LogFAQs > #908197140

Nichtcrawler X posted...

In a setting based on the real world, perhaps. But what about in a fantasy setting? Is statistical equality between men and women more immersion breaking that say magic to you?

Ironically, minor things often ARE more immersion-breaking than the idea of a world with magic.

Generally speaking, we go into a fantasy setting expecting to suspend disbelief that magic exists, and we're willing to accept that magic operates under certain laws which aren't necessarily realistic (or even possible based on our universe's physical laws). But because magic isn't REAL, we're less likely to call bullshit when it's used to do impossible things (unless it contradicts its own pre-established rules, like saying that magic can't be used to heal, then a character casually uses it to heal without explanation). Magic can functionally do anything, therefore, nothing that magic does is surprising.

But certain things WILL leap out at us as being particularly odd, especially if it runs counter to something that IS real. We're used to the idea that women have been historically oppressed (and regardless of how politically incorrect the idea might be, we're used to thinking of women being less physically strong and capable than men of equal training), we're used to the idea that people who look different or speak differently tend to have been treated poorly by locals in a lot of periods of human history, and we're used to the idea that sleeping with the wrong person or praying to the wrong god might have gotten you killed in the wrong place at the wrong time. So we're more likely to break immersion in a lovingly crafted fantasy world strongly based on Earth's actual historical Medieval period, but where everyone is super-tolerant of everyone else's sex/gender/race/ethnicity/religion/etc.

(For the flip-side of the coin, rather than considering people who are annoyed by the idea of female warriors in a setting where men should seemingly be dominant, there's also the people who get annoyed by strong female characters who nonetheless wear chainmail bikinis or breastplates with boobs hammered into them, which is tactically ridiculous and which would almost certainly have gotten you killed in the real world. Those people will still object - and rightly so - no matter how hard you want to justify it with "Well, you don't need to be fully covered in plate armor in a world of magic, the magic obviously just covers the parts that are showing skin so you're still just as safe." Different people are annoyed by different levels of realism, but most people tend to require at least SOME rooting in reality to really relate to a setting.)

Even putting "social politics" aside, other "unrealistic" things can annoy as well. Did that non-magic sword just cut through stone? Did the wheezing fat guy just leap a 20ft gap? Just who IS lighting all the torches and leaving fresh fruit in the dungeon that hasn't been explored in 2000 years? How did you manage to hold your breath underwater for 7 straight minutes while fighting that squid monster? How come every Marvel superhero seems to get powers from radiation instead of just developing terrible cancer?

There is SOME wiggle room (few people have a problem with, say, action heroes doing stunts that would kill someone in real life if they're at least SOMEWHAT plausible), but at a certain point credulity stretches past the breaking point and it does take you out of things.

Basically, by being MORE realistic, we're more likely to complain about it not being realistic ENOUGH, as compared to the thing that isn't realistic at all.

Consider it the "suspension of disbelief" version of the Uncanny Valley.


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