Let me start by saying how impressed I am with the creativity and expanse of Skyrim. The talent and effort that was poured into the game was amazing. It is the best role-playing game I have ever seen, and that is why it breaks my heart that I will never be able to play it again.

To begin, I will admit that I am a little crazy. In games of this caliber, my character develops a personality and has many unscripted interactions with obscure characters in the game. Of course this all happens in my mind, and I spend a lot of time not doing anything game-wise while these interactions take place. It is the amazing detail and freedom that the game contains that allows this type of emersion into the game world. The downside of that, is that whatever happens in game that breaks from this fragile, alternate reality also shatters this immersive environment. Especially when it appears that it was a deliberate attempt. What broke this for me was the one instance that a character in the story line used the term ‘g-- d---‘. It is the one curse word that is a deal breaker for me in movies, books, and video games. Why it hurt so bad in Skyrim is this:

1. It does not fit the Elder Scrolls universe. In a world which has nine gods, it is very improbable that a curse would evolve that declared a monotheistic point of view. As in other parts of the game that I was able to brush over were references, especially during battles, when characters uttered curses that used the terms ‘gods’. While that is really not that much better, it did fit within the universe (Am I being hypocritical? Maybe). Whenever a scripter resorts to using the term ‘g.d.’ it is usually due to (one) the scripter has a limited vocabulary or mental inability to express a character’s frustration or (two) it is a purposefully scripted dialogue designed to offend a very small cross-section of the population, which leads me to my second point.

2. As it is apparent that the creators of Skyrim are neither uncreative, mentally dull, not lacking in vocabulary skills, it leaves no other option but that they wanted to take a jab at the small Christian RPG community. With all the people involved in Skyrim and the vast attention to detail, it appears that they purposefully left this reference in place, knowing that it did not fit the storyline. It is almost as if they wanted to challenge the Christian who would take offence, to see if they would compromise their beliefs in order to continue to play the game.

Well, unfortunately, I cannot compromise, and it saddens me to think that in a world, and specifically an industrial culture, that shouts “tolerance” and “don’t offend people’s religion” that they could possibly have allowed a deliberate offensive, and intolerant, attack against a minority people.

Am I a hypocrite? Well yes, in many things I am sure. In twenty-two years of military service, I have heard and said many things offensive. Did I waste my $60? Not really, I enjoyed what I got to play. Do I wish I could finish it? Most definitely, as I would love to see what amazing stories were in store. Will I play it again? Regrettably, I can not in the game’s current state. I cannot stomach the idea that someone would purposefully defame the idea of the Creator of the entire universe and the giver of such amazing grace. I lament the thought that someone would allow this one comment to remain just to make a jab at people they did not agree with.

And with that, I will make one plea to Bethesda. Please, please release an update that removes this one, offensive reference. Give this one man hope that people’s hearts aren’t as dark as it appears. I have spent 22 years of my life, some of which have been under hostile fire in foreign countries, giving to the cause of freedom; whether it is freedom of speech, religion, or lifestyle. I do not agree with all of the choices that the US Citizens have made in using these freedoms, but I still believe that they should have the choice. You have the choice to make this game and put whatever type of dialogue you want in it. I have the choice to play or not play the game. I simply ask that you allow me the privilege of playing this amazing story while not subjecting me to this one thing that offends, especially when it just does not fit, and it slanders the one who gave us the greatest of all freedoms.

Thank you for the time it took you to read this message.

Ohhh kay....

:huh:

:ermm:

I'm sorry, but I just can't picture that.



(Also, even ignoring the part where I don't believe it's something of such note...... "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor")

I think you're reading too much into it personally

Not sure if for real or not but this can also be seen as not fitting to lore, though this can be easily fixed if someone wants it to fix.

The game was rated by the ESRB as M (for Mature)

Mature is defined by the ESRB as such: "Titles in this category may contain more blood and gore than the Teen rating would accommodate, sixual themes/content/references and vulgar language. This content is strong in impact."

You were warned when you purchased the game.

Having not heard the word in the game, I can't comment on whether it fits in with the writing at the time. Or if I did hear it, then it clearly fit, because I didn't remember it.

And to get to the heart of this matter as quickly as possible: if writers spent all their time making sure that no religious person in the world was offended by their text, then we'd have a lot less to read. There is nothing in your religion that prohibits you from hearing/saying/reading/writing/thinking about profane words of any kind.

Well if you're on a PC I'm fairly certain a modder would remove the dialogue that you find offensive if you made a genuine appeal to that community. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

This will probably be locked because it will degenerate into a religious conversation, but you are delusional if you think Bethesda added that as an intentional jab at Christians. Talk about paranoia.

Paranoia. They aren't out to get Christians.

I seriously doubt this is the case. While the phrase clearly has considerable weight for you, for quite a lot of people it has become divorced from it's literal meaning. This tends to happen with both profanity and with religious phrases that enter general use - it's also common in other languages, and with religions other than Christianity.

You are reading too much into this. I am a religious person but what TES does is completely irrelevant and non-applicable to the real world. I love the lore, I love the Daedric Gods who can manifest themselves. I love it all really.

