141 réponses à ce sujet

[SwobyJ]

Really guys if your talking about a fictional character Virginity then y'all need a life.

 

Honestly, I had insomnia.

[David Diablo]

It's sad that off-topic groups are banned now, yet threads like this are totallly acceptable on the BF...

 

 

Why wouldn't it be?

 

Ok, I'll bite...

 

Apart from the obvious, "y'all need to get a life", threads like this are the main reason why people like myself are embarrassed to tell other people that they are on a games forum. It's embarrassing that people in this thread think this is worth talking about because in the harsh light of day, what the f*** does this have to do with Mass Effect (or videogames in general).

 

Then you get the situation were outsiders will come to the BF (check the amount of guests online) and paint everyone on the site with the same brush. You have to admit, this topic is kinda sad and I doubt the developers would have given two craps about whether a character was a virgin or not when they designed the game.

 

So if you guys want to talk about the pros and cons of virginity, just go to a humanities site or something, cos you're making us all look like geeks who've never even spoken to members of the opposite sex... 

 

/end rant

[CronoDragoon]

Apart from the obvious, "y'all need to get a life", threads like this are the main reason why people like myself are embarrassed to tell other people that they are on a games forum. It's embarrassing that people in this thread think this is worth talking about because in the harsh light of day, what the f*** does this have to do with Mass Effect (or videogames in general).[/quote]

 

It has to do with the content of characters' personalities and arcs in ME. It's as relevant as discussing anything to do with the characters.

 

 

So if you guys want to talk about the pros and cons of virginity, just go to a humanities site or something, cos you're making us all look like geeks who've never even spoken to members of the opposite sex... 

 

Since both men and women are in this topic discussing, I don't see that.The portrayal of characters' sexuality is relevant because it can speak to cultural or moral differences, or more specifically what arcs may or may not be compelling to different sorts of individuals and why. Considering the amount of time this board devotes to discussing the morality of events barely applicable - if at all - to ourselves (such as becoming evil AI gods) it's sometimes refreshing to discuss grounded topics.

 

As for the y'all need to get a life, one of us is posting in a topic they don't even want to be a part of and contributing nothing of value. Meanwhile I'm discussing gender and sexuality in Mass Effect as I might a book, tv show, or movie. Games are getting to that level, if they aren't there already.

[David Diablo]

It has to do with the content of characters' personalities and arcs in ME. It's as relevant as discussing anything to do with the characters.

 

 

 

Since both men and women are in this topic discussing, I don't see that.The portrayal of characters' sexuality is relevant because it can speak to cultural or moral differences, or more specifically what arcs may or may not be compelling to different sorts of individuals and why. Considering the amount of time this board devotes to discussing the morality of events barely applicable - if at all - to ourselves (such as becoming evil AI gods) it's sometimes refreshing to discuss grounded topics.

 

As for the y'all need to get a life, one of us is posting in a topic they don't even want to be a part of and contributing nothing of value. Meanwhile I'm discussing gender and sexuality in Mass Effect as I might a book, tv show, or movie. Games are getting to that level, if they aren't there already.

 

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

[DeinonSlayer]

Makes me wonder what the heck is a robot asking about crap like that? The thing should never of been given a platform. It was better as a hologram stuck in the ship.

Didn't care for the anthropomorphic transformation that both she and the Geth were subject to. I can only imagine what Chris thought of it, given the direction he was trying to take with synthetics.

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

These stories are designed to provoke discussion like this. Just look at how much people argue over the Mage/Templar debate - basically freedom versus security. It all grows out of real world issues.

[von uber]

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

 

So books are the only media worthy of having discussions about topics like this? Really?

[CronoDragoon]

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

 

The game takes itself seriously, so why shouldn't we? Part of what's necessary for a medium to advance its techniques is for serious discussion to actually happen. If awesome buttons are all we care about, then awesome buttons are all we'll ever get.

[Bob from Accounting]

I'm curious. Have the people on this thread just not noticed that characters in fiction and Mass Effect tend to be 'loners,' or have they just never bothered to think about it? Never bothered to think about the reasons behind it and the consequences of it? Considering how much this section of the BSN likes to pat itself on the back and praise itself with for supposedly thinking about things BioWare hasn't, this is remarkably shallow analysis. 

[DeinonSlayer]

David, do you make a habit of insulting everyone present seconds after entering a room? How about establishing how this is relevant to the topic at hand before jumping straight to calling everyone here "shallow" for not bringing it up before you did?

[SwobyJ]

If I watch a movie DVD and they have a special tool involved that lets us pick the ending, does that make it a video game and not worth my attention as anything but entertainment?

[CronoDragoon]

Let's not mention, of course, that I sort of did already bring it up, without managing to insult anyone.

 

With that being said, it also imbues the romance with what I believe to be a key component of any romance, which is identifying the loneliness in a character and erasing it for them. For a quarian, I think this takes on a little extra meaning. It seems to me that this sense of loneliness is what a player wants to conquer, and perhaps not really virginity.

[Farangbaa]

I'm curious. Have the people on this thread just not noticed that characters in fiction and Mass Effect tend to be 'loners,' or have they just never bothered to think about it? Never bothered to think about the reasons behind it and the consequences of it? Considering how much this section of the BSN likes to pat itself on the back and praise itself with for supposedly thinking about things BioWare hasn't, this is remarkably shallow analysis. 

 

The heroism is strong with this one.

[Bob from Accounting]

A few seconds of consideration should be all it takes to reveal that this is indeed the case. Characters in fiction and Mass Effect are not only inexperienced with romantic relationships - they're inexperienced with relationships, period.

 

How many characters in Mass Effect explicitly tell Shepard they more or less have no friends?

 

Liara.

