126 replies to this topic

[Jables McBarty]

https://en.wikipedia..._and_vocabulary

PGI needs to remove KKK references from this game.

I'm tired of seeing a reference to racist POS's every time I press R.

By putting the Grand Dragon into MWO, PGI has made clear what kind of player they want.

I at least am done spending money on MWO until the Grand Dragon has been renamed. I don't care what the name is, I don't care if this is Lore-Friendly or not or whatever, it's racist and it has to go.

Jables McBarty, on 16 May 2021 - 08:35 AM, said:

I at least am done spending money on MWO until the Grand Dragon has been renamed. I don't care what the name is, I don't care if this is Lore-Friendly or not or whatever, it's racist and it has to go.

And I'm likely to stop playing. It's exhausting to see this crap, and it makes the game less fun.

EDITED TO ADD:

If you think I am being overly sensitive and you live in North America, maybe just google Grand Dragon and see what pops up. I'm on a VPN and a Private Browsing Session and the first five results are about the KKK. Then a few hotels in Asia. Then more KKK results.

If you aren't from North America, then I understand you may not know about the KKK or the fact that high ranking officers from the Klan were called Grand Dragons. Now you know.

(Oh, and the BT 'mech is nowhere on the front page.)

Edited by Jables McBarty, 16 May 2021 - 11:51 AM.

[FupDup]

Things in video games aren't always meant to reference real-life things of similar name.

For example the World of Blake "jihad" isn't about Islamic militant organizations. The "crusader" Clans aren't fighting to spread Christianity throughout the galaxy. And the DRG-5K isn't a KKK reference. It's just an upgraded version of the original Dragon and is produced by a faction that is more or less "Space Japan" (and are thus unlikely to be white supremacists given that most of them are Japanese).

[Leone]

Look, we know Kurita is a bit stereotypical, but I don't see why that mech, of all mechs is setting you off.

It's a game, it's supposed to be a bit campy.

~Leone.

[FupDup]

Also, there's a KKK title called the Grand Cyclops, and an in-game mech called the Cyclops. Does that mech need a rename too?

[Novakaine]

As a 60 old year Black man I can say this.
Stop virtue signaling this is a video game and a game genre I've been enjoyed since 1984.
It doesn't have a damn thing to do with race.
Take that crap somewhere else your "offense" is trifling and childish.
With that silly mindset I guess you'd want PGI to remove the color white?
Grow up if I'm not offended no one else should be.

Edited by Novakaine, 16 May 2021 - 08:52 AM.

[Sean Malloy]

Sorry, Gents; McBarty has a point. Continuing to have a mech in here which is named after the leader of a racist, terrorist organization is not 'camp', it is tone deaf at best.

With the impending launch of MW5 across a bunch of platforms I am hoping to invite friends into the community. Grand Dragon is kinda dog whistle-ly and a definite turn off. If you want the community to grow you have to at the very least not shoot yourself in the foot with racist mech names.

[Novakaine]

Sean Malloy, on 16 May 2021 - 08:54 AM, said:

Sorry, Gents; McBarty has a point. Continuing to have a mech in here which is named after the leader of a racist, terrorist organization is not 'camp', it is tone deaf at best.

With the impending launch of MW5 across a bunch of platforms I am hoping to invite friends into the community. Grand Dragon is kinda dog whistle-ly and a definite turn off. If you want the community to grow you have to at the very least not shoot yourself in the foot with racist mech names.

Well this has to be the second silliest thing I've heard today.

[martian]

Jables McBarty, on 16 May 2021 - 08:36 AM, said:

https://en.wikipedia..._and_vocabulary

PGI needs to remove KKK references from this game.

I'm tired of seeing a reference to racist POS's every time I press R.

You are wrong. The Dragon and the Grand Dragon have nothing common with the Ku Klux Klan.

Jables McBarty, on 16 May 2021 - 08:36 AM, said:

By putting the Grand Dragon into MWO, PGI has made clear what kind of player they want.

I at least am done spending money on MWO until the Grand Dragon has been renamed. I don't care what the name is, I don't care if this is Lore-Friendly or not or whatever, it's racist and it has to go.

The Dragon is the symbol of the Draconis Combine. See this link: Japanese dragon

The creators of the BattleTech value the culture of Japan so much that they used the Japanese deity as the symbol of one part of their fictional universe.

The Draconis Combine, its spirit and the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine are often referenced as "the Dragon".

DRG-1G Grand Dragon is the improved model of DRG-1N Dragon.The Dragon BattleMech has been in BattleTech since 1986.

Jables McBarty, on 16 May 2021 - 08:36 AM, said:

And I'm likely to stop playing.

As you wish.

Sean Malloy, on 16 May 2021 - 08:54 AM, said:

Sorry, Gents; McBarty has a point. Continuing to have a mech in here which is named after the leader of a racist, terrorist organization is not 'camp', it is tone deaf at best.

