Blitzscream
Warlord
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I heard that 2k or whoever is in charge of looking over MODS doesn't allow certain things like Hitler for example. Is this true?
Censorship in civ 5
- Thread starter Blitzscream
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kooboo
Lurker
It's not censorship but simple economic thinking. Depictions of some people or ideas are not allowed in certain countries (like Germany ofc) and there are many great leaders to choose from every country. Not selling this game in Germany would be extremely stupid only because authors thought of adding Hitler.
Not that I agree he was a great leader and fits Civ at all - he left his country in ruins.
Not that I agree he was a great leader and fits Civ at all - he left his country in ruins.
Blitzscream
Warlord
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I said mod not in game products. Yes Everyone knows Hitler but how on Earth for example could you make a realistic ww2 scenario and even in reference?
Not just Germany, I'd bet. There are plenty of folks in the US and elsewhere that would most likely not purchase the game if Hitler were a civ leader in it. Why anyone would think its a good idea is beyond me.
edit: didn't see your reply until i had already posted.
edit: didn't see your reply until i had already posted.
They removed a Hitler mod from the mod server because Nazi insignia are illegal in Germany, and the mod server is global.
It's in this thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=389282&page=3
Resonable decision IMO.
It's in this thread:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=389282&page=3
Resonable decision IMO.
Blitzscream
Warlord
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thx hopefully somehow 2k could work with Germany in future to make a realistic ww2 scenario(excluding the holocaust). But that's probably in my dreams.
CyberChrist
You caught my attention
There is already a Hitler mod.
Although I will never be able to understand why anyone would want to choose him as their prefered avatar in a game, then it would be pretty hard to make any kind of credible WW2 scenario without him.
As for censorship of mods then I hope that is restricted to mods with outright insulting and/or harmful content (profet Muhammed leader with a bomb in his turban, LUA/DLL trojans etc.).
Although I will never be able to understand why anyone would want to choose him as their prefered avatar in a game, then it would be pretty hard to make any kind of credible WW2 scenario without him.
As for censorship of mods then I hope that is restricted to mods with outright insulting and/or harmful content (profet Muhammed leader with a bomb in his turban, LUA/DLL trojans etc.).
Blitzscream
Warlord
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And just to add yes I do believe in certain instances that certain MODS should not be allowed for example I think its totally dumb to have Mohammad as a leader when its just insulting.
Karkahoolio
Chieftain
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- Mar 8, 2010
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Perhaps having Hitler as a leader would give some people the satisfaction of crushing his civ over and over.. 
fcolmenarez
Chieftain
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I don't like any type of censorship. It is absolutely impossible to please everyone. If the game or mod is presented in a proper context for the purposes of a scenario I do not see any reason why it can't be used.
These are economic decisions and a passing phase, a phase that will however probably take at least another hundred or so years to pass.
When there are too many people who cannot look objectively in the round at any portion of history, and when a proportion of those people may have access to enough cash to litigate anything out of existence, the risk is too high and it is understandable that a vendor will decide that discretion is the better part of valor - at least for them. It's also understandable why people hurt by history will react that way too.
Meanwhile those of us in the middle who insist on experimenting will look to sources that are less vulnerable to censorship.
When there are too many people who cannot look objectively in the round at any portion of history, and when a proportion of those people may have access to enough cash to litigate anything out of existence, the risk is too high and it is understandable that a vendor will decide that discretion is the better part of valor - at least for them. It's also understandable why people hurt by history will react that way too.
Meanwhile those of us in the middle who insist on experimenting will look to sources that are less vulnerable to censorship.
I can understand the distaiste that some will have for "touchy" leaders like Hitler and I can even understand the reason as to why they would want the Nazi symbol. However, its a game that has a TON of historical fact and should not be edited. You can not edit history.
Humakty
Happy Goblin
With the one leader per civ system, I think Bismarck fits much better to the role.
He actually created Germany out of warring feudal sates, and left it at his death as the first european economical and military power.
So I can't possibly figure how the Good'ol Dodolf could have made it to the front scene.
He actually created Germany out of warring feudal sates, and left it at his death as the first european economical and military power.
So I can't possibly figure how the Good'ol Dodolf could have made it to the front scene.
Licinia Eudoxia
Empress
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You can still use the mod, just not have it available in the in-game mod store.
It's no different than the fact that X-Box won't let you create an account with a user name that includes a long chain of expletives, or that you'll be asked to leave a diner if you're shouting and yelling.
You still have the freedom to do what you want, just not within their domain and in view of other customers. If you want your Hitler mod, you can have it. I don't think this is a serious encroachment of censorship.
If you think this is bad, then you should see the Chinese release of World of Warcraft. You can't have exposed skulls or bones, so the undead player race has entirely different models that look ridiculous. And much of the armor in the game is covered in skulls and spikes, so that has been changed as well. And we should all be much more concerned with the fact that
Personally, I haven't been impressed with the in-game mod browser, it's very very slow for me, but that's another issue entirely.
Also, if I were Germany, I'd be less concerned with video game Hitler, and more concerned with the fact that the German engineering conglomerate Siemens is the only company in the world that was willing to overlook moral complications and design a telecommunications system for Iran that was specifically tailored to completely and totally facilitates direct oppression and manipulation by a central government.
But that's also an entirely different issue.
If you're really concerned with video game Hitler censorship, then the proper avenue for your frustration is government and parties that create a market for censorship. It is nice when a company takes a stand, but impractical to expect a company to do so.
It's no different than the fact that X-Box won't let you create an account with a user name that includes a long chain of expletives, or that you'll be asked to leave a diner if you're shouting and yelling.
You still have the freedom to do what you want, just not within their domain and in view of other customers. If you want your Hitler mod, you can have it. I don't think this is a serious encroachment of censorship.
If you think this is bad, then you should see the Chinese release of World of Warcraft. You can't have exposed skulls or bones, so the undead player race has entirely different models that look ridiculous. And much of the armor in the game is covered in skulls and spikes, so that has been changed as well. And we should all be much more concerned with the fact that
Personally, I haven't been impressed with the in-game mod browser, it's very very slow for me, but that's another issue entirely.
Also, if I were Germany, I'd be less concerned with video game Hitler, and more concerned with the fact that the German engineering conglomerate Siemens is the only company in the world that was willing to overlook moral complications and design a telecommunications system for Iran that was specifically tailored to completely and totally facilitates direct oppression and manipulation by a central government.
But that's also an entirely different issue.
If you're really concerned with video game Hitler censorship, then the proper avenue for your frustration is government and parties that create a market for censorship. It is nice when a company takes a stand, but impractical to expect a company to do so.
need my speed
Rex Omnium Imperarium
Firaxis, or whoever is in charge of this censoring, is really getting more stupid by the second...
Blitzscream
Warlord
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Now, would you mind to explain why Hitler is ok but Mohammed is an insult?
Well for a scenario or MOD only I would think Hitler should be allowed. But I can see no reason as to why Mohammad would make the MOD or scenario great. And just to add it is heresy in Muslims point of view to depict him in such a way.
I hope nobody gets too worked up about this thread. This is a genuinely complex issue and can't be resolved on a message board. As long as the developers don't make lunatic decisions about modified content I think we should let them get on with it and stay out of the politics, and stay out of the religion.
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