I recently watched a video about an unpolled change in old-school runescape that added the ability to change your character’s pronouns, as well as have beards as female characters, and the community’s reaction to it. Sadly, most of the runescape playerbase is pretty right leaning, with the expected reactions of “this is dumb why would they add this,” “why add this unpolled,” and “this is a medieval fantasy game not a dating simulator”

I wonder what people’s thoughts on this are, as if you are a paying customer for a game, and the game has been promised to only add poll-approved changes, is this unreasonable and why? The game is “old-school runescape,” the players are notoriously resistant to change, and are paying to keep the game as they like it. Can you pay to keep your uninclusive game uninclusive? I don’t have a great argument against it past “this literally doesn’t matter” which won’t convince people who believe it does.

  • Neshura@bookwormstory.social
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    4 months ago

    Well in that context yeah the only reason to get upset about this is if you have a problem with the mechanic itself, otherwise they should and would have started protesting a while ago.

    As for your question: Yes absolutely. Such is the consequence of freedom of speech: people will have opinions you dislike. This isn’t some serious irl matter, it’s about features in a video game so let them have whatever they want. In fact forcing inclusivity might be the least inclusive thing one can do. Sure voice your dislike if you see a group playing a game you don’t like. That is your right. But it is also their right to play that game (and voice their dislike at your voiced dislike).

    • starelfsc2OP
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      4 months ago

      I don’t think this is unreasonable but how far would you take It? If a game was actively promoting hate, and is an mmo where the majority can sway your thoughts, and this game is constantly teaching you to be more hateful but the players keep voting to keep it that way… I don’t know at some point it seems like it becomes too much of a negative.

      • Neshura@bookwormstory.social
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        4 months ago

        The way I see it the point where it becomes too negative would also be the point where several laws would crack down on it anway (ie the game would be shut down for inciting violence) it’s rare for an actual hate mob to skirt the line between “legally hateful” and “illegally hateful” for long so in that sense the problem would regulate itself