Unless the entire main story is changed...

[Soft-Hands]

... than it cannot be claimed as a 'woke' game. I've seen multiple people say, paradxoically, that the use of 'body types' instead of biological sex in character creation is both not a big deal, but also that that means the game is a victory for 'their' side. But at the end of the day such a small detail is just (rather ugly) window dressing. Is it annoying and unwelcome? Sure. But if the game's main themes and story beats are unchanged, claiming this as some kind of 'victory' or 'loss' on either side of the culture war is simply untrue.

At it's heart Oblivion's story is a heroic quest to restore a divinely-appointed monarchy and to preserve the civilisational status queue against a demon-worshipping apocalyptic cult seeking to tear down reality and return to a promised 'Paradise' of unlimited freedom from the unfair limits of both society and material reality. Spoiler alert:their 'Paradise' isn't all it's cracked up to be, at least for them.. That's a fairly classic story full of all the usual High Fantasy tropes and such, but a 'modern' interpretation could be read as being not just 'non-woke', but in fact deeply conservative. Now, I don't necessarily see a problem with this, but others may deem this kind of story to be deeply 'problematic'. Especially the type who otherwise might claim the introduction of modern western game dev language and phrasing as a sort of 'victory' over the 'toxic chuds'.

If the main narrative remains intact, than this game isn't a victory or a loss for either side. The only people it's a win for would be those wanting to play a 20 year-old game on a newer engine. As much as I myself am firmly on one side of the 'body type' debate, I think it's a fair compromise to agree to let everyone else, woke or non-woke, simply enjoy the game as they see fit. And that should extend to modding as well. Whether someone wants to mod back in biological sex or change Martin Septim into a non-binary otherkin, that should be their prerogative.

I haven't yet shelled out the (ridiculous) price for the remaster, but when I inevitability do, I'll begrudgingly cope with bodytypes if I'm allowed to enjoy the trip back in time to a happier, saner world in (relative) peace. I think that's a more-than-fair compromise.

[It's Tris]

Nobody actually cares. They just want to make claims that the game is "woke" so they can win a culture war regardless of meaningful merit, or farm steam points from getting people to do the clown reaction.

[Soft-Hands]

Originally posted by It's Tris:

Nobody actually cares. They just want to make claims that the game is "woke" so they can win a culture war regardless of meaningful merit, or farm steam points from getting people to do the clown reaction.

I know. I made this post to explain in detail how silly and shallow that claim is. I know it won't stop anyone, but a man (sorry, body-type 1) can dream.

[Coffee Fox]

Originally posted by It's Tris:

Nobody actually cares. They just want to make claims that the game is "woke" so they can win a culture war regardless of meaningful merit, or farm steam points from getting people to do the clown reaction.

If nobody cares, then the developers should have stayed out of the culture war.

[Luke TasRook]

Other developers literally got death threats, were called nazis and got ousted out of their own social media because they put "male"and "female" in the options instead. So yeah. You do care and now just try to virtue signal to be perceived as a good boy.

[Soft-Hands]

Originally posted by Luke TasRook:

Other developers literally got death threats, were called nazis and got ousted out of their own social media because they put "male"and "female" in the options instead. So yeah. You do care and now just try to virtue signal to be perceived as a good boy.

Of course I care. But screeching into the void isn't going to change that. I'm highlighting that the logic of those people doing that is absurd. No one should get death threats over a video game, woke or no. The fact that the woke engage in it far more often yet go unpunished is a serious problem. But filing the serial numbers of a deeply non-woke game and claiming it as a victory is pointless and silly, and they should be aware of that.

I'm not virtue signalling. I don't care what people do in their homes, unless they start to care what I do in mine. I fully intend to mod it back to male/female if I get the chance. I'm just trying to take the high road.

[Hunkulees]

Originally posted by Coffee Fox:

Originally posted by It's Tris:

Nobody actually cares. They just want to make claims that the game is "woke" so they can win a culture war regardless of meaningful merit, or farm steam points from getting people to do the clown reaction.

If nobody cares, then the developers should have stayed out of the culture war.

What culture war? This is just a bunch of bored kids cosplaying as edgelords and crying "woke!" constantly because it's trendy and they desperately want to be part of literally anything

Lol..."CuLtuRe WaR". Get out of here with that nonsense