12/16/2023 0 Comments Arcadum dramaIs it possible that this dark narrative can cast Dungeons & Dragons into the darkness, the corners of nerd-dom where no one fears to tread? Are we doomed to be shunned back into our basements, running dice under poorly lit tables and arguing about Rules-As-Written vs Rules-As-Intended? As he commonly reached out to major streamers (from AdmiralBahroo, Lilypichu, Disguised Toast, Ironmouse, and many more) for games, he had potentially introduced D&D to millions of prospective players. With 250k followers on Twitch and 93k subscribers on YouTube, Arcadum’s influence and subsequent fall are not unfelt. Both situations involved highly influential streamers, both loud feminists that have angrily called out sexism in social media, and both were involved in the misuse of power over female players. A certain situation involving Adam Koebel comes to mind. This seems to align with recent allegations and this suggests that he placed these women in these positions in order to garner favor with them, painting a darker shade to his intentions.Īrcadum’s actions, despite his public-facing intentions of making “D&D for everyone,” have impacted the game in a negative manner, casting a cloud of doubt on Gamemasters that rise to prominence in the community. The latest chapter of the main story of his game which had previously been occupied by important players of the past was notably given to female players with no experience or tie-ins to the game. Moderators and other important members of his community have pointed out that he has a tendency to overshadow male players in favor of placing female players. Despite the truth of that statement, Arcadum’s interest seems conflicted. More than a handful of streamers have indicated within the last year that “TTRPGs seem fun but I don’t wanna get into a game with creeps and weirdos.” This showcases that despite the vast improvements Critical Role and Arcadum have made to highlight the positive elements of Dungeons & Dragons, it has only started to shake the rusty stigma surrounding the blade.Īrcadum, in his rise, had led a community stating “D&D is for everyone,” highlighting that women’s voices have been overshadowed and they should be featured just as well as men have. This has led to many people, both among content creators and the general public, avoiding the game entirely. From Dungeon Masters railroading the campaign and forcing players into situations they have no input on, to forcing uncomfortable sexual behaviors onto the players or even controlling the Player Characters in character breaking ways when absent, the history of the DM-Player hierarchy of Dungeons & Dragons has been riddled with horror stories through the decades. However, prior to the advent of Critical Role, Dungeons & Dragons has always been associated with the most negative elements of nerd culture: elitism, gatekeeping, sexism, and asocial behaviors (despite its inherently communal nature). Any other streamer typically flits between games so if they get taken down, it only looks bad at themselves. The main issue with any major Dungeons & Dragons / Tabletop RPG streamer being shut down is that it casts a shadow over the entire community as a whole. In this piece, I aim to analyze the current situation of Tabletop RPGs and streaming and speculate on future projections of the trajectory of the community. There are a handful of videos on YouTube covering it, from Destiny to yours truly, so you can get all the information you want from there.Įven more recently, Arcadum has released a statement confirming this situation as one where he had broken the trust and betrayed the friendships of these relationships. From manipulation between supposed friends, sexual harassment towards women he supported financially, to outright cheating on his significant other, Arcadum’s situation has been a mess. reader discretion is advisedĪrcadum, or Jeremy Black as many know him, has recently come under fire as more than thirteen public-facing women have come out with allegations of misconduct. Content warning: harassment, sexual misconduct.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |