Please don't use swear words in game text

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DaveBerry33
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Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by DaveBerry33 »

I've changed "tree-shagger" to "tree-hugger" in my downloaded copy of the description of "Son of the Black Eye", but I'd rather the word "shagger" wasn't there in the first place.

Of course orcs, if they existed, would use much worse language than that, but Tolkein managed to write LotR without repeating them and I'm sure you can do the same with BfW!
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by joshudson »

I second that.
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Sapient
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Sapient »

ESR is the current maintainer of the campaign, and a lot of people already did raise that concern in IRC, and as you can read, in the mailing list.

https://mail.gna.org/public/wesnoth-dev ... index.html
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Dave »

I concur with this. I do not think that Tolkien would have ever even considered putting "tree shagger" in any of his writing. Meanwhile he was able to come up with plenty of perfectly valid insults without resorting to crudity.

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db0
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by db0 »

I dissagree. I believe it should stay as it is.

Also, keep in mind that our current swear words are not the same as the ones used in other times. In current society cursing is related to sex and excrement whereas in the past swearing was usually related to blasphemy or hybris. Taking this into account, it's possible to have swear words that are related to Wesnoth but don't strike a chord with us.

Nevertheless, I don't believe the artistic freedom should be shackled and "shag" is pretty much a non-swear word who's only meaning comes because people used it instead of "[censored]" so that they wouldn't have to say it. Taking it out is like taking "darn" out. Both mean nothing by themselves
gotrek860
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by gotrek860 »

I agree with you take out swear words, take out violence, and turn Wensoth into Mickey Mousenoth.

No respectable orc should be seen not swearing.It is part of lower class history through the ages and if Wesnoth actually takes it out, it's really sad and another victory for the PC police.
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Kestenvarn
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Kestenvarn »

I don't see how 'shagger' could be considered a swear, but it's not exactly something important enough to keep either...

You do realize tree-hugger is not much better, right? They mean the same thing, how is that an improvement?
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by gotrek860 »

Hum not really:
To hug:synonym of to embrace...

to shag: synonym of to f****, to make love....

Walk around the streets with a "free hug" sign then do the same with a "free shag" sign...you'll soon learn the difference.
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Iris »

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/shag

This stupid dictionary doesn't agree with my Spanish/English dictionary, which indicates that shag (vulg.) means "follar" (english: [censored]).

*Burp*

Sorry. :eng:
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ulissesroc
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by ulissesroc »

Shadow Master wrote:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/shag

This stupid dictionary doesn't agree with my Spanish/English dictionary, which indicates that shag (vulg.) means "follar" (english: f***).

*Burp*

Sorry. :eng:
I was infact looking at that page, not being able to comprehend how shag should be considered as swearing.

Reading the post cleared everything.

I anyway agree with the thread's title.
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Shadow »

Poor Goethe.
With this kind of attitude. The good old Götz von Berlichingen would never had his famous quote. :lol2:
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Cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark cafe ...
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by Velensk »

I doubt that it was an immediate concern of his, what problems sensitive people would have when reading about it in history books, while he was defying the Bishop.

I think it says something negitive about where I live if I say that I hear much worse than Tree-shagger everyday so I've grown somewhat numb to it. I doubt it's much better in most places in this country, but I don't know for sure.
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catwhowalksbyhimself
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by catwhowalksbyhimself »

I just would like to point out that this word is likely considered to be swearing in some countries and not in others. In America, it really isn't. In Britain, it likely is, although I'm not certain about that, not being British myself.

At any rate, I think it probably should be changed, unless you want to go marking certain mods as mature, since there are a lot of younger players. That being said, the decision should be left up to the author.
DaveBerry33
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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by DaveBerry33 »

Thank you for your replies. I can't see the mail archive at present, so I'll just respond to the points made here.

I don't the issue here as one of artistic freedom. Nor it is relevant how words come to acquire their meanings, which is clearly illogical. The issue, as I see it, is what audience you want to reach with BfW. I was recommended BfW in part because it would be suitable both for adults and for children. Other classic games that I've played with my son include Age of Empires 1&2, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. On the other hand, he'll have to wait several years before he gets to play Grand Theft Auto.

There may also be adults who would prefer not to read swear words in the games they play. That doesn't mean you can't produce such games; it just restricts your audience. And it would be polite to let people know in advance that certain campaigns or other material contains profanity, so that they can make an informed choice.

People can always write whatever campaigns they like. The issue here is an editorial one - which to include with the distribution. (Or rather, what is the editorial *policy* for campaigns that may be included with the distribution).

If you want to use invented swear words, that's no problem. But in this instance, "tree-hugger" seems to work just fine.

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Re: Please don't use swear words in game text

Post by turin »

Tree-shagger just sounds stupid. And not orc stupid.
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