About hot characters in computer games :)

[Ajidica]

Main romantic relationships/questlines were well integrated into the story in all three.

Have you played Witcher 1 in the last decade?
It was not integrated well. You rescue an elf lady from some thugs, and she goes "Thank you for saving me from those ruffians, I wish I could repay you, u want sum fuk?" Click yes, and you get a soft core porn trading card. I can't think of any female character in the game who wasn't a hag you couldn't get a sex card from.
A brief perusal of the sex card list in Witcher 1 shows that a large number of the sex cards are from characters with such wonderfully developed characters such as "Gossip", "Half Elf" "Elf Woman", "Peasant from Village", and "Woman from Outskirts". The latter of whom gives you a sex card if you bring her flowers from the body of her dead lover.
https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Romance_card

 

[Gorbles]

Man, if you wish to judge it, maybe play the game and see for yourself? But all right, I'll humor you.
There are female characters who have game-length story arcs and considerable plot significance. And yes, you can sleep with them - although two main romance options are mutually exclusive, iirc. There are others, with arcs through just the chapter or two... and you can sleep with them also. And finally, there absolutely are characters in the game who have no other purpose or associated quest whatsoever.
You can go into a tavern, meet a guy who has no other role than to play dice with you and fleece him. You can then brawl with another one, who has no purpose except fistfighting, bet some on yourself and beat him. And then you can spend your hard-earned money on a lady who has no other role than to sleep with you and collect aforementioned "softcore trading card". Unless you had pissed them off by siding with elvish guerillas, in which case they'd turn you down. Were these mechanics indispensable to the game, or particularly inspired? No, but I don't think they made the game bad/worse either.

I don't need to play the game to point out that downplaying the treatment of women in it (which is Google-able, and demonstrated by more than one other poster) could be done better. I don't get why you're so insistent that I play it, like that'll change my mind.

If you can't understand the difference between "women put into game to sleep with", and "NPC who happens to be male to play dice with", what do you want me to say? The fact that it is a women is key to her role as someone Geralt can sleep with. The fact that the NPCs you mentioned were male has no bearing on what they do. Unless women in the game aren't allowed to play dice or brawl

 

[Kyriakos]

I don't need to play the game to point out that downplaying the treatment of women in it (which is Google-able, and demonstrated by more than one other poster) could be done better. I don't get why you're so insistent that I play it, like that'll change my mind.

If you can't understand the difference between "women put into game to sleep with", and "NPC who happens to be male to play dice with", what do you want me to say? The fact that it is a women is key to her role as someone Geralt can sleep with. The fact that the NPCs you mentioned were male has no bearing on what they do. Unless women in the game aren't allowed to play dice or brawl

While it does sound rather bad... maybe they just did it to give the game some mix of medieval grit and pseudo-authenticity? I mean, particularly in west Europe, society wasn't exactly open to have lower class women do much.
It's even why the HRE was formed - since the pope couldn't accept a woman being emperor of the real roman empire

 

[Gorbles]

While it does sound rather bad... maybe they just did it to give the game some mix of medieval grit and pseudo-authenticity? I mean, particularly in west Europe, society wasn't exactly open to have lower class women do much.
It's even why the HRE was formed - since the pope couldn't accept a woman being emperor of the real roman empire

Maybe they thought they were? But the Witcher is a fantasy game adapted (not 100% copied from - they took liberties) from a fantasy book (that has its cultural roots in a medieval setting). I'm not saying the developers are horrendous human beings. I'm not saying they were all sitting round a table giggling at the idea of women existing to pleasure the player character. I'm simply saying it's fine to criticise such a shallow rendition, because shallow (and sexist) is what it is, however unintentionally.

 

[Ajidica]

In Witcher 1, the relationship Geralt could develop with Triss or Shani, by the standards of the period, was quite good. The rest depicted women as a horny teenager would understand them. Either "Thank you for bringing me flowers from by dead lover, let me show you my tits." or as evil old hags.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Moderator Action: This is where I chime in and ask people to be mindful of their language, please. Thank you.

 

[Chicken Pizza]

So why include them at all? Why were they put into the game, if not for a specific (however optional you argue it to be) purpose?

So I can feel like a better person ignoring it.

