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

[Domi]

Re: Sarevok/Iernicus - the footwork is usually reserved for the small folk - and yes, wether we want it or not, but ridiculously, not only BG1, but ToB until the moment of taking the throne of Bhaal, you are playing a small fish. Such a travesty it was being a Lord in the Nalia's castle! While I would very much want to see a talented meld of a CRPG and a strategy - I was myself thinking of a game with a Court Bard as a protagonist whose goal was to maneur through the court intrigues/plots that of course required more than just talking your way out of the situation... but I digress. Yes, ridiculously, you do not play a sexy and grand figure like Irenicus or Sarevok, if you are evil. You play a fly in the nets.

But is the same scene not as effective when you let the same boy confront, say some soldiers who did it after the fall of Saradush? I agree it is a strong image. By adding rape as an option for the PC, don't you risk making it a part of the 'coolness' of being evil? I mean, if you're already so 'blind' as to consider slaughtering peasants cool? I agree Bioware made the evil PCs victims non-persons (just like in Hollywood movies) and maybe, making them become persons might dissuade kids from thinking evil is cool, but can that only be achieved by giving the PC as disgusting an option as rape?
- I have created a small village for my mod, with each villager his own personality, nicely ordered in 'families' - who act as part of a family when the PC starts acting evil or when someone dies. It might already lessen the 'coolness' of acting evil - might the option to rape someone in that village do really that much more?

Ah, but here rape, again, has the stigma attached to it - murder can be cool, even heroic. Though, I do wish that some crazed woman ran to a PC and called him a bloody coward if s/he slaughtered a peasent and then attacked him/her with her bare fists.... Rape can never be noble. Another "never can be noble" is torture. Add to PC the options to have a member of your developed family tortured by your NPCs (say, Viconia) to tell where they hide their values or as a reward for a passionate night. Give their girl to Edwin to play with. Laugh drunkedly with Korgan as he shortens the longshanks by cutting ther feet off. Now, then, you give PC the decidedly non-noble, non-sexy evil choices.

As opposite to making him think that he'd rather kill that annoying female character who is a mother of five kids and speaks of nothing but them or snorts at you like Lady Delcia, than that cool character B.

Yes, I agree with you that adding personality is a great step in de-blanking the murders, but without taking away the evil=selecting a sword and clicking on the nj NPC, without making the PC to put in words his actions, you will not achieve the trully horrifying effect. Because BG is not a movie, in BG, the emotions are expressed through words.

In my Kivan's mod I have a bad, nasty scene, and I had Kulyok comment to me about it, while beta-testing: Sorry, but I will not do it. And that is the responce I am seeking from the player. Aversion to an evil deed, no matter who commits it. I know why Kivan would want to do it. I sympathize, but I want the PC if s/he choses an evil alternative of the quest to face the music.

This post has been edited by Domi: Jan 12 2006, 09:28 PM