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Why do women play Baldur's Gate?

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  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    image
    Nonnahswritersemiticgoddess
  • SquireSquire Member Posts: 511
    LadyRhian said:


    I don't classify people into "Hardcore" and "casual", though, even among gamers, geeks/nerds or whatever, because that's like declaring some people second class citizens.

    Is it, though? To me, it's nothing more than a measure of how much somebody puts into a hobby.

    To me, the difference between a hardcore gamer and a casual gamer is similar to that between a football player who's a member of a club, and a guy who just goes for a kick-around in the park with his mates sometimes. Neither is wrong, or inferior. One simply takes his hobby to deeper levels than the other, and that's fine. I really can't stand snobbery of any kind, because at the end of the day, it's merely down to what people enjoy, and we all enjoy different things. Some people don't want to invest hours into an RPG, just like I can't be bothered to support a football team and get deeply invested in their performance in this year's particular tournament (which will happen again next year anyway), but I'll still watch the England matches in the World Cup. Does that make me less of a football fan than the hardcore football fans? Yes. Does it make me an inferior person? No.

    Casual gamers probably have other hobbies that they like to develop, and have just as much right to look down on me for not watching soaps, or whatever, as I have to look down on them for only playing Candy Crush sometimes (i.e. "none at all" ;) ). So while the definition exists so show the varying level of commitment one has, it certainly shouldn't be taken as an excuse to claim superiority over someone, because that Candy Crush player who sucks at Call of Duty could probably kick your arse at any other sport you could name.

    Anyway I'll stop now, because I think I'm just repeating myself at this point...it's been a long week!
    meaglothButtercheese
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    edited October 2015
    I have to say I strongly disagree with @dee. It is in NO WAY the responsibility of the writer/creator to censor himself for fear of offending anyone or the larger social consequences. S/he should tell whatever story they intend to tell, and if someone gets offended that's their problem. The social consequences of what someone does in response to a game is NOT the responsibility of the creator. The consumers actions are the consumers responsibility. Why? Cause we have free speech here in America, and people are not mindless drones controlled by some invisible corporate machine(though I guess that last one is debatable, but we just have to live under the assumption).


    -- I'm talking specifically about story content. A game having sexist characters in it is not the same as a game being sexist. What exists in a story should not be taken as the writers message- it's just a story. Obviously if the game had some other part that was inherently sexist, racist, or wrong, that would not be acceptable. For example if D&D made women have a minus one to all their physical stat rolls. That would be sexist because it's a game mechanic out side of the story meant to reflect reality. If the game was set in a patriarchal medieval society and women characters where not allowed(by other characters within the constrains of the story) to be Knights, then that would not be sexist, because it's an element of the story not meant to reflect reality.

    I agree with @Squire on the "hardcore" debate. Breaking people in categories is not inherently wrong. There's no reason we can't divide the gamers into to concrete and quantifiable categories. Apples are not oranges, even if some apple somewhere is offended by being called an apple.
    Squire
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    edited October 2015
    Oookay.....

    Please do not mention me if you are going to insist on mischaracterizing what I'm saying after I've repeatedly clarified myself. What I am talking about is not censorship; it is not censorship to ask "what does this story say and is that what I want it to say?"

    Seriously, quit editorializing my posts. If nothing else, THAT I find offensive.
    NonnahswriterNimransemiticgoddess
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    I like this discussion, though we seem to have only gotten a few answers to the original question.

    1: This is a silly question.
    2: Because BG is frickin' awesome!
    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Ask the question to men and you'd probably just have to replace Dorn with Viconia.
    NonnahswriterVallmyrJuliusBorisovdunbar
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875

    I like this discussion, though we seem to have only gotten a few answers to the original question.

    1: This is a silly question.
    2: Because BG is frickin' awesome!
    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Ask the question to men and you'd probably just have to replace Dorn with Viconia.

    Well, maybe not some men.

    I don't think about this subject much, well, at all, because I've always thought of women as people like me. I actually have more female friends than male friends, for some reason. Maybe because they like that I don't judge them like so many other people do?
    semiticgoddess
  • NonnahswriterNonnahswriter Member Posts: 2,520

    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Drat, he's on to us...
    semiticgoddessSkarose
  • SquireSquire Member Posts: 511

    I like this discussion, though we seem to have only gotten a few answers to the original question.

    1: This is a silly question.
    2: Because BG is frickin' awesome!
    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Ask the question to men and you'd probably just have to replace Dorn with Viconia.

    I thought the general consensus was "for the same reason men play it"...although I suppose that's sort of covered in point 2. :p

    Also, in my case it was Imoen, not Viconia, who took my fancy (I was 19 when I started playing it so she was closer to my age then ;) ).
  • MathsorcererMathsorcerer Member Posts: 3,037
    Dee said:

    Please do not mention me if you are going to insist on mischaracterizing what I'm saying after I've repeatedly clarified myself.

    I'm afraid that was all me so it is probably my fault. Rather than try to dig myself out of the hole I opted for the wiser course and simply stopped talking.

    meagloththe_spydersemiticgoddess
  • AlmateriaAlmateria Member Posts: 257
    Nimran said:

    I like this discussion, though we seem to have only gotten a few answers to the original question.

