[Mature Topic]Strange Things....

[Keilyn]

This topic is a mature topic which touches on sensitive and more real world behavioral themes present in Phantasy Star Universe. The content of this topic may in fact be shocking and undesirable to the reader.

I feel I owe a bit of warning and reach out to say that if you wish to not be exposed to this, that you have a chance to leave this thread without reading any of its contents encased in spoiler-box tags. All I ask is to please be open and responsible if you choose to reply.


[Spoiler-box]I must say that PSU has one of the strangest communities . I don't mean it as an insult, but an account of my own experiences is in order. Judge for yourself.

These accounts are from the North American PS2/PC server.

One day during the Shred The Darkness event...of course with a name like (STD) it made me feel like I was contracting something digitally from players attempting cybersex in certain lobbies in server's 1 and 2.

I found myself around people who tried to convince me that what I would perceive or act like in the real world should be abandoned in an online game on the pretense that it is just a game.

So numerous people befriend me and share their love interests....I perceive at first an interest is made to another character, that is until I find myself in a discussion on what would be a good way to make certain characters fall in love with one another. I find myself lost in a conversation as those involved tell me about themselves and make it clear their wishes are real world relationships beyond the scope of the characters.

I see the characters who are "in love" are two female characters, who their players are male in the real world. This is not new to me, but then I hear that one wishes to "move in" with the other. So after being informed of their ages it turns out that a forty-five year old married male with three children is interested in pursuing a real world "love" relationship with an eighteen year old male who wishes to have a sex change.

I recall some relationships where some came onto me...Distinguishing between character and real world proved difficult and though they did not last very long, warned me to the crowd I had found myself exposed to.

I took the liberty of asking a friend for aid in resolving the situation. It had turned out that this fellow also wished for a sex change and was a bisexual who told me of stories of physical abuse.

I walked around for weeks exposing myself to others and listening to their stories. Many of them similar and to some disbelief began to make me feel agitated.

I once remember hearing a story of a homosexual who claimed he fulfilled a sexual fantasy. He comes one night into my character room asking to meet him in his. So he brings his friend into the room and they both start "roleplaying" homosexual cybersex.

I wondered about their real lives and I was quickly informed that one was a homosexual and the other was a heterosexual in the real world, both had come online roleplaying as the opposite gender, practicing cybering.

I lashed out, curious to the reaction as I faced two fellows attempting to convince me to place higher value on online sexual roleplays over physical sex.

Would it be considered a harsh move to inform players who are publicly cybering in any form to take it to their room? Of course that would not prevent the behavior as I often see in new players becoming manipulated by more experienced players.

I remember having found a bisexual player during the winter mission carnival event who was feeling rather sad. I questioned the player in an attempt to help and was asked to her room. She brings a male character lover into the room and then asks if I can take the place of the female lover in a cyber.

"you're kidding right?" was my response. I find myself blacklisted for also saying "no" and feeling sick to my stomach.

Of what I am telling, these are some of my mildest experience when I forced to compare against lowest experiences (a point of view...I assure you).

It is not the game which worries me. I question if such a game intended for kids (as I refer a teenager to be a kid in my eyes as growth takes longer these years) is actually safe for children in the way of the current community.

One of my best friends with a pretty character model is always telling me about how she is always been simple-mailed with requests for online-sexual favors....

If I were to part ways and leave this game, it would not be due to the lack of updates or to the style of playing. I would leave because of the sheer amount of indecency exposed to...

Has anyone else been exposed to this type of behavior and experience? Or is it something else?

[/spoiler-box]

[SabZero]

Maybe you need to be clearer that you are role playing.

Also, some people are huge oversharers when protected by anonymity. They may also exaggerate for cheap thrills.

I usually run the opposite way when the subject comes up ("asl anyone"). Though I really haven't ran into it on PSU.

[Tetsaru]

I can think of several ways to respond to this:

1 - The gamers/nerds/otaku community can and will be creepy to be around at times. Just go to any convention or club related to that sort of thing, and you'll see what I mean.

2 - All video games are rated by the ESRB, but they have a disclaimer that states "online content is not rated," simply because you can't control the actions of the people that play the game. Imo, little kids shouldn't be playing MMO's in the first place (unless they're specifically designed for children, and/or with supervision), because they don't need to be exposed to that sort of thing.

3 - The world is full of sexual deviancy... Japan especially. You know how Japan's population has been growing older lately? Most of it has to do with otaku males who'd rather collect artificial dolls or watch porn/hentai all the time instead of actually getting their own girls, and I can kind of understand because a lot of them are socially deviant as well, and/or aren't used to being around "normal" people because they're so used to the anonymity the internet provides. Also, a friend of mine who has a long-distance relationship with a Japanese girlfriend has told me that a lot of girls in Japan are becoming lesbians simply because the men over there usually mistreat them horribly, or are similar to the above-mentioned otakus.

4 - Rule 34 of the internet. Look it up if you don't know what I mean. :3

[landman]

I've seen this in the demo, but not "much" in the real game, but heard stories...

Any online activity is a danger for young players that don't know how to "control" this, so if that is your case and you don't like it, just ignore it, blacklist them, etc you could always report to sega if you have been harassed after blacklisting someone.

[garjian]

meh...
it happens to my 2 female characters all the time...

i type a convincing girl apparently...
so i lead them on, do the crappy teabagging and cheering etc.
then speak.

some of the reactions are priceless :P but i really enjoy being able to roleplay as my characters, even if it has to be in these conditions :\

[Volcompat321]

I've never experienced this, and would never ask to cyber.
I find it....very disturbing. VERY!
If I were you, I'd get new friends.

[HyperShot-X-]

there's a solution: quit PS2/PC server and come on over to 360 side, there are more casual ppl here which means you have less chance of running into these extreme individuals with abnormal activities, most likely.

Some of the accounts posted are just unimaginably sickening.. a 45 yrs old father of 3 children going at it with a 18 yrs old teenage boy, that's original o_O

[Volcompat321]

At least he's of age...amirite?

[HyperShot-X-]

in that case the kid in legal age or the father or both can be charged for adultery.. am i rite?

[LiveCowboy]

This was like reading the back of a deoderant label.

