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Cyberpunk 2077's Character Creator Should Have Been Better – But Why Tho? A Geek Community

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Cyberpunk 2077's Character Creator

Cyberpunk 2077's Character Creator


When Cyberpunk 2077 was originally announced, I was understandably ecstatic. Not only am I a huge cyberpunk fan, but LGBTQ+ issues are both important to me and personally impact me. So, seeing that CD PROJEKT RED seemed to be taking the inclusion of trans and non-binary identities into consideration with their character creator was a highlight of my year. But, after getting my hands on the game, I’m sad to say that I’m a bit disappointed. There are certainly some novel changes made that put other RPGs to shame, but there aren’t enough changes in Cyberpunk 2077’s character creator to call it ground-breaking.

When the demo first arrived, Cyberpunk 2077’s character creator required players to pick between a female and a male model before getting down to the nitty-gritty. Following feedback from gamers about inclusivity, CD PROJEKT RED decided to remove sex and instead required players to pick between two body types. Along with the possibility of mixing and matching all physical characteristics, instead of having them sex-locked like other games, this really felt like a huge step in allowing trans and non-binary people to express themselves in a video game.

After getting ahold of the game, I can assuredly say that all of the above changes are mostly true. However, two-character options are body-type locked. Only the feminine body type can have breasts, and only the masculine body type can have facial hair. Similarly, some hairstyles are body-type locked though there is a significant overlap, so unless you’re looking for the differences, you probably won’t notice. The male model also requires you to have stubble despite turning the beard option off which may also prove bothersome to some people.

For most people, these options won’t pose a problem, but it’s nevertheless odd to me to remove sex from the character creator and still have features that are locked to the ideas of male and female. Not to mention that body modification is so pervasive in the world of Cyberpunk 2077. I doubt people would adhere to characteristics that are strictly masculine or feminine. And I suppose we can applaud CD PROJEKT RED for allowing both character models to wear makeup. But by no means is Cyberpunk 2077, the first to accomplish this. Mass Effect: Andromeda led the charge on that one. But I will say that the choice not to link body-type to genitalia is certainly a step in the right direction, although this is the first time I’ve ever seen genitalia in an RPG character creator.

Another prominent option in Cyberpunk 2077’s character creator is voice tone. There are only two tones: a feminine and a masculine. I have no problem with these specifically (although it would have been nice to have a more gender-neutral option as well). What I do have a problem with is that your character’s pronouns are linked to the tone of voice. This feels like an extremely odd decision when everything else about your character is a choice. I honestly can’t think of a single reason why this would be designed like this.

In regards to a gender-neutral voice option or gender-neutral pronouns, there is the possibility that CD PROJEKT RED wanted to limit the amount of dialogue they had to record. However, there are very few times during my playthrough that V was gendered. Given that I played with a masculine voice, there were a few misters and sirs but rarely did I hear he/his/him. If this was truly a problem, CD PROJEKT RED could have gone the same route as Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and only referred to the main character by name. All in all, there are easy ways around recording multiple versions of dialogue, so the lack of inclusivity when it comes to non-binary people is inexcusable, given previous changes to the character creation.

With this seemingly half-hearted attempt at inclusivity, it makes CD PROJEKT RED’s snafu regarding an advertisement featuring a trans person in-game all the more questionable. Yes, Cyberpunk 2077 is not supposed to represent an aspirational future, quite the opposite, really. But to support the use of this ad, I expected to experience quests or subtext surrounding corporations’ abuse of minorities such as trans people. There are some themes circulating around the commodification of people’s bodies and the over-sexualization by corporations, but rarely does it feel like you specifically fight against this as a whole. This subtext may yet be hidden away in a side quest somewhere, but there is minimal thematic context in the main plot regarding this sort of ad. Add on the fact that I have yet to see an actual trans NPC, and the lack of reflection on the fetishization of trans people in this world only makes this bad attempt at inclusivity all the more frustrating.

Thankfully, most of the game is played in first-person, so you don’t see your character unless you’re equipping weapons or clothes. However, I am gravely disappointed in this attempt at inclusivity. It really isn’t that hard to include non-binary and trans people in video games. And it truly feels like Cyberpunk 2077’s character creator came close to being wonderful but nevertheless missed the mark. If anything, we should use this as a source of discussion about the right way to support trans people in future video games.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.

Kuwait has not publicly acknowledged banning the game, which is a tentpole product for the Microsoft-owned developer Activision and is set to be released on Friday worldwide. However, it comes as Kuwait still wrestles with the aftermath of the invasion and as video game makers more broadly deal with addressing historical and cultural issues in their work.

The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.

There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.

Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.

“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”

Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.

“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.

But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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