Ithinks you’re a very good writer as well. If the highest level of sexuality on this particular spectrum is F, then you’ve done a very good job with Sonya as a freakin’ W.
Good luck with the WIP as well; legitimately one of my absolute favourites on CoG even involving the released games.
XD Ach, an assault of flattery! I am powerless! Haalp. XD
Get a room you two. 
Aww, well. Flattery makes you feel good, so you want the person flattering you to stick around more. Ties in nicely to our previous discussion of companionship, doesn’t it?
And no, good sir, that was not a come-on. Get your mind out of the gutter XD.
Perhaps it’s your profile picture, but I mentally picture you as a guy, Sherlock. Am I wrong?
@Zolataya Every time I see that dolphin, I think ‘splash’! What does it mean as an emoji? Playfulness?
Okay, if you want to take things to an off topic thread, that’s great, but barring that, this thread is under the Game Development header, so keep it on topic.
Got it. Apologies; no desire to break forum rules.
Unfortunately, the red-purple scale of attraction has a variety of problems. Ignoring the assumed gender binary:
There may be more problems but I think those are enough. If you want a better analysis of attraction (though not complete since I’m just going to list the most common things), combine these orientation types:
And these prefixes describing them:
Very often people will experience more than one attraction type at once, and so it is easy to get them confused, but if you think carefully about your attraction you will notice that most of the type it will fall into one or more of the four types I listed. (Note that asexual will shorten to ace and aromantic will shorten to aro; I may have missed important things and/or misstated something so do tell me if I can improve it!)
How does this affect your story writing? Well, personally identifying as homo-basically-everything-else greyace, I don’t feel like you need to distinguish between who the reader feels sexual, sensual, and aesthetic attraction to, but rather just be careful in the description of what the MC feels. Don’t assume that the MC feels sexual attraction, even if the player indicated that they do feel attraction, because the player might not have meant it to be sexual but just sensual or aesthetic. If orientation affects the world, e.g. changing a character’s gender, I would prefer this being based off of romantic orientation, and if orientation affects how characters are described, e.g. describing characters as attractive or not, I would probably prefer this to be based on appearance-based attraction.
Another thing I dislike is when the option to have sex is the best option to improve your relationship with a character, and it’s even worse when it is assumed that just because you have a good romance with them you want to have sex. Just because I choose not to have sex does not mean I do not want to fully romance them, and just because I may have expressed attraction to them and am in a romance with them does not mean I want to have sex with them. For the second thing, obviously just don’t assume that the player would choose to have sex. For the first, either give an equal but different option (that seems like good bonding too), remove the sex (there are plenty of other ways to show intimacy), or leave it somewhat open to interpretation (so that those who wanted it can assume they had it and those who didn’t can assume they didn’t have it).
I’m interested to hear what other people think!
@fire … Alas, your first set of bullet points has only managed to confuse me more on what I myself am. Many of the things you mention are completely new to me- and as several different terms seem to describe me at times, yet be quite different, I’m all the more lost on what I ‘am’.
I suppose sometimes the complication irks me a little. It seems almost like someone refusing to be called a human and insisting that they are white/caucasian/latino/african-american/asian/what-have-you. When… they are after all, still human. Although on the flipside, I would like to find out what type of sexuality/gender… essence… would be the kind of match that I should be looking for for myself. What kind of person would be good for me to look into, and allow myself to be attracted to. For that, I think there is merit in not coating things in generalities. Kinda like … music. There are broad terms, and there are specific terms. And it’s good sometimes to use the specific terms to find something because it’s like something else you know you like- but it’s not good to dislike everything called a certain type of music just because you know you don’t like a lot of what you’ve heard- there may be a few songs that you like in that type. It’s … kinda like that.
Never claimed the chart to be comprehensive or an end-all-be-all; as I said, I found it on facebook and thought it could be helpful. A lot of people can fairly easily communicate with each other a very basic ‘what they are’ through the chart, even if it skips telling details for some people; and it’s fine to explain those details more fully. Education helps the ignorant.
