Being a Hero

After reading a lot of panicked news about the decline of our culture and wide-spread corruption, it feels like all one can do is stand by and watch. But we don't want to watch idly by. We want to DO, to ACT on something. And that got me thinking about Captain America...more accurately Steve Rogers.

I'm only familiar with the recent movie so that is what I'll be referencing. One of the reasons this was one of my favorite movies is Steve's single-minded devotion. It was not enough to sit and watch along the sides or support the war efforts indirectly. He wanted to act, to participate, to DO something. However, he could not participate in the normal way.

So many times, an issue will crop up that makes me feel like I want nothing more than to take up arms and march against the injustice. However, in our world there won't be just one thing, it'll be 20,000. I want to give myself to all these issues. I want to right all these injustices. But I'm not Captain America, I'm Steve Rogers, blocked at every point of entry.

I've often reminded myself that there should be one main passion in my life and that is what my energy should be spent doing. It's just so hard to choose, especially with all the noise that surrounds us. Protest this! Petition against that! March with us! Write to your representatives! Fight the injustice! It's nearly impossible to think with all the shouts for attention.

At the same time, the Church calls us to uphold Social Justice. The question is how do you answer the call?

This is when I look to St. Terese of Lisieux's story. There is the physical world where we see a lot of injustice, evil, and destruction. There is also the unseen side of things where battle rages on. The Little Way to Christ is still a way. That is the most important thing.

Stewardship is what it's known as in the Church. Our Time, Talent and Treasure are what we can give. I'm sure it has come up in a homily or two in your parish. It usually aligns with the ministry fairs where every ministry is recruiting for new members.

This past weekend, I went to my parish's ministry fair. I officially joined the parish a few months ago although I've been attending masses there for a year. (It's close to my work and after night shift, I could catch the 7:30 a.m. mass on my way home.) It's been one of my "recovery steps" to get involved with a parish community again. AND luckily this parish has a ministry for those that struggle with life's difficulties.

I don't want to bite off more than I can chew because I have a lot of hobbies I love to neglect. For now, I've signed up to join the choir, I've been part of the Prayer Warrior team (seriously an easy ministry. They email intentions and you pray for them. I love it. It also give me a good picture of how folks in the parish are doing in life. Looks like it's not all a walk in the park.). I also want to join the sewing ministry that makes prayer blankets. Because it fits with my hobby of sewing!

For starters, Church ministries are a great place to start on your walk to hero-dom. (Which may lead to martyrdom.)

In anycase, Thank Jesus for everything. He likes to work through us to help the least of his people.
(Which is why I help kitties get adopted at the pet store on Mondays. <3 I know kitties aren't people! That's more of a make me happy volunteering. Although I still have to take time out to do it.)

Game Thoughts: Visual Novels

I haven't really been playing anything super new. I survived the Summer Steam Sale so far.

I got Banner Saga 2...which ends on yet another cliffhanger! (You're killing me guys!)

I've spent a lot of time playing Visual Novels I've found on Steam and places. I record my playthroughs with my atrocious voice acting. Not available publicly...they're pretty bad. I may start doing some visual novel reviews though. (I say these things but don't expect a follow through.)

Most of these VNs have been out for a few years so there are guides and walk-throughs already.

I've noticed lots of cultural differences between VNs made in Asian countries vs Western made games. And lots of disturbances between them too. Here are my top 5 disturbing differences:

The games I'm factoring in are: Dandelion, Nameless, OzMafia!, Blood Code, Amnesia
Western Games: Backstage Pass, RE:Alistair, Nicole, Remember Me, Seduce Me

1. Abuse. So much physical and psychological abuse! And in many it gets quite disturbing. It can be as minor as an overly jealous boyfriend to a straight up psychopath. The worst part is that the main female character will end up with them in some kind of "good ending". NO! don't do it! It breaks my heart.

2. Rape. While there are no explicit scenes drawn out the description is enough to trigger me. Look, if you don't have consent and the girl has NO idea what you're talking about, it's rape. This ties into the controlling nature of many characters I run across. But this one makes me so sad.

3. Passive Women. In a majority of the games, the female character is a naive, passive, polite, and pure maiden. A perfect recipe for a victim. I know this stems from a cultural difference but it still frustrates me. I love it when the girl talks back with some sass or backbone for herself. Oh and add amnesia/lost memories. It works in a sense that it makes the character carte blanche for you to fill in. But she has a personality sort of.

4. Cohabitation. It makes sense in a game design perspective, but it's SO dangerous. Usually there are about 5 men and they all live in the same place.

5. Murdering Fangirls. I don't usually see this phenomenon in Western games where one of the male characters will have a literal fanclub. And they will straight up murder your sorry bum if you get too close to their bae. Also murder. So many of these somehow ended up with murder.

So why do I still play? Usually the characters outside the main girl are interesting and take you on a fun little journey. And pretty art. I'm a visual artist and love looking at pretty things. And something that's usually a bit better in Asian games is the art and visual design. Currently I'm going through OzMafia and it's watercolor pallete is gorgeous although a weird mix for the setting where there's mafia violence. (And guns...very rare in a game like this. Makes me a bit happy being a resident of Texas.)

However, I prefer the protagonists, stories and situations in Western Style games. Usually the main character has an active personality and sticks up for herself.

Again, I fully realize it just MAY be the collection of games that I've played or watched Let's Plays for, but seriously. These cultural difference make for something quite disturbing.
And I feel slightly guilty for enjoying them like trashy romance novels, but I'm usually just yelling at my screen "NOPE! Don't do it!"

Dragon Age Inquisition Part 3

Okay I did make it through some more of the story. A couple of themes came up:

Religion and Faith ( a big theme)
Homosexuality (another theme throughout the games)

So spoilers a bit here, at one point you meet with an openly gay mage as a companion. In a side-quest you can trick him into meeting with his father whom he was estranged from for years. It mirrored a lot of common modern reactions to a child coming out. It was very humanizing and illustrated the struggle of parent trying to reconcile with an older child. Also both being stubborn about things. It definitely was better handled than in Dragon Age II. Clearly this was planned out better.

In one of the random codex things you can find scattered throughout the game one was titled "Sexuality in Thedas". This one of the few codex entries I actually read read and I was saddened to see how well it reflects a common misconception: Sexuality is Separate from Procreation. One is just a taste, for fun or preference and the other a duty. ...See this is why you get plagues and blights Thedas. Seriously...sex...makes...babies. Fact of life. And it's not terrible. Also marriage not terrible.

Sooo...now for religion stuff. There's a LOT of it in this one. This is one of the few games that lets you play as a religious character without it coming off as too pandering or negative. I've gotten to a point in the game where it was revealed how the Inquisitor got the "mark". Throughout the beginning of the game, lots of people seem to believe it was a gift from God (I hate that they call him the Maker. Blegh...so generic.) or the religious prominent prophet. But surprise, surprise, the Mark is from a happy accident. Well, not that happy. This throws some characters into a situation where they could think "Wow...I've been LYING to people saying I got this mark from Andraste."

