Better CW/TW?

[Skye]

So, when starting the game, it gives a trigger warning. It says sensitive topics are in the game, which is understandable. It has a game that quite literally has suicide in it so that's what I assumed was the content and perhaps some darker matter like self harm or other things that can happen with suicide, depression, etc.

Not the pedophilia.

When I woke up on day 3 iirc and I was slapped in the face with these news articles with how Rachel was to blame, she killed herself out of guilt, how much my character ♥♥♥♥ on her all the time and didn't care about Rachel...it was really jarring and got me ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up. I feel like if there was content warning at the start, could they perhaps detail what exactly would be going on? That was very difficult for someone who has been through childhood sexual trauma. It would have just been nice to know so I could have prepared myself better before being punched in the face with it...is that too much to ask?

Please dont @ me with "it's legal in Montana" or something please. Lots of ages are legal in lots of places. Doesn't mean they should be nor does it mean that it should be glorified. A simple warning of: "Sensitive content includes suicide and adult/teenager romantic relationships" or something idk. Just literally anything to let people know beforehand what they are going to stumble on.

[Meta03]

Becca, my guess is you were sexually abused as a child, you experienced a selfish predator first hand and that has got to leave a major scar.

Let me share how Rachel Foster felt from my perspective. The way I understood the story, Leonard truly loved Rachel AND she truly loved him, you could call them twin-flames and as far as I know true twin-flames simply cannot HELP but fully love each other, no matter what is between them.
To me it was a love story between all the characters, but the kind of love that's a little short of perfection and thus leads to tragedy.

[Skye]

Originally posted by Meta03:

Let me share how Rachel Foster felt from my perspective. The way I understood the story, Leonard truly loved Rachel AND she truly loved him, you could call them twin-flames and as far as I know true twin-flames simply cannot HELP but fully love each other, no matter what is between them.
To me it was a love story between all the characters, but the kind of love that's a little short of perfection and thus leads to tragedy.

I understand where you are coming from storywise but this does not solve the issue of the content warning being lacking. It was very jarring to have the main character blame Rachel for absolutely everything, then to finally come to the wall with all the photos and newspaper clippings, blaming Rachel, saying how she must have felt guilty and killed herself, etc. It was super bad vibes and *thats* where I learned Rachel was 16 and her "lover" was 40 years old. It was really sickening for me and triggering content that I honestly wasn't expecting. It is serious flashback material for child sexual abuse victims and it would have been nice to have at least had some mental preparation in-game for this. (i.e content warning at the start stating there is teenager and adult relations)

[PraisedBe]

Originally posted by Baka Becca:

Originally posted by Meta03:

Let me share how Rachel Foster felt from my perspective. The way I understood the story, Leonard truly loved Rachel AND she truly loved him, you could call them twin-flames and as far as I know true twin-flames simply cannot HELP but fully love each other, no matter what is between them.
To me it was a love story between all the characters, but the kind of love that's a little short of perfection and thus leads to tragedy.

I understand where you are coming from storywise but this does not solve the issue of the content warning being lacking. It was very jarring to have the main character blame Rachel for absolutely everything, then to finally come to the wall with all the photos and newspaper clippings, blaming Rachel, saying how she must have felt guilty and killed herself, etc. It was super bad vibes and *thats* where I learned Rachel was 16 and her "lover" was 40 years old. It was really sickening for me and triggering content that I honestly wasn't expecting. It is serious flashback material for child sexual abuse victims and it would have been nice to have at least had some mental preparation in-game for this. (i.e content warning at the start stating there is teenager and adult relations)

Hey I just want you to know that I'm a fellow survivor of CSA and I felt the same way. What you're feeling is valid. I'm sorry that was dropped on you.

[Skye]

Originally posted by PraisedBe:

Hey I just want you to know that I'm a fellow survivor of CSA and I felt the same way. What you're feeling is valid. I'm sorry that was dropped on you.

Thank you, i'm sorry we have mutual experiences but i'm glad someone else understands ):

[Otomon]

Btw you basically dropped spoilers for the game on this thread...you could had easily added the word "spoiler" on title or use spoiler tags....

[Skye]

Originally posted by Otomon:

Btw you basically dropped spoilers for the game on this thread...you could had easily added the word "spoiler" on title or use spoiler tags....

I haven't actually ever used the spoiler tag before but this is actually not incredibly far into the game when this revelation is discovered. Sorry if this upset you or spoiled it. I was a lot more bothered by what had occurred to worry about it at the time.

[Skye]

The only spoiler I can see is talking about the Rachel's suicide....which is the name of the game haha? ^^; or about the father being involved with Rachel--this is touched on on Day 1 iirc as the main character blatantly states her father had an affair with Rachel iirc. My problem was that I was not aware of the ages and felt that a problem.
Did I say something else?

[VaniKa]

But being 16 and being a child is quite a difference, don't you think? It's not pedophilia by definition, like you are calling it. If Rachel was 8 and coerced by Leonard to have sex with him it would be a completely different thing. There's an age of consent that is usually lower than being legally an adult, so there's no issue with Rachel being 16. Also, it's nowhere hinted that Leonard loves Rachel and has sex with her because she's young and that's somewhat his kink (ephebophilia). As far as we know he's acting independent of her age because he loves her as a person and his sexual attraction is most likely due to Rachel having went through most of her puberty already. Her age is not really the issue here. She could as well have been 18 and it wouldn't really have made a difference to the story. People basically come here and complain because of two years.

I'm sorry that it triggers you but I think you could avoid that by not seeing Rachel as a child that cannot give consent on the first place. You simply take it the wrong way. I really wonder why so many people barge in here and call a consenting relationship like this pedophilia. I guess it's not a coincidence that they all seem to come from the US.

[Skye]

Me and another CSA victim have voiced their concerns on this post on lack of clarity yet people still try and tell me that my concerns on the topic are not valid.
Can we listen to actual affected people please?
I am simply saying there should be a clearer content warning for teenager/adult relationships. Especially with how harshly the revelation came, I think it would be nice if other people didn't have to experience flashbacks like I did. For clarification, the federal age of consent in America is 18+ and not every state considers 16 to be age of consent--they simply picked a state with the lowest age in America. Thank you, but my concerns on the topic are valid and its incredibly disturbing here (America) for a 16 year old to be romantically involved with a 40 year old. Since this game is set in America, it is subject to that scrutiny. Thank you.

[VaniKa]

Well, in my country the age of consent is 14, but context matters a lot. I have no problem with another trigger warning in this game as people can be triggered by completely harmless things but calling this pedophilia is just wrong.

[Skye]

It would be considered pedophilia in America by societies standards. Like I said earlier: "Lots of ages are legal in lots of places. Doesn't mean they should be nor does it mean that it should be glorified." They could have easily made her legal age in America nationwide (18+) but chose to do the more questionable age range. In some states, it is 100% considered pedophilia.
With that, I think a better content warning should have been implemented.
That's all.

[VaniKa]

Well, it's an Italian developer and a German publisher. Age of consent is 14 years in both countries. And the age of consent is also reached where the game takes place. Newsflash, the world doesn't revolve around the US.

[Skye]

Originally posted by VaniKa:

Well, it's an Italian developer and a German publisher. Age of consent is 14 years in both countries. And the age of consent is also reached where the game takes place. Newsflash, the world doesn't revolve around the US.

The game is literally set in the US, as I said. Probably wiser to adhere to its laws/societal differences. Thanks for your time, but now you're just becoming rude. I am not going to reply further to you.