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Religious and LGBT Guilds, Yay or Nay?
TheLizardbones
Member CommonPosts: 10,910
This article on Massively: http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/18/ask-massively-taboo-topics/
talks about the subject of "themed" guilds, in particular, guilds with a religious focus or a LGBT focus. Really, the guild is focused on gaming, but you know what I mean.
It has never occurred to me to be offended or really even care about this type of thing. If people want a guild that's friendly towards a particular religion or orientation, as long as they aren't militant, exclusive based on that religion or orientation and as long as they have good taste in public chat, I don't feel like i need to spend a lot of time thinking about it. Until I read the article.
It seems awhile back that Blizzard was going to ban guilds based on a LBGT charter, but backlash from the world or the gaming community caused them to reverse the decision quickly. This honestly surprises me. Given the nature of WoW's chat channels, I'm kind of surprised they would even consider that stance.
So, what do you think? Do religious guilds ruin your immersion in a game? What about LBGT guilds? Are there even that many guilds that advertise themselves based on a given religion or orientation?
Also, I realize this is a topic that could go south quickly, but in the spirit of conversation, try to avoid talking about specific religions or people, and focus on guilds. If things do go pear shaped, my apologies.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Comments
i really don't mind if i actually see one of those guilds. it just makes me wonder though why they should even include or like practice those king of things in a game, is it for role-playing perhaps? i dunno.
as long as they don't do something crazy, im fine with them
I agree completely!What I find unusual is why someone would play a game and think "I need to get my sexual orientation/religious/political views involved somehow"
I am fine with it.
As long as ALL of it is tolerated. If you get the LGBT, you get the Religious too, no picksies, no choosies.
I find it actually to be helpful. That way if you get into a guild, you don't find out later your personal obsessional hang up is a no go for the rest involved.
I really do not care what people do on their own or what they choose to believe in. It is when they feel the need to "advertise" their choices that can get under my skin. These are real world aspects that have no place in a fantasy world. I just want to say, "yay? good for you?"
That being said, I can see how that "identification" can make things easier yet at the same time harder. People looking for like minded people have an easier time finding them. On the other hand, the small minded players have easily identifiable targets for their desperate hate.
I can understand Blizzard's stance. It is not unlike MMORPG.com's stance on political and religious posting. It tends to fan the flames of board wars. It is sad that a "special interest group" dictated how a business was run. That is wrong.
Just as MMOs are created to sell to the lowest common denominator (LCD), they also have to take into account what they allow for that same LCD to interact with.
I guess I just do not understand what makes people want others to know about their sexual, political, or religious choices or preferences. It's a game. Leave that stuff at the log in screen.
Remember, Guilds decide who they let in or not. No one should be able to tell Guilds who gets to become members. In one sense it is not unlike PvE, PvP, or RP guild tags. But that is geared more towards game play, not real world likes/dislikes.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Little forum boys with their polished cyber toys: whine whine, boo-hoo, talk talk.
That's the age old question my friend. It's been this way since the beginning of the first civilizations. People just tend to dislike others who don't believe what they believe. And if they do believe what they believe.. they won't like them cause they don't look like they do.. or act like they do.. or do the same things they do.. It's a sad state of affairs... but far from new.
On the original post... I don't mind those guild at all. I just steer clear of them. They don't bother me though.
I don't think they are trying to impose their views on people in game, they probably just want to hang with like-minded players.
I don't understand why those things even matter really. I've heard a bunch of examples over the years as to why they do, but I still think players should just keep a lock on personal information. You're playing a game after all and there is no need to share such intimate facts about yourself. I can understand Blizzard's side in that story as a result.
I don't think it's so much seeking to get their views involved, but more of someone looking for an atmosphere where they can express their beliefs and / or be who they are without worrying about ridicule.
Alternatively, I know it's also the case that sometimes people are looking for a place where they know they won't have to deal with casual bigotry. People in a LGBT guild simply don't use the term "gay" as casually as much of the gamer population.
MMOs are supposed to be social experiences. I don't see why game companies wouldn't want to encourage social groups to form around shared interests. Such bonds usually keep players in a given game far longer than they would without any social bonds. As long as the game is proactive about harassment, and the groups themselves aren't especially militant about their views, I can only see it as a positive for the developers.
I can guarantee you that such a guild is very easy to make. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. In fact, it only takes one or two members of a certain mindset and it's a sure thing.
Of course, there's no warranty on what the rest of the server will think of such a guild - but thems the breaks.
I could agree, except when was the last time you say a guild that didn't "require", VOIP? I know of 1 in Rift at launch, Silent Epidemic, founder was deaf.......But other than that it is required. Making the argument about "immersion" a moot point. Really all a LGBT guild wants is to not hear "fag" in VOIP. Just as the religious guild doesn't want to hear cussing. They both are trying to avoid immature A-Holes that are going to stir up trouble in the guild. How about we stop being offended because some group we didn't want to be involved with in the first place doesn't want us? Besides, if you allow guilds to be so labeled, it frees up the Moderators to keep "hot-button" issues out of general.
Games are not tools for religious, political or sexual propaganda, and anyone trying to use them as such should get a well deserved ban. I don't play game to have to endure the bullshit that is already plaguing "real world".
Yet you are constantly involving your own views and don't even realize it. Of course when someone has a different view than your own it becomes a "plague" on your sense of reality. That is, unfortunately, how our society is hardwired in this day and age.
This is a story? From the begining of guilds in game there were those that allowed anyone in and others which had guidelines on who could join. Nothing wrong with people choosing who they want to play with. I imagine that my "I hate religion" viewpoint would anger religious folk and maybe shift the focus from enjoying the game to arguing pointlessly with me. I understand people wanting to play with like minded individuals. As long as the thing, like someone, said isn't militant or a hate group it's normal.
To give feedback on moderation, contact mikeb@mmorpg.com
Seems legit and civil so far
Kind of a can't-win topic, isn't it?
"Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" Some questions just don't have any easy, simple, forum=ready answers.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Not really as when these topics are brought up in public chats boths views regarding the issue are voiced.