Originally posted by Psychow

Wait, you have to PAY to be gay?

 

Wouldn't they have made more money if they charged you to NOT be gay? You start off in a same sex relationship, but after paying a fee, you are able to explore flirtatious dialogue options with the opposite sex!!

Or give a slight damage/XP bonus for gay scenes and see how fast people's "principles" last.

Honestly if the only reason that BW are making these changes is because of activist influences/pressures outside of the gaming community then I want no part of it. It only leaves the door cracked for the next group and the next group and before you know it law makers will be influencing things like level of violence, amount of blood, swear words per sentence or any other form of rediculous censorship they deem worthy. Religious groups, PTAs and government regulators are gonna have a field day with this example.

I say let the devs make whatever screwed up version of games they want to make and let the masses that will be actually playing decide. Games are a form of entertainment and escapism created to turn profits, not political tools created to influence public thinking on hot button social issues. If a player or a group of players cannot find enough freedom within the game to satisfy their real world social needs then I say they are playing for the wrong damn reason.

Ask yourself why do you have to wear your lifestyle on your sleeve within the confines of a video game? I personally have never seen such a movement to include issues of race or religion before in these games. I've been playing mmos for years and I have never gotten upset that dark-skinned npcs are not nearly shown as much as light-skinned ones. Or gotten upset because I cannot create a black npc to match my own skin tone. But for some reason SWTOR and this gay issue is being made into a social statement about the unfair and unjust treatment of all players who want to feel gay within the game. Bullocks! I say let the polls, player request and data speak for itself. If the playing population really felt that strongly about this then the evidence would speak for itself.

So far all I'm seeing is a few people trying to keep this issue from settling in the hopes that it finally catches enough steam. All I can say is that be careful what you wish for. Don't believe for a second that GLAAD are the only group of buzzards circling TOR's dying carcuss hoping for a easy meal.

Oh a gay planet?

Next shuttle to Marbek... I AM OFF! XD

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

I never really thought of it this way, but it gives the appearance that same sex relationships is delegated to a remote corner of the galaxy.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/423849/20130114/star-wars-old-republic-sgr-gay-planet.htm

This topic has been brought up twice before.  The last time was..last week?  Both threads got locked in a day.

Good luck with this one.

Originally posted by tiefighter25

Personally I'm a bit bewildered why people are surprised that Bioware is adding the Same-Sex romance option; it's Bioware.

Then again, they did try to have their cake and eat it too with their, we have no SGR yet, but will some day launch stance.

They would have been better off just having it to begin with, less feathers ruffled if you knew what you were getting into.

BUT....

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand why anyone would want to play a MMO to "romance" an NPC in the first place, gay, hetero, or anything in between.

I prefer the tried and true system where an oversexed guy pretends to be a lesbian to cyber with a real life girl, who he finds out months later is also an oversexed guy pretending to be a lesbian.

We aren't looking specifically for romance in computer games.  What we are though is tired of being subjected to a 'straight' point of view on all content design.  We'd like to see a gay point of view on occassion without having to browbeat the developers to get it.  In this day and age of greater acceptance, we shouldn't have to 'persuade' developers to keep us in mind when making content.

[mod edit]

Originally posted by GrayGhost79

Originally posted by TwoThreeFour

Originally posted by Ramonski7

(...)

Ask yourself why do you have to wear your lifestyle on your sleeve within the confines of a video game? 

(...)

So you are saying that homosexuality is a lifestyle and can thus be changed through pure will? :D

Not a disussion for this thread, trying to have a discussion on this is almost a garuntee to get the thread closed. 

 

In any case I think it's all asinine. Scripted romantic relationships in games is a waste of resources and is simply a novelty that appeals to a very minor portion of the gaming community. So much fuss over nothing lol. 

I agreee with that it shouldn't be a such big fuss as it is; however, in several Western countries (U.S.A. among them), this is a controversial topic and taking a clear stance for or against is controversial. I very much look forward to the time when a "feature" such as Bioware's raises absolutely no eyebrows. 

