Sexual preferences in CP77

[227]

Sexuality is crazy important to people. It hugely defines us.

Inside of many modern cultures and in the minds of bored internet commentators because there's pushback (though ever-dwindling these days). In the future, though? Or in a zombie apocalypse? Running from the cops or messing with the fabric of reality or whatever else game characters are doing? There are better things to worry about and it becomes a side note. Focusing on sexuality in extreme circumstances is like focusing on clothing brands in those same circumstances. It's just a dumb waste of energy, and any attempt to make it a defining characteristic is unlikely to accomplish little but tokenizing those characters and making their presence seem artificial by mismatching their priorities and the events around them.

I recently finished the absurdly popular Undertale, and there are some lesbian characters, gay characters, and straight characters. It never focuses on any of them. All couplings happen over the course of the plot without any extra attention being given to the same-sex ones because it's not a big deal and no one cares, and several manage to be weirdly sweet for that absence of "lookhowprogressiveweare" attention-calling. Cough Bioware cough.

I don't think we need to make gay clubs, they are humans too and not from another planet.

Agreed. There's no way that by 2077 we wouldn't be able to all share a club. Especially with mechanical parts creating new minorities and further fragmenting society into smaller groups so that minority status is less of a defining feature.

 

[Suhiira]

Like it or not culture largely defines a sexuality.
Repressive culture = repressive sexual norms. Open culture = open sexual norms. Sure there are ALWAYS exceptions to any "rule" but by-in-large this is the case. For example America is a pretty open culture BUT has a background of Puritan ethics, thus is overall more sexually repressive then you'd expect.
So the thing to do is look at the culture that exists in CP2077 and that will generally indicate the amount of sexual repression/openness.

At the top folks have virtually unlimited power, wealth, and basically no accountability (outside their circle of peers). Very similar to modern Japanese executives. Thus we can expect much the same sort of behavior. Anything goes, and it often tends to be on the "exotic" or "sick" side because these people have long since exhausted their desire for traditional practices.

The run-of-the mill wage slave works hard day-in-day-out, tows the company line, and lives a comfortable and safe (as defined by society) life. These folks will continue to be sexually traditional, as defined by the culture - American, European, Japanese, etc., they grew up in. With the modern ease of access to information and interaction with other cultures we're seeing via the internet this tends to make cultures less diverse as people adopt the norms of the dominant culture. And like it or not America is currently the dominant culture in the modern world. But, is this still the case in 2077? If not then whatever culture is dominant will play a large part in defining the norms.

At the lower end of society most folks will follow the norms of the middle class. With fringe groups here and there that while ofttimes vocal and VERY visible represent a small minority. And of course you'll have an even smaller minority that go out of their way to be different "just because".

 

[Sardukhar]

At the lower end of society most folks will follow the norms of the middle class. With fringe groups here and there that while ofttimes vocal and VERY visible represent a small minority. And of course you'll have an even smaller minority that go out of their way to be different "just because".

And these people are Cyberpunks, in 2020.

If you're the accepted social orientation...your sexuality still massively defines you. WHo you like, why you like them, how long and how well you like them.

Shall we talk about relationships in our Real Lives? Because of all those relationships, the one you maintain with your sex partner, if any, will be the defining one. If you have one anymore , of course. ANd if you don't, well, that's defining as well.

The Internet and Vidya Games have issues talking with and about sexuality. Also women. I suspect they are related.

In any case, -unless- it forms a part of your PCs character choices, in terms of dialogue, partner options, attitude to and from the world, it's not a part of their character at all.

And in that case, you aren't playing a bisexual, trans or homosexual character. Or a straight one.

You are playing a neuter character, where sex and sexual relations are off the table.

Which is fine...albeit damn rare. And in no way an example of playing a hetero/non hetero character. Which would make an interesting change.

 

[Suhiira]

One hopes they'll use, and at least occasionally make use of, the information available in "Lifepath" (Cyberpunk 2020 pg 33-39).
4c Romantic Life while it doesn't try to enforce any sexual preferences does a nice job of giving you your current relationship status.