    1: This is a silly question.
    2: Because BG is frickin' awesome!
    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Ask the question to men and you'd probably just have to replace Dorn with Viconia.

    Well, maybe not some men.

    I don't think about this subject much, well, at all, because I've always thought of women as people like me. I actually have more female friends than male friends, for some reason. Maybe because they like that I don't judge them like so many other people do?
    Every woman needs a gay friend, man.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Almateria said:

    Nimran said:

    I like this discussion, though we seem to have only gotten a few answers to the original question.

    1: This is a silly question.
    2: Because BG is frickin' awesome!
    3: Because Dorn is hawt.

    Ask the question to men and you'd probably just have to replace Dorn with Viconia.

    Well, maybe not some men.

    I don't think about this subject much, well, at all, because I've always thought of women as people like me. I actually have more female friends than male friends, for some reason. Maybe because they like that I don't judge them like so many other people do?
    Every woman needs a gay friend, man.
    Well, I'm not gay, I just thought it was something that should be pointed out.
    the_spyderNonnahswritersemiticgoddessjackjack
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    Almateria said:

    *SNIP*
    Every woman needs a gay friend, man.

    ..and every man needs a gay friend, woman?

    jackjack
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    edited November 2015
    I dunno. I prefer Rasad's geekliness to Dorn. ;)
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Wow, the thread that will not die. Tell the truth @Vallmyr - you are working your necromancy magic here. "Resurrecto Patronis"
    mlnevese
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,457
    edited November 2015
    Tresset said:

    I think the real question is "Why don't more men and women play BG?"

    I've been trying to convince my two IRL best friends to but one doesn't have the time and the other says the graphical style is old and unappealing, plus he's not a fan of WRPGs and mostly only plays JRPGs. :(

    Edit: The not having time friend being female and the JRPG friend being male.
    JuliusBorisov
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Vallmyr said:



    I've been trying to convince my two IRL best friends to but one doesn't have the time and the other says the graphical style is old and unappealing, plus he's not a fan of WRPGs and mostly only plays JRPGs. :(

    Edit: The not having time friend being female and the JRPG friend being male.

    LOL. A few years back I got my then GF hooked on Baldur's gate. Actually it started off with Diablo (1 actually) and then progressed from there. She now spends more time gaming than I do and does a LOT of MMO style games.

    jackjackJuliusBorisov
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited November 2015
    I keep wanting to get my gf to play BG, but since she's someone who doesn't like video games at all, I'm going to have to ease her into it...
    JuliusBorisov
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Elrandir: I wouldn't get my hopes up. Easing somebody into something probably won't work unless they already have some interest in it. I don't think anybody could ease me into knitting or pro wrestling.
    Skatanmlnevese
  • SquireSquire Member Posts: 511
    edited November 2015

    @Elrandir: I wouldn't get my hopes up. Easing somebody into something probably won't work unless they already have some interest in it. I don't think anybody could ease me into knitting or pro wrestling.

    True. My youngest sister played a few RPGs but never quite got past the character creation screen (and I don't mean the number crunching/choosing skills/abilities part!!). ;)

    eta: I suppose I could have tried telling her there was a love story in it, but from what I've seen/heard, Anomen wasn't exactly a hit with the ladies! :D I think maybe Haer Dalis would have been a better option, he seemed more popular.

    But then, we don't always get the one we want... in NWN, we had to settle for Aribeth...I wanted Sharwyn, dammit!! :(
  • ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
    @Squire Say, how old is your sister? Because back when I played BG2 for the first time as a teenager, I really liked Anomen. And even then, you could still get a mod for her (there is also one for Haer'Dalis, but I don't know if it's EE compatible yet) o.o
    semiticgoddess
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Elrandir said:

    I keep wanting to get my gf to play BG, but since she's someone who doesn't like video games at all, I'm going to have to ease her into it...

    Try playing coop multi-play with her. If it is something that she knows you enjoy and something that you two can share, she may adopt to it better.
    ButtercheeseElrandir
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
  • AlmateriaAlmateria Member Posts: 257
    Tresset said:

    I think the real question is "Why don't more men and women play BG?"

    It's an old, buggy game with a trite story and forgettable characters, and it's mechanics are incredibly dated and confusing at the same time. Hope This Helps
    SethDavis
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Almateria said:

    Tresset said:

    I think the real question is "Why don't more men and women play BG?"

    It's an old, buggy game with a trite story and forgettable characters, and it's mechanics are incredibly dated and confusing at the same time. Hope This Helps
    I mean this in the most positive and supportive way but...

    With such an apparently low opinion of the game, why are you even here at this forum?
    TressetBelgarathMTHButtercheese
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    Almateria said:

    Tresset said:

    I think the real question is "Why don't more men and women play BG?"

    It's an old, buggy game with a trite story and forgettable characters, and it's mechanics are incredibly dated and confusing at the same time. Hope This Helps
    ?
    jackjackTressetButtercheese
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Hey @semiticgod , I'm 90% sure they were trolling. Which, um... You took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker.
    semiticgoddessFinneousPJNonnahswriterSkatan
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited November 2015
    @Elrandir:
    image
    I kind of hope so.

    Eh. Still more fun than Spirit Trolls.
    BelgarathMTHSkarose
This discussion has been closed.