Listen, you don't have to like her character. I don't have to like her character. I do not care about your opinion on her.Sonichu said:
Let me spell this out to you.
I'm not a Sarkeesianite. Hell, I'm not even all that pressed to learn how to spell her last name. Why do you think I keep calling her Anita? Her last name doesn't pop up enough in my day to day for me to hang on to it's spelling.
I'm not a feminist. I can't help it if I happen to share -some- beliefs with them concerning the videogame industry. A lot of Anita's critics do, too. Does that make them feminists? Sarkeesianites? Probably not. Just people who see the evidence, drew a logical conclusion, and happen to have reached a similar conclusion to me, and also see some of Anita's points.
I'm just a gamer that wants more good female protagonists out there in good games, and that they do not have to deal with the BS they do to get there.
I'm just a gamer that recognizes BS when I see it, and the way female protagonists get treated generally reeks of it. It's no secret here. I sure am not alone in the view.
Understand?
If you watched half the videos you linked me of the criticisms about Anita, then you'd understand where I'm coming from since they, too, state similar viewpoints as mine. Largely in the fact that female representation in games sucks. They don't deny it. It's that odd little common ground most have with Anita in terms of beliefs towards the industry.
I don't agree with -everything- she says. It seems like you're transferring hostility to me simply because I took the time to understand where she's coming from, even if she's not the best spokesperson for it.
I'll thank you if you'll stop trying to degrade her character, and try to make me not like her. At least in a conversation with me. And no, that's not limited to Anita. If you went about continually messing with the character of Jim Sterling, that'd wear out it's welcome just as fast.
I like keeping conversations civil. When I rant, and get less than civil, it's just venting, and it's generally not directed at anyone.
Buut since you already cut suit, I'll relax a bit.
I don't mind the "man with boobs" kinds of characters now and then, I don't mind the opposite, either. I LOVE variety in personalities, and protagonists!
Pardon me for being a wee bit jaded towards the typical mid 20's early 30's white guy with a reasonable haircut, or some burly figting machine with varying levels of hair, and favoring the rarer treat of a tough woman kicking butt however the heck she wants to, and partly however the heck I want to.
What do I think is wrong with women being rescued by men? That really depends. I doubt my variables are gender specefic, though. Does the person saving you steal the thunder? Are they cooler than your character somehow? What level of BS prevented you from saving yourself?... Oh, wait, the female being saved isn't even playable in your train of thought, is she?
Well, that'd be a problem. I want to play as her, or a woman saving her. Often, I can't.
In general? My only major problems with it is how often it is, and that when saving a woman is the point of the game there's usually no woman who's equally up to the task as a male protagonist would be. A few exceptions do not break the trend, especially if the trend keeps going well after the exceptions.
See how it kinda feeds into the whole thing about female protagonists not getting their own game which is my main beef with the industry? Among all the other crap, there's that, too.
Even then Borderlands 1 and 2, I have my own personal gripes with. Mostly in that I despise the power sets the women get, and considering I like playing as women, well, the game just is going to continually rub me the wrong way every step of the way. I'm not gunna put up with it.
It's part of my own little annoying trope where women are usually medics/mages/rogues/flimsy when in groups in a fictional world where they don't have to be, and they can't, and/or often don't have the interesting powers, and sometimes broken powers, like nuclear weapons, and what ever got nerfed on the gunzerker that I'm too tired to look up right now. Of course there are rare exceptions, but not enough to change this lil'ol opinion of mine.
Further I hate having to deal with enemies respawning so frikking quickly. I can't even turn around without seeing more enemies. It's pretty annoying.
But, hey, that's just my opinion on Borderlands in general. Take it however.
Do I have some broad, sweeping problem with people being in distress? Naw. Is it too much to ask to see more women solving the distressed's problems as playable characters, though?
I'm hoping to see Anita's third video where she finds the reverses. Where women save guys as the point of the game. It'll be interesting how she covers that, honestly. Hell, I'd like a list of female hero only games where she saves a guy just to know they exist. Hopefully they're somewhat relevant, and modern! Too much to ask for it to be onconsoles?