If they do so they'll be miles ahead of the curve RPG wise.

And who knows, even the "Action Game" crowd might find it useful as a way to self-justify killing people.

 

[Sardukhar]

One hopes they'll use, and at least occasionally make use of, the information available in "Lifepath" (Cyberpunk 2020 pg 33-39).
4c Romantic Life while it doesn't try to enforce any sexual preferences does a nice job of giving you your current relationship status.

If they do so they'll be miles ahead of the curve RPG wise.

Oh yeah.

I mean, I don't want it to be overbearing, but it would be mildly cool to see that as an option is all. "Oh, I'm gay." Or "Oh, I'm trans" and, you know have fifty or so conversation options and partner options that reflect that. No huge deal, just interesting .

Same as seeing a choice of being from a Nomad Pack or PIrates, raised in a Corp Center. Having a focus on revenge for your siblings death or a lifegoal that sees you finding your ex-partner kidnapped ten years ago...you know, not -the- defining thing about your character, but a really strong defining trait.

 

[Suhiira]

Yep.

Gives you a reason to be out there doing things aside from "get more powerful/rich".

 

[Decatonkeil]

I don't think it's bad at all that Ciri's or other character's sexuality is just mentioned or shown but not really purposefully used. It may just be a way of informing the players about the character or reflect that this aspect of the character from the book is still relevant. I have no problem just having these be statistical facts about the characters like their eye and hair color, if they are smokers or not, drug users, alcoholics, right or left handed, cross eyed, stinky feet, if they have any manias or pet peeves or a badly healed wound.

I mean, it was cool that Fury Road had Max retain his bad leg, even though it didn't do anything with it, nor did the Road Warrior or Beyond Thunderdome. It was just a cool touch because it's a characteristic of Max.

 

[otis0310]

I like same sex romances myself. Just as long as it isn't done like it was in DA:I. Dorian was a full blown homo with a father who disaproves of him. Serah is a mean tough butch lesbian. They are both obvious tropes that they make me gag. I want a romance that is human first, gay or straight second.

 

[xxTotexx]

I like same sex romances myself. Just as long as it isn't done like it was in DA:I. Dorian was a full blown homo with a father who disaproves of him. Serah is a mean tough butch lesbian. They are both obvious tropes that they make me gag. I want a romance that is human first, gay or straight second.

Yeah, I hated the DA:I romances, by far the worst in any BioWare game.

Actually I hope they don't do the whole "some characters are straight/bi/gay" thing. All romance options should be available no matter if you play as a male or female. I just want to choose with no restrictions lol like Fallout 4

 

[otis0310]

I acutally don't like it. Basically because I like my characters to be more realistic. Not everyone in the world is bisexual and as a result not everyone in computer game should be. Certainly there are a lot of bi people out there, but there are more straight people and also several gay people. As a result I like romances to be a mix in order to reflect the real world.

For instance I don't care if I can't romance Morrigan in DA:O if I play female, there is Lelliana, and she is also a good char. So as long as there is a decent mix of sexual orientation and they are all well written characters, that is the most important thing for me.

 

[Suhiira]

That's one thing I like about DA: Inquisition. While the romances were for the most part pretty lame not everyone would romance anyone. Solas had zero interest in non-elven females, Dorian had no interest in females period. That part was well done.

 

[xxTotexx]

That's one thing I like about DA: Inquisition. While the romances were for the most part pretty lame not everyone would romance anyone. Solas had zero interest in non-elven females, Dorian had no interest in females period. That part was well done.

How would that fit into CP2077? unless some characters aren't interested in people who have metal in their face

 

[otis0310]

How would that fit into CP2077? unless some characters aren't interested in people who have metal in their face

Some like guys, some like girls, some like both. Some are gay, some are not. That's basically how it applies.

Ie. Mariah is gay and does not like males.

