Now, with all that in mind, go about Skyrim in your loincloth for half a minute. . . and you get a TON of flack from the locals. Seriously? Half of the population is composed of barbarians who run around half naked all the live long day anyway, but for the bear pelts. And then one recalls Maiq's comments on nudity in previous games.
I don't know, my character would get a ton of flack from the locals if he went round their town beheading (since I'd be beheading them and that would be a crime and all).
But anyway it is kind of a normal social thing historically - brave warrior goes out and slays monsters and enemies and all that, the locals all gather round for an entertaining execution, but people would have a negative reaction to some person wandering the local market place wearing nothing at all (depending on the culture). And partially naked doesn't equal completely naked.
One starts to wonder. . . is Todd Howard part of Pat Robertson's 700 Club or something? Is he channeling the late Reverend Jerry Fallwell? The Daedric Demons and the Idols to various gods Aedric and Daedric would suggest not, but what is with the backwards morality message? Am I the only one who has noticed? Burned corpses, impaled corpses, viscera and organs splayed arcross the tables of necromancers, wicked, cannibal witch-crones and professional torturers, heads flying left and right. . . but a hostility towards nudity et al that rivals that of the most zealous evangelical bully. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?!
For shame.
I'm pretty sure most of the examples given there are the visual evidence of "bad guys" doing bad things.
Ultimately though it is the culture in which the game has to be released. People who play it might be mature (or immature) enough for nudity and gore but there is a vocal group outside of the gaming culture (and some within it) who can exert pressure in society which could damage the games potential to be profitable - they don't seem to have as much of a problem with violence as they do with nudity or sixual themes (not that there isn't plenty of anti-violence noise). The only way this will change is if designers/producers are brave enough to do something and the consumer buys it and uses it in a mature fashion - demonstrate that the hysterical anti this and anti that crowds arguments don't hold water and the culture changes.
Plus I guess in terms of game design it is relatively easy to add a reaction to a character wearing nothing but their Skyrim boxers, but harder to have the citizenry accurately respond to a violent character (unless they are killing townspeople) - I do remember some of Arcanum's perks though. Run down the main street of a city with no clothes on and you'd be the "Pevert of...", kill everyone somewhere and I think you get the "Butcher of..." which would have a corresponding social affect on a character.
» Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:54 pm 
