I like most of the art in this book. It is also nice to see people of color in the art too. For those persons of color who enjoy gaming it could help them look at the game in a new way. I recall most all the pictures in the dawn of DnD where Euro looking persons with the rather obvious exception of the Asia ethos themed game books. On the other hand it seems the book editors are a bit obtuse. I have no idea if there are any solid sort of numbers or stats out there where you can firmly state facts show most gamer are this gender or of this origin. But let us be frank: How many women do you see at a big game convention or even at your small hobby shop DnD club meet. I would say ten percent would be very generous. I would also say much the same when it comes to race. How many non-white persons do you see at a DnD table playing? The ultra-nerd of the Big Bang theory is a stereotype goofy D20 white guy. Is the stereotype much off the mark?
It seems obvious to me that the Sword Coast book has an over representation of females and of non-whites. This would be make great business sense and serve the consumers if it were indisputable that this was the target audience and that this is the sorts purchasing but I would say from repeated convention observations that it is not the case. The health of this game company and future product is dependent on the consumers buying the products. Being trendy does not sell product if the consumer does not identify with the trend. The editors need to think about who buys and not shoot themselves in the foot while congratulating themselves on their proper dynamic art that will turn off 90 percent of the nerdy big bang geeks who might buy them.
Feel free to call me foolish and explain how you all are a great group of non-white males who love the art see only ten percent of the population of gaming conventions is male with the overwhelming majority being non-male persons of color. But that is not what I see in these pictures:
You worry me. I hope very much that you're overthinking it, but I'm mortally certain that there are people who care about the ethnicity of random illustrations.
And yes, I did mean to say mortally instead of morally. I'm bordering on wanting to build an asylum for the rest of the world.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Giving the benefit of the doubt that this is not intentional sexist, racist, trolling...
You don't, as a company, advertise your product to the people that already buy it; you advertise to people that don't yet. That's how you grow a customer base.
The same holds true with a fan base for a product like D&D, and the art is one of the ways to bring in more customers. In fact, the current level of ethnic and gender diversity in the art is a direct response to years of fans specifically asking for more diverse art, and of people mentioning lack of art that resonates with them as a person among the reasons that they don't buy D&D.
In fact, the current level of ethnic and gender diversity in the art is a direct response to years of fans specifically asking for more diverse art, and of people mentioning lack of art that resonates with them as a person among the reasons that they don't buy D&D.
I have two reactions to that.
First is a horrified, "You mean people actually care?", followed by an impulse to barricade myself away from the rest of the world.
Second is the realization that that fits what I know of people in general, followed by yet more horror as I ponder the logical consequences of that realization.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Well as a white male gamer, I do like the art. Now that being said I do play characters of color from time to time, I have 3 I am very ready to use in a game as soon as I get a group I can join on a regular basis. But that being said I do not have any interest in playing a female character, I have no qualms with female gamers or characters I just do not want to roleplay one.
I've locked this thread and deleted the poll attached to it.
Whilst there is absolutely room to debate ethnicity and gender representation within the D&D community and within the game itself, it is a topic that should be engaged carefully and with thought.
From reading above, I do not believe that the discussion is heading any direction other than one that would involve me handing out several formal warnings.
D&D Beyond will not tolerate discrimination or any form of hate speech, so I've shut this down before that happened.
I like most of the art in this book. It is also nice to see people of color in the art too. For those persons of color who enjoy gaming it could help them look at the game in a new way. I recall most all the pictures in the dawn of DnD where Euro looking persons with the rather obvious exception of the Asia ethos themed game books. On the other hand it seems the book editors are a bit obtuse. I have no idea if there are any solid sort of numbers or stats out there where you can firmly state facts show most gamer are this gender or of this origin. But let us be frank: How many women do you see at a big game convention or even at your small hobby shop DnD club meet. I would say ten percent would be very generous. I would also say much the same when it comes to race. How many non-white persons do you see at a DnD table playing? The ultra-nerd of the Big Bang theory is a stereotype goofy D20 white guy. Is the stereotype much off the mark?
It seems obvious to me that the Sword Coast book has an over representation of females and of non-whites. This would be make great business sense and serve the consumers if it were indisputable that this was the target audience and that this is the sorts purchasing but I would say from repeated convention observations that it is not the case. The health of this game company and future product is dependent on the consumers buying the products. Being trendy does not sell product if the consumer does not identify with the trend. The editors need to think about who buys and not shoot themselves in the foot while congratulating themselves on their proper dynamic art that will turn off 90 percent of the nerdy big bang geeks who might buy them.
Feel free to call me foolish and explain how you all are a great group of non-white males who love the art see only ten percent of the population of gaming conventions is male with the overwhelming majority being non-male persons of color. But that is not what I see in these pictures:
https://www.google.com.mm/search?q=dnd gaming convention&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirwOaQuPPXAhUGOI8KHScMBDkQ_AUICigB&biw=1313&bih=681#imgrc=zVJupnIXVEmEqM:
You worry me. I hope very much that you're overthinking it, but I'm mortally certain that there are people who care about the ethnicity of random illustrations.
And yes, I did mean to say mortally instead of morally. I'm bordering on wanting to build an asylum for the rest of the world.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Giving the benefit of the doubt that this is not intentional sexist, racist, trolling...
You don't, as a company, advertise your product to the people that already buy it; you advertise to people that don't yet. That's how you grow a customer base.
The same holds true with a fan base for a product like D&D, and the art is one of the ways to bring in more customers. In fact, the current level of ethnic and gender diversity in the art is a direct response to years of fans specifically asking for more diverse art, and of people mentioning lack of art that resonates with them as a person among the reasons that they don't buy D&D.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Well as a white male gamer, I do like the art. Now that being said I do play characters of color from time to time, I have 3 I am very ready to use in a game as soon as I get a group I can join on a regular basis. But that being said I do not have any interest in playing a female character, I have no qualms with female gamers or characters I just do not want to roleplay one.
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D&D Beyond FoundersI've locked this thread and deleted the poll attached to it.
Whilst there is absolutely room to debate ethnicity and gender representation within the D&D community and within the game itself, it is a topic that should be engaged carefully and with thought.
From reading above, I do not believe that the discussion is heading any direction other than one that would involve me handing out several formal warnings.
D&D Beyond will not tolerate discrimination or any form of hate speech, so I've shut this down before that happened.
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