RELEASED Maru White Skin

Discussion in 'Characters' started by diippyjas, Mar 8, 2016.

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  1. sunbean

    sunbean Void-Bound Voyager

    I didn't see that the mod added any racial stereotypes, but yes it is true that there are all sorts of hispanics. My mother is white and my dad black, but they're both hispanic. I don't necessarily find it offensive because again, people can do what they like, and it's not like it was meant to offend white people. The same might be said here. I personally don't want to change what the characters in the game are designed to be, even more so in a game that is mostly white. PERSONALLY.
     
    • Arnell

      Arnell Void-Bound Voyager

      wow chill, the purpose of the mod is for enjoyment of certain players, it's not intended to please everyone. even the modder just said the reason that it looks cuter, at least for him, and personally for those who use this mod.

      hes not even racially motivated, again, because the modder thinks it's cuter and suits his preference.
       
      • BlushingCreep

        BlushingCreep Phantasmal Quasar

        Perhaps, because you're not super fluent with English, some of what I said came off as harsher than I intended it to be? I did ask the modder why in a non-aggressive fashion. And, when I was dismissed as 'unnecessarily upset,' I responded with like tone. Flippancy breeds like kind. You, on the other hand, have been very clearly attacking me as a 'SJW' and calling me racist, and things of that nature.
         
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        • Cruxador

          Cruxador Poptop Tamer

          Pretty sure the "need" is that some people like Maru but are attracted to light-skinned girls.

          See, that's what I was JUST talking about in the post you quoted. It doesn't matter what race other people are for Maru, she's herself and she's entitled to be however she is regardless of whether or not that satisfies your affirmative action standards.

          Every culture mostly represents its majority population. Non-white people are more heavily represented in the media of non-white countries. And the idea that someone finds white more attractive than mixed is nowhere near as offensive as people insinuating that all colored people need to be the same way. Maybe you didn't mean that, but when it's fine to modify anything in the game including and gender of other characters, but the one thing that's not okay is giving light skin to a mixed person? How do you think that feels for a mixed person that grew up with light skin? People need to not be sanctimonious about other people's experiences when you don't even understand them in the first place.
           
          • ShinAsakura

            ShinAsakura Void-Bound Voyager

            I know man, you arent in the wrong. You´re being nice even if you dislike the mod, you dont want to see the world on fire cause of it.

            And you were 'unnecessarily upset'. You´re racist with the poor white-maru, you dont like a monoethnic stardew valley, go make you own mod, I wont be upset by it, no one would..
             
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            • Cruxador

              Cruxador Poptop Tamer

              You came out the gate aggressive acting like a SJW and also racist. Maybe you don't mean to, but it's natural that people will assume if you walk like a duck and talk like a duck then you're probably a duck.
               
              • ateos

                ateos Aquatic Astronaut

                Did he specifically called you that? It could be you know, in general sense.
                 
                • Oron999

                  Oron999 Seal Broken

                  Man, this is all kinds of uncomfortable.

                  Racial diversity in gaming (and broader media) has a bigger impact on people than many like to think. Being able to play a game and see characters like yourself makes a big difference. As a white dude, I don't need to worry about that lol. I'm the overwhelming majority of protagonists, and my racial presentation/reading is in line with a huge number of non-protagonist characters.

                  The difference between a hispanic mod for Alex and a white mod for Maru is an issue of context. If Jim and Bob are supposed to be sharing a pizza, and Jim takes 6 slices for himself, it's not the same thing for Bob to steal 2 slices from Jim as it is for Jim to steal 2 slices from Bob. Both in the wider context of representation and in the narrower context of this game, racial representation is far from proportional, and favors characters that read white to their audience.

                  That isn't to say that people shouldn't be allowed, on a forum-rule or policy level, to make or use mods like this. Criticism is not censorship; no matter how distasteful or counterproductive I think this mod is, you can still upload, download, and produce mods like it. And I'm not honestly invested in changing that reality. People care about issues like this, so they will take the time to express their care. They are allowed to do this, and you are allowed to ignore them.

                  What I really care about is bringing it to attention that issues like this exist, matter, and have an impact on others. On a systemic scale! I would ask you to consider why, as a player, you want to make the only non-white-presenting bachelorette white-skinned. Is it an aesthetic preference? Where does this preference come from? How likely are people to have this preference, and how do those likelihoods affect others?

                  I hope I don't come off as too hostile here. Many people care a lot about these issues and so aggression comes forth readily on both sides. One from frustration at the social systems hurting many people, and one from a self-directed care instinct to protect us from sudden aggression. Take a step back, breathe, and consider where your feelings come from here. I guess I'm trying to say I want to talk about why I have been convinced to care about this issue with those of you who think a white-skin mod doesn't hurt anyone.
                   
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                  • rhomboid

                    rhomboid 0118 999 881 99 9119 725... 3

                    Friendly reminder to keep things polite and follow forum rules.
                     
                    • Kcho

                      Kcho Scruffy Nerf-Herder

                      I don't understand this part though, what does it have to do with the fact that the game is filled with mostly white people? is there some kind of rule that there has to be an equal number of blacks and whites? is it illegal for it to be all whites? does the government search out places that are filled with completely white people and add a black person it in it to make ok? I'm Hispanic though and I live in a mostly black area, does that mean I have to complain and have more Hispanic people shipped in or something? I know it's your personal choice and i'm not trying to bash you for it but it just seems like a really silly reasoning.
                       
