Game News The New World Update #22: Faction Leaders Overview

[Vault Dweller]

Mazin's working on them as we speak.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Love your shit Vault Dweller
I hope this game outperforms Age of Decadence and Dungeon Rats combined. Both those are gems.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I hope so. Thanks.

 

[screeg]

The most important part, in my mind, is that every character in the play has a reason to be in a precarious position. It's a dynamic situation. Reis has to act quickly to prove new leadership, the Council has to push for results to maintain their own position, Hanson's plan's been scuppered and his own window of opportunity to affect the stalemate is running out. That is key to a good story, a kind of story that plays out during the game itself rather than the backstory you read about somewhere else.

Well said. Dis guy gets it.

 

[hivemind]

tfw no gf
will this have romances since it has more girl npcs
it should imo

 

[cherry blossom]

Looking at all the character portraits up until now, will this be another Dudebro game? Where are the women?

While it's a sci-fi game, the ship is a fairly lawless, wild west-like place, which would make much harder for women to advance to positions of power. Out of 10 leaders listed, 3 are militia/mercenary leaders, 2 are "frontiersmen". Out of 5 leaders of the actual factions, 2 are female.

It is a bit disappointing to hear the same excuses everybody else has been using since forever. It is a matter of what you choose to represent and whether you end up enforcing the same stereotypes over or start creating new possibilities. Not at all different than the design choices involved in mainstream vs. niche gaming genres. Even the act of making a game like AOD was a step against the wind in this sense. Why not carry the same attitude and underlying philosophy to all creative aspects of a game? It could only be more refreshing as a setting, more inviting to a wider range of players without compromising your niche core design (unless your design hinges on the game having a Dudebro setting) and more memorable as an experience. Otherwise, how is it any different than the school of thought behind mainstream game development?

But well, at least 2 out of 5 leaders is better than nothing. Thumbs up for that.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Considering that only about 26% of people who play WRPGs are female and that a far smaller percentage of those will go outside of the AAA bubble (your MEs, Elder Scrolls, Fallouts and the like), why do you believe that Vault Dweller should expend resources on some kind of 50/50 portrait/representation split?

His core audience - which is probably >85% male - is unlikely to be picking female portraits. Some will, most won't. In fact, you seem to have been around this forum long enough to understand that the people who play 'hardcore' RPGs represent a very specific sliver or cross-section of the community. How many women post here? Five? Ten? Would you say it's more than 2%? I wouldn't.

And knowing all that, you're going to push gender politics on the guy? Give me a break.

It is a matter of what you choose to represent and whether you end up enforcing the same stereotypes over or start creating new possibilities.

Yes, absolutely, this hardcore, old-school, turn-based WRPG (and every word in that descriptor is anathema to any sort of female audience) should be a vehicle for progressive gender politics, in which women, too, can be great warriors and can do anything that men can do. Mate, you might be an example of the one in a hundred female gamers who play these games. And you have your corollaries in the men who unironically play things like Princess Maker, or pet pony sims, or whatever.

But your exceptions do not mean that this guy, who is ultimately trying to make a living from game development, should be called out for not pandering or bending over backward to cater to a microscopic portion of his audience.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Looking at all the character portraits up until now, will this be another Dudebro game? Where are the women?

While it's a sci-fi game, the ship is a fairly lawless, wild west-like place, which would make much harder for women to advance to positions of power. Out of 10 leaders listed, 3 are militia/mercenary leaders, 2 are "frontiersmen". Out of 5 leaders of the actual factions, 2 are female.

It is a bit disappointing to hear the same excuses everybody else has been using since forever. It is a matter of what you choose to represent and whether you end up enforcing the same stereotypes over or start creating new possibilities. Not at all different than the design choices involved in mainstream vs. niche gaming genres. Even the act of making a game like AOD was a step against the wind in this sense. Why not carry the same attitude and underlying philosophy to all creative aspects of a game? It could only be more refreshing as a setting, more inviting to a wider range of players without compromising your niche core design (unless your design hinges on the game having a Dudebro setting) and more memorable as an experience. Otherwise, how is it any different than the school of thought behind mainstream game development?

But well, at least 2 out of 5 leaders is better than nothing. Thumbs up for that.

 

[Trashos]

I do not mind the black leader, he fits a well-known stereotype in North America, after all. I am also willing to try the learn-by-doing ideas that VD has, even though I hate such systems, because I am interested to see what he finds exciting at this point and what ITS can do with it.

But if at some point ITS change things in order to reach new audiences (the ones everybody else is also trying to reach, you know, the non-racists/non-sexists who are specifically trying to reach certain races and women), they should not be surprised if part of their older audience abandons ship. There are things I do not find entertaining, and I am not willing to suffer through them in my entertainment time.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

I do not mind the black leader, he fits a well-known stereotype in North America, after all. I am also willing to try the learn-by-doing ideas that VD has, even though I hate such systems, because I am interested to see what he finds exciting at this point and what ITS can do with it.

