Character Diversity in *your/our/modern* NES Games

[Drew Sebastino]

The same is true of fossil fuel plants.

They generate a lot more electricity though. However, I'm not for fossil fuel plants.

Hydroelectric and geothermal plants seem to be good, (I don't know a whole lot about them) but you're kind of limited as to where you can put them...

For storage longer than a day, use spare power to pump water into a reservoir, then run a generator to get power back out during calm nights.

Do you know how much power you're getting back relative to how much power you're putting in?

I actually heard that the Fukushima power plant didn't really sustain any structural damage, but the generator that the turbine powers was flooded, and so were the backup generators that are diesel powered, so there was no energy to power the coolant pumps. Had they made the outer walls higher (I heard the power plant wasn't up to code) it could have kept the water out, as I don't think the walls actually broke, but were flooded over. I think I heard other power plants that were hit just as hard during the earthquake that caused the tsunami survived because they were up to code.

[darryl.revok]

Hydroelectric and geothermal plants seem to be good, (I don't know a whole lot about them) but you're kind of limited as to where you can put them...

I used to work in a hydroelectric dam. They're pretty cool, but I don't think it would be fair to not mention the ecological damage caused by their construction and the accompanying flooding. You're also entirely blocking off that waterway for marine life, which may depend on it for migration.

Like any source of electricity, this one is not without its downsides.

I think we have a social responsibility to represent alternative means of power generation in the games we make.

Another approach which hasn't been mentioned here is to negatively depict things to which you are fundamentally opposed. Sometimes I feel this would be easier in a video game, since often times, everything that you see in a video game is something that you are supposed to destroy. A lot of video games don't have a chance in the story or gameplay to depict a positive or peaceful setting. A good example which comes to mind is Zen: Intergalactic Ninja, which is a lot like Captain Planet except that game sucks, and Zen is great.

Windmills and solar panels need to be able to store their energy when they're not being powered

One interesting approach I've read about in the past few years is to use excess power to condense nitrogen or liquid air, which can be used to store energy long-term, and can be (partially) reclaimed by use of thermal expansion.
There are also nitrogen/liquid air cars being developed and a motor which uses this in combination with diesel to attain extremely high fuel mileage. Currently, liquid nitrogen is very cheap because it's created as a by-product in the production of liquid oxygen.

California isn't monolithic. They're the people who passed Prop 8 at the same time they elected the current president.

I don't think any area is truly monolithic in this regard and I don't think that it's fair to judge anyone based on their location without getting to know them. I actually really love the west coast for a few reasons, but I feel like I have observed some trends that are more prolific there. I feel like it's really common there to villainize southern america as a place of nothing but bigotry, but I'm sure we all know here that's not the case, and in doing so a person is stereotyping all people in a particular geographic location rather than focusing on an actual detestable problem. It's true that there is more racial tension in the south than in a lot of places in the country. It's funny though, I think, to contrast this to the pacific northwest where the general consensus is for tolerance, yet the vast majority of people are white. (At least that's how it was in Portland)

[rainwarrior]

I think we have a social responsibility to represent...

... response ...

Erm, I was just making a joke about this strange digression, a satire of the original premise of the thread as if we've stumbled into an alternate universe.

[lidnariq]

Do you know how much power you're getting back relative to how much power you're putting in?

On some level, the efficiency doesn't matter if it's just there to prevent the instant rates from becoming negative (as happens especially with wind power)... but even if that weren't true, wikipedia says up to 87% round-trip efficiency.

I bet it's just an infrastructure thing, meaning that our shortsighted culture will refuse to spend money on it :/

They're pretty cool, but I don't think it would be fair to not mention the ecological damage caused by their construction and the accompanying flooding. You're also entirely blocking off that waterway for marine life, which may depend on it for migration.

I'm really glad that the Elwha undamming has turned out as well as it has.

[darryl.revok]

I think we have a social responsibility to represent...

... response ...

Erm, I was just making a joke about this strange digression, a satire of the original premise of the thread as if we've stumbled into an alternate universe.

Ah I almost thought it was a joke but I went ahead and gave a real response because I had some personal experience on the topic.

Of all times to post an actual serious reply!

Pretty funny though... how this topic has gone.

Edit: Rereading this though, it's pretty obvious now.

We owe it to ourselves to try to overcome these issues when we're making the choices that go into our games.

