@jepsen1977: No one has forced me to play video games, please re-read what I said. Video games have been a hobby of mine my whole life, and writing about games is my job now! I mean, I'm the author of this article. As I said, just because I've had to play as a character I can't completely see myself in, as I'm not a man, it's never stopped me from experiencing that sense of immersion and that's ok. Not everything is for everyone. You don't see many women upset about having to play as male protagonists, so why should female protagonists be treated any differently when that opportunity arises--especially if it's an optional one? Sorry if that point's relation to my own identity wasn't clear. You'd be surprised at the number of people in my audience who get stumped by my name. No hard feelings, to be clear.
@bbq_R0ADK1LL: Alexios and Kassandra are meant to represent the same person. It's your choice as to which one is the ancestor. I see your point about lore breaking and how that could potentially mess up the story later down the road, but the story won't change no matter which one you decide to play as, since in theory, they're the same person!
@sergemastermind: While that might kill immersion for you, think about all the people who it doesn't kill immersion for. You may not be able to find your representation in something, and that's ok! But we can't always see ourselves in everything. I never saw myself in any of the male protagonists I've been forced to play as since I've been playing games--but I've never let that stop me from getting immersed and enjoying a good story. Kassandra is my immersion, as I think she will be for a lot of other players. Also keep in mind, you won't be forced to play as Kassandra if you don't want to, and Ubisoft has never claimed Assassin's Creed is 100 percent historically accurate with its storytelling. Its environments and people are, but the storylines never have been. :>
@redhedjack: When used to intentionally upset or offend someone yes, but it's also an identifying term within the community. I encourage you to do a little more research into the acronym and community's language--you might learn a little more about yourself too!
Your opinion is valid and I'm not about to change your mind. However, how I want to be inclusive of my audience is my choice. These are the words I choose to use for the people who need and want to hear them, and it's OK if you disagree, or feel they don't best represent you. But there's someone out there that does need this, and I hope it reaches them!
@redhedjack: None of us speak for everyone. Queer plus! I find that's more inclusive of queer, aro/ace, nonbinary and other identities that aren't part of the traditional acronym but are part of the community. Even though my identity is included in the traditional acronym I still get erased--it's a terrible feeling, so I try not to erase others. That's just how I choose to represent the community in the way I talk about it and in my writing.
@shlompskii: China is under a communist government with very different views and ideas on what their people should be exposed to. There's technically nothing wrong with what they're doing censorship wise, it's just very, very different than the ideas and laws we have here in the US. Do I personally think it's fair? Of course not, because my job depends on the freedoms we have in this country, but that's the way they live and operate. They have since 1949, though there have been some pushes for more democracy since 1976--but the communist party still holds the reins today, as far as I've been able to see.
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