(*waves to @Valandis*)
I've actually tried to reply to this thread twice but wasn't happy with my post. I think it was because I was trying to answer the questions, which made my reply feel led, and I wasn't explaining myself freely. So I'll try again, not answering the questions but keeping them in mind.
Firstly I want to say that I get really frustrated when people ask me to think in terms of 'ethnicity'/gender and sexuality. I do not like to put labels on people because then there is a natural human temptation to define the person in those stereotypical terms. I think people are very complicated individuals and human nature with all it's variations cannot be defined in terms of 'woman', 'man', 'gay', 'straight'. People are usually more flexible and interesting than that.
Secondly... the concept of 'ethnicity' is fundamentally flawed, or at least generally mis-understood, when you look at how humans have migrated around the world over the course of history. And I disagree with trying to put people into brackets like that anyway, that's how wars get started imeo (in my educated opinion).
However, as much as I like to think of people as individuals with their own unique story, I do have an interest in different places and different 'traditional' cultural practices. So a certain amount of stereotyping is inevitable.
So... mini-rant out of the way, I'll try the questions again. *blush*
How do you approach ethnicity in your game?
I don't have an approach in particular. I have a core set of sim that I've been playing with since TS1. They were admittedly based on my Barbie and Ken dolls. So I've had those 'characters' for years and years and years, since my childhood, and their characters are kind of stuck. I had 20 main dolls (I had a lot of them!) and I liked to get a variety of different colourings because that was more interesting than 20 generic Malibu blonde dolls. However, 'black' dolls simply were not available in my area... so I didn't have any. Which is a really sad fact actually since there were 'black' people where I lived. In fact, I have a very early memory of seeing a man with ebony-black skin in the Barbie section of the toy store and embarrassing my Dad by loudly asking something like 'why is that man's skin so dark?'. My dad, who spent much of his childhood in Nigeria, gave me quite a lecture! :s Anyhooooooo... since I didn't have many dark-skinned Barbies, I don't have any core dark-skinned sims. I regret this. (Incidentally, I went out of my way to find my daughter some 'black' Barbies and she happily plays with them alongside the others).
Remembering that I was pretty young when I first decided where those dolls came from, I have an Italian doll, a Greek doll, a French doll, a doll with a Spanish father and an Indian (who magically became Egyptian for a while because I wanted him from Al Simhara) doll. Most of them are European because I guess Mattel only sold European-looking Barbies in my area when I was young. So any racism in my game is entirely Mattel's fault. :p
I REALLY like having content that reflects different places from around the world in my game. World Adventures was my favourite TS3 expansion, and Monte Vista my favourite TS3 world. Besides my core sims, I love the townie sims to be culturally diverse and interesting! I live in a very multi-cultural place and I do like my game to reflect that. \o/
Do you avoid playing, marrying, creating, or interacting with Sims of certain ethnicity?
No. I don't avoid it. I childishly paired off my Barbie's so their eventual partners are pre-determined, but when I play them at a younger age they mix with whomever they please. When I do randomly make sims I make them wildly from any cultural background. Incidentally, the parents of my Indian sim are both Indian, while his wife is 'white' British. While not particularly common, it is something you see in the UK. I think it's actually normal and understandable in real-life for people to marry someone who's background they can relate to... which is just human nature.
What personal/cultural ideals do you fell you impose on your Sims?
I guess I was taught to be very accepting of others, and I guess my game reflects the multi-cultural inclusivity that I was brought up with (despite Mattel's imput).
Do you create characters of a different ethnicity than your own and give them stereotypical personalities, hairstyles or clothing?
Yes. I like to have culturally diverse sims. I guess some of their personalities have an element of stereotyping, but only to a certain extent. I try to do this in a realistic way. So, my the parents of my Indian sim live mostly in the UK, but still visit family in India. When I decorate their home I use a mix of Indian and Victorian English style furniture. They also dress in a mix of clothing styles. Suits for work and traditional (well, as traditional as the available clothing allows) clothes for parties. My main sim, who is of a younger generation, is more likely to wear jeans and a shirt on most days. But... see I don't know. I don't consider my Indian sims to be of a different 'ethnicity' than my own, although I guess they are. I actually think of them as having a shared cultural history, like 'these are my neighbours'.
Do your Sims closely reflect your personal ethnicity and cultural values in gameplay?
I think I've answered this already.
Do you incorporate socio-economics when creating Sims of various ethnicity?
A little bit, but not really. My sims come from backgrounds of various wealth, but I wouldn't say this is BECAUSE of their particular culture.
How do you identify your Sims in regards to sexuality and gender?
As I said earlier, I paired off my sims into happy little heterosexual marriages while I was quite young. Some of my sims are more flexible with their sexuality than others, depending on their personality. I have one 'gay' sim who is the brother of one of my main sims, he's been one of my sims for a long time.
When and how do you choose your Sims sexual preference/identity?
For my long-term sims it was decided a long time ago. For any new sims I would probably just let them flirt with whoever they wanted.
Do you avoid creating LGBT/SGL Sims or do you incorporate them actively?
Neither really. I don't particularly think of sexuality as being this or that, but a flexible thing. I think people fall in love with a person's soul, not their genitalia, but this is debatable. ;)
Do most of your Sims or your main Sim reflect your sexual identity
I guess so. It depends on the sim.
How do you feel about playing romantic actions with a Sim of a different gender or sexual preference than you?
I don't particularly care about gender or sexual preference. I think of my sim's personality when playing and I see personality as separate from gender.
If playing a couple of opposite genders, do you engage certain romantic interactions with one gender?
No. It is determined by the personality, wishes, and mood of my sims.
In same gender couples, do you place masculine and feminine roles on them?
Nope.
Did you notice the absence of the word "Christmas" from The Sims team and do you have any thoughts on that?
Yes and yes. ;)
Do you incorporate religion/spirituality into your gameplay?
Yes. I'm not religious at all but I like how the community revolves around the churches in my area. I often build churches in my game in a loosely Christian style. I've made a vicar career too for TS3. I liked way they did religion in The Sims Medieval. I absolutely adore traditional gothic style architecture too. For me, the church in my game is more of a cultural heritage and community hub, than a religious thing.
Do you view yourself as a God or eternal being among your Sims?
No. I don't really think of myself when I'm playing. The game is led by my sims' personalities. I guess a bit of a similarity is inevitable since we so often control a sims actions. Sort of like The Truman Show. I sometimes joke about being a kind and merciful sim god.
How do you view/observe life and death in your gameplay?
My sims don't die. I'm way too attached.
Do you consider your Sims to be of a certain religion?
While I usually have a Christian style church in my game, my sims are not particularly religious. As I said, it's more of a community thing than a religious thing. I suppose I consider some of my sims to be more religious than others, but none really practice it. Except the vicar, but he's not one of my main sims. In real life, people have done a lot of terrible things using religion as an excuse, but in my game it is a positive influence.
I'm glad you asked these questions, it's interesting to examine ourselves in this way. While I don't intentionally stereotype my sims, I guess it's inevitable to a certain extent. And a lot of the way I play was decided when I was younger and knew a lot less about the world and it's history. In real life, I don't like to think of people in terms of labels. I like to think of people as individuals. I think I do this while playing too.
I feel like you are doing some sort of school project, asking these questions? ^.^
