What will TFH be rated?

[Stunthead]

Simple question, what do you think TFH will be rated? And what do you think it should be rated? Considering this is an independant company that's going to be distributing the game online, I doubt what rating they get is going to concern them much. Still, fun to speculate. Here's a rating guide to help you decide.

Personally I think the game will get an Everyone 10+ rating. The violence isn't that bad, but there's so much of it that I doubt they'll get away with just an E rating. Plus the stuff regarding the predators is probably worthy of an E10 depending on how dark they make it.

As for what I want, I kinda want to see what Lauren can do with a Teen rating. It doesn't have to be Teen content 100% of the time, mind you, but every once in a while they can dip their toes into heavier themes, cruder humor or simulated gambling (for a side bet system). I want to see what Lauren can do without the fear of getting a note that says "Too dark; Change it."

Also, at the risk of derailing the thread before it starts, I got thinking about this because a dev made a joke that hinted at a character being a lesbian. It was (probably) just a joke, but It made me realise that Lauren, to my knowledge, hasn't had a chance to explore LGBT themes in any of her works. Obviously this isn't a game where sexuality plays a major role, and it shouldn't be shoehorned in just for the sake of it, but if that's a story Lauren wants to tell, now's her chance to tell it. Nobody will stop her (according to Wikipedia, it will mean a Teen rating though).

 

[0Zero100]

Simple question, what do you think TFH will be rated? And what do you think it should be rated? Considering this is an independant company that's going to be distributing the game online, I doubt what rating they get is going to concern them much. Still, fun to speculate. Here's a rating guide to help you decide.

Personally I think the game will get an Everyone 10+ rating. The violence isn't that bad, but there's so much of it that I doubt they'll get away with just an E rating. Plus the stuff regarding the predators is probably worthy of an E10 depending on how dark they make it.

As for what I want, I kinda want to see what Lauren can do with a Teen rating. It doesn't have to be Teen content 100% of the time, mind you, but every once in a while they can dip their toes into heavier themes, cruder humor or simulated gambling (for a side bet system). I want to see what Lauren can do without the fear of getting a note that says "Too dark; Change it."

Also, at the risk of derailing the thread before it starts, I got thinking about this because a dev made a joke that hinted at a character being a lesbian. It was (probably) just a joke, but It made me realise that Lauren, to my knowledge, hasn't had a chance to explore LGBT themes in any of her works. Obviously this isn't a game where sexuality plays a major role, and it shouldn't be shoehorned in just for the sake of it, but if that's a story Lauren wants to tell, now's her chance to tell it. Nobody will stop her (according to Wikipedia, it will mean a Teen rating though).

I could believe E10+, not sure about the LGBT thing, but it would be interesting if Lauren did something with it. E10+ to T is where I'd put it, mostly because of cartoon violence and some possible suggestive themes if they do decide to do something remotely lesbian in nature with a character. But hey, we won't know until the game's released or at least the Beta is released.

 

[Rich Jammer]

I actually asked this in the previous' Work Stream in the twitch chat. It was either Cam or the Mane6 user who answered me. And whoever answered me, please feel free to correct me.

So they said that because it was on Steam and that Steam doesn't use PEGI or ESRB. So probably no age rating at all. I just looked it up and many Steam exclusive games don't even have a PEGI or ESRB age rating.

But they did say they were aiming for something like the film equivalent PG-13.

 

[Avering]

I would guess a 13+ rating at max (T on esrb). Maybe a 15+ if the story gets too dark (which is unlikely to say the least), but since it will be sold on steam, it's kind of irrelevant.

 

[Anukan]

I actually asked this in the previous' Work Stream in the twitch chat. It was either Cam or the Mane6 user who answered me. And whoever answered me, please feel free to correct me.

So they said that because it was on Steam and that Steam doesn't use PEGI or ESRB. So probably no age rating at all. I just looked it up and many Steam exclusive games don't even have a PEGI or ESRB age rating.

But they did say they were aiming for something like the film equivalent PG-13.

