site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 14, 2023

This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.

Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.

We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:

  • Shaming.

  • Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.

  • Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.

  • Recruiting for a cause.

  • Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.

In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:

  • Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.

  • Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.

  • Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.

  • Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.

On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.

11
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Re: women fighters with a score of 18..

I've been giving ADD games a pass on this because, hey, it's a setting with magic and dragons. Pretty clear that in that world it isn't just biomechanics like in this one.

I'm also extremely pleased Underrail: Infusion, a Serbian RPG game I'm looking forward more than any other game has decided to directly tie player model to size and strength characteristic. IIRC, almost a first in games, no ?

Finally, some game acknowledging biomechanics. Pretty much every other RPG game allows a willowy female with a 19 strength score. Hey, at least BG3 has strong & tall female models.

which is all I ask for at this point. Maybe my standards are too low haha.

I'm hating the odd bit of marvel speak but the game isn't too insulting or boring. It's no BG2 though :(.

EDIT: apart from DPI scaling related CTDs (I had dozens) and too many quicksave CTDs I chiefly hate how long-winded combat is. The game is engrossing.. if not as great as BG2.

game has decided to directly tie player model to size and strength characteristic. IIRC, almost a first in games, no ?

Finally, some game acknowledging biomechanics.

In Dragon's Dogma your appearance (at least height and weight) influences for how long you can run, how much you can carry, if you can enter certain secret holes, etc..