Game News Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Released

[MrE]

I wonder of at some point someone will buy ancients authors books as IP and re-write/re-sell them. I will laugh as the butthurt rises when the Shrike becomes a tranny with dildos instead of spikes, while the chick in Neoromancer is changed to be a black strong wymen from Detroit, Aragon wears a keffiyeh and Arrakis is populated by gay men who surgically implant themselves with ovaries.

Well, really old stuff is public domain now, anyone can grab it and do whatever they want. Ever heard of all those '... and Zombies' novels? I remember reading a short story in a steampunk anthology some time ago which was basically a take on The Time Machine in which the protagonist becomes a vampire with a knack for crucifying everything that moves and morlocks rape everyone (and possibly their decapitated bodies too? Can't remember, it's been too long).

Seriously though, I have no idea how they could come up with their business model in the first place. What, are they thinking they'll get to do the Black Hound? Ha, not anymore, they're not.

I remember somebody said Amber Scott is a very pornstar-like name but perhaps it is an example of those post-transition weird name changes? Who knows?

Also, for me SoD will always stand for Spear of Destiny.

 

[Lhynn]

versus Trump supporter:

Spoiler

Amazing how Beamdog is spinning all criticism as outrage over the trans NPC alone.
I also love how disingenuous the last tweet is. As if it didn't have shitty writing all over it.

Can someone tell this cuck the writing is getting crucified in different threads? Must he be that much of a faggot?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

versus Trump supporter:





Amazing how Beamdog is spinning all criticism as outrage over the trans NPC alone.

While it may be true that the game as a whole sucks, this one particular point does anger me. Though less because of this one character and more because it's another in a long line of SJW motivated design choices by game devs. Quit it. Leave our hobby alone, Marxists. Maybe if you weren't so hyper-focused on what people do with their dicks, you could have focused on making the game something other than a poorly coded fanfic.

 

[Xenich]

Sorry I don't use logic...

Yes... we know, in fact... it was kind of the point of why you were such an idiot that you could not understand a very blatant and obvious relational logic example.

It is ok though, I understand you are "possibly retarded"?

 

[mastroego]

Well, the gaming media have picked up the story and fallen back on the usual narrative so there’s no going back now. No turns or surprises here, it’ll be the standard fare with everyone grabbing Dragonspear’s legs and arms in an impromptu tug of war. Dibs on the fibula.

It was obvious that they were gonna keep playing victims ("evil bigots against a single line from a trannie are sinking the game") and that gaming "journalists" would start the retarded political correctness dance.
No way around it.

The important thing is that the Metacritic score is still at 3.7... hopefully it'll be enough to sink both game and company despite the narrative being hijacked by moralizers.

 

[ArchAngel]

Sorry I don't use logic...

Yes... we know, in fact... it was kind of the point of why you were such an idiot that you could not understand a very blatant and obvious relational logic example.

It is ok though, I understand you are "possibly retarded"?

So we are in a magic circle. One of you idiots quotes my tag and I tell you you got no argument so you move on to insulting. And you say..

 

[SwiftCrack]

I feel half the 'Dex doesn't understand what the actual problem is.

The problem isn't a trans character, it's the way how said character is presented;

"I'm a fucking tranny because I was written like that by a low talent hack who has to throw it in your face because otherwise no one would know I'm a tranny and it's 2016 so you HAVE to know, deal with it."

The next step is a colored character telling you they are Black with a capital B, because just looking at the skin color of the character would be racist.

 

[mastroego]

Actually the problem is even the presence of the trans character.
It's an unnecessary pull into modern world issues instead of an organic part of the established fantasy setting.

Edwina OTOH is there as a "cursed" character, that's another thing entirely, that fits the setting.

 

[Mustawd]

I feel half the 'Dex doesn't understand what the actual problem is.

The problem isn't a trans character, it's the way how said character is presented;

Way ahead of you dawg

 

[SwiftCrack]

Actually the problem is even the presence of the trans character.
It's an unnecessary pull into modern world issues instead of an organic part of the established fantasy setting.

Edwina OTOH is there as a "cursed" character, that's another thing entirely, that fits the setting.

I disagree, writing in a trans character is definitely possible. The reality is that, given the setting, such a character would most likely either be a clown performing for the high aristocracy of the city or a social outcast lower than a Drow. The forced approach is the problem. If you hamfist a character's (again, given the setting) difficult backstory into the second line of dialogue then it's an agenda.

