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Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

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Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#201

Post by gwd »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #159
bluGill wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering the anti-christian tone of the game I think they were completely missing Christians. (I haven't played the game, so I'm taking the article's word on how it portrays Christians as fact, which might or might not be true) You cannot claim diversity if you are missing a faction - even if the faction is one you consider against your beliefs.

In light of the parent comment, we should presume that the team had Christian representation and those Christians were fine with it, not that there were no Christians. There’s a lot of media that uses caricatures to vilify Christians (“Easy A” comes to mind), but there is relatively little uproar from Christians about it. They don’t seem to be very sensitive apart from a small handful that our society cherry-picks as…

Let's try your formulation in a different context and see if it works. Imagine someone saying this in the '50s:

> There's a lot of media that uses caricatures to vilify [Blacks], but there is relatively little uproar from [Blacks] about it. They don't seem to be very sensitive apart from a small handful...

I assure you, Christians are aware of how poorly they're portrayed by the media, and aren't happy about it. It seems to me that this is one of many factors that led many Christians to support Trump.

"Representation matters" -- indeed it does; and I'm not sure I've seen anyone on TV or in movies that looks like me or the people in my church. Even when they're trying to put people in a positive light, you can tell that it's someone trying to guess what it's like from the outside, not someone who understands it from the inside.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#202

Post by ethbr0 »

veddox wrote: post #126
Bishonen88 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but it's still better than not having such a person around at all.

I find the two pretty orthogonal...

How so? Presumably an individual from a specific background is more likely to be able to evaluate slights against that background, vs a random individual.

Individual experiences vary, but it's a helluva better start than... you know... not.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#203

Post by chmod775 »

bluGill wrote: post #124
quietbritishjim wrote: post #6

> > Inspired by historical events and characters, this work of fiction was designed, developed, and produced by a multicultural team of various beliefs, sexual orientations and gender identities. > This statement is making ... implicit [claims] (our diverse team means this game was produced in a careful, sensitive way) Ah, I think that's a misunderstanding of why the statement is there. It's not to claim that the gam…

Considering the anti-christian tone of the game I think they were completely missing Christians. (I haven't played the game, so I'm taking the article's word on how it portrays Christians as fact, which might or might not be true) You cannot claim diversity if you are missing a faction - even if the faction is one you consider against your beliefs.

Well, for that you'd first have to find a Christian.

Christianity is a unique religion in that there's a lot of people who claim to be Christians, but who hardly practice their religion or follow what is prescribed.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#204

Post by woko »

AsyncAwait wrote: post #196
bluGill wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering the anti-christian tone of the game I think they were completely missing Christians. (I haven't played the game, so I'm taking the article's word on how it portrays Christians as fact, which might or might not be true) You cannot claim diversity if you are missing a faction - even if the faction is one you consider against your beliefs.

Not sure if the game has an "anti-christian" tone, but I think in a secular society that should not be a problem, even if true.

Try replacing "christian" in your statement with "jew" or "muslism", and read it out loud.

Being "anti-christian" is an issue, because it is always an issue when a society is against a group of people.

One has the right to make fun and criticize religions, but not a large group of people, especially solely based on their traits, be it religion/faith, sexuality, etc.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#206

Post by gwd »

AsyncAwait wrote: post #196
bluGill wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering the anti-christian tone of the game I think they were completely missing Christians. (I haven't played the game, so I'm taking the article's word on how it portrays Christians as fact, which might or might not be true) You cannot claim diversity if you are missing a faction - even if the faction is one you consider against your beliefs.

Not sure if the game has an "anti-christian" tone, but I think in a secular society that should not be a problem, even if true.

The author's problem with the game is, in fact, that it ends up mirroring Nazi ideology almost exactly: Manly men with superior genes and culture, looking for lebensraum, improving the effeminate, "weak" culture they're colonizing. Oops.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#207

Post by kop316 »

Fnoord wrote: post #130
xalava wrote: post #38

The most relevant point of this article is not about historical accuracy, but on the contradiction of claiming cultural sensitivity by including gender and origin diversity while totally missing the point on deeper issues. I've grown up in a period when pop culture didn't care much about cultural sensitivity. With proper education anyone can compensate and treat them as pure simplistic fiction, but I do think that th…

> I've grown up in a period when pop culture didn't care much about cultural sensitivity. I wonder when that was, cause pop culture has always cared about that in one way or another. I believe you are projecting. > The most relevant point of this article is not about historical accuracy, but on the contradiction of claiming cultural sensitivity by including gender and origin diversity while totally missing the point…

Respectfully, I think you got most of it right, but incorrect on a big nuance when you said: "A fantasy world can be based on real history as we know it (consider, for example, the Nordic theme in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, or the Norsca and Warriors of Chaos in Total War: Warhammer II). If it is then inaccurate, we're OK with that, we see it as artistic freedom. This game tries to base itself directly on history. Big difference!"

The author very explicitly states: "As I have argued here many times, fiction is often how the public conceptualizes the past and that concept of the past shapes the decisions we make in the present."

Through that lense, I would argue that "the Nordic theme in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King" or "Norsca and Warriors of Chaos in Total War: Warhammer II", while inaccurate, will still heavily sway perceptions on them. The artistic licenses do shape how they are percieved to the player.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#208

Post by anand-bala »

afrcnc wrote: post #205

What a bunch of garbage.... So this author is angry because the game portrayed historical events with accuracy? So what if it shows burning churches. That's what vikings did, ffs.

I am not sure if you read the article in it's entirety. The author's point is the exact opposite: while Ubisoft developers are ok with burning churches (which magically restore themselves), they do not show any of the other Viking raiding acts that have more broad implications. The author's problem is with the erasure of the actual viking culture, like slavery, and also with the (possibly unintentional) misogynistic views that the game portrays about weak, effeminate men, etc.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#209

Post by peer2pay »

afrcnc wrote: post #205

What a bunch of garbage.... So this author is angry because the game portrayed historical events with accuracy? So what if it shows burning churches. That's what vikings did, ffs.

Did you even bother reading the whole article before attacking the author?

They make it quite clear that they are angry about the selective omission of historical events such as the Scandinavian slave trade.

Re: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and the Unfortunate Implications

#210

Post by mam2 »

charlesu wrote: post #177
criley2 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> I've grown up in a period when pop culture didn't care much about cultural sensitivity. >Same, and as unpopular it may be, i firmly believe it's kind of better to not care. As a white dude, I've found that "not caring about it" means "only white male characters are allowed" I've noticed that folks who "don't care about it" actually care A LARGE AMOUNT, A VERY VERY LARGE AMOUNT, when a non-male or non-white protago…

Not sure why you’re being downvoted because you have a point. Remember the controversy that ensued when a black girl was cast as Rue in the Hunger Games movie? https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/white-until-prov...

But controversy on the internet doesnt represent any reality. Like at ALL.

Get off the internet forums

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