How do you feel about LGBT characters in games?

[Cvrtis]

Humans tend to give nature the middle finger during every moment of their lives at just about everything. If LGBT stuff is really against nature, all of society is going to eventually ignore it, just like everything else.

You are RIGHT - homosexuals CAN NOT have children.


When you realize that your nation is dying out - You will foget about Your tolerastion.


About other Your words... Man, I can not dicute with unlogical people, who think that sleep with the same sex, the same as building a boat 


You confuse pleasure with survival, whim with necessity.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Man, I cannot dispure with unlogical people who think that a homosexual relationship can only occur between two cis people and therefor CAN NOT yield children. :/


--


As someone who is helping write a story where the main race in question IS dying out, yes - something like that can have an impact on the way people think. We have characters whose thoughts run anywhere from "who cares" to "just have a kid with someone then do whatever you want" to "oh no you must marry into a family that can yield children as quickly as possible grr" It's another interesting angle to look at when designing each character. That's why world building is important when designing characters.


But this is one story. The rules of it do not apply everywhere and neither do the assumptions of your post. Who are you to say a nation is dying out in every single person's game and therefor homosexual relations are 'bad?'

 

[Galenmereth]

In reality land there's too many people on this planet than it can sustain already, and yet we want to elevate everyone to our modern living standards. Fewer people having children is a good thing, and one of the only things that can make that a reality over time. Take that whatever way you want to.


Incidentally that is also an interesting element for a science fiction story set in the not-too-distant future.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

Man, I cannot dispure with unlogical people who think that a homosexual relationship can only occur between two cis people and therefor CAN NOT yield children. :/

Not only that, but its not like bisexual cis people can't have kids.


Or that homosexual cis couples can't have kids through surrogacy or sperm donation.


Or that there aren't tons of kids that are in the foster care system they could adopt...

 

[Ms Littlefish]

A lot of straight couples cannot have biological children either. Many people struggle with infertility. But poverty, debt, climate change, and other issues are actually making the choice to remain childless the most sustainable choice for many households. The rate of families remaining child free by choice are significantly on the rise. When we're currently in a battle against time to figure out how the Hell we're going to feed the projected 9-10 billion people we'll have in 2050; I think increasing our numbers is not exactly what we should be worried about.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

PLUS! When it comes down to making my own game, it's my game - and I honestly don't care if you (Cvrtis) think that all my characters should be focused on baby making.


But yeah, as an argument, it doesn't really hold water.

 

[Chrispy]

You are RIGHT - homosexuals CAN NOT have children.


When you realize that your nation is dying out - You will foget about Your tolerastion.


About other Your words... Man, I can not dicute with unlogical people, who think that sleep with the same sex, the same as building a boat 


You confuse pleasure with survival, whim with necessity.

Humans crossed the oceans originally because they wanted to, it was not a matter of survival. Lets not make anything more than it is. Columbus crossed the oceans because he wanted fame, power, and money, all of which can make your life way the heck more pleasurable if you have a lot of it. I'm not confusing pleasure with survival at all. Though I do apologize for presenting an idea you do not understand.

PLUS! When it comes down to making my own game, it's my game - and I honestly don't care if you (Cvrtis) think that all my characters should be focused on baby making.


But yeah, as an argument, it doesn't really hold water.

Fortunately, humans have many more things to occupy their time than just making babies to further the survival of their species.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

As many others have said, if he or she contributes to the story (just like with any other character), then I'd say go for it.

 

[taarna23]

This whole conversation seems to have gone off the rails of "in games."


I could care less in games. Even when presented it's not generally done as a huge thing of a character because it actually does risk pushing away audience and purchases, and game companies won't do that (unless it's by means of crappy, buggy releases, but that is a whole other kettle of fish). The most average of average for the profit.


If you add a character in that's one of the range of letters I don't really feel like looking up anymore, people are either going to not care, love it because of the character or hate it because of the character. So what you do is up to you.


In terms of development, I really don't think there's much point bringing it up unless it's important to the plot of the story. You're off to save the world; nobody really cares what kind of person you'd fall in love with if you had the time, unless it affects the immediate party.

 

[Pine Towers]

You're off to save the world; nobody really cares what kind of person you'd fall in love with if you had the time, unless it affects the immediate party.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

Even if the game is about saving the world, everyone has their own motivations. And sometimes that motivation has to do with romance. And sometimes that romance won't be between a cisman and a ciswoman.

 

[ET3D]

Coming in late to the topic, and I apologise for not having read all the responses.


