BioWare Writers Talk Same-Sex Love In Mass Effect 3
- Thread starter John Funk
- Start date
Recommended Videos
trueSirBryghtside said:That's not his homosexuality being in-your-face, it's the loss of his husband. I don't think there's a single scene where he says anything about being gay, but plenty where he says that he lost his husband. It's interesting to note that people wouldn't have commented on his sexuality had the lost one been female - you would just be calling him 'that whiny guy'. Not 'that straight whiny guy'. His sexuality has nothing to do with... well, anything. Maybe it influenced the writers to make a bigger thing of it, but you could've switched the pronouns and his story would be exactly the same.RJ 17 said:Ehhhh, I have to disagree. I can appreciate the fact that he lost his husband and is having trouble getting over it. But it just seems like every conversation you have with him he has to remind you about the fact that he's gay. Traynor, on the other hand, only hints at the fact that she's a lesbian when she comments on liking the sound of EDI's voice. I think Traynor was pulled of wonderfully, but that Cortez was just a bit too strong in it.Daystar Clarion said:
As the article says, Cortez pretty much comes right out and tells you he's gay in the first conversation you have with him, but really it's not even his homosexuality that bugs me about him...I just don't really like his story. I can see the appeal to establish a connection there: he's lost a loved one in war and needs help coping with it. I just think they should have wrapped it up sooner rather than having it take his entire story arc. I mean it got to the point where I'd just stop going down to the shuttle bay unless I wanted to upgrade some weapons because I had no desire to talk to James (don't think anyone did, actually...admit it, you know you didn't!) and I didn't want to hear Cortez still moaning over his dead husband for the 500th time.
But at least now I know why Traynor was done so well and why (in my opinion) Cortez came up lacking: they were apparently written by two different people.
also, I'd say it's actually the opposite
Cortez doesn't tell you he's gay unless you ask him about his relatives/family losses
Traynor, on the other hand, does it during a cutscene, thus "unavoidable" (it's still skippable)
as for myself, I played as femshep (no romance with cortez) and I gotta say, he grew on me really quickly, right up there with Wrex the Brogan
My issue with Traynor and Cortez in the game (granted, I didn't romance either of them), is that if felt like, since they weren't party members, they were put in the game solely to be romanced. I got the same vibe from that stupid reporter lady - I mean, if none of those characters were in the game, it wouldn't change anything other than having one less character you could sleep with. And I don't like that. If they aren't people you can bring with you on missions, at least make them important to the plot.
Im glad they did it, have to start somwhere
as soon as I saw cortez was gay I figure traynor must be gay too (since they are counter-parts pretty much) I liked traynor anyhow
except her "potential roamnce scene" was alittle..funny, I guess femshep is kind of oblivious and lets her freinds use her shower while in the same room
I thourght traynor was cool...too look at it one way shes like a "beter" version of jacob, a more grounded charachter for shepard rather than the insane asylum escapees of ME2
as soon as I saw cortez was gay I figure traynor must be gay too (since they are counter-parts pretty much) I liked traynor anyhow
except her "potential roamnce scene" was alittle..funny, I guess femshep is kind of oblivious and lets her freinds use her shower while in the same room
like I said..I only knew because of Cortezmgirl said:
I thourght traynor was cool...too look at it one way shes like a "beter" version of jacob, a more grounded charachter for shepard rather than the insane asylum escapees of ME2
I think the way that Cortez and Traynor were portrayed was brilliant. Just a casual statement that makes their sexuality clear and no big deal made about it. Pretty fucking fantastic actually.
......And then Kaiden started getting all gooey eyed over my Maleshep all of a sudden. That kind of annoyed me.
......And then Kaiden started getting all gooey eyed over my Maleshep all of a sudden. That kind of annoyed me.
Nail on the fucking head. Halfway through my first playthrough I wanted to stop, go all the way to ME1, let Kaidan die and do it all again because he was so fucking annoying/whiny.fozzy360 said:
Up until then I'd never regretted letting the space-racist die.
To be fair, it would've sort of contradicted the background we had received about Ashley up to that point (being strongly religious and whatnot).Vault101 said:
OT: I thoroughly enjoyed both characters during my run as a male Shep; I don't have much to say about Traynor's interactions (since my Shepard had one too many Y chromosomes for her), but Cortez really grew on me. What I appreciated above all else, however, was the ability to let him down easy. In DA II (BioWare's other recent attempt to add LBG relationships), if you wanted to be friends with some of the male companions (i.e. Anders) without becoming "friends", you essentially had to act repulsed in response to their advances; in ME 3 you're given the option to drop a fairly subtle, yet clear hint that you didn't roll that way without having anyone's feelings hurt.
