Gaming is for all, not just some!!

A strange argument is brewing up on BioWare message boards regarding a single aspect of their games such as the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, and that is the ability for a player to choose to have a relationship with either a male or female character, regardless of the gender of the player's character thus allowing for both straight and gay relationships. Now these relationships are entirely voluntary and importantly, are not necessary for the completion of the main storyline, they are merely an extra that a player can choose to initiate if they so choose to add a little something to the basic game. Dragon Age 2 has even ensured that rather than the Player having to start all romantic initiations, NPC's will also attempt to flirt with them. Again these characters can be turned down, there is no onus upon the player to accept this romantic tangent to the storyline.

And yet, true to form, a very vocal minority seem to be extremely uncomfortable with this. They have got it into their heads that somehow allowing this fluid romantic base, where any gender can find romance with any gender, is somehow biasing against straight male gamers. their argument being that most players of these sorts of games are heterosexuals males and as such they and only they should be catered for and others should simply not be bothered with. Also they are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of playing a straight male character in the game and another male attempting to flirt with them. My question is simple: Why are they bothered by this?

I will admit my experience of playing MMORPG's and RPG's on computers is extremely limited, but I am a pen & paper RPG player/GM/scenario writer of near 30 years experience and so from that point of view I will make my comments. Firstly, these games treat romance as an optional extra, not a requirement. If they were a requirement I'm sure that the sexual orientation of the character would be chosen in character development so the game could be tailored to that character (I'll get back to this point more in a little while). Secondly, the characters who initiate flirtation can be rejected without any drama so its not like they are being pursued. Thirdly, its a game folks. The character you are controlling is not you, its someone else. They are RPG's, not real life simulators where you are playing yourself. Fourthly, are the detractors honestly saying that if they saw someone they thought was attractive they wouldn't try and initiate some sort of contact/flirtation? Are they suggesting that people ask them first what their sexual orientation is before initiating a harmless bit of flirting? And moreover, aren't they flattered that someone would actually find them attractive, even if that attraction is not reciprocated?

As a scenario writer and GM, I can say one thing above all others: Scenarios are always tailored to suit a character. This is not the same as making it easier for certain characters than others, but a good GM will amend a details here and there to meet the changing and evolving nature of the scenario as it is played out. Whilst romance is not exactly a necessity of any game I've ran, neither have I been remiss in allowing it. As for NPC's finding the character attractive, that's just the breaks you take. If you have a character in a game that has a high score for attractiveness there is a good chance that people who find your gender attractive (of either gender) will find you attractive and if they are possessed of self-confidence they may very well chance their arm with a bit of flirtation. Does that mean the flirtation has to be reciprocated? of course not, but neither should it be seen as any sort of affront or agenda when a GM or scenario creates a situation where a person the player would not find attractive finds the character attractive and attempts to chat them up. That these players find affront shows me not only do they latent, if not blatent, homophobic ideologies but also that they are bad players, unable to actually role-play. As a player I've played men and women, gay and straight, black and white, religious and non-religious and I have done so with equal fervour and passion because I am playing a role, someone either vaguely similar to myself in some aspects and completely dissimilar in others. If I were merely playing myself it would cease to be role-playing, and would cease to be fun.

BioWare deserve applause for creating an environment where heterosexual or homosexual relationships can occur without it being on any sort of soapbox or feeding any agenda other than the obvious: That gaming is for everyone and if a game's company can invest a little time and effort to create a gaming environment that is inclusive to all without making others feel shut out then that is the right thing to do, both from a moral point of view and a business one - god for the soul and the bank balance. Those who are moaning are moaning simply for moaning's sake, moaning that they are now being treated as equal gamers with every other demographic, rather than the pedastal that they only had due to other's not thinking as forwardly as BioWare have.

So for those with a major problem with BioWare's ideology, get a life. This company has finally done what any good pen and paper GM has been doing for years, showing respect for their players.