See, I'm a gamer that happens to enjoy playing as a female character. -I- like being the one doing the rescuing via my female avatar in the game's world. I don't really care who I end up rescuing, or what. Is there something wrong with women saving women? Women saving men? Men saving men? Whyzzit gots ta be the woman that gets kidnapped, and rescued by the dude most of the time? C'mon, surely you don't have a problem with women being the saviour of men, do you?
Moreoever, like anyone else, I like my protagonist to be cool, confident, and generally awesome. Hell, I like Bayonetta! I like Nilin from remember me! I like Lara Croft! I like Ruby from Wet! I like Nariko! Kinda goes across the spectrum of personalities there, IMO. Just to name a few that I can only pray get a sequel, but my hopes aren't too high thanks to all the BS the game industry puts female protagonists through.
Pardon me for not knowing about the Darkness as a comicbook to the point I wouldn't have even guess it was one... nevermind care, honestly. I'm not a fan of the title.
It still feeds into how often the female NPC suffers for the plot, in general, though, doesn't it? It's not like it's the only example she held up, is it?
It is a part of the problem Anita has, isn't it?
You can't admit that women are usually the plot devices as opposed to the heroes of their own problems?
Face McShooty? He's annoying. I'd shoot him, too. If that character were a woman, I'd shoot her, too! Coz, well, it's the point of the game, isn't it? He bothers me -more- than Angel since he's really annoying about it, and it's part of a quest, and he's probably stationed some place I'd go to often.
Isn't that the point, though? For him to be an annoying target?
Funny though, he doesn't look especially mistreated, mutated (compared to his bretheren... hey, speaking of brothers, are there any female enemies you shoot readily in borderlands these days?), kidnapped, or helpless, or generally any of the things Anita says DiDs are when they get mercy killed.
Could it be he's just a shallow, annoying character just there to blast coz you can for a quick quest?
Why's he gotta be a he, anyhow?
Erm. I kinda think Angel needs rescuing. Angel pretty much spells it out. She needs you to save her from her servitude. She needs you to stop the key from charging. What's the options to stop the key from charging?... Bullets, and her death... Anything else? I can't say I know. Do you?
Heaven forbid she walks right out the door/way you got in, kills herself, or generally has the ability to liberate herself somehow, or another, or stop the process herself. I don't think it'd defeat the purpose of the game if she could, since you have Handsome Jack to cap, and his army, or something, right?
Sure it might steal some of that heroicness of getting to her. So? She couldn't end up as an NPC ally that survives, and helps fight against that that oppressed her? Of course she'd have to be a decent AI partner, and games tend to struggle with that sort of programming. <.<
Also, I put forth, why's she gotta be a she? Why can't he be a he?
Why don't I like playing as a guy? Few guys actually interest me enough to play as them. Those that do? Deadpool, Batman, Joker, and John Marston to name a few.
In general, though, I'd rather gamble on the fresher prospects of playing as a woman and have something of a woman's point of view. Sometimes I roll the dice, and lose on that, sometimes I don't. 'z all good, though. 'z rare women get their shot as protagonists. I'm always happy to see them as protagonists.
To tell you the truth, I like looking at women more than men, too.
Well, I don't expect you to suck it up, and kill women like I do in games.
Oh, I'm not accusing Anita of excluding mortal kombat here. I'm accusing the general discussions on this topic of women in videogames from ignoring the fighting game scene. Fighting games seem to have that odd, unique mentality where gender doesn't seem to matter as far as opponents go. There seems to be some weird equality there that is rare outside of the fighting game genre itself.
I look forward to the day when Rockstar finally makes a female protagonist in some blockbuster Grand theft Auto, or something and it sells well, and the game rocks (no pun intended), and stuff. I don't care if she goes through a tragic life if it's part of her motive for going out and kicking ass. Or if she's a cop trying to do her job, maybe with a bit too much enthusiasm, or necessary measured force.
