KALLEDEMOS'S PROFILE

Ironically, SnowOwl, your games transcend race and gender; Particularly, Rust and Blood comes to mind. And honestly, most of the sarcasm was probably used for an easy avatar joke rather a genuine dig at you. Honestly, the digression and excess of pathos was getting on my nerves too SnowOwl, but you humored it instead asserting everyone to get back on the topic at hand, your allegedly hostile tone notwithstanding. Sorry you got ganged up on.

Ahem.thread Rerail Commencing:
As a heterosexual black man(I'm prefacing this for the sake of perspective & clarity) I don't really feel particularly offended, or affected by the current depiction or under-representation(?) of minorities in games. I don't think the game developers should be forced to appease me just because I am a minority in my country(USA).I definitely think it is a bit of a shame LGBTQ+ gets very under-representated, though I don't think it's because game developers want to do so.Firstly, the gaming industry is mostly made up of heterosexual Caucasian males, so naturally they are reluctant to write characters that they can't easily pull from their own characteristics as a base in fears of doing so incorrectly. I also deduce they are further scared out of doing it due to negative backlash; because, in a worst case scenario, the entire situation is a chain of catch 22s :

put in extra effort to have more minority characters: "you did it wrong you racist/homophobe/*insert controversial title here* OR "what about the OTHER minorites, how inconsiderate!"

put in typical effort: "where are the minorities? you white supremacists" or "you put in no extra effort to put in more minority characters, how inconsiderate!"

So they go they latter, safe route: mostly Caucasian characters with a small batch of racial minorities and like 1 homosexual character. Fair enough I think, given the omega shitstorm trainwreck they could potentially face from the internet.

Obviously, not everyone will react like that, but the small vocal group of self-projecting cynics & social justiciers certainly will, and will do everything in their power to give the things they don't like or understand bad press and negative buzz via misinforming mass media outlets with some sensational headline fuel. Case in point: somes Games makes a men the sexists!....

except that they don't

All in all, not to even say there's an enemy, but I think we need to tell our vocal counterparts that their train of thought put game writers and developers in between a rock and a hard place redarding minorities; and that our disagreement is not with intent to antagonize them. call me a pussy or sycophant whatever for that second part, but honestly, discussion COMPLETELY devoid of considering interpersonal respect is for formal and/or organized debates with clearly defined rules, etiquette, and guidelines, not for casual argument with nothing of the sort(this thread). finally here's my reactions to my proposed scenarios:

put in extra effort to have more minority characters: Super Awesome!


put in typical effort: Awesome! Though, more minorities in this literally fantastic microcosm of the real world would be super awesome.


And some random improbable ideas and that could help if somehow achieved:

• Giving game writers more time to write and research stories
  
• Not addressing this like a dire problem (there are worse things going on.)
  
• reaching out to game writers to suggest (not demand) more minority representation
  
• If you are part of a minority,group with up with minority members, and collectively offer your perspective to game writers so their minority depictions can be more accurate

Pfffft, Daffy Duck is One True Bae.

oh my goodness I might make a review or article just so I can make a legit request for this!

I think race and gender depiction in gaming really boils down to one thing; the effort put into the writing. For example, a well written story/universe(in general) will have a diverse and multi-faceted cast of characters, or a character so multi-faceted and interesting, you can relate to and/or be invested in him or her regardless of his or her race or gender.

But more often than not, games don't get good writing, due to not only outsourcing writing talent, but also having that talent clash with the concepts conceived in-studio. It often results in either stupid, juvenile psuedo-social commentary (literally every modern FPS or Action game),or some boring, generic fantasy setting (most modern RPGs) that has was half-arsed and rushed to death because game writers have to walk on LITERALLY every single PIN and NEEDLE when writing for game developers, when ultimately, they can't even write at their best anyway to be honest, before we even get to the part where analyze how well the various races and genders are depicted, I say we first analyze how poor game writing is in general. I think that's the core problem. like seriously, I challenge somebody reading this to tell me the last time you played a game with a good, memorable story. Not "good story for a video game", I mean a good story, period. I sure you'll probably be able to name some, but I'm almost 100% sure you'll won't able to:

1)completely exclude RPGs (because a lot them build the game around the narrative, which fixes, if not mitigates the problems above)
2)Name more than you can count on your fingers
3)Say that the stories are better than your favorite stories from books, movies, or even television

And as far race and gender in games, the only genuinely malicious depiction of race I've seen was in 'ethnic cleansing' (look it up at you own risk), but that game is beyond laughable in every aspect, and is pretty much forgotten about these days. I can't think of any poor depictions of race & gender specifically in AAA games, but I do loosely recall seeing some "flamboyant gay guy", "tomboy lesbian", and "token race person who is devoid any other characteristic other than their race" stereotype characters here and there in a few games; which come off as more an offensively lazy writing than actually offensive.

tl;dr: gender and race depiction in games stories/universes is underwhelming due to underwhelming game writing in general.

you hit, and make the ultimate wall truly become the pathetic rubble.the pathetic rubble has a monologue talking about "having endless power" and getting it from a "King Prince Destroy" but it was annoying so Mechanamisis OMNIPOTENT SMASH it again.

you can now enter the almond seed village to talk to the almond and alomond people.