Support NeoGAF

[OmegaDL50]

That's not the fault of the OP, but people who don't read the argument and instead resort to White Fragility on Full Display.



Yup.

Also "you're the real racist" being trotted out right now

What is "White Fragility" even supposed to mean. Why does such a term even need to be even used. That is equally stupid as "Insert skin tone Power"

I think it's fair point to be made ethnicity doesn't determine what kind of actions or the kind of person you can become.

Just the same good or bad people can come from any background. I was never a person that cared for one's racial background or religion beliefs. To me it was always how others actions and how they interacted with me. It was their own person that mattered.

Could Starview Valley have multiple representations of racial minorities, sure. That would be fine. In fact some of the individuals in that game aren't even human for that matter. Having a equal mix of various cultures being able to intermingle isn't a bad thing. In fact it would be great if something that was more embraced.

My question is though what is the objective of the creator of Starview Valley trying to accomplish with his game. Wouldn't that be the more important topic?

 

[Infinite]

So not only are the people actively discussing the subject demonstrating white fragility, but lurkers merely reading along, as well as those who glance at the thread and close it are also exemplifying white fragility?

It would seem that the only way for a white person to avoid being fragile would be to have not seen the thread title through some stroke of luck.

What?

 

[Sai-kun]

What is "White Fragility" even supposed to mean. Why does such a term even need to be even used. That is equally stupid as "Insert skin tone Power"

i mean, in the context of american history..

black power as a phrase is a good thing

white power...not so much

 

[User 73706]

Statistically speaking (source: I live on Earth), Earth is the only planet that statistically houses life, so I'm not comfortable with games portraying nonhuman sapient races outside of terrestrial space.

Also, I've conducted numerous investigations into the local tri-state area's sociocultural and ethnic makeup, and I can say with great certainty that nobody but straight cis white dudes should be allowed to have role models similar to them in some demographic fashion.

 

[UncleSporky]

What?

I bolded the relevant part of your quote. In this thread there are people arguing, there are people being silent, and there are people leaving the stress-inducing situation.

 

[Lime]

Could Starview Valley have multiple representations of racial minorities, sure. That would be fine. In fact some of the individuals in that game aren't even human for that matter. Having a equal mix of various cultures being able to intermingle isn't a bad thing. In fact it would be great if something that was more embraced.

Cool, you just agreed with OP. It would be great to have a conversation on how such a thing would be achieved and how developers in the future might consider to stray away from default thinking when it comes to their games.

My question is though what is the objective of the creator of Starview Valley trying to accomplish with his game. Wouldn't that be the more important topic?

Sure, but that's not what this thread is about. You're welcome to create another thread discussing that subject matter.

 

[Infinite]

I bolded the relevant part of your quote. In this thread there are people arguing, there are people being silent, and there are people leaving the stress-inducing situation.

Please, read the article linked.

 

[Xbob42]

- Make your own game instead of whining
- Mod the game yourself
- Developers are White, therefore they are unable to make non-White characters
- You're the Real Racist
- The game takes place in White People Only World
- The game is made my one person, therefore mostly/only White characters exist
- I'll talk when there's a White member in Wu Tang (???)

For how diplomatic and milquetoast the OP is (it's so incredibly basic), the responses and reactions and counter-replies have been vastly disproportionate to the OP's basic claim of just asking for better representation among indies especially.

There are no excuses. No excuses for not having more non-White characters.

As I said, there's gonna be people who make their own arguments, but that doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of comments, including many of those you quoted, are actually for more representation.

As for your last two sentences, there may not be excuses, but there are definitely reasons. And thankfully a lot of those reasons are going away as attitudes slowly (and by this point quite rapidly compared to past years thanks to the ongoing conversations like this one, despite people feeling like they're being dismissed, which is unfortunate) come around and diversity becomes something we see a lot more of.

In short, I agree.

