Hasbro

[wallydubbs]

I just watched the video and I've got to say, nothing of substance is being said. He doesn't even give an example of the indoctrination our children are being put through.

Is it so obvious that anyone playing with Hasbro toys could see it? Other then the gender neutralization of Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead I'm relatively unaware of what Hasbro is doing.
I was just a fan of Hero Quest and I'm curious about the reboot. But I don't see any racism in it. Orcs aren't even human! They're mythological creatures Tolkien used so we'd have more to fear from an inhuman enemy while adding ambiguity to killing soldiers on the other side of the battlefield! How is this racist?
I willingly admit that I hate the new characters Bard and Warlock, not because I think the Orc Bard is black and gay or the Warlock is a female and a midget, but because they're DnD characters in a Hero Quest game! The only prejudice I exude from this is towards the people in charge of the project that can't recognize the difference between Hero Quest and Dungeons and Dragons.

I'm not denying Companies get into politics: Kathleen Kennedy threw a bunch of feminist politics in Star Wars at the cost of story arches and it killed the franchise!
Some companies even get push unethical bounds, just look up "the meeting that changing the music industry" in regards to private prisons.
What is so prejudice and toxic about Hero Quest?

The only good point that has been made is that, hey it's been over a year and we threw money at them to remake this. What progress has been made?

[Kurgan]

I was meaning more not letting real life politics fuel and intrude into arguments between board members, as opposed to some kind of in-universe stuff. Pointing out that the Empire is a monarchy vs. complaining about people who voted for a certain administration. Talking about Cleric characters (which are part of Hero Quest as of Legacy of Sorasil) vs. arguing about someone's religious beliefs, etc. I'm not worried about getting banned for what I've discussed so far. But I wouldn't be shocked if threads like this start getting closed as they get overheated, oh well.

The "rule" seems to be regarding divisive topics regarding real world stuff intruding into these game based discussions that lead to flames (as an ice gremlin I am especially sensitive to flames) between members. That doesn't mean we can't talk about them as mature adults in other venues. I'm not a mod here, and I'm not out here to start some kind of popular movement to try to change the rules, I simply respect what they've laid out. Does that need to be clarified or is it pretty well understood by most of us?

Yeah, my complaint is over the quality of the updates so far from Hasbro/AH.

[cornixt]

I don't know if it is just me, but the guy in the video looked like he realised he was wrong halfway through, and just powered through it. What he said compared to what he showed was quite a bit different. There's a reason why they tell you what you should think from the material rather than just showing the material and letting you think for yourself.

Mr Potatohead is another example of how the media like to make a fuss over nothing. It was presented in the news as if he was being neutered or ungendered in some way (he never had any reproductive organs at all) when all they really did was put him under the generic "Potatohead" banner of several different products along with Mrs Potatohead and other potatohead people/creatures. It actually said "Mr Potatohead" on the new box that they showed everywhere while they pointed only at the top part that only said Potatohead. You only have to take a few seconds to look at the evidence objectively to see what is really going on.

Saying things like "let's just keep topics to the game" sounds easy, but as over 7,000 years of gamers will tell you (in various ways, because not all of them are alive...) just what counts as "the game" is notoriously hard to pin down, especially when that game involves some level of storytelling...

Nah, it's pretty easy to talk about in-game politics without relating any of it to modern day real politics. If you're talking about people and things that are in the game, then that's in-game. It's kinda obvious. I'm the admin on another game forum which involves a race of evil dwarfs who enslave everyone. All talk of slavery is restricted to in-game, in-character, or historical basis for such, and we never have any issues with it even though slavery is mentioned daily.

I think it is crazy how everything is considered politics these days. It's a convenient label to dismiss an opinion or change you don't like.

[Pancho]

I don't know if it is just me, but the guy in the video looked like he realised he was wrong halfway through, and just powered through it. What he said compared to what he showed was quite a bit different. There's a reason why they tell you what you should think from the material rather than just showing the material and letting you think for yourself.

Mr Potatohead is another example of how the media like to make a fuss over nothing. It was presented in the news as if he was being neutered or ungendered in some way (he never had any reproductive organs at all) when all they really did was put him under the generic "Potatohead" banner of several different products along with Mrs Potatohead and other potatohead people/creatures. It actually said "Mr Potatohead" on the new box that they showed everywhere while they pointed only at the top part that only said Potatohead. You only have to take a few seconds to look at the evidence objectively to see what is really going on.

To be fair he did show some content. It wasn’t extensive, but there was some content to back up his claim. To be a Whistleblower you are not required to provide hours and hours of evidence to back up every aspect of your claim, which is often impractical. The fact that the claim is being made by an insider is one of the main things to take away, and the fact that he felt strongly enough to lose his job over it. Bit strange that you wouldn’t mention that bit and instead reach for your imaginations and feelings that you think the guy didn’t actually believe in what he was saying

It’s a continual source of fascination to me to see so many examples of the modern left’s dislike of whistleblowers. Lefties are supposed to be suspicious of large corporations and once welcomed whistleblowing activities. Another indication of how far they have strayed from their ideological roots I suppose.

