There should be interracial violence and racial slurs

[Fidelis Miles]

The original wasteland was great, because it didn't pander to the political correctness police, and it allowed child killing, because it added a sense of realism. I looked at the thread about child soldiers, and I thought that would be great as well, because once again, it adds to the realism of a post apocalyptic landscape. Now, if in modern day society, there is an unprecedented amount of racial violence, with blacks killing whites, Hispanics killing blacks etc, I think that Wasteland 2 should incorporate something like that, since multiculturalism probably wouldn't float as well as it does in modern day America, and even then, it doesn't sail that well.

I don't care if it's whites against blacks, or blacks killing whites, but racism accompanied by racial violence, should definitely be incorporated in this game.

[WolfStark]

Racism is something what can happen but racism results mainly out of the slavery/past slavery. So, with a scenario of a bombed modern world it's very unlikely that racism is a big topic. Multiculturalism is the wrong word here, a skin color isn't a culture and there are better reasons for conflicts in such a world as that.

[TΛPETRVE]

People are still inherently prone to stupidity. I'd bet my arse that after a nuclear apocalypse there'll be dudes running around in pants tailored from old Southern Confederady flags, toting guns and proclaiming "Now with that nigger-loving liberal fucktard government gone, we'll make this a white nation again".

[WolfStark]

I don't know when Wasteland was set, from a time perspective but you're right, those groups or individuals won't just decease. On the other hand, in such a scenario many people die, the infrastructure will be no more, if you refuse to work with someone just because he's hispanic/black you will find yourself in a harsh situation and risk dying. Hundred or hundreds of years later there aren't much of such people left. I can imagine conflicts through migration but less through skin colour alone.

[Brendan]

I disagree. Keep real world issues out of it.

[Fidelis Miles]

I disagree. Keep real world issues out of it.

This game's very foundation is real life issues. The original game came out at the closing of the Cold War, and nuclear annihilation was still a very real possibility, at the time. Moral dilemmas like saving a racist from starvation, or killing some guy because of his skin color or culture should definitely be in. Fallout 2 had these issues, except instead of race vs race, it was humans against super mutants in Broken Hills.

We should not be afraid to touch these sensitive issues. There's people on this board advocating homosexual characters, and I would be for that, as long as racism is involved in the game, as both a good and bad idea. A good reason for racism would be like the situation in Witcher 2, where there was that elf girl in the beginning city who you help because you want to show her that there are still caring people who don't discriminate against elves, but it turns out she's an assassin and saboteur who led human guards to get eaten and mauled by monsters, who was just manipulating your trust and goodwill. So you can show that being anti-racist can get you killed, and being racist can save lives, and at the same time, show how racism can claim lives, or whatever floats your boat.

[falloutgod13]

You know black people are like 16% of the U.S. population.(Well, according to the last census I checked) I don't think racism as we see it will be prevalent in the wasteland. Not to mention racism is mostly born of nationalism, without a nation it's hard to picture wasteland racism as we know it today. Perhaps there would be racism but toward mutations. I think Fallout touched on the subject pretty well and I'd imagine Wasteland 2 will do the same.

[agvkrioni]

Seems like everyone is screaming for more realism. I agree with topic creator. But let's not limit it to real-world prejudice. We could have ridiculous prejudices based on people's quadrants of the wasteland they live in, the towns, their style of life or dress. Doesn't even have to be racial. What about them mutants or robots? I could definitely hate on a couple of those...

[WolfStark]

I disagree. Keep real world issues out of it.

That is utter nonsense. If you want to tell a story, you can't keep real world issues out of it. You're just not able to as long as you're making something which is akin to what we know in the slightest. I can't see todays racism as a big issue in a wasteland but I am still able to see conflicts. I mean, the game couldn't work without conflicts and some of them could be inflicted through racism. Important to me is, that this has a good reason. I don't want to see mutants hunted just because they are mutants, I want to know that there was scientist/author/politician X or incident Y and so on. Racism and discrimination are results, they have a start and aren't natural.

[suz]

You know black people are like 16% of the U.S. population.(Well, according to the last census I checked) I don't think racism as we see it will be prevalent in the wasteland. Not to mention racism is mostly born of nationalism, without a nation it's hard to picture wasteland racism as we know it today. Perhaps there would be racism but toward mutations. I think Fallout touched on the subject pretty well and I'd imagine Wasteland 2 will do the same.

