=AtG=
Oh dog, lovelies, I can’t stop laughing.
So, what is Rust? From their About page:
It is a massive multiplayer game (currently up to 300 players per server) where you and other players are attempting to survive through the awful conditions, where humanity has been reduced to cavemen.
Rust’s world is harsh. The environment is not kind. Bears and wolves will chase and kill you. Falling from a height will kill you. Being exposed to radiation for an extended period will kill you. Starving will kill you. Being cold will kill you. Other players can find you, kill you, and take your stuff. Fortunately for you, you can kill others and take their stuff. Or maybe you can make friends and help each other survive, using the game’s building tools to create a safe haven.
We provide the tools. How players survive is up to them.
So what’s so funny about that? Oh man, guys, this is so good. The irony is catastrophic. I’m practically giddy. Are you ready? This is the best punchline I’ve seen in ages.
The game randomly assigns your avatar’s sex and race based on your Steam ID–a fixed number beyond your control.
Predictably, entitled and fragile white cis men were (still are) freaking out.
This wasn’t the first time that Rust players faced randomization of their in-game avatars. A previous update to the game randomized players’ skin colour and ethnicity, which provoked a backlash from some Russian players who were unhappy to be playing as black characters, according to Newman, the developer.
You don’t want to play a black character, whiteboyz? Why? ARE THEY TREATED POORLY OR SOMETHING?!
From ForeverAmazed in the CBC comments:
Somehow, my freedom of choice just got stepped on due to political correctness.
I believe the charter protects my rights to choose.
Does not matter if it is a game or not – I do have a right to choose.
Holy shit guys, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives you the right to… to… to choose! Your game avatar! It’s right there in subsection six!!
Oh wait.
Pulled from Kotaku’s coverage of the same issue, zaky1122 has similar complaints:
You don’t want to be represented by something you’re not? GEE, I WONDER WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE.
And our final SJW vindication for all this? Sales actually increased following this decision.
All together now: *deep breath*
-Shiv
I wonder, did these white cis men choose to be born IRL as white cis men? If they attempt to answer yes, my next question would be when exactly did they make that choice?
I am not familiar with the game, but does any assigned gender and race have advantages/disadvantages over others? If there are no built-in differences, how is gameplay affected at all, other than a whiny need to be a white cis man in the game?
No mechanical differences. The developer has stated they wanted static, unchangeable avatars because the survival nature of Rust compels players to ethically questionable acts–they wanted to make sure if a player had particularly scummy behaviour, that they could be recognized by their avatar. This in contrast to many other games, where you can open a new account or reroll another character and enter the world with a clean slate.
Sounds like a good policy. No wonder the dudebros hate it. By the same token, roaches scatter when the lights are turned on.