But they have SMART religious characters. If you have Faith you can believe that God works in the world and allowed it to happen. If you don't, nothing changes. Religion and Faith are themes I feel are handled well in this series. They do a good job humanizing characters even "religious" ones.

The main "church" of the world isn't the only one on the chopping block either. My main play through is with an Elf character who comes from a background that has a completely different belief system. (Which was uncomfortable for her to be called chosen by the main religion's prophet.) But there was a big twist (which I won't reveal) about one of the Elven gods.

Reforming the main Church was also a big thing. The player gets to "choose" or "influence the clerics" on who to choose for the next Divine. This particular Church comes off as a bit more political than spiritual but that would make the game less fun not to choose the next leader of the main faith of the world. (Although personally, I'd probably be part of the Black Chantry that's lead by a male Divine...just sayin'.)

The role of this Chantry is also pretty well...earth centric. It has the common criticism of building elaborate cathedrals and dresses instead of feeding the poor. Huh...where have I heard this criticism before? Sounds so familiar! -__-

Anyway, I'm very, very close to finishing my first play through of the game. :D

Yoga and Faith

So my younger sister in abroad in India right now on a sort of mission trip. She's been checking out Buddhist temples and such. It reminds me of Yoga for some reason and how that relates to faith.

Yoga and I have not always gotten along. When I was in high school, I had a Yoga routine from a book that I practiced while listening to my Celtic Relaxation CD. I was getting pretty good. Also I was a teenager and probably a bit more flexible than I realized. Never could do the splits. It was a good way to relax after school and feel good.

In college, I took a class in Yoga with a large group. I was expecting it to be sort of like my home practice. However, it was not so relaxing. I could see other people and what they were doing. I could see myself in the wall mirrors. I kept attempting to correct my pose, obey the instructions and push myself farther. I felt I needed to keep up with other students and the instructor. I had very little endurance and often spent much of class in the Child's Pose ...or Turtle Pose I forget. I felt bad every time I had to do it.

I don't know how I did it but one day after yoga, my legs hurt so badly I couldn't walk. I took medication and skipped a yoga class before going back and telling the instructor what happened. You have to be careful in Yoga.

Many years later still, I moved to Austin and a friend invited me to Hot Room Yoga. It was very difficult. Even if the heat was suppose to make things a little easier...it didn't. Again, I mostly sat in Child's Pose in a pool of my own bodily fluids.

Now in many cases, a Yoga instructor also brings in some Eastern spirituality and tries to incorporate it into the class. Those who don't know better can fall into a kind of New Age philosophy. Myself on the other hand, never really listened to that part of the instruction. Yoga and other kinds of exercise was a form of prayer to me when I practiced alone. I could focus on what my body was doing, where I was and just sort of meditate. (Or in some cases, giving up suffering for souls in Purgatory or begging for strength from the Holy Spirit. :D)

Yoga practice usually talks about emptying yourself, but I was more about filling myself with the Holy Spirit.

One day in Yoga class, the instructor changed the music that we were listening to. The usual fare was Eastern Ohm chants, Native American Flute, or other Relaxation CD stuff. One day she played Gregorian Chant for our background music. I can't tell you how alive and easy Yoga was that day compared to all other classes. The chant was directing my thoughts towards holy contemplation and the humorous image of medieval friars in cobra position.

Point of this post? I don't know. Perhaps there's something to be gleaned. Have fun. :)

God in Sci-Fi and Fantasy

As I played through the Sci-Fi romp Mass Effect, I thought of other sci-fi titles in other media that I have experienced. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Battlestar Gallactica and pretty much anything that takes place OFF our planet seems to leave God back on Earth. Seems a bit odd seeing as he's the Creator of the Universe according to our Faith. Everything in the heavens and on Earth, visible and invisible.

Science, the New god 

It was in a philosophy class IN a secular school that I re-encountered the notion of the "religion of science". Now this wasn't news to me, but the concept and reasoning was understandable. People are comfortable with the idea that Science will explain everything. Anything can be done through science. It has it's rules, laws and methods. The faith put into science is certainly greater than what a lot of people put in any one religion.

Science can be wrong but, it makes sense and follows logic. The mistake can be corrected by approaching the problem differently. It has a following of defenders that will vouch for science with a passion equivalent to an evangelical. But Science is not the enemy of faith. This Extra Credits video illustrates the point very well.

In most future settings, the only true god is Science. But it can't answer all questions. Some questions must be dealt with in philosophy or theology. BOTH these fields use reason and logic similar to science, however, it goes into metaphysics. Things that may not be readily observable.

Deities, the Old gods

On the flip side of the coin, many fantasy worlds have some form of religion and deities. Generally, these are set in "simpler times". There is no democracy, no off world travel. If there's flight it is by "magic" or flying creature, not invention. In this quaint setting, there is also an old quaint belief system. Maybe there's some formality to the religion but it's there often to govern magic. Thus giving the impression that religion is an "old-fashion" thing, something for a simpler people and a somewhat oppressive system.

I think the only "sci-fi" or space travel set story that uses any kind of supernatural force is Star Wars. (Ah...I said force.) That's why I often think of Star Wars as more of a "space fantasy" than a sci-fi movie.

Not to let fantasy off the hook so easily because often a fantasy story can be about defying the gods and killing the gods. (Killing God must be a human thing. *shrug*)

Mythology

Our modern mythology just goes to show how far away we have fallen. Now I only remember the quote from the TV mini-series of "The Odyssey" where Poseidon's "big moral lesson" was "Man is Nothing without the gods." All the punishment suffered was due to hubris.
Modern myth now glorifies man has the pinnacle, a creature that no longer needs the gods. C.S. Lewis describes us as being "men without chests" that is to say "no heart". We find our gods in our own intellect and heads.

That is not to belittle man, because humans ARE great. God himself took on our form and became human. If you believe such things...which I assume a Catholic geek would.

A Godless World

 There is something very unsatisfying for me about a world without God. It's empty or tragic or un-human. However, in our pluralistic culture, we don't want to exclude any one faith. Therefore, it's easier to just not include religion or make up a "safe" religion. In a strange way though, it makes a life-giving sacrifice almost more of a sacrifice. There is literally no promised reward. Just boom...dead, but everyone lives. You're the hero.

I guess the redeeming quality there is that luckily these games and worlds are open to interpretation. For me at least, like in the real world, I see a glimmer of God's work within human art and story. To me it is very significant that in Mass Effect the big bad Enemy is defeated on Earth (where God walked) by a human (a form which God himself has taken.)...or it could be taken as American Imperialism if you want to feel so cynical. Star Wars, while relying heavily on Buddhist philosophy, has an afterlife in which those in the past still affect the physical world. I'm not familiar enough with other Sci-Fi series (besides the comedy series Red Dwarf) I can't point to more examples.

Conclusion

Dear writers and authors, if you are of the Christian or Catholic persuasion AND not just culturally following your religion, I encourage you to write more. I'm doing my best. But I would love, love, love to read/write a book about a Catholic priest sent on a missionary trip to another planet with another race. I've already got Out of the Silent Planet that does the opposite.

