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14:01, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

LGBTQ game?

Posted by kyon
Manticore
member, 342 posts
Cthulhu gamed with me
HE lost 2d6 SAN points
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 06:50
  • msg #4

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

This isn't going to lead to Wraeththu, is it? That's the only game system I can think of (besides the F-game from the Unholy Trio) at the moment that has homosexuality/variant sexuality as part of the core mechanics concepts. And it didn't do it well.
pfarland
member, 276 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:05
  • msg #5

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

I would seriously tread carefully with this.  If done right it would be ok, but if you don't do things right, or even end up with one bad apple of a PC, you could end up insulting and denigrating people.
Tileira
member, 418 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 09:08
  • msg #6

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

I don't know that LGBTQ qualifies as a "theme".

"Exploring the relationship hazards of LGBTQ individuals" is a premise, but not a theme. A theme would be something like "unrequited love" or "love triumphs over adversity" or "tanks are awesome".

You'd need to explain a bit more.
-Are you looking to run a drama/slice of life/contemporary romance game which features a predominantly non-hetero cast?
-Is it going to deal with prejudices, or is it just encouragement to expand freeform drama games beyond the usual "straight, bi, or lesbian" combination.
-What setting are you planning to use? Another small town/apartment block one or college or what?

Um, yeah, just what's the question? What kind of game is it supposed to be?
pfarland
member, 277 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 09:17
  • msg #7

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

What Tileira said.  Those all work if done right.

And tanks are awesome, though I'm more of an IFV guy myself.
Sleepy
member, 226 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 09:30
  • msg #8

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

In reply to Tileira (msg # 6):

Dude a 'tanks are awesome' LGBTQ game might be quite amusing really.

But in all seriousness no I agree with those who said it isn't a theme. This would be like saying, "Let's play a game themed around being straight". Ok ... so what is the point?

Here's a theme that might work, an LGBTQ club in a college, themed around the struggle of life away from family and long-lasting friends from childhood. Finding that group of friends that you are slowly growing to friendship with, and possibly even relationships forming under the circumstance of spending a lot of time together as a club.

If you're feeling dangerous, you could add in the struggle that LGBTQ sometimes deal with when being treated different by some, and even treated poorly by few. Some bigot teacher might treat you unfairly, and dealing with the struggle of having no way to prove it. Maybe even the prospect that it's happening leads to revelations that the teacher was just trying to push you harder because they saw great things, and a strong teacher/student bond forms.

THIS is a theme. This is a good idea (in my opinion at least). The LGBTQ would still be a driving story factor, but it wouldn't be the theme, just an aspect of the game.

EDIT: This could also keep the doors open for SA's to join too (straight allies for those who don't know, people who are straight but openly support LGBTQ and equality).
This message was last edited by the user at 09:32, Mon 06 Oct 2014.
kyon
member, 6 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 10:05
  • msg #9

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Sleepy:
In reply to Tileira (msg # 6):
Here's a theme that might work, an LGBTQ club in a college, themed around the struggle of life away from family and long-lasting friends from childhood...


I feel crappy for not wording it well, sorry everyone.
@Sleepy; I actually like the idea, reminds me of the movie Geography Club
Jarodemo
member, 696 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 14:55
  • msg #10

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Okay, I know what LGBT is, but was is Q? I could google it, but am wary of what might come up!
Alyse
member, 345 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
(married since 2011!)
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 14:56
  • msg #11

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Queer, as in genderqueer.
TenFoldMore
member, 21 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:06
  • msg #12

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

I'd be entirely up for a game that explored sexuality and the problems that come with 'coming out', but I'm not really sure what an "LGBTQ" game would be.
Jarodemo
member, 697 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:11
  • msg #13

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

In reply to Alyse (msg # 11):

Thanks, but not sure that helped my understanding. I though Queer in that sense meant Gay. Do you mean curious/not sure, I.e. Someone still exploring their sexuality?
Boston_Jp
member, 226 posts
Formerly lots of places,
now back in Boston.
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:14
  • msg #14

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

I've run/played in games where LGBTQ was pretty much a given based on all the players, but the main theme of the game was supers. The characters and their lives outside of supers were a lesser thread. It was mostly taken as a non-issue for the characters and the world they were in.

But I don't think that's what you're looking for.
Alyse
member, 346 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
(married since 2011!)
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:15
  • msg #15

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

To quote Wikipedia: "Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities that are not heterosexual, or gender-binary. Originally meaning strange or peculiar, queer developed a usage as a pejorative term for homosexual in the late 19th century. Beginning in the late 1980s, some political and social LGBT groups began to reappropriate the word to establish community and assert a political identity, with it becoming the preferred term to describe some academic disciplines and gaining use as a descriptor of non-heterosexual identities. Queer may be used by those who reject traditional gender identities as a broader, less conformist, and deliberately ambiguous alternative to LGBT."
Cygnia
member, 231 posts
Amoral Paladin
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:17
  • msg #16

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Might be just better to have any sort of game and state that you're LGBTQ friendly in terms of both characters and players.
Jarodemo
member, 698 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:19
  • msg #17

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

In reply to Alyse (msg # 15):

Thanks. If I understand it correctly then Queer is now a label used to describe people who do not wish their personal sexuality preferences to be labelled!
This message was last edited by the user at 15:19, Mon 06 Oct 2014.
Alyse
member, 347 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
(married since 2011!)
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:32
  • msg #18

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

More they do not want to have a binary label forced on them.
bigbadron
moderator, 14691 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 15:47

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Please restrict the the conversation in this thread to whether or not you are interested in the proposed game.  Save discussion of the meanings of specific terms for the game itself.

