Massively's actually probably a pretty good call. Specifically, I'd email Larry Everett. Or Tweet him @Shaddoe. He writes a SWTOR dedicated column every week, and cohosts an Old Republic show on Gamebreaker. I think that coverage would be a really good thing for us, and from what I know about Mr. Everett, I think he'd be sympathetic to our cause. He's a heavy RP'er, so just toss something in there about how the persistent lack of SGR's is preventing the LGBT community from RP'ing the way they want to.

 

I think Larry and the folks at Gamebreaker, like Gary Gannon, would definitely cover this. And having them discussing the treatment of this content live on The Old Republic show would be good. They're known for asking... uncomfortable questions, to say the least.

I may already be happily married, but I could just kiss you right now!

Getting those mails off now.

Edit: Btw Magus, I've seen Black Label Society every time they've come to Denver with two exceptions. I also got to meet the members of Pantera (except for Phil) when I was 14. I love all kinds of music, but I'll admit I'm a pretty big metalhead. \m/

I got an email sent off to Gary and a tweet sent off to Larry.

I'm still recooping from my tooth extraction, so I have some free time.

One other thing I wanted to mention.

Sure, we may get a "blah blah blah still working on it blah blah blah" type answer. It's better than the whole lot of nothing we've got since the Guild Summit. The deleted Tweet was extremely insulting, and well under the radar.

Besides, if this gets picked up (and I have a feeling it will,) EAware won't be able to dodge so easily this time. With so many gaming sites potentially viewing this, I don't think the stock answer will cut it this time.

I may already be happily married, but I could just kiss you right now!

 

Getting those mails off now.

 

Edit: Btw Magus, I've seen Black Label Society every time they've come to Denver with two exceptions. I also got to meet the members of Pantera (except for Phil) when I was 14. I love all kinds of music, but I'll admit I'm a pretty big metalhead. \m/

Lol, that made my day. Thank you.

And you're very welcome for the tip.

These really should of been in at launch; I imagine the only reason they weren't was to appease Lucas and his weird "gay people can't be force sensitive" thing. For someone who talked a lot about tolerance when making Red Tails he sure is a...

Anyway, it'll probably be awhile. It'll likely be new characters or companions, which will need to be voice acted and have their whole script written.

Besides, if this gets picked up (and I have a feeling it will,) EAware won't be able to dodge so easily this time. With so many gaming sites potentially viewing this, I don't think the stock answer will cut it this time.

No no, I think its still a good idea to reach out even if just for giggles at the possible embarrassment it would cause for EA/BW if this gets picked up. I just don't think it will get us a straight answer. Even if they haven't been working on it or even if they never had any intention of working on it we'll still get the same answer we got at the Guild Summit just worded differently.

I'll get a good laugh if some game sites and/or GLBT groups start making a fuss about it, but in the end until BW actually adds the content to the game anything they say about it would be meaningless. After everything that has happened surrounding this issue how am I supposed to put stock in any words they have to say till they actually back it up with results?

Hello Gawker,

 

It may seem odd that I'm contacting you on this matter, but the LGBT+ community of Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is at its wit's end.

 

As you can see in this thread: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=476215 , we have been attempting to extract further information from Bioware with regards to same-sex content in the game since January.

 

Allow me to give you some history: during the open beta testing of SWTOR, many players asked if same-sex romances would be available as they had been in previous Bioware games (like the Dragon Age and Mass Effects series). The initial response of "There are no gays in Star Wars" was met with outrage and public denouncement. Due to the negative backlash on the forums, it was stated by Stephen Reid that same-sex romances would be made available in SWTOR, but would be a "post launch feature". Game launch rolled around in late December of 2011 and no further word was issued. At the time of making the above linked thread, January 17th 2012, there had been no further word. It was not until March, at the Guild Summit, after months of weekly Q&A sessions which ignored all queries on same-sex content, that Daniel Erickson, then writer for SWTOR, said that same-sex content would be bundled with other story content and would be released "this year". Despite requests for further clarification and inquiries as to the general state of the content, particularly given SWTOR's seemingly unexpected change to Free2Play, there has been no acknowledgement from Bioware that the content, let alone those wanting it, exist. The end of the year looms ever closer and it seems that SWTOR's LGBT+ community actually knows less now than it did at the beginning of 2012. Bioware and EA seem very happy to espouse their pro-LGBT and inclusive views (EA even going so far as to say that it has same-sex content in "all of its games"), but in reality are hesitant to act on these positions.

 

If nothing else, I would hope you could read Natashina's FAQ on the subject, which covers all the information the LGBT+ community have been given on the inclusion of same-sex romances, as well as containing statements from EA and Bioware regarding their positions on same-sex content:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=3582367&postcount=9

 

All we are asking for is that Bioware comes to us and says, simply, whether or not same-sex content is still to be included in Star Wars: The Old Republic. And yet we are forced to go beyond Bioware and EA to the media to ask for help, because Bioware appears to be content with ignoring us.

