I don’t have any issues with diversity and inclusivity, and support it however I can.
But I don’t really see the problem with this mod? It’s a honest question, I’ve just read the article, and the Nexus mod answer doesn’t make much sense to me. I mean there are literally mods that change every character in Skyrim to females, how is that different? (I didn’t log in to see the if the mod is active, but I’m sure there’s a lot of “we change this character to female” mods for any game).
And more importantly, why not let anyone do whatever they want with their game, and enjoy it however they want? Or was it similar to the Starfield pronouns mod, where the creator went on a hateful rant in the mod description, and acted like a total dick, spewing their bullshit intorelant propaganda? Then, the removal would be understandable. Otherwise, it’s just counter-productive and only serves to even more divide people and turn them against eachother, and feels like an unnecessary witch-hunt and a PR stunt.
But please correct me if I’m wrong or missing something, there’s probably some context that I don’t have.
Nah this mod was making trans people into trans people that regretted it. They planned on removing all the people of colour because of “realism” and do other assorted fuckery. There was a long post about the group that was writing this mod, it wasn’t done in good faith.
In other words, there’s “let people mod whatever they like” and there’s mods that are effectively a statement of an ethos, and not all ethos are worth letting your platform be used to broadcast.
There’s also mods that are tools to give players more freedom, and mods that are fixes to correct what the dev sees as mistakes or shortcomings. The difference between “choose what color you want the flags to be” and “the flags are all blue now”. The latter is a statement of a belief: “I think the game would be better if all the flags were blue”.
The changes in this mod could be framed differently, like “gives player more granular control over NPC gender and sexuality”. It could have been done in a respectful and open-ended fashion that doesn’t play on harmful stereotypes. It could even be used to make the game “more gay” if the player chooses, then if some players choose to make it all “less gay”, so be it. That would be fine.
But that’s not what this mod is, and the intent behind it is fairly obvious. There’s no reason to pussyfoot around this one with arguments about player freedom, that wasn’t why it was made.
Yeah well those types are arguing for the sake of making a show for bystanders and wear down their interlocutor than to have a honest discussion. Just look at their best (shen bapiro) and how the dude is arguing. It’s all in bad faith. They play the card of being innocent and inquisitive, try to uphold the free speech and stuff like that…and it’s all in bad faith.
Or the people arguing here for the “freedom” of installing this mod.
I mean feel free, just not available from nexusmod.
I care. Pretending intent doesn’t matter just allows the hatred this mod creator has to grow. They didn’t make that change in good faith, it’s a common dog whistle for right wing bigots. Around 1% regret transition, and often because of backlash from those around them, not because they’re not trans.
When someone’s intent is to criticize and invalidate a trans person’s very existence, I care. And obviously plenty of people do since the mod was removed.
Seems like it just gave it even more attention to me. I don’t even play the game as it looks lame as shit and boring to me but now I know about this mod lol. And surely I can still go seek it out and download it easily if I wanted.
Just because the mod isn’t on Nexus mod it doesn’t mean the creator can’t use it or share it, it just means Nexus mod finds it unacceptable and doesn’t want to host it, so people can do whatever they want with their game and Nexus mod can do whatever they want with their website.
Yeah, I wasn’t aware of the context of the author working on other mods like that, that are purging every diverse character from the game. I totally agree that then it shouldn’t be there, I was just taking the mod at a face value and comparing it to other gender-changing mods, which still were there. Given the author’s intent and rhetorics, he shouldn’t be given a platform to speak.
The last time something like this happened, it was with a mod that removed the pronouns option in (IIRC) Starfield and the reason it was removed wasn’t for the content of the mod, but for the content the particular mod’s maker put in the description page (bunch of transphobic hate speech). Many news sites reporting on it conveniently left that part of the story out; I imagine this is just another example of that kind of shit reporting and the reason it was removed was because the mod creators were being hateful pricks in the description or forums.
Or was it similar to the Starfield pronouns mod, where the creator went on a hateful rant in the mod description, and acted like a total dick, spewing their bullshit intorelant propaganda?
yes, this is basically what happened with this baldurs gate mod, and this is why it was removed
Nexus isn’t obliged to host your files. They’re free to have the final say.
I dislike this notion that the characters in the game got to be X. But this is 100% bigotry. That’s what makes it not okay. It’s not the same as someone going in and making everyone a hot naked lesbian with a single click sex mod. This mod exists as a message and to hurt people.
The creator is free to self host it if they wish. But they may not host it using sites like nexus where they disagree with his message.
That’s the facts. My personal opinion is irrelevant. I wish I didn’t have to explain it but it’s not black and white and can’t be taken at face value.
I agree, Nexus isn’t oblidged to host your files. I wasn’t aware of the authors other mods and goal to purge diversity from the game - which makes it absolutely OK to not want him on your platform, and I agree with removing it.
