Mailbag

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH! I know the mailbag is really late but we can't even start it yet!

I totally dropped the ball on the last one. I forgot to put in someone's entry. Rountree's no less! I can only hope he forgives me and doesn't send the pee nazis.

Erm, never mind, lemme just move on here. Anyway, I use GMail for my staff e-mail (and if you ask nicely enough, I might be able to loan you an invite; especially if you're Rountree and my incompetence has me on a guilt trip) and mailbag entries get that little star thingie. Well, I forgot to star Rountree's for some reason, and so when I went to look at Starred e-mails only, his wasn't in there, so it didn't get included. Mr. Saturn, that's your cue.

OK, now that I have been thoroughly shamed, let me attempt to rectify the situation by displaying his entry right now.

I am... Cybercompost. I am All of these... I am One of these. In these names, I shall conquer thee... not with the sword... but with... the cheese puff! Too... many... ellipses... must... stop...

But anyway, I'm here to talk about one of my favorite games: Live a Live for the SNES. Where else could you be a cowboy, a cyborg, a knight, and a totally awesome ninja (I'm aware this is redundant) all in one game? The biggest charm about this game is that it uses completely seperate scenarios and connects them through one grand finale. The only other game that I've seen pull this off well in was Treasure of the Rudras, but that game is a completely other story.

My question posed to you, Mr. X, is why there aren't more roleplaying games that toy with scenarios like Live a Live? I think that it's an idea that has great potential but was not developed as much as it should have been. Who knows, maybe if an RPG does it they'll end up having a plot (Live A Live's serious weak point :-P).

That was just food for thought, since this is free for all week, and I've been playing Live a Like again (I've beaten it like... three times... it's a very easy game :-P). I think that I'll leave you alone now, to your lack of submissions and stuff. Ta ta!

OK, now that my gross negligence has been addressed, we can finally start THIS week's mailbag. And by week I mean month. Sorry guys, a lot of...stuff...happened. So anyway, let's get on with the topic, which dealt with a somewhat relevant subject: Gender identity/stereotyping and Homosexuality in video games. So, let me apologize ahead of time if this mailbag isn't as funny as the others I've done; between the stuff that's been happening and the slightly more serious nature...well, let's not waste any more time and get straight down to our first entrant, Ralph the Robopon!

So, the topic this time is Gender Identities, Stereotyping, and Homosexuality in video games, eh? I'll assume that for gender identities you mean characters that either A. Act/dress/look feminine(Like..I dunno..Tidus?) or B. Are like Lucius; it takes you ten minutes to figure out their gender.

So, anyway. I think that one thing that contributes to the gender identities thing in video games is that people have differing opinions on what makes a character "bad-ass." Some people see Dante or Sephiroth as a "bad-ass", others like Solid Snake or Sam Fisher, and I think someone last mailbag mentioned Auron. It seems a lot of Japanese developers' ideas of "bad-ass" are what a lot of American people may see as "girly." Stuff like long hair, being "stylish," being extremely arrogant/flamboyant, etc. So that might have something to do with it. Sorry if I completely misinterpreted what you meant.

Also, RoTS was good. Not quite as good as Episode 6, but better than the last two we've had. Haven't played Battlefield 2 as my computer is a POS in a box.
---RalphTheRobopon1

Yeah, Battlefield 2 is like the game equivalent of a gold-digging whore: Hooks up with older machines, pretends to love them with its alluring gameplay, taxes their resources while it's cheating online with other players, waits for them to belly up and die of old age, then goes for some younger, better-equipped *ahem* suitor. And even then, it's not pretty. Lady Pyrefly is, though! Erm, I mean, I have no clue what she looks like, actually. pix plz?

Personally, I've got no problem playing a game with a gay main character. But you shouldn't really ask me. I'm a liberal Cali-girl, so nothing really freaks me out. (*someone shouts, "Damn hippies!!"* *l.p. shouts, "damn conservatives!!* ^^) Actually, I think if there WAS a gay main RPG character, I think it would be Tidus from FFX. I mean, he's cool and all, but Tidus was definitly gay. But we're not here to talk about my conspiracy theories, so, um, that's it for me.

