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29 septembre 2017

This. ❤️❤️❤️

This. ❤️❤️❤️

Originally shared by Anna Kreider

Thoughts on inclusivity and the impossibility of being inclusive AND staying neutral

This post is not about the current recurring dumpster fire happening in indie gaming. Or rather, it's not ONLY about that. This week, while all of this nonsense has been happening, I've also been dealing with a frustrating situation in a meatspace Magic: The Gathering group that is being taken over by Magic Bros - who are exactly the sort of dudes I initially joined this group to avoid having to play with.

So if you're the sort of person to skip over posts about "online controversy", I mean. Why are you following me? But also, I ask that you please sit with these thoughts a while.

1. Being inclusive means having to decide WHO TO EXCLUDE.

When you are making or managing a group space, gaming or otherwise, you are going to have to decide who you want to exclude. A lot of community organizers have this pie-in-the-sky idea that they want their space to be "safe and fun" for "EVERYONE", but that is literally impossible.

If your space is safe and fun for racists, it is not safe and fun for PoC.
If your space is safe and fun for misogynists, it is not safe and fun for women and enbys.
If your space is safe and fun for homophobes, it is not safe and fun for queer people.

It IS NOT ENOUGH to say that you want your space to be welcoming and inclusive of women/nbs/minorities/etc without also being willing to actively define who is NOT welcome in your space.

2. Staying "neutral" is a vote for the male-dominated status quo

When you organize a space, if you opt not to take formal steps to support marginalized people in your space (IE implementing an anti-harassment policy, specifying a code of conduct, actively recruiting marginalized members and leaders, etc etc), you are siding with the male-dominated misogynist and racist status quo.

Saying that you want to stay "neutral" on "political" or "sensitive" topics sends a very clear signal to marginalized people that you will not back them up when they need support, because what you are saying is that marginalized people are not allowed to talk about their feelings.

By refusing to make a choice, you are choosing the safety and comfort of white guys over the safety and comfort of marginalized people. In other words, not making a choice of who to exclude IS ITSELF MAKING AN ACTIVE CHOICE of who to exclude.

3. What this looks like in the wild

This isn't an issue unique to gaming. This is true of any group formed for any reason. For example,

When you allow police officers to march in the Toronto Pride Parade while in uniform, you are choosing to include police and to exclude minorities and Indigenous people whom the police violently oppress. Choosing to include minorities and Indigenous people requires excluding uniformed officers.

When your volunteer organization chooses to give power to a known missing stair and harasser, it is choosing to exclude women harassed by that missing stair and women who know about the missing stair and don't want to be harassed. Choosing to include the victims of harassment and those who fear harassment requires excluding the missing stair.

When your company allows Nazis to freely use your platform to promote hate (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, TWITTER), you are choosing to exclude Jews, minorities, queer people, and all of those that the Nazis want to exterminate. Including Jews, minorities, and queer people requires excluding the fucking Nazis.

...but it's also pretty fucking common in gaming. Here are some examples that I've personally experienced.

When your Magic league chooses to include a man who loudly, aggressively gets in a woman's face when she has the temerity to say that she would have more fun if more women participated in the league, then makes her defend her lived experience while angrily disputing the need for harassment policies, you are choosing to exclude not only that woman, but other women who are looking for spaces to play Magic that are not overwhelmingly male and toxically masculine. Including those women requires telling the Magic Bro to behave or GTFO.

When your convention chooses not to implement a harassment policy, or adopts Wheaton's Law ("don't be a dick") as their harassment policy, you are choosing to exclude women and NBs who have experienced harassment at conventions. Including women and NBs who have experienced con harassment requires excluding creepy con harassers.

When your gaming community chooses to include and promote a known bad actor who targets marginalized people, you are choosing to exclude marginalized people who have been targeted by the bad actor or who fear being targeted by the bad actor. Including those people requires excluding the guy who is known to be a bad actor.

TL;DR: If you are a community organizer, you are always choosing who you wish to exclude from your space, even if you don't think you're making any such choice.

Hey rpgers ! In your opinion, for your games, Chekov's gun sould be

Hey rpgers ! In your opinion, for your games, Chekov's gun sould be

27 septembre 2017

I want the whole world to know that Paolo Greco is loved.

Originally shared by David Black

I want the whole world to know that Paolo Greco is loved. We stand beside you in the face of bullies, be strong, if you can - we're always here for you.

Shares and +1's matter here folks, let you voices be heard.

#againstbullying

21 septembre 2017

Tiens, on dirait bien que D-Start, le jeu d'initiation de Fabien Fernandez (que Google ne veut pas me laisser...

Tiens, on dirait bien que D-Start, le jeu d'initiation de Fabien Fernandez (que Google ne veut pas me laisser taguer) est sorti.
http://ludovox.fr/d-start-decollage-immediat-jeu-de-role/

Tiens, parmi les éditeurs de jdr francophones, lesquels font des efforts pour la diversité parmi les personnes...