 

 

 

Thank you very much for your time.

 

Faithfully,

Tatile

Sent that to http://gawker.com/

I've got something planned for tumblr.com as well.

Edit: Ok... I kind of suddenly hate the idea of using tumblr, but I will, someday soon :/

Edit-edit: Just sent the above to http://www.advocate.com/contact - a gay news and network site. They also have a submission system, if anyone is feeling sane enough to write an article on the subject

Just had a quick glance through the Vette 101, and noticed that again in the romance section - while the big picture is a male Sith and Vette, the text is gender-neutral (deliberately so).

Link? just so I can actually read it myself.

Link? just so I can actually read it myself.

http://www.swtor.com/blog/companions-101-vette - there you go

So yeah, I do think they keep an eye on this thread. That doesn't necessarily mean that the attention goes beyond mere moderation, though.

I'd say it's self-evident that they at least read it for moderation purposes. Hell, some might be adamantly sympathetic to our concerns but the moderators are just that - moderators. They can't make the information up. Where the Community Team sits within the decision to release certain forms of information I don't know, but the developers are the ones with that information so this falls primarily to them, and to the people holding their leashes.

As an ally myself, I've seen where the LGBT movement gets the idea of being alone. Some bad allies have the LGBT equivalent of the "white saviour complex", wherein they support LGBT persons and ideals* and then proclaim how awesome they are for doing so and how everyone should love them for it.

True - I'll back this to the end, but I was wary of doing the letter thing because I didn't want to sound like I presumed to speak for others. "Nobody wins unless everybody wins" is good and all, provided it doesn't slip into 'liberal guilt' whining. I don't know...

Edit: I'm a horrible person. Just asked Joveth Gonzalez if he wanted to join our letter writing campaign Why? I don't know XD

You never know, if you don't ask

Anyways, sent my letter to Massively.

And, argh, I'm SURE I wrote an essay in this thread about Bioware and SGRAs and... ****... but I can't find it D:< I don't want to have to rewrite something if it already exists.

Help me Obi-wan, you're my only hope!

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Sod Tumblr. I dun want to write anymore

Say that a new Battlefield game was coming out that was not able to offer multiplayer at launch, but it was going to be available as a free DLC later. Then, for better part of a year, they don't talk about it and dodge any/all questions about it. Then all the employees that talked about this content are gone and the players are still left without a word.

I think this is a very good analogy. We deserve some word, whether it's yes or no.

I am prepared for it to possibly be a "No," so long as they publicity come and tell us such.

Yeah, same here. At least then I could play my characters. I'd hate the fact that they won't be able to have any romance (except with guys that squick me out), but at least I wouldn't be keeping them on hold waiting for the content.

I think this is a very good analogy. We deserve some word, whether it's yes or no.

 

 

Yeah, same here. At least then I could play my characters. I'd hate the fact that they won't be able to have any romance (except with guys that squick me out), but at least I wouldn't be keeping them on hold waiting for the content.

If they really think they'll loss more subs to honesty, than from slowly strangling consumer trust with this continually drawn-out campaign of silence that looks more and more like a 'bait and switch'... they're idiots.

If they really think they'll loss more subs to honesty, than from slowly strangling consumer trust with this continually drawn-out campaign of silence that looks more and more like a 'bait and switch'... they're idiots.

On the subject of a long, drawn-out campaign of silence, from whom have we already requested siege engines and who else shall we turn to?

We have:

• The PA Report
  
• 1up.com
  
• Kotaku.com
  
• forbes.com
  
• Dan Savage
  
• Huffington Post
  
• The Gawker
  
• The Consumerist
  
• Destructoid.com
  
• Gaygamer.net
  
• GLAAD
  
• Massively
  

Much of that list is Natashina's, but I've contacted GLAAD, Gawker, PA Report and Massively. Anybody else want to contribute? Shall I set up a tally?

Yeah, same here. At least then I could play my characters. I'd hate the fact that they won't be able to have any romance (except with guys that squick me out), but at least I wouldn't be keeping them on hold waiting for the content.

This.

I would mind rather less if I knew what to do with my characters. If the answer were "no", I might not be able to play them exactly as I envisioned them, but I would be able to play them. If I knew I would need to avoid playing them in order to access SGR content, I would be happy to wait for it to be implemented.

This.

 

I would mind rather less if I knew what to do with my characters. If the answer were "no", I might not be able to play them exactly as I envisioned them, but I would be able to play them. If I knew I would need to avoid playing them in order to access SGR content, I would be happy to wait for it to be implemented.

THIS indeed. Been lurking and reading mostly during the past few days, but this is exactly how I feel. I logged in a while ago, stared at my pretty femConsular who's 50 with Iresso by her side. Good for her. I have one other char in its twenties, but stopped playing since I've been waiting for SGR and don't want to spoil myself.

I ended up sighing loudly and logging out again.