I have no idea. I guess power makes people want you more. Like Bill Gates. You think he caught any girls' eyes in High School? Now he's...married. Well, you get the idea. Me, I'm married to my work: Mailbagging! So let's see what timjs has to say!

Uhhh, X, with all of those "things" you mentioned in the previous mailbag, you're lucky I don't say something about you being gay.

I think you just did. Besides, just because Ozzie said something doesn't make it true.

Good. Let's press on. I have a feeling this could be unpleasant enough as it is...

Well, I don't usually have trouble with your so called "Gender Identites".
Okay, that's a lie, but to cover more of this, look under the homo part.

Homo part? There's a "homo" part? Does it come with its own segregated drinking fountain?

Captain, Political Correctness falling to critical levels! Evacuate all personell?

Stereotyping in games.... is bad.
It's just out of place, even for stereotyping.
So, if you ask me why I loathed TY: tasmanian devil, then your not paying attention to my email address.

For everyone out there: He's from Australia. Which, speaking of stereotyping, surprised me, as his english was surprisingly adequate for a filthy aussie. Yeah, that's right, I WENT there. God damned aussies butchering our language all the time. Especially Rudora. He was ALWAYS using "your" instead of "you're"...he was the worst of the lot! He'll be the first against the wall when New Zealand finally invades.

You're in no position to discuss successful war strategies, Mr. Defeated by a Kitten.

Homosexuallity in games.
I'm sorry, I refuse to talk on this subject.
For two reasons:

1) You. Yes, we all know you are, X :)
2) Kuja. Now THAT....is.....just.....disturbing.
3) Flea. Flea. Flea. Flea.

So much for not saying anything about me. Way to go, you amnesia-ridden bastard. As for Kuja, he wasn't gay, I believe, just effeminate looking, so that'd be more of a gender identity thing. And Flea...Flea just cross-dressed because he thought since power was beautiful, he should be as beautiful as possible. So that's kinda in the middle. Blame Ozzie for being a bad parent.

What's that supposed to mean? For not getting that many suggestions from you O loyal readers, I think I'm doing just fine, no thanks to you guys.

Then why did you...Umm, I think we've just had our first ever Reader Suicide on RPGC Mailbag! I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed. And I don't see what's so wrong with Kuja, either. I mean, if you could handle Sephiroth and Kefka, Kuja was just another FF villain. But whatever, timjs is dead, and...umm, someone's going to have to clean up his cranial remains...

That is a good topic. Would people feel comfortable having a homosexual main character? I sure hope so, but you know there will be "manly-man" teenagers and high-strung parents who will have problems with it. The parents, especially. How many parents can you think of that wouldn't want their child to look up to a homosexual hero? They would fear that their kid would want to be exactly like this character, adore this character more than a heterosexual one and/or choose to become homosexual from playing a single RPG (and since when is that a bad thing, anyways??) It may be just the area I live in, but I can think of a few households with these kinds of parents.

I think most of us can. A good portion of our patrons being American, myself included, unfortunately homosexuality among children is still extremely stigmatized, whether by parents or classmates or whatever.

"A homosexual love scene would be too graphic for anyone to watch!" A heterosexual love scene in an RPG is merely a few loving lines, an embrace and maybe (MAYBE!) a kiss. Even the ones rated Teen. So what makes people think they will go all out and have a crazy sex session when the scene is between two homosexuals? I guess people don't like other people who are different (like in the X-men universe... people are jerks... leave the mutants alone! Sorry, but I've been playing an crazy amount of X-men Legends lately.)

So here is what I propose, Megaman! You and I should create an RPG whose main character is homosexual, make billions of dollars with our awesome plot, sweet music and ground-breaking battle system, stomp out homophobia (and hunger while we're at it) and push the red button a million and three times so Ozzie doesn't ruin our game and provides us with excellent entertainment. We could get together and I wouldn't have to use my X-ray vision to see your hunk of man-meat. ^_~

O...K. Umm...Hey, if you've got a development team willing to invest a hell of a lot of time and money already set up, then just gimme a call. But, umm, the X-Ray vision? Nix that. Radiation=sterility, and I like my "man-meat", as well as most of my body, relatively cancer-free.