 

[UncleSporky]

It's well-established that one of the first devices that an empowered group uses to dismiss the protests of an under-privileged group is to downplay their ability to make an argument correctly. Any perceived flaws become amplified, entirely regardless of the legitimacy of the grievance.

Agreed, which is probably why many people have taken issue with this post:

Bboy AJ, good thread. However, you're wasting time arguing with these people. Don't try to convince them. Notice how confrontational you are despite seemingly innocuous remark on diversity in games. Most of whom are white. Do not engage white people on racial issues. They are, for the most part with rare exceptions, incapable of talking about race in a serious, mature manner without resorting to arguing like complete children. Even talking about diversity in games makes them lose their shit and make up false equivalence arguments about no white people being in Wu-Tang Clan. Don't engage white people on race, you'll always regret it.

 

[omgwtfbentime]

Stardew Valley is a creation of fiction and I don't think it's wrong to hold a creation of fiction (particularly those that take place in imaginary places and aren't directly based on reality) to a higher standard to try and be more inclusive. People justifying the devs (likely unaware) decision to make the game have predominantly white a characters and thinking OP wants to be offended are being unreasonable.

 

[OmegaDL50]

i mean, in the context of american history..

black power as a phrase is a good thing

white power...not so much

That's my point. It's a stupid regardless however it is used.

I think it's fair for any game to have a large inclusion of all sorts of races. It's fair to have it and I can see why some might be disgruntled when it doesn't happen.

Me being White doesn't define me as an individual or how I act towards others. It's my own individual actions is what define who I am.

So while I agree it's cool for people to want a better representation of their skin tone to be reflected in a game, I guess if all of the characters in Starview Valley were animalistic like in Animal Crossing wouldn't much different to me either I suppose.

 

[User 73706]

That's my point. It's a stupid regardless however it is used.

I think it's fair for any game to have a large inclusion of all sorts of races. It's fair to have it and I can see why some might be disgruntled when it doesn't happen.

Me being White doesn't define me as an individual or how I act towards others. It's my own individual actions is what define who I am.

So while I agree it's cool for people to want a better representation of their skin tone to be reflected in a game, I guess if all of the characters in Starview Valley were animalistic like in Animal Crossing wouldn't much different to me either I suppose.

You have a million billion well-rounded and fully characterized white entities to choose from in gaming already, though. That's why it doesn't bother you.

 

[Coffee Dog]

That's not the fault of the OP, but people who don't read the argument and instead resort to White Fragility on Full Display.

White fragility is a way to handwave criticism by accusing your opponent of skin color-based irrationality. It's a weak argument that makes a lot of assumptions, and it's disappointing to see it legitimately trotted out by an otherwise reasonable person such as yourself.

 

[User 73706]

White fragility is a way to handwave criticism by accusing your opponent of skin color-based irrationality. It's a weak argument that makes a lot of assumptions, and it's disappointing to see it legitimately trotted out by an otherwise reasonable person such as yourself.

"Yet when I try calling rioters a bunch of savages and animals, I'm the one in the wrong?"

 

[TurboButts]

A friend of mine who goes to college in Iowa told one of his roommates had never even seen a black person before going to college. I have no idea where Concerned Ape is from, but I doubt inserting diversity into his/her game was in the front of their mind when developing this game.

Its not an excuse, just a possible explanation. I think the conversation is different when we lambaste Ubisoft (for example) for not having diversity in their games than it is when we talk about a 1-man development team.

 

[Xbob42]

You have a million billion well-rounded and fully characterized white entities to choose from in gaming already, though. That's why it doesn't bother you.

I actually don't know how much I agree with this.

When it comes to gaming, I have two categories of character that I see most of the time:

Psychopaths and Supermodels. Sometimes they overlap. We're finally starting to see some actual humans outside of strictly adventure or "story" genres, though.

 

[UncleSporky]

Please, read the article linked.

I did. It doesn't exactly go into how communication via text/forum is affected. Presumably if a facet of white fragility means being silent or leaving the situation, you would see that represented in the exact ways I described (lurking with no comment or closing the thread).

