Poll: Gay Characters in RPGs

[Voltano]

I kind of wonder why should there be gay protagonists in games. I'm not against gay people or their sexual preference, but why would a game be made around a character's sexual preference? I don't see how it would change the game in any fashion other than just defining a character's preference in people. For example, in "Final Fantasy 7", what if Cloud admits to being gay and instead falls in love with Barret--PG of course, but through out the rest of the game...How would it change?

However, I don't mind going the Fable/KOTOR route in making sexual preferences an optional thing for the player to try.

 

[L4Y Duke]

I wouldn't care. Don't think I'd play a game where the main character had to be gay, however. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind if I had the option to engage in homosexual activities, I just don't think I would, given the choice.

That being said, if it was a side character then I would be fine with it. Hell, I enjoyed Knights of the Old Republic quite a bit. [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Juhani#Romance]

 

[Versago]

Hmmm... how about if you get to choose if your character is straight or gay? I can see nothing wrong with that, just another option when you create your character.

hmm, thats a good point.
In Tales of Symphonia the main love interest is the second most-important in the game: Colette, but after a series of cut scene choices you can change it to Sheena - a character of far less significance, but she is a ninja: hence the want to choose.

Surley a Final Fantasy X with a fable-esque edge of small choices that give you consequences could work pretty well - in FFX you could flirt with Lulu at one point but there is no consequence for doing so.

Well, in RPGs in general, isn't there a trend towards player customisation of the central character? So shouldn't the decision really be left up to players? Can't they choose in the course of the game to flirt with people of the same sex or the opposite sex?

You've got a good point - thinking about it there are really 2 kinds of RGP, type one where you are told to do a series of missions but along the way you can do side quests to get quite nice stuff: such as BoF and FF.
Type two is more: 'Go here to continue the plot, or if you don't want to, go somewhere else and epxplore the world' - thats more Fable and Oblivion like.

I do prefer BoF and FF style RPGs because the story tends to be better, whist option 2 tends to have a more vague story, allowing you do mess about with the world and not get too beat down about completing it.

I'd like to see a game that encompasses both these types - an epic storyline that you want to follow, as well as lengthy side missions and choices that help you build your own character.
I can't really think of a combo between these, but if anyone else can im willing to learn.

 

[Ryuk2]

No! I would never play a game that says ''Oh, the main hero is gay and he has gay friends.'' There can be gays in a game only if you can just guess if they are gay or not.
If they talk/act like gays - that's fine.
If they go around telling people that they're gay's - fuck you! I did not have to know that!
Maybe the main hero of DOOM 3/Gothic/Half-Life was a gay? Maybe, but i don't care! I don't need to know that! Keep that bullshit away from me or your game will get burned in a garbage bin.

 

[L4Y Duke]

Actually, this guy has a point. If the game specifically mentions that the character is gay repeatedly, then it would turn a lot of people off, pun semi-intended. If it was done tastefully, then sure.

*Oops, quoted the wrong person. Sorry.

 

[lwm3398]

Brother so wanted to bang Tidus.

And that's saying something, he's the only character that doesn't look like a woman.

 

[DannyBoy451]

The RPG template tends to be: you are a sword wielding unlikley hero with a huge destiny, you amass a party of quirky companions, the most important of which is a beautiful woman who you inevitably fall in love with - a love she inevitably returns.

To break the mold this is often played with: swords become magic, guns or cards, the beautiful woman can become mildly attractive and the quirky companions are interchangable with braindead AI drones.

I was wondering about the love mechanic - do you think that the main character, or secondry characters could be gay or have gay relationships with other characters - No Sex, just acknowledgement.

I was wondering how far you could take 'equality' before it became known as a 'gay game'.

Personally i think that gay secondry characters would be fine, no sex; just diologue that reflects that they care for each other.
Although im really not sure if kissing would be well recieved, so i'm on the fence there.

I love how every option assumes that playing as a gay character would put you off, talk about bias.

 

[Woodsey]

Sure, why not?

It's a game, if you're that worried about being turned gay by a game then maybe you should be thinking some things through.

 

[badgersprite]

Hmmm... how about if you get to choose if your character is straight or gay? I can see nothing wrong with that, just another option when you create your character.

hmm, thats a good point.
In Tales of Symphonia the main love interest is the second most-important in the game: Colette, but after a series of cut scene choices you can change it to Sheena - a character of far less significance, but she is a ninja: hence the want to choose.