Way ahead of you dawg

Skipped over all pages after 15 because

 

[mastroego]

I insist, it's not fitting.
It's completely out of place. There's no modern medicine to perform sex change operations, there's no knowledge of "hormones" and such.
I concede there might be gays, but not transsexuals, other than a curse/Edwina situation, something related to magic or alchemy or angry deities.

Most of all, there'd be no SOCIAL issues related to trannies. If anything, out of a purely numerical consideration.
In a fantasy, medieval cities based setting, you'd have one, two "freaks of the village" at most, and I use this term because freaks it's exactly what would they be considered in that setting, and nobody, not even those characters themselves, would challenge that notion.

The very attempt to inject modern sensibilities in that kind of setting is a fundamental writing mistake.
It'd be like putting a Rainbow Flags SJW meeting in the Game of Thrones world.
It's idiocy.

 

[J_C]

versus Trump supporter:





Amazing how Beamdog is spinning all criticism as outrage over the trans NPC alone.

While it may be true that the game as a whole sucks, this one particular point does anger me. Though less because of this one character and more because it's another in a long line of SJW motivated design choices by game devs. Quit it. Leave our hobby alone, Marxists. Maybe if you weren't so hyper-focused on what people do with their dicks, you could have focused on making the game something other than a poorly coded fanfic.

My opinion is that causing a shitstorm over a game because of a few bad lines and a shit character is ridiculous if we look at this matter seriously. BUT I am very happy that Beamdog got all this drama, maybe next time they will get their shit together and think twice about their writing.

 

[Lyre Mors]

At the very least, it's abundantly clear now that Amber Scott should have her ass canned, or at the very least be demoted to beta tester position.

Seriously, how the fuck did they let this shit writing get through? Political and social agendas set completely aside, how is someone full-time employed to be a fucking shit fan-fiction writer for a supposed professional videogame company? This really has shown that Beamdog absolutely does have their heads soooo far up their own asses if they could allow a fuck up this big to be released. It is actually kind of blowing my mind that this is going on.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Paradox Interactive managed to create 4 world war 2 games without a single mention of the holocaust

Sounds suspicious to me. Do they perhaps secretly deny it? Or maybe they agree with it? IMO this is grounds for investigation.

 

[ArchAngel]

I feel half the 'Dex doesn't understand what the actual problem is.

The problem isn't a trans character, it's the way how said character is presented;

"I'm a fucking tranny because I was written like that by a low talent hack who has to throw it in your face because otherwise no one would know I'm a tranny and it's 2016 so you HAVE to know, deal with it."

The next step is a colored character telling you they are Black with a capital B, because just looking at the skin color of the character would be racist.

No, that is not the problem. If that was the problem, people would be up in arms against every game because every game has at least one character that is badly written. If this character when you ask him about his name tells you that he had a twin sister that died when he was young so he changed his name so honour her there would be 0 shitstorm. And that is still telling your life story to a stranger that asked about your name.

The problem is that the character is a trans. And people cannot stand that. Because reasons.. and now they are trying to ruin a game that is otherwise a very cool and good cRPG that 'Dex has been asking for a long time.

 

[SwiftCrack]

I insist, it's not fitting.
It's completely out of place. There's no modern medicine to perform sex change operations, there's no knowledge of "hormones" and such.
I concede there might be gays, but not transsexuals, other than a curse/Edwina situation, something related to magic or alchemy or angry deities.

Most of all, there'd be no SOCIAL issues related to trannies. If anything, out of a purely numerical consideration.
In a fantasy, medieval cities based setting, you'd have one, two "freaks of the village" at most, and I use this term because freaks it's exactly what would they be considered in that setting, and nobody, not even those characters themselves, would challenge that notion.

The very attempt to inject modern sensibilities in that kind of setting is a fundamental writing mistake.
It'd be like putting a Rainbow Flags SJW meeting in the Game of Thrones world.
It's idiocy.

Like I said, I agree with you, they would be freaks in the setting. Again, that doesn't mean (for me anyway) that there can't be any. There also doesn't have to be any corrective surgery imo, given the setting they'd be dragqueens or 'magically altered'.

 

[ArchAngel]

I insist, it's not fitting.
It's completely out of place. There's no modern medicine to perform sex change operations, there's no knowledge of "hormones" and such.
I concede there might be gays, but not transsexuals, other than a curse/Edwina situation, something related to magic or alchemy or angry deities.

