Real-world sensitivities and game names

[Sombre]

Machaka might as well be called "Blaxploitation, Shaft in Africa"

;]

Seriously though I believe there are so few people that would be offended by dom3 (who would normally play fantasy strategy games) that it isn't worth thinking about. I am still surprised how people on these boards find it hard to play blood nations and so on though. And I don't mean for micro reasons.

[JimMorrison]

I'm actually very confused. Is this intended to be a serious discussion of whether or not Dom3 is PC enough? The entire notion of PC seems to just be another layer of American neo-Puritanism struggling to insulate "innocent" minds against the reality of the world. This isn't an indictment of you Max, you seem like a nice guy, and I see where you're coming from personally on this, not as some oppressor of freedoms, but just someone with a thought of how to get the game to appeal more broadly.

But I am going to argue, that while there is embellishment on the part of the devs, that there's nothing wrong with it, and that people who find something wrong with it, are simply finding something wrong with themselves. I mean, the sad part about the whole thing is that MOST of the gritty details that are included, are based directly on the past. Yes, some are exaggerated slightly, and some are simply made to look more sinister for the mood of the game, but it's simple - people did these things.

I know, you're not going to say that maybe history books would sell more if they kind of tidied things up - but there are people who take the concept to that extreme. Political Correctness is drawn directly from people's insecurities, and their denial of human nature, and mankind's past - AND present. And the wacky part is, most of these people are ultimately alright with the worst things that happen today, all they are really demanding is that we not have to see it.

We should refer to cannibalism as "having someone over for dinner".
We should refer to human sacrifice as "sending a messenger to god".
And we should refer to torture as "detaining indefinitely".


Now if they just made up all of these terrible things, I might agree that "maybe" they should just change the names around, so as not to be inflammatory - but all of this has its basis in recorded fact, so fault lies with the offended.

<3

[Tifone]

Actually, I am very active in many religious forums around the net.

I've seen much stranger things than someone going mad because a race of cannibal giants, inspired by the myths of his religion, calls its cannibal "priests" in his own language.
As I've seen people going crazy when you say that glue was proved to be invented 7000 years ago, because earth was created just 6000 years ago for them. And people claiming (2008) the evidence of the earth being flat.

Now, I am agnostic and I respect every religion. For me anyone can believe whatever he/she/it wants, until tries to stomp on my head, put his/her/its "truths" down my troath, violate someone's rights.

So now, if you ask me if the community must let s/o SAY "i got offended because a random name of an ugly Basalt Queen was the name of my gf", or something like that, I say yes, he has this right.

If you ask me, shall the devs change their art and intellectual work because someone can remotely see some improbable and barely offensive resemblance to his belief/society/friends/relatives? Well no way. No censorship, sorry, religious, political or whatever.

(sorry if some parts are kind of banalizing, but i like to put a little bit of sarcasm in almost all my speeches, i hope it transpires through the written words hey, i'm italian )

[MaxWilson]

JimMorrison said:
Is this intended to be a serious discussion of whether or not Dom3 is PC enough?

More like a discussion of whether being PC matters. Specifically, since all the posters so far (including myself) think that being PC is a lost cause, I'm curious whether there is anybody that thinks otherwise and didn't speak up on the disappeared thread.

-Max

[Monkeyfinger]

No actual real world group is in Dom3, just a bunch of made up races that are kinda sorta like real world groups that exist or existed at one point. Seems kind of silly to get offended over that.

[TheMenacer]

Maybe my sarcasm detector is malfunctioning, but does anyone seriously get offended because of an ulmish commander named Adolph? Seriously? That's a real actual name that real actual people have in real life, just because the one guy ruined it for everyone doesn't make it less of an actual name that a random guy on the street could have.

[JimMorrison]

Maybe I'd get offended if a Marignon commander were named Liberace. >.>

Or get offended that my people, the innocent cave dwelling Agarthans, are depicted as one eyed freaks in this game. We have two eyes dammit, TWO EYES!

O.O

People who get offended by words, are a bit silly. Maybe if those words describe malicious action or thought, that might be offensive - but that means that Dom3 is either universally offensive in nature, or universally innocent.

I think we all agree there is no malice from the devs. But I think what what this whole thing comes down to, is whether or not we even WANT to bulk up the community here with a bunch of people who would currently consider the game's content to be malicious in nature. I'm gonna vote no - please god, don't let those people come and ruin this for everyone! <3


In truth, I think our only hope for those over sensitive neo-Puritans, is that we further saturate the creative media with things that they COULD find offensive. Eventually they will either all fly to the moon and leave us alone, or their children will grow up to see the error of their parents' ways, and we can all be happy and creative together.

[HoneyBadger]

JimMorrison: You're not the only man to ever become sensitive about his big one eyed monster. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif[/img]

I'm also anti-PC. I'm pretty sure it's sucking out the soul of the human race through our eyeballs.

People get offended easily. I think it has something to do with it being illegal to chop at each other with battle axes, without a permit. In centuries past, you tended to let things go, because people hadn't yet perfected the reattachment of limbs and organs that we enjoy today. PC has grown from that, because now we've denied most violent recourses once open to our race, and have replaced them with video games, and you just can't simulate kicking someone in the nuts because he said your mother was fat. So we have to be careful about stepping on others' emotions, lest they blow things up, out of all proportion to the relative plumpness of their dear old mums.

But artistic expression remains artistic expression. You can choose to agree or disagree about art, and argue over how profound or significant or worthy a particular example of it is. You can hate it, and if you have the power to do so, you can even destroy it, but that doesn't change it's nature, or the deepseated desire and indominable demand and right and necessity and drive for humans to express ourselves in ways that go beyond-and yes, even if they also include-the needs of the animal.

[Aapeli]

Gee this thread is political and full of all kinds of intelligent arguments. Should we care about people being insulted about stuff thats in Dominions? You can call me ignorant if you like but I think all people are equally insane and should just cope with each other no matter what. Everybody respects different things and some things dont mean as much to others than to others. I generally tend to think that its quite hard to exist without insulting someone.

[Edratman]

In my year on this forum there have been 4 or 5 threads from players who say they were insulted/offended by some aspect of the game. I find it amusing that not once has anyone initiated a thread that they have been offended by the blood aspect of the game.

It is disappointing that so many jump in and try to defend the game to the party that claims that they are offended; as if a well written post would change the petty minded fellows opinion and expiate whatever insignificent issue he has chosen to base his indignation.

I know this type of person very well. The one insignificent topic that they have chosen to defend provides some sort of validation to them. Of what, I am not sure, but I suspect it is something big, like their very existance and purpose in life.

The world has bigger and more significent concerns than the terminology in a fantasy game.