Game dev in need of a bit of advice?

[theoneandonlypencil]

Hey y'all, it's been a while :'^)

I've come seeking some advice. I'd like to preface this by saying that since I am of the belief that homosexual behavior is(to the best of my knowledge)a sin, I'm looking for advice from Christians who believe the same. Not trying to be exclusionary per se, but I already know what the advice from the other side of the aisle will be and, due to the nature of this issue I'm having, it wouldn't help me very much.

Basically, I'm working on a game project. I've started a blog sharing progress about the development process and answering questions regarding lore and characters, and it's been going really well. However, since most of my followers are part of my generation(gen z, ages ranging anywhere from 16-26)a lot of them are LGBTQ+ and, if you're at all familiar with modern fandom spaces, a lot of them LOVE fanmade content.

Having said this, I've already received questions about whether or not I'll be including any LGBTQ+ representation in my works--to which I have politely stated that because I'm straight and cis(meaning cisgender/identifying with my assigned sex at birth), all of the characters I write for are also straight and cis and I pretty much keep it that way because it's what I know and are comfortable writing.

However, in the genre of game I'm making(which is a visual novel in case you were wondering)self-shipping/OC ships/fanmade content is rampant and encouraged in almost all cases. This means people often like to imagine their own stories involving my characters and their own characters--not all of which is true to the original story, and some of which may or may not include LGBTQ+ content. My compromise has been that as long as a line is drawn between the original and anything fanmade, if someone wants to imagine/think of one of my game characters as being gay and dating someone of the same sex, or to add in/draw whatever representation they want involving them, I'm not stopping anyone from doing so. I've also given permission to make mods for the game in case anyone is bothered by the lack of neo-pronouns or more diverse characters and wants to add their own and distribute it as a fan-edit of the game. I've also started answering questions like "How would [insert one of my characters here] be in a relationship with someone who does [x or y]?" using gender-neutral terms (they/them) so that people can fill in the blanks themselves as to whether or not the 'who' in the question is a guy or a girl. For example, saying "[So and so] appreciates them very much" instead of [So and so] appreciates [him/her] very much"

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm doing alright with all this. I'm trying very hard to not step on any toes and to be respectful while also not going against my own personal/spiritual beliefs. This sort of thing can easily blow up in my face, and I'd hate to have some sort of e-controversy before I've even finished my project.

Is my compromise acceptable? Or am I unintentionally encouraging sinful behavior?

 

[disciple Clint]

Hey y'all, it's been a while :'^)

I've come seeking some advice. I'd like to preface this by saying that since I am of the belief that homosexual behavior is(to the best of my knowledge)a sin, I'm looking for advice from Christians who believe the same. Not trying to be exclusionary per se, but I already know what the advice from the other side of the aisle will be and, due to the nature of this issue I'm having, it wouldn't help me very much.

Basically, I'm working on a game project. I've started a blog sharing progress about the development process and answering questions regarding lore and characters, and it's been going really well. However, since most of my followers are part of my generation(gen z, ages ranging anywhere from 16-26)a lot of them are LGBTQ+ and, if you're at all familiar with modern fandom spaces, a lot of them LOVE fanmade content.

Having said this, I've already received questions about whether or not I'll be including any LGBTQ+ representation in my works--to which I have politely stated that because I'm straight and cis(meaning cisgender/identifying with my assigned sex at birth), all of the characters I write for are also straight and cis and I pretty much keep it that way because it's what I know and are comfortable writing.

However, in the genre of game I'm making(which is a visual novel in case you were wondering)self-shipping/OC ships/fanmade content is rampant and encouraged in almost all cases. This means people often like to imagine their own stories involving my characters and their own characters--not all of which is true to the original story, and some of which may or may not include LGBTQ+ content. My compromise has been that as long as a line is drawn between the original and anything fanmade, if someone wants to imagine/think of one of my game characters as being gay and dating someone of the same sex, or to add in/draw whatever representation they want involving them, I'm not stopping anyone from doing so. I've also given permission to make mods for the game in case anyone is bothered by the lack of neo-pronouns or more diverse characters and wants to add their own and distribute it as a fan-edit of the game. I've also started answering questions like "How would [insert one of my characters here] be in a relationship with someone who does [x or y]?" using gender-neutral terms (they/them) so that people can fill in the blanks themselves as to whether or not the 'who' in the question is a guy or a girl. For example, saying "[So and so] appreciates them very much" instead of [So and so] appreciates [him/her] very much"

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm doing alright with all this. I'm trying very hard to not step on any toes and to be respectful while also not going against my own personal/spiritual beliefs. This sort of thing can easily blow up in my face, and I'd hate to have some sort of e-controversy before I've even finished my project.