Sarah is straight and does not like females.

You get the idea.

 

[xxTotexx]

Some like guys, some like girls, some like both. Some are gay, some are not. That's basically how it applies.

Ie. Mariah is gay and does not like males.

Sarah is straight and does not like females.

You get the idea.

Oh yeah I get that, but there are only humans and cyborgs in CP2077 lol. ehhh I'd be worried if they made characters specifically straight/gay that the gay characters would be too in your face, you know? idk it depends how deep the romances are I guess, but if they're not very deep I'd prefer any romanceable character to be romanceable to matter what sex you play as

 

[Kaebus2196]

I think in the same form as Totexx was saying, that it would be a great detail to have in-game, so long as the sexuality was made realistic to the character and the setting they are in. Say if a rockerboy is flamboyant due to his stage persona, then he will be flamboyant. Whether heterosexual, homosexual, or other. But I would not at all hold it against them if the ideas of sexuality were primarily left in the dark aside for quest-related purposes.

 

[Suhiira]

Some like guys, some like girls, some like both. Some are gay, some are not. That's basically how it applies.

Ie. Mariah is gay and does not like males.

Sarah is straight and does not like females.

You get the idea.

Or maybe someone is totally turned on/off by chrome in the first place.
Maybe a Solo wants a partner that NOT going to be helpless and dependent on them for protection, or maybe they do because it makes them feel more important.
There are any number of reasons some people are attracted to/repelled by others.

 

[nomotog]

Given the themes of cyberpunk, it would feel kind of odd if the game only included straight sexuality. The concept of cyborgs really blurs the lines of genders and sexual orientation that the binary becomes hard to keep. There is a lot more you can play with on top too. This might only appeal to me, but I would like to see an option to date a computer AI or hive mind. You rarely see relationships used in cyberpunk so there is lot to explore.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

I recommend the same number of love interests/romances for each gender/orientation, humans, cyborgs, androids, a.i. , whatever life form, just to be fair
for I played dragon age inquisition and it is gay dating simulator, -i have nothing against any orientaton- but if the amount is the same, it's fair and everyone is happy

 

[Kaebus2196]

Given the themes of cyberpunk, it would feel kind of odd if the game only included straight sexuality. The concept of cyborgs really blurs the lines of genders and sexual orientation that the binary becomes hard to keep. There is a lot more you can play with on top too. This might only appeal to me, but I would like to see an option to date a computer AI or hive mind. You rarely see relationships used in cyberpunk so there is lot to explore.

Right there with you on that. Half the plot of Blade Runner was based on romantic affection for an AI and that was from Deckard who was supposed to retire them. I imagine people who are actually tolerable of/develop AI would certainly be able to develop affection towards one as well. Of course, perhaps Deckard felt such an attraction because it was taboo for someone in his career to love a replicant, which makes it all the more exotic to him. Who knows.

I recommend the same number of love interests/romances for each gender/orientation, humans, cyborgs, androids, a.i. , whatever life form, just to be fair

In this then, we'd have to find a balance between or decide on the two romance systems that have worked well in RPGs. One, the type that BioWare favors in Mass Effect specifically where the choices of romantic pursuit are limited in number, but generally more meaningful and deep to the player character, as well as being able to develop in different directions depending on player choice. OR, the system that was implemented in Skyrim where there was a huge selection of spouses to choose between for the player character, just that they would be a bland NPC that offers the same exact experience as all of the others, which is dull and not intimate to nearly any degree.

I personally hope a balance can be found between the two.

 

[Suhiira]

I recommend the same number of love interests/romances for each gender/orientation, humans, cyborgs, androids, a.i. , whatever life form, just to be fair
for I played dragon age inquisition and it is gay dating simulator, -i have nothing against any orientaton- but if the amount is the same, it's fair and everyone is happy

Not so much gay, there are only two same-gender NPCs, as they tried to allow people to romance whoever appealed to them so many of the NPC wind up bi.