[Discuss] Could you remove the rape option?

[Jonathon Taylor]

On 31/08/06, James <TheKobald at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
> Jonathon Taylor wrote:
> > On 31/08/06, *Gloria Santos* <gloria.santos at gmail.com
> > <mailto:gloria.santos at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >     Every time the rape option is used, it sparkles some ugly debate
> >     among the people involved.
> >     Those who use the option are called rapists by the other realm.
> >     And the realm doing the raping calls the enemy's women "whores"
> >     and say "they were asking for it".
> >     I find the previous argument disgusting; and playing it only makes
> >     the idea that "it's ok to rape women and blame them for it"
> >     acceptable.
> >
> >     I understand that it's realistic, and that rape was a strategy
> >     used in the Middle Ages.  But we could make BM a little less
> >     realistic and a bit more of a fantasy game, in that aspect.
> >
> >     We've already had a lot of arguments and even one lightning bolted
> >     person because of this.
> >
> >
> >
> > I say we lightning bolt the people who are being hyper-sensitive about
> > the subject. Every time something comes up with I may have had some
> > ugly history with that pops up isn't an excuse for me to go out of my
> > way and get aggravated, annoyed or agitated.
> >
> > The explicit and urban taboo's are part of todays mondern day culture,
> > if they break down in tears, get angry, upset, agitated every time
> > they see a couple break up on a Soap Opera, every time some one get's
> > ran over on the television, just because of they're own personal
> > history. It's they're his/her problem, not the writers. Or in this
> > case, the developers.
> >
> >
> >
> I honestly and truly hope that no one you love ever has to go through
> this experience.


Oh wait? Sorry! They have! And they're a better person because of it! So
please, stop preaching. You're preaching to the person she confided in most
here.
And i'm not being insensitive, I just don't see why people (as LilWolf
states) get upset and sensitive about "statisitics" in a game. They aren't
characters, they aren't people, they're the population of a region. A
statisitic, of a game. Now if people can't accept that, then it certainly
isn't my fault.


The option only brings about the worst in people.
> Bringing up the issue of "they deserved it" or "they're a whore" only
> reinforces the false myth that is rape is "ok" and the woman's fault.


Well, if a player is being vulgar, that's different. Report it to the
titans, in roleplays there is a fine line between being "artistic" and being
down right, rude and, well disgusting. Because as the social contract says,
try to ebb on the side of caution to avoid upsetting fellow players. But,
using a rape option in looting? There isn't anything decorativly obsurd, or
disgusting about that. It's a word, in a game. If him/her get's upset every
time she hears that said word then, well, put it this way. Theres nothing
wrong with the game.


This is such a highly sensitive issue and it is so easily to get rid
> of.  No one has been able to tell me yet what it offers the game, which
> is nothing.  Your attitude is appalling and why this problem exists.
> People like you are why woman are scared to go to the police after being
> raped.  People like you are part of the reason why woman blame
> themselves after being raped.  That ideology is sickening to me.  There
> is no single event that is more traumatic then rape (well perhaps
> murder, but no one that has been murdered plays this game).  The fact
> that you even would think about linking it to something that happened on
> television is ludicrous.  There are people that play this game that HAVE
> been raped.  They have physically and mentally been through it.  It is
> not fake or fiction like television.  As humans I wish we could be more
> understanding that this is societies problem, not the person raped.  I
> honestly hope that you just misphrased your words and you didn't
> actually mean what you just said.


Linking it to television? Why? They're both mediums, both media, both
interactive in a round about sense. What's the difference between hearing it
on the Television when some one talks about it, and reading it on a screen?


I understand that the cultural norms are not the same everywhere.  I
> understand that there are places in Europe, Asia, Africa and South
> America and probably even North America, that take it very lightly,
> however, I like to think that everyone that plays this game is forward
> thinker.


Well if anyone does think that rape is a light subject, they're terribly
wrong. But just by not saying it doesn't make it go away, does it? So how
would removing "rape" from Battlemasters dictionary make the world any
better of a place?

Again as I've said countless times, if someone can tell me one thing it
> adds to the game I will step down on this issue and let you go on your
> marry way.  Like someone said if people could handle it maturely and
> seriously it'd be different, but they can't.  You're never going to get
> a game with 1,000 people in it that are all mature.  But it only takes
> one for someone to get the impression that everyone that plays is like
> that.


Well you answer me this. What does it add to the game, if we just get rid of
that one little word? And what does it take away by putting it into a game
function?

And in all honesty, I don't think making a stand about rape and about, yes,
other terrible things like murder, etc, etc, in a game. Is going to make
that much of a difference as a whole? Is it?


-- 
The Bridges Fall To The Ground,
And You Say You Have Sacrificed?
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