Outer Worlds Characters-Thoughts

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

I'm all for equality, but why are all of the level headed atypically "good" characters female? It seems like many of the whacko, off-balanced, corporate boogie men are male characters.
(Amended "all" above to "many" based on several people rightly pointing out Sofia and Lilya).

Personally, I don't mind Parvati and actually used her as a companion most of the game. I don't care about her quest either. I thought she was funny and quirky. She reminded me of Kaylee from Firefly. I know a lot of vitriol in here has been aimed at her. I think unfairly so.

What gaming needs though is a leveled ground where genders are represented equally. I mean literally if the developers said, "okay here are all of our lead NPCS, now we use a random generator to determine which 50% are this and which 50% are that." Literally every major story (except Parvatis) is genderless and either sex could be represented by them.

Yet when you review the major NPCS as they are now it's hard to argue that's the case.

This game is fun, there is no arguing that. However, if companies are aiming for equality in gender representation this isn't how to do it.

[Guydodge]

i mean who really cares.i just see characters i could care less what genders or how many of each.is the game good thats my main concern.the rest just doesnt matter that much

[Wyrlish]

Seriously just drop it. This horse has been beaten to death, eaten, resurrected, and beaten back to death again. There is literally no new insight you can give or anything on this subject that hasn't been said A LOT.
I know i know "but my opinions" look at the forums, your opinions are down there in various levels of screech... just stop.

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

Nguyên văn bởi Wyrlish:

Seriously just drop it. This horse has been beaten to death, eaten, resurrected, and beaten back to death again. There is literally no new insight you can give or anything on this subject that hasn't been said A LOT.
I know i know "but my opinions" look at the forums, your opinions are down there in various levels of screech... just stop.

Huh, wow. This is the first time I've posted. I actually liked the game too, and the character everyone hated. I was just making a comment.

[Wyrlish]

Nguyên văn bởi TheGreatAbuDidi:

Nguyên văn bởi Wyrlish:

Seriously just drop it. This horse has been beaten to death, eaten, resurrected, and beaten back to death again. There is literally no new insight you can give or anything on this subject that hasn't been said A LOT.
I know i know "but my opinions" look at the forums, your opinions are down there in various levels of screech... just stop.

Huh, wow. This is the first time I've posted. I actually liked the game too, and the character everyone hated. I was just making a comment.

It's not that you've posted a lot... look down in the forums before posting..

[Cutlass Jack]

Nguyên văn bởi TheGreatAbuDidi:

I'm all for equality, but why are all of the level headed atypically "good" characters female? It seems like all the whacko, off-balanced, corporate boogie men are male characters.

Personally, I don't mind Parvati and actually used her as a companion most of the game. I don't care about her quest either. I thought she was funny and quirky. She reminded me of Kaylee from Firefly. I know a lot of vitriol in here has been aimed at her. I think unfairly so.

What gaming needs though is a leveled ground where genders are represented equally. I mean literally if the developers said, "okay here are all of our lead NPCS, now we use a random generator to determine which 50% are this and which 50% are that." Literally every major story (except Parvatis) is genderless and either sex could be represented by them.

Yet when you review the major NPCS as they are now it's hard to argue that's the case.

This game is fun, there is no arguing that. However, if companies are aiming for equality in gender representation this isn't how to do it.

You're viewing the game through a little bit of a biased lens. Nearly everyone in the game is that way regardless of gender. The main joke of the game is that you slept for 70 years and everyone became quirky, incompetent or both. The only potentially competent person is the player. Potentially.

Sure the sherriff is female but her only skill is collecting fingerprints and only when she has enough ink. Gladys is your insane auntie who does knitting, bakes cookies, and runs a black market. Sanjay's 'competent' assistant spends her entire salary on rotting lizard parts because a guy has a nice butt. Adelaide steals corpses to make food she feeds to people and is willing to let them all die over a grudge with Reed. Even Junlei, arguably one of the 'best' leaders writes embarrassingly bad poetry and is overwhelmed at a job her Grandfather handled easily. Etc, etc.

As mentioned, you could easily swap every character (Including Parvati) with the opposite gender and change nothing but pronouns. Parvati's romance doesn't even require her to be the same sex as Junlei, since its asexual.

Gender doesn't matter in the Outer Worlds. Which is about the only complaint I could make about it. And a minor one at best in a game without player romances. In a related complaint, its a western without Whorehouses. Okay two complaints. But that's only because my Firefly crew is missing its Inara. Maybe if I put a wig on SAM...

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

Nguyên văn bởi Cutlass Jack:

Nguyên văn bởi TheGreatAbuDidi:

I'm all for equality, but why are all of the level headed atypically "good" characters female? It seems like all the whacko, off-balanced, corporate boogie men are male characters.