[Davane]

Nah, it's pretty easy to talk about in-game politics without relating any of it to modern day real politics. If you're talking about people and things that are in the game, then that's in-game. It's kinda obvious. I'm the admin on another game forum which involves a race of evil dwarfs who enslave everyone. All talk of slavery is restricted to in-game, in-character, or historical basis for such, and we never have any issues with it even though slavery is mentioned daily.

I think it is crazy how everything is considered politics these days. It's a convenient label to dismiss an opinion or change you don't like.

That's a good rule of thumb, but talking about slavery in-game doesn't mean that you aren't talking about slavery. In the same vein, talking about politics in-game doesn't mean that you aren't talking about politics. In both cases, the principles remain the same to a certain degree, although in all honesty, in-game discussions about things are often more diverse simply because of the non-standard realities some games often involve.

In fact, it's been actively shown that talking about sensitive subjects "in-game" can work as a sort of therapy for dealing with such issues in real-life.

It's especially hard to not talk about in-game politics without relating it to modern day real politics if you are playing a modern day setting, possibly with an alt-history or shadow history twist...

As for your other board, kudos all around for the maturity of everyone, simply because you can talk about slavery on a daily basis and not get too triggered by it. Slavery is slavery, weather you are talking about evil dwarves or by humans.

Many people lack this maturity, and it's similar to how sometimes you can't talk about the nature of good and evil within humanity, be it the real world or a fictional one, even when, in some cosmologies, good and evil are objective qualities that make up the building blocks of the multiverse.

Reminds me of dubious Extra Credits guest episode, where they talk about how making an entire culture evil is "bad games design," even though said "games designer" clearly had no grasp over the concept of subjective vs. objective alignment, as it might pertain to games like D&D and HQ, because "evil is wrong," and it's "lazy storytelling."

There's some serious "woke" *lemony goodness* going on in gaming these days, that's just plain absurd, not because the subjects aren't sensitive, but because the blanket statements and applications from certain real-world ideologies - from all across the spectrum - don't even make sense within the alt-realities being portrayed, be they genre considerations or specifics of the setting. I mean, regardless of what I think about Communism and Capitalism, if I am playing a cold war espionage game, I'm still going to be fighting against "commie bastards" or "capitalist pig-dogs" depending upon which side of the cold war I am on, if any. Just as I'll kill any orcs, or discriminate against any dwarves or elves, depending upon the lore of whatever fantasy world I may be playing in.

I just take Rule 1 ("Have fun") seriously - and if I am playing a fantasy dwarf, and another player is playing a fantasy elf, in a setting where such animosity, and commonly discrimination, is part of the lore, I will see how the other player feels about such topics/relationships within the game. If they are not up for it, because such behaviour isn't fun for them (i.e. it makes the player uncomfortable, they want to escape the drama, or they are bored with this common trope in fantasy), then I will simply find a way to justify it not happening, especially towards the player character (after some people might not be comfortable portraying a rivalry/animosity with other players, but couldn't care less about similar behaviour with NPCs they don't have to portray...) or simply lampshade or handwave the whole thing away...

[Shadzar]

I think it is crazy how everything is considered politics these days. It's a convenient label to dismiss an opinion or change you don't like.

If it is something that should be handled by the courts, or legal system, its politics. the things brought up have those implication. Not something that should affect any game. Games should be made for everyone, not just a select few while ostracizing the rest, and have been for many decades. Recently people want to force things into the root of all games, rather than add things they want themselves.

Let's say you force everyone to eat peanuts. you are saying some should die, or just be sick. YOU do not have the right to make a choice for everyone, only yourself. Games should be neutral or empty on many points off-topic allow people to fill in he blanks THEY personally wish to fill in.

There is no story in HQ that is germane to the game, only the mechanics. the quest book provided is only a sample. Baker is no God of quests, that is why people are given their own empty quest map to continue with.

Nothing says you need any story more than simple Diablo style dungeon crawling. Half the stories included make no sense anyway.. here have bunches of treasure HAHA it got taken away, start over.

Thus why AHQ and WHQ tried to be more D&D because your character gained in power not just gear that could be taken. (I dont want AHQ, i want HQ.)

defeats the purpse of HQ to me to get stronger by anything other than treasure since it is written as a murder-hobo game.

and NONE of that includes anything that the court or legal systems of the real world should be handling. the game is black and white, good and evil.. the people adding "shades of grey" can do so at their own tables.

It is easy to add things than to remove them.

and when this political mess bits get added by anyone, they take no mechanics to add to the game anyway, so its all flavor.. taking us back to the peanuts. people have a right to choose to add their own flavors, but you don't have a right to choose what flavors they can or cannot have. That is why this is ALL political because of who has rights to think or do is what is being done with ALL of this.

You, cornist, have no rights and are not even welcome to, my gaming table. never have, never will be. Nor wold CynthiaLee since you people seem to think like HASBRO you have to right to dictate how people play their own private games in their own private homes.

Wrong country. Stalin is dead, go worship him elsewhere. Adolf is dead, worship him elsewhere. Maybe you would enjoy joining the CCP?

Speaking of CCP, again, HQ as per the back of the box on EBGames is being wholly made in China. You know, where COVID came from, Where a religious group is used as slave labor, as well as child labor...