Yep, it was the gestalt construct known as M6.

And indeed, you are correct.

Officially sanctioned ratings by a central authority aren't generally used for Steam or PC in general, unless you're attempting to market your game through physical editions, for which most of the brick-and-mortar chain stores WILL require you to have an ESRB/PEGI rating in order to sell your game, and since acquiring an ESRB rating for physical editions in stores costs thousands of dollars, and we're not launching in consoles with the current funding, we're most likely not going that route.

That said, one of the benefits of not being beholden to a publisher is that we can aim for whichever rating we feel suits the game best, and which we think would be somewhere around TV stuff rated PG13, yeah.

Some things might get darker, some things might get lighter, but you know... shades of grey. All fifty of them. We're not tied to the decisions of a "Standards and Practices" department telling us that Pom's puppies being pommeled by punches is not going to fly (they fly quite well when punched by Tian), that the predators using words like "eaten", "killed" and stuff is going to scare the kids into the loony bin, or that Paprika's slightly promiscuous undying and eternal love of anything with a pulse and some things without she's currently looking at is bad.

We're still not going to go all edge with fatalities, gore, Demon-on-Unicorn tentaclification and Pom cursing like a sailor with Tourette's (although that miiiiiiight have been in the plans at some point. Can't confirm or deny anything), because we don't feel like doing so would really add anything to the game other than gratuitous edge just to say "Hey, look at us, we're not lawyer-friendly miniature pastel-colored equines of the friendship-based persuasion!"

Also!

[...]got thinking about this because a dev made a joke that hinted at a character being a lesbian. It was (probably) just a joke[...]

That was me, assuming you mean the "fuelin' 'em fires" comment.

Honestly?, I don't know! =P

I made it as a general joke on character/character shipping. I have no individual canonification powers (Although I do push for some things sometimes, such as Fhtng being the demon's name and Velvet's love of musclebound reindeer ice sculptures in general... Generally I push for them because "It'd be funny if..."), so anything I say should be taken with a grain of salt. Might be srs, might not be srs. It's up to Lauren and coreDev as a consensus to decide what becomes canon. I still sail me some ships, but for all intents and purposes unless confirmed by Lauren, they're apocrypha or deuterocanon at best. Just fanwank.

 

[Leatherface]

R. The devs just don't want to show us the various characters' fatalities.

 

[Stunthead]

That said, one of the benefits of not being beholden to a publisher is that we can aim for whichever rating we feel suits the game best, and which we think would be somewhere around TV stuff rated PG13, yeah.

Oh. Cool. That's a Teen rating. That's what I wanted.

...or that Paprika's slightly promiscuous undying and eternal love of anything with a pulse and some things without she's currently looking at is bad.

That attack where she enthusiastically thrusts her hindquarters towards her opponent suddenly makes a lot more sense.
(I'm not sorry).

We're still not going to go all edge with fatalities, gore, Demon-on-Unicorn tentaclification and Pom cursing like a sailor with Tourette's (although that miiiiiiight have been in the plans at some point. Can't confirm or deny anything)...

Well, Oleander was ostracised by everyone she knew... except for Fred... who lived with her... throughout 13 years of adolescence... I mean, apply logic to the situation and it stops being a question of "Did?" and starts being a question of "When did?"
(I'm still not sorry).

Also, that Pom thing reminds me of that one part in Planes, Trains & Automobiles where the F-bomb is dropped 18 times in one minute. If they left that part out of the movie, they probably could have gotten away with a PG rating, but that one scene earned them an R. It was worth it.

That was me, assuming you mean the "fuelin' 'em fires" comment.

Honestly?, I don't know! =P

I made it as a general joke on character/character shipping. I have no individual canonification powers (Although I do push for some things sometimes, such as Fhtng being the demon's name and Velvet's love of musclebound reindeer ice sculptures in general... Generally I push for them because "It'd be funny if..."), so anything I say should be taken with a grain of salt. Might be srs, might not be srs. It's up to Lauren and coreDev as a consensus to decide what becomes canon. I still sail me some ships, but for all intents and purposes unless confirmed by Lauren, they're apocrypha or deuterocanon at best. Just fanwank.

