Was This The First Game Ever With Beta Male Protagonists?

was this the first game ever where the gender roles were switched and the men were portrayed as weak and submissive while the women were portrayed as strong, in leadership positions?

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Comments

  • edited November 2015

    Submissive?

    ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

    In all seriousness, Rhys and Vaughn weren't 'beta' (Beta is kind of a stupid term, don't you think?)

  • I highly doubt it. The idea is very appealing to the average male. It says, "look, someone like you is doing awesome stuff." Which leads the individual to feel that they can do awesome stuff too. In the case of Fiona and Sasha it runs opposite to the typical gender stereotype imposed on women. Thus it offers an escape from an oppressive reality. This also applies to the aforementioned male. Specifically in the case where he too feels oppressed by gender stereotypes that say he has to be the one running and gunning in an action situation. On the topic of the beta designator, I would advise against it. Hope that wasn't too analytical.

  • edited November 2015

    In my opinion I wouldn't call either of them "beta" or "alpha", both the girls and boys had their own strengths, and their own weaknesses. I also wouldn't say there was one leader in the group, it was more of a group effort.

  • Rhys and Vaughn aren't "betas". They're just consistently portrayed as fish-out-of-water while in Pandora. Fiona and Sasha, being natives to a lawless wasteland, are obviously more used to dealing with dangerous situations than them.

  • Well Rhys is submissive because that's what Sasha likes.

  • Rhys' strengths were in hacking and Hyperion in general, Fiona's were in conversation and battle. Neither of them were weak, they just had different skills.

  • enter image description here

    Well Rhys is submissive because that's what Sasha likes.

  • edited November 2015

    Yeah, the men are weaklings(when they aren't they usually are bad guys or bad guys who are friendly to the group, like August) and the women are way tougher. It bothered me a bit, but the characters background and the unrealistic world(Athena gets hit by 3 rockets in the face and lives, Sasha is 125 lbs and can lift Rhys and break necks)made it acceptable. It's not a realistic game and I am okay with it, I still think it's great.

    Plus, Telltale has a thing for making ridicolously strong female characters(the girl who climbs anything that moves in TWD Season 1, the other girl who travels through walkers groups in TWD Season 2 and of course Clementine who clearly has super powers) so I was expecting it.

  • all of the characters have their weaknesses. not just rhys and vaughn.

  • edited November 2015

    Why must everything turn into a gender thing?

  • I don't know. I'd prefer it if gender politics stay away from gaming because it doesn't need it.

    Amen to that, kudos for avatar

  • edited November 2015

    But they're just people who came out of different environments. Rhys and Vaughn sat behind a desk pushing pencils while Fiona and Sasha ran around Pandora conning people. Look how much Rhys and Vaughn changed when in Pandora, they fended for their lives and changed into completely different people. Fiona and Sasha, they've changed too. Being by themselves a lot, they're finally accustomed to giving people a chance and trusting others for once.

    Plus; it's like, 800 years into the future. Gender stereotyping and all that crap doesn't exist anymore.

  • but the characters background and the unrealistic world(Athena gets hit by 3 rockets in the face and lives

    You haven't played other Borderlands games, obviously.

    Sasha is 125 lbs and can lift Rhys

    This one I can agree on. I don't see how she can lift Rhys, who has a robotic arm and is much heavier than her, without fail. I mean, she hasn't exactly got big meaty arms, they're quite skinny.

    and break necks)

    It's not just about strength, more technique. Rhys is obviously has average strength, but he couldn't break that one guys neck because he wasn't doing it properly.

    Jewinzius posted: »

    Yeah, the men are weaklings(when they aren't they usually are bad guys or bad guys who are friendly to the group, like August) and the women

  • You spelled Fiona wrong. ;)

    Well Rhys is submissive because that's what Sasha likes.

  • No, he spelled Sasha right.

    You spelled Fiona wrong.

  • Intelligent and on point.

