Change the paradigm

[SangoOgun]

Hello,

 

I've been playing Don't Starve Together on and off for a while now and I enjoy it very much but I've realized that some thoroughly authentic and well researched non-white characters are needed for the next update to match in wit and complexity the characters already provided.

 

I would really like for my partner to find some mmo games that would appeal to her, she doesn't like shooting or killing and as she looks through the steam store ghosts of white supremacy and war saturate the market, making it hard for her to feel comfortable just looking through the games.

 

I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this and I feel like I could be doing so much more to address white supremacy and institutional racism and I know I try where I can in my community. I could write paragraphs about how institutional racism and white supremacy have decimated the Black Community in the 30s and the 70s here. I hope to someday make my own games that teach social justice issues in a fun and engaging way. People need to know their history. People need to know African history because it is human history. Africa is not one country but many! All named by colonizers. I have been to Nigeria, Kenya, and China through grants with Sister Cities International only for brief visits. My time spent at these places is invaluable. American culture needs to expand and really have intentional International Perspectives with Those International minds and hands at the table.

 

These deaths in the media black people dark skinned people of color who find themselves in a world trying to kill them from the start. A system trying to pull every lever and flip every trick it can to sustain this illusion of safety and peace for those it deems worthy, all constructs.

 

My partner talks about growing up in the black community and how as a young girl in Texas she knew not to ever scare white people, she knew as a child that you could be killed for nothing at all.

 

Does that culture of fear just go away?

 

I'm just trying to relax and play some games and right now I have a server open at the character creation screen and I just have a hard time looking at how all human characters are light skinned euro-centric-derived. and the only dark character is a monster. I just got fed up with it and wanted to share and say something to the community. It's kinda funny just that its been there the whole time and now i'm going to have to start over and find a Day 2 server.

 

tl:dr Black people dark skinned people of color need more representation in our world. I'm just writing you to add some characters please

 

Once again thank you for your time

 

Best,

[Derpime]

WTF?Dude,it is just a game...But i think that you can look in the code to change the color,or you could just wait until the Klei realease the character's skins update.Pleasee,you don't need to be so extreme about skin's colors,just please

People have color skins i know are still playing the game.Just chill bro,chill,drink a cup of tea,eat your cookies.It is just a game

[DarkXero]

authentic and well researched non-white characters

 

We have Woodie. He's Canadian.

[avilmask]

Yeah. And also it must be homosexual. And his title will be "The Polit Correct Character".

Not sure what to do about feminism.

 

Polit correctness in video games is a cancer, friend. Don't be offended.

[UnionGaming]

I don't want one for stupid political correctness, but to be honest, a black character would be cool. Webber counts, right? XD

[RCcola]

I second the option.  I love and adore the game.  And a few interesting new characters, who are also Not The Typical Caucasion, would be great fun.  

[Luponius]

If the characters were all black I wouldn't care either way, and I wouldn't be making posts for white characters (although admittedly it could be hard to recognize facial expressions, particularly at night - and I ain't trying to joke, it's just a design difficulty)

 

Honestly the racist concern stems from being overly conscious about this stuff. What happens inside this game won't change the lifestyle of dark skinned individuals going through tough times, it will do nothing to further upset it nor somehow prevent it.  It's a game, play it to have fun, and don't bring in real life crap into it, because it quite frankly defeats the purpose of a virtual digital experience.

[PandaWaffles]

Not The Typical Caucasion

 

WX is a robot. Webber is a part-spider creature. I'm not entirely convinced Willow and Wickerbottom are completely human.

[Dipps]

Don't starve's main storyline follows incidents from early 1900's, particularly post-1906 (after the San Francisco Earthquake). Somewhere around that time is when Maxwell pulled all the characters into this mysterious world, even if they reconsidered the offert or if they got there against their will. At that point in time, the society was drenched in prejudices against different skin pigmentation, therefore interaction between persons of different origins was limited (either because of the mockery you'd get from your white pals, or because the person of color won't accept to talk with you, besides worse reasons).

 

Let's assume Maxwell did meet someone of an African American origin. Let's assume for a moment that the said person was either rich from a number of reasons, or was openminded enough to accept relations with someone of white color. Hell, maybe he didn't even involve with Max at all, maybe the latter was just interested in the former's personality, so he said it'd be fun to see him inside the Don't Starve world. Even then, you'd not get any content unless the developer is specifically willing to work for it, so your other options is either to receive a poor quality character because someone decided to force ideas down the leader's throat, or to work for a good character yourself.

 

And even if you suggested it, it's more probable that the company in charge will just follow their visions. Knowing Klei, that's probably how it's gonna go. They either see the suggestion and they decide that they'd like to add it into the game, or they deny the idea and continue their progress and work. Quality work comes from own inspiration, imagination and perception. No need to put forward morality fueled proposals. 

[RCcola]

If the characters were all black I wouldn't care either way,

 

Ya know, that's an interesting concept.  My cousin wondered if just allowing us to change the skin color palette would help.   Another option would be to change color randomly.  

 

Though I have adored all the characters so far.  It would be interesting to see someone of another racial type.  Not saying I'd stop playing if it never happened, but I think it'd be cool to see.