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[gnawingonfoot]

I just started playing Morning's Wrath, and I was quite surprised by the main character.  She's a princess, so I was sort of expecting peachy foo-foo sweetness, but I was soooo off.  Pretty much the first thing you do in the game is murder your back-stabbing behind-the-curtains boyfriend for betraying your kingdom.  That's SERIOUS ovaries and a role model all young women can look up to.  So I was wondering what other (indie) games have role model quality female leads--and particularly ones whose femininity isn't defined by their being goddess of the cleavage?

[Musenik]

I wouldn't suggest to anyone they should look at a murderer as a role-model. Why doesn't she summon her kingdom's guards and have him arrested for treason? If that was impossible, why not set up a situation where the traitor hangs himself? There must be many clever and more ethical ways to waste the S.O.B.

[gnawingonfoot]

I wouldn't suggest to anyone they should look at a murderer as a role-model. Why doesn't she summon her kingdom's guards and have him arrested for treason? If that was impossible, why not set up a situation where the traitor hangs himself? There must be many clever and more ethical ways to waste the S.O.B.

Normally I'd agree, but the setup for the scene totally justifies it.  Basically he teleports the attacking horde of evilness directly inside the castle walls.  The guard is overwhelmed, and when you find out, he starts attacking you first in an effort to save his own sorry ass.  I do like games that promote progressive ethical standards of behavior, but this isn't really a situation where you have much of a choice.  If you really want to RP pacifism though, this game has a great death scene (scream).

[William Broom]

Well, this game isn't technically indie, but the creators did get shut down for not selling enough copies, and then reopened as an independent studio. So they are fairly indie. But it was the first thing that I thought of when you said strong non-sexualized female leads.

[Al King]

The obvious one that comes to mind for me is The Longest Journey, but again, not indie.

[Alex May]

Any of dessgeega's games.

[Guert]

Is Naija from Aquaria sexualized? Tale of Tales have a few female characters, like in The graveyard, 8 or The path, but I'm not sure that they are good role models (I haven't played those game except for the graveyard). In façade, the girl is non-sexualized and has a good job and is strong headed (but she does have major relationship problems). The main characters in Chalk and Naito Love 2 are girls but as far as being role models that's a matter of personal taste...

Perhaps you could define what you mean by role model so it could help your research?

[Corpus]

Yeah, I don't think many characters in video games, male or female, could be described as rolemodels.

[Pacian]

Again, not indie, but Samus from the Metroid Prime games is nicely  non T-and-A'd (although the 2D games did have the whole stripping for high scores thing).

And wasn't the lead character in Knytt Stories female?  Oh, and we can't forget Nelly Cootalot!

Yeah, I don't think many characters in video games, male or female, could be described as rolemodels.

Link is my role model.  That's why I'm always looking in people's pots and taking their stuff.

[Bree]

First thing I think of is Beyond Good and Evil. Perhaps not the most indie of games, but it did have a very strong female lead, yes?



Bloody amazing game, by the way.

[necromian]

Well, this game isn't technically indie, but the creators did get shut down for not selling enough copies, and then reopened as an independent studio. So they are fairly indie. But it was the first thing that I thought of when you said strong non-sexualized female leads.

I think I remember calling one of the female characters in that game "busty babe", but maybe I'm thinking of something else. However, that is an awesome game =P

[Alex May]

Nelly Cootalot! Nice one!

[Melly]

I really should just sit down and finish Beyond Good & Evil.

[Eclipse]

roberta williams' stuff, like ye old Laura Bow: Colonel Bequest and the dagger of amon ra

also check http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/female-protagonists

[Corpus]

Look at that low-cut, tight-fitting top! Scandalous! Try to keep yer pants on, missy.

[Saint]

Mia from Eternal Daughter? There seems to be a high rate of female leads in exploration games, with Samus as one of the very first videogame heroines is starring in some of the most important - if not the most important - games in the genre.

It all depends on where you draw the line, I guess. Would a character exposing herself automatically be a sex object? some would say so. Would it help if we changed nothing about the character but only her dress? some would agree, others would say that without any feminine qualities she's not really promoting strong female leads - she's promoting male leads and saying that the only way females can succeed is if they copy the male ideal.

We're left with Ripley at the end of Aliens, where she's a heavily armed but not sexy worker acting as the mother-protector - And there would still be people complaining about stereotyping and how she automatically have to behave like a mother just because she's a woman.

I guess what I'm saying is that as long as the character isn't just acting a victim, there are no clear rules as to what would define a sexualized female character so in order to spark discussion we should allow more rather than less.

On a personal note, I would also like to see more variations of different expressions of gender roles - both male and female.

[mewse]

First thing I think of is Beyond Good and Evil. Perhaps not the most indie of games, but it did have a very strong female lead, yes?

Bloody amazing game, by the way.

It was a lot of fun, yeah.

But I still twitch a little every time a company decides to pull out the old "mother must save her kidnapped children" cliche in order to motivate their otherwise passive female character into action.

[konjak]

Again, not indie, but Samus from the Metroid Prime games is nicely  non T-and-A'd (although the 2D games did have the whole stripping for high scores thing).

I see capital Ts and As.

[Zaphos]

As?  I only see one

[konjak]

screw you