I was sent a link to a post on the D&D subreddit (/r/dnd). The contents of the post aren't important, but my eye was drawn to the header. A beholder with the LGBTQIA++ BIPOC Trans flag and multicolored rainbow eyes.
To the mods and members of that subreddit, about Dungeons & Dragons, THAT'S the most important thing?
Also, of course, "No AI" is in the top 5 rules.
I know there are quite a few tabletop players here--is the entire community like this? I haven't played in some 20 years, and the last time I did it was mostly nerdy and edgy white and asian dudes. What happened??
You are 100% correct. Constraints breed creativity. Total freedom, unbound by the fixed rules of a proper setting, enables retardation. DnD is like collaborative creative writing, and having shared standards is like a blanket de facto editor - it keeps everyone somewhat in line.
“Muh good players” is a cop out, a thought-terminating cliche, in any tabletop rules discussion. Besides, finding like-minded people in that cesspool of a community is challenging enough without also disqualifying a ton of players who get “too creative”.