• ryathal@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      36
      ·
      4 months ago

      I think it’s more that it’s a meaningless tag. Dwarf fortress and drg are totally different games. Do all games that have any amount of dwarves get this tag? Does LOTR count for Gimli, or total war Warhammer for having a Dwarf playable race, or elder scrolls for the dwemer which are dwarves?

      • Albbi@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        25
        ·
        4 months ago

        As a huge dwarf lover, this would be great for me. I’ve loved playing dwarves ever since I played Golden Axe at the arcade. Whenever there’s a dwarf as a playable character I’m more interested in the game. In fact, I dislike Skyrim for having elves but no dwarves.

            • PopMyCop@iusearchlinux.fyi
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              4 months ago

              Let me upset you further. Dwarves are just short humans, elves are just skinny humans, and orcs are just green humans. Halflings are human children, and gnomes are mischievous human children. We don’t talk about the aarakocra.

      • wahming@monyet.cc
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        4 months ago

        There are lots of tags about themes, not gameplay. This would be one more.

        • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          4 months ago

          Is Dwarf really a theme though? Even in theme the sci-fi drg isn’t really similar to traditional fantasy dwarves in Dwarf fortress.

      • samwise@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        22
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        Assuming you’re asking from a place of wanting to know. “Dwarf” is a term that has been used in the past to describe little people or those suffering from dwarfism. It can be a negative word for some in that community and is tied to ableism in that way

        • turmacar@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          27
          ·
          4 months ago

          It’s also the preferred descriptor for some. I’ve had friends with dwarfism that thought “little people” was condescending as hell and hated it.

          None of this is ever black and white. Especially when it’s just interjecting into comments on the Internet talking about the fantasy race that’s either Jews with battle axes or persons from Svartálfheim.

          • lolcatnip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            The way Tolkien-style dwarves embody stereotypes about Jews makes me really uncomfortable. I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it.

            • turmacar@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              16
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              It’s a mostly standard view of Tolkien scholarship. They’re much more a medieval view of jewishness then something straight racist like say, JK Rowling’s goblins. As makes sense for an Old English scholar like Tolkein.

              Ancient people, separated into familial tribes, outcast from their ancestral home, not really welcomed anywhere but tolerated some places, warrior poet tradition, noble ‘in their way’, beards, gold, noses.

              Sprinkle on some Norse/Germanic for flavor and there you go. Though then you can get into the side conversation of Yiddish being a Germanic dialect/language.

            • Exocrinous@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              Tolkein is on record sending a letter to the Nazi party saying he has the highest respect for the Jewish people. I think he put enough work into the representation to get a pass.

        • voracitude@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          25
          ·
          4 months ago

          Yeah, and it is also the name of a race of people from fantasy stories that were completely made up. Yes, fantasy races are based on human phenotypes. That doesn’t make the names of those races a slur.

        • BarbecueCowboy@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          4 months ago

          From what I’ve heard, I think that is the officially accepted term from the community that most prefer, or am I behind the times?

        • juliebean@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          honestly couldn’t they easily sidestep that whole can of worms by requesting a ‘dwarves’ tag instead

        • voracitude@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          18
          ·
          4 months ago

          I’m sorry, how is the exploitation of little people as a tourist attraction equivalent to fantasy dwarves? The first one is a reduction of human beings and the condition they live with to a sideshow curiosity; the second is a story that was made up for entertainment. I don’t see how the latter is related to the former.

          • mathemachristian@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            4 months ago

            The tourist attraction is based on the stories. And the stories are based on little people being ascribe magical properties, like “rubbing their head brings luck” or someshit like that. The fantastical stories live in a real context. And a lot of the stories about dwarfs come from an ableist view on short people.

            • voracitude@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              11
              ·
              4 months ago

              Lots of fantasy creatures are based on a phenotype of human. Our ancestors didn’t know anything about anything so they made up a bunch of shit to explain it. If you plan to argue that the entire fantasy genre needs to go - no more elves, gnomes, halflings, hobbits, vampires, orcs, goblins, bugbears, etc - you’re gonna have a bad time.

              • mathemachristian@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                4 months ago

                If you plan to argue that the entire fantasy genre needs to go

                yes, by valve not putting in “dwarf” as a tag to make it easier for its customers to search for games the entire fucking genre dies. Put ASoIaF fans on suicide watch lmfao

                • voracitude@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  7
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  Hey, you’re the one saying the word “dwarf” is offensive. I’m just extending your logic, to illustrate for you why I think it’s a bad take. I’m glad you got it!

                  (Narrator: They didn’t get it.)

                  • wildginger@lemmy.myserv.one
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    I think the people with the condition are the ones who said the term can be offensive, which is why valve was not gung ho on using it.

                    I dont think its really up to you on if their opinion on their own insults is a bad take or not. Do you step in like this about other insults and slurs for other people?

                  • mathemachristian@lemm.ee
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    No you are trying to extrapolate from what I said into some generic ideal that I supposedly have. That’s not extending someones logic, thats strawmanning.

    • S410@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      4 months ago

      I’m relatively short and wide in shoulders. Fuck me, I guess, for feeling represented?

      • inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        4 months ago

        You should feel represented. And so should girl gamers who the Deep rock Devs have continually said aren’t worth the effort of even 1 female character.

        • Reddit_Is_Trash
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          And while we’re at it they should add tall dwarves too! So anyone tall who plays it feels represented

          • inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            Are tall people literally half the human population? Are they a historically marginalized group? Is there an entire body of literature and studies examining the ways they are not repented in media?

    • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      4 months ago

      I don’t think it’s worth a downvote, but what’s the ableist connotation? It’s not a judgment of disabled people or dunking on people with dwarfism, it’s just a tag for a would-be genre of games.