As a game, Rust isn’t something I’m remotely interested in. I have neither the patience nor the fortitude for those sorts of survival games, and I tend to spend my time in games of those ilk punching trees and not really progressing very much at all.
As a social experiment, Rust – a game in which players spawn naked – is profoundly interesting. We’ve told you before how it has randomised penis sizes and race, both of which become tied to your Steam ID. You could be playing as a race you don’t identify with. With a penis much smaller (or bigger!) than your own.
Last year, Facepunch Studios’ Gary Newman said on the inclusion of female character models:
“We’ve started investigating a female model. We really don’t want to make the female model unrealistic in the sense of her being aesthetically idealised. In the same way that our male models aren’t perfect specimens of the male body, neither should the female be. No huge boobs nor four-inch waists here.”
And now, that update is live. When you log in to Rust for the first time, you’ could end up being a woman – with no way to change that.
“We understand this is a sore subject for a lot of people. We understand that you may now be a gender that you don’t identify with in real-life,” the latest blog update says. “We understand this causes you distress and makes you not want to play the game anymore. Technically nothing has changed, since half the population was already living with those feelings. The only difference is that whether you feel like this is now decided by your SteamID instead of your real life gender.”
It’s interesting, and it could have some people learn what sort of treatment people from other genders and races go through, if even in a virtual environment. As I’ve said before, it’s clever and I’m not sure many white men realise how much the fact that they’re the “default” in most games has an impact on their immersion. Or rather, that it has an impact on the immersion for those who aren’t the default.
As a reminder, here’s how Rust handled race:
Last Updated: April 8, 2016
Admiral Chief in New York
April 8, 2016 at 09:45
I’m afraid my RNG luck will crap out and assign me as Geoff’s grandma
Geoffrey Tim
April 8, 2016 at 09:50
My grandma is awesome, so you could be so lucky.
Admiral Chief in New York
April 8, 2016 at 09:52
I don’t dispute that, but I’ll have YOU as a grandson. And that is a horror game on its own
Captain JJ the Isolatid
April 8, 2016 at 10:01
I always knew you looked younger than you are.
HvR
April 8, 2016 at 11:15
or …. A GINGER!!!!
https://media.giphy.com/media/WgFOEhAcSpCjS/giphy.gif
VampyreSquirrel
April 8, 2016 at 10:00
I’d probably spawn with a paper bag over my head…
Captain JJ the Isolatid
April 8, 2016 at 10:01
Haha
Captain JJ the Isolatid
April 8, 2016 at 10:01
I think it’s quite a cool touch. It’s survival after all.
I still have to try it out, been lying on my backlog for a while now.
miaau
April 8, 2016 at 10:31
An interesting concept, especially for a survival game.
Would I like this in Mass Effect or Fallout? No, not really. but still, it seems they are trying to personalise the survival experience even more.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 8, 2016 at 10:35
But I wanted to do poses and offend people 🙁
miaau
April 8, 2016 at 10:37
Is that not for Saints Row IV?
Or even, dare I ask, the real world?
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 8, 2016 at 11:15
It’s for Overwatch
BakedBagel
April 8, 2016 at 10:53
HueHue Im waiting for one Trans lady to get randomed a dude and be triggered to the oblivion.
Am i an asshole?
Deceased
April 8, 2016 at 11:32
such a dick XD
Strawman Jim
April 8, 2016 at 13:01
lol, you know it’s going to happen. I’d be surprised if they’re not already bitching and moaning on tumblr.
“What my feminist warrior amazon is now a disgusting CIS white male? DIE CIS SCUM!!”
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/s4s/images/0/0a/Die-cis-scum.jpg
HairyEwok
April 8, 2016 at 11:00
Gender locked….. So basically there’ll be like 4 girls between the thousands of men (downscaled), which means it’s useless since only a few will use it then.
Galbedir
April 8, 2016 at 13:11
I believe they mean gender locked as its it randomizes your gender. I now spawn as a Bald white female, even though irl i’m a white male.
Strawman Jim
April 8, 2016 at 12:59
A bit like life eh? You didn’t have any say in how your character would look like or what attributes you’ll have throughout your journey.
http://i33.tinypic.com/i2vats.jpg