Yep, it was you. I figured you were joking about shipping, I just didn't want to laugh at the possibility when in this game, unlike children's television, it actually is a real possibility. All joking aside, I'm glad Lauren has the chance to stretch her creative muscles without strict guidelines. That's an oppertunity you should be proud of yourselves for giving her.

 

[Gamerdude854]

M for mature obviously

 

[Whitetail]

R. The devs just don't want to show us the various characters' fatalities.

Friendtalities
After putting in a 16 step secret input command within the last 5 seconds of the round you get a 3 minute long cutscene of the characters going to Deersney land together

 

[danmiy12]

I'm guessing E10 due to cartoony battles and also esp if they go overboard on the story like undertale did (esp that neutrual end erk)

edit: if they went extremely dark with the story it might shoot up to teen which will lose some of their audience...it prob wont hit M...

 

[Rich Jammer]

......3 minute long cutscene of the characters going to Deersney land together

DEERSNEY LAND?!
DANGGIT! Why didn't I think of that earlier?!
I guess I'm not the pun-master extraordinaire.

...Pom cursing like a sailor with Tourette's...

YES! My head canon of Pom being voiced by Cr1tikal is being validated!

Well, Oleander was ostracised by everyone she knew... except for Fred... who lived with her... throughout 13 years of adolescence... I mean, apply logic to the situation and it stops being a question of "Did?" and starts being a question of "When did?"
(I'm still not sorry).

Shhh, shush...
Don't give anyone any ideas since we have someone skulking in the forums who draws and animates that kinda stuff for a living.
Their username starts with a "T" and ends with a "Y".

 

[0Zero100]

...and Pom cursing like a sailor with Tourette's (although that miiiiiiight have been in the plans at some point. Can't confirm or deny anything)

Pom maybe to be voiced by Samuel L. Jackson from Snakes on a Plane?

 

[Whitetail]

YES! My head canon of Pom being voiced by Cr1tikal is being validated!

Alright I just kicked your head in
Welp
I think I'm done with this match now
Remember to rate the battle, comment the battle and meet me at the bar later if you'd like more hooves to the face like this one

 

[Leatherface]

Alright I just kicked your head in
Welp
I think I'm done with this match now
Remember to rate the battle, comment the battle and meet me at the bar later if you'd like more hooves to the face like this one

'See ya'

His food fight video review, along with Legend of the Titanic, are possibly some of the best videos on YouTube.

 

[Nivek_Draco]

Simple question, what do you think TFH will be rated? And what do you think it should be rated? Considering this is an independant company that's going to be distributing the game online, I doubt what rating they get is going to concern them much. Still, fun to speculate. Here's a rating guide to help you decide.

Personally I think the game will get an Everyone 10+ rating. The violence isn't that bad, but there's so much of it that I doubt they'll get away with just an E rating. Plus the stuff regarding the predators is probably worthy of an E10 depending on how dark they make it.

As for what I want, I kinda want to see what Lauren can do with a Teen rating. It doesn't have to be Teen content 100% of the time, mind you, but every once in a while they can dip their toes into heavier themes, cruder humor or simulated gambling (for a side bet system). I want to see what Lauren can do without the fear of getting a note that says "Too dark; Change it."

Also, at the risk of derailing the thread before it starts, I got thinking about this because a dev made a joke that hinted at a character being a lesbian. It was (probably) just a joke, but It made me realise that Lauren, to my knowledge, hasn't had a chance to explore LGBT themes in any of her works. Obviously this isn't a game where sexuality plays a major role, and it shouldn't be shoehorned in just for the sake of it, but if that's a story Lauren wants to tell, now's her chance to tell it. Nobody will stop her (according to Wikipedia, it will mean a Teen rating though).

CHAAAANNNNNGE IT.

