A post-racial universe

Old Rules & Gameplay Boards GSF World Discussion [Closed]
#1

Someone on the Kickstarter mentioned something that's obvious once you notice it -- it looks like all the humans in the future are dark-skinned.  Of course, if you just base this from the pilots we've seen, then 50% of the humans in the future are gay too, but I don't think that's a statistically significant point.  ;)  However, if you look through all the pix shown on the Kickstarter that included metahumans even in the background, they are all dark-skinned, so I think it's obvious that it's not chance that both pilots are black.  All humans in the future are apparently dark-skinned.

This is, of course, perfectly fine.  It's just interesting to see an obvious editorial decision about the world of GSF presented in such a subtle way.  I suppose it also raises the question of whether non-black players would have any problems identifying with black-only human characters (ignoring for a moment the range of non-human characters to choose from).  Black players have had to do that with white-only characters in games since forever, so it really shouldn't be much of an issue.  Anyone have any thoughts?

#2

Since this was only noticed by a few people, I don't think it will be an issue. Besides, Sci-Fi has a particular good track record on these things. Say what you want about the original Star Trek, but it had some of the greatest equality messages of any show that has been on the air.

#3

That's true, but what's being presented here isn't equality as we currently understand it.  There doesn't seem to be any diversity at all.  It's arguably worse than the inequality we have now, just with the skin colors reversed.

#4

I don't think they are all necessarily black, in fact they are all more of a shade of brown... and kind of on the lighter side too.

 I imagine what happened was that after years and years of mixing all humans kind of evened out to the same hue... kind of like what happens with play-doh after you mix all the colors. 

#5

I am sorry, but the whole "they are not white so they must all be black" comment from the Kickstarter I found rather distasteful.

I mean seriously. No one finds fault with that? You talk about a "lack of diversity" while assuming they all must be the same ethnicity because they arn't obviously white?

This thread is coming dangerously close to being offensive. Just saying.

Edit: I dont mean to imply you guys above were saying those things particularly. Bad choice of words. What I really mean here is to be careful how you phrase things when dealing with historically touchy subjects

 

#6

I just saw the Kickstarter post referenced and I think that while both that one and the OP here probably jumped at a conclusion rather quickly as to the ethnicity they belong to, I am not sure why they would be caregorized as offensive. They put forth a hypothesis and then ask for feedback on it, and in a manner that I think is open to rebuttals or difference in opinion, without trying to push their original assumption on others, but almost asking if anyone agrees or has thoughts on that.

 I think simply pointing out that while none of the characters might pass for someone of say Scandinavian descent, they can surely be of Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Pacific Islander, etc. descent in addition to the assumed African descent would be sufficient to counter without having to take offense to it. I know I didn't. 

#7

You really don't see the problem in assuming any non-White character to automatically be Black? Seriously?

A comment does not have to be ill intended to come off as slightly ignorant. And keep in mind this is not directed at Spiff, but more toward the KS comment that prompted Spiffs thread. 

A discussion of how race developed over the millenia into what we see in GSF is a very interesting topic and one that I think would be very worth while to explore. What I don't find useful is a discussion framed around why all humans are black people.

#8

I see the problem with it, definitely, but I think the solution isn't to avoid the discussion or tell the people who may have that mindset to keep it quiet, but rather to explain why that assumption is incorrect (as in factually incorrect and not just that it is incorrect to say so)... especially when I don't believe the statement was made from a place of malice but rather due to a misinterpretation of what they saw. 

 

#9

Foote, you seem to maybe be assigning emotional baggage to what's really just a description of color?  In describing the hue of their skins, I didn't mean to imply they were all African-American or anything silly like that.  I make no assumption about their ethnicity, nor is there any positive or negative connotations assigned to any particular color.  It's just interesting that they're all dark when the most usual thing we see in a fantasy (space, in this case) world is everyone being light.  It's likewise interesting that such an unusual choice was made so subtly.

I think adults can discuss an interesting decision like this without freaking out just because the topic is the color of fictional character's skin, yes?

