I don’t know… even if a game runs perfectly on Linux desktop (which should deserve a high score on ProtonDB) that doesn’t mean it will run well on the Steam Deck (ie. readable at 800p, with Steam Deck controls & limited in processing power).

So I think it’s worth it to have a specific categorization for that, specially if it’s linked to an official review process by Valve, with a greater direct incentive for game companies to comply to pass verification and get their official stamp. After all, Valve could still have an eye on the ProtonDB score as part of their internal review process if they wanted, before deciding whether or not give official approval.

IMHO, what Valve should do is be more strict when assigning “Verified” status. For example, Jurassic World Evolution 2 does not deserve to be in that category with such unreadable tiny pixelated messy UI at 800p and poor performance (and even in ProtonDB many people are giving it a good score, despite how some people acknowledge these problems). It would be ok to place it in “Playable”, but not “Verified”. Personally I don’t think it’s an issue to have unverified games that “work fine”, the problem is when “Verified” games don’t really work as well as you’d expect.

That might be a particular consensus in English grammar, but it’s still 100% dependent on what your linguistics are. If, at some point in time, the consensus in English grammar were to assign different pronouns based on age, or what kind of job that person has… then that would still be a linguistic trait, even if you were linking it to a perceived physiological appearance / job position, they’d be doing it because the community in that language wants to do it, not because biology/economics dictates it.

So, like every consensus, the only thing making it change is for people in that Universe to agree with the change. Something that happens frequently, and has happened already several times across history.

300 years ago people used the pronoun “thou” for the second person in singular, and “you” was only used as a plural. And a lot of people pushed back against change too, but change did stick with the community, to the point that today everybody uses “you” and “thou” dissappeared.

It wouldn’t be unrealistic to assume that the same could happen, for example, with “they”, another 300 years in the future.

This has nothing to do with biology, it’s 100% English grammar. Biology books are not the ones explaining what’s a “pronoun”. In fact, many languages don’t even have pronouns, and yet their biology books can perfectly be translated.

English grammar is constantly evolving. In fact, it would make it a lot more realistic if there were more strange expressions and mannerisms, even outside of pronouns. Battlestar Galactica did add some funny nonsensical expressions like “frak”, “rook”, “frimp”, “pogees” and popular phrases like “so say we all” that added a layer of depth to their futuristic culture, making it a lot more believable.

I don’t think this mod really helps with “realism”. It would in fact be unrealistic to expect no linguistic changes at all in 300 years. The only reason why I think some people are mad is because they think it’s pandering to a political agenda so they don’t even want to see an option be given at all… despite it actually being a totally optional and even totally believable aspect of a future hypothetical culture. Whether you agree with the direction that this hypothetical futuristic culture developed towards or not.

But that’s not what you are doing. You don’t need this mod to make the choice that allows you to play the way you want.

I mean, I have no problem with modding anything anyway (in fact I believe it was wrong for Nexus to remove the mod, the only thing it did is making certain kind of obstinate people go into a silly crusade to defend a silly mod). But this mod is objectively removing options, not adding them.

The mod doesn’t work, though. I can call my male character “Silvia” (a female name). The game gives you the option to choose names that do not match what is culturally traditional.

They should give you less options. Don’t allow choosing names either.

In fact, remove character customization entirely, then there won’t be any “imperialism”, right?

I’d go further: make the game more lineal. Remove meaningful choices for the story. Do not allow the player to play in a way that might end up fitting any particular imperialistic agenda. People shouldn’t have freedom to choose to follow any ideal.