No!! No such thing as female gamers!!
Although I don't mind games of violence - especially first person shooters, which nearly all have violence - I detest simulation games where they try to portray real life (or a possible future reality) yet construct the gameplay in such a way that the selfish or evil playstyle is the only effective one.
An example of such a game that strikes the wrong cord in me is Prison Architect, which from what I can tell is a sim Prison game that encourages violent put down of prison riots:
So not cool when prisons should be about rehab. I could not play that game. This s*** is f'ed up. :-/
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On the other hand, I have no problems with games that put you as an evil ruler, but no compunctions about it being a statement about reality, such as the current fantasy strategy dominions 3 multiplayer play by email game I'm currently in - it's like master of magic but pbem. I am a Pretender God called Kali fighting with other Pretender Gods to become the sole god of the world, and my race are Rakshasas (Hindu demons, I picked them because they are a very good race) who use blood magic - sacrifice humans in order to cast demonic magic. My main competition is a race of cyclops who use necromantic magic to raise the dead. I will be casting a global enchantment called Astral Corruption that will make all magic save blood magic subject to astral horrors attacking the casters, and will shut down the necromancy of the cyclops, and players in my game will shortly get this message:
"From time to time seers skilled in the astral ways are visited by terrible dreams of a coming atrocity. An atrocity that will pour poison into the very veins of magic, pollute the astral wellsprings and call upon the slaves of unreason to prey upon seers, sages and sorcerers alike. That atrocity has now been committed, Kali, Prince of Destiny, King of Arcane Mysteries, Bewerage, Lord of the Hunt, the Undeceivable God, has performed an impure sacrifice of unheard magnitude, using the power of blood he has twisted the fabric of magic itself filling it with the impure energies upon which the slaves of unreason feast. The sooth- and doomsayers wail and cry that this must be that terrible time of which the prophesies speak, the time when no magic can be safely practiced save for the impure path of blood, the time that ushers in the rule of Kali, the time of the reign of blood.
With one blow Kali has crippled much of your forces, your loyal mages brood useless in their towers dreading even to try the most basic of charms, your seers and soothsayers dare not gaze too long into the void lest they find eyes in the void gazing back at them. Such arrogance from the upstart of Lanka. Has Kali forgotten the treaty in which this abomination was forbidden. Your path is clear, purify the world from this taint, cleanse the world of this corruption, wash the world pure with the blood of Kali."
This, I'm ok with
. But as I said, this game makes no qualms about being reality, and I do not role play as some other players might (roleplaying demons is not something I want to do). As an aside, there is much discussion about whether it is best to follow through with your word in this fantasy game when it comes to non-aggression pact (NAP), and alliances with players, and I always play that I don't backstab people. If I go to war with someone, I give them notice our alliance is over, I don't do surprise sneak attacks. It's interesting the amount of catalyst some players go through as they backstab other players and then usually get backstabbed themselves and start having inter-player problems as the backstabbing usually involved one player forming a personal relationship with another player in order to gain trust, and then backstabbing them to gain an advantage in the game...quite fascinating to observe, actually. Got to love the yellow ray catalyst, of which is a following example of the diplomacy boardgame type drama:
Player 1:
"solicit: to ask for or try to obtain (something) from someone.
I didn't do any such thing with Helheim, other than try to establish borders -- a message that got ignored and only after my expansion force bumped his off did he respond asking for a NAP, with no further communication.
Notice the trend here: I had four neighbors. Two asked for NAPs in place of actual communication. The other two I never had any kind of "formal" treaty with, but kept in touch. Which turned out to be the better form of diplomacy?"
Player 2:
"Let me lay it our for everyone.
C'Tis organises a beatdown on Neifelheim. Then withdraws after a few turns and allows their 'allies' to shoulder the burden of the war.
C'Tis then attempts to organise a beatdown on Helheim. Sauromatia says no, because Sauromatia did not want to break it's treaty and liked having Helheim as a neighbour.
C'Tis then graciously offers Sauromatia a slice of of Helheim, all while making diplomatic overtures at Helheim. Sauromatia says no, again.
C'Tis, enjoying the benfits of an NAP3, moves armies into position against poor, trusting Helheim. Then C'Tis informs Sauromatia that if they want any of Helheims provinces, they need to assist in their war. Meanwhile, C'tis begins massing troops one province away from Sauromatias border, no doubt to backstab my nation once they have drawn us into a war.
C'Tis then attacks poor, trusting Helheim. They revel in their betrayal and all the Sauromancers do a creepy dance like the bad guy from that movie, Silence of the Lambs.
Sauromatia, fed up with C'Tis, starts telling C'Tis what they want to hear and reinforces it's borders. C'Tis has a hissy fit and tell Sauromatia that treaties are meaningless. Sauromatia reinforces it's borders some more.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of why Sauromatia does not trust C'Tis."
Player 1:
" Keep pointing the fingers. I can see you have every other border just as fortified as you flail about, trying to get the world to ignore what you're doing in there. Don't worry, we all know."
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You get your catalyst in many places, multiplayer games included. And if you haven't guessed, I am currently in one of my bouts of gaming