Homophobia or "Why can't my character marry the character they love"

[LigH]

Don't invent problems.

[Eonwind]

I have a few tiny things to point out... that's all.

The location of the marry function in the game makes no sense icly.

* If it represents a mutual decision between two characters, then it should not be limited by gender.
* If it represents a legal arrangement that was witnessed by the Octarchy, then it should not be on the right click menu of the character in question. It would be better in that case to attach that option to an NPC or to a quest.

AFAIK in the future a few books describing the various races traditions and habits will be released and some wedding traditions will be described as well. However always remember this is a game and since none ruled where two characters have to celebrate their marriage it's far more convenient and simple for game mechanics to leave things as they are.

I have a few tiny things to point out... that's all.

The location of the marry function in the game makes no sense icly.

* If it represents a mutual decision between two characters, then it should not be limited by gender.
* If it represents a legal arrangement that was witnessed by the Octarchy, then it should not be on the right click menu of the character in question. It would be better in that case to attach that option to an NPC or to a quest.

Regardless of the real-life reason for disallowing such unions in-game, it would be good practice to have some written material to show how this decision came to be (or why it always way) ICly. Players should not need to come to the forums for this information.

If you wish to allow such unions in-game as an illegal union, then maybe make a pair of NPCs who are illegally wed.

Like I said above about wedding traditions. Settings details and PS culture is always being expanded and deepened if someone really cares or is bothered why the Octarch law is like that (ICly of course) may try to write something and submit to settings department. If they deem it's good enough (always from a settings and IC point of view) it may be officially released.

Aside that I don't really see a point in creating a specific quest just to outline why it's illegal a same sex marriage, just because I think the argument is not really the focus of PS mood. I would rather see more racial quests like the ones written by Taya to better describe each single race culture.

[derula]

Don't invent problems.

I lol'd.



When I played, I naturally assumed that homosexual relationships were publicly frowned upon ICly, generally not taken seriously or maybe even discriminated against. I thought it would be interesting to RP this and to have to defend my character's love against people's judgment.

Sadly, none of that ever happened. Everyone seemed to be perfectly fine with it. Turned out that most of my character's friends were homosexual. That really weirded me out and I didn't know how to deal with it. Yes, I didn't know how to deal with something being socially accepted that I didn't think would be.

When I played a different character later, and she learned about another character's homosexuality, she reacted like I'd previously expected most people to react - she was put off, confused about how to deal with it and why the other character would openly speak about it, and didn't know how to feel about it.

Don't pretend like everything that is harmless and just one person's inherent preference is perfectly accepted in every of today's societies. My country allows for homosexual registered partnerships - even if it's not the same as a marriage - but there's so many other things that aren't socially accepted.

I think it's interesting to RP something that ISN'T standard and excepted, that is unfairly against the rules, that other people will judge and discriminate against blindly. I think banning racism from the game is a real shame - it might seem necessary because of relation to IRL standards / events, but it would be so interesting (and so much more realistic, at least if the races are any similar to humans) to have.

[bilbous]

If you are going to let a cat and a flying lizard, and demons, and dwarves intermingle who really cares? My character doesn't even have a gender and people of his species have married. I mean, what's with that?

[Rigwyn]

I think it's interesting to RP something that ISN'T standard and excepted, that is unfairly against the rules, that other people will judge and discriminate against blindly. I think banning racism from the game is a real shame - it might seem necessary because of relation to IRL standards / events, but it would be so interesting (and so much more realistic, at least if the races are any similar to humans) to have.

+1 to contradicting the norms and riding the turbulent storm of emotional reactions that follow.    But when reason sets in and the waves settle, so too does the fun. For me, at least.

For me, this does not seem to work out in role play. I find its much easier to just write a single author story with intended reactions and consequences than to see such things play out desirably in multi-player RP.

[MishkaL1138]

To the attention of everyone reading and commenting on this thread:

I have to apologize for the way I started this thread. It surely was unbecoming of me, and the words I used totally uncalled for. At no moment did I want to call the developers homophobic or bigoted, and the players' response has been bigger than I expected at first. It has taught me a lot about how many people think.

This game is not limited to a single region, let alone to a single country or continent. It spans all over the world. This topic sure is itchy to some, if not most, and country laws and regulations are so different from one country to another, and even inside a country, from one region to another.

I do understand same-gender relationships in this game are not the norm. But neither are the conventional kind of unions we see in real life either. A Kran can love a Klyros, a Klyros can love an Enkidukai, an Enkidukai can love a Stonehammer, and so on. They can be friends, best friends, lovers. They can marry in front of a god, they can marry in secret. They will get their named changed, or they won't.

We have seen many marriages in game. In the four years I've played, my main character has married up to three times (or maybe four), even. An alt of mine has married too, and has lost her husband, and doesn't know where is he, or whether he's dead or not. Another alt of mine got married to his mate, both males, and he too has lost. You can ask him his story if you hear him sing at the Den. Another character of mine loved the ground kra stepped on, and passed away peacefully to become one with it.

I recognize being outraged and posting this thread out of spite, but I realize how wrong I was, and now I ask everyone who may have felt offended to forgive me, and thank all those who commented and made their point across.

I must also ask you not to post again in this thread. It'll be here if anyone ever stumbles upon it, but now that we know how we all feel, I think it's better to put it to rest, and come back whenever we have a disagreement of this kind.

~Mishka

[Rigwyn]

I must also ask you not to post again in this thread.

Posted!

[Volki]

I keep spilling cold water on my pajamas.

[derula]

I must also ask you not to post again in this thread.

again

[Irec]

I am a banana.

[raessol]

Interestingly, the subject, and even more the reaction of people, the question is not so much change the rules of the game, it's like playing each as developing its role as trying to have fun creating situations with their characters, do not think anything whether good or bad, is the story that we are developing, which is medieval setting, does not mean you have to compare with anything but as is the creation of your medieval for you setting, the tools we are creating a character and that this is developing and evolving according to the circumstances that others are considering it.

[novacadian]

Outlaw marriage! One big orgy under the Dome!

[Rigwyn]

Krans make nice couples.

[Maju68]

PS is not set "in Medieval Times" but fantasy-themed with some vague "antique" flavor. In "Medieval Times" there were no octarchs, arenas, polytheism or ulbernauts, let alone krans or enkidukai or a massive underground world. Also in many societies some forms of homosexual marriage were allowed in ancient times, although were usually restricted to transgender males who were treated (more or less) as females (female homosexuality has almost always been "invisible").

Anyhow if Yliakum can be democratic polity in which the officers are (theoretically) elected and where women can be soldiers and vigesimi, I see absolutely no reason to exert discrimination on the issue of same-sex marriage, which nowadays is pretty much standard, just as female emancipation or racial equality is.

As for having children: children and pregnancy are utterly absent in the world of Yliakum, so whatever. The only consideration should be love.

[Rigwyn]

If you really want to marry a player in a way that is not enabled, then craft your own ritual and adopt your own form of marking. Identify married couples by something in their character description like a piece of jewellery or a tattoo, not by the OOC name floating over their heads. Personally, I would go for branding with a hot iron and the imposition of a steel collar and chain, but that may or may not fit into your concept of marriage. It does however, work well with the dead and with puppets and mannequins ( eyes and mouths sewed shut with black thread so they can hear and smell, but can't see or tell. <3 )

Seriously though, pushing for a game option to marry to the same gender has been debated and shot down in the past. It's kind of a waste of time to pursue this.