Most of all, there'd be no SOCIAL issues related to trannies. If anything, out of a purely numerical consideration.
In a fantasy, medieval cities based setting, you'd have one, two "freaks of the village" at most, and I use this term because freaks it's exactly what would they be considered in that setting, and nobody, not even those characters themselves, would challenge that notion.

The very attempt to inject modern sensibilities in that kind of setting is a fundamental writing mistake.
It'd be like putting a Rainbow Flags SJW meeting in the Game of Thrones world.
It's idiocy.

Except the author of FR does not agree with you and you are just projecting your wants and wishes into that game world:

Ed Greenwoods FB page


I am saddened by what I hear of the current kerfluffle raging about Siege of Dragonspear and the trans character Amber Scott designed and included in it.
Folks, the Realms have ALWAYS had characters (mortals and deities) who crossdressed, changed gender (and not just to sneak past guards in an adventure, by way of shapeshifting magic or illusions), were actively bisexual, and openly gay. How underscored this was by TSR and later Wizards varied over time, and was always softpedaled, because D&D wasn't a sex game, and we generally don't rub the reader's nose in sex unless there's a good in-story reason for it.
But even deities have changed gender, sometimes for good, and the servants of deities (Elminster, in ELMINSTER: THE MAKING OF A MAGE) have sometimes been forced by the deity to "spend time as the other" to learn what life is like.
So it has always been there, and is an integral part of the Realms. With that said, I've never met a gamer yet who doesn't tinker with every adventure to "make it their own" at their own gaming table, so if trans, LGBT, or sexual matters at all don't suit your tastes and needs in your gaming sessions, leave it out or change it.
But D&D has half-orcs, and half-dragons, and half-elves, and has magic items that specifically change gender, right there in the rules. Surely, if you can handle the basic notion of cross-SPECIES sex, having a full variety of gender roles should be something that doesn't blow your mind. If it's not for you, that's fine. I hate wearing certain shades of yellow. But I don't scream and yell at someone I see wearing those shades of yellow, and call them names, and threaten things. My right to dislike yellow applies to me; it doesn't extend to others. Because somehow, through an incredible oversight on the part of the universe that still hasn't been rectified, no one made me a god. (I'm still crushed.)

 

[Havoc]

Still. There is no transgender. If you can change everything, thanks to a polymorph spell, about your body, then it's not transgender. You are just the opposite gender, that's it. Where does one get estrogen pills in Faerun?

 

[Volrath]

I insist, it's not fitting.
It's completely out of place. There's no modern medicine to perform sex change operations, there's no knowledge of "hormones" and such.
I concede there might be gays, but not transsexuals, other than a curse/Edwina situation, something related to magic or alchemy or angry deities.

Most of all, there'd be no SOCIAL issues related to trannies. If anything, out of a purely numerical consideration.
In a fantasy, medieval cities based setting, you'd have one, two "freaks of the village" at most, and I use this term because freaks it's exactly what would they be considered in that setting, and nobody, not even those characters themselves, would challenge that notion.

The very attempt to inject modern sensibilities in that kind of setting is a fundamental writing mistake.
It'd be like putting a Rainbow Flags SJW meeting in the Game of Thrones world.
It's idiocy.

Except the author of FR does not agree with you and you are just projecting your wants and wishes into that game world:

Ed Greenwoods FB page


I am saddened by what I hear of the current kerfluffle raging about Siege of Dragonspear and the trans character Amber Scott designed and included in it.
Folks, the Realms have ALWAYS had characters (mortals and deities) who crossdressed, changed gender (and not just to sneak past guards in an adventure, by way of shapeshifting magic or illusions), were actively bisexual, and openly gay. How underscored this was by TSR and later Wizards varied over time, and was always softpedaled, because D&D wasn't a sex game, and we generally don't rub the reader's nose in sex unless there's a good in-story reason for it.
But even deities have changed gender, sometimes for good, and the servants of deities (Elminster, in ELMINSTER: THE MAKING OF A MAGE) have sometimes been forced by the deity to "spend time as the other" to learn what life is like.
So it has always been there, and is an integral part of the Realms. With that said, I've never met a gamer yet who doesn't tinker with every adventure to "make it their own" at their own gaming table, so if trans, LGBT, or sexual matters at all don't suit your tastes and needs in your gaming sessions, leave it out or change it.
But D&D has half-orcs, and half-dragons, and half-elves, and has magic items that specifically change gender, right there in the rules. Surely, if you can handle the basic notion of cross-SPECIES sex, having a full variety of gender roles should be something that doesn't blow your mind. If it's not for you, that's fine. I hate wearing certain shades of yellow. But I don't scream and yell at someone I see wearing those shades of yellow, and call them names, and threaten things. My right to dislike yellow applies to me; it doesn't extend to others. Because somehow, through an incredible oversight on the part of the universe that still hasn't been rectified, no one made me a god. (I'm still crushed.)

