How do you handle mature topics in your games?

[d4]

when i GM i keep my games PG-13.

i'm in my 30s and the people i generally game with are all mid-20s and up, but i still prefer to keep the "graphic" and "mature" stuff out of my gaming.

 

[Dexterward]

Just an observation, but notice how this thread runs parallel with how society perceives sex and violence! Here in the U.S. we are obsessed with sex and violence. It's in our music, movies, stories, and news. But when it comes to which is "worse" for society it boils down to sexual content. Its okay to see a person get their head cut off with a chainsaw, but lets not show a naked body because someone might be offended. Studies on this subject tend to point to Americas puritan and religious background for the taboo on sex. look at the responses on this thread. Most of the posts say that sexual themes are "fade to black" while violence is done in gory detail. I guess individuals make society and society makes individuals.

 

[Arnwyn]

Just an observation, but notice how this thread runs parallel with how society perceives sex and violence! Here in the U.S. we are obsessed with sex and violence. It's in our music, movies, stories, and news. But when it comes to which is "worse" for society it boils down to sexual content. Its okay to see a person get their head cut off with a chainsaw, but lets not show a naked body because someone might be offended. Studies on this subject tend to point to Americas puritan and religious background for the taboo on sex. look at the responses on this thread. Most of the posts says that sexual themes are "fade to black" while violence is done in gory detail. I guess individuals make society and society makes individuals.

A fallacy trying to apply that concept in this thread (it has been tried, and rebuffed, many times - especially during all the BoEF threads).

It was mentioned and made quite clear that some subjects are felt to be more appropriate for a groups of people, comprised of certain demographics, playing a game than other subjects (which are felt to be more appropriate for uh, "non-groups", of certain demographics, likely not playing D&D). Morals and "being offended" has very little to do with it in most circumstances (not all, of course - I'm only speaking in generalities). That's what you're seeing here.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I generally try to keep my games at an "R" rating. Sex and violence do happen, but anything particularly graphic happens off-screen and is described in as little detail as possible to illustrate the idea of what happened.

There are a couple of reasons I do this. First, although we're all adults, I'd rather not have something overheard out-of-context that makes people think we need some sort of professional help. Second, I have no great desire to rp a love scene with another 20 - 30 year old male gamer.

 

[Umbran]

Just an observation, but notice how this thread runs parallel with how society perceives sex and violence!

Perhaps, but corellation does not imply causation. The fact that they run along the same lines does not mean one causes the other.

Here in the U.S. we are obsessed with sex and violence. It's in our music, movies, stories, and news.

Humans everywhere are obsessed with sex and violence. They are important parts of the human condition.

But when it comes to which is "worse" for society it boils down to sexual content. Its okay to see a person get their head cut off with a chainsaw, but lets not show a naked body because someone might be offended.

Some folks here have said that when it comes to sex they "fade to black". How many of them have explicitly said it was to avoid offending each other?

For my case, at least, it isn't a matter of offense. It is a matter of what is pertinent, dramatic, and moves the story along. Romance (which generally isn't considered a "mature" topic) is often pertinent, dramatic, and motivates the story. Same for violence. Sex alone, not so much. Sex may at times be presented as moving art, but alone as a story element it is pretty weak.

To get good story out of sex, it needs to be linked to something else - social power struggles, violence, romance, or the like. But that means that in general I can do the same basic thing without the sex entirely. Why complicate matters?

On top of that, add in the difficulty of presenting sex such that it does not sound like a bad letter to a men's magazine. So not not only is it weak, but difficult to present artfully. Why, then, should I bother to be explicit about it in game, when my player's imaginations can fill in the gaps?

Studies on this subject tend to point to Americas puritan and religious background for the taboo on sex.

One must be careful when using studies. A study done on broad and general American tendencies will tend to miss when applied to a select subset of the population. While there are many gamers with strong religious feelings, my own personal experience sugests that they are not generally puritanical. If gamers come from a specifically non-puritanical subgroup, the study is not relevant.

 

[kolikeos]

have a 12 year old girl in my game (along with her father)

somehow that strikes me as odd...

 

[Dexterward]

A fallacy trying to apply that concept in this thread (it has been tried, and rebuffed, many times - especially during all the BoEF threads).

It was mentioned and made quite clear that some subjects are felt to be more appropriate for a groups of people, comprised of certain demographics, playing a game than other subjects (which are felt to be more appropriate for uh, "non-groups", of certain demographics, likely not playing D&D). Morals and "being offended" has very little to do with it in most circumstances (not all, of course - I'm only speaking in generalities). That's what you're seeing here.

I never said it was a fact, I just pointed out how close this thread runs with popular culture. I didn't point to a single study either, just a generalization on studies that were done. No blame or no criticism was offered. I was just making a simple observation, just like your opinion offered above. Neither you nor I can say for sure what causes this type of behavior from gamers.

 

[kolikeos]

i just love describing violence! sometimes i even show my players graphical violence of the worst kind, all of a mans kishke (insides) being cut out and the like.

sex has no place in the game i run, though we do tell 'rude' jokes all the time.

 

[Dexterward]

Perhaps, but corellation does not imply causation. The fact that they run along the same lines does not mean one causes the other.



Humans everywhere are obsessed with sex and violence. They are important parts of the human condition.



Some folks here have said that when it comes to sex they "fade to black". How many of them have explicitly said it was to avoid offending each other?

For my case, at least, it isn't a matter of offense. It is a matter of what is pertinent, dramatic, and moves the story along. Romance (which generally isn't considered a "mature" topic) is often pertinent, dramatic, and motivates the story. Same for violence. Sex alone, not so much. Sex may at times be presented as moving art, but alone as a story element it is pretty weak.

To get good story out of sex, it needs to be linked to something else - social power struggles, violence, romance, or the like. But that means that in general I can do the same basic thing without the sex entirely. Why complicate matters?

On top of that, add in the difficulty of presenting sex such that it does not sound like a bad letter to a men's magazine. So not not only is it weak, but difficult to present artfully. Why, then, should I bother to be explicit about it in game, when my player's imaginations can fill in the gaps?



One must be careful when using studies. A study done on broad and general American tendencies will tend to miss when applied to a select subset of the population. While there are many gamers with strong religious feelings, my own personal experience sugests that they are not generally puritanical. If gamers come from a specifically non-puritanical subgroup, the study is not relevant.

1. I never said one caused the other. Just that this thread runs parallel to popular culture.

2. My statement about people making culture and culture making people is correct, but it was not meant to imply a relationship between the way people game and popular culture.

3. Yes humans everywhere are obsessed with sex and violence. But some cultures shy away from violence, and embrace sex. Our culture does the opposite. Noting right or wrong about it, it just is.

4. In a well written novel the description of sexual conduct can be just a descriptive and well done as a scene of violence. IMHO people will not describe sexual scenes because its hard to do well. The same can be said about a violent scene, but in my experience people are less critical about that type of description.

5. I never sited a single study, just a generalization of studies done. I didn't offer judgment one way or the other, just that studies have often linked the two subjects. Are the studies correct? I sure don't know, but there is some correlation between the two.

 

[barsoomcore]

In-game, how do you handle mature topics?

Visual aids and sound effects records.

"1001 Barnyard Animal Calls" is a particular favourite.