GGG, could you tell us what is going on with the Nazi-reference in act 5?

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I'm probably wasting my time but can any of you clowns google "red armband" and tell me what you see? This is something that has been used in the military of Russia (exact same color scheme), China and Germany. The roman eagle is something that again existed before Germany. Stop being stupid.

Yep, googled it. Black/red/white is by the way an immensely popular color scheme and also the colors of: The umbrella corp., about a hundred indie/punkrock-bands as well as of many traffic signs. Might be because it is quite striking. Is not really a valid argument though, since none of the mentioned insignias use this very particular black symbol in white circle on red field-schematic I described. Do you really not feel the obvious reference?

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What a pointless wall of text over fuck all...if it wasn't the "nazi" stuff it would be the globe girls or the corpses or the nudity...get a fucking grip you child

What a suggestive post. Why would I care about nudity? And when you personally don't care about the issue then why comment about it at all? Apparently it does not concern you, so why do you care either way? For me it would just lessen the fun I would have with act 5, for all the reasons I wrote in my comment above (which I suppose you read). And it's not called "a grip", it's called "speaking out for things you want to change for the reasons of valid arguments". You could try it sometimes ;).

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There isn't a fucking issue and they're likely keeping this nazi theme which is fine honestly making a big deal out of nothing.

It's good they have balls for once to NOT change the theme because they offended people like you I suppose.

Ok, you just CLEARLY did not read my post in the slightest or are just really into trolling. In any way, good day to you sir. ;)

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AeshMezareph wrote:

And when you personally don't care about the issue then why comment about it at all?)

I wasn't the one commenting but..
To give GGG feedback?
GGG getting feedback that people don't care about it, is also feedback.

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I wasn't the one commenting but..
To give GGG feedback?
GGG getting feedback that people don't care about it, is also feedback.

Yep, but it is not exactly constructive, is it now? "Just so you know - I really don't care how you do the things you do!" - who did not want to always hear that...

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morbo wrote:

Agreed, it's a too much obvious RL reference.

I swear I saw also a "nazi eagle" on some of the 3.0 media. Lazy copy-paste.

E:

Spoiler

meh, I find it lazy and immersion breaking. That's all. At least the armbands should go, imo.

The "NAZI Eagle" is not NAZI... that was something that they lifted 100% directly from the Roman Legions. The use in this context, along with all of the other Roman Empire type images definitely seems to connect it more to that.

But did the romans also wear red armbands, with a white circle and black symbol in it? Not to my knowledge, that is why I'm going more with Nazi comparision.

Remember this from your childhood. Nazis reference are everywhere in pop culture, because of the historical appeal and also because they are the real ultimate villain, and every single of these reference is there because it strike our imagination and get us to react.


Little fact, the SS uniform is the most recognized uniform on the ENTIRE Earth, more recognized than police and firefighter uniform. The symbolic behind them is so strong.


Also on a artistic note, Hugo Boss did an amazing job at designing the SS uniform they are very classy and good looking.



Symbol are very important, if you want people to understand your stories and also to give extra dept to your universe


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU

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Remember this from your childhood. Nazis reference are everywhere in pop culture, because of the historical appeal and also because they are the real ultimate villain, and every single of these reference is there because it strike our imagination and get us to react.

And again I point out my main point here: Yes, these marching hyenas are clearly a sign of militaristic uniformity, a metaphor for the violent means Scar has taken to to become head lion. But this is a military parade. Literaly every country with a military does them, and especially countries that rely on militaristic strenght for their appearance. That is not a clear Nazi reference in itself. This is ectually a good example for my whole point: Picture those same hyenas with red armbainds a la nazi (and maybe a lion head as a symbol). Absurd, no?

(on a side note: Take away the green evil smoke and replace Scar with a stern hero looking regretingly towards a much needed war against an evil empire, and poof - here runs the good guy army.)

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Nazis reference are everywhere in pop culture, because of the historical appeal and also because they are the real ultimate villain, and every single of these reference is there because it strike our imagination and get us to react.

And as long as there is no clear motive why the nazis should be involved my personal (and abovely argumented for) reaction will always be "wtf".

Interesting take on this in the opening post. Basically the same problem presented by the Razer footprints and the russian maskot pet.

No-one can deny the similarities in structure and colours. The armbands are a direct reminder of the nazi-era. The specific usage of colours and the symbol in the middle is unique to the nazis, and there is a reason a similar armband has never been used since then. Yes there are red and black military armbands, white and red armbands, white/red/black striped armbands, white and red with an eagle on the centre, black and white symbols, and many others. NOTHING, and i mean NOTHING, comes close though to the nazi one, unless you are actively trying to mimic it, like many neo-nazi groups, or other controversial acts. And for that alone i believe GGG had done in purpose.

Undoubtedly it already did accomplish at least one of its purposes, to make the player compare and liken the order of the high templars with that of the nazis, and in the process make him feel disgust and detestation for it so when confronting them there is a reasoned feeling of justice without the player thinking ooohhh im killing priest, im desecrating places of god etc.

The other one is marketing reasons, yes negative marketing is still marketing. This thing created a buzz, no matter the size its a buzz around the game. Some site or magazine sowewhere might see that and have a picture of it somewhere critizing the game for the bad choice of colours and structure for the symbol used, thats free advertizing. Having a reddit thread talking about it its still advertising the game no matter how subtle you think it is. Controversy and profanity are easy marketing tricks.

Im not even going though to mention the eagle on this cause nothing says imperialism like the roman eagle and judging by the greco-roman architecture and feeling of many PoE areas (including Oriath), thats totally NOT immersion breaking, especially since around the templar symbol there is the classic greek olive branch symbol of peace and victory later borrowed by the Roman empire as a symbol of power and victory.

Now, is it immersion breaking? Yes it totally can be as showcased by the opening post and many others complaining about it. But at the same time it serves a purpose correlating both orders (fantasy and real one). Is it acceptable? Yes and no, as many things there are at least two opinions, some find it fitting others not there isnt much you can do about it. Is it creative from GGG's side? Marketing wise definately yes, in every other aspect no. Should it be changed? Yes and no.

GGG can totally change and make the armband , gold symbol in black field, black symbol on white field, red symbol on black field etc. It will serve the same purpose lore-wise and and the connection with a militaristic/imperialistic order will be there. Ofcourse that means changing a whole bunch of art that will cost money and time. Is it worth it? Only GGG knows.

I for once dont really mind it being there as the immersion was lost for me a long time ago. But i can totally see the why it should be changed for people enjoying the environment and lore of the game as currently is. After all from what i saw previously a huge amount of forum users disliked the garenamon, this armband thing is very similar to that immersion braeking feeling that pet brought.

From GGG's point of view if money and time needed to change it isnt much of a problem, they SHOULD DEFINATELY change it, after all they are too the ones claiming immersion plays a huge role in their game, and with that they contradict themselves by putting clearly WW II symbolism, and since there are people pointing that too then its even more obvious what they should do.

As already pointed by others, the nazi-like clues have been in the game since the very start, experimenting on humans with gems etc, countless piles of bodies similarly to the concentration cambs burning pits etc. Piety's and Gravicious uniform and hat are also subtle but still references to the nazi germany uniforms. But those werent direct or obvious enough to make people complain about immersion breaking, beacuse all those things were a somewhat creative take on real circumstances from GGG. In that spirit, they can -as i already said above- use armbands with a different colouring and still achieve the same thing without people losing their immersion feeling. This direct copy paste of the nazi armband is what is driving people to those complaints and its totally understandable, even if we who dont really mind it dont find a reason for it to change.