[Volcompat321]

in that case the kid in legal age or the father or both can be charged for adultery.. am i rite?

Adultery isn't illegal....
It's just a reason to get a divorce and get all the money.

[HyperShot-X-]

are you saying adultery is not a crime..in your state?

[landman]

lol is adultery a crime in any country outside of the (edit: some of the...) Muslim world? o_O maybe you are confusing term, did you mean pedophilia by any chance?

[Tianna]

I have heard stories but never really had anyone "go too far" with my characters in PSU...pc/ps2 btw. Maybe it is the way I carry myself and let everyone know that my husband plays PSU also and even if my 10 an 12 year old children are in the room. Many tims I have asked if the language could be watched if my children were around (I sometimes play on ps2 on a 52" screen tv right in my living room). Almost all people I have asked that appologized and toned down their language, very courteous. Only once that I can remember someone said !@#$ that, I left the lobby solving the "problem".

In short, ANY online game is not a good place for younger children to be, so then the responsibility lies strickly on the parents...IMO

[ChibiBecca]

I've never really run into this in PSU, unless it was some idiot trying to troll one of the main lobbies. sure, some of the people i party with make terrible and consistant sexual innuendoes, but they tend to keep it in-party text and only use it in a joking manner. they'd tone it down if i asked them to. :p

Just remember, if someone is making you uncomfortable in the game, nothing is stopping you from logging out or just blacklisting them and leaving the area.

[Volcompat321]

are you saying adultery is not a crime..in your state?

It is not a crime in any state in the United States.


lol is adultery a crime in any country outside of the (edit: some of the...) Muslim world? o_O maybe you are confusing term, did you mean pedophilia by any chance?

Probably that.
Adultery is when a man or woman cheats on his or her husband or wife.

Adultery does go against the bible if you believe in that nonsense, but it's not a law to commit sexual acts outside of marriage.

[Tianna]

Pat, I hate to disagree with you my friend but here is the link and it's sources below...adultery is a crime in many states albiet not enforced as much anymore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultery

Under criminal penalties...funny one state has a $10 fine...LOL

[Volcompat321]

Okay, maybe it is a law, but not one that people actually get penalties for.

Usually it's just for greedy people to get out of marriages, and having to pay alimony.
In all seriousness, when was the last time you heard someone actually go to jail/fined/prosecuted for committing adultery?


The enforceability of adultery laws in the United States has been / is being questioned following Supreme Court decisions since 1965 relating to privacy and sexual intimacy of consenting adults, in cases such as Lawrence v. Texas; however, occasional prosecutions occur.[34]

Most western countries have decriminalized adultery

[Tianna]

Personally, none. A friend of a friend of a friend's 3rd cousin removed...about 3 months ago. I do totally agree that it is very seldom a case of prosecution but on the books none-the-less.

[Volcompat321]

Yea, I can agree to that.
Sorry to whoever it was I said it wasn't to....lol

Wonder what the law about it is in California.

[landman]

Oh wow, you never go to bed without knowing something new :-o those usa...

[BIG OLAF]

I definitely know what Keilyn is talking about as far has getting simple mails asking sexual favors. My main is a female beast, and quite a pretty one, as many of my friends and random people tell me. I must say I get at least 1-2 mails a day asking anything from "Will you go out with me?", to "Can I *** on your glasses?". (This is on the 360 servers, by the way.)

I must say, it's rather agitating. I'm just tying to play the game, not be sexually harassed. It seems to me that Keilyn has had some rather disturbing, raunchy experiences, and has my condolences.

[Squirrel3D]

Any guy that is attracted by a damn PSU female character needs to be put on medication. Are they that fucking desperate? Do they not get out much?

It just makes you question their sanity...

[Shou]

Oh really? I like to play along. :wacko:

Edit: Oh God look at the post I am under. My comment is talking about the OP NOT the above post :o

[Volcompat321]

I'm with Squirrel.
I don't see how a cartoon/anime character can turn anyone on.
Just don't see it.

[BIG OLAF]

Actually, it's not abnormal. The human brain is "programmed", if you will, to see attractiveness and/or beauty, without distinguishing between real and not. Subconsciously, anyone and everyone will find video game characters beautiful/handsome (depending on your own gender), without knowing it. It's up to your conscious self to actually filter between the two.

I'm not saying it's correct to be smitten with a video game character, I'm just explaining why some people would be.

[ashley50]

Welcome...to the world of the Internet OP :)

[Gunslinger-08]

It is not a crime in any state in the United States.



Probably that.
Adultery is when a man or woman cheats on his or her husband or wife.

Adultery does go against the bible if you believe in that nonsense, but it's not a law to commit sexual acts outside of marriage.

Whether you believe that "nonsense" or not, I was still under the impression that adultery was still looked on as being a douchebag thing to do to a spouse, legal or not.


---
As for the weird sexuality people are seeing online, it's normal. Now hold on and let me explain that. I mean normal as in something that's perfectly expectable. You've got anonymity. A lot of these people are simply exhibiting feelings that they'd never express in real life because of this anonymity.

I also can't help but wonder how much of it is just talk.

Let's say some guy really got in my face today, and I was 2 inches from ripping his face off. I'm going to express my frustration in a way I feel comfortable. Anything I say while I'm venting might not really be what I would do, but it feels liberating to say it. Thus, I've got some feeling off my chest, and don't have to worry about it coming back to bite me.

I know that was a bit long-winded, but does anyone follow me?
(I could have missed the mark, but it's been a rough morning, so cut me some slack.)

[Volcompat321]

Well of course it's a douche bag thing to do. I never said it wasn't.

[Gen2000]

This was like reading the back of a deoderant label.


Really. I was expecting something.....more from the thread title. This just sounds like someone is new to the internet.

[Gunslinger-08]

Well of course it's a douche bag thing to do. I never said it wasn't.

I should have phrased that differently. Wasn't trying to suggest that that was what you were saying.

[Mikura]

I've ran into a few strange/weird people like that, but it's expected in every MMO. Maybe I'm just jaded, but nothing online anymore seems "abnormal" to me anymore. Like many on here have said, many people are just expressing their feelings they have pent up inside because they can't do so in real life, or are too afraid to. And I'm sure the other half of those people are either exaggerating things greatly or just making up some BS story to get some attention.

