Autumn, a game about rape

McMarbles

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May 7, 2009
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Silentpony said:
Another?! Didn't we say all we needed to say with The Path and Depression Quest?
I mean what perspective could this game offer that justifies its creation? What new ideas are they bringing? What, that rape is bad? Somehow I think people figured that out without another pretentious indie game.

Oh I'm sorry, it has Oculus Rift support and a cheap soundtrack! Brilliant! 11/10! If you don't buy it, you're just not smart enough to get it!
Another military FPS? Didn't we say all we need to with the first Medal of Honor?

Another 3D Platformer? Didn't we say all we need to with Mario 64?

Another medieval-style RPG? Didn't we say all we need to with Wizardry?
 

ToastiestZombie

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Mar 21, 2011
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I know I'm probably going to get hate for this but what this game needs is choices. Let us go to the police straight away, let us go full on an edgy revenge fantasy (mutantlizard?), let us hide it in hopes it'll go away, let us go to a support group, but most importantly they should make all possible outcomes as realistic as possible. The problem with all these games that try to have a point is that they focus on everything bad about their respective issues without any option to choose the positive, they become unrealistic and turn into worst-case-scenario simulators.
 

CaitSeith

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Riotguards said:
loa said:
Companies are "making cash" on war and crime far more often, even portraying it as a fun past time and no one bats an eye.
Does that sicken you too?
yeah i can see how it is hypocritical to say that one is sickening while the other is not but then where do we draw the line? how about abortion doctors because we have games of war therefore we can have games of other traumatic events

while war and rape are in the same category (i.e. traumatic events) one has a purpose for existing (i.e. contra, call of duty, etc being more on self glory and less on the fact that people die) while the other just provides some type of "experience" which quite frankly is not something we really need

TL;DR my argument is that a game has to have gameplay and how do you make gameplay out of rape trauma?
That's the developpers' problem. Besides, If such topics were profitable, the AAA industry would use them instead of violence and war. And if you think those aren't controversial topics, remember Jack Thompson.
 

EHKOS

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Feb 28, 2010
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I'd be a lot more impressed if random people were black...perhaps one on the bus. I don't quite see how this can make you feel like a rape victim even if the scene itself is more graphic than the trailer shows. I'm just going to agree with riotguards
Riotguards said:
TL;DR my argument is that a game has to have gameplay and how do you make gameplay out of rape trauma?
and conclude that it won't have enough of, or the right, impact.
 

visiblenoise

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Jul 2, 2014
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Sounds dreadful as a game. I don't understand what the audience for this type of game is - either you have firsthand experience with the "topic" and want some kind of support, or you're simply curious about it, which to me seems uniquely morbid. And in any case, it won't raise much awareness because you're probably already aware if you're interested in the game.

I like that it's free though, so I'll stop there.
 

Kathinka

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Riotguards said:
TL;DR my argument is that a game has to have gameplay and how do you make gameplay out of rape trauma?
Imagine the possibilities for the Quick Time Events!

Ok I'll show myself out now..
 

CaitSeith

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I don't see why an indie developer shouldn't try to experiment with different topics. If the game isn't engaging, too bad for the developer. If it doesn't represent the topic properly, too bad for the developer. If it doesn't find its audience, too bad for the developer.
 

MysticSlayer

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Nods Respectfully Towards You said:
But if I had to choose between the two, I'd rather play a game with fun gameplay and a non-existent story than a game with a fantastic story but gameplay the makes it a chore to play through. Hell, most 'classic' games have very little story beyond offering a context for gameplay and are popular for no other reason than the quality of their gameplay.
I'm not trying to set up a story vs. gameplay dynamic where one has to be sacrificed for the other. My point was that we can't just look at a game, say it isn't fun, and then assume that it lacks any potential to engage the audience. Spec Ops: The Line engaged many people despite its lackluster gameplay, and some even questioned whether or not the gameplay was intentionally bad in order to drive home the message of the story. The Walking Dead had almost no gameplay, yet its emphasis on characters, choice, and the ways those two interacted resonated with players. Yes, those games aren't universally praised, and the gameplay is often one of the criticisms. But to deny that lackluster gameplay or minimalist gameplay didn't still resonate with players because of everything else around that gameplay is to deny the power those games so clearly had.

But again, this isn't to say that every game that has an engaging story needs to suddenly lose gameplay or make it bad. It is entirely possible that someone has a great story that they can tell, can tell it through more traditionally fun gameplay, and has the resources to do it. Heck, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, one of my favorite games of all time, had both a touching story and fantastic gameplay (I would argue among the best of any game in both categories), and those two often played off each other. However, we can't limit ourselves to just these situations, as some stories may require an alternative approach to gameplay.

