I like how the accent on the S sticks out over the spoiler text.
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Balkan - Counter Strike GO, Why is this okay?
- Thread starter Lord_Balkan
- Start date
I like how the accent on the S sticks out over the spoiler text.
flipswitch
Member
Kos Luftar
Member
Lord_Balkan
Member
I like that one. It is generic enough that no one will bat an eye, but people with knowledge of the area can chuckle at. Or even United SouthSlav Army or something.
HTK
Banned
I'm from the Balkans specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina. I would advise that Balkan does not make sense in the context of this list.
(Anarchist Balkan Pirate Professional Separatist)
I mean it's literally implying that people of this region are Terrorist.
ex: (Anarchist American Pirate Professional Separatist)
It almost seems like a mistake, they should come up with a Terrorist group name and not a region.
(Anarchist Balkan Pirate Professional Separatist)
I mean it's literally implying that people of this region are Terrorist.
ex: (Anarchist American Pirate Professional Separatist)
It almost seems like a mistake, they should come up with a Terrorist group name and not a region.
Živjeli!
it's a chevron
I'm croatian and I'm not offended by this. It's not targeting any group, but a region.
If it would say Ustaa, Ćetnik or Partizan that would be a different scenario. Of course I don't want to speak for everybody, so judge on your own.
If it would say Ustaa, Ćetnik or Partizan that would be a different scenario. Of course I don't want to speak for everybody, so judge on your own.
Kapu nakrivili!
Kos Luftar
Member
Ćetnik would fit.
Lord_Balkan
Member
I am not personally offended, but the other factions do not follow that trend, and it is perpetuating negative untrue stereotypes about the region.
Messofanego
Banned
Fuuuuuuuuuck that's beautiful!I've been patiently waiting for some amazing RPG to include Plitvice in some area of the game.
It's too bad there are only negative representations of Balkans in games right now. I know the feeling.
At least there's Game of Thrones.
Lord_Balkan
Member
I made a petition of people want to sign it, I put it in the first post
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/csgo-faction-name-balkan-should-be-changed
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/csgo-faction-name-balkan-should-be-changed
eh, we're used to it. it's sad, really, I've met this girl once, with a thick accent, asked her, where she's from and she said: "I'm from Albania" and immediately added - "...but I'm one of the good ones!"
as for balkan representation in games, I can think of only bad guys like Tihomir Darius in Syndicate and Lazarevic in Uncharted 2.
...oh wait! Nikola Tesla is in The Order 1886, I'm guessing as a good guy?
as for balkan representation in games, I can think of only bad guys like Tihomir Darius in Syndicate and Lazarevic in Uncharted 2.
...oh wait! Nikola Tesla is in The Order 1886, I'm guessing as a good guy?
There's this dude from Far Cry 2.
So at least represented in the climax of the Far Cry series. That's positive!
All that came to my mind was Anchorman 2, SORRY.
Lord_Balkan
Member
Sad thing is,
Kinda looks like me ;/
Kinda looks like me ;/
machemachete
Banned
At first i thought OP was joking and making fun of the sensible people, but it seems that he's serious, well...
I don't see anything wrong with the name, ¿what stops the terrorist group to be called "Balkans"?
Nothing
I don't see anything wrong with the name, ¿what stops the terrorist group to be called "Balkans"?
Nothing
What about Niko Belić from GTA 4?
I think Warren Vidic from Assassind Creed is also from the Balkans.
Lord_Balkan
Member
So you see nothing wrong with a Terrorist group in a game called 'Middle Easterners'?
I mentioned Niko in the first post. Though I wouldn't say he is positive representation of the Balkans, even though weirdly enough they did get some of the nuances of how important family is to the culture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans
That's a lot of different cuisines, it's like saying "food from Asia". Considering the cultural context, this isn't something GAF posters should say.
Lord_Balkan
Member
The difference is Asia is magnitudes larger than the Balkans. Because of the size of the region, there are a lot of dishes that are shared throughout the region. It is NOT like saying food from Asia.
Well, what I wanted to point out was the generalization, I guess the example was just a bad one.
Sentenza
Member
I think it's very different, actually. And it's precisely the geographical specification that makes it different.
On the other hand you could argue that it's not different from a crime movie labeling a specific mob faction as "the Russians", "the Italians" or something similar... Which is nothing I feel anyone should be offended about.
Never said it was?
He said why not come up with a more creative name. Most video game names are shit whether they're a terrorist group or the protagonist.
Is this gonna be like SOCOM where people complained and they changed it from SEALs vs Terrorists to SEALs vs Mercenaries
Lord_Balkan
Member
Middle East is a geographic region. How is it different than calling a terrorist group "Middle Easterners". Balkan is not an ethnicity nor it is a nationality. It is a region that includes many different cultures, languages and religions (Orthodox, Catholic and Islam).
Lord_Balkan
Member
It doesn't offend me, I just think it is dumb.