Personally, I don't mind Parvati and actually used her as a companion most of the game. I don't care about her quest either. I thought she was funny and quirky. She reminded me of Kaylee from Firefly. I know a lot of vitriol in here has been aimed at her. I think unfairly so.

What gaming needs though is a leveled ground where genders are represented equally. I mean literally if the developers said, "okay here are all of our lead NPCS, now we use a random generator to determine which 50% are this and which 50% are that." Literally every major story (except Parvatis) is genderless and either sex could be represented by them.

Yet when you review the major NPCS as they are now it's hard to argue that's the case.

This game is fun, there is no arguing that. However, if companies are aiming for equality in gender representation this isn't how to do it.

You're viewing the game through a little bit of a biased lens. Nearly everyone in the game is that way regardless of gender. The main joke of the game is that you slept for 70 years and everyone became quirky, incompetent or both. The only potentially competent person is the player. Potentially.

Sure the sherriff is female but her only skill is collecting fingerprints and only when she has enough ink. Gladys is your insane auntie who does knitting, bakes cookies, and runs a black market. Sanjay's 'competent' assistant spends her entire salary on rotting lizard parts because a guy has a nice butt. Adelaide steals corpses to make food she feeds to people and is willing to let them all die over a grudge with Reed. Even Junlei, arguably one of the 'best' leaders writes embarrassingly bad poetry and is overwhelmed at a job her Grandfather handled easily. Etc, etc.

As mentioned, you could easily swap every character (Including Parvati) with the opposite gender and change nothing but pronouns. Parvati's romance doesn't even require her to be the same sex as Junlei, since its asexual.

Gender doesn't matter in the Outer Worlds. Which is about the only complaint I could make about it. And a minor one at best in a game without player romances. In a related complaint, its a western without Whorehouses. Okay two complaints. But that's only because my Firefly crew is missing its Inara. Maybe if I put a wig on SAM...

YES, Inara would have been great. Thank you for an intelligent response. Zora and Graham are another case though. Lylya as well. Catherine. The list goes on. Then you have Reed Thompson, Adelaide, Udom Bedford. It's just an observation and something that came about over hours of the playing through the game, not out of bias.

[Cutlass Jack]

Nguyên văn bởi TheGreatAbuDidi:

YES, Inara would have been great. Thank you for an intelligent response. Zora and Graham are another case though. Lylya as well. Catherine. The list goes on. Then you have Reed Thompson, Adelaide, Udom Bedford. It's just an observation and something that came about over hours of the playing through the game, not out of bias.

First up, just to be clear, when I say bias, I'm definitely not meaning sexist. I got a little worried my previous post might have come off that way. I only meant that if you go through the game looking for male examples you'll find them. But plenty of female examples too. Everyone is extremely quirky in The Outer Worlds. That's my observation over hours of playing.

Personally I think Reed is a better leader than Adelaide. He realizes his mistakes and will work at making amends if given the chance. He'll also step aside for the good of his people and his company, knowing it will get him killed. I really have a hard time going with Adelaide after examining all the options. Especially after realizing she stole Eugene's corpse (and others) to make food she gives to people.

Zora turns out better than Graham, but remember that she was also willing to go kill the people of Stellar Bay before you get involved. But really Monarch is a good example of a 50/50. Sanjay and Zora turn out okay. But Graham is a nutjob and Catherine is a crimelord. Hiram is not a leader but arguably one of the most important people on that world.

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

Nguyên văn bởi Cutlass Jack:

Nguyên văn bởi TheGreatAbuDidi:

YES, Inara would have been great. Thank you for an intelligent response. Zora and Graham are another case though. Lylya as well. Catherine. The list goes on. Then you have Reed Thompson, Adelaide, Udom Bedford. It's just an observation and something that came about over hours of the playing through the game, not out of bias.

First up, just to be clear, when I say bias, I'm definitely not meaning sexist. I got a little worried my previous post might have come off that way. I only meant that if you go through the game looking for male examples you'll find them. But plenty of female examples too. Everyone is extremely quirky in The Outer Worlds. That's my observation over hours of playing.

Personally I think Reed is a better leader than Adelaide. He realizes his mistakes and will work at making amends if given the chance. He'll also step aside for the good of his people and his company, knowing it will get him killed. I really have a hard time going with Adelaide after examining all the options. Especially after realizing she stole Eugene's corpse (and others) to make food she gives to people.

Zora turns out better than Graham, but remember that she was also willing to go kill the people of Stellar Bay before you get involved. But really Monarch is a good example of a 50/50. Sanjay and Zora turn out okay. But Graham is a nutjob and Catherine is a crimelord. Hiram is not a leader but arguably one of the most important people on that world.