Thank you.
Jayde
member, 9 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 22:18
  • msg #20

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

I'd be interested in a game where the roles are reversed; perhaps a roleplay where the setting is an entire alternate universe where the norm is to be gay and the out-of-ordinary would be to like the opposite sex.

Playing a straight character in a predominantly gay world where you have to be gay to be accepted into society would be interesting, I'd think. A new look on role reversals. :)
Silver_Cat
member, 70 posts
Another cat
on the internet
Tue 7 Oct 2014
at 13:00
  • msg #21

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

The diversity of characters that could result from a game like this has me tentatively interested.  However if it's going to end up as modern slice-of-life with no sci-fi, fantasy, etc. sort of stuff going on, I'd have to say no.  Modern slice-of-life has just never been my thing.  It fails to keep my interest even with unique characters.

Since it seems like there's at least some interest in a game like this I think it might be helpful at this point for the OP to clarify a bit the sort of game they are thinking of so we could see if we actually would be interested or not.  Just to throw my two cents in, I'd be very interested in an X-Men/mutants sort of setting or maybe something historical, but would certainly be open to other directions as well.

I'm also wondering if the game would be exclusively for LGBTQ characters or if heterosexual characters would be included.  What about a heterosexual character with an ambiguous gender identity?  What about characters that fall more on the asexual spectrum?


In reply to Jayde (msg # 20):

I have to say that doesn't really seem very LGBTQ to me.  It seems like it would be a game filled with straight characters with an excuse to be angsty. >_>
Coridan
member, 132 posts
Tue 7 Oct 2014
at 21:10
  • msg #22

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Actually, Exalted would be a great game to explore LGBTQ games, especially if explicit content were to eb looked at. Exalted has striven to be a queer friendly game.
Morninglight
member, 114 posts
Tue 7 Oct 2014
at 21:45
  • msg #23

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

If you're running an Exalted game, I would so jump in! (Ace Twilight FTW!)
kyon
member, 10 posts
Tue 7 Oct 2014
at 23:30
  • msg #24

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Coridan:
Actually, Exalted would be a great game to explore LGBTQ games, especially if explicit content were to eb looked at. Exalted has striven to be a queer friendly game.

How hard is Exalted as a system to run? I've got some stuff on it but have never had the opportunity to run a game
Morninglight
member, 115 posts
Wed 8 Oct 2014
at 01:57
  • msg #25

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

kyon:
Coridan:
Actually, Exalted would be a great game to explore LGBTQ games, especially if explicit content were to eb looked at. Exalted has striven to be a queer friendly game.

How hard is Exalted as a system to run? I've got some stuff on it but have never had the opportunity to run a game


Exalted 2nd Edition can be quirky. The 2.5 Errata rules simplify some things. More than that, I really can't say as I haven't played it for a while and never run it. Maybe look up a few things and see what you think? :D
Jayde
member, 10 posts
Thu 9 Oct 2014
at 06:55
  • msg #26

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

In reply to Silver_Cat (msg # 21):

Well, I feel like the focus would be similar to a modern, contemporary game with the majority being LGBTQ, with one or two straight characters to balance out the 'odd-man-out' part of the game. The straight players would be in hiding, and trying to act like they need to love the same sex, etc.

Anyways.
Danelle
member, 428 posts
Longtime RPer
Sat 11 Oct 2014
at 05:06
  • msg #27

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Monsterhearts, if you're into teen drama and/or urban horror/fantasy, could work. (Could work in a college setting too, though traditionally it's highschool.) Very, very easy to include LGBTQ content in that game. Also Dream Askew, which is a GMless game by the same author about exploring a queer enclave in a world where the apocalypse has started to take hold....
madrain
member, 105 posts
Tue 14 Oct 2014
at 11:27
  • msg #28

Re: LGBTQ themed game?

Apocalypse World is also very LGBTQ friendly.  So far I've played an intersex lesbian-identified doctor, a bisexual transgender living as a brothel madame, and an asexual hitman.  I had the luck of having an awesome MC, so none of those characters were treated abnormally.  It was very empowering, coming from a background in immature D&D games where elven men were stereotypically gay and playing a female character might mean the GM felt free to have some monster rape you.  Ugh.

MonsterHearts is based loosely on AW's system and is awesome for one of its Moves that allow you to turn someone on regardless of their gender identity or sexual preference.  It's set in high school and the idea behind the move is that while going through puberty and discovering your sexual identity, you can't help what turns you on - only how you react to it.  Fun stuff if you don't get a prudish MC who nicks that Move entirely, or a group that downplays its significance.
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