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                      • BlushingCreep

                        BlushingCreep Phantasmal Quasar

                        I...really didn't. I'm not a social justice warrior. I am an egalitarian. I simply asked why the modder made this choice. Then, it spiraled. And, you're coming at this from an angle that's personal to you, based on your life experiences as a mixed race individual. I'm not saying that mixed race people HAVE to look or behave in any specific way. I'm saying that Maru was clearly designed to have darker skin and this mod takes that away from her as a character. No, it's not for everyone, it's only for people who choose to download and use this mod. That's fine. I just wanted to express my feelings on the matter, and I have. I've been branded a bigot, an SJW, a racist and more. And, all because I want there to be more racial diversity in games. This is just insane.
                         
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                        • tpp

                          tpp Aquatic Astronaut

                          I feel like I need to say this again: Skin color does not equate to race.

                          Continuing to insist otherwise is actually the most racist thing in this thread.

                          There are countries of dark-skinned people who buy skin products to lighten their skin. It's their body, and their right to do so.

                          Lightening skin is not racist, and it does not make them into caucasians.

                          OP's mod does not change Maru's "race," nor her father's. The mod literally does not change the diversity of the town.


                          I should point out here that you're trying to enforce what a mixed race individual must look like. You earlier admitted that it's entirely possible for her to have light skin, but every post seems to be about insisting that Maru, who has a black dad, must LOOK like she has a black dad -- which is ironically, pretty racist.


                          Stardew Valley is probably one of the least offensive games I've ever played. My character can look and be anything, and nobody in town seems to care or even comments if I'm a black lesbian golddigger who wants to marry the shopkeeper's daughter instead of working on my farm. And yet, in this thread, Maru needs to look like she's black because her dad's black, because skin color equals racial diversity.
                           
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                          • BlushingCreep

                            BlushingCreep Phantasmal Quasar

                            No. No, no, no. I'm stating that because her original design has darker skin, she should be left with darker skin. No. Skin color is not the ONLY contributing factor in one's race. But, in video games, it's one of the clearest indicators.
                             
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                            • sunbean

                              sunbean Void-Bound Voyager

                              My personal reasoning is what Oron posted. However, I don't think things need to be equal in someone's vision and I can enjoy things even if it's all white. Nearly all video games are like this by default, and I enjoy all of them without thinking about it. I just personally find it strange that people feel the need to change things like this especially when Maru looks perfectly fine as is.
                               
                              • ShinAsakura

                                ShinAsakura Void-Bound Voyager

                                Indeed. You shouldnt enforce your way of thinking into others. Color or races doesnt matter. If just a matter of likes here, thats why mods are for. If you dont like a mode go play vanilla stardew or make your own mod, dont try to push your morals on others.

                                P.D: Now I want to create a mixed character to only befriend deee and maru, cause all the other villagers are bieng mean and racist to me (?).

                                Maybe its not for the OP, who are we to judge?.
                                 
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                                • Cruxador

                                  Cruxador Poptop Tamer

                                  Nobody self-identifies as a SJW. You're making blanket statements about what is and isn't okay based on your own ignorant opinion, and implying that people are morally wrong for disagreeing with you. Whether you like the label or not, that's what people call an SJW.
                                  So if being mixed race invalidates my opinion, who the hell are you trying to protect?
                                   
                                  • tpp

                                    tpp Aquatic Astronaut

                                    Honestly, I think the primary reason for people modding Maru is the fact that her sprite and portrait not only mismatch, but are... well, really weird. Most people I've talked to online actually prefer Maru's older sprites -- the ones where she has brown eyes, curly hair, and doesn't look like she has a purple spray tan. And obviously it's up to personal choice, but it seems like most people agree that earlier curly-hair Maru is cuter than the present one.

                                    I can't say for sure, but I really doubt this light skin mod is actually going to be that popular. I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually make a request for this, even on 4chan.

                                    e: I just realized I didn't actually answer your question. The point I'm trying to make here is to emphasize that players (in general) actually like Maru for who she actually is, and most of the mods so far seem to support that. As for why make her light-skinned, well... Why make cows into Pinkie Pies with bloated tits? Why turn the wizard into a cute girl?

                                    I... I really don't know, but what people do in games doesn't necessarily suggest any real-life behavior. I've killed thousands of people in games for doing nothing other than speaking to me the wrong way (Fallout NV), but I don't think this somehow has some deeper meaning that suggests that I'm a loose cannon waiting to go off, or that suggests I enjoy killing people in real life.

                                    Likewise, I don't think anyone choosing to use this mod necessarily means they're a suppressed racist or holds some unsurfaced bigoted notions.
                                     
                                      Last edited: Mar 8, 2016
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                                    • ShinAsakura

                                      ShinAsakura Void-Bound Voyager

                                      Her/his own point of view and nothing else probably.
                                       
                                      • BlushingCreep

                                        BlushingCreep Phantasmal Quasar

                                        I'm protecting Maru. No, she's not real. But, in the game, she is mixed race with a skintone closer to her father's. Period. I'm not ignorant. You're lumping me into a category that is not fitting. You've got bones about people who, in your opinion, dictate what to be mixed means. I'm not making any such statements. I'm saying Maru was designed to be darker skinned, and I think she should stay that way. That's all. Why are you taking this issue so personally? :/
                                         
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                                        • ShinAsakura

                                          ShinAsakura Void-Bound Voyager

                                          No it doesnt have to be dark skinned, if someone want to mod it go ahead and make it yellow.
                                           
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