Clarification: Religion?

[Mulletmanalive]

No, i'm not seeking to discuss it.

I wrote, and am still working on, a Victoriana game setting. It keeps as close as I could make it to the spirit of the century etc.

Now, the reason I ask about the definition is that I'm trying to work up a treatment of certain world religions in idealised [really can't be stated enough] form and seek advice from other Homebrewers.

I'm guessing that it won't be permissable, even with the above statement included as a boilerplate, but my next project is intended to cover aspects of [very simplified] Native American, blackfoot specifically, spiritualism.

Would i be permitted to work on this design on this board and if not, is there anywhere else that can be recommended for such discussion?

[Roland St. Jude]

You're right that won't fly here. A game involving such things would probably be okay (a purely fictionalized religion in a purely fictional universe between willing players), but discussion in Homebrew will inevitably involve discussion of the real world religious traits.

I'll leave this thread open a while for recommendations of where else this might work well.

[skywalker]

No, i'm not seeking to discuss it.

I wrote, and am still working on, a Victoriana game setting. It keeps as close as I could make it to the spirit of the century etc.

Victoriana?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Hmm... Politics also. Most fantasy politics is feudalistic in nature, but I remember Module X-1, The Isle of Dread included a brief overview of several different political systems, and which nations followed which.

In science fiction and Sci Fi roleplaying political intrigue us often in the background, using variations of modern day politics cast against the stars and planets.

Thin ice, indeed. I would recommend Homebrew Design as a place to discuss, but tread very lightly. There are more than a few actual practicioners of various forms of spiritualism, and some may question some of the discussion. Or schisms that will invariably crop up.

[NerfTW]

I'm trying to work up a treatment of certain world religions in idealised form and seek advice from other Homebrewers.


I think just discussing a real world religion in a highly idealized form would set some people off. I just watched a flame war erupt on my friend's facebook because somebody with an idealized veiw of Christianity and Catholicism in particular refused to accept that his generalization was trivializing a major component of the religion.

In fact, without veering into prohibited territory, "idealized" views on culture is what leads to a lot of offensive stereotypes, especially with Native Americans.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I'll leave this thread open a while for recommendations of where else this might work well.

Any forum but this one?

[Zeb The Troll]

Any forum but this one?I somehow doubt that "any" forum would generate useful conversation about a game setting write-up. Might just be me though. :smallcool:

[Weimann]

Would it be permissile to make a thread here, where you link to another thread in another RPG forum? That way you could get the opinion of people from here without taking the actual discussion here.

[Mulletmanalive]

I think just discussing a real world religion in a highly idealized form would set some people off. I just watched a flame war erupt on my friend's facebook because somebody with an idealized veiw of Christianity and Catholicism in particular refused to accept that his generalization was trivializing a major component of the religion.

In fact, without veering into prohibited territory, "idealized" views on culture is what leads to a lot of offensive stereotypes, especially with Native Americans.

Strictly speaking, I'm actually a scholar on the subject so i study religions dispassionately. I just took the best parts of the religions involved based on both their scriptures and their reputations at the time.

In many ways, I AM talking about stereotypes but people would have to be looking for trouble to find offense with them. This is [as is often mentioned] the most mature place i know on the internet [i only know of a few people who even resort to belittling their debate opponents here(!)] and what i'm talking about IS a game after everything else is said and done.

The "Anywhere but here" comment was patronising, as i'm sure was the intent; I'm actually looking for help balancing mechanics that can't be disguised from relating to real world religions, so i'd need somewhere that i won't get flamed by people who havent even read the post.

[Tirian]

Would it be permissile to make a thread here, where you link to another thread in another RPG forum? That way you could get the opinion of people from here without taking the actual discussion here.

Why not? The Giant doesn't want flamewars on his server, but a simple link to an offsite discussion with a comment that all discussion should be directed there doesn't put a flamewar on his server. You wouldn't want to try to "bump" that thread once a week to keep people constantly directed towards your discussion, but there probably wouldn't be much indignation about a fresh pointer if you switched your focus from one major religious group to another.

Mulletmanalive, even though I didn't make the "anywhere but here" comment, I would encourage you to take it in good faith, because you really can do it anywhere. For instance, you can make a free LiveJournal account, enable anonymous comments, and create a link to it in your profile, and you have a place where you can discuss whatever you like with whatever other GitP members wish to follow you but without GitP moderation. And, as you are generating original artistic content on that blog, you are entitled to create threads linking to it (within bounds of reason). So you don't really need to find another gaming forum at all to do what you're asking for.

[charl]

You could maybe make a thread in general terms? Like... not mention any of the real world big religions but only ask for help with portraying realistic monotheism? That wouldn't be against the rules would it?

[NerfTW]

Strictly speaking, I'm actually a scholar on the subject so i study religions dispassionately. I just took the best parts of the religions involved based on both their scriptures and their reputations at the time.

