[Turadis]

I think pretty much all of what Shujin said would come true, actually. But my main additional perspective is focused on another issue, and informed by decades of experience in RPing communities. This one in particular.

Monster races are very cool, and the big part of their coolness is how they're handled in the setting as distinct from 'common' races, which, in SL2, they definitely would not be. You need only look at how vampires and liches were handled for proof of that. But that also doesn't really matter that much to me, someone else may have a different idea of why being a lizard-man is cool. Even if it's just to RP being cold blooded or something. However, there is one additional pandora's box here that I don't dare uncrack.

I've had issues with a lot of Dev's decisions regarding the game over the years, but one thing I've never once judged as anything but completely necessary is the total embargo on anthropomorphic characters. It is, and will always be, an ERP sex thing.

Everyone knows it on some level but it anxious to say it. When someone wants to play an anthropomorphic character, it is nine times out of ten, a fetish thing. They will always try to claim it is not a fetish thing, but it is always transparently a fetish thing. As a game that is already battling to provide a space where plotlines about epic fantasy drama other than alchemizing the beast with two backs can exist, opening the floodgates to a particular community of people invested in making every space they touch an ERP fetish playground bursting with so much sexual harrassment and public indecency that the administration struggles to keep up with it all is a death sentence.

Back in World of Warcraft, a game which had developer intended and demarcated roleplaying servers for those who were not aware, the playable release of the werewolf-esque Worgen race in 2010 had catastrophic effects on the roleplaying community such as what I've noted above. The same or similar stories have played out in D&D Living servers I've been to, in other BYOND games I've looked into, and even in a few forum RPs I've been involved with. It's the same with all public roleplaying spaces. SL2 would not be different. It is the sort of thing that can only work in a private space with people you know you can trust.

Now, not every monsterous concept suggested in the OP was necessarily an anthromorph. I wouldn't have a shred of issue with non-anthromorph monsterous characters being more freely permitted. And indeed, anthromorph characters that are portrayed as serious characters in the setting and don't exist to get the player's rocks off can hypothetically exist. Just like vampires and liches who were totally adherent to the race's lore and intent can exist. But how common were they? And indeed, sexual harrassment is an issue in the community already, even without opening these particular floodgates. But I sincerely feel the quantity of such issues we deal with now would not even be a fraction of what we would be inviting by allowing anthropomorphic characters in an unrestricted capacity.

If monsterous races are going to be permitted going forward, I heavily advocate that they remain application-only. Individual players should be vetted, and their character art and concepts scrutinized to prevent a downward spiral like what I've observed so often in the past.

[Eggyboi]

I suppose I should actually throw my hat into the ring and get talking.

I %100 agree with Turadis. There's not a doubt in my mind that it'll quickly fall apart, and it's one of the key reasons I have never vouched for the removal of applications regarding such characters. And while I'm not comfortable getting into extreme detail in an outlet such as this, there are a myriad of more reasons even beyond what Turadis has stated here in favor of keeping it application-only.

Then it comes to the topic of how people treat such characters. I do agree that our community tends to take one look at monster characters and go "this is my friend now, we are pals". And I do agree that it can be an issue, getting in the way of RP more than helping. Refering back to the situation Ray mentioned, that did majorly slow down a lot of how the situation could have been handled. BUT, that'll never change in any situation. The second a player character is the subject of a controversy stemming from a course of horrible actions, and the character isn't an obvious villain or is well liked in some way, the community splits itself on how to deal with them, both ICly and OOCly. The end result is almost always a redemption arc, that character suddenly becoming inactive and no longer being a problem, or some big OOC fuss that never ends well for anybody.

Honestly, I love monstrous homunculi. I love the idea of inhuman monsters in general. Whether that inhumanity comes from a similar appearance to certain monsters, extra limbs, or even bordering on those "anthro" qualities. Obviously, I'm biased, just look at my character application. But the situation is complex, and while I don't think the community's response to such characters would be a problem in-and-of-itself, I do think that the issues voiced by Turadis would absolutely occur. These types of characters should absolutely be kept to application and application alone. However, I think the rulings on the characters' appearances should be more lax, making it more of a background check of the character's reason for looking that way, and the player's history.