I'm worried the answer is going to be on the season premiere of CSI:NY or Law and Order or something...am I being stalked here? I don't feel so safe all of a sudden...and Big Nutter's not helping things either...

Excluding Monsters, I found that your Character from Pok�mon Gold/Silver is the most hardest to place a gender on sprites. I mean, If I was to sprite a baseball cap wearing, backpack totting, shorts wearing 12 year old girl with short dark hair. It would look like the boy sprite. To make matters worse about 70% people you meet have a simalar personalty, an asexual one. The most of them and the ones that don't, meet several stereotypes.. Whitney, Goldenrod's Gym leader, is a cry baby. The guy that we named "Guidey" is a Nerd.

Well, in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, you choose your gender. Doesn't have any effect on gameplay, just...umm, I don't have any follow-up thing to say here, just thought I'd point that out. You can go ahead...

I hear that Cloud goes on a date with Barret. Plus the busines with Don Corneo. I think Cloud is more gay than he lets Aerith thinks.

Cross Dressing
I beleve Flea from Chrono Trigger is the winner in the crossdressers stakes, unless you read the text you'd thing he's a she. (Kill Ozzie!!) Cloud comes a close second.

Ooh, that's TWO countries we're going to be getting stern letters from. Assuming they can spell out my address properly. HA! Anyway, you die now. *press*

Big Nutter hasn't got over the "Gender: Yes please... D'oh!" gag in the forum registation page..

well I always thought that it was weird to see in video games...(not to over gay Sendak, but come on! who really wants to stare at Byuu's butt?)

Let's get a 3-d remake, or at least one with cutscenes, and see how many girls (and some guys <.<) do the same. I mean, his sprite left enough to the imagination, he might've been a cute kid.

But I guess yeah, it should start coming to the public eye, but...please keep it real if you're gonna put a gay guy in! I personally hang out with a few gay guys (I'm not gay myself just to keep that issue perfectly clear) but don't have that stupid thing where they hit on every man they see, always insult everyones fashion sense, and wear Flamboyant clothes that just scream gay because...

Evil Joe: wait, arent all gays like that? your eliminating all the candidates!

Joe: *jaw drops and backs away from Evil Joe* Y-you didn't just say that did you? *dives clear of Evil Joe right before the -insert X's method of grammar driven torture- befalls him*

Oh noes! I accidentally *wink-wink* called down an artillery strike on Evil Joe while he was assaulting the enemy base! While the rest of us were busy joy-riding in our APC!

Joe: Anyways where was I? oh yeah, overly gay guys...its annoying, in fact none of the gay people I know ever do those kind of things, infact I had no idea they were gay untill they told me. So long story short, if they are gay, it had better not be obvious!

Well, Joe, if anyone accuses you of being immature, let this be submitted into evidence as to otherwise. Though Evil Joe's probably to blame anyway...And then there's Cala. Who's all too appropriate for this topic, for reasons that shall never be discussed out loud but are known by probably everybody by now anyway. *ahem*

Hey-o, Cala steppin' in on your nice little topic. Right to the good stuff, I says!

Gender identities and stereotyping, eh? Let me just point you to FFX-2. That about sums up a lot of stuff in regards to those topics. I mean, c'mon, you go from well-dressed and covered to half-naked (well, Yuna at least) and wielding guns like some lame FPS character would. I want my old Yunie back. :(

But, I think that recently, this trend has gotten worse. While, overall at least, games have gotten more mature, some of them have taken the maturity level and turned it on its head. Let me point you to Playboy (yes, there is a game) or the Dirty Harry game (series? I've only heard of one). And let's not even delve into GTA or DoA: Volleyball.

Well, let's be fair here: Playboy: The Mansion was going to objectify women the moment somebody thought it up, what did you expect? And since when does Dirty Harry have a game? I thought he was all about violence anyway. Now, GTA, well, the whole series is about over the top crime and thuggery anyway, so hookers and stuff are gonna be the norm. DoA, though...the DoA series always had boob-sploitation in it, which was pretty degrading. It wasn't neccessary, Tecmo only did it to get the name out there because otherwise it's highly unlikely the series could have competed with Virtua Fighter or Tekken. Of course, now that they WERE out there, they didn't need to make it even worse with Xtreme Beach Volleyball...ugh.

