Profanity in mods, [split by Baronius; Domi's request] Options

[Domi]

BG1 is a PG13 game, so the developper to start with did not intend it for children. There are characters in BG1 that say stuff like "Will one of you rugged adventurers give me a good, hard shag?"

The mods/mods components are sometimes rated as well (for example some of BG1NPC Romances are rated R for language or adult situations), while the mod itself is the same as the game, to avoid embaracing the selective players. It will be nice, if people used the rating system more vigorously.

I guess this is why most sci-fi/fantasy tv creates new profanities - frac, frell etc

And that is why the authors who have guts to carter to adult audience and have no pangs of guilt about it, read so real and have their own appreciative following. (Points to Martin).

In other words, do what you feel is right, just warn the consummer about it. I always make a point of explaining that Martin is gritty, uses the obscenities and does not draw curtains when his characters decided to make love, when I recommend his books. Yes, I love what he does. No, I don't expect everyone to agree with me that it is how it should be done.

This post has been edited by Domi: Jan 9 2006, 09:03 PM

[Thauron]

When I read the original 'so far, sooooo good' post, I too had felt the urge to reply something as Sohlside's post raised some interesting issues which I think never have been discussed before. Sadly it got a bit out of hand. Well, never take anything personal when it's written on a discussion forum.
Luckily the discussion is now in the environment where it belongs.

Now to my opinion.
First: I believe BG was not made for little kids, especially not BG2 - hints at rape or unwanted sexual touches (Imoen), sexuality as a weapon to gain power over others (Viconia), profanities in dialogue (quoted above) are not really regular elements in games for 10 year olds.

Second: A mod automatically raises the minimum age of the gamer - just implementing and finding mods isn't that simple (*cough* good old BP-install *cough*), working your way around bugs, regular re-installs etc. is even more difficult - So I think we are always dealing with a rather adult public anyway, some level of profanity or adult language and themes is thus no problem, IMO (cf. FlirtPack, Kiara-Zaiya, Shar-teel-Romance for BG1) - For those who absolutely don't like adult themes or profanity a warning might be a good idea, most mods with such content do warn the end-user extensively anyway.

Profanity can be implemented in a good and in a bad way however. It's not something to use at every twist and turn - and when writing dialogue, especially verbal conflicts, I too have felt the urge to use it extensively - it somehow feels natural - but I think the end result will rarely please the reader for different reasons.
1. There are not that many NPCs around who could use profanity in a believable way (Cernd using profanity )
2. It is dangerous to project things we are used to do, to our NPCs and characters. I think we might be more easily be inclined to use profanity in serious verbal conflicts, than characters in BG. Why? A well-placed insult in our world will in most cases only result in bitter and grim feelings. I guess a character who is used to live on the edge of a sword, who has killed many times, is far more likely to answer with direct physical retaliation (Anthropology will back me up here) - and I am not only thinking of Korgan, I can as well imagine Keldorn or Ajantis doing it -more by means of a knight-like challenge, but as inescapable as a direct well-meant smash on a thick skull.
So I would warn against using profanity too easily, in banters f.e. I would only use them when characters are at some sort of breaking point.
3. Profanity is rarely as effective as cleverly-designed dialogues. f.e. I can't remember Edwin using any profanity, but that doesn't make his remarks and comments less 'stingy', on the contrary.

-insert profanity here-, I have been ranting again.
To summarize: Profanity can be used in a mod, but think twice before using it, my feeling is one might be inclined to use it more than it is appropriate. This thread is the ideal way to make people think about it, at least it made me think about it (it made me even reread some of my dialogues )