I can appreciate Paradox interest in making the game both realistic and inclusive. But having William the Conqueror suddenly develop the trait "homosexual" (as if it was something you just 'caught' one day) at age 49 after fathering 15 children, and as a result of interactions with another combatant at a tournament that happened 8 years earlier is just silly. As a social scientist who studies sexuality I can tell you, this is an absurd and silly thing to include in a game this way. In playing the game it is just annoying and it adds very little to the flavor or texture of the game.
Certainly having characters in the game who have the 'homosexual' trait might be warranted, but (a) having it acquired late in life as a result of a tournament is silly; (b) in a time when someone could be burned at the stack for being a heretic having a 'homosexual' trait that impacts relations with other characters is absurd (as if anyone in the Western Christian world who experienced attraction to the same sex would be out of the closet in the Middle Ages . . . yeah right; it should have ZERO standard effect on relations with other characters in the game for the simple reason, anyone experiencing it would keep it secret except for the closest circle of friends). Perhaps in the some cultures in the game were pederasty was practiced, but certainly not in Western Europe; (c) having it impact fertility is also questionable for the simple reason that a person at court at this time who experienced same sex attraction would be likely to live a double life of sorts, particularly if they were a member of a royal dynasty among whom reproduction is expected. Perhaps a small penalty to fertility like -5 but -15 is silly.
It is certainly true that same-sex attraction is likely to have been a part of all human populations throughout all of human natural history with anywhere from 15 to 65% of people experience varying degrees of same-sex attraction and drive, and perhaps even as many as 15% of many populations experiencing effectively exclusive same-sex attraction and sexual interaction. But the obvious presumption on the part of those who coded the game that it would be experienced in comparable ways among the diversity of societies represented in the game at this time is absurd, as is the presumption that analogs of the early 21st century stigma of the identity could somehow be meaningfully used to operationalize the 'traits' mechanics in the game.
In order to truly incorporate this very complex, and controversial identity feature into a game like this would require much more work than simply four or five lines of code in a "Traits" sheet. If Paradox intends to do that, I say great, but until then, can some one tell me how to just delete this trait from the game? . . . actually nevermind.
In protest to this silly game feature, I shall play on as William the Homosexual Conqueror but with my Traits sheet edited to more properly reflect the cost/benefits of this exemplary aspect of being a progressive and open-minded Middle Ages Crusader King . . .
homosexual = {
diplomacy = 1
martial = 2
health = 2
fertility = 0.1
sex_appeal_opinion = 10
vassal_opinion = 10
That is, being "homosexual" shall be exactly the the same as being "strong" !
Certainly having characters in the game who have the 'homosexual' trait might be warranted, but (a) having it acquired late in life as a result of a tournament is silly; (b) in a time when someone could be burned at the stack for being a heretic having a 'homosexual' trait that impacts relations with other characters is absurd (as if anyone in the Western Christian world who experienced attraction to the same sex would be out of the closet in the Middle Ages . . . yeah right; it should have ZERO standard effect on relations with other characters in the game for the simple reason, anyone experiencing it would keep it secret except for the closest circle of friends). Perhaps in the some cultures in the game were pederasty was practiced, but certainly not in Western Europe; (c) having it impact fertility is also questionable for the simple reason that a person at court at this time who experienced same sex attraction would be likely to live a double life of sorts, particularly if they were a member of a royal dynasty among whom reproduction is expected. Perhaps a small penalty to fertility like -5 but -15 is silly.
It is certainly true that same-sex attraction is likely to have been a part of all human populations throughout all of human natural history with anywhere from 15 to 65% of people experience varying degrees of same-sex attraction and drive, and perhaps even as many as 15% of many populations experiencing effectively exclusive same-sex attraction and sexual interaction. But the obvious presumption on the part of those who coded the game that it would be experienced in comparable ways among the diversity of societies represented in the game at this time is absurd, as is the presumption that analogs of the early 21st century stigma of the identity could somehow be meaningfully used to operationalize the 'traits' mechanics in the game.
In order to truly incorporate this very complex, and controversial identity feature into a game like this would require much more work than simply four or five lines of code in a "Traits" sheet. If Paradox intends to do that, I say great, but until then, can some one tell me how to just delete this trait from the game? . . . actually nevermind.
In protest to this silly game feature, I shall play on as William the Homosexual Conqueror but with my Traits sheet edited to more properly reflect the cost/benefits of this exemplary aspect of being a progressive and open-minded Middle Ages Crusader King . . .
homosexual = {
diplomacy = 1
martial = 2
health = 2
fertility = 0.1
sex_appeal_opinion = 10
vassal_opinion = 10
That is, being "homosexual" shall be exactly the the same as being "strong" !