If you disagree and believe those who do so aren't demonstrating white fragility, then I'd have to question your use of the definition you quoted.

 

[Infinite]

White fragility is a way to handwave criticism by accusing your opponent of skin color-based irrationality. It's a weak argument that makes a lot of assumptions, and it's disappointing to see it legitimately trotted out by an otherwise reasonable person such as yourself.

This post demonstrates that you have no understanding of the concept.

 

[Theanine3D]

I am sorry, but based on this simple request in the OP and some others throughout this thread, it seems like the same tired arguments are trotted out to defend the status quo. There is always something in any game that excuses the overwhelming Whiteness in video games. Not this game, this is made by one guy. Not this game, this is historically accurate. Not this game, it has to earn money. Not this game, this takes place in Only White People World. Not this game, just make your own damn game. And on and on and on. There's never any case where the criticism of representing other skin colors or ethnicities is granted or accepted, it's always dismissal and negation of any problem with the overwhelming Whiteness in games:

• The game is based on real history / is historically accurate, no non-White people were around back then! *dragon flies by*
• The game is based on fantasy, so of course it's okay not to have any non-White characters in the game *anything is possible, except non-White people*
• The game is made by one person, it's too much to ask for him/her to spend energy on other characters than White people *40 individually created characters are all White*
• There's one brown character in the game, so your criticism is invalid *Brown character is a NPC in a sea of Whiteness*
• White people are the target demographics, of course the characters are going to be White *assumes white consumers don't want to see non-White characters i.e. are racists*
• The developers couldn't afford to allocate money to creating non-White characters *screenshot of meticulously rendered wall texture lighted by million-dollar graphical engine*
• They're just video games, they're not political at all *plays as American soldier shooting Middle Eastern citizens*
• Don't infringe on the artistic vision!! *goes into another thread to criticize FPS level design*
• Just mod the game yourself *has to learn texture editing, map rendering, and actual modding*
• Why don't you just make games yourself? *has to switch educations, jobs, social capital, skillsets, go through all the racism in the games industry and culture*
• You're the real racist for talking about racism!
• Quotas / affirmative action / hire the best person for the job! *does not understand the point of the system always being stacked against you*
• Censorship! *does not understand the concept of censorship*
• You're so negative, nobody wants to talk with you *lives every single day in White supremacy and is met with dismissal and diet racism every time you try to criticize the status quo in the mildest way possible*

Just fucking try to make someone else than White Characters. I thought video games allowed for limitless expression within the realm of what is computationally possible to represent.

Fantastic post. I see these same tired arguments OVER and over in these kind of threads and I wish the people trotting them out would just listen to themselves.

Minorities are never allowed to ask for anything, and when developers actually do listen to us, these people attack the devs and blindly accuse them of pandering. Even if the developer actually did a good job at avoiding stereotypes and wrote good diverse characters, it's always "pandering." It's ridiculous. We can never win.

 

[Sushi Nao]

Agreed, which is probably why many people have taken issue with this post:

edit: I'm likely mistaken in your intent, apologies

I think I'm out, I'm too amped up by this issue to post intelligently lol

Godspeed brothers and sisters

 

[UncleSporky]

I believe you missed the vital part of my post about power differentials.

It's alright to belittle another's argumentation tactics as long as one doesn't come from a position of power?

 

[User 73706]

I actually don't know how much I agree with this.

When it comes to gaming, I have two categories of character that I see most of the time:

Psychopaths and Supermodels. Sometimes they overlap. We're finally starting to see some actual humans outside of strictly adventure or "story" genres, though.

They don't have to be any more perfect than characters in other mediums to be valid. Look at it this way: you don't go back to 1985 to buy a locomotive and then say that electric car drivers have it better than (or equivalent status as) gas-powered car operators because none of the cars running on fossil fuels have cold fusion reactors yet.

 

[Lanrutcon]

This post demonstrates that you have no understanding of the concept.

Phew. Close call there. Almost thought you were going to share your understanding instead of just brushing off his post like an ass.