But if at some point ITS change things in order to reach new audiences (the ones everybody else is also trying to reach, you know, the non-racists/non-sexists who are specifically trying to reach certain races and women), they should not be surprised if part of their older audience abandons ship. There are things I do not find entertaining, and I am not willing to suffer through them in my entertainment time.

 

[hivemind]

Why not carry the same attitude and underlying philosophy to all creative aspects of a game? It could only be more refreshing as a setting, more inviting to a wider range of players without compromising your niche core design (unless your design hinges on the game having a Dudebro setting) and more memorable as an experience

unironically a sterile, agenda-driven, 50-50 gender split would ruin my verisimilitude with the setting and I would enjoy the game a lot less
like the "stereotypes" are literally based on real-life gender differences and culture trends arising from them, ignoring those is just bad writing

the matriarchal mutant thing is cool tho because of the unique conditions from which their culture arose

 

[cherry blossom]

The insecurity of some men, terrified of women in their games... almost the same as the insecurity of mainstream gamers terrified of good design with depth in their games.

 

[hivemind]

did u just assume my gender

 

[Jrpgfan]

 

[Lone Wolf]

The insecurity of some men, terrified of women in their games... almost the same as the insecurity of mainstream gamers terrified of good design with depth in their games.

Lame.

I'm not questioning women in games. I welcome women both playing games and being represented in them. What I'm questioning is the economic reality behind what you're asking, here. Specifically you. With respect to this game. Considering the target audience and its core demographic.

The second women represent a larger part of that audience/demographic, he should of course put more effort into meeting a demand.

 

[Fenix]

There will be plenty of women in the game.

Interstellar brothel anyone?

It is a bit disappointing to hear the same excuses everybody else has been using since forever. It is a matter of what you choose to represent and whether you end up enforcing the same stereotypes over or start creating new possibilities. Not at all different than the design choices involved in mainstream vs. niche gaming genres. Even the act of making a game like AOD was a step against the wind in this sense. Why not carry the same attitude and underlying philosophy to all creative aspects of a game? It could only be more refreshing as a setting, more inviting to a wider range of players without compromising your niche core design (unless your design hinges on the game having a Dudebro setting) and more memorable as an experience. Otherwise, how is it any different than the school of thought behind mainstream game development?

But well, at least 2 out of 5 leaders is better than nothing. Thumbs up for that.

Agree, I would prefer to see a story, where the Ship was launched in a our near future, were matriarchy won, so society consist from agressive, power-hungry women, who is easily managable because of their families, who aren't able to pursue the achievement of any principles and act in pursuit of abstract principles, society that stale like a swamp, so the situation on a Ship can be used to show a disastrous dead end of humanity, and how that mission doomed to failure, untill some masculine mutant man arose from the wastelands of the Ship...

 

[Jrpgfan]

There will be plenty of women in the game.

Interstellar brothel anyone?

[

The Promised Land.

I hope this feminazi rant doesn't affect the way VD builds this place.

 

[cherry blossom]

Hey, feminazi is better than straight up nazi, which is what most of counter non-arguments boil down to :

 

[M. AQVILA]

Hey, feminazi is better than straight up nazi, which is what most of counter non-arguments boil down to :

Honestly I could understand your complaints if there was no option to play as a woman. But does it matter whether or not there are female faction leaders in the game?

The insecurity of some women, terrified of men in their games...

 

[Elhoim]

Added Ava Miller.

The ECLSS 'monks' are heavily augmented. Low in numbers, they rely on augmentations to boost longevity and analytical abilities. Coincidentally, it makes them less human.

 

[hivemind]

every girl so far is top tier waifu material

add romances

 

[GarfunkeL]

His core audience - which is probably >85% male

Cherry asked for more female characters in the game itself. And you rant about how having more than token female characters in the game would be pandering to a non-existing female audience and be gender politics? Jesus fucking christ on a pogo-stick, talk about being triggered.

But does it matter whether or not there are female faction leaders in the game?

Of course it does. Variety and diversity among characters is a richness and improves a game - as long as they are well thought out. It's boring to have SCHEMING WHITE GUY #75 once more, especially when a game setting does not force it.

 

[Jrpgfan]

muh diversity

Let the man put whoever the fuck he wants to in his own godamn game you bunch of annoying fucks.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Cherry asked for more female characters in the game itself. And you rant about how having more than token female characters in the game would be pandering to a non-existing female audience and be gender politics? Jesus fucking christ on a pogo-stick, talk about being triggered.

... I couldn't care less about how many female characters exist in the game. I care about the notion that VD should cater to the female demographic, which the poster in question posited, specifically. Which is ridiculous nonsense.

Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo-stick, talk about your shitty reading comprehension first, before having a go, mate.

Didn't see this bit, or chose to ignore it?

I'm not questioning women in games. I welcome women both playing games and being represented in them. What I'm questioning is the economic reality behind what you're asking, here. Specifically you. With respect to this game. Considering the target audience and its core demographic.

 

[Fenix]

Of course it does. Variety and diversity among characters is a richness and improves a game

I can not decide how to insult you for now, only woke up.