They lost me... Citan 2 years 1 month ago #1928
Yeah, there's no need to crucify somebody for their opinion. I read his post, shrugged, and that was that. If he felt strongly enough to bother posting, then at this point I want to hear it: I did ask for feedback after all! And people have complained about almost every aspect of the game's design. I don't think that's bad. If they weren't complaining, I'd know the game wasn't treading new ground.
There are definitely people who will not play the game because the NPCs say dirty stupid stuff. If those people would also refuse to play a game with "lingerie model armor", then I can't fault them for that: they have beliefs about sexuality, and as long as they aren't hypocritical about it, that's fine by me. (If they're the sort who like women in games to be nearly naked, but to keep their mouths shut about sex, then that doesn't sit as well with me. But still, whatever. I'm not here to lecture people: play or don't.)
The design of the elves came from seeing all the prefabricated "elf models" I could buy when I was developing the game. They were supposed to be mighty archers and swordsmen, but they could never take off their high heels or wear a supportive bra... it was ludicrous. So I did the indie thing and dug into why: if they look like this when they're fighting, they must have a reason, right? They wouldn't dress this way just to entertain the game player. And it became obvious that elves would be pretty into sex.
That artwork is long gone and elves are much more modest in their appearance (which is how I want it). But they remain very "into" sex. I find it a useful racial attribute. Most games have elves which are just "humans but arrogant" and dwarves which are "humans but stubborn". If we have to stereotype a whole race in order to make it work in a fantasy game (and we kinda do -- otherwise they just come across as "humans with different appearances"), we can at least give them new stereotypes!
That stereotype also helps explain racial animosity between humans and elves, provides backstory hooks, and gives roleplaying opportunities. (Although it also has created a few unfortunate "roleplay" scenarios, too, so like every design, it's a double-edged sword.) As the game goes on and we see how each race approaches sexuality, it will let me highlight the differences between the races in a way that few other games manage to do. I find it interesting, and that's basically my litmus test.
If I had to change the elves in order for to be successful, I'd just remove them. I don't really need "humans with long ears and no other discernible differences" in the game -- I'm an indie, and artwork costs a fortune. I need every aspect of the game to pull its weight from a gameplay point of view. Elves weren't in the original design of the game, it was going to be only humans. So I have considered removing the other races and tightening things down -- but at the point I'm not planning to do that. It doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker for most people.
Anyway, as a community we need to avoid jumping on people who have different opinions. It's useful to mention that you disagree, and to say why. But being too hostile will just make this forum an echo chamber where people only post if they have the same views as the majority. That would really be detrimental to the game. So please consider your words carefully when responding to an opinion you disagree with!