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Negative reviews on GoG and Steam

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited April 2016
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Zaphas86Zaphas86 Member Posts: 47
    Dimitriid said:

    Conceded. Say someone disagrees with you. Does he not has the right to state "I don't think a classic game is the proper medium to encourage that argument"? Bear in mind I am not saying you have to agree or in any way be persuaded by said argument or to even address it. The question remains, why doesn't said people have the right to state their opinion on the matter?

    If the developers didn't want the discussion to be about it (which I will continue to maintain is mostly not) why did they made those statements in an interview? Why put it into the game at all?

    Freedom of speech goes both ways: If you want to make these points in the game, in the PR and press, you're welcome to. You also must accept there will be resistance, dissent and different opinions. You don't get to present this arguments uncontested, a reasonable person would address the arguments something I see you're attempting to do. Yet look at how many people are telling me to "give up" and calling dissent "religious bigots" because they cannot concede someone might disagree.
    -Yes, that person does have that right to dissent and say that BG isn't the right vehicle for social/political statements to be made.

    -Yes, I think Amber Scott wanted this discussion, otherwise she wouldn't have made the statements she made.

    -Yes, both sides have Freedom of Speech, for sure. Those in favor have that right to support Beamdog, those who don't have the right to criticize, and hopefully everyone learns something from the whole ordeal (LOLDOUBTFUL).
  • roachtbproachtbp Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016

    Have you ever though that you may be a bigot?

    I am a bigot when it comes to trolls attempted to sabotage the possibility of BG3. All such trolls are scum.

    I hate internet trolls. There! I said it! I want all internet trolls to burn in hell!!!!!
  • TotenglockeTotenglocke Member Posts: 28

    Uh, no. It's not wrong. The person I was responding to (and others) literally just said that LGBT characters need a reason to exist. Just because you're not saying it doesn't mean nobody else is.

    And again, how would you know the character is trans if they didn't mention it?
    Having it be relevant to the story is "having a reason". Derp. As for "how would you know"? Again, if it's not relevant to the plot, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE MENTIONED. It doesn't matter if you're mentioning that they're gay, trans, Muslim, Satanist, fundamentalist Christian, etc - unless it's relevant to the plot, you do not put political content into a game unless you want people to be annoyed. I don't think Beamdog can afford for SoD to flop, but it looks like that's where things are heading due to 1) the horribly buggy release and 2) them insulting anyone who isn't happy with the game, regardless of their stated reason.
  • DimitriidDimitriid Member Posts: 43
    roachtbp said:

    Almost every review I've seen giving the game a 1 or 0 cite the LBGT content. They are giving it a 1 or 0 because they don't agree with the LBGT agenda. This is obvious for all to see.

    There are also legitimate reviews out there that are not positive about the game, but the VAST majority are trolls attacking the game because they don't support the LBGT community. This is obvious. Quit pretending this isn't the case - you are not convincing anyone (not even yourself).
    Citing the content does not equate with being a bigot or against the LGBT community. Saying it's "quite obvious" isn't an argument. Most people actually do not involve themselves in gender politics at all for good or ill. They're respectful of others, even support gay marriage, equal rights. They just think there's a time and a place for those arguments and do NOT agree that a classic game really conducts said discussions or points, particularly when it is in their opinion done poorly.

    So as much as you dislike the idea, I do not think must people want to be dragged into this discussion and it is precisely because they get called "religious bigots" that "hate the LGBT community" since it's easier (yet highly intellectually dishonest) to lump all of your opposition together within a nice niche instead of accepting some people disagree with how it was handled in the game
  • Zaphas86Zaphas86 Member Posts: 47



    And again, how would you know the character is trans if they didn't mention it?

    They can mention it, but I'd personally like to see some trust established in the MC and party, IMO. Perhaps if the party's reputation is high enough, and they do a quest for Mizrena, or they establish benevolence through a series of dialogue options, the player is rewarded with finding out that Mizrena is transgender.

    However, if the player's reputation is more evil, or if the player is rude to Mizrena in dialogue, she won't share the reason behind why her birth name no longer suited her. These would be more subtle touches, and to me, I'd appreciate that.

    Faerun isn't always a nice place, just like our world. Undoubtedly there's racism, sexism, and I'm sure there is some measure of transphobia as well. I'd imagine Mizrena, were she a well written character, would want to play her cards closer to her chest, in case the MC and party are a malevolent crew.

