[discussion] Do feminists want immersion and equality OR censorship in gaming? (Hi, I originally posted this on http://www.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/3a9623/discussion_do_feminists_want_immersion_and/, but it got removed instantly, probably automatically. I was told to post it here to find out why. Hopefully if you guys approve I can post this on kotakuinaction and have some good discussion over it, thanks) Summary There has to be a simple way to find out if someone's intent is to a) censor a game or b) a genuine request to enhance their immersion. The goal is to establish a simple question that can determine if a requested change to a game falls under censorship or is a genuine desire for equality through the preservation of immersion.  The question should help: THE QUESTION: "Do feminists want immersion and equality OR censorship in gaming?" When a feminist cries "i'm upset, I want this changed in the game, this is offensive!!" then quickly copy and paste the question right at them, it should make them think and help them determine what they are truly asking. Let's apply this question to a recent dilemma introduced by Anita Sarkeesian, you can find her comment in regards to this on her twitter. PROBLEM: Female gamers argue that running in high heels breaks immersion. ARTISTIC VISION: Was it CDProjectRED's artistic vision to keep Ciri in high heels? SOLUTION WITHOUT CENSORSHIP: Let's say CDPROJECTRED adds combat boots that can be optionally equipped by Ciri that are devoid of any type of heel in the boot. Ask yourself these questions: The gamer can decide if they want Ciri in high heels or combat boots. Since the game is High Fantasy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fantasy - You can choose either high heels or combat boots and immersion will be preserved.   Everyone is happy. PROBLEM: Female gamers argue that boob plate breaks immersion. ARTISTIC VISION: Was it the companies artistic vision to keep female NPCs in boob plate?  Is the game meant to be realistic, low fantasy or high fantasy? (Scroll down a little bit more for a definition of these terms). SOLUTION WITHOUT CENSORSHIP: What would happen if realistic armor was added in addition to the boob plate armor in the game? All gamers must understand the different genres of RPG's. Asking for realism when a game is high fantasy makes you look silly and misinformed. Realism(Arts) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realism_(arts) - An RPG game based on realism will want to have realistic weapon & armor for both men & women. Boob plate would not make sense in a game called Medieval Weapons & Armor Simulator v1.0. Low Fantasy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_fantasy - Low fantasy stories are set either in the real world or a fictional but rational world, and are contrasted with high fantasy stories which take place in a completely fictional fantasy world setting with its own set of rules and physical laws. High Fantasy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fantasy - In high fantasy, anything goes. If you want your character to wear high heels and kick ass, you can get away with this.  There are women who understand that high heels look sexy. There are women who enjoy being sexy in general and don't mind having their characters look sexy in game while they adventure and have fun in an imaginary world. PROBLEM: Sex negative feminists argue that brothels, sex workers & debauched content is offensive to them, however most male gamers and sex positive feminists enjoy this kind of content in RPGs. Brothels allow for the solicitation of prostitution, but they also serve as a setting for meeting unsavory interesting NPC's and to enjoy unexpected, controversial events.  Debauched content is meant to stimulate the senses and maximize immersion when faced with sinister NPCs. ANTICIPATING INSULT: Some people will say that male gamers just want porn in games, aka boner games.  RPG games with adult themes like Mass Effect, Witcher & Dragon Age are not boner games. Sex scenes in Hollywood movies are presented to show the connection between lead actors/actresses and they're also FUN. Only a sex negative feminist (who can be male or female) would argue against sexual appeal/depiction in games intended for a mature audience. ARTISTIC VISION: Was it the companies artistic vision to keep brothels, sex workers and debauched content in the games series?   Let's explore this question with the Dragon Age series. We know that Biowares target audience for Dragon Age Inquisition was female gamers. How do we know this? Female gamers have the most number of romance options.   Are there sex negative feminists on the Dragon Age team who censored and removed the brothel, sex workers and desire demons from Dragon Age Inquisition? PROBLEM: Sex negative feminists feel threatened and insecure when confronted with attractive female NPC's.  ARTISTIC VISION: Was it the companies artistic vision to have attractive NPC's as romance options in their games series?   Let's explore this question with the Dragon Age series. Are there sex negative feminists who influenced the Dragon Age team to make 98% of the females in the game flat out ugly with almost technically broken faces? Some argue beauty is subjective. Are there sex negative feminists (who could be male or female) who censored Dragon Age in it's third installment by making all the female women flat out ugly? Witcher 3 is an example of a game that knows how to model diverse looking women who are both attractive and non-attractive. Let's compare Witcher 3 to Dragon Age Inquisition: Metacritic VERDICT: Sex Negative Feminists are bad for gaming unless you're making a game for kids or people who are sensitive to content of a sexual nature.  Sexual appeal is nothing to be ashamed of in any art form.