 

[Lime]

White fragility is a way to handwave criticism by accusing your opponent of skin color-based irrationality. It's a weak argument that makes a lot of assumptions, and it's disappointing to see it legitimately trotted out by an otherwise reasonable person such as yourself.

The point is that there have been disproportionate responses to something as simple as asking indies be better at representation. It's not so much about the skin color (I agree that it makes weak assumptions, but that's an incorrect interpretation of the concept I'd argue), as it is more about people being comfortable in and ignorant about the status quo, and any request to change that is seen as antagonistic or warrants irrational responses.

 

[Fracas]

I haven't played Stardew Valley but I'm all for more diversity with character design.

 

[HeyMrDeadMan]

To those who don't play Stardew Valley, here is Demetrius. He's a scientist married to a carpenter.

This is his hakf-black daughter, Maru. She's into machinery and works at the local clinic.


While I understand your grievances OP, I would not consider either of these characters "token" by any mean. I'd say they're positive representations, if anything. Token black character does not feel like it remotely lines up with a well-spoken black scientist who lives in a quiet farming community.

I believe that before adding more black characters, other races should be considered. I would like to see Asian and Indian characters, first and foremost.

Can we talk about pure aesthetics here for a second? Demitrius has a pretty natural (as least as far as 16-bit sprites go) skin tone and shading. Maru looks just awful by comparison. Flat shading and a sickly looking skin tone. I'd almost wager that CF just used a straight 50% color blend to arrive at that skin color.

 

[OmegaDL50]

And I've noticed twice I mispelled Stardew Valley as "Starview"

Welp. I guess that's time for me to stop messing around with Universe Sandbox and Celestia.

I got too much astronomy on the brain.

Isn't Stardew Valley also going to get future updates?

Maybe someone could suggest to the developer to include more characters of various cultures or race. Of course It's nothing wrong in asking and making a request.

Of course that depends if it's fits within his creative vision for the game.

 

[User 73706]

White fragility isn't Discussing While White - dismissing an entire race for the sheer possibility that they may have problems with the present status quo is expressly reserved for ignorant folk who will fight tooth and nail to derail minorities or otherwise subvert or obfuscate the discussion so as to avoid, well, actually having a discussion.

Or, to put it another way: white fragility isn't being present at a kickball game whether you're a player or an onlooker - it's taking your ball and going home if the team you're playing against shows even a modicum of conviction or anything other than outright desire to forfeit.

 

[Infinite]

I did. It doesn't exactly go into how communication via text/forum is affected. Presumably if a facet of white fragility means being silent or leaving the situation, you would see that represented in the exact ways I described (lurking with no comment or closing the thread).

If you disagree and believe those who do so aren't demonstrating white fragility, then I'd have to question your use of the definition you quoted.

It seems like the assumption was some form of communication was established on racial topic and then that communication was broken, either by becoming defensive and argumentative or checking out of it completely (silence), once the person became sufficiently uncomfortable with the topic. That wouldn't apply to people reading the thread since by simply reading the thread you are actively engaging the conversation even if at one point you exited. According to that definition "lurking" doesn't seem like it's demonstrative of white fragility. And this convo is getting too meta for our thread. You can pm me tho.

Phew. Close call there. Almost thought you were going to share your understanding instead of just brushing off his post like an ass.

I already did a page back. Posted the definition of white fragility and the source the coined it and explains it in depth. That person's understanding of it flat out wrong as the definition talks about behaviors and not skin color. No one is saying "yeah you're white so white fragility" and dismiss them just like that.

 

[Inspector Jones]

I think the question is; how much is enough? Stardew Valley is Concerned Ape's vision and he's been working on it for years but some people say he should have included more non-white characters. To me that just seems like the definition of a token character if he were including them to appeal to those people. But I also don't believe in forcing developers to include content in order to please everyone.

