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Same gender relationships clarifications?


elexier

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That's why a "sex-switch" is required. A small dropbox in your Preferences with "Heterosexual, Bisexual, Homosexual and Asexual" settings. That's it.

 

Correction: desired by some. Not required. Only Bioware actually decides what's required; we can only give opinions.

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Plus, this is game canon (this Wookieepedia article explains the matter quite well). It's flexible compared to other forms of Star Wars canon.

 

In interesting, if head-hurting read, thank you :)

 

I can't remember the exact discussion, but the term 'head-cannon' came about when referring to games. In particular with Dragon Age for example with the novels (Asunder made me cry I admit :o ) that branch-off from the main product. The novels try to be a vague as they can but some scenarios need to be set in stone - the battle of Ostagar, the fact that a Grey Warden ended the fifth blight and the mages rebelled in Kirkwall. All these things happen regardless of individual player decisions, but in the end the world still revolves in a certain way - Leliana always had a lover called Marjolaine (boo hiss) regardless of wether she was then romanced by a male or female Warden.

 

Whatever the individual chooses to do is our own 'head-canon' which hopefully fits in well enough with actual canon, if one is set at all. (Whci is why hero-sexual seems the most logical choice when it comes to npc romance stories - there's no mechanical difference than a player turning Temple white or Vette red - it's their companion in their own world that has no bearing on other players, apart from their obvious cosmetic choice of course. But what is discussed between player and npc aboard the ship in our own instances play-space has no bearing on anyone else.)

 

Getting back on topic, even though Star Wars has many levels of cannon, the fact that homosexual characters exist in that universe at all means that same-gender relationships do infact exist in that galaxy far far away and a long time ago.

 

Aaand i need to lay off the caffeine as i seem to be rambling, oops :D

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Ah, you're asking for special treatment.

 

No. I am asking that if they allow homosexual relationships into game, I have to option to avoid them altogether and have no homosexual companions. If someone wants homosexual relationships in the game, I am not stopping them. Why should I be forced into a situation that I don't want to be a part of? Just like you don't want to be forced into a situation you don't want to be part of? How would you like it if they forced a companion on you that spouted hatred against something that you are for? Say you are homosexual and they gave you a in-game companion that spouted insults and hatred against homosexuality? You would not like that, and you would like the option to not have that companion, as it would be extremely offensive to you. All I ask is that it become an option to have homosexual tendencies or not.

 

Let's say, keep the same characters but have options that the comps be homosexual or heterosexual, choices you make when creating your character. In otherwords, you could have your homosexual Kira or Mako, or whoever else there is, without forcing other players into situations they don't want to be a part of. You get your SGRs, and those who are opposed to the idea get their traditional relationships, without any conflicts.

 

They should also give an option for parents of underage kids to turn off those "homosexual/heterosexual" options from the client-side so that parents can decide what their children are exposed to.

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They should also give an option for parents of underage kids to turn off those "homosexual/heterosexual" options from the client-side so that parents can decide what their children are exposed to.

 

If parents are allowing underage kids to play a Teen-rated game including abuse, murder, torture and, yes, sexual themes then that's their own look-out. It's not Bioware's job to parent their kids. That's their responsibility.

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There are children playing and homosexuality in action is a choice regardless if the attraction is biological. Our children do not necessarily need to be exposed to everything, and this is something they should decide on their own.

 

Please make relationship encounters switchable in the very least within the parental controls section of preferences.

 

I just did a quick check, and there is not a parental controls section in prefrences. The closest there is the profanity filter in the chat tab. What the game has is an ESRB rating of T for Teen and I am pretty sure its with a caveat that online experiences are not rated.

 

With this in mind my ex and I have decided that our 12 year old son is not going to play TOR because of the sexual content in the game even though it is off screen and implied by a fade to black and not explicit, we feel it would just be confusing to him. I share this as a way to explain that parental "controls" are not needed but parenting is. Personally I find it offensive that the very idea of same sex relationships needs to be hidden from children. The ESRB rating is enough of a filter to those that pay attention to such things and a software solution is not needed.

 

I don't see why you have to single out HOMOsexuality "in action" as a choice and implying that HETEROsexuality is any less of a choice. Sure any active action is a choice and the story telling in Star Wars The Old Republic is all about choice and playing the consequences of those choices. So far what I have seen of the storyline those choices are intriguing. What we want is MORE CHOICE. Some will take it, some will not. I don't flirt at every opportunity if I don't think its in line with how I see my character, this will not change when SGRAs are introduced but I will be a happy paying subscriber to have the choice AT ALL which currently for half of the characters my character (and lets face it, me the player) are attracted to.

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With this in mind my ex and I have decided that our 12 year old son is not going to play TOR because of the sexual content in the game even though it is off screen and implied by a fade to black and not explicit, we feel it would just be confusing to him. I share this as a way to explain that parental "controls" are not needed but parenting is. Personally I find it offensive that the very idea of same sex relationships needs to be hidden from children. The ESRB rating is enough of a filter to those that pay attention to such things and a software solution is not needed.