Is my compromise acceptable? Or am I unintentionally encouraging sinful behavior?

How are you going to feel if your characters are engaged in murder, torture, rape, or other activities that are not Christian

 

[theoneandonlypencil]

How are you going to feel if your characters are engaged in murder, torture, rape, or other activities that are not Christian

It depends on how it's portrayed. Murder-mystery level, where someone is a mustache-twirling villain who just killed someone in a victorian mansion with a candlestick is fine. Writing murder/torture/gore just to be shocking and offensive? Obviously not a fan.

Sorry, but your example isn't very helpful. Whether we acknowledge it or not, there are definitely different 'levels' of sin. What I'm asking about is more akin to something like writing a character who's an atheist, or slept with someone before marriage(both of which are also sins). If either of those things are, to you, on the same level of immorality as promoting murder, torture, and rape--I don't really know what to say about that.

 

[timf]

In the realm of Christian story telling a homosexual who repents and finds salvation in Jesus would be acceptable. A story that portrays a homosexual life as rewarding, normal, or even heroic can harm those who feel inspired by it.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

A bible word study of "woe" should be enough not to allow the distortion of truth. The homosexual life is filled with alcoholism, drug abuse, disease, and mental health issues. You might want to make a little less money than have to stand before Jesus and explain how people were harmed by your work.

 

[theoneandonlypencil]

In the realm of Christian story telling a homosexual who repents and finds salvation in Jesus would be acceptable. A story that portrays a homosexual life as rewarding, normal, or even heroic can harm those who feel inspired by it.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

A bible word study of "woe" should be enough not to allow the distortion of truth. The homosexual life is filled with alcoholism, drug abuse, disease, and mental health issues. You might want to make a little less money than have to stand before Jesus and explain how people were harmed by your work.

That's not what I mean at all OTL I'm not writing a story about gay people. All of my characters are straight, period.

I'm saying that if someone else wants to interpret my characters differently or write their own spinoff where there is that kind of content, the onus is on them and I won't stop them so long as they make it clear that it's inaccurate to the(my)original material.

Like imagine if I wrote a fanmade story(just for fun) about Peter Griffith from family guy, and I decided that since there's no positive Christian representation in the show, in my little spinoff I'm going to portray the whole family as church-going Catholics. Anyone who reads it is going to obviously know that's not true to the source material, and making them Catholic only serves my want to see that representation and for others who are like me. Now let's say that even though Seth Macfarlane doesn't like Christians(and has even gone out of his way to promote the opposite in his show)he doesn't make me take down my little story and he gives me permission to continue making fan works out of respect for me as a person and not my beliefs so long as I don't mislead people into thinking it's original family-guy content and I am respectful back about his views--THIS is what I'm going for right here.

Does that make more sense now?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hey y'all, it's been a while :'^)

I've come seeking some advice. I'd like to preface this by saying that since I am of the belief that homosexual behavior is(to the best of my knowledge)a sin, I'm looking for advice from Christians who believe the same. Not trying to be exclusionary per se, but I already know what the advice from the other side of the aisle will be and, due to the nature of this issue I'm having, it wouldn't help me very much.

Basically, I'm working on a game project. I've started a blog sharing progress about the development process and answering questions regarding lore and characters, and it's been going really well. However, since most of my followers are part of my generation(gen z, ages ranging anywhere from 16-26)a lot of them are LGBTQ+ and, if you're at all familiar with modern fandom spaces, a lot of them LOVE fanmade content.

Having said this, I've already received questions about whether or not I'll be including any LGBTQ+ representation in my works--to which I have politely stated that because I'm straight and cis(meaning cisgender/identifying with my assigned sex at birth), all of the characters I write for are also straight and cis and I pretty much keep it that way because it's what I know and are comfortable writing.

However, in the genre of game I'm making(which is a visual novel in case you were wondering)self-shipping/OC ships/fanmade content is rampant and encouraged in almost all cases. This means people often like to imagine their own stories involving my characters and their own characters--not all of which is true to the original story, and some of which may or may not include LGBTQ+ content. My compromise has been that as long as a line is drawn between the original and anything fanmade, if someone wants to imagine/think of one of my game characters as being gay and dating someone of the same sex, or to add in/draw whatever representation they want involving them, I'm not stopping anyone from doing so. I've also given permission to make mods for the game in case anyone is bothered by the lack of neo-pronouns or more diverse characters and wants to add their own and distribute it as a fan-edit of the game. I've also started answering questions like "How would [insert one of my characters here] be in a relationship with someone who does [x or y]?" using gender-neutral terms (they/them) so that people can fill in the blanks themselves as to whether or not the 'who' in the question is a guy or a girl. For example, saying "[So and so] appreciates them very much" instead of [So and so] appreciates [him/her] very much"

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm doing alright with all this. I'm trying very hard to not step on any toes and to be respectful while also not going against my own personal/spiritual beliefs. This sort of thing can easily blow up in my face, and I'd hate to have some sort of e-controversy before I've even finished my project.

