EDE Bell’s Night Ivy does this (“hu” for humans vs “per” for nonhumans, I think), and I always assumed it was something the author came up with–but I know she is friends with some Finnish folks, so I guess that’s where it came from! 
(It also has dragons! Although I don’t think they are interested in eating people.)
You mean, do I want a story where I get punished for existing? No, not really. I get plenty of that already, I assure you.
And then there’s French and Italian. The languages that spit on any form of gender-neutrality by gendering not just people, but animals and objects too.
You seem to have missed the If there, including the repeated caveats that the poster is lumping together multiple factors for simplicity. You ignored every other point so completely I thought it was safe to assume you didn’t read it at all.
(You realize ParrotWatcher and I are not the same person, right? 
)
Ah, I see we’re just doubling down on assuming that people can’t come to different conclusions or express different preferences in what had been a civil discussion without it being a failure of reading comprehension.
Yes, of course it’s saying it’s a simplification, but it’s a simplification aimed at getting people’s preferences. People elaborating on specifics is exactly how how normal discussion of a question works. Acknowledging that something is intentionally simplified doesn’t mean people can’t question that very simplification. Discussing terms is a normal and useful way to dig into an issue. In particular, when “escapism” and “realism” are the topics at hand, it is obviously and directly relevant to talk about what those mean.
The list only has an “if” on the clause about “reactions, which may not always be positive.” Even so, when talking about preferences, it makes sense to delve into different specific aspects because that’s just how opinions about complicated multifaceted issues work. How could it possibly be irrelevant to talk about depictions of bigotry when that is a part of list? It’s not what the whole list is about, but for goodness sake it’s clearly one of the things that is being put up for discussion here.
It is extraordinary that you can read a post that’s responding to specific things being brought up in the original post and tying it in with the wider question of escapism versus realism and think “this person must not have read any of the post that he is engaging with.”
You do not score points by putting someone down and dismissing their perspective with a snappy comeback.
Hi everyone –
Let us all keep focus on the discussion and refrain from turning things personal.
Thanks.
Personally, I have no preference between realism or escapism as they’re defined in the original post.
What I do care about is consistency. Not just in the way that the MC is treated by the narrative, but in the way that treatment fits with the rest of the setting.
I play primarily nonbinary MCs. But if I really like a game, I’ll play through again with male and female MCs just to explore those perspectives. And I don’t mind if nothing changes besides the pronouns. What I do mind is an uneven distribution of tension/intensity in how the story is experienced.
So if all the content for my male and female MCs is neutral or celebratory, then I prefer all the content for my nonbinary MCs to be neutral or celebratory. And if my nonbinary MC gets ‘negative’ push-back over their gender/appearance–then I would also like the chance for my male and female MCs to face their own challenges on those grounds.
I especially like it if the ROs and NPCs have their own perspectives/challenges/strategies when handling this kind of social pressure. It makes it feel like gender has real weight and context within the setting. But if it doesn’t work that way for all the characters, then I’d just prefer that the game accepts my MC without much comment.
oh I would LOVE this, pls write it immediately
It’s a very different type of ‘wanting to eat someone’, but imagine a culture that uses different pronouns depending on whether the speaker is attracted to the person or not.
Now I want a story where all of these are in use, by different characters. (I’m currently working on a species that has, in the current draft, pronouns for “us”, “people like us but not us”, and “not like us”.)
As a graduate of the Queensport Academy of Languages and Linguistics,
you have received your first post.
You are to accompany a delegation of ambassadors from different realms
to a diplomatic conclave in the Wuthering Mountains.
*fake_choice
#I'm so excited!
#What a drag.
#At least I get to use my skills.
You travel with Kuŋa, a mighty warrior from the steppes,
whose language is delightfully polysynthetic, Palakaleaka'ahalakawea,
an elegant aristocrat whose language has a lovely minimalist phonology,
Gņkhřftpbļft, an orc whose language actually has _no_ vowels,
and Gently Rocking Cupped Palm with Pinkie Outstretched,
a lively prankster from the Mountain Cantons
who gives you the opportunity to practice your Trollish Sign Language.
Along the way, you're joined by Qul'u, a massive dragon,
who speaks several hominin languages
but is thrilled by your willingness to learn Lowland East Draconic.
*fake_choice
#These are all ROs, right?
#Of course they are.
#Why is this written as a choice?
You soon learn that, in Lowland East Draconic,
lhaqa' is the pronoun for something inedible,
while arlɨ is used for anything edible, and—
hold on, did Qul'u just call Palakaleaka'ahalakawea "arlɨ"?
*fake_choice
#Better elicit some field data on what everyone else's pronouns are.
#This is unnerving... I'll just listen closely until I find out.
#I probably misunderstood, but yeah, I'll keep an ear out.
Okay, no, this seems quite consistent.
Palakaleaka'ahalakawea is consistently labeled edible,
and Gņkhřftpbļft is too,
but Kuŋa and Gently Rocking Cupped Palm with Pinkie Outstretched
are always inedible...
*fake_choice
#Um... why are you using these pronouns for them?
#You don't _really_ want to eat them? Do you?
#Uh... Qul'u, what pronoun do you use for me?
Qul'u just smiles. Toothily.Discourse sadly doesn’t let me like a post multiple times… 