OpenXcom Forum

Modding => Released Mods => XPiratez => Topic started by: Yglorba on April 17, 2016, 03:35:14 am

Title: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Yglorba on April 17, 2016, 03:35:14 am
Just a minor oddity I noticed while reading the faction Bootypedia entries:

The general Academy section says it's all-female, and the Osiron section says all the males in the Academy are in Osiron, but the Academy Engineer description says they are "normal guys in light armors."
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: legionof1 on April 17, 2016, 04:41:14 am
 :o pronoun trouble? Though i do believe the techs are dudes by model but gender delineation with these sprites..... if the gals didn't have big hair on the battlescape and tits in the inventory screen....
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Dioxine on April 17, 2016, 09:32:35 am
Does the word 'guy' must always mean a literal male? I thought it was at least a marginally ambigous term, so I used it to convey a message that since all members of the Academy you meet are functional males (meaning they play male social roles), using a sort-of-a-male word would be natural when talking about them in the 27th century.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: legionof1 on April 17, 2016, 09:34:52 am
I figured it was something like that. Makes sense that way to me.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Zharkov on April 17, 2016, 12:28:14 pm
Does the word 'guy' must always mean a literal male? I thought it was at least a marginally ambigous term, so I used it to convey a message that since all members of the Academy you meet are functional males (meaning they play male social roles), using a sort-of-a-male word would be natural when talking about them in the 27th century.

Usually, guy is mostly male, but guys ist more ambigous.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Star_Treasure on July 13, 2016, 01:01:39 am
Seing as the pirates call each other Gals, wouldn't it make sense that they use that instead of guy to refer to academy engineers?
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Dioxine on July 13, 2016, 01:03:26 am
A 'Gal' in this case means 'member of the gang', not 'female' ;)
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Star_Treasure on July 13, 2016, 01:08:24 am
"Bitches" then if you want to indicate gender while still being disrespectful?
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on July 13, 2016, 11:47:14 am
"Bitches" then if you want to indicate gender while still being disrespectful?

That doesn't indicate gender well enough. :P
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Dioxine on July 13, 2016, 12:39:23 pm
Hmm... I guess it's a good time to try a thesis on 'Gal English', or rather 'gang English' of the 27th century :) One of major issues here is that there are many free females, and any free person is armed, henceforth overfocusing on someone's else genitals, as opposed to their social role, may get you shot or otherwise harmed, unless you're courting them. My take on this is:

- Gal: 'female gang member' ('male gang member' would be 'boy')
- Guys: neutral word to describe persons who play masculine roles in society (warriors/hunters/mages/craftsmen)
- Bitch: 'enemy/rival of little style/strength', it also questions the masculine role of the offended person (hence stronger vs. males).
- Wench: 'female of little virtue'
- Runt: 'person lacking strength and standing', 'plebe', 'helote'. Sex is irrelevant in this case, as their role is to work, and warrior laws and virtues do not apply to them.
- People: class-charged term for 'persons'. Academy's willing slaves cannot be 'people'.
- Person: a derogative term, since it's a PC word used by mainstream media; eg. 'Guildsperson' means 'Guild's willing slave'
- Squire: a male warrior/rogue in training
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Star_Treasure on July 13, 2016, 06:42:51 pm
I'd replace Squire with Cabin boy, it's more piratey.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Searmay on July 13, 2016, 08:39:31 pm
It seems weird for the gals to have a specific term for a male in training at all, given that they're all gals.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Manunancy on July 13, 2016, 08:44:41 pm
If you go for naval name, I'd say 'ensign' fits better here. As officers i ntrianing, thy could be fiarly young (and it fits with tjhe suire as knight in training). Though judgign by the illustration and comment,s in Piratez, the trainign seems to be somewhat hands-on (I won't detail who gets hands on whom...)
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Star_Treasure on July 13, 2016, 09:42:55 pm
Ensigns are low ranking officers, but not ones who have completed their training. Historically it meant the person carrying the flag (an important duty) so I wouldn't say it fits here.
Midshipman is the traditional title for young officers in training on a naval vessel. They were often the children of higher ranking officers.

But lets be honest, these kids aren't going to somehow become Gals when they grow up. They are cabin boys. Squire refers to somebody training to be a knight. (Although that might make a good idea for an auxiliary unit)
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Dioxine on July 13, 2016, 10:13:11 pm
(Although that might make a good idea for an auxiliary unit)

That's the plan. Also it's not 'gal english', it's a more general speak of the Piratez world, so naturally there are terms for males.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: khade on July 14, 2016, 12:13:54 am
Seems a little odd to have Squire be specifically masculine in this case.  I know there isn't currently a female equivalent but I imagine that the Gals would call a young female in the same situation a Squire as well.
Title: Re: Are Academy Engineers male or female?
Post by: Dioxine on July 14, 2016, 08:53:15 am
Yeah, good point.