I can't think of a single game that doesn't objectify women, at least in the RPG realm. FFX isn't real bad about it, actually, and would be one of the better games in this regard. But to some degree, I'd say all games use women for sex-sells tactics (FFX-2 jumps right to mind, not to mention Lara Croft in Tomb Raider).

Faris wasn't really homosexual, she just dressed like a guy in order to pass off as a kick-ass pirate. If she WAS homosexual, that'd mean she had a thing for Lenna, and that'd be incest so I don't think that was going on. Or Cara, but she's a bit...young, don't you think?

*puffs on a cigar* You weren't so bad yourself...*cough cough hack wheeze* Urgh...the suffering I go through for my humor...

I don't leave a job half-done. While Ozzie's slowly bleeding his lungs out to death, let's see what the word from The Dark Tower is.

'lo to you all. Gender Identities... usually females are females (ladies first) and males are males. Sometimes the line is not so clear, granted. And that-guy-in-FFX-whom-I've-seen-but-haven't-played-the-game, guess he were the first metrosexual in a game. The gender identities problem wasn't that much of an issue in the <16bit era. Sprites looked almost the same (every fairy-tale can confirm this) and the dialogue was always unisex. There don't really exist any gender identities nowadays anyway (apart from the reproductive issue), thus no problem at all. In one of the first Dragon Warriorz TM you married the princess in the end, were you male or female.
About stereotyping now I won't bore you with the list or rpg cliches. After all the problem lies mainly in the execution of the game (ehm, not literally). The Zelda series for instance, are about a guy who doesn't mind waking up and trying to find a number of somethings to save the princess and defeat someone (Gannon preferably). However due to the atmosphere and the gameplay you don't ever think "what a goody two-shoes am I playing". Another example are the FF series which don't boast that original a storyline. I like that one about the resistance group. A few refreshing ideas would be always welcome. I liked the Terranigma plot for instance, though if broken down ain't *that* original as well.

DISCLAIMER: Please don't add stupid fluffy characters that I won't ever use unless forced to. Mog must be the sole exception

About homosexuality in the rpgs... that didn't "exist" in the 16bit era and the Nintendo machines and doesn't show up a lot in the PC rpgs either. Wait, I've got it! In the Fallout series you could try some same sex intimacy, mainly female to female because men are pigs or homophobes etc etc. Guess you have to employ homosexual designers to add that to a game. This is a margin issue in a game though, unless there was a game marketed to the proud crowd. Somehow I don't think that's a blockbuster recipe though. I could add a little rant here about ethical majorities and similar crap but never mind.

Now that didn't address any of the issues but being a semi-FFA (not final fantasy advance)...

That was a pretty big tower...well, not really, I've been in bigger. Stupid sis.

Yeah, well. Anyway, here's LesMiserables, who I managed to lure here from another site. Woo pimpage!

For all the effimate characters that are present in Japanese video games, have people taken a look at all the intensely masculine characters present in American games? Its also not like the Japanese haven't HEARD of masculinity, because there ARE games from Japan that have effemite characters in the minority. Since when has the gaming industry become a solely male fanbase where women are the intruders and only in it for the "hot guys"? There have been a few good (REALLY GOOD) Japanese games that encourages you to think and solve, rather than shoot and kill, and guess what? They have female leads! (Fatal Frame series, Silent Hill 3) Well obviously this is a fluke, right? What guy wants to play a pansy thinking game where you don't get to engage in mass gore and is headed by a woman? A gay man of course! Or someone overly coddled by his mother. FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, and FFX/X-2 are the same way. Who cares about a "quality game" when you can throw around spiffy graphics and hot boys? No need to mention, however, that X-2's leads were predominantely half-naked, hot women.

Why is their a stigma about playing a game that has an effimate lead character? Its not as if you really ARE the main character, are you? Have you some magical game system that sucks you inside during gameplay? If so, please tell me where you bought the damn thing so the rest of us can enjoy it as well. I have NEVER heard one of my male friends cringe to their own buddies about playing a game simply because of its main lead. If you're going to bitch that much about it, why not move onto a different game that coddles your sexual and identity insecurities and makes you feel all better on the inside again? I suggest that Volleyball game with all the bikini girls and men who tote big guns and camo in the actual game.

