Quote from: Seanchai;408620That's all I want, though. Did they say when that's coming out?

I don't think there's been any definite date for that yet, sorry to say. The MMO will be launched in 2012 at the earliest, but they'll probably get that whole digital publishing deal in order before then.

Quote from: SpikeAlso I can see that the 'coffeehouse' players are demanding that they be able to latte their way up to ultimate power... which is pretty funny when you think about it...

As I recall, one of the confirmed tidbits from the Q&A session was that the three spheres of play (coffeeshop, themepark, sandbox) will be interconnected through an "economy of blood" that runs through the entire MMO. It's apparently going for full PvP, with specific areas where violence is discouraged but without the option for staying out of conflicts between players. However, while combat is part of the game, it's definitely not the main focus: your social connections are what really matters, not how hard you can punch someone.

I find the request for "GLBT friendly content" hilarious.

Really. Vampire, the game that created the angsty-gothy-nobody-understands-me gaming, and they want it MORE friendly to their lifestyle? What exactly would this content entail, anyway? I don't recall too many MMOs that are overtly sexual in any real way - that usually comes from the players.

Still, I personally am hoping for more heterosexual-friendly content in the form of naked boobage. When will a game manufacturer find the courage to give my under-represented demographic what we deserve?

Quote from: Werekoala;408641I find the request for "GLBT friendly content" hilarious.

In fact, that's apparently also been confirmed already. The demographics that CCP makes an effort to target with the MMO include women, casual players, and the GLBT community. Yes, there will be gay clubs in the game.

I don't find the GLBT friendly request to be surprising, personally. Why would it be?

My point is that things like that are usually player-generated content. Really, what part of creating a game makes it hetero- or gay-friendly or unfriendly? "Gay Clubs" - ok - why does that have to be encoded in the game itself? Why not just have gay people who play the game make a non-defined nightclub their own? Are there going to be Male NPC strippers or something? If so, do we get fmale NPC strippers as well? Is my quest for boobage about to be fulfilled?

It is pandering, pure and simple. But hey, if it makes them money, then go for it I guess.

Quote from: GrimGent;408650Yes, there will be gay clubs in the game.

Cue hirsute, overweight males playing Lesbian Stripper Ninja vampires, roleplaying gratuitous "adult" scenes with other Lesbian Stripper Ninjas vampires (which they ignore or deny that may be played by another hirsute, overweight male) at the super-dee-duper-GLBT-friendly Club Lesbos or something.

:rolleyes:

Quote from: Werekoala;408658My point is that things like that are usually player-generated content. Really, what part of creating a game makes it hetero- or gay-friendly or unfriendly?

Well ... everything, really. From basic themes and aesthetics to actual contents, plot and characters. I mean, you'd be hard-pressed to see homosexual characters as a mundane plot element in a story about Crusaders in the Holy Land (especially if it involves Templar Knights *cough cough*), whereas in a world of Gothic Punk featuring all sorts of fringe groups living night's life in large modern urban areas, it'd be kind of weird to actually not have a gay community represented in some fashion or another, wouldn't you think?

I'd expect such a game to be less prude and propose a little more mature content than your average vanilla fantasy setting. It's part of what WW products are, or rather are used for. That may be a problem in countries were showing a nipple here and there brands you with a sign of infamy and suddenly you get rated like pseudo pr0n.

Quote from: Werekoala;408658"Gay Clubs" - ok - why does that have to be encoded in the game itself?

Because the game takes place in modern-day urban nightlife, concentrates heavily on the social interaction between the characters, and features romance as one of its major elements?

Again, this is an MMO, not a stand-alone game. PLAYERS - the folks playing the game? - generate the content. There are Gay friendly guilds in every MMO I'm aware of - hell, the Proudmoore server on WoW is massively flaming, since, you know, its PROUD and all. But there isn't a gay tavern in Ironforge because Blizzard put one there - that's what the players do.

So again, what would Gay Friendly Content in an MMO actually look like? And will there be Black or Asian-friendly content? What about Latinos? And seriously, isn't it time for someone to consider the needs of the the Tongans?

I think you've just got a grudge against the "Gay agenda". :rolleyes:

Why, otherwise, talk about it in the first place?
What is so bothering about having gay-friendly areas included in the MMO by its designers?

Quote from: Werekoala;408715But there isn't a gay tavern in Ironforge because Blizzard put one there - that's what the players do.

Well, we don't know yet how much control the players will have over the environment in WODO, or how the "coffeehouse" aspect will work out in practice. If there's no option for setting up and furnishing an actual club where the PCs may spend time, then dedicating some of the social areas built into the game for sexual minorities (instead of pretending that they don't exist) would in itself be gay-friendly.

But were, oh were, does the pandering stop?

Never mind that the entire request is extra-super silly. First of all, WW made a big deal over the years that vampires aren't interested in sex, which sort of renders the question moot in their view.

Second, Vampires have always (ok, since Byron) represented a sort of repressed taboo sexuality, which in our case (since Anne Rice decided to become a transgendered bloodsucker a la LeStat) has made Vampires pretty damn gay. Vampire clubs ARE gay clubs. Vampires ARE the repressed 'other', the sexual minority.  

So... its pretty much a redundant request from the get go.  Saying you are a 'gay vampire' is the same thing as saying you are a 'goth vampire' or an 'emo vampire' or 'I'm a vampire that likes The Cure'.

It might not be universally true, but its so frakking close that statistics doesn't recognize the difference.

Besides, everyone knows pink is the new black.

I just want to know what that means. How do you make a game "gay friendly"? What makes a game gay un-friendly? Are there NPC mobs roaming the streets beating up homosexuals in other games? Do vendors traditionally call players fags if their gear is color coordinated? Is it because player emotes don't include a lisp? Do we need to make sure V:TM is the MMO equivalent of Tangency so the little dears don't get their feelings hurt?

It is a nebulous goal at best. Designers need to stick to making the games mechanically good and let the players achieve their own socio-political agendas within that framework. IMO, YMMV, WTF, BBQ, and all that.

Quote from: Spike;408742First of all, WW made a big deal over the years that vampires aren't interested in sex, which sort of renders the question moot in their view.

Vampires will be the only supernatural character type available at the time of the launch, but mortals will also be playable alongside them, and other splats may be added later on. The developers have hinted at the possibility of including at least werewolves and changelings as PCs in expansions, and they'll be used for NPCs and background material from the start. Even though the initial set-up is based on Masquerade, it's still World of Darkness Online, not just Vampire Online.