Tiens, parmi les éditeurs de jdr francophones, lesquels font des efforts pour la diversité parmi les personnes qu'ils emploient, que ce soient des indépendant.e.s ou des employé.e.s, tous métiers et domaines confondus ? Lesquels font attention à recruter parmi les discriminé.e.s ?

19 septembre 2017

Is postgame insomnia a thing?

Still eating parmigiano we brought back from our holiday in Italy.


Still eating parmigiano we brought back from our holiday in Italy. I should have filled the car with it. It's soooo delicious!

After many, many... many... years, I am finally finished with my revision of The Mountain Witch.

Originally shared by Timothy Kleinert

After many, many... many... years, I am finally finished with my revision of The Mountain Witch.

I feel really good about this version of the book. What started with a "little" cleaning up quickly turned into a 80-90% rewrite. I worked hard at incorporating updated explanations and various "house rules" that have become my standard mode of playing the game. The game advice chapter---which I long felt was underdeveloped in the original version---is now the longest section of the book.

At this point I am going to spend the next month or so working out the production details before starting up a Kickstarter campaign. After the project is funded, I will send the book to an editor, then to layout, and finally to the printers.

So stay tuned! There is one section that I want to crowdsource some opinions on (Abilities), which I will post in a couple days.

PS: Where else should I post this announcement besides Story-Games?

#mountainwitchrpg #themountainwitch

WTF Numenera 2?

WTF Numenera 2? Not a new edition ("But this isn’t a new edition. We will make virtually no changes to the way the game plays mechanically—and none of those changes affect the way NPCs, creatures, or items like cyphers or artifacts work. We also won’t be making changes to the setting."), but a new focus for the game ("focusing not just on exploring the ruins of the past, but also on using what you find to build a better future", "will enable characters to truly become a part of the setting—to help shape the future of the Ninth World. (...) allows you to build adventures and campaigns in which players don’t just explore the wonders of the past—they utilize them to help lift the Ninth World out of darkness. You can make the world a better place. Help a community defend itself from abhumans or the Iron Wind. Create centers of learning or trade. Innovate, build, and protect. Manage an entire community and help it prosper and grow—or simply create a cool base or vehicle for your adventuring group. Numenera Destiny will allow you to take what you discover and make your mark on history as someone who took the Ninth World and elevated it into the future") ?

So soon?

16 septembre 2017

That's an impressive amount of boobs indeed, Jonathan Tweet​.


That's an impressive amount of boobs indeed, Jonathan Tweet​. (I realize I just firmly inserted my foot into my mouth, don't bother.)

Originally shared by Jonathan Tweet

With an eye toward the next edition of Over the Edge, I've been reviewing the cover of the 2nd edition. I think it's just great, way better than the 1st edition cover, which was based on my idea for what should be on the cover. I'm impressed with how much the artist packed into this cover.

15 septembre 2017

Alas update.


Alas update.

Alas!


Alas!

La vérité est que Cthulhu Confidential m'a bien, bien déçu.

La vérité est que Cthulhu Confidential m'a bien, bien déçu.

Originally shared by Radio Rôliste

Nouvel épisode !
Au programme, une critique sévère de Cthulhu Confidential, une présentation plus clémente des Secrets de la 7e mer, un retour positif sur la Queervention et une mise au point nécessaire sur le sexisme dans notre communauté. Bonne écoute !

http://www.radio-roliste.net/?p=1566

14 septembre 2017

Happily I didn't encounter any wandering monsters.


Happily I didn't encounter any wandering monsters.

Some popular things that I simply don’t get and for which I fail to generate any excitement:

Some popular things that I simply don’t get and for which I fail to generate any excitement:
- Giant robots,
- Steampunk,
- Zombies (the current disease-style interpretation).

For each three, I tried to get interested, but it only revealed my cold, callous, unfeeling soul. I am not even sure I want to do something about this.

Perhaps if I mix the 3, I can get something potent enough?

Changeling: The Dreaming, 20th anniversary edition now avalaible :)

Changeling: The Dreaming, 20th anniversary edition now avalaible :)
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210616/Changeling-the-Dreaming-20th-Anniversary-Edition

Warhammer 2nd ed. on the >Humble Book Bundle, plus a 30% coupon for the Cubicle 7 Store. Looks like a nice offer.

Warhammer 2nd ed. on the >Humble Book Bundle, plus a 30% coupon for the Cubicle 7 Store. Looks like a nice offer.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/warhammer-rpg-books

8 septembre 2017

Yes.

Yes.

