Hogwarts Legacy - Whimsical Wizardry

[CriticalGaming]

There are no allies in a profit driven industry like the gaming industry.

There is no industry that isn't a profit driven industry. Even the health care that Trans people rely on to even be trans, is driven by profit which is dubious based on the number of people coming out in regret of their transition. Apparently there is a real issue going on where Trans-surgeons are speed running people into treatments and surgeries they otherwise might have not gone through with given a bit more counciling.

‘I literally lost organs:’ Why detransitioned teens regret changing genders

A look at the alarming rise of teens who are changing genders and then “detransitioning” back.

nypost.com

Hormones, surgery, regret: I was a transgender woman for 8 years — time I can't get back

At first I was giddy for the fresh start. But hormones and sex change surgery couldn't solve the underlying issues driving my gender dysphoria.

www.usatoday.com

But even beyond medical shit, people need to realize that no company gives a shit about them or their issues. Look at twitter on June 1st when every logo turns into a rainbow, and july 1st they are back to normal again. EXCEPT in Mid-Eastern countries where LBGT people are not welcome, those icons don't change because obviously the company panders to money and public press that leads to money and nothing more.

That also doesn't mean these companies are making decisions for the purpose of being evil either. They simply are chasing the market for the maximum profit margins and nothing more, even if that chasing might seem morally grey to some.

At the end of the day I think it's kind of a flawed approach to hold companies specifically to whatever moral standard because at the end of the day the company has a bottom line to chase and they're going to do it no matter what. At the same time I think it's also not a good thing to try and label individual's working at said company as evil people because of what the company does.

Nothing is ever black or white especially when it comes to moral standards.

 

[Godzillarich(aka tf2godz)]

/

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This comic will never not be relevant

My opinion, just pirate the game when it is cracked in a few days if you don't want to give the ***** money. People have pirated for less, and the developers already got a paycheck.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

My sister is trans and works on video games. The way she describes Hogwarts, and moral stands in video games is simple: There is no morality in video games. None. No one is good, everyone is out for a profit, anyone would make any game. She's currently programing the AI in a WW2 game. Yeah, she's making cyber Nazis that kill Americans. Talk about a moral quandary.
Enjoy the game or don't, buy it or don't. Jim is right that people who buy the game aren't trans allies. But no one who refuses to buy the game is an ally either. There are no allies in a profit driven industry like the gaming industry.

Sadly it’s not nearly the only industry either, with the higher education and medical industries being prime examples.

There is no industry that isn't a profit driven industry. Even the health care that Trans people rely on to even be trans, is driven by profit which is dubious based on the number of people coming out in regret of their transition. Apparently there is a real issue going on where Trans-surgeons are speed running people into treatments and surgeries they otherwise might have not gone through with given a bit more counciling.

‘I literally lost organs:’ Why detransitioned teens regret changing genders

A look at the alarming rise of teens who are changing genders and then “detransitioning” back.

nypost.com

Hormones, surgery, regret: I was a transgender woman for 8 years — time I can't get back

At first I was giddy for the fresh start. But hormones and sex change surgery couldn't solve the underlying issues driving my gender dysphoria.

www.usatoday.com

But even beyond medical shit, people need to realize that no company gives a shit about them or their issues. Look at twitter on June 1st when every logo turns into a rainbow, and july 1st they are back to normal again. EXCEPT in Mid-Eastern countries where LBGT people are not welcome, those icons don't change because obviously the company panders to money and public press that leads to money and nothing more.

That also doesn't mean these companies are making decisions for the purpose of being evil either. They simply are chasing the market for the maximum profit margins and nothing more, even if that chasing might seem morally grey to some.

At the end of the day I think it's kind of a flawed approach to hold companies specifically to whatever moral standard because at the end of the day the company has a bottom line to chase and they're going to do it no matter what. At the same time I think it's also not a good thing to try and label individual's working at said company as evil people because of what the company does.

Nothing is ever black or white especially when it comes to moral standards.

The issue is compounded not only by it being a socially stigmatized condition, but that we still don’t know nearly enough about how to most effectively treat it.

Gender Dysphoria: A Review Investigating the Relationship Between Genetic Influences and Brain Development

Gender dysphoria (GD) is a facet of modern human biology which is believed to be derived from the sexual differentiation of the brain. GD “involves a conflict between a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So we start cutting, or adding via plastic surgery. And our media has enabled and contributed much the confusion, as if these people aren’t going through enough as it is.