Garrus.
Miranda.

Thane.

Samara.

Jack.

 

Zaeed and Ashley, somewhat. Javik, obviously, although he doesn't really count.

 

Really, compared to this, two characters being virgins doesn't seem out of place at all. Where are the complaints of characters not having 'friendship experience'? Where are the demands for these adults to have adult-like friendships?

 

Clearly, a gaping piece of the puzzle is being overlooked or ignored.

[Nightwriter]

I don't see loneliness and virginity as necessarily being hand-in-hand things.

[AlanC9]

Makes me wonder what the heck is a robot asking about crap like that? The thing should never of been given a platform. It was better as a hologram stuck in the ship.

 

Why wouldn't she want to ask about that, given her current situation?

 

I get that you don't like her being in a humanoid body, but that's a different question.

 

And yes, it's "her." Pronoun usage is governed by that the being in question prefers to use. Unless you're trying to be rude, of course. In which case, carry on.

[Bob from Accounting]

And they aren't necessarily hand-in-hand. Lo and behold, of the characters I listed, only one is a virgin. You also have characters like Miranda, who we can reasonably guess has been lonely all her life, yet who nevertheless has almost certainly had sex.

[AlanC9]

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

 

So games are and ought to be stupid? Really?

[themikefest]

Why wouldn't she want to ask about that, given her current situation?

What use does a robot have in asking about that?

[Reorte]

A few seconds of consideration should be all it takes to reveal that this is indeed the case. Characters in fiction and Mass Effect are not only inexperienced with romantic relationships - they're inexperienced with relationships, period.

 

How many characters in Mass Effect explicitly tell Shepard they more or less have no friends?

 

Liara.

Garrus.
Miranda.

Thane.

Samara.

Jack.

 

Zaeed and Ashley, somewhat. Javik, obviously, although he doesn't really count.

Out of that lot only Thane and Samara. The rest might not get very close to anyone but there's nothing to suggest that they're friendless.

[Bob from Accounting]

Garrus explicitly tells Shepard she's his only friend if you romance him. Liara says she hasn't got enough friends left to lose Shepard on Illium. Jack makes it clear she doesn't want (or pretends to not want) friends or lovers when you speak to her on the Normandy. Miranda says everyone she's close to works either for Shepard or Cerberus, and I don't see her being 'friends' with Cerberus personal. Respected colleges, perhaps.

 

Zaeed says he's survived by thinking about himself, and has no time for anyone else. Ashley says she grew close to her sisters since she was always moving as a child, and that probably hasn't changed a great deal for her.

[KaiserShep]

That was supposed to be my last post on the subject, but I noticed this and had to say that sorry, but they're not even on the same level. Neither are movies or TV shows for that matter. Books were designed to use your imagination with and promotes discussion and topics like this, whereas the other forms of media you described, games in particular, are merely forms of entertainment to the eyes of most. So to talk about a serious topic like this when talking about a game is just taking the game WAY too seriously...

 

If Mass Effect and Dragon Age were designed to be little more than mindless action fodder, few people would care all that much (I would not care at all) and this forum would be pretty much dead. Besides, plenty of movies and TV shows are lacking in qualities that promote serious discussion, and even books, for that matter. You won't see people making any kind of deep analysis of whatever dreck Michael Bay puts out.

[TheTurtle]

Ok, I'll bite...
 
Apart from the obvious, "y'all need to get a life", threads like this are the main reason why people like myself are embarrassed to tell other people that they are on a games forum. It's embarrassing that people in this thread think this is worth talking about because in the harsh light of day, what the f*** does this have to do with Mass Effect (or videogames in general).
 
Then you get the situation were outsiders will come to the BF (check the amount of guests online) and paint everyone on the site with the same brush. You have to admit, this topic is kinda sad and I doubt the developers would have given two craps about whether a character was a virgin or not when they designed the game.
 
So if you guys want to talk about the pros and cons of virginity, just go to a humanities site or something, cos you're making us all look like geeks who've never even spoken to members of the opposite sex... 
 
/end rant

These all seem like personal insecurity problems that you have. If you read the op you can see how this relates to Mass Effect and games and general. I know many people here including myself have significant others and lives outside of these forums. Maybe it's people like you who are the problem because you're to busy generalizing to actually contribute to the discussion.

[NoMoreCalibrations]

I honestly cared about the characters' personality more than I did their sexual history.

 

Garrus wasn't a virgin. He was just awkward. They had to give him that personality trait to make him vulnerable to be romanced. There's only so many emotions that can be conveyed by that face and those mandibles.

 

Tali makes the best case for being a virgin because of her inability to exit her suit and continue existence. However, I never once thought of that. What I found most endearing was how her innocence and naivete changed to her own code of ethics and convictions. Her entire back story is a coming-of-age tale in which you help her make sense of her life and she's grateful to you for it, so grateful that she would have your hellish demon spawn.

 

I was never thinking about anyone's virginity status, just what makes them awesome and desirable.

[AlanC9]

What use does a robot have in asking about that?

What use does a robot have in telling jokes?

[Nightwriter]

I think people are seeing more of an anti-virgin brigade than there really is. Or rather, they're seeing more of an anti-virgin attitude than I personally have at heart.

 

Picture a BioWare character who is a virgin, but whose virginity is just... not a big deal. The end. They don't consider it a defining characteristic, they don't make a big talking point of it, it doesn't have a huge impact on their personality, and if you keep making a big thing of it they think that's a "you" problem.

 

Would such a character's virginity invoke the same response we're seeing here?

 

For me at least, the answer is a resounding "no." I would have zero problems with a character like that. That's because virginity, in and of itself, is fairly irrelevant. It's the traits BioWare tends to confer on characters who are virgins.