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[godels rotating universe]

For some it is, for some it isn't.

I don't understand why why everyone insists that being gay is so big of a deal that being born with something different in your brain is the only way it can happen.

It is very possible for humans to try something they never thought of before, like it and decide to stick exclusively to that.

Behold! The difference between homosexual/bisexual men and men who have sex with men.

 

[speedpop]

Gamers creating a mountain out of an anthill. What's new.

 

[Freshmaker]

I really do wonder just how many JRPG fans are at Bioware currently; they've been borrowing JRPG elements so much over the years that I've begun to suspect a lot of old Square-Enix fanboys make up the rank and file over in Edmonton at this point.

That's silly. Bioware's already stated that no new ideas come from Japan.

 

[zoukka]

Oh I cringed so bad while reading the OP quote... fuck the straight male gamer in the ass if pandering to him means we never get anything new and interesting. FFS.

 

[stupei]

Also I think Bioware's gay characters are pretty stereotyped - why cant the gay guy be Alistair or Jacob for once?

The lesbian options aren't a lot better.

I like Liara as much as the average gamer -- because whatever Bioware might say, yes, Shepard is sometimes a lesbian, otherwise how do you explain lap dances from Kelly Chambers -- but I don't understand why the lesbian romance option always has to be the zen granola hippie chick. Why not Morrigan? Why not Miranda? (The idea that the rebellious, lives outside of every boundary and doesn't give a damn what people think witch from DA:O wouldn't even give my female elf a second glance is insane. Insane, I tell you! And Miranda's supposed to be the perfect woman but she doesn't go both ways? Well, that doesn't even make sense!)

Of course, in a lot of ways Isabela is what you get when you mix Miranda with Morrigan, so I'd say DA2 is progress in at least that regard.

 

[Ghost]

Really I wish Bioware would take all the romance crap out of their RPGs, it's always terrible and it totally undermines the ability of the games to really make the NPCs believable people when all anyone cares about is "CAN I ROMANCE THEM???"

It's funny to me that they've been talking for years about expanding the audience and bringing more players in but they didn't think to remove the piece of the games with the most stigma attached to it.

 

[godels rotating universe]

I personally find it very difficult to believe that the romance options in the games were actually designed by people who are of the orientations they are supposed to represent.

 

[daviyoung]

Really I wish Bioware would take all the romance crap out of their RPGs, it's always terrible and it totally undermines the ability of the games to really make the NPCs believable people when all anyone cares about is "CAN I ROMANCE THEM???"

It's funny to me that they've been talking for years about expanding the audience and bringing more players in but they didn't think to remove the piece of the games with the most stigma attached to it.

Don't forget that Mass Effect 1 was so popular BECAUSE of the sex

 

[toastyToast]

These sexual relationships are a total waste of time, get to crafting interesting lore or recording some narratively significant dialog. Maybe spend some time making some side quests. Fuck.

Sick of this shit, finish the damn game first.

 

[godels rotating universe]

I don't generally romance anyone in RPGs, though that's partly because I play them from the heart and thus am mainly uninterested in everything offered to me. I guess a lot of people play 'in character' but that's not really me.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

I wonder how much outrage there would be if there were no romances in ME3 or DA3. Nerd tears would be epic.

Speaking of which, I remember reading how The Old Republic will have companions as well, I'm curious if Bioware will make any of them love interests. Have they stated anything about that?

 

[Patryn]

The lesbian options aren't a lot better.

I like Liara as much as the average gamer -- because whatever Bioware might say, yes, Shepard is sometimes a lesbian, otherwise how do you explain lap dances from Kelly Chambers -- but I don't understand why the lesbian romance option always has to be the zen granola hippie chick. Why not Morrigan? Why not Miranda? (The idea that the rebellious, lives outside of every boundary and doesn't give a damn what people think witch from DA:O wouldn't even give my female elf a second glance is insane. Insane, I tell you! And Miranda's supposed to be the perfect woman but she doesn't go both ways? Well, that doesn't even make sense!)

Of course, in a lot of ways Isabela is what you get when you mix Miranda with Morrigan, so I'd say DA2 is progress in at least that regard.

Actually, the fact that Miranda and Morrigan don't swing both ways is the clearest sign that Bioware is abandoning the straight male gamer. Think of all the nerd tears shed over the fact that they can't get some super hot girl-on-girl action with those two!

 

[AColdDay]

Gay relationships don't bother me in these type of games. I am a "straight male gamer" and I appreciate lesbian options because I will always play though these types of games once as an renegade lesbian.

 

[CabbageRed]

Strange stuff in the OP. I can understand missing straight NPC's, since having everyone swinging both ways seems lazy, but beyond that?

Besides, I felt Bioware was trying to appeal to bitter fanfic writers who have trouble discerning between "man in black with a dark and tortured past" and "I will fill your eye sockets with my tears and hate and please kiss me now I hate you." Dragon 2: Personality Disorders.

 

[godels rotating universe]

Gay relationships don't bother me in these type of games. I am a "straight male gamer" and I appreciate lesbian options because I will always play though these types of games once as an renegade lesbian.

Yeah but lesbian relationships aren't really the issue here are they.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

I like how he put Aveline in the "design to appeal women" group; so that means that the "straight male gamer" can't like strong independent women? Men, this guy really have some issues.

I also find it amusing that he thinks the whole game (or at least story and characters) should be design so that the "straight male gamer" would be happy. Who cares about originality, creativity and interesting characters, throw that stupid things aside; you should design the game to appeal to certain group dammit!

And no, I don't mind gay romance options in a RPG game. This is a role playing game, if someone wants their character to be gay, why shouldn't the game give her/him such option?

 

[Tylahedras]

I like the previous titles and I haven't tried DA2 but I could easily imagine bible belt kids being unhappy with getting a pass from a male character.

I mean given the shit you have to listen too on XBL how could that not be the case?

 

[Treemonkeys]

Ok so I guess I will go a little bit against the grain here?

Personally I thought it was bad design, actually terrible design.

I don't think there should be a "no homosexuality option", but their either should be a sexual orientation choice at character creation, or better yet they should just handle the dialog in a much better fashion.

When I am playing the game and going through dialog without putting too much though into it, and I end up feeling like my PC is gay, that is bad design.

In a game where I can choose to be a ruthless murdering thief if I want to, romance and the different moral aspects of it are extremely limited.

Part of what was annoying about it, is well first of all, I was getting hit on by more men than women, second of all - how limited the dialog was. Often times it was either flirt back or respond in a mean fashion - or respond to someone who is expressing inner pain/suffering/turmoil with either flirting/ignoring it/or once again being mean. How about a middle ground where I care but don't want to fuck you?

Overall it's not a surprise and not something that alone would make me not want to play the game, but the romances in Bioware games are generally crap anyways. I can see how having homosexual relations would alienate less people - and it is something that should be included and done well but how it is implemented hasn't made the romances themselves any less terrible.

 

[Levyne]

I think so heavily emphasizing romance (of a very flat nature) options in Bioware (and other) rpgs is kinda silly regardless of orientation...

..or level of "Exotic....ness"

I'd rather they focus on the scope of the game and how it plays rather than WHO CAN I HAVE SEX WITH!? HU NO TALI ROMANCE IN ME1!??BOOOOOO

ugh