Rawr, anger. I think her post was primarily in response to TubaMute's entry from the last 'bag (which I brought up in the post I made luring her here) so hopefully that puts things in context. Unfortunately that probably means we'll never see TubaMute again. Umm, bye! Sorry that I scared you away or got you killed by an angry fangirl! Even though it's your fault for being so shallo-I mean, umm, I wish you the best?

Y'know, for all the complaining you do about not enough people writing in, you sure know how to send 'em running.

Yeah well, quality is important as well as quantity. Less fanboy, more buttse-I mean, here comes MajinBuu, so, let's all cringe ahead of time.

Hey Megababy, he who art lowest in the Capcom food chain. and here is my cpoy of the capcom food chain from top to bottom; Breath of Fire, Viewtiful Joe, Strret Fighter, Maximo Resident Evil, and at the bottom, anything Megaman.

Thanks for enlightening us. I'm sure we were all very despondent over what to buy until you reminded us how much the Megaman series sucks. (Which it does lately, can't argue there...)

Anyway some gender stereotypes I noticed in most RPG's is that the main male character is almost always some, super strong, sword wielding chick magnet (a common anime trait too) and the female lead is pretty much some sexy white/Black mage who have very little physical power (few exeptions are Tifa and Jessica, white mage in Lunar SSSC, who is the first white mage I have ever seen with high attack power). Just cause they are women doesn't mean they can't kick ass. And just out of curiosity, is Quina (FF9) a female, or some weird cross-dressing frog thing?

Well, having been EATEN by Quina (Thanks, SpoonyBastard), I should probably know best, but I have no fricking clue. I'm gonna say female; just a gut *Urgh* feeling I have.

On the note of Revenge of the Sith, best damn movie of the Star Wars saga ever, but the series would be better had Episodes 4-6 had been shown after 1-3.

Not really, that would have spoiled The Empire Strikes Back for us, cuz we woulda KNOWN he was Luke's daddy. Personally I'm just glad to see the series come to an END. Oh, and there go the Star Wars fanboys...damn, I'm bad at this "not being offensive" thing.

I guess they're the Buustreet Boys now. Anyway, on to Mullenkamp, which kinda sounds like a boy band name. Like Timberlake. Fortunately, Mullenkamp is NOT going to have me naked by the end of this 'bag.

At first, I had no idea what the heck you were talking about with the topic, and then I played Star Ocean 3, and everything fell into place. There's a point in the game where you fight a black guy. Me, being black and all, and liking RPG's, which most black folks aren't in, finds this very fulfilling, he's evil of course. His sidekick is a man who is obviously gay, or the people who made the game must have wanted to mess with my mind once again. There both evil, though. I guess you can't get everything you want. Of course, the gay guys weapon is a whip. Need I say more?

To add an air of seriousness, I'll say that I read an article in a magazine once about black people in games, mainly because there's so few and if they are in there, it's all stereotyping. I must say that it's nice nowadays to see more black people in games, and Metal Gear Solid 3 has one of the best and most fulfilling examples of this. If you haven't played MGS3 yet, and don't want to know even the smallest detail of it, then don't read further. It's not a spoiler but some people...

Sigint is smart, funny, and black. His character acts black, but he's also well-versed in his role as an advisor. He's not the hotheaded, leaves-the-thinking-to-others kind of guy. In all the RPG's I've played, the black guy is the brawny, and somewhat slow guy in the party. Sigint goes against all those qualites. Then, there's a conversation in the game that occurs if you call him at the right time, where Snake asks Sigint why he's not working at some of the top positons...the following responses show how much thought was put into the games time period, and into Sigint's character.

The reason why I find this so endearing, is because as a black guy, people often look at me and chuckle a bit, joking around about how I don't exactly fit the status quo. I'm not athletic. I don't cuss..er, as much as most people anyway I suppose. I like to read more than I like any sort of sport. I'm more of than intellectual than anything else or more of an intellectual than people my age, or maybe even adults, view black people to be. So, yeah, I like how Kojima chose to have a black person in a video game. A black person who isn't there just because there should be a black person who's stereotypical or anything. Hopefully, it'll lead to more characters like that.

