Racism in Civ games?

[knowhow2]

Walt,

I fully understand your point of view but I beg to differ when it comes to whether or not UN in reality means US/Europe. Economically and techically Japan should probably have a representation on the Unity. But then again it's all speculative since we talking about 50-60 years or so into the future, who would really know which are the dominating nations in the world. Anyway, I think you're observation about the marketting is right on target. It's probably more compelling to the marketting group with this ethnical divisions(?). White males 18-35 americans/europeans. Especially since all female representattion are young women with he exception for Scary Miriam (looks liitle bit like a frightning teacher of mine from the past).

Still grants me a nightmare from time to time. wrtiers note.

[RedFred]

I think Walt has the right idea. The makers of the game looked more at their target market's ethnicity rather than that of the world's.

This issue has come up before. This is just a game and sometimes I think people take the whole thing a bit too seriously. On the 'taking things too seriously' front, one thing I haven't much commentary on the 'religious message'. This whole Transcendance thing is more Zen than Christian. As well, I suspect many fundamentalists of a lot of different religions (& I am not one, honest!) wouldn't be too impressed about the object of a game being to achieve godhood.

[Walt]

quote: Originally posted by RedFred on 03-12-2001 11:27 PMOn the 'taking things too seriously' front, one thing I haven't much commentary on the 'religious message'. This whole Transcendance thing is more Zen than Christian. As well, I suspect many fundamentalists of a lot of different religions (& I am not one, honest!) wouldn't be too impressed about the object of a game being to achieve godhood.

It's not a religious thing at all, except in the "Applied Theology" sense of Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" (awesome book, a 'must-read'). The Ascent to Transcendence and the idea of transcendence of the human condition to a kind of "godhood" comes straight from the ideas and philosophies of transhumanism. For more reading on the topic, check here.

Walt

[Sikander]

Yikes, I liked the Buddhist connotations better. I don't want remain in this body forever. THAT is like the seed which is afraid to destroy itself by becoming a tree.

[D4everman]

Now Call to Power 1 on the other hand.... CTP1 has the "warrior" unit who is basically modelled after the "Native American" chieftan. The "insult upon injury" part of it being the .WAV dialog consists of comment like "Me Tired".... That is just plainly racists

Hmmm...my only anwer to this...and this is after playing CTP again...HOPING for a decent gaming experience...is that activision wasn't really being racist in making the old warrior character. They just didn't put any thought in it. It seems activision didn't put a lot of thought in a lot of things. (Like CTP2)

I don't think the SMACX factions were ever created to cause any racial bias. Having written one or two stories for the fiction section, I've always thought the future humans had gone beyond the concept of racial differences. Far fetched? Maybe. But the concept is far fetched.