You're good in your last post, didn't read it that way. Some interesting thoughts on characters. Reed was too greasy for me regardless of his actual motivation (to watch out for his people). He was the archetypal corporate stooge to me. Yes, Adelaide had some flaws but she represented an alternate to the really whole Halcyon colony. They don't have to buy into the corporate propaganda to achieve success, and in fact the alternatives can sometimes be better.

Overall, great conversation. I appreciate your responses.

[Stelar Seven]

I keep seeing this but every time it looks like a selective read on the story.

As Jack had pointed out every character is shown with strengths and flaws. Sanjay is a great example where people see his secretary helping him with some social queues and ignoring that he's kept Monarch running without Board assistance for ten years, improved morale and working conditions while also boosting productivity and he's a wizard at beuracratic infighting.

His "dirt" he has you delete actually underlined his competence if you read it, being competent was what was holding him back.

Reed and Adalade are an interesting pair, Reed grows more if you let him, Adalade gets props for discovering fertilizer but her pride blinds her white Reed is willing to learn from his errors.

The only morally sound member of the board is locked in his home, the other two are competing for villain of the year status.

What I see is balanced representation so when folks claim otherwise I'm left wondering is it bias, where they are expecting men as ubermench as a standard guy, or is it just more manosphere fecal posting.

[Diablerie]

Nguyên văn bởi Guydodge:

i mean who really cares.i just see characters i could care less what genders or how many of each.is the game good thats my main concern.the rest just doesnt matter that much

My thoughts exactly, all this vying for 'representation' is getting a little sickening. I'd prefer a developer just focus on making a decent game rather than sitting there planning out how to make everyone feel 'included'. Games don't always need equal representation, neither do movies, or tv or whatever other media. What they all need is to be compelling. That should be the first and last objective.

[Stelar Seven]

Obviously lots of people care because this game has a fairly balanced cast of characters and we have how many threads screaming about a nonbinary romance and girls with up hairdos.

It's easy to say you don't care but posting here critically about girls and nonbinary romance being "forced" when really all they are is included suggests that people do care and it made them uncomfortable.

Not seeing as much of themselves as they are used to is a little like not seeing yourself at all.

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

Nguyên văn bởi Stelar Seven:

I keep seeing this but every time it looks like a selective read on the story.

As Jack had pointed out every character is shown with strengths and flaws. Sanjay is a great example where people see his secretary helping him with some social queues and ignoring that he's kept Monarch running without Board assistance for ten years, improved morale and working conditions while also boosting productivity and he's a wizard at beuracratic infighting.

His "dirt" he has you delete actually underlined his competence if you read it, being competent was what was holding him back.

Reed and Adalade are an interesting pair, Reed grows more if you let him, Adalade gets props for discovering fertilizer but her pride blinds her white Reed is willing to learn from his errors.

The only morally sound member of the board is locked in his home, the other two are competing for villain of the year status.

What I see is balanced representation so when folks claim otherwise I'm left wondering is it bias, where they are expecting men as ubermench as a standard guy, or is it just more manosphere fecal posting.

Thank you for the post, I appreciate this perspective.

[TheLastSeeker]

A lot of the characters felt flat with no other real need for them, they did however make it so everyone you interacted with had at least 1 purpose but it felt kinda shallow with them.

Parvati was like the only real character i ever cared to bring out of the ship other than the monarch fighter chick. Literally finished the game yesterday and can't remember her because she's really not that memorable.....

If the characters were somewhat decently in there, i'd remember their names.

Like i remember a tonne of the mass effect 2 crew but outer worlds i remember sanja (stellar bay?) more than half the people on my ship. That's also because the crew talked about it a bit more than it felt they should of.

[TheGreatAbuDidi]

Nguyên văn bởi NitroRedux:

A lot of the characters felt flat with no other real need for them, they did however make it so everyone you interacted with had at least 1 purpose but it felt kinda shallow with them.

Parvati was like the only real character i ever cared to bring out of the ship other than the monarch fighter chick. Literally finished the game yesterday and can't remember her because she's really not that memorable.....

If the characters were somewhat decently in there, i'd remember their names.

Like i remember a tonne of the mass effect 2 crew but outer worlds i remember sanja (stellar bay?) more than half the people on my ship. That's also because the crew talked about it a bit more than it felt they should of.

Agreed, the companion development (and overall character development) is not as strong as other RPGs I've played. I mean Garrus, Liara, Wrex-classics. I still remember them all well. Kicking it back even further to BG-Dynaheir and Minsc were awesome. Parvati was also my favorite BTW.

I still really enjoyed it, but it's not a game I feel like I need to go back to again.

[epic meow]

did you just stop at the first town and then write this rant after your first companion?

dog 50% of all the insane crime bosses n ♥♥♥♥ are female. hell. maybe even more. and 2 out of 3 female companions are straight up crooks who drown people in acid and rob bystanders n ♥♥♥♥.

did you even play it? im actually legitimately wondering.