The official RPG Maker forums have a problem with people talking about Pride Month [Up: RPGMaker responds, apologizes - see threadmarks]

[Biestmann]

Hey, everyone. I am a hobby developer using Kadokawa's and Degica's RPG Maker engine. I have been a longtime member of their official international forum community for a while now. With Pride Month in full swing, I made a shoutout through the board's status function including a link to a post in my project thread that details the queer members of my WIP RPG.

This was what I wrote (according to my own memory, so might be off a word or two):
To celebrate Pride Month, let's start things off with a bit of writing about the queer chars of [my game]! [link to post]


Things go well for a couple hours, I get some likes and positive responses. But as I come back later, I find my status has been deleted. The reason?




Obviously I was livid. I had never done so before, but made a tweet addressing the forum's representative since. I really cannot stand this kind of draconian stance anymore. Unfortunately, the RPG Maker community isn't exactly progressive. (You'll search for a while before finding a PoC or queer party member in a community project for example.) I really want them to get the message, and therefore, would like some support on Twitter.

Also, I apologize for linking to my own project's Twitter account for this, but hope the circumstances allow it. Thanks for any support given!

 

[Bufbaf]

"Gender identity is both political and religious in nature to discuss"

what.
Yeah, fuck that noise, Biestmann. No need to apologize for anything, this is just plain shit behaviour on their side.

 

[mjc]

That's a super draconian response from them. Unpacking that statement is a doozy.

 

[GreatBritton]

How terrible. You would think in a forum or creators that they would respect the freedom of creativity. I would play the heck out of your game, how do I do so? Do I need rpg maker software?

 

[Biestmann]

How terrible. You would think in a forum or creators that they would respect the freedom of creativity. I would play the heck out of your game, how do I do so? Do I need rpg maker software?

Click to shrink...

While I appreciate the sentiment, I really don't want to make this about my (very unfinished) game more so than it already is. But thank you!

 

[Camwi]

Am I wrong, or did you not even mention gender identity?

 

[BY2K]

the fact that it says "has the honor to" makes it so condescending, too, what the hell.

 

[ZeoVGM]

That statement is disgusting and indefensible.

 

[Lant_War]

Oh no, won't somebody think of the poor religious people having to checks notes respect people like their fucking Lord and savior told them to?

 

[WellbornWarrior]

That reasoning sounds like something is lost in translation. Their angle is probably just that that they want to steer clear of everything that might cause a controversy in their forums, which doesn't make it any less shitty of course.

 

[Deleted member 2254]

So being attracted to men or women is a matter of politics and religion now. Okay then.

 

[Christor]

They're pretty much ignorant morons. Really now? I hope more people know about this.

 

[danmaku]

Half of JRPGs end with your party fighting some kind of god, and that's ok. Gay characters in your game, though? That's religious!

 

[IzzyRX]

What the hell, who's the bigot that runs that forum?

 

[Phil32]

:/

 

[Gradon]

As someone that used to use RPG maker as a hobbyist that's pretty sad to hear.
A clear abuse of power and honestly an awful message to send.

Fuck that statement. You shouldn't be sorry for anything.

 

[hurroocane]

Yeaahhh whether intended or unintended that reason sounds rather condescending...

 

[Deleted member 249]

What a shitty fucking response

 

[TheEchosOfTheCyborg]

Going to have to agree that "Has the honor of" just adds an extra layer of condescension to an already crappy and awful response.

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

It seems to me that disputing human biology is the part that would be political and religious.

 

[neon/drifter]

Fucking dumb

 

[Jessie]

Gender identity is only political and religious because bigots make it political and "religious." There's no reason why anyone should be offended about gender. It just shows you the type of people who are behind the curtain at RPG Maker Forum.

 

[Biestmann]

It's really nice to have so much support here. The RPG Maker community isn't at all receptive of these issues on its own.

Gender identity is only political and religious because bigots make it political and "religious." There's no reason why anyone should be offended about gender. It just shows you the type of people who are behind the curtain at RPG Maker Forum.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I regret not adding the 'religious' part in my tweet's final sentence. To me it's religious politics if that makes sense, but I should have written it out either way.

 

[Memento]

Wait, but you didnt even talk about gender identity going by your transcription of what you wrote...?

What a fucking ridiculous statement.

 

[Oldhand]

Half of JRPGs end with your party fighting some kind of god, and that's ok. Gay characters in your game, though? That's religious!

Click to shrink...

Genuine lolz. Very astute!

 

[zerosum]

What I expected... something along along the lines of "but why can't we have straight pride month."

What I got... ended up being even worse.

That sucks, and it's funny (not really funny) that the side that bitches out making everything political... always manages to make everything political. And religious? I can't even process the stupid.