[Drew Sebastino]

wikipedia says up to 87% round-trip efficiency.

Wow... That's a lot better than I thought.

I bet it's just an infrastructure thing, meaning that our shortsighted culture will refuse to spend money on it :/

Just like nuclear power? (And yes, I'm a bit bias, as my grandfather is a nuclear engineer who worked at Brookhaven lab, the birthplace of Tennis for Two.)

Erm, I was just making a joke about this strange digression, a satire of the original premise of the thread as if we've stumbled into an alternate universe.

I'm perfectly fine with a thread changing focus if everyone is done with the old discussion, which seems to be the case.

It's pretty nice having an actually intelligent discussion with some of my favorite people on this website.

[tepples]

But I'm not done!

Even games with animals often tend to have the playable character being a furry counterpart to a white male. Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales, for instance, is male with white feathers. Chip, Dale, and Gadget in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers have facial fur of a similar color to light human skin, and only the males are playable. Felix the Cat is obviously black though.

[Drew Sebastino]

furry

Hell no. A furry is an anthropomorphic animal, like Scrooge McDuck, except often drawn sexually by untalented artists.

Such artistry:

[Drag]

Can we kindly leave the insults and sweeping generalizations out please?

[M_Tee]

Yes, the topic's been derailed at least twice, both started by ad hominem attacks.

If you have an opinion, one way or the other, on the topic of the conversation, then by all means, join it.

All of these completely unrelated, arbitrary attacks and thinly-veiled insults being flung about aren't doing anything other than trying to drown out an (otherwise serious attempt at) actual conversation. If the topic offends anyone so much that they feel the need to belittle the conversation, then I highly encourage them to express their disdain and the reasoning behind it logically.

Anyway, back on topic, there seem to be three stances on this topic (in any field of creative work, as I've been a part of these conversations in regards to comics, film, literature, and art in general):

• Those that feel that they should actively attempt to respectfully represent a diverse range of characters (either for the benefit of the audience, or for the inherent betterment of their work).
• Those that hadn't really thought about it (and as such are just running on instinct, primarily imitating what had come before them)
• Those that oppose diversity of characters.

The primary purpose of this conversation being held is for the benefit of those in the "hadn't thought about it" category, and I think rainwarrior has made very valid points (and if I may be so bold as to paraphrase instead of quote), that if a creator wants to make a quality product, then they need to make each decision consciously and for a reason, whatever reason that may be.

[Drew Sebastino]

To be honest, I'm not even sure as to what the original topic was trying to accomplish. I liked the energy discussion though.

[tepples]

If you liked it, feel free to start another General Stuff topic about how sustainable energy and other environmental issues are portrayed in classic video games.

[GradualGames]

To be honest, I'm not even sure as to what the original topic was trying to accomplish. I liked the energy discussion though.

Me neither, all I do to come up with game ideas is look to my childhood, and presto I have female heroes, black heroes (I have yet to build this, but it is in my backlog), cats, robots and other things. The degree to which there is a tendency these days to obsess over diversity is too extreme, goes too far, and really doesn't have a place in video games. I don't accept the idea we have a "responsibility" either, especially when it comes to retro video games since the very point of it is to re-live one's childhood. I could maybe understand these ideas a little better with modern games that are about real life, though. If every modern 3D first person shooter was a white guy killing black guys or something of that nature, I could understand people being very concerned. I also understand to some degree the concern over exceedingly common depiction of highly exaggerated female bodies, also in modern games. Being a man, I actually much prefer women who look like actual real women, I find the exaggerated proportions ridiculous and not really attractive. But thinking about these issues in the context of NES games? Come on.

[Drew Sebastino]

I also understand to some degree the exceedingly common depiction of highly exaggerated female bodies, also in modern games.

There are also exaggerated man bodies, but I agree. I think about 40% of people who play games now are female, and they're probably not happy about it either, so maybe it will die down.

I find the exaggerated proportions ridiculous and not really attractive.

Not even this?



I don't think I've ever seen a game put abs on a woman...

I agree though. Not necessarily talking about the above picture, giant boobs on female characters are the worst (they gross me out). I'm not a big fan of extremely thin waists either, especially coupled with giant boobs that make many female characters look like their torso could snap in half from all the weight it's supporting.

[GradualGames]

All I know is, I had a huge crush on Marle from Chrono Trigger when I was about 13.



Beautiful and feminine, but totally badass.