God's Box

Usually I'm not that inspired to write about something that is purely Catholic spiritual and then publish it, but today is different. While browsing my deviantart messages I noticed a snippet of someone's journal. The artist was describing why he was doing a somewhat controversial photoshoot of attractive, scantily clad men around religious icons, mostly having to do with the Crucifixion. The subject matter had to do a bit with the artists faith and his own struggles as a homosexual man.

However, the subject matter of the photo shoot was not what sparked my interest, it was a sentence (which I will paraphrase) that caught my attention and made me feel a strong opinion.
The phrase was: "Whether in a Church, mosque or synagog, no matter how beautiful the interior may be, I never understood why God should be trapped in a box."

Part of the idea I totally agree with. God should not ONLY BE within a church building. He must be out in the world among us all and within us. Like the kid's song, "This little light of mine" we should be Christ's light to the world shining on the hill, not under a bush.

More commonly though, I think the sentiment comes from a place where a person may not feel that they "need" to go to Church to pray or go to Confession when they can pray wherever. And yes, you don't need to go to a Church to talk to God. Despite it being called the House of God, that's not the only place God can be found. When first reading the words, I felt a bit upset that someone would think that a Church building was a sort of cage for God. (I'm sure that's not the intent, but that's what it came off as to me.)

I've heard it explained once or twice why a church building is so important and it's a concept I feel is being lost. The idea of a sacred space that is separated from the mundane. This is why I feel it's important to have beautiful art within a church. The Church is not like any other building. Not only is it sacred, God becomes truly present within the walls. Not that Creation is not beautiful and noble. There are places in Nature that are also sacred. These are mundane places that are uplifted.

The sacred space is not for God, it's for us. Outside the Sacred Space, we are confronted with life's mundane struggles, harsh realities, and heavy burden. With all the distractions of daily life, even prayer can be difficult and unfocused. The conversation with God is limited. Thus it's a good practice to have a little sacred space for prayer in your home/apartment. It makes it a little easier for us to meet God and find him.

Sacraments, Sacramentals, and Churches, God knows we need these physical things to know Him better. It's a bit sad to dismiss things as such.

That's all I really have to say on that for now. Like I said, a bit of a reaction. I did start brainstorming the game idea. It's going to be tougher than I thought.

Gaming Responsibly

This was an entry I made for another blog a couple years ago that I'm reposting here because it fits and it's a good thought bubble:

Part of our human nature is to tell stories. We regale our friends with events of the past in a perhaps more fabricated way. With gaming becoming more socially acceptable, stories about exploits within a game can come up as topics of conversation.

You won't believe what I did last night

Personally, I've noticed that whenever I tell a friend about something that happened in a game play session, I tend to say "I" did something. I defeated the archdemon and I caught a unicorn. And I'm not alone in this. I do remember distinctly when Fable 2 released that my friends proudly proclaimed that they got an STD.

I don't generally think that people boast about their genital warts. (At least not in the social circles I hang out in.) The fact of the matter remains that no, I actually did not go out last night and kill an archdemon nor did I drive down to Mexico to lasso a unicorn. However, the mode of telling the in-game events comes across as reality, which can be quite humorous on one hand but offensive on the other. For example, some of the guys I once worked with regaled some of the violent sex crimes they wanted to perform in a game. However, they used the terminology of "I want to bash her head through a wall." Disturbing, no?

It just comes so naturally to us when we talk about what happened within a game. Really all I did last night was press buttons in a sequence and move a joystick. I didn't exert myself. Sometimes I catch myself before I say "I did this in my game" and try to frame it as "my character did this in my game." Particularly when retelling in game events to a non-game playing friend.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

I understand saying that "I beat the last level" or "I won the Halo tournament". That is something that the game player does take responsibility for: their performance.

But do we also feel subconsciously responsible for character actions within a game?

When we say "I", that means we claimed some kind of ownership over the performed action even though we did not physically perform that action. Because I don't think any of us physically harvest a field in Farmville.

Is it because visually, we see results of our button pressing that we feel some ownership? Because we "made" or "forced" a character to act?

Perhaps it is different for other players but I feel no twinge of regret shooting and killing a stranger in Halo. However in reality I know I could never bring myself to shoot a person in real life.

Yet in other games where I have a choice about how to respond in a conversation, I wrestle with how I should respond because I don't want to hurt their "feelings". 

Conclusion

In the end I don't think there is a solid answer to my pondering. How responsible am I for a character's in game actions? Do I really claim ownership over slaughtering a horde of undead or have I really only triggered the programming to display video?

I suppose it's up to individual conscience how they deal with this question.

Or perhaps we should consider the way we retell our in game achievements.

Ideals and Objects

This past week, I enjoyed a little video by Jimquistion on the Escapist about the "objectification of men" in video games. While his presentation style may not be for everyone, the point he made was very solid and worth the discussion.

A common argument against objectification of women in the medium is that male characters are equally objectified. To which Jim argues: "No, they're idealized, not objectified." He went on to say that this too was a problem.

It was a very well worded piece and I recommend watching it if you can stomach his style of "humor".

Ideals: Good or Bad?

While most moral people can agree that reducing a person to an object is wrong, holding someone up to an ideal should be preferred. But what do we mean by "ideals".
One definition is an archetype or something that exists only in fantasy.
Another definition is a principle or value that one pursues as a goal. (wikipedia) 

So an ideal is abstract and often used in characters to uphold said value. For game characters or heroes, that value often reflects the values held by the culture which is a mixed bag of good and evil.

For example, courage, strength and sacrifice are all values that game heroes often ascribe to. These are generally good. Other values such as womanizing, sarcasm and callousness are often portrayed as well.

A good character is generally a mix bag of virtues and vices. It's necessary for them to seem human or relatable to the audience.

Ideals and Idolatry 

Idols are images that we worship or uphold that we believe support our system of values. To take an example outside of games, Team Edward or Team Jacob in Twilight fans illustrates this concept rather well. Large groups of people uphold Edward as the ideal lover for his qualities of protectiveness, focused attention and faithfulness. (Which most sane people translate to controlling, jealousy, and obsession.)
There are many examples of our culture idolizing celebrity status for a myriad of values: beauty, singing talent, wealth, political standing, leadership, knowledge, etc.

The danger lies in setting that person as only that value. Placing the person as a goal to be attained. Which is often why we become disappointed when a celebrity does something completely human like cheat on their spouse or lies.

Holding a person to represent an ideal value perfectly is unrealistic. It turns them into "objects".

Ideal Characters

Characters set in a fantasy world are not human in the same sense that a celebrity is human. They can be vessels of values attained near perfectly. In morality stories, they work well to illustrate a moral value or lesson.

The question becomes: Is this bad for games?
When considering an audience and the nature of the story told, it will be more or less effective. It's good for characters to uphold good values and overcome vices. Audiences generally like that sort of thing.

Conclusion

Art idealizes many things. The human form is made beautiful, but it does not exist in that way in our current reality. Simply because such perfection or idealization cannot exist in our reality does not mean we cannot hope for it in true reality (heaven).
It is common in our culture to reject ideals because they're unrealistic. Realism is what matters most. It's a very utilitarian viewpoint.
Should video game characters be less idealized? Or perhaps should they portray different values?

