Trying to be objective
I just read about people being banned for being angry at the whole controversial stuff. A developer even said "Don't think we don't see what's going on". What's going on ? While I agree there is no reason for hate speech and certainly not towards LGBT people (who did nothing wrong at all...), I wonder, did the devs really thought they could put political
stuff in the new game - nowadays- and get away with no reactions ? Even I still angry at the writer who said old BG games were sexist, while I don't mind the new content. (I'm much more concerned about multiplayer in BG:EE being so broken, it was so much fun with friends !) I don't support boycotting the new game or whatever, but when you chose to take side, necessarily the other side will be angry - and I think it's a bit sad that BG became that, a battlefield for culture war.
stuff in the new game - nowadays- and get away with no reactions ? Even I still angry at the writer who said old BG games were sexist, while I don't mind the new content. (I'm much more concerned about multiplayer in BG:EE being so broken, it was so much fun with friends !) I don't support boycotting the new game or whatever, but when you chose to take side, necessarily the other side will be angry - and I think it's a bit sad that BG became that, a battlefield for culture war.
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The users that were banned completely violated the site rules written here - http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/10852/site-rules-mind-the-gap
Even with the freedom of speech, one still has to respect and follow the site rules.
Its like if BG2 were released today and people kicked off over Valygar. If his dialogue said "hands up, dont shoot" and "black lives matter" I could understand.
Likewise if Mizhena attacked you for no reason shouting "DIE CISHET OPPRESSOR SCUM" I could understand.
Right now all Im seeing is blatant insecurity and also some attempts at trying to mask it as legitimate criticism.
Mentioning bugs is legitimate criticism.
Saying "I didnt like X about the plot" is legitimate criticism.
Saying "that trans character is forcing a political agenda on me!" is like saying "beamdog writing the innkeeper of the burnt down inn having his wife leave him is them trying to make me divorce my wife!"
I don't even see why they said the old BG games were sexist. In the old BG games, women can be as good fighters as men, which is not true in real life. If they said sexist because of the character of Safana, they forget that Safana is only one character in the game, not a representation of all women. And women like Safana - that use their charms to their advantage - do exist in real life.
So, what's sexist? Reality? Men and women are complementary: men need women and women need men. Men are on average more interested in some fields while women are on average more interested in some other fields. Some of these fields, it is true, are due to culture, others are due to nature, or even a combination of both. The power of men is more visible, the power of women - which is the influence they are able to exert - can be as powerful. And guess what is best? To make an alliance of powers in order to find harmony in the fight against the difficulties of life.
The alliance between a man and a woman to fight against the difficulties of life can often be fruitful, as long as they are able to understand and accept each other, including their complementarity.
Now, we should also accept people that are different, there are women that have more manly personalities, there are men that are more feminine, and there are LGBT people. There are people with different tastes. As long as they don't try to force into us wrong ideas - such as the idea according to which men and women are exactly the same, or the idea that the build of your gender identity has nothing to do with your biological sex - I'm fine with having LGBT in the game.
The only way of truly winning is to be able to reconciliate with each other.
"Know who you are, and you'll be able to accept others."
Still not convinced that there are SJWs at work here who are misappropriating a beloved RPG franchise to push an identity politics agenda? Guess who Dee reached out to in order to further the "GG campaign" spin? Yep, Gawker Media feminist website Jezebel and, get this, Anita Sarkeesian.. Those are the people they want to impress and whose approval they desire.
If all the young female characters were clones of Safan that would be a case of sexism. A real exemple of sexism in the old game is having only one gender doing the shitty jobs, such as having only male characters working in the mines or having only males for the generic bandit fodder.
Example 1: I have only been interested in women for mating.
Example 2: I am making a movie and I am looking for a man to act Batman.
These 2 examples seem fair enough, right? But in these 2 examples I discriminate according to sex. Does it mean I'm chaotic evil? I don't think so.
As an example: I enjoy reading many myths and legends, and as I read the I often notice the heroes performing actions which I myself do not consider heroic such as killing defenceless opponents or the enslavement of enemies they captured in battle. I still enjoy and would recommend the stories despite this.
I'm realy affraid of the future without element's of sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia or jokes at sobebody's expense.
I think reasonable amount of such elements in books, movie and games is one of the things, which make them amusing and interesting. It is not sociopathological phonomenon, which should be unacceptable in moderm pop culture.
I only think that these elements,as long as they are used in reasonable amount and as long as they fit into the story should have their place in pup culture.
I think game developers shouldn't pay so much attention to relativelly small, but very lowd group of social justice wariors, who find almost EVERYTHING discriminatory or offensive.
What would remain in pop culture, if we banish everithing what doesn't promote gender equality or what could possible offend somebody?
Will chess be alowd in the future? It is terrible racist games with conflict between black and white. Morower the white always starts the game and it is very discriminatory.
Well I know this chess example is exaggerated, but sadly it is not miles away from today's reality.
When game develpers start to listen to then, the consequences are tragical.