I'm surprised you didn't mention MGS2. Between the Commandant, Scott Dolph, who actually was in Dead Cell and was secretly having a homosexual affair with Vamp (speaking of homosexuals...well, bisexual but n/m), Fortune, who needs no clarification as to why she was an incredible character (and Dolph's daughter btw) and Peterman, the bomb expert and tragic hero...you get the idea.

Oh, no, please, rant away. That's the point of the mailbag, isn't it? Let Rirse show you how it's done.

Hello once again Mr Megaman "Don't Call me Mister" X2k, it is I, Rirse DeBlood. I know, the last few mailbag weren't blessed with my appearence, but I was awaiting on the outcome on a thread before replying again.

Anyway, the topic about "gender sterotypes", which I belive is about how rpgs tend to stick with the girls either being big breasted morons who know how to fight somewhat (Tifa), or the usual magician girl who always using a staff in battle to make up for her lack of [deleted]...I mean their lack of fighting skills. Yeah, there that other part on the topic, but I have no examples to think up other then Kuju and his love of being a freak. Or Cloud and his love of dressing in drag (probably does that a lot due to his bad memory).

By the way, do you think Xan from Unreal Tournament should start selling redeemers and flak cannon over the internet? Dunno why I am asking this, but I think my other comments were lacking some of my strange remarks.

I can only imagine that such an endeavour would end in sorrow and chaos. But if it means discount flak cannons, who cares? I could go for some spare Redeemers too, I guess.

I don't know who this "Xan" fellow is, but he sounds as dangerous and stupid as you are, so I stand by my claims.

After the usual Ozzie and Blonde guy talking scene, I will take my leave for the evening. Goodbye MegamanX2K, I will probably not be able to reply to the next mailbag, as I will be in the middle of the Sun...I mean Florida.

Ouch...looks like we might be getting Rirse back in pieces...poor gu-wait, Blonde guy? I'm not blonde. Or was that metaphorical? Why you...now I HOPE you got rocked like a Hurricane.

Two Questions. First at the end of ToS, Lloyd ends up with two fathers. What is the probability of them getting hitched? And Second, If Zero went up against every Jedi to ever carry a light saber individually. Who would you think would win? -Killmore

First: Well, it wouldn't be a very happy marriage, as it's not like Kratos is the greatest guy around, y'know? If I were Lloyd...urgh, that'd be horrible...anyway, I only let Kratos live because, well, it beats letting Zelos live. But, I guess Kratos needs somewhere to live, so I guess he could stay with Lloyd and father and just bum around until he convinces that dwarfy bastard to build a Metal Gear and starts acting like Liquid Snake again. Yes, I'll always come back to that.
Second: Well, the Beam Sabre is pretty versatile, so I think he'd pretty easily handle everybody up until Obi-Wan. After that he's got a hard road ahead of him; if he manages to beat Kenobi somehow, he's got to face Dooku next, then Mace Windu, then Yoda, Vader, and finally Sidious. I highly doubt he could make it to Windu, let alone past him. (They'd call it a Battle Royale with Che-oh, crap, I did that joke already!) Good questions; last, but not least, (though not most either, I guess) is Numerrick.

but anyway, i think homosexuality in videogames has been used for crude jokes, with some exceptions as in fable and a few others. but anyway i think gays annd transexuals should be represented fairly in videogames. i don't know what more to say except that my favorite gay/gender problemed/ intersexual character(and incedentaly my favorite character) is flea from chrono trigger. flea rules.

Flea is overrated. I didn't have much trouble kicking his ass. And he wasn't really transgendered; he was a guy, he just dressed like a girl for reasons he (and I) already specified.

So, humans had to die, but it was ok if your left-hand man dressed like a girl to show how powerful he was? Even though he wasn't?

That's for sure. Anyway, that's the end of our show! I think for our next bag we'll keep it simple; another Free For All! The rules are simple: If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't move, shoot it anyway, just to be sure. And if it shoots back, dodge. 25 measly points to anyone who gets that reference. Until then, send your entries in, and be sure to have a blast!

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