I have numerous ideas for games all exploring very deep topics, such as mental disorders, traumatic experiences, etc.
My question is, where exactly is the line drawn?
There’s obvious ones, such as suicide and brutal bloody murders, but what about a story based on something like a war veteran dealing with PTSD?
Games like Anxiety seem to push th line, but I wanted to get a clear (or as clear as possible) answer on this.
Really, it is up to your best judgement. You always have to consider the fact that kids absorb what they see/what you give them, so if your game doesn’t accurately represent it, you are teaching them lies. However, what if someone with that disorder is playing? You don’t want to offend them, taking away their safe place (in this example Roblox), by forcing them to acknowledge their disorder.
Personally, it all depends on the subject, and how accurately you portray it. Just do your best to keep it factual, while at the same time not being too close to real life.
I would say… the idea of a story based on a war veteran dealing with PTSD is crossing the line. The reason for this is that I believe that there is a big difference between generalization and specification. Basically, if you made the story on a war, I would say it’s fine, as long as it’s not a real war that happened. You could even add characters that might suffer from problems during the war, but when you specify what that problem is and really show how they are dealing with it, I feel that becomes too specific. This goes the same for games like “Natural Disaster Survival” and “Murder Mystery 2”. Those games are based on general ideas (disasters and murders) but nothing specific. Just like how you could make an infection game with zombies since that’s general, but couldn’t make it based on COVID because that’s specific.
Another problem with what you are suggesting is the emotional impact it would have on people’s minds, especially children. Roblox is made to appeal to children and adults alike, so if there is any content in a game that would be inappropriate to children, you shouldn’t put it in there. I think that games should be light and easy instead of going into an almost movie-like scenario in which the player has to watch exactly what’s happening.
Like @Infinite_Visions said, it depends on the subject. I would keep it generalized just because it’s easier to deal with, but there is no “real line” that tells you when to stop.
PTSD has symptoms similar to Anxiety, so you can take inspiration off of that game. But, I don’t think that game comes close to passing the line: there is no gore, no medicine, just sound effects, and turning lights on.
You can add flashbacks to the past when they are having PTSD attacks, showing all the things they’ve been through. Because it’s a war veteran, and there are so many gun games with and without a bit of gore, I think it’s safe to say that a bit of gore is okay, although it’s more of a grey area.
Disease is the line
you dont need to talk about any thing further
no religion
no beliefs
and no asking me about communisum Lol
and if your going to do this go to your parents or seek advice elsewhere
mistakes like that costs our reputation and makes roblox developers the laughing stock of the developing world