Could Stardew Valley have a more diverse cast strictly talking in terms of race? Yes. Does that mean it necessarily should have? I don't agree with that. It's fine if you feel differently though, but I feel like the cast of characters are well written and the game tackles hard issues like depression, alcoholism, and other sensitive issues.

More diversity is needed in gaming, I think most people will agree on that. It does get boring as playing as the white male space marine all the time. Really, we need more diversity in the developers making games, especially in the AAA marker and indie market as well. Anytime I see developers talk about their games, they are always white. Maybe representation would improve in games if more non-white developers were making games.

 

[Syriel]

Y'all "you should contact the dev directly" people are off the mark. Telling people the "right" way to be frustrated, especially when that way involves you not seeing their frustration personally, is lame af.

OP states:

I'd appreciate a more diverse cast in Stardew Valley.

Folks have pointed out that if that's what the OP wants, OP's best course of action would be to contact the developer who is:

1. Easily accessible.
2. Interacts with the community on a regular basis.
3. Takes feedback.

That's not telling OP "the "right" way to be frustrated," but rather the most direct method to achieve OP's stated goal.

If OP just wants to have a discussion about diversity on GAF, then talking to the developer is irrelevant.

If OP does indeed want a more diverse cast in Stardew Valley (either in an update or in a sequel), then talking to the developer is probably the best way to do that.

Not sure how that is "off the mark" or "lame af."

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Phew. Close call there. Almost thought you were going to share your understanding instead of just brushing off his post like an ass.

It gets tiring having to explain something over and over before discussion can even begin.

If you're not merely looking to make a dig at someone, you could ask they explain it, or if you already understand it, lay it out and respond accordingly.

Responding to someone who doesn't understand the concepts being discussed can just make responding not constructive, so not responding to an argument built on a misconception is usually the better option.

OP states:



Folks have pointed out that if that's what the OP wants, OP's best course of action would be to contact the developer who is:

1. Easily accessible.
2. Interacts with the community on a regular basis.
3. Takes feedback.

That's not telling OP "the "right" way to be frustrated," but rather the most direct method to achieve OP's stated goal.

If OP just wants to have a discussion about diversity on GAF, then talking to the developer is irrelevant.

If OP does indeed want a more diverse cast in Stardew Valley (either in an update or in a sequel), then talking to the developer is probably the best way to do that.

Not sure how that is "off the mark" or "lame af."

One doesn't preclude the other, and one in Bly needs to be suggested once. I'd have to check in this thread, but the suggestion could be construed as "go talk to the developer instead of posting here."

 

[A Link to the Past]

I think the question is; how much is enough? Stardew Valley is Concerned Ape's vision and he's been working on it for years but some people say he should have included more non-white characters. To me that just seems like the definition of a token character if he were including them to appeal to those people. But I also don't believe in forcing developers to include content in order to please everyone.

Could Stardew Valley have a more diverse cast strictly talking in terms of race? Yes. Does that mean it necessarily should have? I don't agree with that. It's fine if you feel differently though, but I feel like the cast of characters are well written and the game tackles hard issues like depression, alcoholism, and other sensitive issues.

More diversity is needed in gaming, I think most people will agree on that. It does get boring as playing as the white male space marine all the time. Really, we need more diversity in the developers making games, especially in the AAA marker and indie market as well. Anytime I see developers talk about their games, they are always white. Maybe representation would improve in games if more non-white developers were making games.

"The true tokenism is demanding diversity" is a poor argument. Tokenism isn't a default issue, it's present in the case that a designer poorly implements diversity (or a lack thereof). Yes, it would be great if non-white designers were more involved, but we shouldn't have to look to non-white designers for non-white characters, because such a thing would inherently lead to the expectation that white designers don't need to worry about it, and because white designers so strongly represent major games development, that means that diversity will ultimately suffer.

snip

Often, the reason people say "well tell the developer if you care so much" is usually to halt discussion on the forum. Now, this isn't true for everyone, but it's often true.