    I highly doubt it. The idea is very appealing to the average male. It says, "look, someone like you is doing awesome stuff." Which leads the

  • I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored. The part about the neck is not possible, you would need a ridicolous amount of strenght to break the neck of an average man the way Sasha did. To do that in real life you would need to be strong, be on the ground and create a rotation with the opponent's weight(the way Bas Rutten is able to do) and still, you may not be able to break it. Rhys was trying a rear naked choke if I recall correctly.

    but the characters background and the unrealistic world(Athena gets hit by 3 rockets in the face and lives You haven't played other

  • Well, this isn't real life. Reality is different in the Borderlands universe.

    Jewinzius posted: »

    I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored. The part about the neck is not possible, you would need a ridicolous amount of streng

  • Video games. They aren't very realistic, especially ones that involves interplanetary corporations fighting over alien treasure troves on planets faraway from laws.

    Jewinzius posted: »

    I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored. The part about the neck is not possible, you would need a ridicolous amount of streng

  • edited November 2015

    I barely even cared about this. Once I noticed the dudes were weak and the girls were tuff, I was like "huh". And moved on.

    EDIT: That being said, if Rhys X Axton happens, you bet your ass Rhys is going submissive.

  • Well, duh.

    But he still spelled Fiona wrong.

    No, he spelled Sasha right.

  • I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored

    Then you should know about sheilds and class mods that help the player with advantages.

    you would need a ridicolous amount of strenght to break the neck of an average man the way Sasha did

    Well, Sasha does in fact have a considerable amount of then. She did catch Rhys, robot arm and all.

    And the icecream.

    To do that in real life you would need to be strong

    Except this isn't real life. It's a video game. lmao

    Jewinzius posted: »

    I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored. The part about the neck is not possible, you would need a ridicolous amount of streng

  • Yeah, it is different from real life and is thus unrealistic as I wrote earlier. I fail to see your point.

    I played Borderlands for 2 hours before getting bored Then you should know about sheilds and class mods that help the player with ad

  • No, you definitely see my point. Considering you literally just said it.

    it is different from real life and is thus unrealistic

    Jewinzius posted: »

    Yeah, it is different from real life and is thus unrealistic as I wrote earlier. I fail to see your point.

  • I felt both protagonists were quite equal in their own special way. They both have moments of weakness, but also triumphs that stood out way more. Sure Rhys was more of a punching bag than Fiona, but his hits felt more like it was for comedic effect than anything to take seriously.

  • I agree, Sasha has super strength. You need to be very strong (and as clearly seen, Sasha is skinny.)
    We also saw Fiona break someone's neck and knock someone out easily as well.
    Maybe that is an average female pandoran strength.

    Jewinzius posted: »

    Yeah, it is different from real life and is thus unrealistic as I wrote earlier. I fail to see your point.

  • How is that your point? That's what I wrote in my first post.

    " It bothered me a bit, but the characters background and the unrealistic world..."

    No, you definitely see my point. Considering you literally just said it. it is different from real life and is thus unrealistic

  • Next thread: "Why is it the females that do all the work? SEXIST!!!!!!"

  • Beta male protagonists? Beta?

    enter image description here

  • What does "beta" mean in this context? I'm a bit confused.

    DeityD posted: »

    Beta male protagonists? Beta?

  • sigh

    I want to, but I shouldn't.

  • edited November 2015

    Alphas are those who are the leaders of a group, people who are defined as an alpha are strong and most of the time, independent.

    Betas are pretty much under the alphas, they are commonly weaker. If someone were defined as a beta, they're usually the kind of people who avoids combat since they get rekt easily.

    What does "beta" mean in this context? I'm a bit confused.

  • something tells me you haven't played many games.

  • what other game has beta male protagonists?

    Piggs posted: »

    something tells me you haven't played many games.

  • edited November 2015

    Even if this was a game with beta male protagonists, it wouldn't be the first.

  • name a game then

    MrShadow posted: »

    Even if this was a game with beta male protagonists, it wouldn't be the first.

  • edited November 2015

    Alistair in Dragon Age:Origins? He is very beta, at least at the beginning. If you play as a man he is the only beta male protagonists though.

    bogey_j posted: »

    name a game then

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