And to the one I missed earlier. I find it funny they commented "racist" towards the black man in the video, saying he did not appreciate being told he had no privilege. Really?
You say racism is dead, then stop being racist. Stop telling black people they have no value unless a white person gives it to them. Stop trying to dehumanize blacks to make yourself feel better so you can come in as the White Savior, CynthiaLee. No, before you ask, i am not black, I am Cherokee. You know the people for 600 years the worlds largest genocide was committed on so their land could be taken from them and shipped off elsewhere. Talk about racism, AFTER you rectify that crime.

>EOL

[torilen]

There is no story in HQ that is germane to the game, only the mechanics. the quest book provided is only a sample. Baker is no God of quests, that is why people are given their own empty quest map to continue with.

Nothing says you need any story more than simple Diablo style dungeon crawling. Half the stories included make no sense anyway.. here have bunches of treasure HAHA it got taken away, start over.

>EOL

That you would say this shows you know very little about HQ, honestly. The storyline in the game is designed around the Warhammer world, which is where the monsters come from (choas warriors, firmir, etc.). And yes, Baker is no god of quests, but he certainly is extremely talented at game design. The reason for adding in the empty quest map is because the designers knew without a doubt people would want to make their own quests, especially since they probably only had a certain number of expansions planned and people would want to continue the story after that. Any good game designer would plan for that future in their game.

And yes, playing HQ does not necessarily need anything more than a simple dungeon crawl design and backstory, but it helps to continue game after game if there is more story to it. Anyone who plays and designs their own game would know that. Otherwise, it becomes as you stated, "making no sense...here, have a bunch of treasure...it got taken away...star over". That would get boring after a while. Hence the storyline, hence the custom monsters and 'big evil NPC', etc.

[torilen]

I'm the admin on another game forum which involves a race of evil dwarfs who enslave everyone. All talk of slavery is restricted to in-game, in-character, or historical basis for such, and we never have any issues with it even though slavery is mentioned daily.

I think it is crazy how everything is considered politics these days. It's a convenient label to dismiss an opinion or change you don't like.

Whew - that must be fun to try to admin. I'm involved in the writing community on twitter, and I can say without a doubt that people get nuts
about anything dealing with slavery and/or racism in fiction and gaming these days. There is a enormous push to even get rid of the idea of
"evil races", or even races at all, in fantasy writing and gaming. I've tried to put my two cents worth in here and there, but always get shouted
down to the point where the person/people are making no real sense, and so I remove myself from the conversation.

[StratosVX]

That's not breaking any rules according to the rules section of the website. And the banner currently references drugs, religion and science; I've referenced none of these. I am speaking about Heroquest and Hasbro/AH, that's it.

That said, I didn't even get political, nor am I attacking anyone. Hasbro is the one getting political, and some/many of us, aren't happy with that direction, so we're talking about it. So, you're saying we can't discuss something Hasbro is doing, which directly affects the game this board is created for to discuss? Come on now, this is getting silly. I can discuss the specific points without getting nasty, but others may not, and that's fair. But telling me I am breaking the rules just because someone reacts disproportionately upset? That's absurd. In that case, I am upset whitebeard is causing friction with his comments by using words like "toxic" and "hate", so there! Again, an absurd race to the outrage bottom. I don't actually care. I even finished with imploring the group to be more respectful and hear each other out.

On the point of not causing friction, so if folks disagree about any aspect of the game with no political taint to it, and it gets passionate (which I've seen here), we can't continue discussing just because people may get passionate about it, or because it causes friction? Come on now.

No, the topics in this discussion aren't listed and I didn't say they can't be discussed. The banner asks to avoid friction specifically because the topics listed above made certain threads in the forum VERY hostile to the point where even the people who were trying to calm the situation were being verbally attacked. That banner didn't exist until those incidents (hence the "Thus far" note) and it would be nice to not have anything added to that banner. I believe whitebeard was trying to merely trying to avoid repeating those last incidents.

[Shadzar]

There is no story in HQ that is germane to the game, only the mechanics. the quest book provided is only a sample. Baker is no God of quests, that is why people are given their own empty quest map to continue with.

Nothing says you need any story more than simple Diablo style dungeon crawling. Half the stories included make no sense anyway.. here have bunches of treasure HAHA it got taken away, start over.

>EOL

That you would say this shows you know very little about HQ, honestly.

No, what it means is i dont give a rats tochus about GW, Warhamer, and didn't give much about 40k lore either when i played it. they are wargames, and murder hobo dungeon looting games. that is it.

Like i previously said, i don't care orcs are fungus or whatever. see those green things with those weapons.. the red figures fight them for treasure. that is all that matters.

Absolutely nothing about GW or its lore had a single thing to do with HQ. show me what rule of the game requires knowing Issue 37 of White Dwarf page 12? Nothing , because it is a self contained game that has no "lore" other than Loretome.

I dont care about your fanfic, or HASBRO's fanfic. When I play HQ, there will be 4 heroes, going to fight evil forces to take the hidden treasures.

Try your ONETRUESCOTSMAN fallacy elsewhere.