If only people got this.

 

[ArchAngel]

And it was not rubbed. Such characters can exist and do exist. She/he talks about it because he/she can being a powerful cleric.

 

[J_C]

These fucking retarded fucks don't get it. Neither do Ed Greenwoods. Gods and deities can change gender as much as they want, but we are talking about a character here who is not transgender by his/her own choice, but because he/she feels that he/she was born in the body of the opposite gender. As most transgender do.

Then tell me, if you think you are in the wrong body, but you have the means to change this, wouldn't you do that? This is simple logic FFS! SIMPLE LOGIC! In the FR universe you can change genders easiy, then why the fuck is someone transgender?

"- Oh, my dear Bhaalspawn, you see that I'm not what I look like. my soul is of a woman, but I was born in the body of a man. I'm slaving away in the wrong body. Sigh, but I guess I have to deal with what I got.
"- Ummm, I have a belt of Gender Change with me, and I saw at least a dozen Gender Change spells back in the city, don't you want to change your body so your soul and body fit eachother?
- ....ummm...I....no, no, no, I'm a poor transgendered character..
- But you can change this, do you like being transgendered? Don't you wan't to live in a body which fits you? You can do that quite easily.
- NO NO NO, LEAVE ME ALONE, I'M A POOR TRANSGEN....
- POWER WORD: DIE"

 

[ArchAngel]

Still. There is no transgender. If you can change everything, thanks to a polymorph spell, about your body, then it's not transgender. You are just the opposite gender, that's it. Where does one get estrogen pills in Faerun?

These fucking retarded fucks don't get it. Neither do Ed Greenwoods. Gods and deities can change gender as much as they want, but we are talking about a character here who is not transgender by his/her own choice, but because he/she feels that he/she was born in the body of the opposite gender. As most transgender do.

Then tell me, if you think you are in the wrong body, but you have the means to change this, wouldn't you do that? This is simple logic FFS! SIMPLE LOGIC! In the FR universe you can change genders easiy, then why the fuck someone is transgender?

It is a transgender if he/she didn't change her body type yet. There is no natural way to do so in Fearun outside a Wish spell or dying and being Reincarnated as a female. Other ways can be dispelled.

Also you calling the guy behind the whole setting (and the most popular one in D&D) not knowing means shit. It is like complaining about George Martin having gays in his own world and how that is not possible or whatever.

 

[Havoc]

FUCKING POLYMORPH! 5 level spell, you need level 9 caster at least. That means it cost 450 gold pieces. Work your ass off, get the spell or ask someone nicely and puff, you are different sex/gender. The End. No Transgender.

 

[Tacgnol]

These fucking retarded fucks don't get it. Neither do Ed Greenwoods. Gods and deities can change gender as much as they want, but we are talking about a character here who is not transgender by his/her own choice, but because he/she feels that he/she was born in the body of the opposite gender. As most transgender do.

Then tell me, if you think you are in the wrong body, but you have the means to change this, wouldn't you do that? This is simple logic FFS! SIMPLE LOGIC! In the FR universe you can change genders easiy, then why the fuck someone is transgender?

That's what I was saying earlier. I don't see how the concept of "transgender" could ever exist in FR. They don't have/need the medical science for sex changes as gender can easily be changed with magic.

 

[ArchAngel]

FUCKING POLYMORPH! 5 level spell, you need level 9 caster at least. That means it cost 450 gold pieces. Work your ass off, get the spell or ask someone nicely and puff, you are different sex/gender. The End. No Transgender.

Polymorph is dispelled in multiple ways. Also you are made into a generic version of human, not exact one. Wish/Miracle or Limited Wish(probably not) is only real way to do it