• @ryathal@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3211 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
        2411 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.

      • samwise
        link
        fedilink
        13
        edit-2
        11 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
          2711 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@reddthat.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            -12
            edit-2
            11 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
              15
              edit-2
              11 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.

        • @voracitude@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          2511 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
          link
          fedilink
          511 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
          111 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
          1711 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[he]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            -811 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
              1011 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[he]
                link
                fedilink
                English
                -911 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
                  5
                  edit-2
                  11 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
                    -311 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[he]
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    -411 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
      link
      fedilink
      1111 months ago

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

      • @inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        -111 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.

          • @inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            1
            edit-2
            11 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
      911 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.