Surley a Final Fantasy X with a fable-esque edge of small choices that give you consequences could work pretty well - in FFX you could flirt with Lulu at one point but there is no consequence for doing so.

Well, in RPGs in general, isn't there a trend towards player customisation of the central character? So shouldn't the decision really be left up to players? Can't they choose in the course of the game to flirt with people of the same sex or the opposite sex?

You've got a good point - thinking about it there are really 2 kinds of RGP, type one where you are told to do a series of missions but along the way you can do side quests to get quite nice stuff: such as BoF and FF.
Type two is more: 'Go here to continue the plot, or if you don't want to, go somewhere else and epxplore the world' - thats more Fable and Oblivion like.

I do prefer BoF and FF style RPGs because the story tends to be better, whist option 2 tends to have a more vague story, allowing you do mess about with the world and not get too beat down about completing it.

I'd like to see a game that encompasses both these types - an epic storyline that you want to follow, as well as lengthy side missions and choices that help you build your own character.
I can't really think of a combo between these, but if anyone else can im willing to learn.

First one that comes to mind is Mass Effect, which, fittingly enough, does have gay content. That didn't seem to put anybody off it. Maybe just because it was two women. But, still, it worked - it had that epic, well-written and masterfully acted storyline with a lot of optional, yet character-defining side missions, particularly where those side missions pertained to your crew.

 

[tidomann]

Why is this even a debate? Since when has an RPG become a debate between what your character is able to do?

Hypothetical situation, an adventurer is sent to slay a dragon that is terrorizing a farm.

You go, gathering your strength, becoming experienced enough to eventually fight this evil dragon. Through your adventure, you may discover an alternative to slaying the dragon. You're now given a choice whether or not to spare the dragon, or proceed with slaying it. This seems like a pertinent choice in this hypothetical game.

Now how does my characters sexual orientation affect this game? I?d most likely believe that it really isn?t all that important to the game play, or my entire experience in the game. However, as we are now finding out RPG?s are about choices for your characters- to shape it into a character you have envisioned yourself as. Romance sub-plots, moral choices all get sucked into these RPG?s now and these debates begin forming because games are now dipping into moral subjects.

So I turn to your choices-
Yes - the goodness of the game is more important
Yeah, just not the one i'm playing as
Secondry characters would be fine
Secondry characters fine so long as they don't go over the top in public
Unimportant NPCs only
Just No - this would be off-putting
No

I could easily begin saying that only homophobes would be truly afraid of playing a homosexual character, be it a female or male protagonist- or that, maybe the truth is that not everyone is comfortable with their sexuality and they?d simply rather stay clear of differing views. Sure you can blame things on capitalism and say that they want to market it to a wider audience. Whatever the case, or combination may be I think that yes the ?goodness? of the game should determine the choice to buy it.

But- why does the game need to explicitly have to have the character be a homosexual- wouldn?t a sexually ambiguous protagonist then appeal to a wider market (one that gives no notion of sexual direction- hopefully I used ambiguous correctly)? Why does the main character?s preference, in this hypothetical game factor into the equation? Well, a game with a more developed character is better right? And as we discover more about a character, his or her actions can lead to a notion of their sexual orientation. I however tend to think that this fact of their life doesn?t need to be set in stone- in fact unless your dealing directly with a romantic sub-plot it doesn?t even need to be touched with a 20 foot pole. Players can easily assign their own gender orientation based on their actions (be it with the bias of our social interations in life).

I think that when you begin to expand the RPG's story based around a particular main quest, branching with differant side quests of morality, and include romantic sub-plots- if the game creators wish they can railroad you on a certain path, making your character heterosexual, and a genuinely good person. They could have the path branch through your choices (although most games offer a three directional path, good, neutral and evil, or homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual). The only time a game would actually off-putting to myself, would be to railroad me through the game- and then suddenly bust out a party hat and reveal that my character is a homosexual. Just like in any romantic plot, you need to create certain elements that make the entirety of the story good. And as I said, people tend to shy away from sexual orientations that are not their own. Sure, I could enjoy playing a game where I depict a homosexual person. Would I entirely enjoy the experience- No. Would I despise it? Of course not.

When we played pac-man did it matter if it was a male-yellow dot, or female yellow dot- or have games simply become so ?complex? that issues like these automatically arise in the creation of an ?avatar? or ?protagonist? for the player to play? I guess it does, because we now have Ms(Mrs.?) Pac-man.

