Same gender romance discussion

[Nydus]

I apologize if this question is terribly ignorant, but what do you mean by more than two sexes? I understand about more than two genders, but wouldn't two sexes refer to biology?

 

So, the good thing about biology is that it is a science and I can answer your question factually (to the best of my knowledge of course, I'm not going to do a literature review for you):

 

Mammals typically specialize into male and female, a result of XY chromosome sex-determination. This determination leads to sexual dimorphism (the tendency of those with XX versus XY chromosomes to look different -- i.e. be different shapes and sizes -- from each other). Intersex is indeed a biological term, and it refers to intermediate development (between male and female). My understanding is that it is not considered "typical".

 

Glean from this what you will, but note that biology has no political agenda .

 

- Arcada

[Khevar]

Thanks for the clarification on that, I appreciate it.

[Tatile]

And now for something completely different:

http://io9.com/5876335/until-2009-the-human-cl*toris-was-an-absolute-mystery

 

(this isn't any "agenda" thing, I thought some of lot would find it interesting) Obviously replace the asterisk with an i.

[Dethmold]

Are there any SGR stories in the fiction forum to recommend? There's only two or three I could find so far, and only because they were linked through the signatures from users in this thread.

[vadess]

Are there any SGR stories in the fiction forum to recommend? There's only two or three I could find so far, and only because they were linked through the signatures from users in this thread.

 

I have an SGR fanfic that I'm writing that I posted on here and on my blog. I'm doing it on the Makeb Imperial side SGR. It's about my sniper, Crimsen, who when I RP is gay and his encounter with Cytharat ton Makeb. My goal is to expand the romance, and build on the foundation Bioware began with. I'll have the 4th chapter ready soon! I was just a little bit stuck how to end it as it contains my sniper's first romantic encounter with Cytharat where nothing could happen with it beyond them forming a better conneciton. Thankfully I have an idea now.

 

Reason I'm posting it on two media platforms is cause I like having my fanfics together, and on my blog I can write more uncensored chapters when the time comes.

[Pietrastor]

Raise your hand if you always flirt with that Bounty Contract twilek

[Tatile]

Raise your hand if you always flirt with that Bounty Contract twilek

 

Metrics, yo.

[Tatile]

You know, I can't remember if I've shared this joy with you lot yet:

http://thehawkeyeinitiative.com/

 

Purely safe for work, I assure you.

[Ixum]

Raise your hand if you always flirt with that Bounty Contract twilek

 

The twi'lek dude <3 every. time. forever.

[MishaYuya]

If there's a petition, i'd sign it. I love my flexibility in mmo's.

[Tatile]

There's no petition, but I encourage you to annoy Musco.

 

Here's how to annoy Musco.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Tatile

[vadess]

You got it, Tatile.

[Tatile]

Thanks for reminding Vadess - Mr. Freed said recently on his twitter that's he's writing a bit of story for an upcoming pat of SWTOR (albeit a small part), so let's all hope Mr. Hood and Mr. Boyd get their hands on it, because if it's Lord Cytharat again they'll probably kill him. Again.

 

God I hope it's Agent story... with Lord Cytharat.

[DomiSotto]

I would be perfectly happy to be able to unlock Kalyio romance with Rattataki alien speak for the voicing for the female character. Honestly, I am not that crazy about the PC voicing anyway. I happily play females, and Kalyio is cool enough to make me interested in seeing her content, but I don't want to play IA twice. Two romances is also >> one

[Tatile]

Pretty sure they'd do the voice over in Huttese, rather than actual Rattataki from Rattatak, meaning you'd end up hearing "omee topee" every five seconds. However, being able to use "native" tongues during the romance conversations would be very interesting, thought I doubt many Twi'leks would speak Ryloth dialects

[DomiSotto]

I will happily pull the sound down if it grinds me down (I am already PO'd with the sound of Zabrak. NOT COOL!) But what I am willing to do is totally irrelevant, unfortunately. Fingers crossed some interesting content will be added to diversify the experience.

[Tatile]

Well you can always count on them adding more straight white men. That won't diversify anything, but at least they'll be consistent with the rest of the industry and lord knows, if it something SWTOR, it's to be carbon copy of every other game in existence.

 

Personally I'm waiting for the Pokemon level.

 

It did occur to me that perhaps the reason all of our SGR-able female NPCs are bisexual, is because the writing team is working with the TV Tropes pages for sexualities, and are stuck on the pages that say that lesbians never get happy endings. That would explain why they killed of Lord Cytharat, despite people saving his life.

[vadess]

Well you can always count on them adding more straight white men. That won't diversify anything, but at least they'll be consistent with the rest of the industry and lord knows, if it something SWTOR, it's to be carbon copy of every other game in existence.

 

Personally I'm waiting for the Pokemon level.

 

It did occur to me that perhaps the reason all of our SGR-able female NPCs are bisexual, is because the writing team is working with the TV Tropes pages for sexualities, and are stuck on the pages that say that lesbians never get happy endings. That would explain why they killed of Lord Cytharat, despite people saving his life.