Anti-Christian Gamers

In online communities and even live events, there is a definite atmosphere that seems unfriendly to a Christian believer. Granted, there are many good and moral Christian gamers, but they are not very apparent within Geek or Gamer culture. This post will be mostly based on personal observation and a few hypothesis on the subject.
So I will start with the apparent "feeling" is towards a Christian gamer/geek.

Assumptions about Christianity
In an online discussion or online in general there seems to be a misconception of what a Christian is and what it means to follow Christianity. This is an overall cultural problem but it feels like everything gets emphasized in geek culture.
To me in conversation where a moral ethic was being debated it seemed to me that people reacted to the "I'm Christian" statement thusly:

- Christians are Puritans that don't like having fun and kill witches (aka were bullies)
- Christians impose their beliefs on others and damn those who don't follow them
- Christianity's a corrupt, human made religion
- Lots of Christians do terrible things
- Jack Chick Comics (Jack Chick supports a very extremist view and has made comics about D&D and other pop culture "evils". The extreme it takes and its assumptions kind of make it humorous but on the other hand it's also a bit frightening that there is a following. He's also very anti-Catholic.)

Christianity is probably the most proclaimed religion in the United States. However, it is well known that few Christians actually follow Christ. Many "former Christians" have seen or experienced major hypocrites and being hypocritical is just the worst thing you could possibly be. (I'm being over dramatic for effect.) Oh but if you're Catholic...

Catholicism's Bad Name
Being a minority in the U.S., Catholics often seem to have a bit of Puritan influence from Christian neighbors and American culture. There was a generation of very poorly educated Catholics and we are still recovering from that. However on top of that the following things also make Catholics very unpopular in geek culture...
- Pedophile Priests: This event was (by aide of the devil) blown out of proportion. Because our culture is so sexualized that the thought of living a celibate life seems like a punishment. However, it is completely possible. Granted it was a terrible, terrible situation and sweeping things under a rug was bad. Still, it's one of the easier targets to poke fun at.
- Conspiracy: There is a lot of mistrust in this ancient organization. There is a lot of mystery surrounding it and plenty of rumors or legends. Thanks in part to media popular in geek culture it's almost more accepted that the Church is hiding some dark truth and really only has ulterior motives. (Again also fed by the poor reaction to the stray priests).
- Weird Doctrine: Much of our doctrine and practices baffles outsiders. In fact much of it even baffles its own followers. As such it becomes difficult to properly defend a belief or offer a satisfying counter-argument. It also doesn't help that much of the doctrine seems to condemn popular culture's favorite pastimes.

These are just a smattering of ideas and some of these things are not exclusive to Catholics or Christians. Many people make poor judgement of others based on things like a person's sex, ethnicity, or which sport team they support. 

Dealing with Backlash
As a social creature, it is quite possible that we will talk with one another and try to bond. Dealing with a particularly acidic remark must be dealt with in a Christian way so:
- Don't be a dick. I'm sure there's a nicer way to say this but it gets my point across. Don't become like the person who attacked you.
- Study your own faith, question it a bit. If you know the popular arguments against one of your tenants of faith, go back and see if there is a particular document, dogma or Scripture passage against that. Personally I ALWAYS run into trouble dealing with arguments for gay marriage so I constantly go to experts of my faith. There is no shame in sitting on someone's shoulders to get a clearer look at an issue. However, it may not be a good idea to throw these resources at your attacker, it is most likely they already don't agree and it won't change their mind. (You first have to change their heart and only God can do that.)
- Pray about it: You have the advantage of a loving God to talk to. And a myriad of Saints to turn to for intercessions.


Christian Geek, Don't feel Ashamed
Geek culture is largely made up of people who were marginalized in the past. Somehow this has made them very quick to marginalize others as well. It can be a poisonous community of internalized shame to be shared with others. Whenever cornered they want to lash out because they know what its like to feel powerless and its their mind/imagination/intellect that gives them power. In a word only forum of discussion, they have power.

Some other things to keep in mind are:
- Jesus said following him wouldn't make you popular. It kind of paints a BIG target right at you full of history. However our faith isn't about being POPULAR, it's about following Christ. Even if it is the most popular religion in the world, following Christ is still not super popular. Because following Christ means following the Commandments, OBEYING authority, SUBMITTING to God (islam), and dying to self EVERY DAY.

- Atheists are moral people too. In fact some of them follow the LAW in their hearts better than Christians. I had a friend who was agnostic tell me once that she did not like the idea of heaven as a reward for being good. Being good should be its own reward.
It was a view I could certainly respect. But I knew that I myself am a very weak human and I really LIKE the idea of someday getting a prize. (I'm kind of a child that way.) However even St. Paul frames the idea of winning the race for a crown (of thorns).
Atheists and Agnostics are not inherently evil OR wrong.

Conclusion
If you announce your faith in an argument, remember that your faith itself really is not a way to win that argument. (Also most arguments can not be won. Especially online arguments.) Remember if you do proclaim your Christianity your words and "actions" (as if there were actions online...well I guess in online gaming...) will cast a reflection of your faith. Christianity is a community and not just a personalized religion.
Also there is no shame in leaving a community if you feel the atmosphere is poisonous. Nurturing your faith and your relationship with God is far more important than gossiping about the latest trend in video games or comics.

Also, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity.

Peace and have a Happy New Year. (Yes, both Holy Days of Obligation fall on Sunday this year. XD NICE.)

Conscientious Objector

Intro
Because "boycott" is such a misused word, but conscientious objection is still at least a little less so. It also illustrates a deeper meaning as to why a person may not support a particular form of popular media based solely on personal conviction.

Objecting to Media
 Can you object to media? Absolutely. You can control the media you consume! I am not sure how you were raised but my parents definitely filtered the TV shows I could watch and movies I could see. And they did so until my younger siblings were close to high school age. This taught me many things, but two very appropriate things.
1) There are some things in media that I don't have to watch and should not watch until I can really understand. For example, my parents did NOT let me watch "The Simpsons" until I was older. Because really that's an animation aimed at an older audience that might have some appeal, but I was a really dumb 6 year old.
2) I do not have to watch everything my friends watch on TV or what the culture promotes as "cool". It was acceptable to be picky. It was good to control what I watched.

It is important to form your "media conscience", because media is a big part of our modern lives. Media does affect a person and a person's soul. If you expose yourself to the overwhelming negative news, don't you feel a little depressed or hopeless? Media helps us shape our opinions AND beliefs. It can also promote us to action. If we are cultivating our souls for heaven then we should work on strengthening our soul. If there is media to consume that weakens your will to sin, then it might be best to avoid it OR consume it with the proper company.


Would you play this game with Jesus?
First off, never, ever ever ever utilize this as an argument. I put this title here to make a point. In another article I read, (I've since lost the link) claims that this is an inappropriate way to decide whether or not to read a book or watch a movie or play a video game. If Jesus was there, it would mean the rapture was at hand so let's go home. And I would be too busy worshiping him to bother playing my game.
Then it also sets up God as not being present in the world. It makes Him seem like some morally uptight peeping tom or Big Brother. This is just not the case. God is not a moral policeman and consuming media that might touch on controversial topics will not displease Him or damn you to Hell.
Pardon this side note of a section it's just something that really bothers me about those who denounce certain media titles.