#10

I didn't really pay a whole lot of attention to the skin color of the metahumans, but now that you mention it, the slightly brownskined hue they all seem to have reminds me of that episode from South Park, where future humans take people's jobs...

 

As to the lack of diversity, since they all aren't even human, I don't see a problem... Also, although diversity issues are a problem, there are better ways to solve them in a constructive way.

 

Also, the KS comment is an indication that there is a problem in our culture with that, but one that can be changed with education, not ridicule. 

 

 

#11

If the comment does come off as slightly ignorant I think that's even more reason to put forth a logical argument and discussion as to why that is incorrect. The goal should be to dispell ignorance when we see it, not just scold it and tell it to go away... at least not when adults are concerned. 

Now back to the topic at hand, I do find a discussion on the ethnic evolution of the humans in this particular fictional universe interesting, which is why I turned to this thread to begin with. 

If there was a history or timeline outlined as to how the world we live in today became the world of GSF it would be cool to see that laid out. 

#12

I totally agree.  I'd love to hear more about the history of the galaxy, to not only learn more about the races and how they've evolved, but also to just get a general map of the galaxy so I can start to mentally place things relative to each other.  The Kickstarter descriptions talk about this Cluster or that Sector, but I have no idea who's close to whom or how they would typically interact.

I probably should have included the other (less controversial) thing about the metahumans I find interesting in this discussion - not only have >G seemingly taken the trend lines for human skin color and extrapolated them into the future, but trends regarding human's use of technology have similarly been extended to their logical conclusion.  The fact that futuristic metahumans would be integrated with their tech so integrally that they literally become one with their ships when they pilot them is an extension of how we have been growing more intimate with our tech even today.  Hell, if I could jack into my car to drive it today, I'd do it!

EDIT:  I just re-read the Kickstarter post that people seem to think was so offensive.  I agree with jagarciao that I don't see what's offensive about it.  He noticed the fact of the skin color and proposed a couple of possible explanations for it, since it's unusual and interesting to speculate about.  He did use the word "black", but in about as neutral manner as you can use the word.  I'm not sure why referring to someone as "black" would be considered insulting anyways.  Being black is no better or worse than being anything else.

#13

Again, maybe it was misunderstood, but none of that was directed at you Spiff, or anyone else on the forum for that matter. I know you didn't and I feel bad for derailing your thread. But the KS comment really bugged me, saw your thread in regards to it, and posted my grievance about it.

Sorry for the confusion. Hopfully you understand where I was coming from.

 

#14

I'm not sure I do understand, but it's no big deal.  We all mean well here. :)

#15

I just wanted to note that we know that Almaric has had a fiance of the same sex, which could mean he is homosexual, bisexual, or omnisexual.  Minor point, but we don't necessarily know that he exclusively prefers men.  Or humans, for that matter.

#16

Mind... blown.

#17

I am glad you brought this up as it is the first thing I thought about reading about the 2nd human pilot today. The constant fear of their tech suddenly not working anymore? HA! Bloody brilliant.

Their vision of the human race (yes ethnicity included) seems to be extreamly logical and well thought out. I could totally believe humanity evolved with their tech in this exact way. Although it does not look like they got past bluetooth headsets which makes Foote a sad panda

 

#18

I really like their secret defense, paranoia. Something that anyone that has ever had to make copies or upload a presentation minutes before it's due has definitely felt before. 

There should also be some kind of fail safe that shuts down all machines... You know... in case they go all the way of SkyNet or Matrix or I, Robot or any other story where machines gain sentience. 

#19

In the words of a wise old man, "He's a 31st century guy!"

#20

Bringing the topic back to race, it's actually kind of sad that the humans in this world have been brought to the same culdesac that non-human races in fantasy worlds typically find themselves, namely that even though there are numerous shades and variations of humans, all fantasy races come in one flavor only.  An elf is an elf.  A dwarf is a dwarf.  The few times when that's not been the case, when you can have mountain/deep/hill dwarves or high/forest/night elves, I've found that diversity to make for more interesting stories.  As interesting as universally dark-skinned humans are, it's maybe more interesting to keep island/arctic/plains humans in the mix.