Originally posted by superniceguy

It is just making SWTOR and even Star Wars tacky.

If it was in the game from the start and all over, then it may have gotten away with it, but advertising it and making a big deal out of it, will make the game suffer.

They should just keep it in other mature games and save it for Mass Effect Online if they ever decide to do that.

Non-heterosexual relationships have been a part of Star Wars for awhile.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Goran_Beviin

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:Ferus_Olin

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

I never really thought of it this way, but it gives the appearance that same sex relationships is delegated to a remote corner of the galaxy.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/423849/20130114/star-wars-old-republic-sgr-gay-planet.htm

Sounds like they added romance options to a game and want you to buy the expansion pack to pay for it.

No thanks.  I would rather pay for something meaningful...like actual content.

Good. Finally I can safely say Bioware will never see another dime from me. Never. Again.

Thought I might resub for a month in the future but this plan is now officially canceled.

well done, when you think they can't ruin the SW IP anymore, don't forget Hickman sure finds a way.

I'm outta here bye bye enjoy the  "new planet" 

Originally posted by ezpz77

Originally posted by superniceguy

It is just making SWTOR and even Star Wars tacky.

If it was in the game from the start and all over, then it may have gotten away with it, but advertising it and making a big deal out of it, will make the game suffer.

They should just keep it in other mature games and save it for Mass Effect Online if they ever decide to do that.

 

Non-heterosexual relationships have been a part of Star Wars for awhile.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Goran_Beviin

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:Ferus_Olin

 

It is not in the movies, and not advertised, as that is the first time I heard of it.

I guess it all depend on how it is being put in, especillay in a Star Wars MMO. It is not just kids who need to be protected it is the gay community who needs to be protected from the kids - Kids can be so cruel as they do not fully understand.

Originally posted by tiefighter25

I prefer the tried and true system where an oversexed guy pretends to be a lesbian to cyber with a real life girl, who he finds out months later is also an oversexed guy pretending to be a lesbian.

 LOL!

Would it not be on the new planet because it is a new "feature".  They were making that area and it would be easier to program the dialoge as they went along?

The funny thing is I had no idea Mass Effect had same gender options. . where was all the hoopla then?

Originally posted by superniceguy

Originally posted by ezpz77

Originally posted by superniceguy

It is just making SWTOR and even Star Wars tacky.

If it was in the game from the start and all over, then it may have gotten away with it, but advertising it and making a big deal out of it, will make the game suffer.

They should just keep it in other mature games and save it for Mass Effect Online if they ever decide to do that.

 

Non-heterosexual relationships have been a part of Star Wars for awhile.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Goran_Beviin

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:Ferus_Olin

 

It is not in the movies, and not advertised, as that is the first time I heard of it.

I guess it all depend on how it is being put in, especillay in a Star Wars MMO. It is not just kids who need to be protected it is the gay community who needs to be protected from the kids - Kids can be so cruel as they do not fully understand.

That situation stems directly from the lack of open communication as to how someone is different.  Education systems are on this and actively bringing topics up in class to explain why everyone is not the same.  These types of situations are becoming less and less frequent.

If video games openly allow differences, then there will be less hardships, in the end.  It becomes less of a mystery why someone is a different skin color, or why they wear certain clothes.  Or how some may prefer the same gender.

I suspect all the fears of SGRA come back to an analogy of a person integrating themselves with a different race and suddenly becoming that race.  They are still their same person, however.  If anything, they are more sensitive to those they integrated with.

Sensitivity is good.  It does not make someone they were not born to be.  The whole conversion theory is out as far as I'm concerned.

A game is supposed to put you though wild events that you may never see in real life.  Enjoy.  It's just a game.

After the horror that was jar jar and the entire franchise being more geared and made for children, I applaud BW for this. it will keep away the youngsters who have homophobic parents and the hope is they can maintain a more adult driven Star Wars. This game may be the final game that employs some very dark themes and adult content based on star wars universe.

I'm sick of childish MMOs that are geared for children. This may be the last dark hope for Star Wars lore since disney took control.