Granted there are some types of media that the Church has formally proclaimed as gravely sinful and should NOT be consumed nor promoted.
2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices. (CCC)


Forming an Opinion without "Seeing it"?
Is this possible? Sure. You can learn about a game or film from others who have seen it and form your opinion based on that. Your own argument may seem undermined by this but not all "bad experiences" need to be done in person to know that they are bad. We have learned from others that we don't want those experiences ourselves.

For example, I never had to play Duke Nukem Forever to know it was going to be a bad game and one I would not want to play. I had watched others play it online and read many reviews and knew from my own experiences in media production that a project that changed hands so often and took that long would not be anything great.

Same with Dante's Inferno which shot itself in the foot with its negative marketing campaign. The only good that comes from it is that people will now possibly get a copy of Dante's Inferno the poem and read it. However watching the marketing and game play videos I knew that it would not be a game that interested me. That type of marketing should be discouraged.


Making Your Objection Known
Going public is the only way to advertise your objection. This can become a double edged sword. The gaming community is full of passion so getting attention by announcing your objection to a game title will definitely get you some feedback. However what good does that really do? The internet is not always the best medium for changing minds or opinions.
If anything something more private may be more effective. Think rationally WHY you object to a game. If it is for something serious that you think is detrimental to society, individual groups or the gaming communities reputation, then provide feedback to the company. These kinds of protests work better than trying to convince other players to not buy the game.
In fact this should happen more often. Sensationalism only promotes the company and gives them attention. It is in a way a weird sort of advertising. Outrage has the opposite affect on the content of games.
Again, the guys at Extra Credits do a good job of illustrating this point in their "Open Letter to EA".

But what if the Game is REALLY Good?
This is where you have to really wrestle with your conscience. Despite the aspects you object to, there might be enough content in the game for you to dismiss it and enjoy a gaming experience. Then you can discuss your game play with friends and on forums etc. However, the game has aspects really upset you and go against morals that you hold dear.

There is going to be no easy way to deal with this. For example, I rented Assassin's Creed Brotherhood to try out. I only remembered watching a review of it and watched a friend play some of it. It looked fun. However, I was lost at the introduction denouncing the Church and Templars. It made me feel uncomfortable, like if I were to play a game or story that relived the exploitation of African Slaves in America. There should be some level of guilt. True. But along with the guilt of "Oh yeah, the Pope was very corrupt back then and the Templars weren't as noble as their creed", it was full of conspiracy theory that was similar to the Da Vinci Code (which I am also not a fan of).  I knew that my religion was not going to be portrayed fairly.
BUT, oh my goodness the freedom to run and jump and climb all over the place was so much fun! The views were gorgeous and the motion was fluid. I knew that I could enjoy playing this game but I knew I would not feel good about "winning" this game.

Wrapping it up
When you were younger perhaps your parents monitored what you watched. Now as an adult its up to you to filter your media. Objecting to a certain title should go with your moral compass. Try not to be discouraged if fellow players find your reasons to be "unfair" or "unfounded". It is neither of these things. Developers and the Industry NEED to be held responsible for the media they create. As consumers we should challenge them so that the industry can grow just as film grew. Try to do so as an individual by voicing your concern to developers and to your friends.

The Church in Games

Intro
The Church's representation in modern media is a fickle thing. But it's also everyone's favorite scapegoat for a corrupt world power, old-fuddy-duddy traditionalists OR conspiracy.
As a Catholic you have to accept and follow this rather unpopular religious system and its rather colorful history. For some fun I found a few examples.

Assassin's Creed (Brotherhood)- Alternative History Sorta
I played this game 2 hours as a rental. I liked the setting (I LOVE ITALY!!), I liked the characters, I liked the voice acting, and I really liked the gameplay. (The Prince of Persia style building climbs and such.) And I liked some of the story, like the concept of the memories and the chair thing. But I could not keep playing because the Church and Templars were the villains. And not very well developed villains either. Their motivation was to control the free-will of mankind. Even for a villain that just doesn't seem like a good motive and smacks of fanatic conspiracy theory. Or the TV Trope Conspiracy Kitchen Sink.

All in all it reflects the Church in a very negative light in its alternate history storyline. Part of it historically true, we has some really terrible Popes in those days that had a LOT more political influence than religious. (Thus a LARGE number of Saints were alive in these times. They were seriously needed.)

Tales of Symphonia - Anime Church
Set in the fantasy world, with Angels and Popes. Wait, Popes? Really. Okay so this is a fantasy church with some very heavy and obvious influences of Catholic Clergy. This story also casts the Church as "the bad guys" since the angels are "bad guys".
All in all it falls into the TV Trope: Anime Catholicism.

Dragon Age Series - Obvious Church Influence
There are many reasons why I fan-heart this game series so much. The writing and world building are done very well in my opinion. Not perfect and heavily influenced, but well it is influenced by some of my favorite things. And I really appreciate that their "church" or chantry is not cast as the evil villains. Nothing is so black and white or decided for you. There are people in the chantry that are corrupt and do bad things. At the same time there are good, faithful people doing good things.

One of my favorite characters as a religious type character is Sebastien from Dragon Age 2. While his romance dialog kind of sucks his banter is interesting. He's not terribly preachy...not more than anyone else in the game.  

It is still a fantasy religion and a fantasy church but the influence is incredibly Catholic all the way to having a schism with two Popes.Well, the only big difference is the sex of the clergy, but fantasy world. The story managed to immerse me enough and NOT insult my professed religion to allow me to explore it further.

Conclusion
Dealing with a religion in your narrative or game can bring depth. Like most double edge swords, it can cut off a portion of the potential audience. For me the first two examples, it was singling out a single religion and drenching it with negative conspiracies. The Catholic Church is the most visually present and obvious Christian Church to poke at. We are very distinct in our outward symbols and many are familiar with the Church's bloody, fallen history. So, it's low hanging fruit for conspiracy theorists, negative narratives or even villainy.

I could get through Tales because it was Anime Church and so much of it was 'wrong' that I could pass it off as a fantasy church. But I couldn't sit through another conspiracy drama involving a corrupt church and templars in Assassins Creed (especially after playing a LOT of Dragon Age. I'm so sick of Templars.). Despite the fact I REALLY loved the gameplay and some of the funny DNA memories, I can't get into the story in the same way I can't get into the Da Vinci Code. 

Faith, Fun and Feminism

Intro
Recently, some hot button feminist issues have cropped up in my everyday internet romps. Feminist and Feminism is usually met with antagonistic response and anger...even violence. It is to the point where even a woman who is feminist does not want to be label as one. For me, I know I do not like being labeled with a negative term like 'feminazi' or 'feminist'. However, my reasoning is in part that I do not wish to be associated with what the word has come to mean.