"The Medical Establishment Failed Me"—People Are Coming Out To Share Their Regret In Transitioning, But The Media Claims Trans Regret Is Less Than 1%

Focusing on women and celebrating what makes them so unique, Evie Magazine helps women seek truth and find beauty...the kind that really matters.

www.eviemagazine.com

 

[CriticalGaming]

This comic will never not be relevant

My opinion, just pirate the game when it is cracked in a few days if you don't want to give the ***** money. People have pirated for less, and the developers already got a paycheck.

Yeah that's fine if that's what people want to do to not support it. But BrawlMan highlighted a comment where the person was angry at their friends for even playing the game, let alone buying it or not, so...

 

[CriticalGaming]

So we start cutting, or adding via plastic surgery. And our media has enabled and contributed much the confusion, as if these people aren’t going through enough as it is.

I feel like the surgery and the hormones' have been promoted by people on social media that it's made people who might only be a bit confused think that those things are the answer. I agree they need to do more work on it and help treat people better. I want everyone who goes through transition to be 100% sure of themselves in wanting it, rather than being suggested or pressured by social media and doctors only out to cash a check.

Despite what people might think, I'm not anti-trans or anything like that. But I am against social media pressures, and this mindset of rushing people into doing it as an ultimate solution to some confusing thoughts. It's not ending well for people and that fucking sucks.

 

[SilentPony]

SNIP

Its not even a "look how smart I am" thing. You could with 5mins and Google find a problematic person or an opinion expressed you don't like, associated with every single game ever made ever. If you're shooting for a 100% pure morality run in life, you can't play any video games.
I play Battletech on the weekends. One of the main authors of the Battletech universe is an extreme right-wing Trump cultist. Does my playing the game, knowing his politics, negate both of my votes against Trump?
What's the Kevin Bacon number for layers of distance a game needs to have from a piece of shit before its okay to play it?
My favorite game of all time is Bioshock. Bioshock was written and produced by Ken Levine. Ken Levine went to Vassar College. You know who else went to Vassar College? Elizabeth Murdoch, daughter of insane racist Rubert Murdoch, of Fox news ownership. Can I still play Bioshock knowing this terrible connection? If Ken Levine didn't support Fox news, shouldn't he have refused to go to Vassar? And shouldn't I refuse to play any game associated with someone who didn't protest going to the same college as the daughter of the guy who runs Fox News?!

 

[BrawlMan]

But BrawlMan highlighted a comment where the person was angry at their friends for even playing the game, let alone buying it or not, so...

And like I said, said friends got angry at them or blew them off for having issues or reasonable fears about it. Said friends didn't take their feelings into consideration, nor try to understand them. You missed that part that was explicitly mentioned mentioned.

 

[CriticalGaming]

And like I said, said friends got angry at them or blew them off for having issues or fears about it. Said friends didn't take their feelings into consideration, nor try to understand them. You missed that part that was explicitly mentioned mentioned.

I didn't mention it, because it wasn't relevant in the suggestion of pirating the game as an alternative to supporting it was a purchase. I pointed to the comment because they were upset not that the friends bought the game, but that they were playing it at all, which means getting a cracked copy wouldn't be a relevant solution.

I wasn't dismissing your point, I was just pointing at the comment for use in a different context.

 

[BrawlMan]

I didn't mention it, because it wasn't relevant in the suggestion of pirating the game as an alternative to supporting it was a purchase. I pointed to the comment because they were upset not that the friends bought the game, but that they were playing it at all, which means getting a cracked copy wouldn't be a relevant solution.

It still is relevant. From what I've seen in that comment, most of their friends have bought a copy of that game and are playing it. Let's say if none of their friends didn't buy and somebody got each copy for them as a gift. JK Rowling still gets her money either way. The commenter's friends still blew them off. Let's say they decide the pirate the game, they could and would still not take their friend's fears seriously, or still blow their opinions off. The only difference is that now they're not paying for it, but they're still not taking their friend's seriously and getting angry at them out of convenience to make petty justifications for the game they're playing.

I wasn't dismissing your point, I was just pointing at the comment for use in a different context.

Thank you for pointing out the difference. I appreciate you not dismissing my point.

 

[CriticalGaming]

The only difference is that now they're not paying for it, but they're still not taking their friend's seriously and getting angry at them out of convenience to make petty justifications for the game they're playing.

That seems a bit one-sided though doesn't it?

Friend A, says they are bothered by the games existence and bothered that their "friends" would play it. Full stop. Yet when their friends offer up counterpoints which could be something as simple as "I've love Harry Potter my whole life, I can't not play a massive HP game" which doesn't seem very unreasonable. Perhaps the friend group could have simply agreed to not talk about the game around Friend A, and they all could move on with their lives.