I think the orientation types you mention are intriguing. I don’t even disagree, though I hadn’t really separated aesthetic orientation and sexual orientation in my mind because there’s not all that much difference. Though, there is- they just mostly overlap for me, though I can separate them enough to see a difference. And I guess sensual goes for my cats; I’m a big softie who loves to give and recieve attention from my cats when I’m upstairs.
I suppose by way of writing, I could have a hard time separating sexual from sensual- or… where/when a character would draw a line of ‘stop’. It’s not that I have no concept- just that I’m not sure I’d know how to write a sensually interested character that isn’t sexually interested. Except in a romantic sense. Be that aesthetic or romantic or sensual, though, I’d have to shrug and go “I dunno, I have a hard time telling.” So how ‘fast’ would a person become interested in a RO’s personality in a story? A non appearance based attraction? Is there a good way to show it happening without description of it happening?
On the last thing- I both do and don’t agree. Some characters, I think, should be that way because some really are that way- that having sex is the best way to improve the relationship. Though, I don’t think every character in a story should be based on this ideology, because not all people are like that. So I think it’s perfectly acceptable if it makes sense for the character- though it would probably help the game to have other, less sex-based RO options as well. Of course having a relationship fall apart by refusing to have sex with a character could be quite emotionally engaging in a game; successful romance doesn’t need to be the only type of -good- romance. (odd as that is to say)
One thing I certainly want to pay attention to in my WIP is the nuances of various relationship types, how they can be different, and the rewarding and frustrating sides for each.
I’m a gender non-conforming cis girl (or a tomboy). I don’t think I classify as an actual minority, but I have advice about writing female characters, especially tomboys.
I think some people have a misconception about gender identity and gender roles. They’re not the same thing. Gender identity is psychological, and gender roles are what society expects from you. The degree to which you conform or rebel doesn’t determine your gender. I hate it when a game assumes or implies that only genderqueer people are androgynous and rebel against gender roles. It’s sexist. Cis women are perfectly capable of having traditionally masculine traits and dressing like guys. And please please please don’t turn the gender selection part into a “quirky” “immersive” scene where your gender is determined based on what kind of clothes your character is wearing, unless it’s a scene where the character is forced to dress according to a traditional dress code. I’m a woman, not a highheelgender or a skirtgender. I was born naked, just like every other human being. My cavewomen ancestors knew they were women long before make-up and frilly dresses were invented.
I also dislike it when a game assumes that if you’re not ace, you must be attracted to people based on just physical characteristics or must be horny all the time. Sexual people don’t check out everyone or flirt with everyone. Some sexual people have low libidos. Some are shy or not very social. Some think sex and feelings are deeply connected, and want to wait until they’re in a steady relationship. Some have been worried about STIs and unwanted pregnancies for so long that their instincts say “no” even when the sex is risk-free fantasy sex in a game.
When you say “first set of bullet points” do you mean the reasons the chart is bad? I’m not exactly sure what all you’re confused about, but if you’d like to point out things I can try to explain them.
If you want a simple way to describe who you like, I’d go with romantic and sexual orientation - while aesthetic and sensual attraction are useful for exploring your identity and how you’re attracted to people, I don’t really feel like it’s something you need to share. As far as I know, it originated in the ace community, which makes sense because there needed to be a way to describe the attractions that were indeed felt, since sexual attraction was not one of them. They’re also useful to understand that while you may experience attraction in X way, another person might not experience those same things. The use of labels is another debated topic, but ultimately they are a quick way to relate your experiences to another person and can help people feel valid in their identity (since if the label exists, there must be enough other people feeling the same as them to make it somewhat normal), and as I noted I just included the most common things; there are many other prefixes I’ve seen and at least a few other orientation types I’ve seen, but unless you feel the more common terms can’t describe you well enough to quickly relate your feelings I don’t think there’s a need to use those more specific terms outside of the context of discussions on orientation/attraction.
