something like that, because I like to play with my friends?

I enjoy fictionalized violence because it is fictional. Real violence is nasty and disgusting, and should be avoided if at all possible. 90% of the people that play D&D have a healthy awareness of the difference between fiction and reality. Just because they play D&D/D20/LARP/whathaveyou, doesn't mean that they can't be good people that use loaded guns.

[ruthanolis.livejournal.com]

I think you forget that most of the Western/Christian world is irrationally prejudiced against roleplaying games in general, and D&D specifically.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

I'd rather not have anyone who enjoys violence, even "fictionalized" violence, near a gun and near me.

This goes double for enjoying racially motivated violence, of which D&D has a long and unhealthy tradition. (Yeah, but they're just orcs), and thus tripple for the Israeli army. (Yeah, but they're just Palistinians).

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

why not? Why can't someone who enjoys fictionalized violence (but not actual violence) not have a gun, for any reason?


And dude, they are just orcs. If the GM is using Orcs as the main antagonistic race, then they are. It doesn't mean anything. What racially-motivated-violence are you picking up on?

Orcs are Orcs.

Triple.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

I wonder what would happen to them if they saw Call of Cthulu...

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Fine, orcs are orcs, let's kill them, because fictionalized racially motivated violence is fun. And it's not like orcs are human beings.

And stop twisting my words, asshole.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Orcs are not human beings. they are a separate species.

I beat on Elves, Githyanki (who might be on a technicality at least partially human), Illithids, you name it, I beat the crap out of it.

Because they're attacking me, or I've been hired to get X and they're in the way, or it might be my character has a reason that, while I may find it wrong, he or she does not.

Hey man, you're the one that misspelled it and bolded it. lj has a spellcheck, and you should use it.

also: could you please answer my question? thank you.

[conuly]

I think that the answer is "Picking on orcs, having them always be the bad guys, is racist. Period."

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Go fuck yourself.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Thing is, they're not.

They might have been a 'picking on race' once, but they're not anymore. They might not be well-liked by some players, but they've got their fair share of hero ones (whee Paladin orcs!).

D&D 3.0 onwards removed the automatic alignment thing. Every race can be Every class.

Right now, I play a character of a technically evil race (Githyanki), and he's a good guy, if cranky. D&D/D20 isn't near as bad about thsoe things as it might have been.

Devas that are evil, Demons that are quite good; all of these are in it now.

I thought he was trying to connect Orcs to people. I've seen people do it, so it was a valid concern.

Sorry.

...I still wanted to see his reason why anyone that enjoys fictional violence can't have a gun.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

I don't mean (too much) to atagonize, but could you tell me the reason why someone that likes fictional violence can't have a loaded gun?

please?

[ruthanolis.livejournal.com]

Apart from irreparably messing their pants?

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Seeing as "go fuck yourself" is too abstract of a concept for you, how about "go take your fucking numbered polygon collection and shove it up your nose?"

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

what numbered polygon collection?

what's the reason? I just want to know.

[conuly]

Just drop it, okay? I love you both dearly, and don't think you're getting anywhere with this fight.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my mistake... polyhedron. I have expressive language issues when upset. Part of my particular form of autism is that the more emotional I get, the less able I am to express myself.

This morning, I composed and posted something of a general "fuck you" to people who bitch and moan about my spelling. While clearly inspired by you, it's not actually about you, except in a general sense of you being one of those people. However, Conuly did comment about you and your intentions. By way of simple social receprocity, I responded to her about my own intentions. Since this post is intended more as a "go FAQ yourself" to people who may bitch and moan in the futyre, I'm going to set Conuly's comment and my response back to screened after the weekend. However, if you'd like to see what my beliefs are regarding the people I would, had I the power, place in the armed forces, I have attempted to (forgive the pun) spell this out at some length.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/staircase_wit/513430.html?thread=753814#t753814

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

thank you!

That's all I wanted to know.

I'll stop now.