I liked them both very much, albeit playing as Fem!Shep I couldn't experience Cortez' romance, but he seemed like a cute guy with personality, and I did like Traynor a lot - they both felt rather natural, I guess I could say.
I think they did a very good job at making those character feel like people. I like Traynor much more than Cortez however, never got the quiet appreciation of ships.
My problem with Cortez was the fact that it took him so long to get over it. Since it happened 6 months ago yet Shepard comes and fixes him in a few days and he is ready to start a new relationship. He does explain it but it just seemed like he should have had counselling or whatever in the time between then and now.
I think part of the reason I didn't like him still grieving was the fact that I wanted to see a personal connection to all the recent loss in the Galaxy. And his didn't seem recent enough to me since it was based off things in the last game and I wanted things from this game.
However I did like him cause realistically at this point everyone in the Galaxy has lost someone they love. And it was nice to see someone show that level and type of grieving.
As for Traynor I really liked her. She was a completely different kind of person that you wouldn't normally see on such a distinguished ship but the type of person that would be most useful on ship that technologically advanced. Joker or Garrus should have made a joke about how green she was. If you didn't know better you would think she was a Drell she was so green. Speaking of jokes I actually liked hers about the differences between Shepard and a Krogan and that she had the quads to tell it to Shepard while she is trying to seduce her(at least in my case).
Personally I liked both of those characters but couldn't stand Jarvik one bit. He was really annoying to me always going on how his race evolved first and created a Roman/Carthagian empire and how they where so much more advanced than us humans that only found out about mass effect in the past century. I really got sick of his stuff quick especially since one more super soldier on my team isn't going to help me in a colossal space ship battle. I hate to say it but a prothean politician would have been more helpful in getting aid to fight the reapers a scientist would have been the best though.
I think part of the reason I didn't like him still grieving was the fact that I wanted to see a personal connection to all the recent loss in the Galaxy. And his didn't seem recent enough to me since it was based off things in the last game and I wanted things from this game.
However I did like him cause realistically at this point everyone in the Galaxy has lost someone they love. And it was nice to see someone show that level and type of grieving.
As for Traynor I really liked her. She was a completely different kind of person that you wouldn't normally see on such a distinguished ship but the type of person that would be most useful on ship that technologically advanced. Joker or Garrus should have made a joke about how green she was. If you didn't know better you would think she was a Drell she was so green. Speaking of jokes I actually liked hers about the differences between Shepard and a Krogan and that she had the quads to tell it to Shepard while she is trying to seduce her(at least in my case).
Personally I liked both of those characters but couldn't stand Jarvik one bit. He was really annoying to me always going on how his race evolved first and created a Roman/Carthagian empire and how they where so much more advanced than us humans that only found out about mass effect in the past century. I really got sick of his stuff quick especially since one more super soldier on my team isn't going to help me in a colossal space ship battle. I hate to say it but a prothean politician would have been more helpful in getting aid to fight the reapers a scientist would have been the best though.
"I'm a straight white male - pretty much the living embodiment of the Patriarchy," said Weekes. Even though he had already had some experience with writing (potentially) same-sex love with Liara in Mass Effect 2's "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC, he was keenly aware how being a male writing a lesbian romance could be perceived, if handled poorly. "I really wanted to avoid writing something that people saw and went, 'That's a straight guy writing lesbians for other straight guys to look at.'"
Did I miss the obvious answer? Just let a woman write her!
Did I miss the obvious answer? Just let a woman write her!
Wait, Traynor is a lesbian?!
That was my initial reaction, guess I can go join the masses on that one.
I think Bioware did a really good job on this, and I always find it hilarious to see conservatives froth at the mouth and flock to the hate-banner when mass effect games are released. "It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve"!
Actually, it was Steve. Steve Cortez!
That was my initial reaction, guess I can go join the masses on that one.
I think Bioware did a really good job on this, and I always find it hilarious to see conservatives froth at the mouth and flock to the hate-banner when mass effect games are released. "It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve"!
Actually, it was Steve. Steve Cortez!
Yeah and the concern wasn't even that it was poorly written. Unlike other parts of Mass Effect 3 that happen later at the end.Callate said:
