Octopus Overlords

Alefroth wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:25 pm

gilraen wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:21 pm I literally don't relate anything in sci-fi/fictional universe/fantasy/etc. games to the real world. And I don't play anything that actually takes place in the real world.

Really? So much of sci-fi is a metaphor for the real world.

I would also put myself in the bucket of people that has a hard time picking up on these things. When I am in fantasy land it mostly stays in fantasy land until somebody points out the parallels to me and then there may or may not be a "whoa" moment.

Hey, at least now the Taurians can quit complaining about how they were portrayed in the game.....
https://kotaku.com/mass-effect-remake-f ... 1846914080
There is hope after all......

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 5:00 pm

Alefroth wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:25 pm

gilraen wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:21 pm I literally don't relate anything in sci-fi/fictional universe/fantasy/etc. games to the real world. And I don't play anything that actually takes place in the real world.

Really? So much of sci-fi is a metaphor for the real world.

I would also put myself in the bucket of people that has a hard time picking up on these things.

Is that a metaphorical bucket?

Little Raven wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:44 pm But somehow nobody ever asks “Wait, in what universe is creating a nigh unaccountable position and giving them access to top military equipment and a license to use it however they see fit a GOOD IDEA?!?”

Give? Heck, did you even play ME? I had to buy or scrounge for every weapon/piece of armor my team has! Some military we are!?

Heh, I just read that according to some people, Garrus should be cancelled because he is a former cop on the Citadel.

The first part of Jack’s story in ME2 is essentially a giant middle finger to the penal system, showing how completely horrific, broken, and corrupt it is.

For what it's worth, I think this article would have been much better if it had limited it's scope to Garrus. I've been quite critical of the article, because I think it takes a whole lot of very different jobs (military, black-ops, private security, thieves, criminal enforcers, mercenaries) and calls them all "super cops"....and I don't think that's a very accurate or constructive way of looking at things. Shepard is not a cop, and the Normandy is not in the business of law-enforcement.

But Garrus IS a cop. And not only is Garrus a cop, Garrus plays every North American cop trope pretty much to a T. He's a "good cop" who had to leave the system because the rules were getting in the way of him getting "the bad guys." And while yes, in the narrative, we are provided with plenty of examples to justify Garrus' claim....frankly, Garrus has a pretty one dimensional idea of crime fighting - just shoot the bad guy. Things like economic equality, victim support services, youth intervention...those never get so much as a mention. (Though we should note that Garrus is a Turian, NOT a human, and while we're both sentients, humans and Turians are wired pretty differently on some things.) Granted, Garrus is only a side character in the game, so I'm not going to criticize ME for not unpacking that world view a little more than they did, but the fact that they could lean into those tropes so totally really is an indicator of just how prevalent they are in society. And to be fair to Bioware - when Garrus tries his hand at setting up his own crime fighting force on Omega, it all goes HORRIBLY, so maybe they were trying to signal something with that.

Good luck cancelling Garrus, though. He's an absolute fan favorite.

Also seems worth noting that you can role play Shepard by telling Garrus he’s an asshole and not participating in any of his schemes. I don’t know if you can actually lose him as a party member (I’ve never tried), but you certainly aren’t required to play the game as if you’re supporting him.

I haven't read this whole thread and it seems based on a game I wouldn't play anyway, BUT...

When my son graduated pre-school, he said he wanted to be a policeman. My son (thus far) has only known an integrated society and should he pursue this career I have no doubt he'd be the kind of cop everyone wants to be out there. He likes games, so games that portray cops in a positive light are a good thing.

Society will change for the better when our expectations demand it.

Alefroth wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 7:16 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 5:00 pm

Alefroth wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:25 pm

gilraen wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 4:21 pm I literally don't relate anything in sci-fi/fictional universe/fantasy/etc. games to the real world. And I don't play anything that actually takes place in the real world.

Really? So much of sci-fi is a metaphor for the real world.

I would also put myself in the bucket of people that has a hard time picking up on these things.

Is that a metaphorical bucket?

You joke but I think there is a clear distinction. Using (and understanding) metaphorical language is different from making extended metaphorical connections when reading or playing an rpg. I can't speak for Coopasonic or Gilraen but I mentally treat books, movies, and rpgs as simulations of different realities. Or perhaps objective history is a better term than simulation. No more a metaphor than my real life.