Announcements & News

this is so wonderful! thank you so much for addressing this, I can think of many games (browser based or otherwise) that simply turn a blind eye to concerns such as this and just leave it as is.....

Oh wow!

While I was willing to try to adapt to the lore of the site as-is (and disliked the interpretation of dragons as anything but also native to Sornieth), the fact of the matter was that the Beast Clans have always been nothing if not sympathetic, and it simply Felt Bad to think that they were constantly under threat by our seemingly incredibly powerful dragons who didn't believe they had an equal right to be here.

With how fascinating the Shade itself is as a threat, I think this change is not only welcome for reasons of cultural sensitivity, but also absolutely does not leave any lack of exciting plot threads for us to follow.

Thanks for being thoughtful about this, devs.

thank you guys so much for choosing to address this, as it's better late than never!

[quote name="@Laluzi" date="2022-12-14 12:31:37" ] Am I the only person who's baffled that they finally addressed this serious issue in lore (which is good - overdue, but good)... and then went and stocked four new humanoid familiars in the treasure marketplace, which was a previously addressed issue to remove any implications of trafficking and slave labor? Because it's kinda whack to me that this happened specifically in an update meant to address sensitivity. [/quote] Where was this addressed? I always interpreted the marketplace as just a non-canon game mechanic (like how Undel describing throwing familiar into Baldwin earlier on in this thread) to get items, and I just sort of assumed that's how it's meant to [i]be[/i] interpreted.

[quote name="StaticVitals" date="2022-12-14 12:24:33" ] [quote name="Undel" date="2022-12-14 11:34:43" ] [quote name="Oakensleaf" date="2022-12-14 11:21:03" ] I have a question I know that there are beastclan members that are fight able enemies in the coliseum, will those remain and the lore will be adapted to explain their presence in the coliseum or will they be removed? [/quote] The Beastclan opponents in the coliseum will remain. The dragons are not at war with the Beastclans nor are they trying to take their territory, but all life in Sornieth can be susceptible to Shade taint and the dragons can fight and cleanse it in small quantities. If the creature or Beastclan who is cleansed is happy enough, they may even decided to follow you home as your friend! From a mechanic perspective it gives us the ability to have more ways to acquire familiars from our world setting. [/quote] I am extremely pleased to not only see an apology regarding this subject but also active changes being implemented. However, I can't help but point out there there appears to be the implication that dragons fighting in the coliseum are inherently 'clean/pure' and are framed as heroic saviors that 'cleanse' Beastclan opponents and other creatures of the Shade. This dynamic reflects the nature/culture dualism ideologies that colonizers use to assign racialized superiority to themselves and inferiority to indigenous groups to justify land dispossession, segregation, ethnocide, exploitation and many other harmful practices. It also reflects similar hygiene narratives colonizers used to justify eugenics and sterilization practices against marginalized groups. There are many Indigenous scholars who critique how current (and historical) colonizer narratives frame colonizers as 'innocent heroes' who are 'saving' marginalized groups from violent and destructive crises that colonizers caused. The wording of the reply has some problems in that respect. [/quote] Seconding this. While I believe the implications were either accidental, or even coincidental, it can still be read that unfortunate way. Also, it sets dragons apart from "all life in Sornieth" if they are the only lifeform not susceptible to the Shade - which may not be a bad thing on its own, and can be even handled interestingly, I think, but if not handled with care, could smell of exceptionalism. I´m sure there would be some better ways to handle this. Let´s brainstorm! edit: grammar

While I do like the dragons having non-dragons enemies, I'd see why this was implemented. Real-world parallels can be very uncomfortable when they discuss topics such as colonialism. Seems a little weird it's a straight-up retcon rather than a lore update, but I'm glad you're able to take responsibility for your actions.

Only things I'm really curious if all the beastclan/dragon relationships are going to be hunky-dory or if there will be some conflict. I have questions, but this is definitely taking things to the right step. Can't wait to see the new beastclan lore and how I'll incorporate that into Chimera! Beastclans haven't played a part in it yet, but these changes may influence the course of the story.

Omg, I love this. It's been so long and awkward. Great to see this change [emoji=coatl laughing size=1]

I'm glad to see the lore being revised. A small part of me didn't like the idea of harming any beastclans, specifically the harpies, as I have a strong love for animals. On top of that, I am HYPED for Adventure mode, the beastclan shopkeepers, and any new beastclan-related lore!

the colonist stuff didn't really click for me but im glad the devs addressed it, and i love more lore so thats a plus to