PROJECT: An RPG with ABDLs.

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ZetaSonic

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  1. Diaper Lover
I wanted to include a representation of us that would be sympathetic. The group, in-game, are a quasi-Amazonian warrior tribe who've fought off constant attacks on them by people who believe made-up stories about them.

You know the type I refer to.

I guess I just want to get us out into consciousness in a way that's not dehumanizing...
 
I think to large extent the presentation is going to be crucial here. You'll need to present the characters in as sympathetic and empathetic a light as possible while simultaneously making them accessible to non-ABDL players. I'm not going to say it can't be done, but I do think it's going to be quite difficult, in large part because much of what we want/do/enjoy runs counter to the general social order.
 
Cool! I love games, and it's great that your considering a representation of us...

Ima little confused though ... I think of equatorial tribal peoples (warrior or otherwise) and I don't think they do ... diapers?
 
Traemo said:
I think to large extent the presentation is going to be crucial here. You'll need to present the characters in as sympathetic and empathetic a light as possible while simultaneously making them accessible to non-ABDL players. I'm not going to say it can't be done, but I do think it's going to be quite difficult, in large part because much of what we want/do/enjoy runs counter to the general social order.

That fact is addressed, but do you have any suggestions?
When you first encounter them, they capture you and nobody will trust you because you aren't an ABDL. They won't do so because constantly been attacked by non-ABDLs, who paint them as monsters and stuff.
 
I know in the game I am making, I am planning on having an AB/DL character, but it's going to be quite subtle as being an AB/DL tends to be. For example, my plan is to simply put little hints in the characters personality and once you gain access to their room you will find items that essentially give it away. But I don't plan to actually have it where it explicitly states the character is an AB/DL.

See, I find if you want to get us out there in a non-dehumanizing way, you have to present what it is in a realistic manner. Basically, you have to present it in a manner like as if it's not a big deal. It's just there.
 
MarchinBunny said:
I know in the game I am making, I am planning on having an AB/DL character, but it's going to be quite subtle as being an AB/DL tends to be. For example, my plan is to simply put little hints in the characters personality and once you gain access to their room you will find items that essentially give it away. But I don't plan to actually have it where it explicitly states the character is an AB/DL.

See, I find if you want to get us out there in a non-dehumanizing way, you have to present what it is in a realistic manner. Basically, you have to present it in a manner like as if it's not a big deal. It's just there.

I dunno, there wasn't a lot of subtlety about Undyne and Alphys, or a number of Sailor Moon couples.

The group is openly ABDL, but the rest of the world is too sheltered to accept that there are people like that. Oftentimes, the tribe got attacked for simply loving baby stuff and became a warrior society due to the attacks.
 
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ZetaSonic said:
I dunno, there wasn't a lot of subtlety about Undyne and Alphys, or a number of Sailor Moon couples.
We are talking about something very different than just a lesbian relationship here. Also, Sailor Moon is an anime where that sort of thing is common. Those episodes were never aired in North America. Of course today, they probably would have as it's become a bit more accepted since then.

Also, the reason they don't need to be subtle with those sorts of relationships is because in real life they are not subtle. You can, in fact, find lesbian couples out in the open.
AB/DL are not quite there yet, and I personally think it never will be.

You have to remember that being an AB/DL is seen as a fetish. Point to me a game that put some other fetish out in the open so willy nilly that isn't some weird game like Honiepop where that is sort of the point.

The group is openly ABDL, but the rest of the world is too sheltered to accept that there are people like that. Oftentimes, the tribe got attacked for simply loving baby stuff and became a warrior society due to the attacks.
Yes, it's a very unrealistic scenario and brings a lot of spotlight to their AB/DL-ness. It also stands to question why the rest of the world would attack them for wearing diapers o_O. I mean come on, not even in real life does that really ever happen. The most you get in real life is dirty looks and you could be going around wearing a diaper a bib while shaking a rattle. Sure you may come across a person who is willing to cause some trouble. But who in their right mind would attack an entire tribe? Also, I am assuming this tribe lives in their own area which makes it even crazier they would be attacked strictly for being AB/DL. Assuming this is recent times, it just doesn't make any sense.

If it's more ancient times, it still doesn't make any sense. I mean back then they didn't have plumbing, and if they did have diapers it was just a piece of cloth which would look like clothing. What sort of baby things do they do since they are part of a tribe? The experience would be vastly different than what we see as AB/DL today.

You want to put AB/DL out in the open? I suggest you do so in a realistic manner. A warrior AB/DL tribe isn't going to do anyone any favors. It's just going to come off as extremely weird to people who are not AB/DL and because of that, they are likely not even going to play it.

Edit: Something to add, if you make the rest of the world the enemy ... doesn't that set everyone as the enemy? It's suppose to be putting it out their to be more accepted right? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to paint the entire world as the bad guys. Anyone who isn't an AB/DL who plays this game is going to probably find it pretty insulting.
 
MarchinBunny said:
We are talking about something very different than just a lesbian relationship here. Also, Sailor Moon is an anime where that sort of thing is common. Those episodes were never aired in North America. Of course today, they probably would have as it's become a bit more accepted since then.

Also, the reason they don't need to be subtle with those sorts of relationships is because in real life they are not subtle. You can, in fact, find lesbian couples out in the open.
AB/DL are not quite there yet, and I personally think it never will be.

That's the whole point: same-sex couples are so common all across the board that it's become a tired thing. I want to give us that same spotlight they always get. I want it to be known.

I don't want the only times we're EVER brought up to be when we're painted as a negative.

