How controversial can wads get?

[Solek_1312]

I'm working on a wad, and I was wondering whether there are any guidelines/rules on uploads of mods that deal with controversial topics such as ongoing wars, political leaders, corruption allegations, police brutality, etc.

I assume wads promoting hate and bigotry are prohibited but I haven't managed to find guidelines on what's allowed and what isn't.

[Major Arlene]

honestly all that should be avoided. we play Doom to have fun, not get hit over the head with IRL shit. 
edit: to clarify, use common sense. if you think it'll cause a problem, don't upload it. 

[Decay]

Mapping is an artform and can be used to express whatever you want. So, do whatever you want.

 

Caveat: you may not get the reception you were hoping for. Like anything that expresses an opinion, not everyone will agree with you or find it tasteful. So while you can make whatever statement you want, keep your potential audience in mind, and always be prepared for the worst possible outcome (rejection on file hosting sites, warnings/banned from forums, etc).

[Nine Inch Heels]

Generally agree with decay on this one, and strong emphasis on keeping an eye on the target audience, because while there's all sorts of political orientations present among the forum goers over here, moderation leans left in general, and that is also something you ought to be keeping in mind when it comes to an eventual upload or promotion on this site...

 

As for common sense arguments, or employing it: Common sense is bullshit, because ask a republican and a democrat what common sense is, and you'll get wildly different answers...

[Faceman2000]

Don’t put any Jewish zombies in your wad.

[CoolerDoomeR]

Yes, as it was mentioned before, if your modification will cause a problem don't upload it on forum or any doom related websites.

 

[Ludi]

Just use your head, you'll be fine

 

Unless you're Gusta, your reputation will probably be soiled by some weird political/socially inscrutable shit in your maps

[Mordeth]

Since I see @Solek_1312 is posting from Moscow, let me cut straight to the actual question here: if you post anything remotely seen as glorifying the Russian invasion, I will ban you on the spot.

[SplinkWizard]

Refer to Doom 4 Remake controversy. Some clown was packaging a bunch of HD mods with gzdoom and unregistered pwads and sold them for like 60 dollars. A Lot of people who were not in the loop were confused when Zenimax actually stepped in and sent a cease and desist.

[Solek_1312]

12 minutes ago, Mordeth said:

Since I see @Solek_1312 is posting from Moscow, let me cut straight to the actual question here: if you post anything remotely seen as glorifying the Russian invasion, I will ban you on the spot.

Well, it's called "putinbunker.wad" and it's pretty much the exact opposite of glorifying it, more of a Thatcher's Techbase style, haha. Thanks!

[Solek_1312]

1 minute ago, SplinkWizard said:

Refer to Doom 4 Remake controversy. Some clown was packaging a bunch of HD mods with gzdoom and unregistered pwads and sold them for like 60 dollars. A Lot of people who were not in the loop were confused when Zenimax actually stepped in and sent a cease and desist.

Well, that's just blatant fraud, not even edgy art.

[Nekr0s1s]

sometimes you don't even have to say anything in your mods. people will create drama over some easter egg. remember the crucified Lara from the Ascension mod.

[Mr. Freeze]

https://boa.realm667.com/

[Nine Inch Heels]

18 minutes ago, Nekr0s1s said:

sometimes you don't even have to say anything in your mods. people will create drama over some easter egg. remember the crucified Lara from the Ascension mod.

That mod just so happened to say a lot about the reasons why lara croft has been crucified... I was against the way the whole situation has been approached, for clarity's sake, but regardless, you aren't actually representing the things that went down correctly, and why they went down the way they did, which is to say that you're being intellectually dishonest, right here, right now...

[7Mahonin]

I won’t play it if it’s shoed in political messages. I don’t care if I agree with it or not, that’s just boring subject matter for Doom and it never goes well and always ends up dated once everyone moves on from one hot topic to the next, it will just seem silly at that point and largely forgotten except when people mention it for a laugh. 

[Astronomical]

Do what you want, if you believe that the art that you are construing is worth making, it probably is.  As long as it isn't anti-human rights or pro-suffering.  