And if you're not particularly fond of games that aren't traditionally fun, fine. I'm just asking that you don't dismiss those of us who also enjoy seeing the stories that can be told with alternative mechanics, as if we are somehow too blind to see how supposedly little we are enjoying ourselves.
 

Riotguards

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Techno Squidgy said:
I believe the point is that it's supposed to make you think about the topic and encourage you to try and see things from a perspective other than your. Consider it a thought-experiment tool or something similar.

I don't know if it's accurate to describe this as a game. Games attempt to entertain you. This looks less like it's trying to be entertaining, and more like it's trying to be though-provoking. I really am curious to see what the finished piece looks like. Not sure what I'd call it if it's not a game though. An Interactive Thought Experiment?
although i agree with your point that its more "though provoking" does it really need to exist?

do we need a simulation for us to understand or question the validity of a rape victims trauma, if anything i would assume its insulting to assume that you know "how they feel" and this game won't help by providing one persons interpretations of this event

for example simulations like an autism simulation or dyslexia, etc, etc can help people visualise and understand how people cope and experience their "faults"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwS-qm8hUxc

a rape simulation is what? we know that rape is bad, we know that its traumatic and within the worst things to happen catagory but do we really need a simulation that recreates said experience (without the physical implications so its STILL not going to show us how traumatic it is)


CaitSeith said:
That's the developers' problem. Besides, If such topics were profitable, the AAA industry would use them instead of violence and war. And if you think those aren't controversial topics, remember Jack Thompson.
my argument is not based on "make more rape happen in games" i'm saying that a game based solely on rape has no justification to exist, there could not possibly be any gameplay to this simulation (otherwise it insults the victims) and the message does not even need to be conveyed as its something we are as a first world country adamantly against (despite what "some" people will say)

and Jack Thompson's argument was that violent games will make children violent (or sexual, etc) Jack Thompson has always made it clear it effects children and thus we should regulate based on that (so basically parents have to check the age label on games before buying it)
 

Alma Mare

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Nov 14, 2010
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Finally, a good game about rape. Look forward to be able to rape all the minions I slay for their loot. I hope boss battles allow for extra-hard rape afterwards, for all the trouble we'll have to go through.

Wonder what kind of DLC they'll be able to make, though?
 

Methodia Chicken

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Sep 9, 2014
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It looks interesting, clearly it's very early in development but with a bit more variability and choice it could be very powerful.

some simple things like randomizing the identity of your character and/or your attacker each game and even at times (after a few Playthroughs) totally obscuring them.
and conversation and social interaction mechanics (such as needing to leave a scenario where you don't feel safe, or mistrust of a loved one) would give the game a bit more in terms of substance rather than walking about in a crowd.

I look forward to seeing how it is handled.
 

Rahkshi500

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May 25, 2014
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Casual Shinji said:
I don't know, seems a bit too on the nose, but maybe it'll have an effect on others.

Things like rape in games should probably be handled a bit more metaphorical than just 'You're raped now, feel bad/sad/scared'.
I'll have to disagree. I believe that such uncomfortable subjects can very much be told from a metaphorical standpoint, but also from a more explicit standpoint. If we all believe that it can only be told from a metaphorical standpoint, then it can easily be just as pretentious and at worse, sugar-coating the real horror of such subjects. As much as I like Silent Hill 2, as Fox brought up, I didn't really get much out of Angela's torment even with all of the metaphorical stuff happening around the characters(and I would say the tape of him smothering his wife with a pillow was very blunt to be honest). And I'm just talking about uncomfortable subjects in general, not just with what Autumn is trying to talk about.

Now, I just think that, like Hatred, this is more of a wrong time and place for a game like Autumn to be made. We're still not at that point in time to be able to properly cover the subject of rape in fiction, let alone in video games.
 

Revnak_v1legacy

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Mar 28, 2010
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ITT- a bunch of people who make me question my desire to make video games. Ever. And I don't even want to make art games. Generally speaking. I wonder, if I ever tried to make a game related to my experience with rape, would I get called a pretentious snob as well? Or would I get a pass for having a penis?


OT- Looks decent honestly. The lack of textures actually serves the game well from what I can tell, I like the different bits of visual warping and what not being used to display a rather tortured perception, the last little bit where the hat and glasses show up on the random guy is pretty nice. Hopefully they don't just put you completely on rails with it throughout, as that would be a bit disappointing. The later portions will probably be what it will all have to hinge on though (in my opinion at least). The experience of being raped sucks, but living with it is the thing that honestly is both easier for people to understand and probably a good deal more necessary.