I take genuine sexism to be considering a woman to be inferior simply as a result of her being a woman and/or treatment as a second class citizen before the law, including violent repression. I take a similar approach with how I view homophobia, etc. I prefer precision in using these terms and don’t like how they’re stretched to encompass many things besides, which waters them down. However, men are by and large physically more powerful and we have evolved as a species to find this attractive, with some outliers - there is ample science backing this up, besides it being something one can know simply through experience. This isn't a case of "stereotyping" but of divergence in aesthetic preferences as a result of this.
Moreover, the game already has strong, athletic women one can play. As others have pointed out, look at the total proportions of active characters they comprise. Yet, the option is there.
No, the actual reason for the Hrothgar gender lock is most likely to avoid any complaints about the Viera being gender-locked (since both races are), plus to approximately mirror the amount of work they're putting in. Trying to cast this in terms of some crusade, which I find misguided even IRL, is just not a constructive way forward in engaging the developers.
On the other hand, I am not pleased with what they have put on offer for people who, like me, prefer playing male characters. I am vehemently against gender-locks in the way they have implemented them and I don't think the logic behind it stacks up, and believe they will eventually end up undoing the gender-lock.
Voicing a desire for playable male viera and female hrothgar, will perhaps make them re-consider their stance based on precedent. I don't predict that the male hrothgar will be played in any high numbers, as they share the Roegadyn body type and I don't think MMO players in general are that fond of bestial races to this extent, although there is no doubt a subset of such people, which may already be playing roegadyn anyway.
In any event, asking the developers for the gender-lock to be done away with is a better approach than hurling accusations at them they may not even care about. I know I don't find terms like 'sexist' to be hugely informative given how widespread their (mis)use is, and certainly not a constructive way to open dialogue - they're more of an attempt to shame the person on the receiving end into compliance, something I doubt JP devs will not realise.
I suggest we get some polling up about the new races to at least begin gauging sentiment on the matter.
To the people turning this into an “attack” on their identity, I think her response is appropriate, since there is no real evidence of that at play.
Spot on post.
Hopefully sooner, but yeah, that’s what I would like to see happen.I do think male viera and female hrothgar have a chance to be added in the future. Probably in an expansion or two.
Okay but let’s not forget that these were the final leaks and that Blufever did not announce a gender-lock. That was another person, whose credibility was lower, although it turns out they were correct on some points. In terms of their evidentiary basis, the leaks were not all on par. However, I think once the coding error was leaked, it did certainly point strongly in that direction.
Too true.
Especially when they want to try portray a rejection of their personal style, which is conflated with being gay, as “homophobic”.
https://youtu.be/9dT08dT74OU?t=11
Plus, “let this moment last forever!”
I’ll see myself out now.![]()