So, full disclosure, I am cis, and exclusively attracted to men, since that is sure to influence my viewpoint on this.
I am of course referring to this: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsBi
I think that this is essentially the laziest way to do gay/bi representation. Everyone’s just inexplicably bisexual. I’m sure some people are happy with that for whatever of what I am sure is long list of valid reasons. If you like games where you don’t have to worry about this, I’m not arguing that you shouldn’t. And I can’t know how bi people feel about this at all from my experiences alone, so any bi people with an opinion on this please do share so I can further develop my own perspective on this.
Like, when I want representation, I kind of want it to reflect the real gay experience. That means the tragic bits too, including that not everyone is on the table as a potential partner. And that doesn’t even mean having only one in ten or so characters being an option, I have seen VNs where there are so many gay people that it is clear that there is something in the water making everyone gay, that represent that aspect better. Something like getting the wrong signals and getting turned down by someone who can’t reciprocate your feelings towards them? It’s a tragic experience, but one that can be worth representing in media, because it’s a real experience. But I don’t know if that ever will be represented properly, queer people are already a small portion of the market, queer people looking specifically to be tragically rejected by a straight person have to be an absolute minority.
Why I say this is possibly a step backwards, is that games like Dragon Age: Origins (2009) had romance options that all had distinct sexual orientations, you had two straight and two bisexual companions you could romance. Fallout NV had no real “romance” options with companions, but did have Veronica and Arcade as distinctly lesbian/gay. And honestly, this seemed a bit more… it feels really fucking wrong to say “natural” in this context, but I will say it feels uncanny in comparison when I can put on a necklace in Skyrim and suddenly everyone I have run an errand for wants to marry me. Or that every companion in Fallout 4 will constantly forcegreet me after I max out friendship trying to get me to start their romance line.
It also just feels so much like an afterthought in comparison as far as the character writing goes. Looking at the games I mentioned, the distinctly bi and gay characters do feel like they have bi/gay energy, and that feels like it adds to their character design. I don’t feel the same representation I felt with someone like Arcade Gannon in this type of setup, where there was a character who was like me (though to be fair I didn’t know I was like him at the time I played – well, I kind of did, but I was in deep denial at the time – it’s complicated), it just seems empty – none of these characters are like me in that way.
Probably not applicable to you or this post but just saying in general since i saw the link:
I cant stress this enough but if your media literacy is informed by TV Tropes in any capacity your brain is smoother than a bowling ball
Meh, I disagree with that one. I usually have a much easier time talking about media analysis with someone who’s spent any amount of time on TVTropes than someone who hasn’t, because at least they’re starting to think about how different works relate to one another, which leads to thinking about why they might relate to one another
Yeah, it’s an imperfect trope, but it does teach you to notice themes and concepts across different works of art.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous was pretty good about this. While many of the companions are romanceable by a player of either sex, they are pretty adequately explained as being actually bi regardless of your intervention, and I was relieved to see the gay man cleric companion was just not into my woman protagonist.
Also has a trans character whose trans status is actually relevant to a plotline, and you will only ever know that she is trans if you help her and her wife with a very personal matter, and even then you have to probe to learn what “medical treatment” the character is talking about it.
The representation, it was pretty good. The first one also had a poly couple where you could romance either or both of them, and they’d be cool with it either way. It’s a fantasy game - why not get to play a unicorn?
i agree, but i have to say i looked at the tvtropes link and the top example was utena. so i like it in that instance. but that’s not actually a literal everyone example, it isn’t a video game, characters go through trauma and angst related to sexuality and gender presentation, the most obviously queer character has a crush on a character who is (or at least thinks she is) straight, and a whole bunch of other things revealing that the true problem lies with tvtropes connecting “most characters are textually bisexual” with “everyone wants to fuck the player because that’s easier than dividing it or making things specifically queer in a potentially alienating way” and saying there’s no difference between the two
I think in a form of media that has only one ending, it’s more acceptable. It’s canon in the story and harder for fans to dispute.
With games though, a cast of bi characters are situationally bisexual. You won’t see it in the story in a meaningful way. Players could play the game and never realize someone could be gay/bi/trans. It’s a frustrating thing in games like Stardew Valley where a character’s ex has a gender dependent on the player. If you romance her as a male, her ex will be male.
Having distinct things like sexuality set firmly in the plot could do a lot to help people who feel othered.
I agree. As much as I want to live in the world where gender isn’t a factor, making art that resonates with people depends on it reflecting their experience. A painless, frictionless world doesn’t hold my attention. And that partiular kind of gendered pain cuts deep since it’s so confusing and so pervasive.
Every game needs at least one chaotic character who loves flirting with you but will never clarify their feelings about you. And no cheating and having them declare their affection after the credits or something. They just keep stringing you along until you leave.
I wish I could say I was wise enough to see through people like that and move on. I wish I could say that.
I have to give it to Samara from Mass Effect 2. There IS a dialogue option where you can ask her out and she just says no no matter what.
Samara doesn’t get talked about enough tbh. Her loyalty mission was by far the best writing in that game (and the mission with her daughters was one of the few high points of the third game), and she’s just treated like an afterthought by so many.
EDIT: Though Samara rejecting Shepard isn’t a “I’m not into you” thing, she’s not in a place to think about love. She actually says that if that weren’t the case she would definitely consider being with Shepard, so that’s not great
Samara’s got a weird thing going on though where if you get rejected by her you can then turn around and flirt with her daughter, who will kill you if you have sex with her, which is a little strange.
One of the things I’d love to see is character build having an effect - like some romanceable characters like high charisma, strength, intelligence/mixes of all stats, rather than you being fuckable because you’re the Special Guy/Gal/Enby that they’re into depending on sexuality.
Non-aromantic but just not into you specifically should also be represented.
