Any minority (players) in our group?
- Thread starter afro-slav
- Start date
Yogah of Yag
Mongoose
Welcome Afro-Slav!
If you're referring to the (real) players'/GMs' ethnicity...
I'm not in a minority group, but I think it's great when anyone gets involved in an engrossing hobby, especially Conan. :wink:
An RPG is all about collaborative, imaginative storytelling, and as such has no boundaries in terms of how it can be pursued or who can participate.
If you're referring to the (real) players'/GMs' ethnicity...
I'm not in a minority group, but I think it's great when anyone gets involved in an engrossing hobby, especially Conan. :wink:
An RPG is all about collaborative, imaginative storytelling, and as such has no boundaries in terms of how it can be pursued or who can participate.
librarycharlie
Mongoose
I'm like a sixteenth Native American, but you can call me Pictish.
My crew is pretty universally caucasian.
My crew is pretty universally caucasian.
Willowhugger
Mongoose
One of my players is black.
He plays a Black Kingdoms Pirate.
He plays a Black Kingdoms Pirate.
Fletcher_Flataroy
Mongoose
I run a game very sunday at our game club. I have one african-american player, 2 woman players in the group at present.
Fletcher_Flataroy
Mongoose
Indeed they do. Though one player is very new to rpg's both players add alot to the game.
Sutek
Mongoose
Our female player has been playing RPGs with us since high school, over twenty years ago. And she's always the one calling up to set dates to play more... 
Alternate ethnicities are harder to come but I don't know why. Typically, it's just white males that turn up to CONs and internet meet up invites. No idea why. I think that it's probably due to under-represdentation of ethnicities other than caucasian in the genre so there's nothing to spark that level of imagination in kids. I mean, I think the best black kids have, just about, is Wilt Chaimberlain in Destroyer and I would reccomend that movie to worst enemy. :lol
Alternate ethnicities are harder to come but I don't know why. Typically, it's just white males that turn up to CONs and internet meet up invites. No idea why. I think that it's probably due to under-represdentation of ethnicities other than caucasian in the genre so there's nothing to spark that level of imagination in kids. I mean, I think the best black kids have, just about, is Wilt Chaimberlain in Destroyer and I would reccomend that movie to worst enemy. :lol
Yes, fantasy movies are pretty much universally populated by white people, although the genre is a European/American one so perhaps that isn't surprising. We may be multicultural now but with the exception of the latter centuries of the Roman Empire there aren't many examples in history to fall back on. Of course ancient Chinese and Japanese history exists and is responsible for the Ninja/Samurai style backdrops, but they are pretty specialised.
The painful truth is that European history just happens to be the most diverse, interesting and well documented. There's no escaping that. Unless you live in Japan or China, of course. :wink:
The painful truth is that European history just happens to be the most diverse, interesting and well documented. There's no escaping that. Unless you live in Japan or China, of course. :wink:
Gist_Engine
Mongoose
Just Old Bear said:
I'm not going to be the one to jump on that, but let me say two things: Yes, for Euro-American peoples, the history of Europe and the heroes of Europe cannot help but be the centers of fantasies we inherited from Europe. Yes, it is easier to see diversity among our own. Changing the Eurocentrism, however, might be a responsibility of new game writers, one I take into account when designing games. Secondly, I think enough history of the RPG subculture has been written to see which kinds of people it attracts. Face it, we like this hobby for reasons beyond our control.
Willowhugger
Mongoose
Also, there's plenty of interesting history elsewise as well.
I've played plenty of Arabian Nights style adventures and Conan is arguably the opposite of stereotypical fantasy.
You might do it a disservice by setting it in mostly European flavored realms.
I've played plenty of Arabian Nights style adventures and Conan is arguably the opposite of stereotypical fantasy.
You might do it a disservice by setting it in mostly European flavored realms.
The excellent thing about Hyboria is that Howard designed a vast background encompassing so many different races, which is why the series has been able to flourish, because the settings are varied enough to give the stories some unique flavouring.
Many of the races do suffer from the caricatures of the period when the books were written, however. I always picture Feng the Khitan as some sort of Peter Sellers style villain, for example. :lol:
Many of the races do suffer from the caricatures of the period when the books were written, however. I always picture Feng the Khitan as some sort of Peter Sellers style villain, for example. :lol:
Axerules said:
This is accepted Conan canon. Therefore I cannot agree with you that it is either a good or bad example. It is simply an example. That's just one of many, and it goes across the whole span of Conan writers, Howard included.
I don't however have the slightest problem with it. Conan isn't LotR - thank god. It's not heavy duty - it's designed to entertain and gratify, which for me it always has on a number of levels.
You were talking of "the period" (singular) "when the books were written". REH wrote Conan tales in the first half of the 30's. An adventure published at the end of the 60's wasn't written in the same context, IMO. I called it a "bad example" mainly for this reason, not because of the "pastiche issue".
I don't like to think of LSDC/LC (or any pastichers') writings as "accepted Conan canon", but I don't wanna start an argument nor a worthless flame war about it, so we can just agree to disagree on this. 8)
And, as much as I like REH's writings (and I'm a huge fan), I read and appreciate his tales and poems despite of his caricatures and distorded views upon races/racialism/aryanism.
I don't like to think of LSDC/LC (or any pastichers') writings as "accepted Conan canon", but I don't wanna start an argument nor a worthless flame war about it, so we can just agree to disagree on this. 8)
And, as much as I like REH's writings (and I'm a huge fan), I read and appreciate his tales and poems despite of his caricatures and distorded views upon races/racialism/aryanism.
It took me quite a while to get my head around the fact that people other than me were making decisions about Conan (I'm being quite serious here) but having met Fred Malmberg a few years ago I realised that he was just as comitted to the ideals of Conan as I was - except he had some different ideas. The reality is that although I disagree with much of the imagery (Aquilonia as it will be portrayed in the forthcoming online game may be pretty but but is most definitely NOT what Howard had in mind) other people own Conan and they have the power in their hands.
I sympathise with your point of view, but as I have mentioned elsewhere I have always considered the work by Sprague de Camp and carter to be satisfyingly close enough to the original works as to be canon. This has only bee reinforced by the abject quality of some of the subsequent writings, but rather like being a Christian, one cannot pick and choose the bits of the bible you think are the best bits.
I agree with Axerules - there is Howard and then there is everyone else. Movie, animated Aquilonia, prose stories - they all fit into one category - and that is pastiche. There is only "one" bible of Conan and that is the Sprague-less unedited Conan stories in the 3 Del Rey books. The stories in those books are the official canon. Malmberg would tell you that.
Sprague did a lot to market Conan and Howard but his work is still pastiche and non-canon. Malmberg is also doing a lot to market Conan and Howard. But his Hyborian Age world will also be pastiche and non-Canon.
You can't be considered original (canon) 30+ years after the idea.
Sprague did a lot to market Conan and Howard but his work is still pastiche and non-canon. Malmberg is also doing a lot to market Conan and Howard. But his Hyborian Age world will also be pastiche and non-Canon.
You can't be considered original (canon) 30+ years after the idea.