Originally shared by Jonathan Tweet

You've probably seen this before: the lowest difficulty setting for life is "straight white male". For me, it's a shining example of how the left diminishes the importance of economics. The lowest difficulty setting should "wealthy straight while male'. I can think of three reasons that the left talks around economics this way.

First, sexual orientation, ancestry, and gender are about identity in a way that socio-economic status is not. There is no "Poor Lives Matter" movement, no movement of poor people trying to get wealthy people to own up to their wealth privilege. "Wealth" gets left out because it doesn't trigger emotions the way identities do.

Second, economics is about trade-offs, and morality prefers absolutes. We can agree that racism is absolutely wrong, but once you get into economic policy everything is messy.

Third, a wealthy straight white man can "atone" for his orientation, ancestry, and gender with emotional fervor, but he can only really atone for his wealth by sharing it. He can't change his orientation, ancestry, or gender, so it's sufficient to have a conversion experience and to become woke. But the wealthy man can change his wealth, if he wants to. He doesn't bring up wealth because he knows where that road leads.

I see the same thing in my Unitarian church where there's a campaign to really come to terms with white supremacy. There are sermons, processing circles, teach-ins, etc. A cynic might see the effort as an attempt to drum up so much fervor that everyone feels woke and engaged, without asking the congregation to actually fork over cash or to prioritize any action over our own plans for our congregation. In a multicultural workshop, we were told that the "magic sauce" for whites is to consistently remind ourselves of our unearned privilege. That formula works great for my congregation. We can all be aware without any challenge to our comfortable lifestyle.

MLK started a poor people's campaign before he was assassinated. Now Rev William Barber of N Carolina has picked it up again. So far, no one seems to have noticed.

Imagine that a poor black homosexual girl has just been born in America, and you can wave your magic wand to change one thing about her to give her the best shot at a comfortable life. Would you make her a poor black homosexual boy? A poor white homosexual girl? A poor black hetero girl? I'd make her a rich black homosexual girl.
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/

C'est le moment de vous faire plaisir !

Originally shared by John Grümph

C'est le moment de vous faire plaisir !

LULU.COM

Save 10% on All Print Products, Plus Free Mail or 50% Off Ground Shipping
Use code BOOKSHIP17 | Expires September 10

7 septembre 2017

Me restent en mémoire depuis 15 ans des résultats de tables aléatoires faites maison pour des noms de rues et...

Me restent en mémoire depuis 15 ans des résultats de tables aléatoires faites maison pour des noms de rues et d'auberges... La taverne de l'elfe wirbosien. Le boulevard merveilleusement gris. La Taverne des trois chiens.

Originally shared by David Perry
http://lewisandquark.tumblr.com/post/165081046962/dont-use-a-neural-network-to-name-your-next-pub

6 septembre 2017

You know how white dudes confronted with, and in denial of, challenges of social awareness pout with "They think...

Originally shared by Levi Kornelsen

You know how white dudes confronted with, and in denial of, challenges of social awareness pout with "They think it's better if I don't talk at ALL!"

Funny thing.

While I work on social awareness, I DO have moments where I notice what I just said and think "Wow, I totally should not have talked at all".

These are then followed by periods of some degree of social mortification, of greater or lesser severity.

During these periods, I occasionally wonder "Is this what teenage girls feel like when they say 'Maybe I should just never speak'? And if so... Am I just now getting the social training women got when they were, like, thirteen? Is that how this works?"

5 septembre 2017

A bunch of really excellent Powered by The Apocalypse games on the newest Bundle of Holding​.

A bunch of really excellent Powered by The Apocalypse games on the newest Bundle of Holding​. Apocalypse World 2E, Action Movie World: First Blood, Spirit of '77, Headspace, Night Witches, Masks: A New Generation, Epyllion: A Dragon Epic, Uncharted Worlds.
https://bundleofholding.com/presents/ApocEngine2?utm_source=sendy&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=250ApocEngine2

Soyons clairs, le groupe de loisirs socioculturels que constitue le monde du jeu de rôle n’est pas particulièrement...

Originally shared by Axelle Bouet

Soyons clairs, le groupe de loisirs socioculturels que constitue le monde du jeu de rôle n’est pas particulièrement sexiste, il est aisé de trouver d’autres groupes de loisirs socioculturels bien pire et il est stupide , contrairement aux prétentions de…
http://www.psychee.org/blog/sexisme-et-jeu-de-role-statistiques-et-donnees/

That. Thank you.

That. Thank you.

Originally shared by Anna Kreider

My new policy: I won't be your token female panelist

(Reshared from Twitter, but expanded slightly. Writing all of this is hard and scary, because I feel like I'm probably burning at least a couple of bridges by saying this publicly. But those are bridges that would have failed when tested anyhow, so here goes.)

After FanExpo in Toronto this past weekend, I have a new "No Token" policy: I refuse to be a token female panelist at your convention.