Also, try reading the ratings for once, you can already guess what you might encounter in a game like TES.

It is not acceptable to attack someone for their beliefs, insult an individual or group, or accuse someone of being a troll. Please keep any comments civil and on topic.

This must be a joke. You can't seriously believe a developer/writer/coder would go out of their way to offend someone. If your sensibilities were hurt, the onus is on you--not the developer--to determine why the word(s) is offensive in the first place. If, after giving it careful consideration, you simply cannot abide by the word's usage, then you can either move on and continue playing, or inform the developer and move on. In either case, you have to move on or you'll never enjoy anything...

I have a serious aversion to the R-word (commonly used in place of "stupid"), but that wouldn't stop me from enjoying an otherwise perfect game.

Heh I am just as crazy as you when it comes to RP-ing a character like that. But about your issue yes I would also find it offensive (Jew here) if I had heard something like that but I didn't. All NPC's are talking about plural deities and I didn't once hear G-d being blasphemed after almost a full week playing. Are you certain you heard it singular?

As for compromising beliefs I think RPG's are "risky" enough including strange pagan deities, bloody and violent themes etc. etc. You are probably going to see and hear lots of things you really wouldn't like going on in your church or synagogue, unless it's really boring of course and you just wish a dragon would end that sermon But seriously I think you are overreacting. Especially considering what we are dealing with here; a fantasy game. Fantasy not real life.
If you want to play it safe don't play games with themes such as these at all. Most of my friends don't even own a console or PC let alone a tv!

I definitely do not think anybody within Bethesda is out to get us monotheists all riled up even if it happens to be in there. I'd go ...hmph okay and just play on. I hear and see a lot worse simply walking the street which IS meant in an offensive way.

I think I know the part in the game that the OP is referring to, and the phrase isn't "god d---", it's "gods d---ned". From this, I deduce that they're referring to the in-game gods, not the Christian god.

1. There are multiple gods in the Elder Scrolls universe (as you acknowledge in your post), and any references to god or gods in this universe should be taken with that in mind. I'm sure there are characters within the lore/game that mainly pray/worship one of the gods, and thus I don't see your problem with them cursing that particular god whenever things don't go their way. The only way you could come up with your conclusion of this being something made to deliberately offend Christians is purely your own thought process.

2. You state that Bethesda is deliberately trying to take a jab at the Christian community but your argument has no justifiable evidence. Using the word god instead of gods doesn't mean that you're talking about a monotheistic religion - it is possible to refer to a single god while believing in multiple gods.

Out of all the things in the game that clearly go against Christian beliefs (like worship of evil Deadra, quests that are morally ambiguous, warewolf/vampires, various forms of summonings, curses, and other magic etc), you take issue with this one reference to a single god that probably has nothing to do with the God of the Bible (at least a vague piece of evidence in my opinion)?

My extremely devout untied baptist wife has no issues with it, the game (using subtitles) the characters will (very rarely) say gods ____ you.
Plural, as is fitting of the elder scrolls lore.

I have heard it one time in over 80 hours of game play.



It does indeed fit, and what we have here is a person who feel threatened or persecuted, when in reality there is nothing like that going on here.



I agree.

I agree with the OP that it does not really make sens in a polytheietic game world. "Gods damn you" would be more appropriate I think. The real problem I have with this cursing is that my 5 year old son likes to hang out with Daddy and play some games. I don't like him to hear cursing. But I don't hear that word very often in the game, and you can't keep kids sheltered from everything forever.

What I CAN do is make sure he never repeats it. Also, the GD curse was in Oblivion, when you do the Kvatch event, the guard captain uses it.

It's just another example of a gaming company trying to be "edgy" but ultimately, as the OP pointed out - showing us all thier lack of creativity.

The TES world certainly carries political and religious connotations that were inspired from our real world, and despite what others would have you believe, they're certainly deliberate. With that said, this is your world, and your character can respond to these perceived or real jabs as he deems necessary. So if a particular character is doing something that is offensive to your character, respond in a way that's either fitting to lore or your characters own moral code.

Hmm.

I think it's more likely as Donner suggested.... outside the (I would imagine) more religious circles where people might be very offended by that phrase, I don't think anyone considers it a particularly strong epithet, or anything remotely approaching "edgy".

(I mean, in my mind, it's certainly got nothing on any of the racial slurs I've heard, and certainly nothing like the profanity you'd run into in, say, a GTA game, or in the military or on a loading dock.)

The diehard christians I know that would take offensive such as yourself, wouldn't even play this game at all. Its all sacrilege.

why would somebody play a game like Skyrim with a 4 year old? While the game is 17+ rated??

And when there is some minor cussing in the game he comes here to start to complain??

He would have been cursing the deities in game, rather than god of real life.
Plus, like said before, it's sorta just integrated into our way of speaking. Like "what the hell?" for example.

One reason I choose not to play games like GTA, where they spew curses like it's 5th grade again. And I don't support developers who make games like this with my hard earned cash. But I have not heard a racial slur in Skyrim yet.