No offense to anime fans out there either, but I find most of them are pretty..."different" shall we say, and this game in particular attracts those type of people because of the design and aesthetics of it, so you may have a little higher chance of coming across that sorta crap on here than on any other MMO, but that's not to say this type of behavior doesn't exist anywhere else because it's everywhere on the internet.

To make a long story short, if someone is sexually harassing you online or trying to get a little too close to you for comfort, simply blacklist and ignore them.

P.S. I want to add that personally, I find nothing wrong whatsoever with finding a videogame or anime/cartoon character "attractive." Just because it isn't real doesn't mean it can't be hot. Obviously, many people think they are or else you wouldn't have so many game designers and anime character designers making their characters with pretty faces and curvy bodies. You just need to have enough common sense to realize that the only thing those drawings or representations are good for is eye-candy, and nothing else. It only becomes a problem when you obsess over a fictional character to the point where you want to fantasize about being with it in a make-believe relationship.

[3R]

It's pretty simple overall. These games are mostly played by teenagers with no control of their libido neither restrictions behind anonymity to behave like they wouldn't in real life.

It's just so much people need to get laid for the first time lol

[Mikura]

It's pretty simple overall. These games are mostly played by teenagers with no control of their libido neither restrictions behind anonymity to behave like they wouldn't in real life.

It's just so much people need to get laid for the first time lol

This is why I think legalizing prostitution and brothels would cut down cybersex harassment considerably. >_>

[Freshellent]

I just had a chance to look this thread over, I've wondered when something like this would show up.

Would it scare OP a little if I said much, much stranger things have happened previous years on this game than what they witnessed? PSU has possibly one of the most interesting communities I've ever come across, it pales in comparison to even the most dramatic role playing communities I've been in or heard of.

Let me put it this way: " If you knew half the stuff that went down in this games lifetime, you'd prolly never want to be part of it in the first place."

[Allison_W]

I see the characters who are "in love" are two female characters, who their players are male in the real world. This is not new to me, but then I hear that one wishes to "move in" with the other. So after being informed of their ages it turns out that a forty-five year old married male with three children is interested in pursuing a real world "love" relationship with an eighteen year old male who wishes to have a sex change.

Poor girl, setting her sights so low as a would-be adulterer old enough to be her father. Did she think he'd leave his wife and three children, and then after that, remain faithful to her?


Would it be considered a harsh move to inform players who are publicly cybering in any form to take it to their room?

No; a locked room or locked mission is really the only appropriate place for it.


It is not the game which worries me. I question if such a game intended for kids (as I refer a teenager to be a kid in my eyes as growth takes longer these years) is actually safe for children in the way of the current community.

No, I don't think anyone should be out cybering in a place that isn't A) private, like their room or a mission, ideally locked or B) specifically designated for that kind of thing, which PSU is not. However, I will admit that your tone came off a little like a piece on the supposed immorality and horrors of gay and transgendered people, though I don't think you meant it that way.

Tetsaru's right, though--the Japanese are pretty deviant. You know those schoolgirl, maid, etc. outfits in the game? Those are big sexual fetishes in Japan (also underaged girls, which might explain some things), and I wouldn't be surprised if that's why they're in the game. Also, Voloyals, which I see about half the female characters in the game running around in. If they were a relatively uncommon sight, it'd be tolerable, but what the hell, community.


One of my best friends with a pretty character model is always telling me about how she is always been simple-mailed with requests for online-sexual favors....

If I were to part ways and leave this game, it would not be due to the lack of updates or to the style of playing. I would leave because of the sheer amount of indecency exposed to...

Has anyone else been exposed to this type of behavior and experience? Or is it something else?

Yes, I have, though infrequently; I tend to scare off the players who don't know how to take "No" for an answer--then again, perhaps that's because I frequently play characters that don't fit the models of female beauty accepted by the subculture (or, for that matter, by our culture at large).

[Mikura]

Just on a sidenote, I wanted to add that I have 3 female characters and only 1 male, but I never get any lewd mails from guys when I'm on my girlies. It's not that I'm a total ass when I play either. I suppose I've always been lucky in that regard. I hear other people get it often, but I've no idea why unless they're just unfortunate enough to keep running into pervs in the game.

[BahnKnakyu]

MMORPGs, chatrooms, anything social and online in general that gives you a veil of anonymity (sp?) and the chance to roleplay and fake your identity will result in the kind of bullshit you run into Keilyn. These activities have a higher tendency to attract undesirables and/or people with "problems", so to speak. When you have a bunch of antisocial (using the defintion of antisocial being: unable to properly socialize and/or get along with others) people in a closely knit area with nothing to keep them in check, of *course* you're gonna run into these problems.

I play most of my characters as an extension of my personality rather than roleplaying completely differently. That's why I'm hesitant to play females, because I wouldn't feel like "myself" playing them. If I DO play females, I try not to make it look or sound like I am one and do things like dress them in combat gear rather than frilly outfits and/or things that would make an untrained player automatically assume I'm a female.

It's all how you handle it, I guess. Who knows, some males really want to be females in real life? I don't know.

[autumn]

That is the internet, you just learn to ignore it. I don't know where you guys get these mad PSU tales, I didn't have much trouble during my 3 years on PSU and I'm actually a girl O_o

[Squirrel3D]

I'm not afraid to play as a female character in a role playing game....simply because I don't give a damn what anyone says. See I'm not a talkable person in this, or any game that uses text and voice chat. I just play the game, have a good time, and that's it. Beleive it or not, actually based the 4 Thomas' I play as after ether myself or people I've met in real life.

There are tons of mentaly ill people in online gaming unforently, and those are the ones we always run into.

Also, as an anime fan (though not as much as you think I am), I feel very misrepersented by those who take the fandom for anime way too far.

[Freshellent]

I don't think there's been a time where I'm played a female character on an MMO and didn't get hit on. On WoW I didn't speak much to people just because everyone was a rude ass to begin with, but all too often I was told " Hey! You tank pretty good for a girl!" Or " That's really strange that you choose to be a tank, girls usually heal or something."

On PSU, it's been a regular thing for me to go afk and come back to mails like " Hey, do you cyber? " " r u realli a gurl?". Even on my male human I got people leaving me stuff in my room or mails that make me cringe.

