Nudity and Sexual Content

Discussion in 'Archived Topics' started by Rasaro, Apr 24, 2013.

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  1. Deathblow

    Deathblow Avatar

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    We can call it just another Wourld War II Love Story.
     
  2. Ultima Codex

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    Similar arguments have been made in support of the idea of open, full-loot, non-consensual PvP...muggings and murder happen in real life, so why shouldn't we be allowed to RP those things?

    Then as now, it's an unconvincing line of argument. Some players -- many, likely -- don't want to be gank targets. Equally, some players don't want to encounter digital depictions of nudity...at least, not by accident.

    And then as now, the RP value of SotA is not significantly diminished by the presence of underwear on character models, or by the absence of sexual encounters or emotes. There's still plenty to do, and plenty to RP...even relationships between players, if that's your thing.

    I don't know...I think the fade to black was about perfect in ME1. (The equivalent scenes in ME2 and 3, and in DAO and 2, weren't as well-executed.)

    I mean, I'm not stupid; I knew Shep and Kaidan were going to have sex, and I didn't actually need to see that depicted to appreciate the narrative value of the romance there. Conversely, I never saw the narrative value of Triss being totally nude in the tent scene in The Witcher 2, apart from the fact that it was used to set up a lame facial expressions gag with that one guard. Which wasn't even terribly original; the same gag was executed way more skillfully -- and without benefit of explicit nudity -- in "The Spy Who Loved Me".

    There were certainly a lot of errors made in that regard, but...well, I took a more or less mainline Catholic approach to my relationships ("Theology of the Body"-type stuff), and it's worked out pretty well for me. I certainly have sex way more than any of my other married friends...or at least the non-Catholic ones. The Catholic ones put me to shame, for the most...at least if number of kids is any indicator.

    I love sex for both its unitive and procreative purposes, as well as for its philosophical and metaphysical symbolism, and I think the depiction of sexuality is made more poignant and mystical when elements of it are left to mystery and imagination.

    YMMV, of course.

    Look, I'm all -- or mostly -- about narrative. If sex and even nudity can serve some fundamental narrative purpose in a game, then great; I welcome the inclusion of both elements. If on the other hand those elements are there for no apparent narrative purpose and really only serve to titillate, I've no particular desire to encounter that content, since the real deal offline is in every way better. (That said, I am kind of intrigued at how The Sims has incorporated sex and even pregnancy into its gameplay, in a relatively tasteful and even somewhat cheeky way -- note: no nudity there either. It would be interesting if one could start and raise a family in SotA.)
     
  3. Ultima Codex

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    Let's not.
     
  4. smack

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    This thread will never die until Richard, Tracy and Stephen weighs in on this. Will there be any artistic value in showing nudity and sexual content in Shroud of the Avatar? Beats me. I haven't seen the story yet.

    But if they have something to "say" about it through visual storytelling and gameplay and its depiction in interactive medium, I'm all for it.
     
  5. Ultima Codex

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    Thus far, and from everything that we have seen, there doesn't seem to be any argument for that sort of artistic value.

    But as you note, we haven't seen everything yet.

    I fall back on an observation I made earlier in this discussion: if you look at Garriott's other games, particularly the Ultimas, there's...bits and pieces of sexuality and even nudity in some of them, but it has really only ever been a minor aspect of those games at best (and in some, more like an Easter egg than anything else). The safe bet is that SotA will take a similar approach, if at all.
     
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  6. Deathblow

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    I'm having a photo shoot with him right now, you are indeed sure about that?
     
  7. Ultima Codex

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    Pretty sure posting any of that would violate the forum rules.
     
  8. Isaiah

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    Yeah if one day Richard says he is for it I'll be fine with it. My only addition at that point is having the rack to not only be a torture device, but be used for pleasure as well. Also let dungeons be a place for pleasure too. Why not if they add nudity and sexual content to the game.
     
  9. Deathblow

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    As with all vulgarity. your right. I fully agree.:)
     
  10. Isaiah

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    Actually a medieval fantasy goes well with sex. Just watch Game of Thrones. They do a splendid job of brining in all kinds of sexual content that goes beyond any necessity for the show... HBO style!

    I think I've come full circle. Let's hope they raise the bar for SotA sex scenes. It is the Internet anyway!!! Let's see all that stuff that was only available in the Internet news groups back in the day. Really obscure type stuff!!!

    I don't believe in doing anything half-assed. If there going to do the sex thing, then we need hard core action. Play a lonely shepherd, or a lusty pirate. I want there to be a big banner saying "EXCLUSIVE ACTION AVAILABLE FOR HARD CORE GAMERS" and "SEE THE ACTION, BANNED IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES"


    Ok I'm done. :p
     
  11. Kal Morte

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    I'm sure there is a common denominator somewhere in all this. Age of Conan had boobies and nothing bad happened. Maybe they should put in-game nudity up for sale in the store?
     
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  12. Deathblow

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    My apologies:(
     
  13. MagiK

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    I can agree that frequently Sex, Intimacy and nudity are frequently mishandled in games, I don't agree that there cannot be good adult content, especially in an RPG Multi-player or not.
     
  14. MagiK

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    Wow...never thoguht Id see someone equate PvP and PK to consensual ingame erotica/nudity that is a twist.
     
  15. Ultima Codex

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    I would also agree with that, if -- again -- the adult content serves a narrative purpose. Adult content included for its own sake would be an example of "mishandling" that subject matter.

    (I feel the same about violence in games , actually...it's acceptable as a progression mechanic and welcome enough as part of a compelling narrative. But when it's basically there to deliver gratuitous gore porn, that's another example of "mishandling" to which my attitude becomes "meh...".)
     
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  16. High Baron Asguard

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    Your forgetting that this is not ONLY a single player story driven game like Mass Effect, its also a PLAYER driven RPG. It is just as fair for it to serve a purpose for the players indervidual story as it is the main narritive
     
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  17. CaptainJackSparrow

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    Individual player? What are you talking about, you dont have your own plot. SP plot is SP plot. If you are talking about RP in multiplayer, then it is also not your own little self game either.
     
  18. Ultima Codex

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    True, but we're back to the open PvP debate then.

    The trick in crafting player-driven multiplayer games is including enough features to give players the ability to engage in complex & meaningful role play, without crossing over into the realm of including or allowing those features which some significant percentage of the player base will find off-putting or otherwise an obstacle to general gameplay.

    Can open PvP create a context for meaningful role play? Absolutely. But it also opens the door to PK-style griefing. Portalarium have to figure out how to allow players as much PvP freedom as they can without enabling the griefers overmuch.

    So too here: adult content can create a context for meaningful role play. But, this being the Internet in 2013, it also potentially opens the door to a plethora of negative outcomes, depending on a variety of factors.

    The worst PR possible for a game like this would be a group of griefers going around in the nude, targeting female avatars and making sexual emotes as they cluster around their chosen victim(s). As such, assuming they even bother to include such content in the first place (and really, they haven't said), Portalarium will probably need to impose restrictions on where and when players can be in the nude, and on the use of emotes that could be used to role play intimate encounters.
     
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  19. High Baron Asguard

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    So your saying we should ban ALL PvP then? Not just non consential but ALL PvP
     
  20. MagiK

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    Yeah....now Im starting to get all confused. Well it is Unity Engine driven, Im sure someone will hack together a mod to add content that is not provided...except that it being Online.....hmmm gonna get tricky, this may just end up being a run of the mill MMO afterall for the simple fact that Online content has to cater to the lowest common denominator to achieve maximum financial success....

    Well Im not going to worry about it. I will wait and see.
     
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