Forgive me for not believing that. You can imagine (as I mentioned in my post) that there are quite a few "dispassionate scholars" who very much do make rude and insulting generalizations. This is the internet. Even on this forum I've seen "English scholars" who are nothing more than first year students.



In many ways, I AM talking about stereotypes but people would have to be looking for trouble to find offense with them.

That depends. Like I mentioned, there are "postitive" insulting stereotypes. That Asian people are good at math, or that Africans are good at basketball. It might be positive, but it's still insulting. And in regards to Native Americans, there's already a long history of their culture being co-opted, blended together, and smeared as flavor text through various games.

And being told to go anywhere else isn't patronizing, it's just common sense. You don't go to a cooking site to discuss cars, and you don't need to stick around on this forum when there are many others with much larger audiences to draw on available. (And with enough moderators to handle the flame wars)

[Roland St. Jude]

Would it be permissile to make a thread here, where you link to another thread in another RPG forum? That way you could get the opinion of people from here without taking the actual discussion here.

No, don't do that. Don't create a thread here just to drive traffic somewhere else - especially not for a topic that's out of bounds here. For one thing, you have no control over what gets posted in the thread you created, and people will likely pursue the exact conversation that isn't permitted.


You could maybe make a thread in general terms? Like... not mention any of the real world big religions but only ask for help with portraying realistic monotheism? That wouldn't be against the rules would it?

Maybe. If it were in Homebrew or Gaming, your post would probably be fine. But you'd be leading people into trouble when they start talking about real world monotheism.

[valadil]

I've had some luck with The Forge (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php) for game design discussion, though I haven't spent much time over there. They seem very focused on rules and mechanics. I wouldn't have mentioned them for help with a setting, except that you mentioned you wanted help with balancing mechanics that are tied to the setting.

I have no idea if their rules would allow for your post either. I read through what I could find, and it sounds like if you stay on topic and don't flame people, you should be clear. Don't quote me on that though.

[TRM]

No, don't do that. Don't create a thread here just to drive traffic somewhere else - especially not for a topic that's out of bounds here. For one thing, you have no control over what gets posted in the thread you created, and people will likely pursue the exact conversation that isn't permitted.

But could he put a link to the offsite thread in his signature, inviting people to go over to a different site to help him out?


And being told to go anywhere else isn't patronizing, it's just common sense. You don't go to a cooking site to discuss cars, and you don't need to stick around on this forum when there are many others with much larger audiences to draw on available. (And with enough moderators to handle the flame wars)
Not particularly. There are many reasons to wish to discuss real world religions in the context of an RPG on this board; maybe he respects the gaming expertise of the posters here, and hopes to get feedback and opinions from them, instead of going to a different site. Your example of a "cooking site to discuss cars" isn't particularly relevant, because they cover very different subject material; this site, however, has a wide range of subforums—including those focused on gaming. It so happens that this is the wrong forum for real world religion discussions, but it isn't as cut and dried as trying to discuss mechanics on a culinary forum.

[Roland St. Jude]

But could he put a link to the offsite thread in his signature, inviting people to go over to a different site to help him out?

That seems fine.

[Incompleat]

Since I am kinda new, and I just mentioned in passing Gnosticism and the Kabbalah in the Anime Thread (I was talking about NGE), I may as well ask a few clarifications about the "no talking about real world religion" policy of the forum rules.

Is discussion about mythology (Classical, Norse, Egyptian, or whatsoever) permitted, if one talks about the myths rather than about the groups who practice the corresponding religions today?

And what about other religions which have a small - or no - following today?

For example, I wanted to add to my post a slightly more in-depth discussion about the nature of the material world according to Gnosticism and how it is quite a lot in contrast with the ethos of NGE, despite the superficial similarities in some of the symbolism, but then I thought better.

Would this have been allowed, or would it have gained me an infraction?

Thanks!

[Roland St. Jude]

Since I am kinda new, and I just mentioned in passing Gnosticism and the Kabbalah in the Anime Thread (I was talking about NGE), I may as well ask a few clarifications about the "no talking about real world religion" policy of the forum rules.

Is discussion about mythology (Classical, Norse, Egyptian, or whatsoever) permitted, if one talks about the myths rather than about the groups who practice the corresponding religions today?

And what about other religions which have a small - or no - following today?

For example, I wanted to add to my post a slightly more in-depth discussion about the nature of the material world according to Gnosticism and how it is quite a lot in contrast with the ethos of NGE, despite the superficial similarities in some of the symbolism, but then I thought better.

Would this have been allowed, or would it have gained me an infraction?

Thanks!

Well, probably a Warning rather than an Infraction. But in general, avoid real world religions regardless of era, popularity, etc. The prohibition is a broad subject matter prohibition. Just give it wide berth.

But context does matter, if you are asking, "what is Thor's alignment in AD&D 2E?" that's one thing. But if you start discussing how that varies from the notions of the historical or presently worshiped Thor, that's a problem.

Sheriff: I think the clarification the OP was seeking has been given. There are plenty of other threads clarifying other aspects of the religion rule. They should still be viewable in Board Issues for those who are interested.