The main thing is, when your nice to a male online as a female character, they usually assume that your actually female and or want to have a relationship right then and there. Being nice to the automaticly means " By golly! This is a girl and she's interested in me!" to certain guys.

Your best bet is to be straightforward and call them out on shit, or do like I do and mess with them a little, teach them a lesson if you will. Sometimes you don't have to blacklist them, if you do it right they'll NEVER want to talk to you ever again.

[Allison_W]

It's all how you handle it, I guess. Who knows, some males really want to be females in real life? I don't know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transsexualism


I don't think there's been a time where I'm played a female character on an MMO and didn't get hit on. On WoW I didn't speak much to people just because everyone was a rude ass to begin with, but all too often I was told " Hey! You tank pretty good for a girl!" Or " That's really strange that you choose to be a tank, girls usually heal or something."

My general response to business like that is "lolstereotypes."


On PSU, it's been a regular thing for me to go afk and come back to mails like " Hey, do you cyber? " " r u realli a gurl?". Even on my male human I got people leaving me stuff in my room or mails that make me cringe.

Hrm, I don't get that. I have had people leave stuff in my room once in a while, but I've no reason to think it's anything more than a friendly gesture, myself. I'm sorry you draw the wrong crowd, though. :(


Your best bet is to be straightforward and call them out on shit, or do like I do and mess with them a little, teach them a lesson if you will. Sometimes you don't have to blacklist them, if you do it right they'll NEVER want to talk to you ever again.

Now something like this actually did happen to me on City of Heroes, and in a genuinely frighteningly creepy kind of way.

Suffice it to say that after his experiences with me, he doesn't target women wearing skirts over their tights anymore.

[pinkace]

Honestly, there is nothing inappropriate going on in any of the cases the Keilyn mentioned. This game is rated T for Teen, so no 8 year olds should be playing it. By the time a kid turns 12, meaning old enough to play this game online or off, he or she MUST have had the birds and bees talk. It should be a crime that so many people in this country do not do this. Any parent that does not explain human sexuality and all of its many colors and textures to his or her child is willingly preparing this child to be confused, offended, and embarrassed at a later age, as it has clearly been the case with Keilyn.

Sex change shocks you? Homosexuality offends you? Sexual fantasies seem disgusting?

You need to ask your parents why they were not responsible enough to educate you about the world. There should be a 'bad parenting' fine or something.

"You need a license to drive a car, but they let any nimrod have a kid"

[Keilyn]

Honestly, there is nothing inappropriate going on in any of the cases the Keilyn mentioned. This game is rated T for Teen, so no 8 year olds should be playing it. By the time a kid turns 12, meaning old enough to play this game online or off, he or she MUST have had the birds and bees talk. It should be a crime that so many people in this country do not do this. Any parent that does not explain human sexuality and all of its many colors and textures to his or her child is willingly preparing this child to be confused, offended, and embarrassed at a later age, as it has clearly been the case with Keilyn.

Sex change shocks you? Homosexuality offends you? Sexual fantasies seem disgusting?

You need to ask your parents why they were not responsible enough to educate you about the world. There should be a 'bad parenting' fine or something.


I suggest that you spend more time proofreading and verifying your information and less time with the personal attacks.

The teen rating is for 13+ as found at

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp

AoTI is rated Teen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Phantasy_Star_Universe_-_Ambition_of_the_Illuminus_Coverart.png

As for everyone else:

Thank you so much for your replies to this. I felt like asking more on how people feel on the general matter at hand. It is true that my thread started as specific examples, but carried on a more general approach out of curiosity as I have also been told many stories by other players of their experiences and encounters.

What have you seen? ^_^

[Allison_W]

Like I said, the tone sounded a bit like the OP was expressing problems with gay and transgendered folks in specific, but I don't think they necessarily meant it that way.

Now, OP, I'm sure you didn't, did you?

[Keilyn]

I personally do not have problems in general with them, though I will admit I do think about what people would go through in order to desire a sex change...but you know...that really is none of my own business to begin with.

I also use the "acceptable" terminology as well. "Homosexual" as opposed to "Gay" and "Transgender" as opposed to "transexual"

See...I've played enough games online and this is the only community where people actually attempt to use sexual orientation as a means to sound like a minority. I will give another example:

One such experience involved a male who also played as female characters. This male claimed he was a transgender homosexual...hence a female who went after other females. Around a week later this person turned out to be a male in real life who prefered female players controlling female characters. In short...this player had assumed the role of a transgender homosexual but in reality was a heterosexual male who had given others a bad name through his behavior.

When I questioned him...I was told he had a male persona and a female persona within himself, but I stated that it does not undo the damage in representing something that he was not. Of course he dismissed me and the entire action, but due to how widespread it was, there were similar people who took on the same approach...using orientation to create a minority group as a measure for being treated kinder while approaching cybersex relationships.

I am not making a reference that "all X are Y" but I am pointing out to some of the strangeness I have seen here.

Also, one fellow replied earlier that if it bothers me to simply blacklist...but to blacklist anyone who approaches me under another sexual orientation would be discrimination and contrary to how I approach people in the real world.

If you want to know what my thoughts were when a twelve year old told me he felt that he wanted and wished for a sex change...I asked him if it would be wise to undergo the procedure before his body reaching full growth and the repercussions that came with it.

It was a good conversation and I enjoyed his response.

[Akihito]

When I questioned him...I was told he had a male persona and a female persona within himself, but I stated that it does not undo the damage in representing something that he was not. Of course he dismissed me and the entire action, but due to how widespread it was, there were similar people who took on the same approach...using orientation to create a minority group as a measure for being treated kinder while approaching cybersex relationships.


This answers your original question in a sense. Ya, People who behave like this are really just off their rocker but theres enough people acting this way that those not thinking this way are becoming a minority in themselves, regardless if its messed up or not.

I see this behavior all the time in PSU sadly, even if its just a play of words or the full blown action. Those men complaining about getting hit on their female characters are just asking for it.

Pretty soon its time to just lose hope and accept that the internet is now run by anime obsessed 275 pound 5'10'' males who think people who live in the real world are missing out.