But again it seems all or nothing. Friend A is upset by the game, therefore every other friend must also be upset by the game and any acknowledgement of said game is somehow an insult and disrespectful towards Friend A. Which means Friend A's opinions and feeling must ALWAYS be adhered too and obeyed, or they are not real friends.

It doesn't really seem like a fair expectation to me.

I have a buddy who thinks Heavy Metal music is satanic. I'm not going to stop listening to it, but I don't play it around them. It's a pretty fair compromise and no big deal.

 

[CriticalGaming]

 

[BrawlMan]

That seems a bit one-sided though doesn't it?

No. Not when this has me coming up a lot from a lot of gamers (not all, but still a lot). I'm not just talking about Harry Potter either.

Friend A, says they are bothered by the games existence and bothered that their "friends" would play it. Full stop. Yet when their friends offer up counterpoints which could be something as simple as "I've love Harry Potter my whole life, I can't not play a massive HP game" which doesn't seem very unreasonable. Perhaps the friend group could have simply agreed to not talk about the game around Friend A, and they all could move on with their lives.

They should have done either of those to begin with, but I know they didn't either. Which is what I suggested they should have done in the first place earlier in my posts. If they truly care or wanted to make up for it, they would have done so already. Not blow the person off, even if it's the standard "I'm a long time fan of X!".

 

[Hawki]

I love games. When game tie ins of other media happens it's typically non-canon, otherwise that time you spent 6 hours faffing about with sidequests collecting precisely 25 ferns or whatever the fuck while a village was burning to the ground is also canon. Which is ridiculous. Hell, there's technically two endings. At least one of which is non-canon, along with, likely, the vast majority of gameplay. That's just how that works. Mass Effect had 3, all of which are simultaneously canon and not-canon until a sequel game happens, after which 2/3rds of them stop being canon.

I really don't have the time or inclination to go through every tie-in game ever made (and chances are we won't even agree what constitutes a tie-in; does the Witcher, for instance?), but all I can say is I completely disagree with the assertion. Game mechanics in of themselves are usually waved over, the actual events though, are generally canon. Far as I'm concerned, if one wants to claim that an official product isn't canon, they have the burden of proof.

It's also a moot point considering that the Star Wars games have always been canon (since about Shadows of the Empire IIRC, which was part of a multimedia campaign) across both Legends and the current canon - how you treat them is your prerogative - but to claim that they aren't is factually wrong, there's no two ways about this. To claim that Star Wars games aren't canon is to fly in the face of every statement ever made about their canonicity.

I also don't know why Mass Effect is here, Mass Effect is its own thing. Also technically has four endings, but whatever.

I don't like debating without primary sources

We can't even decide on what primary sources are. Me, personally, I'd include the seven novels, three Fantastic Beasts movies, and Cursed Child. If you don't agree, then I don't care.

Daemons of any size and power don't have free will, they just have personalities. They're very much bound to their inherent magical nature. The only time that's different is if a formerly free creature *becomes* a daemon, and that only lasts until they're entirely corrupted. The Chaotic Violent statement was a joke, because Orcs in Warhammer are funny that way

Still not seeing the contradiction. If they have personalities, if they can choose their own actions, then it sounds like they have free will.

You are simultaneously over and under thinking a statblock and that's hilarious. Can't wait to explain to my friends that our home games are official Wizards of the Coast canon.

I'm just going by what's stated. Frankly, I'm surprised that homebrew settings are considered part of the overall multiverse, but that's apparently Wizards' policy, at least as of 2015.

Not really. They got art and stuff

What kind of art? Not good art by any means. Orcs spend most of their time destroying other peoples' art (and civilization).

If not all Drow are evil, than not all Drow are evil. It's very simple.

You're aware, I assume, of the phrase "the exception proves the rule."

I can think of other examples in fiction - you have "Evil Race X," with the exception of a single character, that ipso facto, helps prove how his species is a bunch of gits because they're the exception, and usually the lone one at that.

I don't care whatever JK tweets about her books or really anything in general. The Harry Potter series is seven novels long. Cursed Child is a mediocre fanfiction-level play some hack was commissioned to write after she sold out. I don't give two fucks what she decrees canon or not in her Twitter rants. That includes her tangent about wizards shitting their pants until they adopted muggle plumbing.

Okay, then it's a waste of time to discuss anything.

 

[Hawki]

Harry and Ginny also seemed purely as fanservice because it was wish fulfilment for girls to get with their first crush or something.

HarryxCho FTW!