I suggest you do so in a realistic manner.

Yeah, sure. In a game that's a fantasy world and satirizes RPG conventions.
I'm sorry I even tried to be supportive...
 
There's a couple of things going on here:
1) The feedback being provided is high-level, in-depth stuff: none of it is intended as an attack on you, nor really on your concept. What it is intended to do is highlight potential issues going forward, giving you a chance to address them or not as appropriate.

2) You enthusiasm is appreciate, as a community it would be nice to be seen in a less automatically negative light; I think the AB end of the spectrum is getting there, to an extent, with things like footie sleepers for women and adult story-times. DL, on the other hand, I think will always be a bit in the shadows, much like BDSM. And for many of the same reasons - by definition DL is sexually oriented.

At least to me, your initial commentary suggested the entire story was taking place inside the confines of the tribe (one resembling Greek Myth I thought), not that the tribe was entirely ABDL and under attack by outside forces. I think a more subtle approach has a better chance of bearing fruit: I would argue it's fine to have ABDL characters and not shy away from showing those aspects of personality. But we're not just ABDLs, we're any number of other things, too. I argue that focusing solely on the ABDL aspects does everyone a disservice: Us, as it reduces the community back to a single trait, and everyone else because it makes it hard for them to identify with the characters.

As a suggestion, I'd establish a compelling story first. The story doesn't have to be ABDL-centric. Let's explore that a touch: conflict is Max's boyfriend, Jack, has been kidnapped, apparently at random (note that I don't support bad guys as "Evil for the lulz!"). Naturally, Max is concerned, wants to get him back. Max sets out to try and follow the trail, but first he has to make sure he's got everything he'll need for an extended journey: video game logic, he needs to clear a short dungeon to get his clothes and supplies: binky, blankie, plush, sleeping bag, tent. Now he's free to head out of town, but now his childhood friend Jane has heard the news and insists on coming along. Jane doesn't know that Max is ABDL, but he needs help, so along she comes.

We skip over the next three or four town and two dungeons, and reach a dramatic scene were Max gets badly injured saving Jane. Naturally she's going to take care of him as he recovers. Blatant scene, she finds out about the ABDL stuff, we reveal that Jack isn't just the boyfriend, he's also the care-giver in this dynamic. Depending on how Jane is written, one of two things happens here: a discussion followed by acceptance OR Jane retreats in confusion to work her way through this revelation. We'll go with the latter case, and we split off into a side story following Jane as she works her way through her immediate rejection of Max. We're doing this because it gives us a chance to line up and knock down some of the more common misconceptions and myths. So, Jane wanders back to the last town, where, naturally, someone saw the fight and the revelation. Max's predilections are now the talk of the town. Jane has to compare the blatantly negative commentary with her actual experience.

What makes this tricky is we're going to have to script the entire game to this point with this section in mind: we need plenty of counter-examples from Max of WHY the townspeople are wrong, ones that Jane has been seen to have witnessed. For verisimilitude, this will require flashbacks previously. Now we return to those same scenes, but with a shift of perspective revealing that Max was, in fact, being ABDL at the time and Jane just overlooked it. For the player, we'll need to have liberally seeded preceding events with indications of Max being ABDL, things like the plush being a necessary item for leaving, an event drinking event where he seems to have an improbably large bladder, maybe the binky serves as a status recovery item only for Max, etc. Depending on how skilled you feel with scripting, we could set it up so the player has to process along with Jane, making choices that indicate opinion one way or the other. As the local version of God, naturally the plot won't progress until she accepts Max for who he is. Story continues . . . .

With the exception the last sequence, you'll notice none of it was blatant or in your face about ABDL. Based on my decades of life, I see this more subtle exposure being much more effective.
 
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ZetaSonic said:
That's the whole point: same-sex couples are so common all across the board that it's become a tired thing. I want to give us that same spotlight they always get. I want it to be known.

I don't want the only times we're EVER brought up to be when we're painted as a negative.
Understandable, and I think it's a great thing. However, if the game is focused on AB/DL themes, chances are you are only going to get AB/DL playing the game. The way that it's done is important because that will define exactly who will be playing your game. You have to really think about your target audience and how to get them to play your game. If you are looking to spread AB/DL in a non negative manner among people to make it more accepting, your target audience should be those people who are not AB/DL.

Yeah, sure. In a game that's a fantasy world and satirizes RPG conventions.
I'm sorry I even tried to be supportive...
Please don't feel put down or anything like that. It's not my intention to do so, I am just trying to point out things that you may want to think about.

Traemo said:

Oh wow =^.^= You explained that a whole lot better than I did. Great Job.
 
The main character isn't an ABDL, but one party member is. That stuff is restricted to her and her tribe.

Perhaps I should have been a bit more clear: the tribe sees most "Outsiders" as enemies as most of them spread false stories and stuff about them, which led to hit-and-run attacks on their settlement. It's mostly one town that hates their guts. I drew this aspect from the ostracism I'd seen in the past. I'm sure some of you know of the backlash AKnotholeResident brought to us when it got out he was an AB and people assumed we're all like that. I myself had faced a ton of crap online, too: pedofork accusations and all.

That's really the genesis of the ABDL tribe: they wanted to mind their own business, those townsmen sent posses a few times to stir up trouble, the tribe becomes warlike and distrust non-ABDLs. Eventually, you prove that you're trustworthy and their leader joins you.

That's their part in the plot.
I didn't want this to come off as a whiny screed straight out of Tumblr and it's only that group and their leader which provide the only heavy bits of diaper material.
 
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