[Allison_W]

I'm going to be self-disclosing somewhat in this reply--nothing inappropriate, IMO, but there is some Sharing. Just thought I'd let you know.

[spoiler-box]
I personally do not have problems in general with them, though I will admit I do think about what people would go through in order to desire a sex change...but you know...that really is none of my own business to begin with.

No one knows for sure. The best guess so far is that it's innate, possibly caused by the hormonal environment in utero.


I also use the "acceptable" terminology as well. "Homosexual" as opposed to "Gay" and "Transgender" as opposed to "transexual"

The whole labels thing is a bit of a minefield, though "gay" tends to be more used than "homosexual," and "transgender" is a somewhat more general term than "transsexual"--"transgender" is kind of an umbrella term that includes more than just transsexuals, at least in common usage. So yes, you can just go ahead and say "gay" instead of "homosexual," but I appreciate your consideration.


See...I've played enough games online and this is the only community where people actually attempt to use sexual orientation as a means to sound like a minority. I will give another example:

One such experience involved a male who also played as female characters. This male claimed he was a transgender homosexual...hence a female who went after other females. Around a week later this person turned out to be a male in real life who prefered female players controlling female characters. In short...this player had assumed the role of a transgender homosexual but in reality was a heterosexual male who had given others a bad name through his behavior.

When I questioned him...I was told he had a male persona and a female persona within himself, but I stated that it does not undo the damage in representing something that he was not. Of course he dismissed me and the entire action, but due to how widespread it was, there were similar people who took on the same approach...using orientation to create a minority group as a measure for being treated kinder while approaching cybersex relationships.

I am not making a reference that "all X are Y" but I am pointing out to some of the strangeness I have seen here.

Honestly, it bugs me, too--especially the fellow claiming to be a lesbian transwoman (to make sure we're both on the same page, I assume you meant "a male-to-female transsexual attracted to women") when he knew he was being insincere. Actually being one such individual, I often feel like I'm on thin ice as it is, and I don't appreciate it when people come in just to jump up and down and stomp on it like a child having a temper tantrum. Such deceivers are not people I want to be (mis)represented by.


Also, one fellow replied earlier that if it bothers me to simply blacklist...but to blacklist anyone who approaches me under another sexual orientation would be discrimination and contrary to how I approach people in the real world.

Oh, you don't have to blacklist anyone for their orientation or gender identity, certainly not! However, it is perfectly kosher to blacklist someone for acts of douchebaggery. Like not understanding "No thanks I really don't want to get involved."


If you want to know what my thoughts were when a twelve year old told me he felt that he wanted and wished for a sex change...I asked him if it would be wise to undergo the procedure before his body reaching full growth and the repercussions that came with it.

I wish I'd had the opportunity! Starting hormone replacement therapy early in puberty means you never have to live through having your body betray you. Surgery, if desired, can be performed at a much later date without serious repurcussions from the delay (and starting hormones young enough can actually make a lot of surgeries and other procedures, like mastectomies, electrolysis, facial surgery, etc. unnecessary). There is a risk of choosing incorrectly, but in a child with serious gender issues and a stated desire to transition, "letting nature take its course" is just as dangerous, if not more so. The compromise that's becoming more common these days is to put such a child on puberty blockers once they start showing the first signs of entering puberty to prevent their body from masculinizing or feminizing, then make a decision on actual hormone therapy at 16--it's not always convenient, but it's highly preferable to the alternative.

Send the kid my way and I'll see if I can help.[/spoiler-box]

[hyperacute]

Dark window into the soul and all that...

Never understood why some people are like this personally but I suppose anonymity and repression make for some pretty weird behaviour. Still, PSU has the blacklist function if they get too persistant or annoying and if they get really creepy, naming and shaming on the internets with chatlogs and pics is a guaranteed source of much mirth :wacko:

[Keilyn]

It is funny you should mention Anime Akihito.

I watched a lot of animation (and i don't mean just Japanese animation) but I also grew up with a lot of books, movies and roleplaying games...including some stories I've written myself. Not to mention sitting down and listening to the many stories people have about their lives and having some of my own as well.

I've always loved anime character design and storyboards. Lots of ideas from watching, but my largest problem with anime has been the sheer amount of science fiction/mecha anime series where you watch a ton of episodes....and wait for the last few episodes and you are bombarded with some crazy philosophical ending....which is like some digital god interfering with the plot and bending it to their own will...

...Same happens with some RPGs...you reach the end and deal with some philosophical debate before deciding to actually kill the final boss ^_^. It had me rebel when I was a kid and write my own paperback stories and ideas just to avoid it all.

[pinkace]

I suggest that you spend more time proofreading and verifying your information and less time with the personal attacks.

The teen rating is for 13+ as found at

http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp

AoTI is rated Teen


Oh noes I said 12 inztead of 13 my whole argument is invalidavidationed!!

Regardless, assuming you (or whoever bought you the game) are following the law and you are old enough to play this game. being shocked and offended by the different sexuality of others signals immaturity and lack of education... no, education is not the right word, it is lack of information

I am not attacking you, you are the victim here. I am attacking your parents for not preparing you for life, your educational institution for not picking up the slack left by them, and this country's religious zealotry and overall prudishness, which leaves us with a society permeated with pain, confusion, hatred and sometimes violence.

P.S.: Keilyn, I thought it would be best to read every post on this thread, and I am seeing that you are either softening your tone from your initial post, or actually learning a bit from other posters. Whichever is the case, it is good news all around. The bad news is that there is even 'stranger' stuff out there. Always remember that people are not defined by their sexuality; just as I am not just a heterosexual male, no other person should be labeled as just a gay man or just a lesbian transgender. We are much more than our sexual orientations. Sexuality is just a small sliver of the whole of a person. Never forget that.

[DAMASCUS]

Wow, this whole thread is amazing to me. I was pretty shocked back on PSO when I first heard about 'Cybering'. I seriously thought that they were joking because it just sounded too wierd especially since the Forest area hardly seemed romantic. Unfortunately, I ran into a couple open parties that they forgot to lock and didn't notice me come in..oops. I left as soon as I realized what they were doing.

Fortunately, even though I had one female character I never had any weird problems. I broke down because it was suppose to be a joke character based off of the movie A.I.. WarMecha was a HUcaseal.