[Gez]

48 minutes ago, Nekr0s1s said:

sometimes you don't even have to say anything in your mods.

Well for example, in the current context, your choice of avatar picture can be sufficient...

[dasho]

Post what you want, just keep in mind we're not in the 90s/early 2000s, and fragility on the Internet is at record levels. Even if your WAD did glorify the current conflict, in the past people would have just rolled their eyes at you for being edgy and moved on.

[Zulk RS]

3 hours ago, Decay said:

Mapping is an artform and can be used to express whatever you want. So, do whatever you want.

 

Caveat: you may not get the reception you were hoping for. Like anything that expresses an opinion, not everyone will agree with you or find it tasteful. So while you can make whatever statement you want, keep your potential audience in mind, and always be prepared for the worst possible outcome (rejection on file hosting sites, warnings/banned from forums, etc).

 

Agreed. Free Speech means you're allowed to say what you think freely. But it goes both ways and other people are free to shit on you for what you said. You're free to do whatever you want and people are free to react to it however they see fit. ((Barring doing illegal things of course. This goes for both sides/ all parties)

[LadyMistDragon]

Just think about your personal safety. Wouldn't want anyone from your country reporting you or anything like that...

[LexiMax]

I would just make your map the way you want, and if idgames accepts it, cool, and if it doesn't accept it, oh well.

 

Keep in mind that if idgames refuses to upload your map for whatever reason, there are incalculable numbers of other places to host files.  I kinda speak from experience, since multiplayer mapping in particular never really relied upon idgames as a means of distribution.

 

The only thing you probably should try to avoid is getting rejected and then subsequently getting a huge martyr complex over it.  Just keep in mind that the internet is a big place, and getting rejected from idgames is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

[Solek_1312]

1 hour ago, LadyMistDragon said:

Just think about your personal safety. Wouldn't want anyone from your country reporting you or anything like that...

Getting punished by police for making an anti-war wad would be a fun story though, lol

[Andromeda]

4 hours ago, Sr_Ludicolo said:

Unless you're Gusta, your reputation will probably be soiled by some weird political/socially inscrutable shit in your maps

Context?

[Nefelibeta]

At least make your wad fun rather than some 90s type of gameplay.

[roadworx]

1 minute ago, Andromeda said:

Context?

giant vagina monster in kama sutra's map30?

[Dark Pulse]

21 minutes ago, Solek_1312 said:

Getting punished by police for making an anti-war wad would be a fun story though, lol

If you survive to tell it. 

 

The Doom community is no stranger to controversial wads - Grezzo 2 comes to mind. But of course, what segment and how controversial depends on the segment who would be offended.

 

I will say that there are Russian speakers here who are in favor of the war though. I've seen the responses in threads in Everything Else, and saw topics get vaporized over it.

 

Given the side you seem to be on, it's really only going to be controversial to them, but still, the call is yours.

[Andromeda]

5 minutes ago, roadworx said:

giant vagina monster in kama sutra's map30?

Ah of course, I misinterpreted their post then.

[Dark Pulse]

11 minutes ago, roadworx said:

giant vagina monster in kama sutra's map30?

I mean, it was called Kama Sutra... it was a nice nod to the name, and an interesting choice for a map.

 

Just not exactly for the kiddies. But technically, neither is Doom.

 

Then again, at my main job, I've heard eight year-olds talking about playing GTA5. So you tell me.

 

Also a bit disingenuous to say it ruined him - he did a bunch of Plutonia 2 maps, and that WAD was received fine, and that came out like three years later. I think he simply moved on from Doom.

 

Kama Sutra even won a Cacoward, for God's sake.

[Andromeda]

1 minute ago, Dark Pulse said:

I mean, it was called Kama Sutra... it was a nice nod to the name, and an interesting choice for a map.

 

Just not exactly for the kiddies. But technically, neither is Doom.

 

Then again, at my main job, I've heard eight year-olds talking about playing GTA5. So you tell me.

Well the kids can choose the kids route to be fair, heh.

[gwain]

do whatever man moonman.wad exist  ive even seen some funny deathmatch skins ripped from it

Edited March 25, 2022 by gwain