Guys guys let's keep the discussions on interracial relations on the level of diplomacy only

I think that femlae heros are equal to the males only the pic or name differs.

So they is no priority to implement this. Other things are mor eimportent.

Sostene wrote:


I can't say much more for the moment... but soon you will see a new faction including women beeing Commander, Pilot, or Adventurer, etc... Hope you will like it !

Advent cameo?

I nearly always have girls for my fleet heros.



I find them to be better focused and more rutheless (ala Fishspeakers in Dune).

I also liked the Sophon kid in the last artwork with Sophons. So there is all, male, female, and children.



The Sophon child looks like the cat in Schrek with the big eyes

UrsaClaire wrote:
A small personal thank you to the devs for heroes like Unji Stormbringer, and the current heroes on vote Aurora Ex Machina and Galdos Al. I'm a girl gamer and frankly, we get shafted alot.

You're welcome! I have a 15-yr old daughter, and call me crazy but I do not view Lara Croft or Bayonetta as role models Thankfully, there are also Alyxes and Jades and Chells out there. As Sostene noted, it is important to us that civilization in the galaxy is created by people of all ages, genders, races, religions, and body types -- kind of like it was here on Earth.

Sostene wrote:
I understand your concern, about the possibility to find diversity in male, or female characters. That was a point we included since day one of the "to do" list of the game...

A note to all: Sostene is our Art Director and therefore responsible for the large buckets of awesome that got spilled all over the art design.

I completely agree that there needs to be more representation of the female gender. When you play a game and all you see is males it doesn't feel like an actually populated game it feels differently, having female characters within the game gives the game a much more fleshed out feel. Also a note, don't make the mistake and only put in attractive male/female characters that also makes the game feel distorted and less real. Give the characters some flaws.

Could have a all female race, I know it sounds stupid but it could work. But you would need to avoid giving them stupid research trees that would include options like "seduce - increases dust on this place" aha.



I know it's not really a developed idea, I'm just throwing it out there.

I don't like the idea of the all female race. I've seen it before and don't like it. monogender space babes

Mudlark wrote:
So, wait, are you trying to say that intersex individuals are 'defective' or is that just a poor word choice on your part? Because I'm trying really hard not to lose my cool here.

Huh, I see how you might pull that. But relax hun, I really don't think that was the intent As a trans girl, if I thought the devs were being insensitive I'd be the first to speak up.



Quite the opposite really, I think it's kind of cool and inventive for them to have a lore explanation for robot gender, and brave of them to include something that could qualify as intersexed. I mean, when do you ever see transgenderism or intersexism even HINTED at in video games unless it's for an insulting and crude sex joke?



It's not perfect wording, but when you get right down to it, compared to how nature probably intended these individuals, it could qualify as a 'defect'. But that doesn't mean they are damaged or abominations or anything, it is simply a matter of genetic variance. I was also born with a heart that pumped oxygenated blood back into my lungs and unoxygenated through my body. That was a 'defect', but it doesn't make me, as a human, defective.



More responses to previous posts coming up!

Jacrench wrote:
My apologies on this. I should note that I'm not trying to refute feminism and the like. I've often held my princesses with high regards in MTW2 (I know, not the best example) and women in my Lord of the Rings fanfic.

TBH I don't particularly mind more inclusion of female heroes, varied or not. In the end, I still see them as equally exploitable stat boosters and regardless of background, I always make up my own story anyway.

I just prefer the inclusion of varied female characters (and race etc. as a matter of fact) as a natural process and acceptance of the equally important roles in society, and overall position in life itself. I see the problem of lack of character depth in female characters more often due to the forced inclusion of said sex to tick the 'abiding by convention' box. Taking example from the up-coming Hobbit films, they've created a brand new female character which I can't judge seeing as it's not out yet, just to fill the romance gap lacking in the books. Same overall idea was used to include Arwen in the trilogy in scenes where she should not have been a part of by the original story to further her role. These types of female characters are pushed into the story rather than being a part of the overall concept from the beginning. These characters just don't feel real to me if you will, no matter what variety of attributes.

I could go on to summarise that I see nothing wrong with a 'weak' woman whether real or fictional. It could be said that that very same concept of needing a 'weak' woman to need me is a weakness of myself as well. This personal attribute of mine extends into the games I play, where I assume the role of the male protagonist. I need a 'weak' woman to care for and give me reason.



Anyway, without further ramble, I understand what you mean. I mean it goes both ways no? Were I a woman with the same ideals, reverse the sexes of the counterpart and its all the same. I just wanted to include my 2 cents. Good luck in your noble cause!

I can't entirely say I blame you for the 'want to protect women' thing. I mean it is sexist, but I am fully aware most guys do not intend it as such. And really, growing up raised as a boy, I know exactly where it comes from. The white knight instinct is hammered into men by society and by natural drive. I still have mine, and have almost gotten in several fights trying to protect the women around me.