The fems in PSU are just too sexy I can't do it lol XD

[Akihito]

Oh noes I said 12 inztead of 13 my whole argument is invalidavidationed!!

Regardless, assuming you (or whoever bought you the game) are following the law and you are old enough to play this game. being shocked and offended by the different sexuality of others signals immaturity and lack of education... no, education is not the right word, it is lack of information

I am not attacking you, you are the victim here. I am attacking your parents for not preparing you for life, your educational institution for not picking up the slack left by them, and this country's religious zealotry and overall prudishness, which leaves us with a society permeated with pain, confusion, hatred and sometimes violence.

P.S.: Keilyn, I thought it would be best to read every post on this thread, and I am seeing that you are either softening your tone from your initial post, or actually learning a bit from other posters. Whichever is the case, it is good news all around. The bad news is that there is even 'stranger' stuff out there. Always remember that people are not defined by their sexuality; just as I am not just a heterosexual male, no other person should be labeled as just a gay man or just a lesbian transgender. We are much more than our sexual orientations. Sexuality is just a small sliver of the whole of a person. Never forget that.


Dont get me wrong, Anime in itself isnt bad for you. I enjoy watching some of it but things like that make some people who watch anime religously think they can go around jumping from tree just cause an anime character did it in a ninja show. All too often I see teenage/middle age males gushing over more girly animes like MelanHaruhi(Spelling?) or Lucky Star and things like that. I see them humming or listening to carmeldance songs and things like that and they look at me like im the queer 1 lol.

[Keilyn]

Pinkace,

I do not appreciate being treated as a statistic within your assumptions. You do not have enough information to judge everything around me at your whim. I find your behavior to be rude and condescending.

[pinkace]

Pinkace,

I do not appreciate being treated as a statistic within your assumptions. You do not have enough information to judge everything around me at your whim. I find your behavior to be rude and condescending.

Well, you are new around here :shy: :blush: I just post on what I know. My first post was based on your first post on this thread. My second was based on your reply, and so on and so forth...

You can't expect me not to discern your persona by your posts when that is all I have to judge you by. But I know very well that sometimes when a person starts a thread they do so within a frame of mind and later on that has changed. I think that is the case here, your replies to other posters seem much more sensible than your first post.

Whichever way, I wish you well. Stay out of the east village until you are ready

:bondage:

[Mikura]

Dont get me wrong, Anime in itself isnt bad for you. I enjoy watching some of it but things like that make some people who watch anime religously think they can go around jumping from tree just cause an anime character did it in a ninja show. All too often I see teenage/middle age males gushing over more girly animes like MelanHaruhi(Spelling?) or Lucky Star and things like that. I see them humming or listening to carmeldance songs and things like that and they look at me like im the queer 1 lol.

It is "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzamiya" and "Caramelldansen" to you sir! But seriously, I totally agree. Some anime fans are just weird in every sense of the word. Not all fans of course, but the ones that are hardcore generally tend to be flakey. <.< And if you approach them about it, they'll just say they are "open-minded."

[Keilyn]

It does not explain making a play at my parents as they are not registered here, don't post here and you do not know them. You have some nerve to claim that you were not attacking me and then attack my parents who you do not know.

[Allison_W]

Pinkace, chill. Please. :(

Keilyn, did you read my earlier reply?

[Yusaku_Kudou]

I haven't really seen anything like this on the 360. Just spamming of "OMG I'M SELLING A 3/7 SWEET DEATH 12% 2 MIL!!!" and other crappy weapon spamming.

[garjian]

I haven't really seen anything like this on the 360. Just spamming of "OMG I'M SELLING A 3/7 SWEET DEATH 12% 2 MIL!!!" and other crappy weapon spamming.

your female characters probably arent slutty enough :P

[Mikura]

your female characters probably arent slutty enough :P

I concur. Wear Voloyal, or other clothes with ample skin and cleavage showing. I promise you they will come by the dozens.

[Allison_W]

I concur. Wear Voloyal, or other clothes with ample skin and cleavage showing. I promise you they will come by the dozens.

I wish more people would take this advice. If Voloyals were uncommon, it might be one thing, but the sheer ubiquity of such trashy clothing is ridiculous.

[Mikura]

I wish more people would take this advice. If Voloyals were uncommon, it might be one thing, but the sheer ubiquity of such trashy clothing is ridiculous.

They are a dime a dozen. But I'll be frank and say that I actually wear a set myself. (The red/yellow one that's kinda rare) It's only for one character though. I try to diversify on the rest. <_< It is slutty, but I like the design of it regardless. Plus, it's a nice compensator if you made a character and maybe didn't make her quite as busty as you want. Hurray for outfits that increase boob size magically for no apparent reason.

[hunterseifer]

Yeah, I havent had these kind of problems with online games until I played PSU, if I play either male or female this happens(but mostly as a female chars). Usually I'd ignore it, but it happens alot since ppl have nothing else to do ingame or irl, so its best to go play something else, instead being on psu online and thinking "what should I do in psu today?" for ten to fifteen minutes, and still thinking.... and then someone comes up from behind and does something unholy to you or send mail thats rather disturbing T_T

And on a side note, I dont own any voloyal sets or wear anything trashy on my chars so I'm not asking for it :p this stuff just happens since ive played this game for a long time!

[Mikura]

Yeah, I havent had these kind of problems with online games until I played PSU, if I play either male or female this happens(but mostly as a female chars). Usually I'd ignore it, but it happens alot since ppl have nothing else to do ingame or irl, so its best to go play something else, instead being on psu online and thinking "what should I do in psu today?" for ten to fifteen minutes, and still thinking.... and then someone comes up from behind and does something unholy to you or send mail thats rather disturbing T_T

And on a side note, I dont own any voloyal sets or wear anything trashy on my chars so I'm not asking for it :p this stuff just happens since ive played this game for a long time!

Well, I've found for some guys, they don't even need anything to entice them. Just being a female character alone is enough to get them started on a tangent. Really, I think the only way to avoid it 100% playing as a female character is make her short, fat, and distort the face as much as you possibly can. And if a guy STILL hits on you? You really better stay as far away from him as humanly possible then. D:

[pinkace]

what if the personality of a character befits scandalous attire? My newman is super prudish and shy, while my beast is into experimenting... :eek: :cuddle:

[Tetsaru]

Hurray for outfits that increase boob size magically for no apparent reason.