Anyway, best wishes on your project!

 

[Zellia]

Gross statement and incredibly condescending. There's no excuse for this, it's just pure bigotry.

 

[Skyebaron]

Is there an RPG thats not about religion or some sort of political trouble? I bet its the vast minority. If theres a genre for LGBT+ themes and stories, its the RPG.

 

[Phellps]

Wow, fuck them. I've always thought about trying RPG Maker to start a soft transition from software development to game development, but now... Wow. Definitely won't.

 

[Nerokis]

Have to laugh at the "religious in nature" bit. Does that mean talking about evolution is also religious expression? When I discuss porn with someone, am I somehow discussing religion, as well? Is secularity suddenly defined as "the list of subjects one can bring up without potentially offending religious sensibilities"? Perhaps I've been worshiping some god or another this entire time without even realizing it. I am religious after all!

Seriously, what a stand-out combination of malicious and pathetic. A great example of how moderating "politics" can go so damn wrong.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

That's a crock of shit. Sorry you had to deal with it.

 

[rochellepaws]

Gross.

The "has the honor" part seems really sinister, as if they took great pleasure from removing it. The moderator is clearly abusing their position to make harmful statements and should be removed immediately unless all forum staff are willing to stand over it. And if they are then it's not a suitable place for creators to work and share with tyrannic restrictions on expression.

 

[Vivian-Pogo]

It seems to me that disputing human biology is the part that would be political and religious.

Click to shrink...

Uhh...

 

[Conal]

Trying to imagine an RPG devoid of references to politics or religion is hilarious even without the blatant homophobia.

 

[Deleted member 3465]

That's really messed up, I really hope they are held accountable for this. I've always found something off about the moderation on the official forums. I find them to be super rude even when users post a question in the wrong forum. Sorry you had to experience this and I hope it doesn't ruin the motivation to complete your project. :/ Will definitely make a comment on one of their official channels later today.

 

[Nature's finest mango]

Pride month?

 

[Biestmann]

Pride month?

Click to shrink...

A month dedicated each year to celebrating queer identity. It's huge!

 

[Nerokis]

EDIT:

Uhh...

Click to shrink...

okay, I had the same reaction at first, but I'm hoping the intended sentiment is that the moderator in question is the one being political/religious

 

[Fireblend]

Pride month?

Click to shrink...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride#LGBT_Pride_Month

?

 

[Nature's finest mango]

A month dedicated each year to celebrating queer identity. It's huge!

Click to shrink...

Had no idea there was a whole month dedicated to that, thanks.

 

[Deleted member 49179]

Hey, everyone. I am a hobby developer using Kadokawa's and Degica's RPG Maker engine. I have been a longtime member of their official international forum community for a while now. With Pride Month in full swing, I made a shoutout through the board's status function including a link to a post in my project thread that details the queer members of my WIP RPG.

This was what I wrote (according to my own memory, so might be off a word or two):
To celebrate Pride Month, let's start things off with a bit of writing about the queer chars of [my game]! [link to post]


Things go well for a couple hours, I get some likes and positive responses. But as I come back later, I find my status has been deleted. The reason?




Obviously I was livid. I had never done so before, but made a tweet addressing the forum's representative since. I really cannot stand this kind of draconian stance anymore. Unfortunately, the RPG Maker community isn't exactly progressive. (You'll search for a while before finding a PoC or queer party member in a community project for example.) I really want them to get the message, and therefore, would like some support on Twitter.

Also, I apologize for linking to my own project's Twitter account for this, but hope the circumstances allow it. Thanks for any support given!

Click to shrink...

This is really bad! What a disgusting reaction from them. I hope they'll be held accountable for this.

 

[Nauren]

WTF. Fucking gross of them....

 

[Jessie]

I just realized by reading these replies, but most JRPGs are about killing god LMAO. And even RPG Maker itself has avatars of god in its default enemy settings.

But gender is more offensive to religion.

 

[Nano-Nandy]

It is an honor been gay.

 

[Deleted member 5596]

"religious in nature" says company of an RPG engine, which genre usually uses an interpretation of the Christian religion imagery, structure and teachings for their plot devices.

 

[underFlorence]

As we all know, RPGs are known for how apolitical they are with their stories saying absolutely nothing.

The response itself is on so many levels of awful, too, ungh. "Has the honor of"? Yikes.

 

[Kumomeme]

well cant force everyone to accept it

 

[Radeo]

Love to have a gender identity to own the Christians

 

[FFNB]

That's some straight up bullshit. Like, what even is that? Such a transparently bullshit excuse.

 

[Plastic Shark]

I wonder how long it'll take for them to double down.