So, to sum up my opinion on the matter:
Don't you dare allow these types of characters to exist without an application.
And, less seriously, I do want them to be more accepted as legitimate characters. There's a lot of good story opportunity in such designs, and, they're just plain fun.

[MegaBlues]

[Edited to remove needless inflammatory content. You're allowed to disagree, but you're not allowed to do that. Please conduct yourself in a more respectable manner in the future. - Dyst]


It's a slippery slope and everyone knows it., There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to change a pre-established setting to suit your fetish.

[caliaca]

I've had issues with a lot of Dev's decisions regarding the game over the years, but one thing I've never once judged as anything but completely necessary is the total embargo on anthropomorphic characters. It is, and will always be, an ERP sex thing.

Everyone knows it on some level but it anxious to say it. When someone wants to play an anthropomorphic character, it is nine times out of ten, a fetish thing. They will always try to claim it is not a fetish thing, but it is always transparently a fetish thing. As a game that is already battling to provide a space where plotlines about epic fantasy drama other than alchemizing the beast with two backs can exist, opening the floodgates to a particular community of people invested in making every space they touch an ERP fetish playground bursting with so much sexual harrassment and public indecency that the administration struggles to keep up with it all is a death sentence.

What the actual shit.

---

It's a slippery slope and everyone knows it., There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to change a pre-established setting to suit your fetish.

This is the most eye roll thing in the world considering what the anime community makes. 


This kind of post shouldn't be accepted in this community.

[WaifuApple]

As a certified sonic fan I don't think declaring all anthros ERP bait or fetishes is appropriate. Some of us anthro enjoyers are just on copium hoping the sonic game climate stays good for once.

For a community of RPers, some of which will have or still are involved in the furry community (they do tie over a lot) I think we can stand to justify not having anthro races without broad stroke calling a whole bunch of people in our own community a whole bunch of fetish people (and simultaneously kink-shaming people on the forums of a PG-13 game, based on that assumption???)

There are reasons we can't have anthros, but it's a problem with our community, not a whole wider one.

[Red Witch]

It's a slippery slope and everyone knows it., There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to change a pre-established setting to suit your fetish.

I just about never use the forum beyond reading it on occasion, but this is a bit of a yikes post my man.

Try to be a little nicer in the future.

[i/o]

just a fun story i think: the guy who pretty much pioneered that entire train of "all the furries are trying to fuck animals and kids and must be purged from all but the darkest corners of the internet" brain and rode it to stardom ended up popping himself in the head a couple years back, because he was a bitter miserable hyper-reactionary fuck who was despised by everyone around him.

anyway.

[Eggyboi]

Okay...first off, this is not the topic of this thread.

I understand how the argument against furries may be brought into this topic, but the phrasing of such isn't condone-able by anyone, on both sides.

This is a discussion about peoples' individual opinions on Monstrous Homunculi specifically. You can despise furries as you please, but this isn't really the thread for it. And you can think what was said was out of pocket, but please don't respond to it and argue. It just goes against the nature of a thread like this, and serves to muddy the waters of what was otherwise a well articulated discussion between people.

[1starbob]

It's a slippery slope and everyone knows it., There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to change a pre-established setting to suit your fetish.

This is just an A class way to promote a discussion you know? This riveting and interesting wall of text really makes me think "Wow this is an understandable take and not at all obnoxious and overblown in any way!"

Personally I'd like the idea of more monstrous people, but I think the application process should stay as is.

[Snarky Soujo]

It's a slippery slope and everyone knows it., There's nothing more obnoxious than trying to change a pre-established setting to suit your fetish.

Its not often I look at the forum and feel obligated to reply to something, but dropping attachments with slurs to support your view isn't a good look. It just makes you look ignorant.

Looking at this with a normal person's perspective, someone is making a character with a design in mind. Some things fit the setting, some things don't. It isn't that deep, and it certainly doesn't need to bring up an uncomfortable conversation about sexuality to a thread.

In any case,

I like intelligent monstrous characters, I just think they're neat. Monsterous characters in Pan's Labyrinth, the Dark Crystal, She-rah, Warhammer/Warhammer 40k, Dungeons and Dragons serve strong narrative purposes in storytelling and offer a dynamic that is interesting, whether it derives from their physical attributes or otherwise.