'

 

Wait... wait... wait: Lord Cytharat died anyway???? When? Where??? Did the Pubs do this???? I'm making the pubs lives a living hell with my pub toons if that's the case!!! and he's definitely staying alive in my fanfic!!!!! Right Crimsèn??!!!

 

Crimsèn: :mad:

[Tatile]

'

 

Wait... wait... wait: Lord Cytharat died anyway???? When? Where??? Did the Pubs do this???? I'm making the pubs lives a living hell with my pub toons if that's the case!!! and he's definitely staying alive in my fanfic!!!!! Right Crimsèn??!!!

 

Crimsèn: :mad:

 

No, no, but Bioware have this terrible thing that if there's any chance an NPC might die (ranging from blowing up in a space station to tripping and falling down the stairs off-screen), they never mention that person again. Also, due to my earlier mention of lesbians getting no happy endings (which I've read stems from the fact that lesbians getting happy endings in books was actually banned for a period of time, hence a great many stories ending in death or sectioning), I was referencing the "Bury Your Gays" trope - regardless of the author's intentions on writing, the fact that the first (and apparently, only) gay romance interest in this game dies - or is capable of dying in the story line per the player's actions - is still reminiscent of the trope and has unfortunate implications. Much like the fact that all women in this game are available for [Flirt]ing and romancing, yet the same is not applicable to all men folk (and that all SGR women are bisexual, whereas the few (two) SGR men are not).

[vadess]

*sniffles*

 

No, seriously, this makes me sad. Shows that LGBT has a LONG way to go. After all, one would think they've shown that they have value enough to deserve to see positive reflections of them in the media. I hope Bioware turns these attitudes around.

[Tatile]

*sniffles*

 

No, seriously, this makes me sad. Shows that LGBT has a LONG way to go. After all, one would think they've shown that they have value enough to deserve to see positive reflections of them in the media. I hope Bioware turns these attitudes around.

 

To be honest, unless they actually hire someone who's in the LGBT community (i.e. not a straight/cis ally) to be a writer, I highly doubt they will, as it's entirely likely that the writers they have on currently (Mr. Hood and Mr. Boyd, I believe, are the only ones left) do not give consideration to the impact of their writing and believe the stories exist in a vacuum. (To put it more succinctly, Mr. Hood and Mr. Boyd are blinded by their own privilege and think that everyone has the same experiences as them. Of course it's not possible to know that for sure, but the current state of the stories - women can't be without men, gay men die, etc. - at least points to the need for that awareness at some level of the process)

[DomiSotto]

The meagerness of romantic content written specifically for a female PC is a bigger issue than just the lack of the same gender options. It is the whole backward thinking: We have too few female gamers... we won't do anything. Well, if you are not trying to engage a female gamer, you won't get a female gamer.

 

I can't say how annoying it is to complain that there are no flirts at all, and hear in response: Play a Male Smuggler.

[vadess]

To be honest, unless they actually hire someone who's in the LGBT community (i.e. not a straight/cis ally) to be a writer, I highly doubt they will, as it's entirely likely that the writers they have on currently (Mr. Hood and Mr. Boyd, I believe, are the only ones left) do not give consideration to the impact of their writing and believe the stories exist in a vacuum. (To put it more succinctly, Mr. Hood and Mr. Boyd are blinded by their own privilege and think that everyone has the same experiences as them. Of course it's not possible to know that for sure, but the current state of the stories - women can't be without men, gay men die, etc. - at least points to the need for that awareness at some level of the process)

 

Ummm... Tatile, I hope you realize that if you keep using terms like "cis ally" and stuff then all you're doing is promoting a different kind of prejudice. After all I am a cisfemale. I was born a girl and I grew up into a woman, and I identify myself as such. Furthermore, I am straight. I am attracted to men in both social and sexual ways. And yet here I am supporting the inclusion of SGR in the game.

 

Just because someone is a cisgender and straight, doesn't mean they're automatically against the LGBT community. How can you expect other people to let go of their prejudices, and make a more inclusive game, if you don't let go of your own? Your own being, from what I've read in recent posts, is that people who are cisgender and straight are automatically against LGBT people and SGR content.

[Tatile]

The meagerness of romantic content written specifically for a female PC is a bigger issue than just the lack of the same gender options. It is the whole backward thinking: We have too few female gamers... we won't do anything. Well, if you are not trying to engage a female gamer, you won't get a female gamer.

 

I can't say how annoying it is to complain that there are no flirts at all, and hear in response: Play a Male Smuggler.

 

They may not be comparable, but I believe they stem from the same issues: the assumption that 99.99% of the people playing this game are straight (cis) men, who therefore don't want to see SGR [Flirt] options with male NPCs, nor OGR [Flirt] options when on their female characters (because it will make them feel gay.) And I've also complained about the "marriage= tonnes of babies" thing that happens. I mean, seriously, you marry your NPC partner and then it's all about babies before they fall into a stony, all-encompassing silence for the rest of eternity. Joy.

[vadess]

I mean, seriously, you marry your NPC partner and then it's all about babies before they fall into a stony, all-encompassing silence for the rest of eternity. Joy.

 

Isn't having children kind of part of the marriage relationship? Even within marriages where the partners are of the same sex want to have children. That is not a bad thing, necessarily, it is just the norm.