Thanks for making the thread.
Larian, please don't follow in Bioware's steps now that you're relatively successful. PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR GAMES TO PUSH AN AGENDA.
Games can contain politics, maybe they "will" contain politics like a lot of people here are saying and maybe we can't avoid them but I'd rather not see the game become a device utilized to push an opinion as the RIGHT thing. Bioware did that, focused on that and look where they are now.
Include choices that are diverse, and not make us feel helpless in the face of the writer's agenda(again, like what Bioware did).
Again; an agenda, or politics, flavors everything people do. You base your actions on your worldview. Do you think people need help? Then you donate to the local food bank. That's a personal agenda; to help the hungry.
Are you someone who feels the LBGTQ community needs more repesentation? You might add a few characters to your book/movie/story that fit that role. Even if they come off as natural due to good writing, it might be your 'agenda' that added them in the first place.
And the thing is; whenever someone disagrees with a bit of media, be it book/movie/show/game, they will start looking for agendas they disagree with and say
'This is why it sucks!'.
It is almost impossible to NOT put your personal views in your work, because your personal views are part of WHO YOU ARE. Even if you just like chocolate, so you give one of the characters an addiction to chocolate that pops up at funny moments. That personal view has now made it into the game with your statement 'I really like chocolate'.
And someone looking to attack your story/game could say
'Character with chocolate addiction! Making fun of diabetics/Obese people/addicts?'Anything can be politicized these days, and usually is, when someone needs ammo to attack something they hate.
..Or when websites/'games journalists' (ugh) need clicks
'10 reasons why the protag of BG3 was secretly a genderfluid tree in love with a bumblebee! You won't believe number 8!' or
'10 reasons why Larian are liberals, and why their game succeeded/failed!'It will always be there, because everything we do, we do based on our personal views and life choices. IE: Personal politics & agendas.
Most people saying 'Please don't add politics' are saying
'Please don't add something I won't like'. Because they don't want politics they don't like. If they agree with a statement, they probably won't even be aware that it was there at all.
We only take note of things we disagree with. It's kind of the human condition, sadly; we don't care, so long as it does not bother us.
