The Toxicity of a Fandom - Mass Effect & Dragon Age

This is N7 week! Sunday, November 7th is N7 Day, celebrating Mass Effect. I will be streaming if you want to check it out, I leave a link below. Also, Today is the 12 year birthday of Dragon Age: Origins! I still play it to this day and it is still a great game! Happy Birthday DAO!

Link to Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/lady_rav3n

Every popular franchise has a small toxic subgroup within a fanbase that just has to bring everyone down and judge everyone. From Star Wars and Star Trek to Marvel and D.C. (I’m not even going to get into the whole Bisexual Superman drama here) to even Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

Lately, though, like in the past two months, I have noticed my two favorite video game franchises have been experiencing an increase in the toxicity of their fanbase. I have heard about it in the past but honestly, I paid no mind to it.

I knew that when Mass Effect 3 came out, the ending really pissed a lot of people off (understandably so) but it lead somehow, to these horrible toxic people sending death threats to some of the developers. So much so that a few of them quit.

I draw the line at death threats and stalking!!

Now, don’t get me wrong, the fanbase for both of these games that are developed by Bioware has always had these toxic people around. All fanbases do. Books, movies, games, music, the list goes on really. With Dragon Age, for example, I remember back in 2015, hearing about a small but very loud and angry group of fans bitching about a character in Dragon Age: Inquisition being a transgender.

Their argument was that they were being FORCED to talk to this character and that their gender identity was being thrown in their face.

Okay, so when you play the game there is a conversation OPTION where one of your companions, The Iron Bull, wants to introduce you to his chargers. Again, I am going to make this very clear, you can choose not to meet them.

Maybe the first time you play, as I did, you might want to get to know everyone you can. It’s still completely up to you whether you do that or not though. No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to have a conversation with anyone.

Anyway, one of the chargers is a Trans man. Okay. No big deal. Even after you discover this, you can choose not to engage in the conversation. It’s mentioned a couple of times throughout the entire game but they really aren't a big deal. You have opportunities to continue to get to know that character or you can choose NOT to get to know that character.

Not to make this post all about one thing here because there are so many other things that the toxic subcommunity of these fanbases just LOVE to complain about.

With Mass Effect Legendary Edition having been released earlier this year and teases from Bioware for both a new Mass Effect and Dragon Age 4 in the works, the fanbase has gotten a little more toxic than usual.

Mostly, it has been around romances but with MELE, there was controversy around a certain female character’s ass no longer being shown in a couple of camera shots for the remaster. Boy, what a shitstorm that was.

There somehow ended up being some argument as to whether the female body was being censored. Long story short though, the topic eventually faded, and those of us who didn’t see the issue with covering an ass in a certain scene based on the context of said scene didn't take it seriously and kept it moving.

Let’s get back to the romances though because that is why I am really writing this post.

With both games, you have your choices of romances. Now, with Mass Effect 1 and Dragon Age: Origins, your options are limited but you do have options.

Apparently, though everyone seems to have an overrated opinion and sees themselves as a proper “authority” on who you should romance and who you shouldn’t. They go so far as to say that anyone who doesn’t romance their favorite character is a bad person, evil (yes, evil. I have actually seen that said), stupid, and just plain wrong and not worth talking to.

It has gotten to the point where most people won’t even say who their favorites are and that’s a damn shame. This isn’t meant to be a popularity contest people! Why do most of us love these two games so much? Because of the choices we get to make!

If you’re not what’s called A “Solasmancer” what are you doing with your life? No, seriously, they ask that question and think there really is something wrong with you for not choosing Solas as your romance in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Again, I’m going to reiterate here that this is a very small subgroup of fans. Most Solasmancers that I have talked to aren’t assholes.

And oh boy did I get a lot of hate on one of my YouTube videos from earlier this year about a much-hated Mass Effect character being on my romance list.

The character is Jacob and while he is not one that I like to romance, I have no real hate for him either. I romanced him once and will (probably) never do it again, he is still on the FACT-BASED list video that I did for new people coming to the franchise. The haters didn't think it appropriate for him to be on the list. Well, suck it up Buttercup. He is. Deal. With. It.

Then, on another video, another person took it upon themselves to say that their favorite romance was THE ONLY OPTION because she was the best one. Keep in mind this person probably didn't try anyone else but that's not the point. You aren't going to see me go into someone else's video, Twitter feed, Twitch stream, etc. and tell them that my chosen favorite is THE ONLY OPTION. It's just plain disrespectful, man!

I believe that people have the right to choose their own options and they have a right to not know what’s going to happen. Let them figure it out for themselves as the rest of us did. How many of us hate when someone spoils the ending of a movie or a book for us?

That really sucks!!!

It’s the same with video games, especially RPGs. I don’t want anyone telling me what character does what, or how the story unfolds, or who to romance, and who not to romance. That is MY choice. As it is everyone else.

And when we bring Mass Effect Andromeda into the mix? Holy shitballs, Batman!

ME:A isn't my favorite game in the Mass Effect franchise. I have my issues with it but I'm not going to tell someone else, who loves it, that they are wrong for loving it. Nor should I hear anyone tell me I'm wrong for not loving it. Like, dude! Get a friggin' grip!

But I think it goes further than video games. We are living in this really polarized society today that the media and the internet (and our leaders) really do nothing to try to quell.

We have become a society where one person’s opinion is right while everyone else is wrong and how dare you have a different opinion than me?!

It’s stupid. It’s incredibly selfish and immature and all-around - pathetic. We no longer have compassion for each other. Where did it go? Has it always been this way? Hiding just under the surface, waiting for the right moment to rear its ugly face?

Whatever happened to agree to disagree? Whatever happened to voicing an opinion without it leading to an all-out war?

Look, the real world sucks! Simple as that. I play these games to escape the real world, even if just for a little while. I read books and watch movies for the same reason. They let me be me without judgment. When each of us plays these games, we get to make OUR OWN CHOICES.

We get to live vicariously through this fantasy world and do things our way without fear of being ostracized for the paths we take.

We shouldn’t be judging anyone but since it seems to be a part of our lives, leave that shit in the real world. It doesn’t belong in our video games. Have fun with your play-through! Enjoy the characters you play and the way you choose to play the game. THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT.

My Canon Inquisitor, Ellara Levellan and her romance, Cullen Rutherford

My Second Shepard, Renegade Raven and her Drell Lover, Thane Krios

If you're not overly offended by what I have said here, I appreciate you reading this.

Oh and by the way, if you haven't heard the music for both franchises, give it a listen. The music is AMAZING!!

Thanks so much for reading!