Re: [Wargamer] DnD fans debate whether sushi is unrealistic in a make-believe game

On Fri, 6 Sep 2024 09:34:29 -0400, Ed P <esp@snet.n> wrote:

On 9/6/2024 3:40 AM, Kyonshi wrote:

Source: https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/taco-sushi-debate
 
 
DnD fans debate whether sushi is unrealistic in a make-believe game
 
New art from the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook has sparked
debates about racism and what real-world foods fit in a fantasy game.
 
Mollie Russell
 
Published: 2024-09-05
Dungeons and Dragons
 
Bewilderingly, sushi and tacos have become the focus of a heated
Dungeons and Dragons discussion online, as art from the new D&D Player’s
Handbook happens to feature both of these foods. After a fan Tweet from
September 1 decried this artistic choice as “nonsense”, several members
of the D&D community rushed to defend sushi and tacos’ status as fantasy
game food.
 
That original tweet came from X user osgamer74, who shared new art for
the Heroes’ Feast spell from the 2024 Player’s Handbook. “Tacos? Sushi?
What the fuck is this nonsense?”, they comment.
 
That original post has gained a lot of traction (so much that its
creator has now muted the post), so osgamer74 has expanded on their
original thought. Apparently, their, er, ‘beef’ with the artwork is that
sushi and tacos are too “contemporary” for D&D’s mostly faux-medieval
settings. They equate them to McDonald’s meals, as osgamer74 can buy
both in their local mall.
 

Better just to eat pizza while playing the game

Oh, for the days when a gaming session revolved around pizza, crisps,
and soda!

    [And after a particularly good session, maybe a run to
     the donut shop to celebrate!]

Nowadays,* none of our group can afford such dangerous diets. Oh sure,
we might splurge on some junk food (because D&D without crisps isn't
the same; you need to have SOMETHING at hand to throw at the DM when
he makes a ruling you don't like! ;-)

But as often we're likely just do without the unhealthy stuff,
replacing it with stuff that doesn't destroy our aging bodies so
quickly. We just can't afford to do it anymore. Why, the other day*
somebody brought KALE to munch on! The horror!

....

As for the sushi/topic debate... it's just silly. Yes, it's
unrealistic that a completely different culture in a completely
different world would create a snack that looks exactly like modern
day food (especially tacos, which are heavily dependent on modern food
processing). But, at the same time, the ideas of these food aren't so
alien: pound wheat and water to make a tortilla, wrap it around some
meat and veggies and you get something similar to a taco. Eating fish
and veggies raw isn't that unusual either.

Plus, we're happy to overlook so many other anachronisms in the game
that drawing the line at taco and sushi is ridiculous. In a world
where elves are using rifles to shoot at plate-armored dwarves (who
happily munch on sandwiches in their downtime), _that_ is the hill you
want to die on in the battle about realism?

Although maybe it's all just lingering resentment over 2nd edition
D&D's much-maligned attack-roll system that is the cause of it all.
Taco is only one letter away from THACO, after all. ;-)






------------------           
* sadly, it's actually been a while since I played, so references to
'nowadays' and 'the other day' should be assumed to mean 'a couple
years ago' ;-)