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mxyzplk Mod
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RPG Stack Exchange, like the other Stack Exchanges, has a wide variety of schools of thought represented even on a single topic. In this case, the RPG world has a wide variety of play styles represented. Luckily, there are well trod guidelines on how SEs maintain this diversity.

People will ask questions about how to perform their chosen play style, how to get better at it, and how to advocate it. If you do not agree with the questioner's choice of play style, the best approach is to not participate in that question.

I asked the question because I've played RPGs since the early 1980's - plenty of D&D among many others - and I am concerned about how many of them have encoded system or setting assumptions making violence and murder regular activities. I prefer to play games that simulate the real world more, and encourage realistic behavior on the part of the characters. Sometimes that IS murder, but I'd say in the real world it tends to be at a bit of lower rate.

Note that the question was not "violent games are bad, how do I stop others from playing them?" I didn't define any specific games as bad or advocate against them. The question is "in my game, how can I cure the players of the habits they sometimes get from these other games?"

I know that discussing morality vis-a-vis games is likely to be unwelcome among some folks, and that's fine - they don't have to discuss it. But clearly a lot of people are interested in that topic and do want to discuss it and come up with ways to achieve the same thing in their gaming groups, hence the high rating and number of answers.

So yes, I asked a question about how I can better achieve my personal playstyle (an "anti-violence agenda" to you) in my gaming group, and the best answer was obviously someone who understands how to "further my agenda." I don't want to ask a more "balanced" question because I am not interested in how to make my game more violent. You are, however, welcome to "bring balance to the Force" or whatever by asking a question along those lines, and those interested in your "agenda" may help further it in turn. I of course would likely choose not to participate in that question.

The point of a SE is to help solve people's problems - not what other people think their problems should be. If you don't like their choice of game or playstyle (or programming language or operating system) - STAY AWAY FROM THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM THEN.

mxyzplk Mod
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