Ultimately this is why I enjoy pen and paper games. The players can choose to be whatever they want to be, in any kind of story they wish to be in. The only gaming taboo?s are those implied socially in our modern society on those they play with. Anyway before I detract further from the original argument, go watch the game over thinker- as he touches on a similar issue in his new episode.
http://gameoverthinker.blogspot.com/

 

[sumanoskae]

Why the fuck does that matter?, I'm not homophobic, one of my favorite games is Jade Empire

Edit: why don't ALL games with branching romance plots have the choice to be gay?. Then I could make a lesbian character *Grins*

 

[Versago]

I love how every option assumes that playing as a gay character would put you off, talk about bias.

Oh-HO! Bias you say?
I'm just weary, thats all. I myself am gay, as well as a geek and a gamer, hence i noticed the non-existance (as far as i can remember, for i lack memory seriously) of gay characters in my favourite RPGs - by that i mean storyline RPGs like FF and not 'totally up to you' ones like Fable.
I realise that you remarked on my presumptuous undertone, and thats the reason behind this whole poll - i wanted to know how open gamers were to the idea of important gay characters - and to be honest i'm pleasantly surprised I never imagined that anyone other than myself would pick option one - now option landslide-majority, and this revelation puts hope and faith into my belief that society has moved in hell of a lot more equal direction than i had expected.

 

[Gruchul]

I probably wouldn't play an RPG where I was forced into playing a gay character. I imagine I'd feel very uncomfortable watching the cutscenes and thinking 'that's how the game has chosen to represent me?' Having said that, I'd not be bothered by the game simply having gay content not involving my chracter. So option 2 for me.

 

[DannyBoy451]

I love how every option assumes that playing as a gay character would put you off, talk about bias.

Oh-HO! Bias you say?
I'm just weary, thats all. I myself am gay, as well as a geek and a gamer, hence i noticed the non-existance (as far as i can remember, for i lack memory seriously) of gay characters in my favourite RPGs - by that i mean storyline RPGs like FF and not 'totally up to you' ones like Fable.
I realise that you remarked on my presumptuous undertone, and thats the reason behind this whole poll - i wanted to know how open gamers were to the idea of important gay characters - and to be honest i'm pleasantly surprised I never imagined that anyone other than myself would pick option one - now option landslide-majority, and this revelation puts hope and faith into my belief that society has moved in hell of a lot more equal direction than i had expected.

Well, I can't really vote since I think it would actively be a good thing to have gay characters in a game without them being treated differently by the developers, since that's a progressive idea that videogames really need.

As I recall the only WRPG with homosexuality in it was Jade Empire, but even then the actual kiss scene was censored, unlike the heterosexual one.

Can you imagine if they did that in a movie? It'd be a fucking outrage, games are really behind on some things.

I'm not even gay and this shit still pisses me off, hopefully Dragon Age will go about things maturely for a change.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

I'll agree with most posters and say - why would it matter? Although I have this sneaking suspicion that if the main character would be gay by definition (i.e. sexuality wouldn't be an option), it would be made into the main selling point and the main character would be presented in a campy manner which would put off straight players and offend the gay ones.

I'm generally for no obvious sexuality in the game - I can't think of any title in which the romance subplot wouldn't be shallow. So I prefer them out of my game and making them in my head...

Also, sometimes giving the "gay option" could be rather disturbing, if we are dealing with an established character. I remember there being a long thread on "The Witcher" forums, where a lot of players would complain about Geralt being so unambiguously straight (to put it subtly), and quite a few of them outright calling the game and its fanbase homophobic. Which would be fine, if you forget that Geralt is an established literary character, and his romantic exploits never included flirting with another male.

Maybe the main hero of DOOM 3/Gothic/Half-Life was a gay?

The Nameless from "Gothic" wasn't gay, you can find that out in the second game. Just thought I'd mention that.

 

[Nemu]

I don't see why it should make the slightest bit of difference. People should really grow up. I'm gay, and I don't have a problem playing a straight character.

Same here.

I belong to a gay-friendly guild in WoW, my interest in "being gay" when I play a video game ends there. I've never been so immersed in a game that I attach myself to a particular hero/heroine for it to matter.

If it's a good game, I'll play it. If I hate the protagonist, it won't matter who he or she is in love with, I'll only care abut how fast it takes me to stop playing.