Lilac Corsage  

Uhh... guys? SE has a huge MMORPG here that is is likely to attract more attention from ultraconservatve groups than, say, Asheron's Call or something. In the past, MMORPGs were played in text by nerds and nobody's hyper-conservative mother could walk by and see a wedding ceremony between her son playing a girl and some other guy playing a girl. However now we live in the magical world of 3-D easy to see graphics and the games are accessible to a younger audience who is more likely to blab at the dinner table about their activities in Vana'Diel that day. SE knows this, and knows it's better to **** off a few militant liberals who honestly won't do much or even if they try really have a leg to stand on when demanding same-sex marriage to be allowed in a virtual game, as opposed to Christian Fundamentalists who would do crazy **** like take out full page ads in the New York Times and go have bonfires with Final Fantasy games because one kid supposedly thought it was ok for gay couples to marry because of a video game. As inconvinient as it is for some players, I see why S-E has done what it's done, and it's not a matter of closed-mindedness or discrimination but a matter of the bottom line, and trying not to get sued/defamed for an already risky activity for suing/defamation (running an MMORPG).

Perhaps the most amusing thing about this post is the poster doesn't even have the guts to sign his or her name to a post in which s/he proclaims that SE, or whoever, is standing up for the "right thing" by not allowing same sex marriages. If you have different beliefs, then by all means express them, but at the very least don't hide in anonymity. Makes me question your dedication to said belief.

Beyond that, "sin" is a monotheistic term, belonging almost exclusively, I believe, to "people of the book" (christianity, islam, judaism), of which my character from Vana'diel certainly isn't. He doesn't exist in this world, and is only as real as the life I, as the player, breathe into him. Let's face it, a good majority of players are male, not all, I know quite a few female players as well.

Is it no more convoluted to suggest that two male players marrying their male and female characters is as "sinful" as two players marrying two female characters, or two male characters? Let's keep in mind that sin is a real world term, and while one is grounded in the real world, the other is not.

The only reasonable conclusion I can get out of that is that neither situation makes much sense. For all the storylines my character has been bombarded with, there has never been the slightest hint that my character was guided by the good Book. For that I'm glad, it would totally take me out of the atmosphere of the game to be affronted with the same stuff I could hear at church.

Please, the "right thing" is completely relative based on beliefs and life experiences. Expecting everyone to adhere by your morals and live by your standards is bigoted, because it shows a lack of understanding for others different than you.

I agree with what Shotie says completely, if they're going to force certain genders on people who want to play certain races, it's unfair to expect all couples to be of opposing sexes. In game marriage was never necessary to begin with, but since they did bring it into the game, they should examine the implications of certain prohibitions to marriage.

Just because you dont understand it doesnt make it wrong...

Besides, it's a VIDEO GAME. And just for example, I am female, with a RL boyfriend-we both play together on the same server, but *gasp* we're both Mithra in the game.

So is it okay for Square to tell us its wrong to be together because we both play a female-only class in the game? If they force characters who wish to be Galkan or Mithra to be a specific gender, then I really think it's unfair to force different-sex weddings...if people could be female galka or male mithra, then I couldnt' see the harm in it so much...but THEY force certain genders on people who want to be a certain race, so they really shouldnt force the gender thing...

Just my two cents.

Edited, Thu Jul 8 23:11:00 2004