Feminist 
Most of our concept of what a feminist should be or what she is comes from popular media. A feminist is usually portrayed as angry, violent, liberal, and male hating. But this really only captures a fraction of feminists. Not everyone is angry, BUT we are NOT satisfied and want to change things to something that will satisfy. We don't hate men, BUT men are at fault because of their position of privilege in society.
So the facets of equality in government and recognition of my human dignity regardless of my sex and gender are the parts of feminism I support.

But I'm not "liberal" politically and I am Christian. Oh and not only Christian, but Catholic. So this puts me in a conundrum. Currently Catholics are one of the only churches that will not recognize women priests. I accept the Churches teachings on this. Because it's not a matter of JOB equality it is a matter of Sexual Differences. For a more intelligent discussion on this point, I will refer you to Peter Kreeft's lecture on Priestesses.

I am also pro-life, pro-Traditional Marriage, and pro-Catholic/Christian.
At this point, I feel that if I declare myself as a feminist I am denouncing my identity as a Catholic woman...and a gamer.

Feminism is all about Sex
There's some clever word play at hand here. Sex, in our modern society, can mean both the biological sex of a person AND the act of intercourse. I'm very tempted to link another Peter Kreeft lecture because he explains things so well, but I will summarize instead: Sex has become not something you are, but something you do.
In my view Feminists tend to be a lot more inclined to the latter definition of sex than the first. I'm talking about the Sexual Revolution, how we as a society have separated the act of intercourse with procreation.

That's why this picture is funny.
Sex is suppose to be someone you are. Being sexual doesn't mean being "sexy", it means being male or being female.

Our culture is one addicted to pleasure and the highest form of pleasure is sex. So with the new "sexually liberated woman" now able to take that pleasure without risk, suddenly pregnancy becomes a disease or an accident or a side effect of sex. The pleasure and self-pleasing is more important and trying to tell someone that they're hurting themselves by thinking this way, they get defensive.

Why this Ties into Games
Right this has a play in video games in a BIG way. When it comes to in-game content, feminists have every right to be upset. Women have every right to be upset. There are lots of parallels between the arguments thrown at "feminist gamers" and the defense of "our fun".

First off, feminist gamers are not some stereotyped feminist just because they are unhappy with the state of the industry. As consumers of entertainment women have just as much purchasing power as a man. I want to consume game entertainment but marketing, content and other unfriendly atmospheres make it difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. It won't prevent new hyper-masculine games from being produced but we'd like our chick games too...and not pink either.

Second off, women are all individuals with different tastes, JUST like any other human. This means the feminists too. As I explain, I do NOT stand by many of the principles liberal feminists and popular feminists stand for. I support women's health with the radical idea that pregnancy is not a disease and that our sexual appetites are out of control. That said, with the wide array of game genres there are some that just are not going to appeal to the feminine mind in the same way it does for the masculine mind. But this is not a BAD thing. It's an interesting challenge in design.

There are a landslide of studies on the differences between male and female brains that are quite insightful for a game designer. Particularly when faced with HOW to solve a problem or puzzle.
As a female gamer, I do not feel social shame with looking up "cheats" or walkthroughs if I'm stuck. The information in the walkthrough is like a cooperation with an experienced player and I can move on through the game without the frustration of trial and error.
To many gamers, stooping to a walkthrough shows weakness unless the game IS really hard...and poorly designed.

Third off, interacting between men and women is different than interacting with someone of your own sex. Again with the literal biological brain differences. Females are able to pick up a LOT of cues from non-verbal communication and start to find extra meaning. Male brains will usually take things at face value.
(Thus much misconception around the idea of if we like each other or not.)
In some ways, you CAN say things to gamer girls like you would say them to gamer guys. We want to be one of the guys but at the same time recognized that we are in fact female. It's a conundrum. You really have to go with getting to know the individual first before you learn their comfort level for trash talking. We also don't want to be treated as a novelty. "OMG...a girl...PLAYING VIDEO GAMES?"
It's 2011.

Last off, improving as a player in a game takes time and practice. In general, trash talking will rile up a male player and competition will encourage him to try harder. Threats of sexual assault, violence and name calling are only things that will drive a female player away. It's not because she does not have the potential to kick your ass or play as good as one of the guys, but a female's reaction to hostility is to flee. We are the traditionally weaker sex. (Please notes that there are always exceptions to this. Many women THRIVE on competition.)

So how are women to practice games with others an improve? Certainly not by participating in a tournament where a poor performance will earn nothing but mockery. She won't try again. Some conferences are out there trying to get women comfortable with playing video games and getting better at it. Usually in all female groups. Which only serves to continue the segregation between the sexes in video games.

Conclusion
Feminism is never a real pleasant topic for anyone. There are a lot of hurt feelings, hurt people, and misunderstanding in both parties. Heck, even I get annoyed at feminists and feminism. But not True Feminists who respect and support women's human dignity. We don't want to be the same as men, equality doesn't mean the same.

I am a feminist, Catholic, Pro-Life woman and a gamer.

Gaming Communities

Intro
When we build a community together, it should be based on mutual respect and a shared passion. Why is it that gaming and gamer communities seem so hostile? Why do they exclude potential game enthusiasts? Personally, I always feel extra wary about joining a gamer forum space more than other interests. It's strange to me because any other interest of mine: art, horses, religion etc I could find an online community and feel totally open to joining. Sure you have that "new guy" smell about you for awhile as you find your place, but eventually you settle.
Let's take a look first at the very nature of online communities.

Anonymity and Freedom
As much as my hipster soul despises their ungodly popularity...Penny Arcade makes a very valid point about Anonymity.
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
The anonymity of the internet allows you as a user to invent a representation. You are FREE to do what ever you want. You can pound on piano keys and make noise, it will make some other person laugh and applaud or call you a genius. It takes away social repercussions. When not faced with an actual human face it feels less like interacting with another person. You are really interacting with a machine and a wall of text.
However this illusion of freedom is a TRAP. (Insert 'its a trap' joke here.)

It seems at least to me that part of the reason for this animalistic  behavior is because social pressures do take a lot out of us. A person may feel a lot of stress performing like a social person and behaving as expected. However, put on a mask and suddenly you are whatever you want to be. In a sense we can hide our own humanity by going online. We would type things that we would never say to anyone's face unless we were bold enough to ignore certain social expectations.

On the positive end, it allows a person to explore possibilities in a "safe" environment. For a personal example, I use to think that a person just needed to tell someone about Jesus and the Church and they would magically convert. Online, I used to speak my mind about this without regard to the other person's feelings or faith. If they did not fit into the cookie cutter shape I thought a good Catholic was then they needed preaching to. Yeah I lost a lot of friends online after that. However, I came to a profound realization that 14 year old me NEEDED to know. And I grew from it. As an anonymous user, I could say all these preachy things however, I was too shy in reality to talk to most people about religion.



The "Real Me":
I was reading someone's personal story on a forum about how online gaming helped him discover his 'real self' or who he really was...a girl. (I'll leave my gender identity rant for another day.) And I know that road because I've walked it myself, thinking that the "real me" is the one I show online because I can be more opinionated and honest without repercussions.  In a way, this can be a method of affirmation for a person. To set a goal or a plan or a role model to aspire to is a good thing to do...that is if the role model is a good person.