SolidSnakesMyStepDad
Member
Just don't play train or nuke. Thats what I do.
Sentenza
Member
Anton Sugar
Member
The names you specifically listed are not offensive to or don't specifically name a certain region of people.
"Terrorists" would be a huge improvement over "Balkans".
And for the record, I have no problem with SEALs vs Terrorists, as long as that's an accurate description of the opposing faction.
Piston Hyundai
Member
I doubt it was done out of ill will at all. It's probably just a lazy name born out of the fact that nobody cares about the narrative in Counter Strike outside of "Terrorists vs. Anti-Terrorists." I'm pretty sure I've seen this done a lot in media in general with "The Russians."
Frankly, it's kind of funny how you can go "it's not a big deal" to something like Hatred then go "please sign my petition" to something else the very next day.
Frankly, it's kind of funny how you can go "it's not a big deal" to something like Hatred then go "please sign my petition" to something else the very next day.
Lord_Balkan
Member
So is the term Middle East. How does the broadness of the geographical region affect what I am saying?
I don't see how bringing in other threads is helpful here. My point on the Hatred was, it is something I personally wouldn't play, but I don't think it should be censored. Where this thread is more about Balkan representation in video games.
They have the right to call it Balkan, and I have the right to call it stupid. Like I believe the people have the right to make the game Hatred, like people have the right to criticize it.
Glass Rebel
Member
Typical media representation of the Balkans. Me and my brother often joke that to us Albanians Taken is one of the scariest movies around. Kinda disappointed in Valve.
Zeyphersan
Banned
Cooking Mama 6: Balkan Surprise
Sentenza
Member
But "Middle East" lacks specificity.
"The Balkans" describes a very specific group, coming from a defined region.
I'm not even sure of what you are trying to say, actually.
It's related to what I was saying, on the other hand.
No, it's not. That's what you are trying to make it about.
It's about a terrorist faction that in this specific circumstance happens to be from the Balkans, as "The Italians" in a crime movie is not about all the Italians, but about a group of mobsters who happen to come from Italy.
There we go. At least you noticed it.
*scribbles in travel book*
Yeah, and this was done right after the Serbia v. Albania soccer game. Timing is a bit screwed up since tensions are hot right now. My family is from the Balkans, I'm not offended but there are plenty of specific groups they could've mentioned instead of the whole region.
Does/Did Slovenia have any terrorist/rebel groups? They always seem like the most laid back Broz of the Balkans.
Does/Did Slovenia have any terrorist/rebel groups? They always seem like the most laid back Broz of the Balkans.
Lord_Balkan
Member
Are you saying Balkan describes a very specific group?
Tell that to people from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, Turkey, Croatia and Slovenia. With Latin, Slavic, Albanian and Turkish languages, along with Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism and Islam.
Its not? I mean, I gave an example of Balkan representation in the first post, then went into Balkan representation in general by mentioning Niko from GTA4. What you said is true, I am trying to use CSGO as an example for the broader Balkan representation issue.
Visualante2
Member
I think you'd have more success just e.mailing Chet from Valve and asking what's the reasoning behind the naming. I bet he'd either explain their reasoning or change it.
Sentenza
Member
No?
EDIT: and yet, re-reading my previous post, it seems like that's exactly what I said. Bad wording, I guess.
Let me re-elaborate: I was saying that in this context it describes *that* specific group of terrorists, who came from a specific region.
I really don't see any reason to interpret it as "bad representation of people from the Balkan Peninsula" in general.
ichtyander
Member
Surely you can see that it seems a bit out of place in comparison to the other factions which are based on ideologies or (criminal) career choices: Balkan, Anarchist, Professional, Pirate, Separatist. It almost sounds like the character classes in South Park: The Stick of Truth: Fighter, Mage, Thief, Jew, just without the intended humor. It would be just as weird to have faction names like Nordic or Baltic. One of the factions (Separatist) are a French and Spanish mix if I'm not mistaken. They're not called "Western Europe" or anything of the sort. Also, you do realize that even Greece falls into the regional definition of the Balkans, which has absolutely no association with what this faction in CS:GO is actually referring to.
I'm not saying it's particularly offensive nor that I'm surprised, frankly people from Russia and the Middle East have it a lot worse after decades of negative depictions in popular western media, but it just seems like a lazy way of naming a faction, out of context with the rest of the names.
Got a chuckle, whether intentional or not. Josip Broz (aka Tito) had his vacation house in Bled, Slovenia.
Slovenia received some decent European backing when they declared independence, and coupled with a fairly light show of force from the Yugoslavian forces, ended the conflict in 10 days.
They are real. I saw their graffiti
Irrefutable factual evidence RIGHT THERE. Their leader goose is a mother fucker. That guy always lands the perfect flashes.
Lord_Balkan
Member
I caught that too. A really funny movie btw about Tito is called Tito's Ghost. So much Balkan humor in one movie.