 

Bravo to you and your ex, ZenMondo. Bravo.

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Implementation of SGRs does in no way equate to hate speach. SGRs are a bond between two people, a bond that need I remind you does not have to be formed in your game. Implementing a character who spouts hate speach however is an attack on someone for their sexuality/beliefs. Bioware would never do that, outside of their swing at xenophobic bigotry in the Mass Effect games that is.

 

And as Kioma points out, the game is rated T for teen (Here in Europe it's a PEGI 16), meaning that there is no need for parental controlls. The age rating specifically states TOR is not intended for children.

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It's the safest compromise, one that would not offend *anyone*, since both sides insist on pulling the proverbial blanket to their side of the proverbial bed.

 

I'm sorry, but it does very well offend me. I have zero demands for hiding the heterosexual content. I'm fine with it. But bringing the implication that homosexuality is worse than;

 

-Murder

-Slavery

-Torture

-Non-consensual sex (war-widows on Ord Mantell, anyone?)

 

I have a right to be offended. If this is "about the children", then they shouldn't be playing this game unless you find all of those above as acceptable life lessons for them. And if this is about you feeling uncomfortable?

 

Well, I'm not comfortable about torturing someone to death just to get a scrap of information.

 

And you know what? I don't choose the option when it is given. I don't moan about morals and demand a toggle to turn off such content.

 

But do I want every player to be forced to spoon Corso? No, of course not. But having an option dedicated to "hiding the gays" is well within my rights to be offended at.

Edited by Raiellyn
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I'm sorry, but it does very well offend me. I have zero demands for hiding the heterosexual content. I'm fine with it. But bringing the implication that homosexuality is worse than;

 

-Murder

-Slavery

-Torture

-Non-consensual sex (war-widows on Ord Mantell, anyone?)

 

I have a right to be offended. If this is "about the children", then they shouldn't be playing this game unless you find all of those above as acceptable life lessons for them. And if this is about you feeling uncomfortable?

 

Well, I'm not comfortable about torturing someone to death just to get a scrap of information.

 

And you know what? I don't choose the option when it is given. I don't moan about morals and demand a toggle to turn off such content.

 

But do I want every player to be forced to spoon Corso? No, of course not. But having an option dedicated to "hiding the gays" is well within my rights to be offended at.

 

I understand what you are saying but I must politely disagree with you. Nice signature BTW :D

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If I may make a suggestion it would be to get off the hate crime vs homosexuality topic because we all have extremely strong opinions on the matter and this conversation is not going anywhere good.

 

Yes, we need a new topic.

 

Oh, how about...if they do implement SGRA with new characters, what type of person would you want available?

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I can see where you are going with that, and as such, perhaps not having the "sex-switch" would be a good idea, but perhaps giving the choice for who you have as a companion is a good idea. They have that already in Dragon Age. You can tell a companion to leave. Perhaps that option is the best.

 

I sort of wish they had the capacity in TOR to tell a companion to leave; I think this is potentially a good idea for many reasons. The problem is that some companions are needed for class quests; I guess they could come back and 'guest star' for the required quests, or maybe it'd be possible to substitute in another companion. Still, this has potential for many reasons.

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I sort of wish they had the capacity in TOR to tell a companion to leave; I think this is potentially a good idea for many reasons.

 

On one hand, I'd love to boot Tharan Cedrax out of the airlock at the earliest possible opportunity. On the other, I'm not entirely sure how I'd justify it in-character.

 

Pros: he's really annoying.

Cons: he might be useful for that whole saving the galaxy thing.

 

Maybe I'll just toss a coin.

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I sort of wish they had the capacity in TOR to tell a companion to leave; I think this is potentially a good idea for many reasons. The problem is that some companions are needed for class quests; I guess they could come back and 'guest star' for the required quests, or maybe it'd be possible to substitute in another companion. Still, this has potential for many reasons.

 

I've only played sentinel so far, and have completed the class story. There is only ONE class quest where a companion is essential, and perhaps a few others where, though not essential, make sense for the companion to be there. It would not be difficult, though, for them to become "guest stars" during these class quests.

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You are making a very good point, and one I wish I had an answer for. Perhaps it is hypocritical for to ask for a "sex-switch" and not also ask for a "murder/torture" switch at all.

 

I can see where you are going with that, and as such, perhaps not having the "sex-switch" would be a good idea, but perhaps giving the choice for who you have as a companion is a good idea. They have that already in Dragon Age. You can tell a companion to leave. Perhaps that option is the best.

Hey, I'm all for giving us the option to boot/kill companions, for way more reasons than this; from a roleplaying point of view, that greatly expands our possibilities and the potential expressions of our characters in general. If you or anyone else wanted to use such a mechanism to get rid of the gay companions, I have absolutely no problem with that going into the game, because it's not something specifically targeted at me or people like me.