However, as a mature person, I know that the "online me" or any avatars I put out is not the 'real me'. Only God knows my True Nature. I am not certain of this inconsistent person called "me".
Instead of saying that my online persona is the "real me", I can say that sometimes it's a way to put for my honest thoughts. For example, what I'm typing here would probably never really come up in conversation and if it did would be drastically more convoluted and unclear as I attempted to gather my thoughts in mere seconds instead of the several hours it will take to actually finish writing this whole post.

The desire to find your true self is a lifelong mystery. But you won't find it by exploring an online persona.

Geek Culture: Introspective
 There are many things I admire about geek culture as it begins to dominate our culture. But I also recognize its darker side. Perhaps it comes from the "bullied" pasts or the "rejection" from others but geeks tend to be all about revenge. On one hand, being a black sheep gives a sense of being original and unique. However, it is easy to reject others because they don't fit in with the other black sheep.

Sometimes I tend to find geek culture very exclusive as it struggles to hold down its identity. This leads to hostility towards "outsiders".

Niche: Cultures within Culture
As gamers age and start raising families they find that their interaction with games has changed. That the people they used to play with are not really the kind of people they like to associate with anymore. So what happens? The community splinters a bit into categories of young and old.
However, on the surface (this refers to site design) the communities look the same. Older gamers do not want to lose their identity as a gamer just because they have aged.

The gamer club is very exclusive. While members may not be outright hostile, there can be a strong sense of "I don't belong" from a new member. If efforts aren't made by a community to make a new member find their place among them then new blood will be poured in less frequently.

For larger communities, it is important to have areas that provide niches for people to settle into.


Conclusion
Time to wrap up these thoughts. They are not very profound and are mostly observation based. There is very little I can offer to change the nature of a gamer community or forum. There are some visual design choices that would help make a community seem more "open". Black and Yellow, metal colors or web colors do not provide good atmosphere or branding. (Black and Yellow are warning colors that tell you to "stay away".) Having the community moderated by mature individuals helps as well.

Overall, the close-minded mentality should open up. There are some niche hobbies that are far more open minded and welcoming to new comers than gaming. A year ago I was very interested in Asian Ball Jointed Dolls. (I have a few.) The community was very supportive of new comers to the hobby and those who were curious. They know the hobby isn't for everyone but they won't hate you if you're not interested. They also don't mock you for not knowing something about the hobby. There is a sense of patience that I think the gaming community would do well to adopt.

Video Games should be for people of all ages and walks of life. Communities should reflect this openness.

Grievences about Games: Game Content

Some of the things that upset me the most about game in the light of content. I'll probably do another list for design and other aspects but this entry will be mostly about game content, meaning the story, characters, visuals (outside of UI) and so on.

• Battle Only Games - Why is violence the only answer?
• The Buzz Cut Space Marine - I hate this character. He needs to die in a fire. Him and all his clones.
• Wooden Voice Acting - I think this is pretty much common sense.
• JRPG Story Lines - I don't understand you. You don't make sense. And all the characters look like women?
• Repeating Dialog - Not just the looping kind, I'm talking about reiterating information constantly.
• No option to be a female character - This is not required but in some stories, like those with a silent protagonist, it'd be a nice option.
• Violence aimed specifically at women - This just needs to stop in all media. I understand the need for a victim of violence but society tells this to a woman subliminally every day: You are weak, you are worthless, you belong to a man, you are an object.
• Jiggle physics - For the same reasons above. I understand the theory behind this exploitative marketing tactic. IT WORKS.
• Horses Animated Incorrectly - this is such a minor nitpick and completely personal. But I can tell when a horse is running "wrong". Sometimes it is to the point where it actually decreases my enjoyment of an otherwise good game. Luckily it seems to be something limited to games from Japan. Instead of running like a horse, it runs like a wolf or a dog. My favorite example of this is Shadow of the Colossus. I've played some of the game but the horse run was irritating to me so I couldn't stand to watch it. If low budget girly horse games can do it, so can a high budget Japanese games. (I'm serious, I played through ALL of Bella Sara's lame 3D game.) 
• Religion Sucks - Why haters gotta hate on traditional religions?  And why are a majority of religious figures evil or villains or jerks?

 Not much else to elaborate on. I'm still working on some deeper posts for later. For now, enjoy my whining.

Angelo et Diablo

Intro
Let it be known that the following is heavily opinionated, but based on teachings. I personally struggle with taking stories in any medium that use angels and demons. I am a little more forgiving about depictions of demons but I'm still picky. I have yet to see or read something that really satisfies outside of Scripture or the lives of Saints or C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters.


Depictions of Angels - Tales of Symphonia, Bayonetta
Starting with Angels, I thought of two games both originating in Japan: Tales of Symphonia and Bayonetta. In both games, Angels are considered villains to fight. (It's more subtle in Symphonia). In Bayonetta they appear more abstractly while in Tales they are more human.

The theme is usually that angels are a race of arrogant beings that are hung up on virtue and exist solely to stop demons or prevent humans from becoming evil.



Depictions of Demons - Disgaea, Dragon Age, Dante's Inferno
Demons seem to have a wider range of interpretation. In Dante's Inferno and Dragon Age, demons were creatures/monsters that personified a deadly sin. They are always evil and always monsters. This seems to be a common theme in games with a few exceptions.
In Disgaea, you play as a demon trying to reclaim your throne as overlord of the Netherworld. Demons are depicted as petty and power hungry, but redemptive. Meaning they can repent and be "good".


East vs. West
The idea of Puritan, Tyrant Angels and good-hearted demons is more often found in games from Japan. This comes from a different cultural perspective in which spirits are neither good or evil. (Like fairies.)Yokai is usually translated as "demon" in English but does not mean the same thing as the Christian idea of 'demon'. Yokai are folklore monsters and shape-shifters that can be good or evil. In most Japanese games where you fight "demons" it is more likely you are actually fighting Yokai. The same could be said about Japanese Angels.

In Western culture, it is also common to depict demons as monsters, but stories and games never depict them as something that could possibly be good. Demons are always evil and never trusted. Dragon Age had a good visual representation on Western belief of demons and their relationship with humans. 1) They really could never be trusted they only want power for themselves. Possessing a human to move in the physical world was the goal. 2) Humans/Elves infected by a demon became deformed and ugly. (The effect of sin on the soul. ;))

Angels tend not to show up in Western games too much. Sure there are the "good spirits" in Dragon age as well, but I've talked enough about that game for now. Moving on. 


Catholic Teachings
There is this theme in the use of supernatural and that is its involvement in the natural world. This is probably the only point in which the depictions of angels and demons is true. For a Catholic, Angels and Demons are not creatures of myth or fantasy. These are real supernatural creations. As humans, it is impossible for us to understand their true nature as they are beings of pure spirit and perfect reason. However, we find lots of influence from history, art and Tradition in our understanding.

