A Short, JE-inspired Rant on Sour Hens

[Domi]

She was the same cutsey rogue Bio churns out in what seems every game (ie Imoen, Mission, etc).

[berelinde]

I think the root of the problem is that the gaming industry doesn't understand women.

 

I saw an article on MSN news about the scarcity of women on the staff of game companies. I understand that you don't have to be female to understand women, but it probably helps. How can you write about something you don't understand?

[Domi]

Well, I think it's contraversial, seeing how we all write male characters

[cmorgan]

Then again, us dudes be pretty straightforward, y'know What's to understand...

[Domi]

(groans) Yeah, right. And this thread is going to turn into an abbreviated version of the Wheel of Time real soon. Run for the hillllllsssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[berelinde]

Well, I think it's contraversial, seeing how we all write male characters

 

True, but that's why I said that you don't have to be something to understand it.

 

It's always possible that we didn't do the job as well as we think, but the guys are too polite to point it out.

 

In any case, we put a lot more time and effort into developing our NPCs than a commercial venture can afford to do.

[jcompton]

Falling into easy narrative stereotypes is an equal-opportunity hazard.

 

The bigger danger to my mind isn't that a certain segment of characters don't have an aggressive sense of humor--just as in a circle of friends, a party full of comedians quickly becomes tiresome--but that nobody is actually humorless unless it's a deliberate decision (and even then, only one undertaken with careful consideration.)

[Domi]

jE is a bit different in this regard than Infinity games because you do *not* have a party, just one person can tag along. So you get to see just what this person gets to say, apart from the 'banter pen' banters. So, unless the character is humor-enabled, you risk ending up with 'that's unnatural. This is unnatural. Everyone suffers so much." comments only. And it is rather annoying

[dragonjewel13]

It may just be a JE thing. I do think that Bioware has a problem writing females that aren't tortured, serious souls. (I have to say that this is not the only female stereotype that I'm sick of: does every woman in every action or sci-fi movie have to know kung-fu? I'm all for seeing female movie characters kick ass, but apparently my non-warrior self is in the minority). Anyway, I have to say that JE has it's fair share of irritating women--more so that BGII. Dawn Star was absolutely depressing, and I couldn't keep that... Fox... chick in my party long enough to find out if her personality redeemed itself. Mission was like Imoen on drugs that make you irritating. (I know that's not JE, but I just remembered her and got pissed off). You know, Imoen may have been a tortured soul, but at least she had something else there besides.