As for women shoe-horned into a story just to up the female population count of the work, I agree entirely. A character who is forced into the plot at a late stage whose personality and/or story are clearly underdeveloped, making the purpose of their presence solely to be a girl in the cast, can be even worse than having no women in the cast at all. A good example would be a movie set in a WW2 sub where the PC Police forced the script to include some female officers. LOLwut? No girls were on those subs!



Besides, it's not like I wouldn't swoon if a big, strong, handosme guy swooped in and rescued me from some terrible fate. I'm a lesbian and even I would need a change of panties at something like that! Heroism and strength are just hot, regardless of genders and orientations.

To the multiple devs who responded: Thanks again! It's so great that you guys pay attention to and talk to us like this! And I'm glad to hear that it was something you laid out early on. Please please PLEASE keep that in mind for any future games you make too, if the premise makes female PCs possible. As the responses show I'm far from the only one who appreciates your inclusiveness of all aspects of your player base, and your supremely excellent work on Endless Space and wonderful attitude towards equality and player satisfaction means that whatever your next game is, if it's in a genre I play you've most likely already earned my money.



So we're getting more girls and a girl-lead faction?! AWESOME! You guys are the best I agree with some previous posters that alternate male/female pics for each faction leader would be nice but I also understand the work that'd create, so I'm fine with just some female choices in the custom faction picture set



Are all of the current Faction Leaders male or gender-neutral then? I know with Horatio it's hard to quantify, the Emperor is clearly male, and the Sophon High Council is two males and one female, it looks like. But I can't tell with some of the other races. Is the Hissho Shogun (as I call their leader) a male or a female? What about that Craver leader? They seem referred to as It so I'm assuming they don't have genders, or are all female except for a rare male breeding caste, like ants, or something like that. I usually refer to thier leader as The Queen just because it makes sense. And the Amoeba's leader? He, She, It? I'm sort of theorizing the Sowers don't have a single unit as leader but rather collect for a hive-mind thinking session once a year to determine their faction's direction, or are lead by a conglomeration of many lesser but highly intelligent Sowers to create a central commander computer. I like to refer to the hive mind that leads them as The Voice.

More girls is always good. Only yesterday did I get my first female hero and she got hired first.



And I will leave it at that, because I could start a rant about women in gaming/media and I might scare everyone off.

We've already had a bit of ranting on the subject Pretty much everyone seems to agree there needs to be more cool girls in media. Don't think much more needs to be said Other than Amplitude rocks, and Unji Stormbringer is gonna eat your face.

How has no one mentioned Alpha Centauri yet? It was a 4X game, it was set in space and/or the future, and it had some awesome female leaders that covered a variety of different attitudes/roles/inclinations. The religious-fundamentalist Lord's Believers had Miriam Godwin, the militant Spartan Federation had Corazón Santiago, and my beloved Gaia's Stepdaughters had Dierdre Skye. Deirdre's story and dialog and breathed unimaginable life into the game for me. Oh, and her faction specialised in converting Planet's indigenous Mind Worms to their cause with the power of their minds.



Oh, and she could telepathically communicate with the Planet.



How. Cool. Is. That.



So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that - contrary to the sentiments of one of the posters above - getting some more female characters into the game is as important as the other tasks the dev team has ahead of them. Girls are pretty cool. So are guys. And all those people who don't identify as male or female, well, they're cool too.

YES! Alpha Centauri had some cool and varied female leaders. I still use the name 'Dierdre Skye' for characters in RPGs and for Sims, cause it's such a nice name.



GalCiv 2 also had some girls. I'm not sure on the highly alien races but the Altair were human-like aliens who played the Sophon angle and had a gir leader, and one of the expansions made the human leader change from a boy to a girl.



Though I haven't played Sword of the Stars, Masters of Orion, or really any 4x Space games outside of GalCiv and Alpha Centauri, I'm starting to think Space 4X games are one of the better genres for treating girls equally.



Though I'm considering going and checking out this legendary Masters of Orion 2, just so I don't totally wear ES out before it is even released.

Scopeh wrote:
I present to you!



<-- the Ameoba Butt



Wait..DO ameoba have butts?

Take my money you beautiful ameoba!

Hey you're really good at this. Please do collect all these in a separate thread cause eventually they'll get lost in the clutter.

Why miss the opportunity of a scavenger hunt?



lol 80s powersuits

Raptor wrote:
Female Sowers are planned. They will be indistinguishable from the male ones on the outside but on the inside the central processor of the male Sowers has pins on it, whereas in the female Sowers there are pins on the slot the CPU is plugged into.

ROFL. What about the poor slot loading CPUs?