White dudes, there's no way I can possibly explain what a mindfuck it is finding out you're there as a token representative of your gender as a panelist at a con. t's impossible not to ask yourself 'is this the only reason you invited me, to avoid the bad optics of having NO female panelists?'

Further, because I am a female game designer, I managed to become "one of the guys" - I'm one of the few women people think to invite to panels. But accepting these invitations means hurting the feelings of women who look at the scarcity of spots & KNOW they'll never be good enough to get an invitation, despite doing work that is JUST AS IMPORTANT, but not celebrated either because it is emotional labor or just because lots of awesome female game writers get ignored.

Accepting these spots tacitly signals that I am okay with the gender imbalance, because I am associating my name with it. And I AM DEEPLY NOT OKAY WITH IT. I'm not okay because of how awful it makes me feel about myself, and I'm not okay because I've seen how not okay other women are. A female friend I have great respect for told me how upset and angry she was about realizing that she's never going to be invited to be a panelist at a major con, and then apologized for venting. And all I could do was respond with NO DON'T APOLOGIZE BECAUSE YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID AND CORRECT, THIS IS SHITTY.

I'm also not okay when it feels like by including me, the organizers get to tick two "diversity boxes" at once. ("Hey look! We get a woman and a queer/non-binary person! Cross those off the list.") Being asexual and genderqueer/non-binary already sucks because I get to feel erased by the LGBT community all the time; it double sucks feeling like I'm being used to erase other LGBT folks.

The argument that I'm sure I'll get back is "well they didn't mean to only invite mostly dudes - it was an accident". BUT THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE ANYMORE. When major conventions like GenCon can change their tune and achieve gender parity in their GoH lineup... What's your excuse?

Don't tell me that it wasn't malicious. Not working to increase diversity of panelists is ALSO a choice. It's a choice to uphold status quo. Men are NOT the default - choosing to have mostly white men represent you IS A CHOICE, and an illustrative one at that.

Something else that isn't a valid excuse is "not knowing industry" well enough to know who diverse panelists could be. If that's a problem, THEN DELEGATE. Find a notwhitedude with the knowledge you lack to put together a diverse, compelling lineup of guests, if you can't do it yourself. I don't run cons, but I've volunteered at enough to know that delegating is a HUGE part of convention organizing.

I know that it's possible to have awesome and diverse panel lineups that still have great and valuable conversations. Being an Industry Insider at GenCon 2016 came with the honor and privilege of having conversations with awesome folks like Ajit George, Katherine Cross, Jessica Price, just to name a few. And at Breakout Con this past spring, I was on an all-female panel moderated by a woman that WASN'T about women in gaming! Shocker! It was actually a great panel about freelance illustration. It was a great panel that just happened to have no men. So I know FOR A FACT that it is possible to have panels that AT LEAST have an even mix of whitedudes and notwhitedudes, because I've been on them.

Tl;dr, I won't be your token anymore. I might not have the ability to change how things are done, but I can at least not be complicit.

1 septembre 2017

Alias a une manière très suisse de présenter le problème du sexisme et de la discrimination dans un milieu social...

Originally shared by Axelle Bouet

Alias a une manière très suisse de présenter le problème du sexisme et de la discrimination dans un milieu social donné (ici le jeu de rôle). Mais autant que mes coups de gueule et mon langage assumé comme ordurier et provocateur, son langage en nuance et sur une prise de conscience de fond est indispensable pour y réfléchir.
Ha oui, et lui aussi a un très bon parapluie anti-tempête de merde, alors n'y perdez pas votre temps et si le contenu vous offusque, demandez-vous pourquoi vous l'êtes... et si la question ne devrait pas se poser en un terme :
Quelle est votre part de responsabilité que vous ne tenez pas à assumer ?
https://alias.erdorin.org/de-toxicite-environnementale-milieu-numerique/

On “Person-First Language”: It’s Time to Actually Put the Person First

Originally shared by Rob Donoghue
https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/07/03/person-centered-language/

Arjuna nous décrit les particularités de Shades - un JdR de fantômes qui se remémorent leur passé et les raisons du...

Originally shared by Frédéric Sintes

Arjuna nous décrit les particularités de Shades - un JdR de fantômes qui se remémorent leur passé et les raisons du drame qui les a déchirés - et l'expérience qu'il en a eue.

Bref, ça mérite votre attention.
https://toutlemondesontrolistes.blogspot.fr/2017/08/podcast-tdj-n4-shades.html

Soutenez Thomas !

Soutenez Thomas !

Originally shared by Thomas Munier

[Communauté] Je vous invite à soutenir mon activité créatrice via Tipee !

Merci à toutes et à tous de partager !
https://www.tipeee.com/thomas-munier-fabrique-de-l-energie-creative-et-des-univers-artisanaux