But when I took the mod at a face value, without this context, I really don’t see any problem with it, especially compared to all other gender changing mods on Nexus. Which made their reason not to include it seem like pandering because someone took an issue with it. Now I know that was not the case, and that there was malicious and pretty awfull intent and message behind the mod. But without that, I still think the mod would be OK, and taking it down would be unfair, just because some vocal people took issue with it - which is how the situation looked like from the article. But that’s not the case, and I was mistaken, so it’s solved.
Nexus decides. They have rules, they try to apply them consistently, we see the results. If you disagree strongly enough then either write them to politely state your case or make your own goddamn website.
Scoffing at the fact a human being has to make judgement calls is not a moral victory, despite the smug posturing of a million right-wing trolls who might honestly believe they’re not right-wing trolls. Propose whatever grey-area hypotheticals you want. Hell, put in the work, upload it for real, and see what happens. Make your hypothetical a hypothesis and test that bitch. But don’t mistake the vague possibility of edge cases as proof that “Nazis fuck off” is a bad policy.
I agree overall, but as hard as it may be to prove, I think it comes down to intent. A mod based on hate has no place on Nexus (even though I’m sure they still exist). Replacing a gay character with another is fine in my opinion generally speaking, but replacing them specifically because you hate gay people and you want to erase them from the game is not. The mod author is a hate filled person who intended to do a lot more based on bigotry, and he was loud and proud of that fact. He could have slipped under the radar easily by having another outlook and not being blatantly hateful.
You are right, I wasn’t aware of the context - the authors goal to just eradicate diversity from the game, and that makes it perfectly ok of not wanting to have someone like that on your platform. But taking the mod at a face value, I didn’t see what’s the fuss about, now I get it.
The whole point of mods to get the perfect gayness level for the individual player. Some want none of it. Some wants a ton of it. I just want Thomas the Tank Engine replacing all sexy men and women.
Because the general mindset right now is not liberty of having your own opinion but to push in the opposite direction of what was thought years ago. And that’s the problem with extremist thinking it does not care for balance only extreme posture for either one side or the other.
I don’t have any issues with diversity and inclusivity, and support it however I can.
But I don’t really see the problem with this mod? It’s a honest question, I’ve just read the article, and the Nexus mod answer doesn’t make much sense to me. I mean there are literally mods that change every character in Skyrim to females, how is that different? (I didn’t log in to see the if the mod is active, but I’m sure there’s a lot of “we change this character to female” mods for any game).
And more importantly, why not let anyone do whatever they want with their game, and enjoy it however they want? Or was it similar to the Starfield pronouns mod, where the creator went on a hateful rant in the mod description, and acted like a total dick, spewing their bullshit intorelant propaganda? Then, the removal would be understandable. Otherwise, it’s just counter-productive and only serves to even more divide people and turn them against eachother, and feels like an unnecessary witch-hunt and a PR stunt.
But please correct me if I’m wrong or missing something, there’s probably some context that I don’t have.
Nah this mod was making trans people into trans people that regretted it. They planned on removing all the people of colour because of “realism” and do other assorted fuckery. There was a long post about the group that was writing this mod, it wasn’t done in good faith.
In other words, there’s “let people mod whatever they like” and there’s mods that are effectively a statement of an ethos, and not all ethos are worth letting your platform be used to broadcast.
There’s also mods that are tools to give players more freedom, and mods that are fixes to correct what the dev sees as mistakes or shortcomings. The difference between “choose what color you want the flags to be” and “the flags are all blue now”. The latter is a statement of a belief: “I think the game would be better if all the flags were blue”.
The changes in this mod could be framed differently, like “gives player more granular control over NPC gender and sexuality”. It could have been done in a respectful and open-ended fashion that doesn’t play on harmful stereotypes. It could even be used to make the game “more gay” if the player chooses, then if some players choose to make it all “less gay”, so be it. That would be fine.
But that’s not what this mod is, and the intent behind it is fairly obvious. There’s no reason to pussyfoot around this one with arguments about player freedom, that wasn’t why it was made.
100%. Sometimes I don’t know if that concept is maybe to hard to get for some or if they actively choosing not to understand.
Yeah well those types are arguing for the sake of making a show for bystanders and wear down their interlocutor than to have a honest discussion. Just look at their best (shen bapiro) and how the dude is arguing. It’s all in bad faith. They play the card of being innocent and inquisitive, try to uphold the free speech and stuff like that…and it’s all in bad faith.
Or the people arguing here for the “freedom” of installing this mod.
I mean feel free, just not available from nexusmod.
Removed by mod
I care. Pretending intent doesn’t matter just allows the hatred this mod creator has to grow. They didn’t make that change in good faith, it’s a common dog whistle for right wing bigots. Around 1% regret transition, and often because of backlash from those around them, not because they’re not trans.