    Hope this clears up that question, and why I think Mizrena was poorly written.
  • SilverstarSilverstar Member Posts: 2,207
    roachtbp said:

    trolls to burn in hell!!!!!

    Racist.

  • DimitriidDimitriid Member Posts: 43
    Zaphas86 said:

    -Yes, that person does have that right to dissent and say that BG isn't the right vehicle for social/political statements to be made.

    -Yes, I think Amber Scott wanted this discussion, otherwise she wouldn't have made the statements she made.

    -Yes, both sides have Freedom of Speech, for sure. Those in favor have that right to support Beamdog, those who don't have the right to criticize, and hopefully everyone learns something from the whole ordeal (LOLDOUBTFUL).
    Doubtful surely, but if this exchange between us shows me anything is that it is not impossible.
  • TotenglockeTotenglocke Member Posts: 28
    roachtbp said:


    Almost every review I've seen giving the game a 1 or 0 cite the LBGT content. They are giving it a 1 or 0 because they don't agree with the LBGT agenda. This is obvious for all to see.

    There are also legitimate reviews out there that are not positive about the game, but the VAST majority are trolls attacking the game because they don't support the LBGT community. This is obvious. Quit pretending this isn't the case - you are not convincing anyone (not even yourself).


    Just because people are opposed to politics being awkwardly crammed into a 20 year old game does not make them troll. That just makes them someone who wants a consistent experience without having unnecessary political bullshit put in just so that some jackass at the developer can feel "special".
  • Glam_VrockGlam_Vrock Member Posts: 277

    Having it be relevant to the story is "having a reason". Derp.

    Again, do I need to bring up all the crap people say and do in Bioware games that has nothing to do with the story?

    What does Salvanas have to do with the story? All he does is talk about girls and hit on female party members. He has no bearing on anything, so what gives him the right to walk around being all straight and whatnot?

    Again, if it's not relevant to the plot, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE MENTIONED. It doesn't matter if you're mentioning that they're gay, trans, Muslim, Satanist, fundamentalist Christian, etc - unless it's relevant to the plot, you do not put political content into a game unless you want people to be annoyed.

    Huh. I didn't realise that just existing as a gay person was a political thing now. Has anyone told them?
  • roachtbproachtbp Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016
    Dimitriid said:

    Citing the content does not equate with being a bigot or against the LGBT community. Saying it's "quite obvious" isn't an argument. Most people actually do not involve themselves in gender politics at all for good or ill. They're respectful of others, even support gay marriage, equal rights. They just think there's a time and a place for those arguments and do NOT agree that a classic game really conducts said discussions or points, particularly when it is in their opinion done poorly.

    So as much as you dislike the idea, I do not think must people want to be dragged into this discussion and it is precisely because they get called "religious bigots" that "hate the LGBT community" since it's easier (yet highly intellectually dishonest) to lump all of your opposition together within a nice niche instead of accepting some people disagree with how it was handled in the game
    Pike down Screech. I've heard enough of your whining already.

    Yes, there are legitimate criticisms of the game.

    However, there are a LARGE number of non-legitimate reviews giving the ENTIRE GAME a 1 or 0 and SPECIFICALLY citing the LBGT content as the reason for the negative review. Use your eyeballs and read the reviews. This point cannot be argued - it is there for everyone to see. Most reviews giving the game a 1 or 0 cite the LBGT content. Just go look!

    Now quit bothering me Screech. I am only stating what is obvious.
  • NeverusedNeverused Member Posts: 803
    Disclaimer: I haven't actually bought SoD, nor am I really planning to at least until the major bugs are ironed out. I'm commenting only on the screenshots/arguments put out so far.

    That said, some of these arguments are really spurious. In BG1, we have the totally-not-4th-wall-breaking Maple Willow Aspen who goes on a rant about her name as well. And literally blows up if you ask a question. So complaints that a character talks about him/herself when asked about his/her name are weird, to say the least.

    Now that I think about it, though I've never changed my name, sometimes after introducing myself I go into the history of my weird last name (Anglicization of an Asian surname. Britain colonized EVERYTHING, it seems...) just because it's freaking acceptable smalltalk. I did this in an interview two days ago, and it didn't seem odd whatsoever to either me or the person interviewing me.

