Alistair, Carth, Kaidan (Kinda Off-Topic So in 'Random' It Goes)

Public Service Announcement: I should warn you about trying to defend Carth Onasi on a male-dominated forum. Prepare to be flamed hard. Even dare to suggest that he might not be as whiny as everyone says, that it's partly exaggeration, and the battle ensigns are hoisted and the guns rolled out. (Woo, all those years reading the Hornblower novels have paid off naval-terminology-wise.)

So, I think we've discussed this before, but the incessant urge to bash any character in a Bioware game that doesn't seem to have been written *for* the largely male player-base (the trio of the thread title primarily) - has anyone else had experience running into that sort of thinking? It makes me feel that girl gamers are still maybe a little bit unwelcome, and that's sad considering I've been a gamer since my dad started me playing Commodore 64 games on his knee at the tender age of four. It's a legitimate hobby for both sexes, and there are lots of gals with lifelong gamer credentials! The 12 year olds on Xbox live don't seem to believe it though.

In my opinion it has more to do with the fact that these characters make certain immature players a little bit uncomfortable.These characters are in their game and have been constructed , atleast partially, to appeal to women which these gamers regard as their own job.
Which then leads to the usual behavior of marking their territory and generally dragging the character through the mud on every occasion that presents itself.

Marking their territory? I can see that. Something about the guys in games seems to challenge male gamers, and a lot of the immature ones some across as jealous at the reaction of female gamers to a well written romance. I first ventured onto forums at KotOR and was shocked at the overwhelming negativy responses to Carth. And then when I was waiting for ME for the PC, all the topics on Kaidan being Carth. I even came across a topic the otherday sayng Alistair was Carth. WTF?

Meh, I have grown up with computers and RPG/strategy games (have to love the old Sierra games) and at school the gaming guys were impressed and, in some ways, threatened that I was as obsessed with games as they were, so it never surprised me that the internet gaming community would be any different. This is why I refuse to play MMOs. I don't want a game were I have to put up with those idiots invading my gamespace. Why did Bioware have to make the next KotOR game a MMO? It is really challenging my resistance.

Oh well. Bastilla fanboys, the lot of them. And then Liara. And now Morrigan. Thats why we have lovely forums and LJ communities where we can escape the idiot 12 year old gamers.

Trillian wrote:This is why I refuse to play MMOs. I don't want a game were I have to put up with those idiots invading my gamespace. Why did Bioware have to make the next KotOR game a MMO? It is really challenging my resistance.

Completely agree on the MMO-issue. My gaming time these days is sparse so I want to play a game the way I enjoy it best and not be harassed by idiots who destroy my fun. But it seems that this is the part of the game-market that brings in the most money at the moment and Bioware is not in this industry for charity.
Oh well, let's just hope that it doesn't interfere with the Dragon Age sequel too much and that Bioware still remembers where it's roots are and it's strenghts really shine.