When someone’s intent is to criticize and invalidate a trans person’s very existence, I care. And obviously plenty of people do since the mod was removed.
Seems like it just gave it even more attention to me. I don’t even play the game as it looks lame as shit and boring to me but now I know about this mod lol. And surely I can still go seek it out and download it easily if I wanted.
Well nexus mods cared. Nobody is stopping you from downloading the mod, just find another source for it
Just because the mod isn’t on Nexus mod it doesn’t mean the creator can’t use it or share it, it just means Nexus mod finds it unacceptable and doesn’t want to host it, so people can do whatever they want with their game and Nexus mod can do whatever they want with their website.
Nexus is based as hell
As was said, the mod author stated the goal was to reduce diversity.
There are other mods that change gender of characters that state no such thing, which are still up.
Yeah, I wasn’t aware of the context of the author working on other mods like that, that are purging every diverse character from the game. I totally agree that then it shouldn’t be there, I was just taking the mod at a face value and comparing it to other gender-changing mods, which still were there. Given the author’s intent and rhetorics, he shouldn’t be given a platform to speak.
So? Why can’t they and their community have their exposure to fap to whatever fantasy they like?
The last time something like this happened, it was with a mod that removed the pronouns option in (IIRC) Starfield and the reason it was removed wasn’t for the content of the mod, but for the content the particular mod’s maker put in the description page (bunch of transphobic hate speech). Many news sites reporting on it conveniently left that part of the story out; I imagine this is just another example of that kind of shit reporting and the reason it was removed was because the mod creators were being hateful pricks in the description or forums.
yes, this is basically what happened with this baldurs gate mod, and this is why it was removed
Nexus isn’t obliged to host your files. They’re free to have the final say.
I dislike this notion that the characters in the game got to be X. But this is 100% bigotry. That’s what makes it not okay. It’s not the same as someone going in and making everyone a hot naked lesbian with a single click sex mod. This mod exists as a message and to hurt people.
The creator is free to self host it if they wish. But they may not host it using sites like nexus where they disagree with his message.
That’s the facts. My personal opinion is irrelevant. I wish I didn’t have to explain it but it’s not black and white and can’t be taken at face value.
I agree, Nexus isn’t oblidged to host your files. I wasn’t aware of the authors other mods and goal to purge diversity from the game - which makes it absolutely OK to not want him on your platform, and I agree with removing it.
But when I took the mod at a face value, without this context, I really don’t see any problem with it, especially compared to all other gender changing mods on Nexus. Which made their reason not to include it seem like pandering because someone took an issue with it. Now I know that was not the case, and that there was malicious and pretty awfull intent and message behind the mod. But without that, I still think the mod would be OK, and taking it down would be unfair, just because some vocal people took issue with it - which is how the situation looked like from the article. But that’s not the case, and I was mistaken, so it’s solved.
Which also covers the ‘but who decides?!’ canard.
Nexus decides. They have rules, they try to apply them consistently, we see the results. If you disagree strongly enough then either write them to politely state your case or make your own goddamn website.
Scoffing at the fact a human being has to make judgement calls is not a moral victory, despite the smug posturing of a million right-wing trolls who might honestly believe they’re not right-wing trolls. Propose whatever grey-area hypotheticals you want. Hell, put in the work, upload it for real, and see what happens. Make your hypothetical a hypothesis and test that bitch. But don’t mistake the vague possibility of edge cases as proof that “Nazis fuck off” is a bad policy.
deleted by creator
I agree overall, but as hard as it may be to prove, I think it comes down to intent. A mod based on hate has no place on Nexus (even though I’m sure they still exist). Replacing a gay character with another is fine in my opinion generally speaking, but replacing them specifically because you hate gay people and you want to erase them from the game is not. The mod author is a hate filled person who intended to do a lot more based on bigotry, and he was loud and proud of that fact. He could have slipped under the radar easily by having another outlook and not being blatantly hateful.
You are right, I wasn’t aware of the context - the authors goal to just eradicate diversity from the game, and that makes it perfectly ok of not wanting to have someone like that on your platform. But taking the mod at a face value, I didn’t see what’s the fuss about, now I get it.
I 100% agree with everything you days. I wouldn’t install this mod, but I also don’t think it should be removed, at least given what I know about it.
I wouldn’t use this, but it’s fine as long as there another mod for me to increase the gayness of it all.
The whole point of mods to get the perfect gayness level for the individual player. Some want none of it. Some wants a ton of it. I just want Thomas the Tank Engine replacing all sexy men and women.
Because the general mindset right now is not liberty of having your own opinion but to push in the opposite direction of what was thought years ago. And that’s the problem with extremist thinking it does not care for balance only extreme posture for either one side or the other.