The chart is simple, but as I said it would also be simple to use romantic and sexual orientation: rather than a combination of six letters and seven numbers, this is a combination of two base words and for most people the eight prefixes I listed (allo- and mono- are mainly used in discussing the experiences of those not allo- or mono-), which covers most of the same things the chart does without its problems, and I’d argue it’s easier to remember, too.
As I said, many people assume that sexual=aesthetic=sensual attraction, even those that don’t also conflate romantic attraction with those other types, and this can lead to a variety of problems, like for example if an ace person expresses (appearance based) attraction toward someone, often times people will respond along the lines of “I thought you were ace”, so it’s important to understand there’s a difference, though again, I wouldn’t say aesthetic and sensual orientations are important to share. It’s importance to acknowledge that if you have orientation selection based on appearance, many aces might not select the no attraction option because of these other attractions.
The truth about the difference between sexual and sensual is that people will draw the line at different actions, for example making out may be seen as either (or both). In terms of sensual attraction, it could manifest in a number of ways but the most common are probably the desire to cuddle and/or kiss. It could include the same sort of touching that a sexually interested character might do, excluding groping or similar probably though. For the most part describing non-sexual, visual-based attraction it shouldn’t be that different from when sexual attraction is included, just exclude explicitly sexual things like arousal or words like “lustfully” or that sort of thing. In terms of how ‘fast’ a person would become interested in a RO’s personality, that depends on the person, but this is probably something you should be addressing either way, since relationships are based on more than just appearance. In terms of showing non appearance based attraction, I don’t know how easy to show this OR describe this - it would probably be sufficient to show that two characters care for each other, and let the reader fill in any blanks. Any attachment the reader forms to a character will be in the reader’s mind, so you shouldn’t need to really show OR describe it beyond what you might normally show. I think this would need to be explored more if you want to show it, but at the moment I don’t have a good answer.
I think the thing you’re touching on in your second to last paragraph is debate on realism (e.g. fixed orientations and genders for characters) and giving the reader a good experience (e.g. everyone’s bi/pan and ROs flip gender to match the reader’s orientation). I would agree that if an author decides they want to write these very fixed characters, some may want sex, though if so the reader should still not be forced to choose between the romantic option, sex, and other non-romantic options - whether they make or break the relationship, non-sexual options that acknowledge the desire for romance of the player are necessary. However, even in stories with very fixed characters I would argue that it would be simple to just not include sex in the story at all and avoid having to deal with this, because as I said there are many other ways to show intimacy. What type of characters the author decides to write and how, as well as what types of relationships the author decides to write are ultimately the author’s decision, but I would like for them to at the very at least acknowledge the potential for a non-sexual romantic relationship, even if, due to the characters the author is writing, it falls apart.
(If I can clarify anything please let me know, I wrote both my previous post and this post having not gotten much sleep the night before, and my brain does not work as well on low sleep.)
Oh yes, the “which gender do you prefer” thing! If I’m bisexual, that means that I don’t heavily prefer one gender over another. I don’t walk around thinking, “Hmmm, who do I want to date next? I’ve been on a ‘female’ streak lately, let’s go for a guy, or maybe an NB person for some variety.” As a polyamorous person, I might be dating three men at once, or only females besides my husband, or three people of different genders. I don’t have some kind of checklist.
If you, the game designer, have just been told I’m bisexual, don’t ask me who I like better or who I’m planning to date next; it’s a nonsense question. If you have a character who is designed to shift genders to match the player’s preference, there are two better ways to do it for a bisexual person:
Another one - regarding being polyamorous. A lot of games don’t allow players to have multiple romantic interests, which makes sense (I know firsthand how hard that is to code, and many games also take place in a short period of time.) What bothers me is when a game designer assumes that “dating a second person” automatically equals “lying cheater.”