As far as Angels are concerned, meeting one was usually a TERRIFYING event. In Scripture, those who met with angels had to be comforted with the words "Be Not Afraid". This suggests that the sight of an angel is a lot for a human to bear. People usually fall on their faces.
The role of an angel is to serve God at his throne, but also to act as messenger. The word angel comes from the Greek word for message.

Demons are the other side of the coin. Demons are fallen angels in Catholic tradition. And meeting with a demon is as terrifying as meeting with an Angel. However, they are conquered by the Salvation of Christ. A demon can be exorcised or banished from this earth.

More about angels and demons can be read about here:
(TBA)

Conclusion
I am a fan of anime and Japanese games, but I am uncomfortable with teaching the concept that demons are just like people with bad habits.  A  healthy dose of caution is necessary to protect one's soul. Most of my problems with "incorrect" depictions is from my belief that these are not fantasy creatures made up by our ancestors to scare me into being good. The rules of fiction are looser for creatures of fantasy like unicorns and fairies. However, a creature that exists in reality does have a correct depiction and a wrong one.

Reducing the supernatural to myth is dangerous. Myth can help us by being a lens to understand reality.
However, that doesn't mean that angels and demons can not be in stories or video games. Just take the time to do the research.

Game Thoughts: Dragon Age Series

Introduction
It's no secret that one of my favorite games this year has been the Dragon Age Series by EA Games and Bioware. Titles by Bioware that follow this Choose-your-own adventure type design are often full of moral goodies that can really challenge a player's perceptions thanks to good writing. It was just this year that I finished playing Origins, Awakening and Dragon Age 2. I have played through Origins 3 times, Awakening 2 times and DA2...I'm working on my 5th or 6th play through. I've lost count.
In this post I'm going to highlight some Catholic thinking in these games.

Free Will
First concept I'd like to cover is Free Will. Free Will is the human freedom to choose evil or good in simple terms. Animals do not have free will because they can not distinguish good and evil, they act on instinct. Our ability to reason and qualify an act as good or evil and the ability to choose between the two is our Free Will.

 In gaming, this is often represented in "morality choices". I will speak more on this another time.

Much of the player character's Free Will is limited to in game dialog choices which allow for certain actions to take place. In Origins and Awakening, the choices were more numerous and often grey in moral standing. In DA2, things are made a little more limiting by labeling the choices as "good" or "bad" (peaceful or aggressive etc.) Between the two main titles, this change was a bit upsetting. The outcome was "freer" in Origins where the player was allowed to interpret for themselves what would be an "evil" or "good" response.

Morality
 Thanks to the writing and scenarios in the game, there are lots of moral issues that the player deals with in the game.  Immersion level really helps the weight of these choices to the player. However, the player is not only making moral choices but reacting to moral problems. The sheer number of scenarios make it difficult to pick and choose. However, there are several themes I notice in my playthroughs.

 Sanctity of Life and Human Dignity
  Most often, I will find the story saddles the player with the choice of either killing or releasing a person.  The lives of criminals and innocents alike are set before you. Will you let one live and the other die? Most often, it is a choice to let a criminal live or die. The crimes vary from petty theft to outright slaughter.
Catholic teaching respects ALL HUMAN LIFE. That also means the life of a criminal, murderer, rapist, and pedophile. In both the game titles, there comes a point where you must spare the life or kill a key character. One choice will upset a party member and they will leave, usually the one who was portrayed as the "morally straight and narrow" type. It's one of my FAVORITE points in the game because the choice remains difficult. Because both instances, there is a chance for the perpetrator to redeem themselves if they live. Which is precisely why the Church (and myself personally) stands against the death penalty...in a majority of cases. (Church's Stance on Capital Punishment...it's short).
HOWEVER, because of the game setting, (roughly the middle ages), such matters of justice were more common place. In some cases, within the game, the player IS a figure of authority and it would be appropriate to dish out death to protect the community. In other cases, it's a personal choice. (Oh the woes of bringing modern thinking into primitive society!)
 
 Sexuality
Yay my favorite thing to talk about in these games. One of the "selling points" of the game is the simulated romance and "sex scenes" (with awkward 3d models yay!). So where to start?
Well, let's talk about impact. Pursuing a romance in Origins offers more story related effects particularly to the ending of the game. At the same time, romancing each character in a play through offers a trophy award. A head mounted on the wall as it were. In DA2, the trophy award is simply "you romanced someone". I'm not sure if it qualifies as objectifying if its an object anyway but the concept of objectifying another person is still there. Church teachings are pretty clear about objectifying another person. (Hint: It's not good.)

There is one point in DA2 that somewhat GRINDED MY GEARS because it aptly shows a misconception rampant in society. That is the perception that CHASTITY = NO SEX. This couldn't be further from the truth in Church teaching. Celibacy...celibacy is the free choice to abstain from intercourse for life. Chastity is respecting and recognizing that sexuality is a gift to be given. It demands that you see others as a human being, not an object to be used. All people, married, single and celibate are called to Chastity. If you're curious, there is a point in a romance with the character Sebastian where he suggests a chaste marriage, suggesting there is romance but no intercourse.
Err...yeah, all marriages should be chaste but marriage is certainly NOT about celibacy. Dear God, it's so not! (Although there is a romance path with this character that ends in a non-celibate marriage too. :3)

Moving on to the concept of marriage. It's a bit "weird" in these game titles as the option to get married is only available in rare cases. It's kind of sad really. But I suppose that may be the comic guy(or gal) mentality sneaking in and not enough of the marriage is great guys(and gals). There are plenty of other popular beliefs about sex within these titles including, cohabitation, homosexuality, bisexuality, prostitution, and other such objectifying beliefs. These are usually viewed as "acceptable" actions in this world...well by most of your companions. That's the other nice thing is that each character's beliefs will be reflected in their dialog reactions.

All this said, sex is not bad or evil. It's very good. It's awesome and therefore special. It's also the one thing most actively attacked by Satan and used against us. It is a great lie to say that sex is bad and should be repressed. Also that its meaningless or only for your personal pleasure is a lie. There is a great deal of smarter men and women who write on this subject. I would point you to the blogs linked here to read more on Catholic Sexual Morality. (I just like talking about games.)


Good vs. Evil
 An overriding theme is that you the player are in a conflict of Good vs. Evil.  The theme is more obvious in Origins with the enemy is clearly defined as evil. In general, the player is always the "good guy" but things are taken a step further based on actions in key points during the game. How good was the Warden? Were things really that much better after the defeat of the Archdemon? Do the ends justify the means?

That's another big theme too. The Church teaching on this is that the Ends do NOT justify the Means.


Closing Thoughts
This really only scratches the surface of things I've gleaned from the stories in Dragon Age.  Often I try to utilize my personal method of making moral choices when choosing in game options. It's really hard for me to play as a "jerk" in these games but I do try for the sake of exploring that option. I won't really get into the whole "is it a sin to..." kind of discussion but I may in another post. Because it's something to consider.

And of course, the millions of humorous responses to events and choices never fail to entertain.
In fact, I've made stupid comics about them...enjoy: Tale of Mage Angelo and Warrior AJ