 

 

 

On a sidenote, I really appreciate how polite and reasonable you've been about discussing your views here (the equating of hate speech to homosexuals existing was maybe not as polite as it could have been, but I'm hoping it was simply a question of phrasing and possibly not thinking through the implications); I may disagree vehemently, but I'm always happy when we can still all see one another as people deserving of respectful treatment.

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Hey, I'm all for giving us the option to boot/kill companions, for way more reasons than this; from a roleplaying point of view, that greatly expands our possibilities and the potential expressions of our characters in general. If you or anyone else wanted to use such a mechanism to get rid of the gay companions, I have absolutely no problem with that going into the game, because it's not something specifically targeted at me or people like me.

 

 

 

On a sidenote, I really appreciate how polite and reasonable you've been about discussing your views here (the equating of hate speech to homosexuals existing was maybe not as polite as it could have been, but I'm hoping it was simply a question of phrasing and possibly not thinking through the implications); I may disagree vehemently, but I'm always happy when we can still all see one another as people deserving of respectful treatment.

 

Though we may disagree on homosexuality, that doesn't mean I can't treat you as a human being. Just as I am against homosexuality, I am against hate speech. We need to learn to treat each other properly, and not as if a certain group/person is beneath us.

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I was thinking the other day as I was looking through one of the companion customization vendors, that it would be neat to have same gender romances tied into this vendor. IE you could go buy one of the options and it would open up flirt and romance options with that companion. That way the people who would be bothered by even seeing the option appear in normal dialogue options wouldn't get offended. It would also open up the opportunity for that companion character to openly flirt with you in normal conversations.
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Hello everyone,

 

We have just removed a large number of posts that strayed away from the topic of this thread and into real-world issues that are inappropriate for the forums. We also removed some responses that may not have been particularly off-topic, but had quoted removed posts.

 

As a gentle reminder: Due to their volatility, discussions involving real-world politics, religion, or morality are not appropriate for the forums.

 

We appreciate your constructive feedback, both positive and negative, and we appreciate you keeping this discussion constructive, respectful and on-topic for all involved.

 

Thank you.

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I've only played sentinel so far, and have completed the class story. There is only ONE class quest where a companion is essential, and perhaps a few others where, though not essential, make sense for the companion to be there. It would not be difficult, though, for them to become "guest stars" during these class quests.

 

I played through as a Sentinel as well and I can think of two - well, three technically:

 

 

T7-01: you have to have him in the quest where you sign in at Corsucant (at the airport customs terminal);

Kira: in the abandoned mining facility, Kira and JK vs Big Bad Bro;

T7-01: required for the very last JK quest despite having been almost universally abandoned around level 14 or so.

 

 

Some rewriting would facilitate it, though, and I think it'd be worth the rewrite to give us the ability to dump companions.

 

I should point out that I actually never have dumped a companion in any Bioware game, but I like that the ability to do so is there in DAO.

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I played through as a Sentinel as well and I can think of two - well, three technically:

 

 

T7-01: you have to have him in the quest where you sign in at Corsucant (at the airport customs terminal);

Kira: in the abandoned mining facility, Kira and JK vs Big Bad Bro;

T7-01: required for the very last JK quest despite having been almost universally abandoned around level 14 or so.

 

 

T7 is also required on Ord Mantell. Kira's supposed to be required on the Oppressor, though I think you can switch her out after you start.

 

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T7 is also required on Ord Mantell. Kira's supposed to be required on the Oppressor, though I think you can switch her out after you start.

 

 

 

 

There is also Lord Scourge, who joins you at the end of chapter 2, but he could easily be demoted to a guest star as well if he is kicked off.

 

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I was thinking the other day as I was looking through one of the companion customization vendors, that it would be neat to have same gender romances tied into this vendor. IE you could go buy one of the options and it would open up flirt and romance options with that companion. That way the people who would be bothered by even seeing the option appear in normal dialogue options wouldn't get offended. It would also open up the opportunity for that companion character to openly flirt with you in normal conversations.

Why should I have to spend credits on content other players enjoy for free?

 

Why is there all this relentless focus on finding a way not to see the option to [Flirt] with a character's own gender, while no one cares abour opposite-gender content, Dark Side content or other such points in conversations where one is faced with a significant choice?

 

People who are bothered by that choose the other options. I have never seen an argument why this should be treated any differently other than "because I don't like it".

 

Yes, we need a new topic.

 

Oh, how about...if they do implement SGRA with new characters, what type of person would you want available?

That's hard to say. Right now, only my Smuggler is someone who would really be thinking in that direction. He'd be fine with Corso, given the chance.

 

I wouldn't mind one of those mohawk-and-sidelock toughs on the Anchorhead militia. I kind of like that whole Thunderdome / rough-trade thing they have going on. I could see one as a plain-dealing, pragmatic individual without a whole lot of sentimentalism who might take some opening up, and even then he'd want to get back to the job at hand before he felt he'd given too much away.

Edited by Uluain
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