Stellaris is an excellent strategy game just released by strategy experts Paradox, and it features an extensive modding system through Steam Workshop.
While gamers are encouraged to manipulate and tweak things to their heart’s desire, there are guidelines. Unfortunately, one mod has already broken those rules.
The mod was entitled ‘European Phenotype and Names Only’. It changed the game so that all humans were European and had European names. The thing is, the mod also turned all characters in the game white, making it extremely discriminatory.
In an interview with Eurogamer, a Paradox rep said about the mod
‘We shipped the game originally with an accurate representation of humans, that is to say diverse in both ethnicity and personality. We embrace the idea that players mod the game to best represent how they want to play, we do NOT however wish to enable discriminatory practices.’
The description of the mod drew attention to it in the first instance and a change that was made after it was posted.
Paradox Community Manager made a statement on Reddit.
‘We saw the mod, thought it wasn’t in very good taste, but let it remain. Then the creator … decided to update the description of the mod to promote an ‘agenda’ not related to computer games at all, and this was being clearly displayed on our product page. We decided it was a step too far and removed it.’
While it isn’t clear what the description said, several Redditors believe it was the inclusion of ‘no multiculturalism here!’
Paradox Interactive COO Susana Meza Graham backed up the companies decision to do this in a Twitter message.
“We have a few rules of conduct that have been in effect for the better part of a decade where racial slurs, among other things, are not allowed. We interpreted this particular mod as breaking those rules of conduct, however it would appear that the comments surrounding the mod, rather than the mod itself, were the biggest problem,” she wrote. “We welcome everyone to create all kind of mods for us as long as they comply with our rules of conduct and we expect our modders to help us keep the comment sections free of any racial slurs or other things that do not comply with these same codes.”
Have you seen this mod, or any others you feel have promoted particular agendas? Let us know below.
(Source Eurogamer)
(Via PCGamer)