CoV: Terrorist characters get genericed?

On the Virtue server, I've had a Mercs/Traps character called "Extremist Insurgent" for around a year. Somehow, I got genericed and got this response: "This message is being sent to notify you that the name of one of your characters has been changed because it contained inappropriate language, in violation of the User Agreement and Rules of Conduct." Right, like the Malta group aren't terrorists? I mean, I was in City of VILLAINS! Does anyone think I should not have been genericed for that name?

EDIT: NB: I am identifying with EXTREMISTS.

I don't see anything offensive about the name, personally. If you were named "Al-Quida insurgent" or your name contained something offensive aimed at a particular ethnic or religious group, then I can see why you would have gotten the generic-bat. But "Extremist Insurgent" sounds pretty tame to me. Heaven only knows that the world is full of them- political extremists as well as religious. Your character could have been any one of these.
Off the top of my head I can think of several varieties of rebel or Guerilla factions far removed from Islam or any other religious ideology.

So I can't think of any reason why you would get generic'ed for the name alone, personally. I would have to see your bio and costume too- if your bio contained any "hot button" material and your costume made you look like an Al-Quida member or was some sort of offensive caricature, then I could understand.

Sometimes the GMs seem to forget the sort of game we're playing.

As long as you weren't dressed like a Muslim mind you... if you were then I can see why there might be a problem.

You offended someone.

I reported a character named Osama.

Like a year ago... other than that I report names like Super.Man or .Dr Manhatten >.>

Chalk up another 'win' for the glorious Kontent Kops!

Good thing we have so many informants eager to rat on their fellow players, otherwise dangerous subversives like the OP might ruin the game!

/sarcasm

People get offended too easily.

So censorship is now getting to the point of genericing characters who even remotely resemble something that might be offensive.

Terrorists are not new. They are a very real threat, and can come from anywhere. Everyone seems to equate them with the Middle East these days, but nobody remembers the American terrorists who attacked their own people from within.

And while it is a real threat, that makes it even greater fodder for fantasy. Comic book writers throughout history have based their works on real life disasters. If not for WWII, we wouldn't have Captain America. 9/11 spawned a whole line of Marvel comics showing the heroes' reactions to the crisis. This game has friggin' NAZIS!! Making fantasy out of reality makes the reality easier to swallow.

I don't see anything wrong with the character. I see something wrong with people who need to grow a thicker skin. 9/11 was a nightmare that I'll never forget, but that's no reason to hide from it.

As a side note, I'm now concerned for my Djinn-based character, whose bio is deeply rooted in Arabic folklore. Oh no, I'm offending someone with an evil Middle Eastern character!!

Haha do you REALLY need to let anyone know you are being sarcastic on ANY of your replies?

Sure, but where do we stop?:

'Killer Cop' can offend someone that had a loved one killed by the police. What abt 'Dr Malpractice'? Want something more political, how abt 'Dangerous Democrat'? We can really go on forever.

Anything can offend anyone that choses to be offended.

Making a character called "killer cop" may unfairly represent good, honest police as a whole, but I don't think my character is misrepresenting any group of people. I'm doing what is normal in the groups of people we deem "extremists." (Tote guns and bombs to get their way) Killer cops, is not a normal cultural view, however.

As well, Dr. Malpractice could also be said to unfairly represent the majority of good doctors.

I feel your pain, Coming Storm. I had an AR/Traps blaster genericed once. He was called Osama Bin Hidin.

I eventually deleted him as I couldn't reach agreement with the GMs on his name.

Oh man, the Rogue Isles are full of crooked cops! RIP is one big corrupt police organization. Therefore, it should be genericed. *sigh*

WARNING: I bold names.

Yeah, I agree the restrictions are becoming a little extreme. I made a mission arc on the AE set in WW2 (actually, I've made a few), but found myself tapdancing because I wasn't allowed to use the word Nazi or even the name Hitler. It's hard to do a WW2 story that doesn't refer to them in some way.

It makes me wonder what will happen when I break out my CoV Mastermind that's a former Nazi (in his bio) himself?

Note that I don't RP him that way, it's just for the concept of the character.

It's a bit weird isn't it? The devs have implemented Nazi fascist super soldiers into the game, who even have references to the bad guys of WW2, i.e the mention of Mussolini in Requiem's bio. Yet, if the player makes a character that has ties to modern day extremism, suddenly, we offend people!

Maybe, just to stir things up, we should change Crey's name to 'Microsoft' and have the Countess replaced by Bill Gates.

/cooldown. Phew, as a wise Austrailian once said "What happens if we say something and someone gets offended...? Well, they can be offended."