Sex and the Modern MMOG

My alma mater MMORPGDot has a review of the 'adults-only, subscription-based, independently-developed Sci-Fi Fantasy MMORPG set in London a hundred years from now'. It's a social MMOG, and one with more social options than you'll find in most commercial games. From the article: "Sex is not a mere role-playing concession in Sociolotron; it is a fully-baked and detailed gameplay mechanic. Players can engage in both consensual and forced sexual relations with other players and some NPCs- and believe it or not, sex serves a number of important purposes in the game. (Aside from the whole heir thing, the fluids that are exchanged and spilled during sexual encounters are critical components of some potions, and the game provides a variety of methods for collecting these substances.) Sex is really a sort of minigame in Socio, and before you utter the words 'Hot Coffee,' understand that this is no mere rhythm exercise. It's actually so complex a process that I'll only touch on a few details here."

Forced Sexual Relations

[bateleur]

Umm... doesn't "forced sexual relations" seem in rather poor taste ?

Or is the argument supposed to be that if you can have violence in games then it's fair play ? Ugh.

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Fuck Jack Thompson

[Shihar]

Fuck Jack Thompson. I am pretty damn sure that this game will strictly enforce 18+. Let the idiot try and bring this before a court and get violently smacked down.

Personally, I love the spat of video game laws that stupid state legislators have tried to pass. Each and every single one without exception has been struck down, and struck down hard. Each time one of these stupid laws are struck down, it just strengthens freedom of speech laws.

Nothing brings a smile to my face like politicians ramming their head violently against the first amendment and looking shocked and confused when it doesn't budge. I welcome this game the legislation that congressmen will attempt to bring about to stop it. It just makes it easier to see which representatives will grow the strength to stand up for the first amendment, and which are pathetic sniveling slime that refuse to take a stand that doesn't instantly sound good in a sound byte. It makes picking who I vote for all the easier.

Fuck'em.

Responses are proof...

[Taulin]

Just look at the responses and posts in this thread. Only one was really informative about the game or subject so far. The rest make jests and jokes about the subject of sex in games. The reason adult content is not found in the US more often is because market research finds these kinds of remarks...giggles, pointed fingers...much like school children who find a torn page of a Playboy issue on the school yard. I for one would love to see sex introduced more in games. While this game seems to revolve around it too much, as a play mechanic, it adds to what we have now. Do you think being able to have sex in games would degrade the game to the point where everyone would be doing it everywhere? If so, what does that say about society? Maybe game rules should enforce sex like real life,ie no public nudity, etc. My point is, until you 'gamers' grow up a bit, this aspect of games will not.

Re:Responses are proof...

[Walkiry]

>The rest make jests and jokes about the subject of sex in games.

That's because the implementation of sex in games not only leaves much to be desired, but also we've got accustomed to game developers using boobies to sell a poorly implemented, boring and not very imaginative game. The jests made in the responses pointed to this, and surprise surprise, when someone who knew about the game and had played it answered, it confirmed everything we suspected about it *shocked*.

The idea may or may not be worth discussing but it seems like, as we all expected, the implementation sucked, the game was technically a piece of crap, and the design of the "game" part was poorly thought out and weakly executed. This game, like many others before it, attempts to use outrageous claims about the fantastic sex stuff you can find inside to sell you a turd, and they didn't even bother to polish it.

So no, we don't have to "grow up", the game designers have to start thinking about actually making compelling games, sex and all, instead of making a piece of shit and throwing in some jugs hoping the hormonally charged teenagers will flock to it. Because so far that's all they do with "sex in games". Then, and only then, they'll get a less cynical and jaded response.

Re:Sure, just ask Jack Thompson

[Drachemorder]

In real life, I can envision situations where killing is acceptable. I can't imagine any situation at all in which rape or child abuse is acceptable. So there's clearly a difference in real life, and I think there should be one in games as well. If you play as a hero killing the minions of an evil dictator bent on taking over the world, that seems to be a case of justifiable violence. However, there's simply no possible justification for rape, even in a fictional context.

Re:As someone who participated in the beta...

[Tyger]

I'm not going to comment on most your post (Having little knowledge in the game) but I take issue with:

It is purely a social game that has combat to taunt people into believing it is a MMORPG.

What do you think MMORPG means? "Massively Multiplayer Combat Game"? Traditionally most MMORPGs have been combat because it's the easiest to do, and most computer RPGs involve combat. But there is nothing that says MMORPG must be combat. Computer RPGs are about story and character development and, well, playing a role. I don't see this game as any different. And it's not like it's the first non combat MMORPG. There have been many others, including the likes of Club Caribe (Technically not a MMORPG only because the term didn't exist then), Second Life and The Sims Online.