Anyways, sent my letter to Massively.

 

And, argh, I'm SURE I wrote an essay in this thread about Bioware and SGRAs and... ****... but I can't find it D:< I don't want to have to rewrite something if it already exists.

 

Help me Obi-wan, you're my only hope!

 

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Sod Tumblr. I dun want to write anymore

This what you were looking for? http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=5514129&postcount=3556

I tweeted Hall Hood, in hopes of getting an email to which I could write him about my concerns.

@hallhood Hall, do you have a public email I can write to about a few concerns about future SWTOR story content? I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

His response was an understandable one:

@Slaign Hi! The best place to send story feedback is SWTOR's official forums--specifically, the "Story and Lore" category.

Naturally, I wasn't going to just leave it at that and mope back here to keep posting in vain. I had hoped for an email address because I wanted to get around the 140 character restriction, and hoped the privacy of email might allow him to be more candid with me. Still, I wanted to address him directly about our concerns, so this is what I said in a series of tweets:

@hallhood Yes, well.. Are you aware of the unrest in that forum over same gender romances? People are writing letters to the press...(cont.)

 

@hallhood Considering organizing in game demonstrations, and more. The silence from BioWare has become deafening...(cont.)

 

@hallhood This is important to many, even a quick confirmation SGRAs are still in the works would go a long way to mending a growing rift.

 

@hallhood I thought with your recent comments on inclusiveness, you might be a sympathetic ear. We can only howl into silence for so long.

I don't expect him to reply. Even if he wants to, I doubt he is at liberty to do so. Still, at least the fact that he responded to my original tweet within half an hour does show he reads what is tweeted to him. If nothing else, at least Mr. Hood is now aware of how we feel, if he wasn't before. Optimistically, perhaps it will motivate him to raise the issue internally.

I encourage anyone who cares about this to send off a quick, polite tweet to Mr. Hood in support of SGRAs. It may feel useless, but making our passion clear is important, and it only takes a few moments.

This what you were looking for? http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=5514129&postcount=3556

Thanks, but that's not the one. I'm probably imagining it; I've written so many damned letters over the months D:< And kept them catalogued here, for the most part.

Sometimes I just have to sit back and laugh when thinking about this. In this day, with the way the companion romances were implemented into the game as a core part of the class stories it just boggles my mind how this wasn't part of the game day 1. Now a year later we still don't have it.

The blatant disregard they've shown the community makes me wonder why I still even care enough to post or why I even bothered to return after so many months, and I guess its because I actually do really like the game, and more than that I'm a huge Star Wars fan but it really feels like we are just chasing the end of a rainbow here. You can always see the end but you'll never reach it.

Meh, I just tried to log in and find a character I felt like playing and realized half of them are parked in cantinas waiting on SGRA's and my disgust over this whole issue makes me feel like the other half aren't worth playing. You know when you get to the character select screen and decide its better just to Quit Game its time to move on.

A lot of us are in our 30s and 40s, actually. I'm 33.

Though maturity has little to do with age (just ask my exs' ).

Generally by the time you hit your 30s you've seen enough of the world to if not mature you sober you a bit.

And curse BW forums for not updating my "instant" notifications until 10 pages later. Wish that would stop happening.

I think this is a very good analogy. We deserve some word, whether it's yes or no.

 

 

Yeah, same here. At least then I could play my characters. I'd hate the fact that they won't be able to have any romance (except with guys that squick me out), but at least I wouldn't be keeping them on hold waiting for the content.

Point being, I should not have to completely gimp my class story because BW lacks the intestinal fortitude to come out and say yea or nay!

JUST TELL US ALREADY!!!!

ANSWER THE FREAKING QUESTIONS FFS!!!

THEY AREN'T SPOILERS!!!!

First off, could someone PM me the gist of what I missed while taking a nap?

I hadn't thought about the hash tags. Shows how much I know.

Secondly, I sent off email to the advocate as well as to the PA Report. Here's to hoping.

Guys, we're making ourselves visible. No one is going to stand up for us, so time to do it ourselves.

And Tatile, we should set up a tally. Just a simple one to start, to see how many people have sent out letters.

It's nice to see the thread on fire again. Let's keep this going!

**hugs to you all**

Edit: For all the lovers and haters alike, I present to you proof that GLAAD has gotten involved before.

http://www.glaad.org/blog/star-wars-video-game-developer-adding-same-sex-romance-options-following-fan-outcry

They will most likely get involved again.

I'll slow down with the back to back posting after this, promise.

Here was my latest Tweet.

@hallhood Don't tell us to go back to the forums. It's been almost 9 mos and no one has said anything outside your deleted tweet.

I despise Twitter, but maybe this is another avenue to get someone, anyone, to be brave enough to publicly discuss this.

Oh, I'm not using hash tags. I use my real first name on Twitter and the last thing I need is the harassment. I've been rather high profile in this thread as of late.