As of yesterday I hit my goal of 8,000 hits on the blog for this year, with a month and a half to spare! I know that’s small potatoes for most folks, but it’s just over double the number of visitors I had the year prior, so that was pretty cool. [Balloons and confetti fall here]

Over the weekend I also played a lot more Dragon Age: Origins, and I’m still enjoying it quite a bit, but some of the shortcomings are starting to become apparent.  They’re pretty minor, but I’m starting to notice them just the same.  The biggest bummer for me was that your character cannot woo all of the “main” NPC’s.  [mini spoiler] However it seems they could have made this an option quite easily, since Zevran will hook up with anyone. 

[Spoiler Alert] I dunno, it just seemed odd to me that the “most gay” character in the game isn’t allowed to have a gay romance, and I’m talking about Alistair. I mean, if you’re going to allow same-sex romances at all, you should do it right.  And the only game I know of that really did it right so far is The Sims line of games.

In The Sims you can set up a romance with anyone and everyone, and that’s how it should be since it’s the most realistic.  Hard-coding in orientation just reduces the number of options that a player has to build their own experience and immersion in the game.  I guess it’s nice that they at least threw in the option with Zevron, but he’s such a ‘ho, that anyone can sleep with him – it’s not really a romance so much as a one night stand or a “nooner” for that matter.

And if they would’ve followed through with that opportunity (the chance for anyone to romance Alistair), I would’ve been a bit more forgiving on their other ultra-stereotyped same-sex portrayals – the over the top S/M smithy & clerk with the broadway drama, and the dysfunctional &  butch lesbians down in the “Dark Roads.”  As it stands, it just sort of rubs me the wrong way since there are no redemptive qualities within any of their portrayals of  alternative relationships.

I’m sure I’m over analysing, but when you’re taking the risk of including same-sex content, you ought to do your homework and do it right – a la The Sims.  Anyways, I hope your weekend was amazing and that your week ahead is productive. Enjoy!