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?
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.
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.
It doesn’t have to be the main theme, just something that’s present in the game. As some of the other commentors have shown, there would be people interested in tags like that, so why not?
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
Given the ableist connotation I think valve is in the right on this one
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?
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.
In Elder Scrolls lore, the dwarves are elves. So are the orcs.
Blashphemy!!
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.
Such clearly incorrect information doesn’t bother me. It’s not like you said elves were better than dwarves. THAT would upset me.
I mean, they are better than dwarves at basketball.
The dwemer (deep elves) hung around giants a lot and the giants called them dwarves. They’re actually average height.
That’s actually kinda neat. I’ll have to check out Morrowwind again. Looks like that race is in that game, but I’m not sure.
Not as good as Warhammer lore but not bad.
There are lots of tags about themes, not gameplay. This would be one more.
Is Dwarf really a theme though? Even in theme the sci-fi drg isn’t really similar to traditional fantasy dwarves in Dwarf fortress.
They diggy hole.
It doesn’t have to be the main theme, just something that’s present in the game. As some of the other commentors have shown, there would be people interested in tags like that, so why not?
The article even says that in a similar vein there’s official vampire and werewolf tags
You’re damn right it is, cloud brained Umgi.
What able-ist connotation?
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sounds like something a dirty elf would say.
Found the drow.
Racist!
Elves are pretty much always lowkey supremacists and their tree love/fetish is obviously inferior to the industrious dwarves.
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?
honestly couldn’t they easily sidestep that whole can of worms by requesting a ‘dwarves’ tag instead
This kind of shit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2UgwINQVPM
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.
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.
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.
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
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.)
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?
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.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://www.piped.video/watch?v=S2UgwINQVPM
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
I’m relatively short and wide in shoulders. Fuck me, I guess, for feeling represented?
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.
And while we’re at it they should add tall dwarves too! So anyone tall who plays it feels represented
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?
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.
They think the existence of fantasy dwarves is ableist because of a homonym
deleted by creator
Agreed Valve isn’t that shortsighted.
Booo.