    IMO, this is really a non-issue. Even, maybe especially as a Christian, I can disagree with choices and positions of others and still acknowledge them as human beings (or other race, as this is in fact a fantasy game.) A bit more upset with Jaheira and Safana changes, but that's more because my policy is to respect characters someone else made.
  • DimitriidDimitriid Member Posts: 43
    edited April 2016

    Believe me, as a pivot point, I feel it. :/ It's a mix of 'they shouldn't have done it at all' and 'they should have done it better'.

    I can't help but feel that if people were truly outraged not over the character's inclusion but rather the method of inclusion, they would be making suggestions on how to change it so the trans character is included respectively. Everyone who's slamming it hasn't even thought that maybe the developer would be willing to change it, especially if there were good suggestions.

    Of course, it's human nature to belly ache rather than solve and improve? -_-
    Understandeable sentiment, yet these reviews are usually short and consise, not the best place to address that, i.e. I only gave an example on this thread from Witcher 3 about one such masterfully done character. While I do not expect the scope of this DLC to be even close to what CDProjektRed did, the writing of that hunter NPC character however was actually something that could have easily be done here to organically introduce the fact that this character was transexual.

    I understand that there still would have been criticism, a lot of criticism in fact. However I would honestly be on the other side of this argument if it was done better and if people were still fixed on it (for as much as they are, since there's PLENTY of technical issues criticism too)
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Neverused said:

    A bit more upset with Jaheira and Safana changes, but that's more because my policy is to respect characters someone else made.

    O.O Wait, how did they change Jaheira and Safana????
  • Zaphas86Zaphas86 Member Posts: 47

    Having it be relevant to the story is "having a reason". Derp. As for "how would you know"? Again, if it's not relevant to the plot, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE MENTIONED.
    Absolute disagree. There is a thing called 'world-building' and it involves making the player immersed in the world that they're adventuring in. It remains in question if Beamdog achieved this with Mizrena (I vote no, she's poorly done.), but suggesting that the world needs to bend around the will of the plot and only the plot is a farce.

    We don't always have to know that the blacksmith's daughter is a bit of a slut. We don't have to know that the nobleman serves food to the homeless in disguise. We don't have to know that the guard only went into service because he has a family back home and the harvest was bad.

    But it's little touches like those that give the appearance of a living breathing world, and while we don't have to know it, our stories are more the richer for them.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited April 2016
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • AWizardDidItAWizardDidIt Member Posts: 216

    O.O Wait, how did they change Jaheira and Safana????
    They didn't.
  • DabusDabus Member Posts: 27

    O.O Wait, how did they change Jaheira and Safana????
    They gave them more of a storyline. I guess the writer, Amber Scott, felt they were sexist.
  • DimitriidDimitriid Member Posts: 43
    roachtbp said:

    Pike down Screech. I've heard enough of your whining already.

    Yes, there are legitimate criticisms of the game.

    However, there are a LARGE number of non-legitimate reviews giving the ENTIRE GAME a 1 or 0 and SPECIFICALLY citing the LBGT content as the reason for the negative review. Use your eyeballs and read the reviews. This point cannot be argued - it is there for everyone to see. Most reviews giving the game a 1 or 0 cite the LBGT content. Just go look!

    Now quit bothering me Screech. I am only stating what is obvious.
    If by "stating the obvious" you mean repeating ad nauseum, nope that is still not an argument. Neither is the name calling. I do not accept "Well it's obvious" when I keep telling you how it is not. You'd be better off by saying "I disagree with you" even if you do not present any specific response at all, yet you must reiterate the same statement and insult over and over, why? You think being pointlessly condescending will make your "well it's obvious!" point even more valid?

    Regardless even though I am a longtime lurker I am basically a new user here, but I did in fact read the site rules, I suggest you do likewise please and just disagree with me for unspecified reasons if you must.
  • gugulug5000gugulug5000 Member Posts: 248
    edited April 2016
    I posted my honest review on Steam (which I was going to do eventually anyway), saying 8/10 as my personal rating, and it's already gotten 30 people giving it a thumbs down, with only 3 giving thumbs up in less than an hour. I can't believe how ridiculous people are being about this. Maybe the Westboro Baptist Church was recruited to bring down Dragonspear's downfall...
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @roachtbp and @Dimitriid

    It is pretty obvious that the two of you are not going to convince each other one way or the other. The past four pages of this thread have essentially been the two of you saying the same things again and again. Maybe its better to just call it off?
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • roachtbproachtbp Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016
    Dimitriid said:

    If by "stating the obvious" you mean repeating ad nauseum, nope that is still not an argument. Neither is the name calling. I do not accept "Well it's obvious" when I keep telling you how it is not. You'd be better off by saying "I disagree with you" even if you do not present any specific response at all, yet you must reiterate the same statement and insult over and over, why? You think being pointlessly condescending will make your "well it's obvious!" point even more valid?