Still waiting for a great 18+ MMO with deep story and very graphic content and themes.

Most video games try to shy away from political and religious controversy.  Too often it will just offend people without accomplishing anything.  Even games that make politics or religion an explicit part of the game often go out of their way to avoid offending anyone in the process.  For example, take this from the Civilization IV manual:

-----

"We know that people have extremely strong opinions about religions--in fact, many a war has arisen when these beliefs collide.  We at Firaxis have no desire to offend anyone.  However, given the importance that religions have had in human development, we didn't want to just leave them out of the game altogether; instead, we have tried to handle them in as respectful, fair and even-handed manner as possible.  (All religions in the game have the same effects, the only difference being their technological requirements.)

"There are seven religions in Civilization IV (testing having determined that seven is the optimal number for gameplay).  When determining which seven to include, we picked those religions that we thought would be most familiar to our audience.  We do not mean to imply that these religions are more important, better or worse than any other religions.

"We offer no value judgments on religion; we mean no disrespect to anyone's beliefs.  We're game designers, not theologians."

-----

Apart from some details of game mechanics, a statement to that effect could have been written by an awful lot of game designers.  Video games tend to shy away from political and religious controversies to a much greater degree than, say, television or movies.  I'd like to attribute it to game designers being more in touch with their audience than Hollywood types are.

Meanwhile, SGR necessarily wanders into both political and religious controversy.  EA seems determined to make the issue drag on for as long as possible, too, rather than just doing something, insisting that it's not going to change, and leaving it alone.  Sometimes they seem to take the view that any publicity is good publicity.  Remember the time they hired some people to picket their offices, pretending to be Christians outraged at something or other in one of their games?

Originally posted by Quizzical

Most video games try to shy away from political and religious controversy.  Too often it will just offend people without accomplishing anything.  Even games that make politics or religion an explicit part of the game often go out of their way to avoid offending anyone in the process.  For example, take this from the Civilization IV manual:

-----

"We know that people have extremely strong opinions about religions--in fact, many a war has arisen when these beliefs collide.  We at Firaxis have no desire to offend anyone.  However, given the importance that religions have had in human development, we didn't want to just leave them out of the game altogether; instead, we have tried to handle them in as respectful, fair and even-handed manner as possible.  (All religions in the game have the same effects, the only difference being their technological requirements.)

"There are seven religions in Civilization IV (testing having determined that seven is the optimal number for gameplay).  When determining which seven to include, we picked those religions that we thought would be most familiar to our audience.  We do not mean to imply that these religions are more important, better or worse than any other religions.

"We offer no value judgments on religion; we mean no disrespect to anyone's beliefs.  We're game designers, not theologians."

-----

Apart from some details of game mechanics, a statement to that effect could have been written by an awful lot of game designers.  Video games tend to shy away from political and religious controversies to a much greater degree than, say, television or movies.  I'd like to attribute it to game designers being more in touch with their audience than Hollywood types are.

Meanwhile, SGR necessarily wanders into both political and religious controversy.  EA seems determined to make the issue drag on for as long as possible, too, rather than just doing something, insisting that it's not going to change, and leaving it alone.  Sometimes they seem to take the view that any publicity is good publicity.  Remember the time they hired some people to picket their offices, pretending to be Christians outraged at something or other in one of their games?

beating around the bush.  You hit it head on!

edit: The description makes me feel like they are sorry for even implementing anything at all, lol.

I don't expect EA to kiss anyones ass (they never have before) .. so, hehe.   The Civ response was humorous, though!  Thanks, great input.!

I  have a hard time following why a player would ask a developer of an mmorpg to create characters that roleplays the player ...

shouldn't the player roleplay ?

you can romance another player of same gender on any planet. Maybe in the SWTOR universe it IS a lifestyle...ever thought of that ?

Unfortunatelly I can't tackle the 'lifestyle' aspect of your post without derailing the topic permanently so I'll refrain.

I think tolerance and understanding should go both ways.

Kadepsyson, a baby has no sexual orientation what-so-ever.