Real-world sensitivities and game names

[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.

[chrispedersen]

Ooooh how about a politically incorrect game...

A game where ALL commanders have to be named liberace (still planning that one, just for you Jim), hitler.

Stick a finger to PC!

[Lingchih]

I wasn't aware that anyone has ever said they were offended by anything in the game. Except for the sexy banner ads.

Why bring this up when it seems to be a non-issue?

[HoneyBadger]

I'd argue that the game is better for including "potentially offensive" material. It's a lot more educational that way, since exactly those sorts of things happened, and worse. Murder, rape, and torture happened. And then racism happened, and slavery, and genocide, and Eurocentrality in fantasy gaming.
Fun things happened, like the privelage of a noble to rape his vassal's bride on their wedding night, and the kidnapping and selling of children who had set out with the intention to free the holy land, in the Children's Cruisade. The Inquisition happened. Honest old women were burned at the stake. Heroes were crucified-and not just Christian ones, either. Entire species of animals were exterminated for purposes of entertainment. People tried their damnest-and I mean that term literally-to summon up demons from the pits of Hell, because they thought it was a good idea, having plum run out of ideas for evil things to do, themselves.

And bad things still do happen, believe it or not.

As far as using "potentially offensive" names in the game-please keep in mind that all publicity is good publicity. How many non Jews here had any idea what a Kohen was? How many non Indians know that the Rakshasas were an actual historical people? A better question might be: How many people here appreciate the works of H. P. Lovecraft, without sympathising with his racist, antisemetic viewpoints?

In the words of Plato, or maybe Socrates: "Knowledge is the only good I know of, ignorance, the only evil." Another good saying is "Beware the man who would keep knowledge from you, for he would be your master". I don't know who said that, off the top of my head, but I do have the power to look it up, and the will to form my own opinions about that saying, and the person who said it, separate the two, and take value from each, individually and as a sum.

[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.