Base Location and the local population

[green slime]

Hi,

I'm a long time fan of XCOM, having played the original all those years ago. I admit I have not yet had the opportunity to acquire the pre-release from Steam, as work pressure is through the roof currently. While sneaking past a few webpages about Xenonauts, I stumbled across this:

http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/showthread.php/3748-New-UI-preview!

Now, the people in these images seem remarkably Northern European for a base in North Africa. It struck me, wouldn't it be cool if the majority of the people on the base appeared to come from the region in which the base was located? Would this not contribute greatly to the feeling that it is a truly international effort?

[Gauddlike]

What do you mean by the people on the base?

Your soldiers can come from a few varied nationalities and they do form the vast majority.

[green slime]

Well, if you look at the images on that link, almost all the characters look north European (except the Ukrainian Jeremiah Jobsworthe... In 1979, I don't think there were that many Africans with Ukrainian passports...), when the base is in North Africa. I don't know about you, but I think it would definitely help immersion if majority of the soldier's names and appearance matched their origin / base.

So in an Asian base (say in Japan), you'd have more Asian characters (appearance, names) as scientists, engineers, and rookies/squaddies. In the Indian base, you'd have more Indians. in a North African base, I'd expect to see more African names, and appearances. In South Africa, almost only caucasian. Of course, you can still send troops around between bases, but the primary recruitment for each individual base would be regional at best.

[Gauddlike]

Scientists and technicians don't have names visible so they are not an issue really.

I could see a bit of a lean towards certain nationalities maybe.

Give a slight increase to the chance of a certain nation/group of nations being present in the pool depending on base location.

Doesn't seem too essential though as you can already select your soldiers from a pool.

If you wanted your North African base to mainly have African troops then you would just hire them and not so many American or Japanese troops.

[green slime]

It's not just names...

How about looking at the images, posted by goldhawk, depicting the Research chief, the Chief Engineer, The Barracks Officer for the base. It is all Northern European, and creates a disconnect between base location and reality. Part of the experience in setting up bases around the world, is global co-operation. If all the important team members the player interacts with are "Aryan master race", except for a few grunts, the game starts to reek of South African Apartheid.

In 2013, isn't it time we got past our cultural bias?

(I'll say nothing of just the ludicriousness of the African Ukrainian Jeremiah)

It should be quite simple on a splash screen, to display different figures, to reflect the region (in broad terms) in which the base is located. Furthermore, it should also be simple to have names and appearances of grunts to be recruited, regionally weighted. Small details such as this allow for better immersion (more so than having yet another rifle with marginally different performance). It's no big deal. Nothing difficult to programme, or requiring hours of rendering.

[Gauddlike]

I have indeed looked at the images.

I can honestly say that the skin tone of those fictional people mattered less to me than the function of the UI screens.

If the resources were available then making multiple versions of all of the UI screens might be a nice touch.

It would be quite far down my personal priority list behind things like acquiring animations for the flamethrower which would add actual gameplay value.

The only people who matter in the game are the soldiers where variety is already present.

Personally I wouldn't draw comparisons to nazi Germany and apartheid but each to their own.

[GizmoGomez]

Honestly, I couldn't care less what race my base staff are.

Considering that the Xenonauts are originally a joint NATO-Soviet program, it kinda makes sense, if you think about it.

Also, if you consider the time period, it also makes sense. I mean, it's 1979.

If it's that big of a deal, then maybe you (or someone else) could, once the final versions of the new UI screens are released, change a couple of those guys/girls to be of other races. However, I don't think that (I honestly mean no offense) pandering to someone's desire for racial diversity is a good use of the developers time.

If you have the time and skills necessary to make it work, then go ahead, I'll support you.

[StellarRat]

But remember the game is set in the 70's. Most of the people you mentioned were in fact white and of European descent. I don't think there is any prejudice or bias there at all. The fact that we have women soldiers is pretty far out there for the time. I really don't think this is a big deal and certainly not worth worrying about as far as a game change.

[thothkins]

um, I liked the old screens, but I have to say that I didn't overly notice that the three guys were white. besides, I like to think that they aren't really the ones in charge. They just drew the short straw in having to talk to the commander.

Actually, come to think of it, in a base defence shouldn't there be an extra character in the command room? The player as Commander. Or are we saying the Commander ran off to hide with the HR department?

[GizmoGomez]

Hmm... good point. Where is the player character?

Turns out, you're actually immortal and invisible, or a computer AI or something. That'd be interesting.

[snowshadow]

What would be more interesting, is that you're a rough alien with morals wanting to put a stop to this senseless conquering. So you take control of an officer in command of the xenonaut project and have him issue orders with the intentions to protect earth and strike back after the scientists researched the hyperspace engine from a carrier cruiser. Ha that would be a twist I would remember for years.

[UfoTubby]

It's not just names...

How about looking at the images, posted by goldhawk, depicting the Research chief, the Chief Engineer, The Barracks Officer for the base. It is all Northern European, and creates a disconnect between base location and reality. Part of the experience in setting up bases around the world, is global co-operation. If all the important team members the player interacts with are "Aryan master race", except for a few grunts, the game starts to reek of South African Apartheid.

In 2013, isn't it time we got past our cultural bias?

(I'll say nothing of just the ludicriousness of the African Ukrainian Jeremiah)

It should be quite simple on a splash screen, to display different figures, to reflect the region (in broad terms) in which the base is located. Furthermore, it should also be simple to have names and appearances of grunts to be recruited, regionally weighted. Small details such as this allow for better immersion (more so than having yet another rifle with marginally different performance). It's no big deal. Nothing difficult to programme, or requiring hours of rendering.

If I were involved in making this game I'd be offended to the max by this post implying that the names and pics used in Xenonauts come down to something that is remotely comparable to outright racism and Apartheid because someone feels people from (part of the world) X are underrepresented.

[Max_Caine]

Okay, to the person who necro'd this thread, naughty boy. Please don't necro year-old threads when you can easily make your own. Could I politely ask that nobody else please respond to this thread - the OP has never come back and this is only raking over coals long since cold. If people feel strongly on this issue, then could you please make a new thread on this subject which reflects the state of Xenonauts as it is now, rather than as it was then.