The BattleMech is named after a mythical Japanese animal that symbolizes the spirit of the Draconis Combine.

Sean Malloy, on 16 May 2021 - 08:54 AM, said:

With the impending launch of MW5 across a bunch of platforms I am hoping to invite friends into the community. Grand Dragon is kinda dog whistle-ly and a definite turn off. If you want the community to grow you have to at the very least not shoot yourself in the foot with racist mech names.

Thank you for your opinion.

[JediPanther]

HAHA! The name of a mech is what makes you mad? Have you never looked at mech names in the game? Pnt-kk is one k off from offending you. This game could use a lot of fixes but mech names are at the very bottom just like typos on the tips on loading screens.

[Gas Guzzler]

Dude. Dragon was a mythical creature in fantasy stories before it had anything to do with the KKK.

Is the name meant to be a nod to the KKK? No? Then?

[Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie]

oh my..

[ScrapIron Prime]

martian, on 16 May 2021 - 09:06 AM, said:

The Dragon is the symbol of the Draconis Combine. See this link: Japanese dragon
The creators of the BattleTech value the culture of Japan so much that they used the Japanese deity as the symbol of one part of their fictional universe.
The Draconis Combine, its spirit and the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine are often referenced as "the Dragon".
DRG-1G Grand Dragon is the improved model of DRG-1N Dragon.The Dragon BattleMech has been in BattleTech since 1986.

And FASA, the company that was Battletech back in the day, never touched on racist ****. Sure, nobody was a paragon of inclusivity back in the 80’s and 90’s, but FASA was better than most. Between Battletech and Shadowrun, most cultures and ethinicities got portrayed fairly positively.

Sometimes a mech is just a mech.

Let’s get back to hating on it for legit reasons... like how far apart it’s energy hard points are if you use all four.

[x Deathstrike x]

If you search hard enough you will always find some bad reference for any type of name.
For the love of the holy NASCAR god leave this virtue signalling sh|t out of here please.

Next thing is they will find something bad for the word "Deathstrike" and delete the MK2 Deathstrike and I will end up as a MechWarrior123445

Edited by x Deathstrike x, 16 May 2021 - 09:32 AM.

[FLG 01]

Is there any evidence that the developers of BT actively searched for KKK ranks to use as names for their Mechs? That's required to actually make it a 'reference', otherwise it is just a coincedence like all the Grand Dragon hotels in Asia, the senior rank in the IDBF or the enemy from Final Fantasy.

And if it truly was a reference: Why then only one Mech and not more? Why only that of a faction that's bascially 80ies Space Japan?

[DevilPogoStick]

....Never once I thought of those Klans regarding a mech name until that was brought up.

And...Really? That's enough to make you go into your tent and pout? It's a no brainer this mech was named after the mythical creature from literally Space Japan. You're kinda stretching it at this point.

Edited by DevilPogoStick, 16 May 2021 - 09:33 AM.

[Escef]

Sean Malloy, on 16 May 2021 - 08:54 AM, said:

Sorry, Gents; McBarty has a point. Continuing to have a mech in here which is named after...

Having a name in common does not mean a thing is named after someone or something. Elsewise, we could claim that the late Herman Cain (a black politician in the US) was named after Hermann Göring (leader of the German airforce in WWII). Just as my first name is Jeff, but I'm not named after Jeff Bridges (American actor), nor DJ Jazzy Jeff (American rapper), or Geoffrey Chaucer (British author).

[x Deathstrike x]

Novakaine, on 16 May 2021 - 08:51 AM, said:

With that silly mindset I guess you'd want PGI to remove the color white?

Yes exactly. Next thing will be we need more female representation among the mechs i.e. mechs with boobs.
And transgender mechs and gender fluid mechs...
Holy NASCAR god batman...

Edited by x Deathstrike x, 16 May 2021 - 09:39 AM.

[Escef]

x Deathstrike x, on 16 May 2021 - 09:38 AM, said:

Yes exactly. Next thing will be we need more female representation among the mechs i.e. mechs with boobs.
And transgender mechs and gender fluid mechs...
Holy NASCAR god batman...

For someone that seems upset by identity politics, you seem to know a lot of the bad faith arguments quite well. Give it a rest, you're actually making yourself look worse than the OP at this point.

[x Deathstrike x]

Escef, on 16 May 2021 - 09:40 AM, said:

For someone that seems upset by identity politics, you seem to know a lot of the bad faith arguments quite well. Give it a rest, you're actually making yourself look worse than the OP at this point.

Well then I stay out of this thread from here on out...

[denAirwalkerrr]

Jables McBarty, on 16 May 2021 - 08:36 AM, said:

And I'm likely to stop playing. It's exhausting to see this crap, and it makes the game less fun.

You'll not be missed.