If I’ve been expressing interest in a person, that doesn’t mean we’ve had the “monogamy talk” - are we committed in some serious way? Does that mean the person I’m dating expects sexual fidelity? Am I willing to promise that to them? Even if we have that understanding, if I’m attracted to someone else, I could always talk to them about it, or break up with them before pursuing something new.
All of the above is, again, hard to code. All I’m asking for is a heads up that pursuing a second person actually means “I am choosing to cheat on Person A with Person B so hard right now.”
Am I the only one who prefers not to establish the MC’s romantic parameters before the other characters are introduced? When a game requires me to do that, I usually decide my gender and orientation by rolling dice.
As for the OP, I’ve got a few:
University professors spend most of their time doing things that have nothing to do with teaching. Some professors don’t teach college classes at all.
Predominantly black neighborhoods in the US are not automatically “the ghetto,” and you don’t have to be black to move into one. No one cares.
Most Christian fundamentalists I have met are friendly, polite, and have no problem hanging out with people who aren’t Christian.
I get tired of atheists being portrayed as people who have some kind of problem with religion. Generally they don’t.
Hey! Just fyi I’m a white, pansexual, trans woman, so, well, that’s my experience and background.
First off, there are a whole bunch of different ways trans people identify, and naturally I can only really speak for myself and, possibly, a few close friends, but I’ll try to explain as best I can.
Trans people identify with a gender that differs from the one they were assigned at birth. For some this involves adopting mannerisms and dress typically associated with the gender they identify with, hormones replacement therapy and various surgeries. For others this does not. Some trans people, such as myself, in certain circumstances, identify themselves publicly as being trans, while others, due to circumstances, safety issues, or other reasons, do not, and would simply identify as, say, in the case of someone who was assigned female at birth (afab) and has been on testosterone for years, a man. This is completely up to them and should, naturally, be respected.
Hope that helps! 
P.S. In case there was any confusion, trans is a typical shortening of transgender, or transsexual. As a matter of personal preference I prefer transgender, since it avoids accidentally causing people to think about me or other trans people having sex, since that’s really not what my identity is about, but I don’t mind transsexual so long as its used in a respectful and considerate way. Which you were doing, so carry on! 
Also @BabbleYaggle, just wanted to say excellent points about both Christians and atheists!
I just moved into a multi-cultural neighborhood. We affectionately call it the “barrio”, which is Spanish for neighborhood, as in short for 'hood. But more friendly, which it is. If what an author means to say, instead of “ethnic neighborhood”, is “frightening, dangerous area where one is an outsider”, here are some tips:
There are no children. Oh, not literally. But you can only tell by seeing their eyes peeking between slats of a set of basement blinds, or seeing a kid herded to the doctor and back by a bevy of watchful relatives, no more than an elbow’s length from them. Children exist and can play, but inside, out of sight - it’s too dangerous for them outside.
Everyone you see on the street is hurrying past. If you manage to spot their expression, they’re stressed out, angry, grimacing with suppressed manic rage, maybe crying. No one is happy, no is smiling or relaxed, and if you are, you’re the crazy one.
There are a lot of places to fulfill criminal activities (pawn shops, liquor stores, cash to gold outfits, obviously unsustainable businesses that are money-laundering fronts) and yet none of the essentials of life. No grocery stores, day cares, or libraries. You have to buy milk at the gas station.
The everyday sounds of life are screams, sobs, sirens, and the vocalizations of people off their meds. There is no singing, laughing, or casual talking to be heard, outside where it’s a war zone.
While not the sole indicator, a confirmation is that everything is locked down. Bars cover every window and door. To live here, you live in a post-apocalyptic kind of survival shelter with grates on the doors, a weapon in your pocket, and allies on hand.
These details will build “a neighborhood that is dangerous, where you the protagonist are unsafe” far better than “hey, there are some not-white people living here.”