When it comes to LGBT, LGB and T are distinctly different. LGB is sexual orientation, while trans is a sexual identity problem. A gay character might be affected by attitudes around him, but he's complete, there's no internal problem. A trans character, on the other hand, is centered around that sexual identity conflict, the wish to match the external and the internal.


So if the game's society accepts LGB characters, they are no different than any other characters. Trans characters, on the other hand, must have a story revolve around them, because these characters are naturally not at peace. There's nothing inherently bad about such a story, and in fact it could be interesting (and given that magic might make gender change easier than science, the end result could be better), but that's still something that can't be just naturally integrated into any story in the same sense that sexual orientation can. I certainly won't mind meeting a female character who was once a man and that being treated as normal, but I wouldn't want to meet lots of sexually conflicted characters any more than I'd want to meet a lot of depressed characters.

 

[JosephSeraph]

interesting comment but trans people aren't inherently tormented or have inherent acceptance problems. many trans people can and will accept and understand their situations and selves, and work towards a goal to feel at peace with themselves, not unlike many sorts of acceptments cis people have to do regarding themselves.


true, being trans is hard, especially during the phase where you don't truly understand it, but nothing stops a trans person from being a perfectly accomplished and happy person and therefore a character not centered about their gender identity issues.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

@ET3D eh? Why does a trans character HAVE to have conflict involving their gender choices? I can't see why a trans character can't 'just exist' in the world any less than any other person on the LGBTA+ spectrum can. Certainly, you can make the character's conflicts focus on their gender, but I don't see why you would suggest that putting a trans character in a game instantly means that this character's conflict is gender.


Why can't a trans character's main conflict be 'slaying a dragon and saving the world'? Why can't we have trans characters who are at peace with themselves? I bet it would be very healthy for people coming to terms with themselves as trans to see happy, healthy trans characters at peace with their decisions and existing in a world where they can, and are, accepted. (heck, it would probably benefit people who aren't trans as well to see something like that! Because I've seen phrases to suggest that no trans people are happy on the inside elsewhere to. That's a rather toxic outlook.)


Besides, the ONLY people who should be writing about a trans character's internal struggle are people who either have first hand experience or have studied A LOT and also spent a lot of time talking to trans people so they don't trip over a ton of stereotypes or misrepresent the struggles. I think one of the best quotes I read in terms of writing diverse characters was something along the lines of:


"Tell stories that include us, but don't tell our stories for us."

 

[JosephSeraph]

that reminds me one thing a trans friend of mine hated is how every trans character on media must be like "ohhhhh no oh my god i must transition everyday i don't transition is a day i must take my own life in angst and sorrow and sadness and depression oh no" and well, I can't say no one is like that, but people experience different things in different levels of intensity. a trans girl might be perfectly happy never medically transitioning at all and never see it as an issue for instance

 

[AwesomeCool]

@JosephSeraph - My trans friend says the same thing.


Do most LGBT people actually like LGBT characters portrayal in games?  I wonder...

 

[JosephSeraph]

I like it better than no LGBT portrayal in games. XP

 

[Makio-Kuta]

I, again, haven't ever played a game with a character that was specifically, canonly stated to be aromantic... so idk haha


But, hey! This is a forum for game development; meaning we can look at what bugs us and do it better -3-~*

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I, again, haven't ever played a game with a character that was specifically, canonly stated to be aromantic... so idk haha


But, hey! This is a forum for game development; meaning we can look at what bugs us and do it better -3-~*

Maya from Borderlands 2 is Asexual and has no interest in relationships of any kind. That is the closest I can think of.

Though Borderlands 2 is a bastion of representation.

Sir Hammerlock: Gay Male
Axton: Bisexual Male
Tiny Tina: Gay Female
Mad Moxxi: Bisexual Female
Maya: Asexual Female
Mr. Torgue: Bisexual Male

There are also some LGBT characters in audio logs found in the wildlife exploitation preserve. (all of these are confirmed by the head writer)

Also, the reason Axton was made bisexual is pretty funny. Originally, his "flirt while helping someone up" dialogue was only supposed to trigger with female characters... but a bug made it trigger with anyone. So they kept it and then made it more obvious and outright stated it in the DLC.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Also, the reason Axton was made bisexual is pretty funny. Originally, his "flirt while helping someone up" dialogue was only supposed to trigger with female characters... but a bug made it trigger with anyone. So they kept it and then made it more obvious and outright stated it in the DLC.

Amazing. Bugs gone right ;D I should try playing more NA games. (but unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't often appeal to me) So I'm stuck in the pool of games from Japan. (which, let's all face it, aren't very good at representation.)