Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

Children in TDM


Morat

Recommended Posts

I haven't thought too much about it and might change my opinion after debate, but my initial thinking is, I don't have any a priori problem with children in FMs, and there are certain stories where having them might add to the story in positive ways. Dishonored is an example where the child gave the player a bigger stake in the outcome, although it wasn't always the best storytelling, but I understood what it was doing.

 

But I also know how a lot of players or just the game-world might deal with the actual kid AI that I'd find distasteful, and I wouldn't want to meddle with what a player can do to stop it that way. And not having them doesn't really close off too many story ideas just because most FMs don't really need them to work well. So practically I'm fine with them not being around in FMs and am not in any rush to add them.

 

For my own FM, I had the implication of violence to a child. Part of it was, at the time I was outraged at actual violence to a child and it was a way to express my anger at it, and let the player share that anger by making the perpetrator the bad guy, and they could send him a message if they wanted. But I didn't need an actual child model to have that setup, I wouldn't want it even if I could, and it was probably a lot more effective that I didn't.

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a pretty cool idea for a TDM mission would be like one I played in a T2 FM where you had to break into a pirates hideout and rescue children that were being trafficked. Seemed like a great use of a children and it wasn't over the top intense (they weren't being tortured or anything just held in a cell with a bed). Also made you feel like a hero rescuing those children... and of course clearing out all of the pirates booty felt great... :ph34r: Gotta pay rent still!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and the foot in the door in the child trafficking business, never have to steal anything again.

I stayed out of these because of where the topic was going, which resulted in a big chunch of it being moved to another thread. The above comment could be seen as inflamatory, so can I ask as one member to another than you try and stay on-topic?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is it off topic to talk about a T2 FM with children in a thread about children in TDM...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alternatively, take the loot and the foot in the door in the child trafficking business, never have to steal anything again.

 

I'd much rather see them used for moral dilemmas, where there was no obvious black-and-white answer.

 

You can save the child or the world, but not both (Torchwood: Children of Earth did this, albeit in a somewhat melodramatic fashion).

 

Or even, you can save one child or the other, but not both.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Torchwood: Children of Earth did this, albeit in a somewhat melodramatic fashion).

I sometimes wonder if Russell T. Davies realises how borderline carnivalesque his writing is when coupled with Murray Gold's OST.

 

Still, The Last of Us did it too, with your young companion being a possible cure for the virus, but also with the researchers having killed plenty of similarly immune kids in the past and gotten nowhere. That, in addition to the fondness the protagonist and player have developed for her, make it really dubious as to what the right choice is. Somebody could do something like that, where a child carrying some sort of plague is cooped up on a ship or in a tower or whatever, and the player is commissioned to go kill her, but then given a few choices with regards to what to do, and how to do it. That would make for a memorable mission.

 

Because it looked like it was going to start another off topic discussion.

npa5yMn.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Wow my nostalgia filter with that game was quite strong as when I played (when it first came out) I was blown away by the graphics and audio..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess it would be a thrill to do something so sinister...I wouldn't be looking out for them just to wack em but if someone set up a mission that the antagonist was a child and the option was there to kill to complete a goal I'd have no issue with it, it would be quite demented to put a figure of innocence as such a devious plot device. I wouldn't go out every mission thinking "I wonder how many kids I can kill this time" - but it brings up a point that if there were random children and killing them was common place to the game, it would lose its charm of being offensive over repeated plays.

 

One of my favorite "mission goals" from any game was helping Sander Cohen from BIOSHOCK complete his masterpiece by killing his protegees and taking a picture and then assembling the collage. Twisted as anything, and IMO, pure genius.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love killing the kids in NMRiH simply because they're little shits who will kill you in a couple of seconds if you let them get close. There's something satisfyingly taboo about blasting a little zombie body across a car park with a shotgun, but obviously doing the same with the picture of innocence would be awful. I guess it comes down to how well-crafted their place in the FM is, whether they're idling AI (I feel bad enough about knocking out maids) or are antagonists or rescue objectives.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL you bring up good point, a lot of time I see players creating feelings for AI and "feeling bad" to kill them when in most cases the AI are hostile and don't hesitate for one second to permanently put the player down on their back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I played Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, and there were children in some missions and you can knock them unconscious like everyone else (but like all civilians, killing them fails the level). And I don't think no one has ever objected to seeing children being punched or gassed in that game.

"Let me guess - little blue men with three heads stole your sweetroll?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But it is though, and my wife agrees.

 

How has this been uncommented so far?

Pretty sure homophobia is not accepted here, or anywhere else.

Edited by Paralytik
  • Like 1

"My milkshake bringeth all ye gentlefolk to the yard. Verily 'tis better than thine, I would teach thee, but I must levy a fee."

"When Kleiner showed me the sky-line of New York I told him that man is like the coral insect—designed to build vast, beautiful, mineral things for the moon to delight in after he is dead."

https://soundcloud.com/paralytik

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... or anywhere else.

 

Here, people are pretty liberal.

 

There are plenty of countries with anti-homosexual laws. I understood Russia is one of them, for example.

(Anyhow, this is might be better suited for the Value of Values thread. ;))

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hooooh.

"My milkshake bringeth all ye gentlefolk to the yard. Verily 'tis better than thine, I would teach thee, but I must levy a fee."

"When Kleiner showed me the sky-line of New York I told him that man is like the coral insect—designed to build vast, beautiful, mineral things for the moon to delight in after he is dead."

https://soundcloud.com/paralytik

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel so stupid and ignorant now.

"My milkshake bringeth all ye gentlefolk to the yard. Verily 'tis better than thine, I would teach thee, but I must levy a fee."

"When Kleiner showed me the sky-line of New York I told him that man is like the coral insect—designed to build vast, beautiful, mineral things for the moon to delight in after he is dead."

https://soundcloud.com/paralytik

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel so stupid and ignorant now.

Nah, don't be silly: you weren't to know. Keep fighting the good fight.

We wish have a homosexual FM with gays and lesbians. LOL..

Where the player is tasked with stealing the rainbow codpiece from the leader of Ye Olde LGBT parade marching through the city square, shortly before they're shot down by firing squad and lynched by the civvies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Recent Status Updates

    • Petike the Taffer  »  DeTeEff

      I've updated the articles for your FMs and your author category at the wiki. Your newer nickname (DeTeEff) now comes first, and the one in parentheses is your older nickname (Fieldmedic). Just to avoid confusing people who played your FMs years ago and remember your older nickname. I've added a wiki article for your latest FM, Who Watches the Watcher?, as part of my current updating efforts. Unless I overlooked something, you have five different FMs so far.
      · 0 replies
    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
    • OrbWeaver

      I like the new frob highlight but it would nice if it was less "flickery" while moving over objects (especially barred metal doors).
      · 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...