 

[User 73706]

"The true tokenism is demanding diversity" is a poor argument. Tokenism isn't a default issue, it's present in the case that a designer poorly implements diversity (or a lack thereof). Yes, it would be great if non-white designers were more involved, but we shouldn't have to look to non-white designers for non-white characters, because such a thing would inherently lead to the expectation that white designers don't need to worry about it, and because white designers so strongly represent major games development, that means that diversity will ultimately suffer.

For some reason people really like to humor the idea that minorities are only token if minorities ask for them, when in reality it's the complete opposite. If there's a demand for more well-rounded, relatable minority characters that aren't just a paper-thin stereotype (which there definitely is a demand for) and a developer happens to include characters in the game because of this - whether that communication is direct or indirect - it's really the exact opposite of token inclusionism. Whereas if someone decides to shove a bunch of one-note minority characters among a cast of more defined and developed snowflakes - which no minorities are asking for specifically - that's more in line with the token minority trope.

 

[UncleSporky]

It seems like the assumption was some form of communication was established on racial topic and then that communication was broken, either by becoming defensive and argumentative or checking out of it completely (silence), once the person became sufficiently uncomfortable with the topic. That wouldn't apply to people reading the thread since by simply reading the thread you are actively engaging the conversation even if at one point you exited. According to that definition "lurking" doesn't seem like it's demonstrative of white fragility. And this convo is getting too meta for our thread. You can pm me tho.

I already did a page back. Posted the definition of white fragility and the source the coined it and explains it in depth. That person's understanding of it flat out wrong as the definition talks about behaviors and not skin color. No one is saying "yeah you're white so white fragility" and dismiss them just like that.

Actually the post just above yours (in addition to your edit) explains it quite well, thank you. It seemed to be a blanket statement rather than something that would apply on an individual basis.

 

[Infinite]

Actually the post just above yours (in addition to your edit) explains it quite well, thank you. It seemed to be a blanket statement rather than something that would apply on an individual basis.

It's a construct used to indentify and understand patterns of behavior in reaction to a specific event. I guess we're on the same page?

 

[MotionBlue]

I think this is a non-issue. Any lack of apparent diversity is not malicious or ignorant. The game was a pet project for 5 years of a single person. At worst, it reflects upon his own social sphere.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I think this is a non-issue. Any lack of apparent diversity is not malicious or ignorant. The game was a pet project for 5 years of a single person. At worst, it reflects upon his own social sphere.

A lack of diversity needn't be out of malice or ignorance to be criticized. Criticism doesn't exist for the sake of beating people down, it exists to hopefully ensure that their future endeavours are improved.

For some reason people really like to humor the idea that minorities are only token if minorities ask for them, when in reality it's the complete opposite. If there's a demand for more well-rounded, relatable minority characters that aren't just a paper-thin stereotype (which there definitely is a demand for) and a developer happens to include characters in the game because of this - whether that communication is direct or indirect - it's really the exact opposite of token inclusionism. Whereas if someone decides to shove a bunch of one-note minority characters among a cast of more defined and developed snowflakes - which no minorities are asking for specifically - that's more in line with the token minority trope.

Precisely. The assumption too that such "pandering" would lead to a negative result is always so unfortunate.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

I think this is a non-issue. Any lack of apparent diversity is not malicious or ignorant. The game was a pet project for 5 years of a single person. At worst, it reflects upon his own social sphere.

Agree, I wish there was more discussion about how this is the best game of the year so far instead, but I guess there's no controversy in that opinion.

 

[Brakke]

Folks have pointed out that if that's what the OP wants, OP's best course of action would be to contact the developer

OP obviously wants to have a conversation on GAF. I can tell because he 1) started and then 2) participated in a discussion on GAF.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Agree, I wish there was more discussion about how this is the best game of the year so far instead, but I guess there's no controversy in that opinion.

Yeah, too bad that there isn't an OT for this game.

 

[UncleSporky]

One thing I am curious of people's opinions regards to tokenism and including diversity in a game...

Is it one of those things where if you have to ask, you've already lost - it's already token?