I approve this message! :grin: I'd sig it if I had more room... ^^;

Perverted as it may be, PSU needed some more variation in terms of character anatomy. For one thing, it seemed like, even if you made him fat, you'd ALWAYS have a muscular male character. And even if you had a busty female character, you'd make her even bustier if you maxed out her height and made her fat. WTF!?

[HyperShot-X-]

..for no apparent reason?? lol are you trying to play being innocent?

[Keilyn]

Apologies for not getting back to this thread in due time.

Allison, I read your reply in full. I would refer to you to this person and can give you the ID number of this player. Fortunately there is a player online trying to take care of the person who wants the sex change, however it is unfortunate that this person is blacklisted on my end.

The story goes that I tried to help this player by informing him of the dangers of going through a sex change when your body is not fully grown. To make things fair he didn't know much about the person he was with so my best friend in-game who was with the other player (for a long time) told him about her...

A day later the 12 year old conjured up a lie that I had cybered him and around seven people blacklisted me that day, two more blacklisted me the day later. I faced several problems and when people tried to be "would-be heroes" by butting into my life, I said "I am a heterosexual and I would not use online games to try simulate something physical I can have in the real world....let alone with a twelve year old"

So he tries to apologize to me through his friend that is helping him saying "I'm sorry, my lover made me do it." with his friend giving me a story of how his friend has some problem in the real world...and I simply said "No..Perhaps if he wasn't so messed up.." because if there was a FULL MODERATION team in the server who was akin to believing twelve year olds (while forgetting this game has a teen rating) that lie without investigating them....that could have caused my account to be banned if this game actually were ran decently.

[pinkace]

The story goes that I tried to help this player by informing him of the dangers of going through a sex change when your body is not fully grown.

You mean well, but all you are doing is hurting this person. You are adding fuel to the fire by confusing this person more, especially at an already confusing age. It is not your concern, this person is just an online playmate, not your friend or relative. Furthermore, I am still not convinced your intentions are pure.

Just because he or she wants the operation doesn't mean it will happen. It takes a very long time to get the whole thing done, most of that time would be spent under psychological evaluation.

[adycarter]

Furthermore, I am still not convinced your intentions are pure.

You ain't alone on that one....

[Yusaku_Kudou]

Well, a good bra can make you look a cup size bigger... trust me, just bought a $50 bra this weekend lol! I can't say I care to try the Voloyal Set on my character... I like her in my HUnewearl outfit. <3 I try to make her look like me and dress her up how I would if I had to choose between those clothes.

[Tetsaru]

Well, a good bra can make you look a cup size bigger... trust me, just bought a $50 bra this weekend lol!

Fifty bucks on a BRA!? Geez, you could practically get a new game for that much... =x

I just find it amusing how much money women spend towards making themselves look beautiful for us men (although we usually appreciate that sort of thing - I do, anyway :razz:). All we have to do is go to Wal-Mart or somewhere similar, buy a pack of cheap boxers that fit, and we're good, lol... <_>;

[Yusaku_Kudou]

Look beautiful for men...? We do it for ourselves. Not every girl likes guys, anyway, remember.

[Tetsaru]

Look beautiful for men...? We do it for ourselves. Not every girl likes guys, anyway, remember.

Touche. =x

Still, I don't see much point in getting all dolled up if you can't really show it off a little bit. If you've got it, flaunt it, right? :3

[Yusaku_Kudou]

Of course you flaunt it: to make yourself feel confident! Doesn't have to be for anybody else. I don't know any girls who do, either. We New Yorker women are tough!

[Tetsaru]

Of course you flaunt it: to make yourself feel confident! Doesn't have to be for anybody else. I don't know any girls who do, either. We New Yorker women are tough!

I've always wondered what it'd be like to live in a big place like NYC... nothing but agriculture and rednecks outside the college scene where I'm from... :disapprove:

To me, confidence has to come from within, and can only be influenced so far by other things... I guess it just depends on how you were brought up...

But I digress. Tits and explosions solve just about everything, especially if they're big! :grin:

...or was it duct tape and WD-40?? Something like that, anyway. :3

[Mikura]

Well, a good bra can make you look a cup size bigger... trust me, just bought a $50 bra this weekend lol! I can't say I care to try the Voloyal Set on my character... I like her in my HUnewearl outfit. <3 I try to make her look like me and dress her up how I would if I had to choose between those clothes.

$50 for a bra just seems insane to me. Even if it added like...2 or even 3 cup sizes to you, I can't see the justification in the price. lol Besides, wouldn't some cheap padding underneath the bra accomplish the same thing? >_> Hell, I heard stories where they even go so far as stuffing bags of pudding in there to make it more...realistic? It's crazy what girls and women do for themselves, whether it be for confidence or to grab a man...or another woman.

(Yeah, totally derailing the thread but the bra comment I simply could not pass by. >_>)

[Tetsaru]

$50 for a bra just seems insane to me. Even if it added like...2 or even 3 cup sizes to you, I can't see the justification in the price. lol Besides, wouldn't some cheap padding underneath the bra accomplish the same thing? >_> Hell, I heard stories where they even go so far as stuffing bags of pudding in there to make it more...realistic? It's crazy what girls and women do for themselves, whether it be for confidence or to grab a man...or another woman.

(Yeah, totally derailing the thread but the bra comment I simply could not pass by. >_>)

I guess better to spend $50 on a push-up bra than thousands on getting sillycone-filled lies implants. =x

If I wanted to be intimate with a girl, I'd rather hug her and feel *SQUISH* ~<3 rather than *THUD*... o_<

...How did we get onto the topic of boobs again?? Oh well, idc, this is a mature topic anyway. I wouldn't be an honest straight guy if I said I didn't like naturally big breasts on girls. :whip:

[Mikura]

I guess better to spend $50 on a push-up bra than thousands on getting sillycone-filled lies implants. =x

If I wanted to be intimate with a girl, I'd rather hug her and feel *SQUISH* ~<3 rather than *THUD*... o_<

...How did we get onto the topic of boobs again?? Oh well, idc, this is a mature topic anyway. I wouldn't be an honest straight guy if I said I didn't like naturally big breasts on girls. :whip:

Yeah, really don't see the appeal in the "fakies" at all...

