Cygnia Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Not really relevant, but I enjoy Dashiell Hammett's gay innuendo. Until I did a quick Google search to support this post, I didn't know about the 1931 version of the Maltese Falcon. Now I desperately want to see it. I'm not so sure about that. Hammett intended for "gunsel" to be used as a slur against gays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I have seen it done badly with 2 men living out their fantasies with 2 lesbians in a hot tub. Now that I am older I see it done well. Just treated as another thing, just as normal as a hetro couple. For the most part I play lesbian Women (which matches my RL Preferences). I have played straight women or just ignored the whole thing, and had characters that never got into relationships. I am currently in a campaign where I was hoping to just ignore the whole thing, but I had my Elf Character hit on by a Rich Human. She let him down as easy as possible. She really won't date outside of her species and she likes women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Right' date=' he had a desire to be human....an emotional need. From the get go.[/quote'] Oh man, don't get me started on Data. I loved the character but I hated the way he was handled. My Nerd Rage burns hot on that topic but its totally not what this thread is about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Actually, most of my early female characters were lesbians, though that was mostly in non-supers games like D&D. As a young gamer, still fairly inexperienced in all matters involving the opposite sex, it was easier to ease into the role of a lesbian than into that of a straight woman. I'm quite certain I did a lot of stereotypical and offensive things back then, but hey, I did that with my straight male characters too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I avoid the issue of sex, sexuality, romance, etc. in my games for the most part, and basically refuse to go into such aspects of role playing for my own characters. The group I play with tends to get... carried away with things when these subjects are broached, and I can't properly role play any kind of romantic or sexual situation (I can barely handle those situations in real life.) Generally, if one of my players starts down that path, I say "OK, you go get laid, that's nice, back to the game" to much eye rolling. The group I played Champs with, using the Champions 'Verse with a few changes by the GM, never went into sexuality either, beyond the occasional joke. I recall noticing in some books that some official characters were listed as gay, but didn't recall who, didn't much care, and it never came up. I think at most someone might have said "Oh, my character is gay" when confronted by a female villain or not-yet-trusted NPC using any kind of seduction. (I hope that doesn't offend anyone; I think some of the people I have gamed with, maybe even one or two that I still do game with, were or are be a bit homophobic, but I and my closer friends are not at all. Nonetheless, I still accidentally revert to my 13 year old self on occasion and regurgitate some variation of a "That's gay" joke / insult or again just don't take the subject terribly seriously.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Even in High School, though, I tried to avoid the "group fanfic" sessions some of my buddies would devolve into. And the first time I played Vampire with some Goth kids (again, no offense) who went into some craziness, I got up and left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Personally, I enjoy developing a character's romantic life and relationships even their sexuality. These are major aspects of the human experiences after all. It doesn't feel right to completely ignore them. Not to mention it can be a great source of plots and motivation. I think some of the best role playing I've experienced has been generated from relationships and the inevitable drama (and comedy) that stem from them. But as always, YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings In general, most of the people I have gamed with will play through the more PG portions of the romance and then, once things get a bit hot and heavy, it's time to fade to black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings In general' date=' most of the people I have gamed with will play through the more PG portions of the romance and then, once things get a bit hot and heavy, it's time to fade to black.[/quote'] Oh yeah, including relationships and romance doesn't require explicit sex. I didn't mean to imply that's what I was talking about. I mean things like dating, dealing with issues relating to the character spouse, significant other. That sort of thing primarely. I have been in (mostly online or bluebooked) games that dealt with the physical side of things more and they've been entertaiing but its not for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Sadly' date=' the only time I've seen anyone play an alternate sexuality was this one creepy (straight, cis) male who played only lesbians for his own personal fetish material. He hit every bad stereotype while playing. [/quote']Had that happen in the last run of games. We were talking about restarting and the rest of the players made it clear to the offender that he isn't to do it again. Oh' date=' I almost forgot another Champions Universe character who likely qualifies, the Canadian shaman-superhero Ravenspeaker, who like his patron god is a hedonist and a lecher who'll hit on women or men with equal gusto.[/quote']I've talked to him several times, with 2 different characters. I've never gotten that vibe from him. I knwo it is mostly about sexuality' date=' but even a not anatomically correct character could be romantiallcy atracted to soem persons. Vision from the avengers was such a chase.[/quote']And how do you know that the Vision wasn't anatomically correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings And how do you know that the Vision wasn't anatomically correct? He's been shown naked before, from the front. There is nothing there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings He's also been shown dismantled. Changes can be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Dbp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix240 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings He's also been shown dismantled. Changes can be made. Didn't Scarlet Witch believe he'd fathered her children? I'd imagine they had to do something to give her that impression. OTOH, she's been shown to be pretty mentally unstable... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Didn't Scarlet Witch believe he'd fathered her children? I'd imagine they had to do something to give her that impression. OTOH' date=' she's been shown to be pretty mentally unstable...[/quote'] Yes, but magic was expressly involved in the, er, conception, so there may not have been, ah, physical contact involved. And, yes, she's pretty unstable and her powers are whacked on top of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Bruins Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Well, she used her powers to conceive children, but they never went into the exact particulars of the physical process. And, of course, the kids' souls turned out to be two broken-off fragments of Mephisto, so it's not as if any other aspect of that pregnancy was normal... Of my characters two have their sexuality playing a major role in their characterization (the superhero's ex-wife who has men falling all over her, and the cheerful bisexual lothario from the distant past), and for two it really hasn't been an issue due to circumstance or practicalities but I conceive of them as heterosexual at least in principle (the earth elemental, and the rebellious demonic teenager). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I've talked to him several times' date=' with 2 different characters. I've never gotten that vibe from him. [/quote'] You mean, in Champions Online? Yeah, I've heard a few other people complain that Ravenspeaker's attitude in that game is all "noble savage," when his Champions Of The North background expressly describes him as a rogue and unapologetic perv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certified Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings You mean' date=' in Champions Online? Yeah, I've heard a few other people complain that Ravenspeaker's attitude in that game is all "noble savage," when his [i']Champions Of The North[/i] background expressly describes him as a rogue and unapologetic perv. Until ViB and the Adventure Packs came out I was really starting to wonder how serious their storytelling was going to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Querysphinx Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I enjoy the character development part of roleplaying, which includes the the R's (romance, rivalries, revenge) as well as the buddy-cop stuff which seems to be what most ensemble casts turn out to be. Unfortunately, most of the players I have known in the last 30 years or so have been disinterested in that kind of thing (along with politics, intrigue, and mystery), so we end up with kill the nasty take the shiny. For the record, my games' background flavor (largely ignored in favor of item drops) have included just about every humanly possible sexual preference permutation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Didn't Scarlet Witch believe he'd fathered her children? I'd imagine they had to do something to give her that impression. OTOH' date=' she's been shown to be pretty mentally unstable...[/quote']Have you ever read Twisted Toyfare? She's MEEEAAAN to the poor guy. Peggy Bundy mean and Vision doesn't have the ballbearings to stand up to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I think a lot of it comes down to what the players and GM are comfortable with. We're gamers not actors even though we act. For some of us, our characters represent a part of ourselves and if the character is of a different sexuality then it we fear it may imply something we don't think is true or we don't want to admit has a little truth to it. But for others, it makes no difference and how far they go depends on the others. This is a game and everyone should be having fun. For myself, it's like nuts in ice cream. I hate it, I don't see the appeal, but I know others do like it and I'm not self-centered enough to go nuts when someone puts Peaches and Pralines in their shopping cart or demand Rocky Road be taken off the shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings Yes' date=' but magic was expressly involved in the, er, conception, so there may not have been, ah, physical contact involved. And, yes, she's pretty unstable and her powers are whacked on top of it.[/quote'] Only later. When they were a couple things weren't nearly as bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I'm not so sure about that. Hammett intended for "gunsel" to be used as a slur against gays. I'll certainly concede that Hammett's approach was homophobic. I mainly appreciate the "under the radar" elements of it. The actual meaning of "gunsel" is a fine example. It's also a near-contemporary source for my Golden Age campaign, so it's interesting in that respect too. For a more positive image, I have an NPC based on Betty Carstairs. Hopefully, one of my PCs might need a bit of assistance/funding in building a vehicle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted July 23, 2011 Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I think it's best to treat Ravenspeaker's sexuality as ambiguous. Yes he'll flirt with anyone (except kids) but if push ever came to shove, I'd expect him to make someone fall asleep and perform some kind of blessing or curse (depending on his mood and what kind of a person they are), rather than go through with the deed. It's a means to an end. First and foremost, he's an avatar of a trickster deity who's on our side. His lechery is as much of a way to put people off guard as it is an expression of his libido, though he certainly has one. But that's been left open enough to be a GM call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings I think it's best to treat Ravenspeaker's sexuality as ambiguous. Yes he'll flirt with anyone (except kids) but if push ever came to shove, I'd expect him to make someone fall asleep and perform some kind of blessing or curse (depending on his mood and what kind of a person they are), rather than go through with the deed. It's a means to an end. First and foremost, he's an avatar of a trickster deity who's on our side. His lechery is as much of a way to put people off guard as it is an expression of his libido, though he certainly has one. But that's been left open enough to be a GM call. For most part I just think that with Kigatilik on the loose, the walking dead, the ice-demons and the hunder patriots on the move he was just slightly to busy to hit on anybody... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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