She's currently programing the AI in a WW2 game. Yeah, she's making cyber Nazis that kill Americans. Talk about a moral quandary.

I'm assuming that the cyber Nazis are shot back?

Doesn't seem like it's a moral issue. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that people who play Nazis in films for instance aren't actual Nazis.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I really don't have the time or inclination to go through every tie-in game ever made (and chances are we won't even agree what constitutes a tie-in; does the Witcher, for instance?), but all I can say is I completely disagree with the assertion. Game mechanics in of themselves are usually waved over, the actual events though, are generally canon. Far as I'm concerned, if one wants to claim that an official product isn't canon, they have the burden of proof.

It's also a moot point considering that the Star Wars games have always been canon (since about Shadows of the Empire IIRC, which was part of a multimedia campaign) across both Legends and the current canon - how you treat them is your prerogative - but to claim that they aren't is factually wrong, there's no two ways about this. To claim that Star Wars games aren't canon is to fly in the face of every statement ever made about their canonicity.

I also don't know why Mass Effect is here, Mass Effect is its own thing. Also technically has four endings, but whatever.



We can't even decide on what primary sources are. Me, personally, I'd include the seven novels, three Fantastic Beasts movies, and Cursed Child. If you don't agree, then I don't care.



Still not seeing the contradiction. If they have personalities, if they can choose their own actions, then it sounds like they have free will.



I'm just going by what's stated. Frankly, I'm surprised that homebrew settings are considered part of the overall multiverse, but that's apparently Wizards' policy, at least as of 2015.



What kind of art? Not good art by any means. Orcs spend most of their time destroying other peoples' art (and civilization).



You're aware, I assume, of the phrase "the exception proves the rule."

I can think of other examples in fiction - you have "Evil Race X," with the exception of a single character, that ipso facto, helps prove how his species is a bunch of gits because they're the exception, and usually the lone one at that.



Okay, then it's a waste of time to discuss anything.

It's a waste of time to try defend Slytherin, yes. It's a house of evil fucks.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Geez, this thread has devolved. I had no idea Harry Potter was so political.

To claim that the house system is producing "fascists" (I assume you mean Death Eaters), you'd have to demonstrate that the ratio of students to Death Eaters is high. Except that isn't the case. The house system has operated for over 1000 years in-universe, how many "fascists" has it produced, and what's the proportion of them to the total no. of students.

I don't know, how many Slytherin students have graduated?

I don't give two fucks what she decrees canon or not in her Twitter rants. That includes her tangent about wizards shitting their pants until they adopted muggle plumbing.

Ummm, what?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Ummm, what?

Taken verbatim from an essay Rowling herself wrote and posted on Pottermore in 2015. Became a meme in 2019 when this account shared it.

 

[SilentPony]

I'm assuming that the cyber Nazis are shot back?
Doesn't seem like it's a moral issue. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that people who play Nazis in films for instance aren't actual Nazis.

Oh sweet summer child.


There is absolutely a moral issue in playing the Nazi side in a WW2 game.
And to my sister and the game, there is a button to tell your units not to open fire. So technically yes, there is in-game mechanics where you can have Nazis kill endless waves of Americans.

 

[Baffle]

Its not even a "look how smart I am" thing. You could with 5mins and Google find a problematic person or an opinion expressed you don't like, associated with every single game ever made ever. If you're shooting for a 100% pure morality run in life, you can't play any video games.
I play Battletech on the weekends. One of the main authors of the Battletech universe is an extreme right-wing Trump cultist. Does my playing the game, knowing his politics, negate both of my votes against Trump?

I've been thinking lately (not much, just a bit), about how culpable users of illegal drugs are in the associated crimes, in particular people trafficking and modern-day slavery, that they're helping to fund? You can make the argument that those things are only associated with illegal drugs because of the illegality of the drugs (and I'd agree with that argument and support legalisation), but it doesn't change the current reality of the situation: buying the drugs supports people involved in those activities. So how culpable are the end-users? People I've known have generally handwaved that away as beyond their control, but I don't think that's convincing.

The ethics of consumption generally really are quite tricky. Whatever you do, you're shitting on someone.

 

[BrawlMan]

Oh sweet summer child.


There is absolutely a moral issue in playing the Nazi side in a WW2 game.
And to my sister and the game, there is a button to tell your units not to open fire. So technically yes, there is in-game mechanics where you can have Nazis kill endless waves of Americans.

Don't even bring Extra Credits in this. Fuck them, you corporate dick sucking fucks! They have no right and are bunch of sellouts claiming there's "no harm" with lootboxes.