In other words if a developer said, "hey, I'm looking to include more diversity in my game. What should this look like, how should it be represented so as to make the greatest number of players feel at home?"

That's like asking for the quota that should be fulfilled, right? It's reducing a complex issue to a numbers game, and could be interpreted as "what do I have to do to get you people to shut up about this."

And yet it could also come from a position of admitting that one might not have the best perspective on how to sufficiently implement diversity and wanting to do a better job of representation.

Is it reprehensible for seeking that minimum diversity level to appease the masses, or is it laudable for being an attempt at diversifying before the game is released and it may be too late?

 

[Prototype Viktor]

In a game where one guy made and everyone is white except for the 1 black guy and mixed girl you have to see this as the dev's life he's recreating. Makes me wonder where he lives where only 1 person he knows married someone non-white. I can drive to the middle of no where Texas and still see some NW ppl


People in this thread just want indie (all) devs to stop/curb their mindset of white = default = normal

 

[Russ T]

I haven't played it a whole lot yet.

But I made a black lady for my character, and my grandfather was still white.

...So there's that.

(I'm sure it was an honest mistake. It made me laugh. Hopefully it'll be fixed. Maybe it already has.)

 

[TheOohChild]

I guess it makes sense there is little minority representation in a secluded agrarian village with like 30 townspeople, but then again, this is also a place where I can trade my backpack and $10,000 for a backpack with more storage capacity and a head of cauliflower sells for $175. And there is a wizard.

You should make a thread on the steam forum. The dev is a nice guy.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I bet that if the designer apologizes and agrees that the game had diversity problems, people would still come in to complain about outrage culture.

One thing I am curious of people's opinions regards to tokenism and including diversity in a game...

Is it one of those things where if you have to ask, you've already lost - it's already token?

In other words if a developer said, "hey, I'm looking to include more diversity in my game. What should this look like, how should it be represented so as to make the greatest number of players feel at home?"

That's like asking for the quota that should be fulfilled, right? It's reducing a complex issue to a numbers game, and could be interpreted as "what do I have to do to get you people to shut up about this."

And yet it could also come from a position of admitting that one might not have the best perspective on how to sufficiently implement diversity and wanting to do a better job of representation.

Is it reprehensible for seeking that minimum diversity level to appease the masses, or is it laudable for being an attempt at diversifying before the game is released and it may be too late?

No, it's getting perspectives from the people who want it. Tokenism basically means throwing a certain kind of character into a media in order to avoid accusations of lacking diversity. Asking for other perspectives is more akin to a white guy making a movie about Native Americans and being consulted by Native Americans.

 

[Sai-kun]

Agree, I wish there was more discussion about how this is the best game of the year so far instead, but I guess there's no controversy in that opinion.

is this post for real, man?

 

[Prototype Viktor]

That's my point. It's a stupid regardless however it is used.

I think it's fair for any game to have a large inclusion of all sorts of races. It's fair to have it and I can see why some might be disgruntled when it doesn't happen.

Me being White doesn't define me as an individual or how I act towards others. It's my own individual actions is what define who I am.

So while I agree it's cool for people to want a better representation of their skin tone to be reflected in a game, I guess if all of the characters in Starview Valley were animalistic like in Animal Crossing wouldn't much different to me either I suppose.

I want you to watch zootopia and see what your take of it is and report back. I think it will be enlightening to the rest of us or just interesting

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I want you to watch zootopia and see what your take of it is and report back. I think it will be enlightening to the rest of us or just interesting

That's a great movie for so many reasons

 

[Htown]

I think this is a non-issue. Any lack of apparent diversity is not malicious or ignorant. The game was a pet project for 5 years of a single person. At worst, it reflects upon his own social sphere.

You realize that people who talk about diversity in a specific game aren't necessarily looking for a reason to call the developer racist, right? This is not about trying to tear down the guy who made Stardew Valley. We're not trying to arrive at a verdict of Racist or Not Racist here.