    Regardless even though I am a longtime lurker I am basically a new user here, but I did in fact read the site rules, I suggest you do likewise please and just disagree with me for unspecified reasons if you must.
    Good riddance Screech!!! Don't let the door hit you on the way out! Glad to see you have been banned.
    Post edited by roachtbp on
  • AWizardDidItAWizardDidIt Member Posts: 216


    Huh? What gives her the right to slut shame Safana? I guess Salvanas is going to be the next character censored from the game for being a sexist stereotype? What absurd logic.

    This is much more annoying that any of the things people are complaining about here. Safana isn't even an original character.

    "Slut shaming?" wtf are you talking about? A "character" whose sole personality in BG1 was a handful of suggestive voice lines is kind of a sex object yes in the sense that she had no personality outside of it.

    Safana is still as flirty in SOD as she was in BG1, there's just substance behind it now since she actually has character and her "sultriness" is properly characterized.
  • bleusteelbleusteel Member Posts: 523

    Jaheira and Safana didn't change much, from what I saw.

    Jaheira is still tough and assertive.
    Safana is still flirty, but she's also tougher now? She turns Coran out on his ear when you meet her.

    Being realistic, Safana hardly had a personality before SoD other than a sultry voiceset? Most BG1 characters have no personality except memorable quotes and sayings! :)

    Maybe people have been running BGNPC project for so long that they forget that very little talking happens without that mod.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164

    Jaheira and Safana didn't change much, from what I saw.

    Jaheira is still tough and assertive.
    Safana is still flirty, but she's also tougher now? She turns Coran out on his ear when you meet her.

    Being realistic, Safana hardly had a personality before SoD other than a sultry voiceset? Most BG1 characters have no personality except memorable quotes and sayings! :)

    Ah, I'm basing this only on the quotes I saw. I hope they didn't change things too much. There is a place for a wide variety of personality types in Baldur's Gate, if the new powers that be are going to change existing characters to fit their own preferences it will be removing from the game.

    Honestly, I think the soundsets said a lot about the characters' personalities. Just because they were limited in number, most of the lines were very revealing (mainly because they were such colorful characters). You knew what Minsc was about, you knew what Edwin was about, you knew what Coran was about. They were not elaborate but they were clear. Making Safana no longer a teasing, sexually manipulative pirate would be a radical departure from what we understood both from her limited dialogue and the story in her biography about the pirate captain.
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    bleusteel said:

    Maybe people have been running BGNPC project for so long that they forget that very little talking happens without that mod.
    yeah before bg2 and that mod the npcs in baldurs gate were flat and one dimensional. so at face value pre sod safana was just a flirt.
  • DimitriidDimitriid Member Posts: 43
    roachtbp said:

    I disagree with you.

    I believe that the vast majority of the reviews giving SOD a 1 or 0 (most of which explicitly state they are doing so because of the trans character and LBGT content) are doing so because they do not like the LBGT community, and for no other reason. I would argue that most of these people are trolls who are attacking the game because of their political or religious views (they EXPLICITLY state they are giving it a 1 or 0 because they don't like the LBGT content).

    I am sorry I called you Screech. You are in fact not Screech from Saved by the Bell.
    You believing that is to me a more reasonable statement that you asserting it for fact so that's fair enough and I do agree to disagree.
  • Glam_VrockGlam_Vrock Member Posts: 277
    Zaphas86 said:

    Faerun isn't always a nice place, just like our world. Undoubtedly there's racism, sexism, and I'm sure there is some measure of transphobia as well. I'd imagine Mizrena, were she a well written character, would want to play her cards closer to her chest, in case the MC and party are a malevolent crew.

    You know there's such a thing as pride pins, right? You say it's poor, unrealistic writing for someone to wear this kind of thing on their sleeve, but some people literally wear it on their sleeve, or at least their lapel. A character being vocal about their identity is not, in itself, bad writing. It just says something about their outlook.

    Also, still not clear on why dragons and magic are acceptable departures from reality, but "too many LGBTs" is not.
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