People in general always find ways to segregate themselves from others, for the sole reason of having "us" and "them". Nationalism is just one way to encourage the segregation, here's another, and another, and there's too many to list.

It doesn't matter what differences exactly are outlined as "us" and which are "them", it is in the human nature to have that distinction, and there will always be friction when "us" getting the short end of an perceived stick while "them" don't.

I would like all the conflicts that are discussed on the forum in game, but they should be meaningful, not be for the sake of being included, I don't see the point in having gay characters for the sake of having them announce "Attention everyone, I'm gay", but if there's interesting story about it - sure. Broken Hills was interesting and you could affect the town in various ways depending on how you solve the quest.

[falloutgod13]

Seems like everyone is screaming for more realism. I agree with topic creator. But let's not limit it to real-world prejudice. We could have ridiculous prejudices based on people's quadrants of the wasteland they live in, the towns, their style of life or dress. Doesn't even have to be racial. What about them mutants or robots? I could definitely hate on a couple of those...

I think prejudice should exist, but it shouldn't be something so slapstick as guys wearing confederate flag pants. So I'm with you on this.

[SkyeFyre]

As much as racism makes me uncomfortable (hate it with a passion) I acknowledge that it makes sense within the setting. I just ask that it's kept to a level where we get the point but not feeling like it's going too far. Like, not entire quest lines revolving around some guy who's spouting off every derogatory term in the book, because I'm liable to play in character and blow the guy's head off.

[falloutgod13]

Nothing wrong with that! If I spend all day being civil and diplomatic in real life I certainly enjoy letting some steam off in a game by enforcing my views on others whether they like it or not. I justify it by being on the moral high road... ish.. end justifies the means? I know it's pretty terrible justifications but I do enjoy playing that way at least once through the game. Intolerance is not something I tolerate.

[GodComplex]

I would contend that racism would not exist on a noticeable level. I'm of the opinion that social issues only exist in the minds of people who want to feel persecuted, and well, imagined persecution is a luxury of a stable society. It's hard to blame the man for keeping you down, when it's really the mutant crocodiles that are oppressing your family.

And for you jokers who think racism = the dark folk, look up the Chinese exclusion act or the Japanese interment. Many countries have a long history of exploiting and oppressing minorities.

[BentSea]

Don't forget misogyny! I want to be as awful of a human being as I possibly can be!

[falloutgod13]

And for you jokers who think racism = the dark folk, look up the Chinese exclusion act or the Japanese interment. Many countries have a long history of exploiting and oppressing minorities.

Don't forget the German Nazi racism. That was purely born of nationalism and Mein Kampf is still used today to support many racist movements across the world from a nationalistic perspective. There's even black people who sport the Nazi swastika and use the ideas in Africa, just change the words white to black(seems to work for them).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteen_Words

This is why I primarily think racism as we know it is born and cultivated on a nationalistic perspective. It's by far the most prevalent form of it. There are many other forms of prejudice including religion and sexual orientation but those are separate issues in their own right. All of which could be touched upon tastefully in the Wasteland setting without them becoming a focus for the game. No need to center the game around these issues, it's just more flavor to the bitter post-apoc world.

Russian Racism

http://youtu.be/aLUxuq-E9yA Once again, you can see it's born of nationalistic perspective. Ergo I don't think racism as we know it will fit into the Wasteland setting.

For one, the setting is in one destroyed nation that was previously a melting pot of cultures. There's now so much more to separate people as the case with mutation. Prejudice, including racism, will have a very different direction and perspective in the Wasteland setting.

[cmagruder]

If handled well written and maturely it all has a place.

[homeslice82]

I disagree. Keep real world issues out of it.

Agreed. Wasteland has to some extent always been an absurdist fantasy, disconnected from reality. Stuff like this would make it too real.

[Enclave]

Realistically racism may not be all that prevalent in a post-apocalyptic world. With human numbers having dwindled so much you'd probably find people being more accepting of other races of humans.

Fuck the mutants though, those freaks need to burn!

[Yutty]

Is there gonna be Gang Rapes & Pedophiles similar to Cathelic Preist? Cause if your relying on that realism is the reason to have Racism then those 2 topics i mentioned also fit a post apocalytic landscape.

Personally would prefer to keep this issue minimum in game a little bit would be ok but really they should draw the line somewhere.