sonofliber said:
I dont get people it seems, there are complains about...the game been sexist in the frigging middle ages...
I don't understand this argument for three reasons:
1) It's a fantasy setting! A fantasy depiction of a medieval times does not have to be consistent with every facet of a real medieval setting. People's immersion will not destroyed just because they didn't see a guy punch a prostitute; the castles and plagues and swords create enough of a flavour to pin the atmosphere down. That said, they could legitimately depict the world as a progressive society with completely equal treatment of the sexes, and I doubt any one would really mind, because, you know, fantasy. You could go the other way and make a Gorean fantasy (though please don't). Despite this, writers like to keep going for a gritty, grim dark depiction, and justify it by saying it is more realistic. This is disconcerting, but also inaccurate because...
2) Yes whilst there was more sexism in the middle ages, it didn't necessarily match the kind of sexist depictions in our medieval fantasy fiction. The medieval ages were sexist, less because they were filled with bodacious babes who would trade sex for any favour, and more because they saw women as quintessentially inferior. It would seem odd then that a fantasy attempting to resemble a more authentic middle-age setting would feel the need to depict medieval women as porn-stars, rather than women lacking basic rights.
3) Contrarily, the middle ages weren't quite as sexist as people assume, at least in some respects. It was normal for women to run businesses and own property, for instance. Also, due to a tendency for male authorities and officials to get themselves killed or wind up absent, their wives would often take on their husband's wealth and standing. This side of reality barely features in fantasy settings though, with the emphasis on depicting women as serfs, barmaids, prostitutes, nuns - as people without power. Whenever a women is shown as being powerful, they are usually in a fictional job role, such as a sorceress or enchantress. Writer's are missing a trick here, in that they could tell a lot of interesting stories about women in these more powerful roles. Skyrim certainly didn't have any problem doing it (for the most part).