And boobs are always a fun topic for whatever reason, so of course it's going to get brought up once in awhile in conversation. <.< But yeeah, I'm the same way Tet. 'Tis one of my weaknesses. :<

[pinkace]

Speaking of boobs, sexual identity issues and whatnot, a girl friend of mine said once that she loves boobs so much, that even though she likes men and is very much straight, she would love it if her boyfriend had boobs.

I am not a boob man myself. I hate how every boob on every game has to jiggle. The novelty wore off a few years ago already. I was playing Virtua Fighter 5 the other day and noticed that Sarah Bryant's ass jiggles more when she wears the tight hot pants. This is supposed to be a fighter that has enough power on her thighs to kick a man's head clean off... why would her buttocks muscles jiggle?

...


not that there is anything wrong with jiggle. Angel Lola Love ftw.

[Keilyn]

You mean well, but all you are doing is hurting this person. You are adding fuel to the fire by confusing this person more, especially at an already confusing age. It is not your concern, this person is just an online playmate, not your friend or relative. Furthermore, I am still not convinced your intentions are pure.

Just because he or she wants the operation doesn't mean it will happen. It takes a very long time to get the whole thing done, most of that time would be spent under psychological evaluation.

Why would I need to convince you whether my intentions are pure or not? There is nothing pure or impure about fact, specially after a twelve year old who is not even supposed to be playing this game to begin with chose to play with us and in the middle of the first round start with his "I'm only 12 and I want a sex change" line and started seeking attention to his real world problems.

Not to mention the fact the kid decided to lie and claim I cybered him, causing nine people to blacklist me in two days......

[pinkace]

Why would I need to convince you whether my intentions are pure or not? There is nothing pure or impure about fact, specially after a twelve year old who is not even supposed to be playing this game to begin with chose to play with us and in the middle of the first round start with his "I'm only 12 and I want a sex change" line and started seeking attention to his real world problems.

Not to mention the fact the kid decided to lie and claim I cybered him, causing nine people to blacklist me in two days......

That is because you confused him further, and he lashed out at you. I believe you completely, but you are giving a little too much credence to this kid; even if he/she does qualify for it from a medical perspective, no honest doctor would perform any surgery at his age.

In any case, for future reference, if a kid tells you something like this, your response should be "you should speak with your parents and/or your school's counselor about these feelings, since I am not a licensed medical professional and no one on this game (presumably) has a healthy, realistic, and informed opinion on what you should do".

[Keilyn]

Actually, It started off that I did mention parents, but this kid kept coming on and on like there was no tomorrow...In fact half of us thought about blacklisting this kid from the beginning thinking he was playing us.

Also, I will choose what to say on my own terms and I don't need you to lecture me on what I will and will not say. Got it?

[Alamar]

Never happened to me. Have heard of people who knew people that are overzealous with the role playing. Lets not forget the infamous Cherry and the leaked photos. Anything can happen on the internetz.

[Allison_W]

That is because you confused him further, and he lashed out at you. I believe you completely, but you are giving a little too much credence to this kid; even if he/she does qualify for it from a medical perspective, no honest doctor would perform any surgery at his age.

Surgery, no. Hormones, unlikely. Puberty blockers, quite possibly (and, in fact, ideally)--but they're also considered a reversible and relatively safe intervention.


no one on this game (presumably) has a healthy, realistic, and informed opinion on what you should do".

I'm sitting right here you know

[Mikura]

Amen. And some of those stories from the PC/PS2 server are just plain disturbing. Makes me glad I didn't join D:

Hey, we aren't all bad. Every game and every platform has it's fair share of how shall I say "interesting" stories.

[Freshellent]

I think stories from RO servers are equally if not more horrifying that PC/PS2 ones.

[pinkace]

I'm sitting right here you know

Cases vary. Your experience is unique, and there is no template. Finding advice on an online game from people that know next to nothing about the real person behind the avatar is a bad idea, for any kind of psychological advice. Questions about the procedure, the choices, et al, are better obtained from the plethora of sites with information. However, I stand by what I said, you need to know the person to give advice on life-altering decisions. And to make my case properly:


Also, I will choose what to say on my own terms and I don't need you to lecture me on what I will and will not say. Got it?

You are being stubborn for no reason. You were talking about the dangers of surgery when clearly that would never happen, which signals how little you know about it, truly. You are passing advice based on your biased and extremely limited experience, and masking your true intentions to boot.

Do as you please. I hope you don't hurt anyone.

[AerisZeal]

You are being stubborn for no reason. You were talking about the dangers of surgery when clearly that would never happen, which signals how little you know about it, truly. You are passing advice based on your biased and extremely limited experience, and masking your true intentions to boot.

Do as you please. I hope you don't hurt anyone.

And you are being overly suspicious and rather high nosed. Whether Keilyn may or may not know anything about the subject is irrelevant as they've already talked to the person and the event has long since past. To say someone has bad or wrong intentions based on misinformation is just as biased and you are more than not saying, "You are bad for being wrong." Damage can be done yes but if it's done there is nothing to say to take it back.

Further more not being "talked to" by parents or guardians does not fully reflect on a person's perception of sexual orientation, though it can have some influence it is not absolute and any subject regarding one's parents from a stranger will come off as rude, especially if regarded in a less than friendly tone. Traversing lineage can be tricky for such educations, as the further back in time you go the more taboo sex becomes. It is less private now than ever and will likely become still less so. So to say one has irresponsible parents for not educating one in the area of sex and sexual orientation is simply wrong, as most parents would blush at the mere thought of talking about sex to their children and their parents would be even more prone to not talk about it and so on and so forth.

Besides these points, no one likes to be told what they should or shouldn't say unless they're asking for such direction so naturally your tone is coming off as offensive to Keilyn. So in the interest of the creator and the rest of us enjoying the discussion in this thread as it has been defined by the original poster please stop pushing opinion on them, you are entitled to yours, no one else.

[Dragwind]

This has gone far too off-topic.