Is my compromise acceptable? Or am I unintentionally encouraging sinful behavior?

Your creating a product specifically designed for the secular population, so it is to be expected. If it is weighing on your conscience, change your product designed for Christians. I do believe there are gen z Christians out there.
Blessings.

 

[timf]

You have to judge the degree of contribution you are responsible for. If you create a decent float for a parade and some drug addicts jump on and offend those who are watching the parade or worse entice some to join them, would you be held for any degree of complicity? It is an interesting question. I do not think anyone here can give you complete absolution. If you do not want your work to harm others, you may wish to configure it so that it cannot be modified.

Satan runs the world (for now and insofar as he is allowed by God). To get a book published or movie made, you almost always have to have some degree of contamination. This tends to push Christians to the fringe of the marketplace.

 

[SamInNi]

If your conscience doesn't condemn you, you have confidence before God. If you know the right thing to do but don't do it, to you it is sin.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Hey y'all, it's been a while :'^)

I've come seeking some advice. I'd like to preface this by saying that since I am of the belief that homosexual behavior is(to the best of my knowledge)a sin, I'm looking for advice from Christians who believe the same. Not trying to be exclusionary per se, but I already know what the advice from the other side of the aisle will be and, due to the nature of this issue I'm having, it wouldn't help me very much.

Basically, I'm working on a game project. I've started a blog sharing progress about the development process and answering questions regarding lore and characters, and it's been going really well. However, since most of my followers are part of my generation(gen z, ages ranging anywhere from 16-26)a lot of them are LGBTQ+ and, if you're at all familiar with modern fandom spaces, a lot of them LOVE fanmade content.

Having said this, I've already received questions about whether or not I'll be including any LGBTQ+ representation in my works--to which I have politely stated that because I'm straight and cis(meaning cisgender/identifying with my assigned sex at birth), all of the characters I write for are also straight and cis and I pretty much keep it that way because it's what I know and are comfortable writing.

However, in the genre of game I'm making(which is a visual novel in case you were wondering)self-shipping/OC ships/fanmade content is rampant and encouraged in almost all cases. This means people often like to imagine their own stories involving my characters and their own characters--not all of which is true to the original story, and some of which may or may not include LGBTQ+ content. My compromise has been that as long as a line is drawn between the original and anything fanmade, if someone wants to imagine/think of one of my game characters as being gay and dating someone of the same sex, or to add in/draw whatever representation they want involving them, I'm not stopping anyone from doing so. I've also given permission to make mods for the game in case anyone is bothered by the lack of neo-pronouns or more diverse characters and wants to add their own and distribute it as a fan-edit of the game. I've also started answering questions like "How would [insert one of my characters here] be in a relationship with someone who does [x or y]?" using gender-neutral terms (they/them) so that people can fill in the blanks themselves as to whether or not the 'who' in the question is a guy or a girl. For example, saying "[So and so] appreciates them very much" instead of [So and so] appreciates [him/her] very much"

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm doing alright with all this. I'm trying very hard to not step on any toes and to be respectful while also not going against my own personal/spiritual beliefs. This sort of thing can easily blow up in my face, and I'd hate to have some sort of e-controversy before I've even finished my project.

Is my compromise acceptable? Or am I unintentionally encouraging sinful behavior?

2Ti 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

As a Christain, we need to make a stand for truth even if it means loss of income, fame, etc. The word "presecution" is an uncomfortable word, but God calls us to live as best as we can 100% rightly according to His word. Don't give in to the homosexual elements, take a stand for truth. It will be hard, but spend more time in prayer for strength.

Mark 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

 

[Phronema]

Ultimately I think you're going about it the correct way. You're stating that you don't agree with celebrating sinful behavior, but on the other hand you can't stop people from changing/modding the story to their own design.

So, I agree with your course of action by allowing the onus to be on them. Really many times in the gaming space people are able to mod games for all kinds of heinous ends. There's really not much stopping that in the computer world as you likely well know as a programmer. Where there's a will there's a way, and people can make it happen. So, letting the onus be on them to modify it the way they want releases you of guilt. In my opinion at least. You tried to make a wholesome story, and someone else twisted it to their own desire.