9/11...Lore and Rikti...Thoughts?

[Gravitus]

Today's the infamous 9/11 and I have recently come back to this game about 2 weeks ago......I think the game has pretty good lore with its many factions....no matter what you do in the game though.... the game's default history on which their world is built upon, centers around the recovery from the Rikti invasion. And as time goes on that bit of lore (while still important), does began to get smaller and smaller as new threats in the lore present themselves. Similarly, the same holds true for the real work attacks of 9/11......

 

Anyway, I said all that to say...is it fair to call the Rikti Invasion the 9/11 of Paragon City? Just bored at work and figured I'd get anyone's take on this. 

[Lunar Ronin]

No, and to be blunt calling anything fictional the "9/11 of" anything is a bit crass.

[Gravitus]

6 minutes ago, Lunar Ronin said:

No, and to be blunt calling anything fictional the "9/11 of" anything is a bit crass.

how do you figure?

[Apogee]

it's about respect and not trivializing the traumatic event by comparing it to a fictional event in a video game. 

[Andreah]

In my head-canon of the game, everything about City of Heroes' non-super history post WW2 was different. Subtly at first, and the more so as the decades come to the current day. All the US Presidents were different, the wars and conflicts different, the issues that divide or unite everyone in real-world are different there, popular culture is different, and so on.

 

I die a little inside every time someone ties their character to real world movies, fiction, star trek, star wars, lotr, famous real-world entertainers, famous politicians, and so on. No desert storm, no dot-com crash,  and no 9/11.

 

Just leave these things out. However cool an idea might seem to be to use them, it'll go no where good.

 

 

Edited September 11 by Andreah

[Gravitus]

2 minutes ago, Andreah said:

In my head-canon of the game, everything about City of Heroes' non-super history post WW2 was different. Subtly at first, and the more so as the decades come to the current day. All the US Presidents were different, the wars and conflicts different, the issues that divide or unite everyone in real-world are different there, popular culture is different, and so on.

 

I die a little inside every time someone ties their character to real world movies, fiction, star trek, star wars, lotr, famous real-world entertainers, famous politicians, and so on. No desert storm, no dot-com crash,  and no 9/11.

 

Just leaves these things out. However cool an idea might seem be to use them, it'll go no where good.

 

 

So since COH uses WW2...would it be less tragic to use Pearl Harbor instead of 9/11 in your opinion?

Edited September 11 by Gravitus

[Andreah]

3 minutes ago, Gravitus said:

So since COH uses WW2...would it be less tragic to use Pearl Harbor instead of 9/11 in your opinion?

Are you familiar with how WW2 went in the game's history? Pearl Harbor wasn't the only attack on December 7th. There was also an attack on Paragon City the same day (by German supervillains -- the Storm Corps, iirc). If it were me, I'd tie back to that. 

 

However, the further you go back, the safer you are. Pearl harbor probably won't upset anyone. But you never know, a player may be here whose grandfather or great-grandfather who survived PH recently died. You never know. If it's just a passing mention, that safer as well. If one ties the character up in the event in great detail and significance, that's probably less safe.

 

We have plenty of game-lore catastrophes to link our stories too already, and the realms of our imaginations are wide.

[Neiska]

I would rather leave real life sensitive topics out of hobbies and entertainment. Life is already quite charged enough for me, thank you.

[Gravitus]

1 minute ago, Andreah said:

Are you familiar with how WW2 went in the game's history? Pearl Harbor wasn't the only attack on December 7th. There was also an attack on Paragon City the same day (by German supervillains -- the Storm Corps, iirc). If it were me, I'd tie back to that. 

 

However, the further you go back, the safer you are. Pearl harbor probably won't upset anyone. But you never know, a player may be here whose grandfather or great-grandfather who survived PH recently died. You never know. If it's just a passing mention, that safer as well. If one ties the character up in the event in great detail and significance, that's probably less safe.

 

We have plenty of game-lore catastrophes to link our stories too already, and the realms of our imaginations are wide.

So honestly...the entire reason I used 9/11 as an example because I like to immerse myself in the game. I feel one of the most effective ways to do so is by trying to correlate the fictional events in the game with something I can actually relate to in real life.......in other words...the gravity of the fictional world hits harder if I can correlate it to actual events I have experienced in life. Ergo making the game more enjoyable to play if I can take it more seriously. I suspect others may use similar tactics at times which is what I was ultimately curious about.

 

All that being said...It wasn't intent to be crass or offend...I figured with almost a quarter of a century passing I wouldn't fall into the "too soon" category. 

 

At the end of the day though it subjective on what's "too soon" and I get it. The heart of what I was trying to get at is essentially does any of the game's lore hit home for anyone, and the best way I know how to ask that question is by tying it to something they can relate to. 

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

9/11 was a tragic day in the history of the United States that still has repercussions today.  Not only did thousands die on that day, so many more died as a result of the toxic cloud the collapsing buildings released and scores of others that were casualties of armed conflict.   People are still actively dealing with the consequences today.

 

While twenty-three years is a long time, many who play this game were alive and very aware of the events of 9/11.  I suspect that many may have been personally effected and even more know someone who was.

 

I don't think Gravitus meant to cause anyone discomfort, but it IS still too soon.  Accordingly, I'll be locking this discussion.