 

[Crezth]

There’s this great new invention it’s called outside

 

[AmazonQueen]

While it does sound rather bad... maybe they just did it to give the game some mix of medieval grit and pseudo-authenticity? I mean, particularly in west Europe, society wasn't exactly open to have lower class women do much.
It's even why the HRE was formed - since the pope couldn't accept a woman being emperor of the real roman empire

They rather spoiled that argument by having the princess be one of the girls who falls for the vagabond mercenary.

 

[warpus]

You don't have to focus on video games here, you could just point to any media. Attractive and fit people are more visually appealing, whether we like it or not - and will be used in an attempt to increase profits. That has been happening for decades.. er.. centuries?.. millenia??

Have you ever seen an ancient Greek statue of somebody fugly? Sure they all have tiny genitalia for whatever reason, but the rest of their bodies are usually what you might describe as human perfection.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Naked people (and their sexuality) have been the focus of the more leisured class for thousands of years.

 

[Yeekim]

Have you played Witcher 1 in the last decade?
It was not integrated well.

Er... maybe not in the last decade? But note that I said "main" romantic relatinships were well integrated. Meaning Triss and Shani. What you mentioned would fit either into second or third category I mentioned - and there are their equivalents in the later games as well, although at least in #3 we also get to see female characters Geralt doesn't sleep with.

The rest depicted women as a horny teenager would understand them. Either "Thank you for bringing me flowers from by dead lover, let me show you my tits." or as evil old hags.

Well, among any dozen or two dozen random nameless girls and women in a random in-game village there might be one such, er, flower fan. You can say what you want of such depiction of women, but I'll object to a claim of inaccuracy. This is a family-friendly forum, but I'm sure you're easily able to find women willing to show a lot more for a lot less than a price of a nice bouquet of flowers, if you happen to be interested.
Sure, would be nice if the game included more dialogue and different interactions for every NPC, including all those other women and men who just threw random soundbytes as you ran by, but that's the budget limitations I guess.

If you can't understand the difference between "women put into game to sleep with", and "NPC who happens to be male to play dice with", what do you want me to say? The fact that it is a women is key to her role as someone Geralt can sleep with. The fact that the NPCs you mentioned were male has no bearing on what they do. Unless women in the game aren't allowed to play dice or brawl

Honestly, I really don't understand that difference or why it matters. Yes, obviously "the fact that it is a women is key to her role as someone Geralt can sleep with." And? Do you object to Geralt being heterosexual?

 

[PiR]

You don't have to focus on video games here, you could just point to any media. Attractive and fit people are more visually appealing, whether we like it or not - and will be used in an attempt to increase profits. That has been happening for decades.. er.. centuries?.. millenia??

Agree, video games are a reflection of a part of society. Even though the notion of physically appealing changes depending on time periods and cultures.

Have you ever seen an ancient Greek statue of somebody fugly? Sure they all have tiny genitalia for whatever reason, but the rest of their bodies are usually what you might describe as human perfection.

I think that's because having a big one meant for them you had no brain, something like that.

 

[Gorbles]

Honestly, I really don't understand that difference or why it matters. Yes, obviously "the fact that it is a women is key to her role as someone Geralt can sleep with." And? Do you object to Geralt being heterosexual?

Right, so you don't understand. That's not a crime, but maybe don't go so hard on an argument you don't understand then?

 

[PiR]

I've been thinking about it a little, and I can't even think of one video game character that I thought was hot. I guess it's just not a medium that's suited to that, for me.

 

[Kyriakos]

This is hotter:

 

[red_elk]

Оця most щise empeяоя?

 

[Zardnaar]

This is hotter:

I remember that. Getting old.

 

[Yeekim]

Right, so you don't understand. That's not a crime, but maybe don't go so hard on an argument you don't understand then?

I guess we can leave it at that, if you don't wish to elaborate.

This is hotter

This is an atrocity.

 

[Kyriakos]

It is perhaps also worth noting that due to the relative popularity of indie games, by now you can also find games with protagonists who are of lgbt (I suppose in many cases this is in sexually related games, but not all)

I doubt you'd soon see a trans protagonist in massive companies titles, but you don't have to bother with that.

This is an atrocity.

The only real civs are those that have been in all civ games