Canada portrayed negatively in games?

[Raptor]

Thank you Hellhound....I never knew about the Underground portrayal so thats a new one for me the others I have seen as well.

2300 AD portays Canada as having ties with the UK stronger then our ties with the US which is inaccurate as we have been pretty much in the US sphere since WW2.

 

[trancejeremy]

Thank you Hellhound....I never knew about the Underground portrayal so thats a new one for me the others I have seen as well.

Bear in mind, Underground was meant to be somewhat farcical. Not as completely silly as say, Paranoia, but not far off, either.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Bear in mind, Underground was meant to be somewhat farcical. Not as completely silly as say, Paranoia, but not far off, either.

Tastee Ghoul was farcical!?!

 

[Raptor]

In the Earth Alliance Factbook for the Babylon 5 RPG this is the Roleplaying Suggestions for Canadians. Granted its not insulting but it is inaccurate:
Canadians are quiet people who appreciate solitude. They do not mind cold weather, and in many cases prefer it. Canadians tend to be hardy and can swim, hike, and hunt for extended periods of time. They speak Engkish with a noticeable French accent and a few of their own prounciations (ow sounds as oo for example). Canadians drink more beer per capita then any other nation state on Earth.

 

[Relique du Madde]

My favorite example is the West Wing special that aired after September 11th: a suspected terrorist enters the U.S. through the Ontario-Vermont crossing... even though they don't border each other!

Didn't you know that in Hollywood all states east of Los Angeles have interchangeable names and can be represented by traveling to different parts of California (if not LA County alone)?

 

[Jack of Shadows]

Well,

I've never found RPG's take on Canada to be derogatory in any way (Though that Babylon 5 blurb is just hysterical). Generally, Canada is just dismissed by RPG's as very few games bother with much information about us. I don't think this is intentional, just that most people just don't know anything about us. We really haven't done anything to make a splash on the world stage.

I really hate myself for saying this but except for Quebec and the East Coast most Americans would have a hard time telling us apart from other Americans.

So for all you game developers out there here's some Canadian stereotypes to help portray us better:

- English speaking Canadians (Anglophones) are highly annoyed by French Speaking Canadians (Francophones). French Canadians think English Canadians are self absorbed pricks. We probably are.
- East Coasters think anyone to the West are crazy and everyone to the West KNOWS the Maritimers are stark raving nuts.
- Those out West (Everywhere from Saskatchewan to BC) hate everyone to the east. Everyone to the East tends to forget there are people out West except Vancouver which is a nice place to go hiking.
- Everyone in the Territories wishes the rest of Canada remembered they were there. Sometimes we do.
- And everyone, absolutely everyone, hates Toronto. No really, they do.

Jack

 

[Raptor]

In all fairness to Mongoose that passage is from a 1st Ed B5 book, still waiting on a 2nd Ed version of the Earth Alliance Factbook.

 

[coyote6]

In all fairness to Mongoose that passage is from a 1st Ed B5 book, still waiting on a 2nd Ed version of the Earth Alliance Factbook.

Yes, we've all learned a lot about Canada since that book came out.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Seriously, rpg writers are notorious for poor presentations of contemporary foreign countries. Canada is not alone in that regard.

Foreign countries like New Orleans, a relative stones throw away from White Wolf headquarters in Stone Mountain, Georgia, get equal treatment. Because, you know, New Orleans, with its high water table, is the natural place you'd think to equip with a subway system ...

Canadians aren't being singled out. Blame the decline of American geography classes overall.

 

[Committed Hero]

Foreign countries like New Orleans, a relative stones throw away from White Wolf headquarters in Stone Mountain, Georgia, get equal treatment. Because, you know, New Orleans, with its high water table, is the natural place you'd think to equip with a subway system ...

Canadians aren't being singled out. Blame the decline of American geography classes overall.

Maybe it's on Wikipedia.