Also, it's probably gonna be a Teen with online interactions.
I actually wish for it to be rated M, because apparently only M-rated games get taken seriously nowadays.

 

[TigerKirby215]

Rated P for a distinctive lack of Ponies. :^)

Meh. Probably around the same as Skullgirls. (T for Teen)
Perhaps a little bit less because small not-horses, and perhaps a little more if Lauren gets 2edgy with the plot.

 

[Whitetail]

Meh. Probably around the same as Skullgirls. (T for Teen)

Skullgirls has a distinctly higher amount of cartoon gore, horrifying shapeshifting monsters disguised as nuns and in general dark imagery in comparison to TFH

 

[Cinnamaldehyde]

Skullgirls has a distinctly higher amount of cartoon gore, horrifying shapeshifting monsters disguised as nuns and in general dark imagery in comparison to TFH

And suggestive content what with Valentine and all...

 

[Whitetail]

I'm just saying good luck sneaking this into an E rating

 

[Avering]

But we have puppies getting beaten up! That should seriously rustle some people's jimmies. 'Cus people.

 

[Cinnamaldehyde]

ooooooh

I'm just saying good luck sneaking this into an E rating

I'm gonna have to report you for "excessive violence and gore".
I'm just kidding.

 

[Manley_McDragonpuncher]

Probably T for Teen, going by the American system. Doesn't every country have it's own board with different age groups? I think it has enough cartoon violence and dark story elements to push it past an E10.

 

[TigerKirby215]

Skullgirls has a distinctly higher amount of cartoon gore, horrifying shapeshifting monsters disguised as nuns and in general dark imagery in comparison to TFH

But we have puppies getting beaten up! That should seriously rustle some people's jimmies. 'Cus people.

Oleander's Eldrich horrors are pretty on-par with Double's terrifying physique.

Skullgirls does have a lot more T&A than hoofed mammals for very obvious reasons, so it might get away with a slightly lower rating as a result.
But as it were Awesomenauts has a T for Teen because Lonestar says "It's time to kick butt and chew tobacco!" I assume the cartoon violence in using long pieces of rope and razor-sharp pieces of ice won't go well at the soccer mom convention.

So maybe at 10+, if not T.
But probably T.

 

[Whitetail]

Oleander's Eldrich horrors are pretty on-par with Double's terrifying physique.

Oleander gets extra eyes in an animation but she doesn't turn inside out and become a flowing fountain of gore with cleavage. I don't think anyone was too rustled over Teen Titans

There's plenty of games with more dark ideas and stuff but so long as it's more constrained to cartoon violence it tends to get the E 10 rating anymore - seems like E 10 was specifically made to deal with cartoon violence.

Super Smash Bros brawl has all the dog kicking, bomb chucking, gun wielding violence you'd expect but still stays E10.

(once again though not that any of this matters since ESRB ratings are expensive and unnecessary for digital distribution)

 

[rod7post]

Well, Oleander was ostracised by everyone she knew... except for Fred... who lived with her... throughout 13 years of adolescence... I mean, apply logic to the situation and it stops being a question of "Did?" and starts being a question of "When did?"
(I'm still not sorry).

well maybe I hope so much, but I like the idea than manesix add references/small details than fred and oleander have for a moment a "mature" relasionship in the past <3

Something like... when oleander win a fight, fred wrapped in the tentacles like this that I draw

(I don't regret anything)

 

[Cinnamaldehyde]

Super Smash Bros brawl has all the dog kicking, bomb chucking, gun wielding violence you'd expect but still stays E10.

But SSB Melee isn't any more or less violent and got a T rating.
E10 really was designed for cartoon violence.

Spoiler: side note

this game will have "high quality" dog kicking.

 

[rod7post]

this game will have "high quality" dog kicking.

and books with tentacles <3 if you know what I mean (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[0Zero100]

Super Smash Bros brawl has all the dog kicking, bomb chucking, gun wielding violence you'd expect but still stays E10.

Well... dog BURNING as well...

 

[TigerKirby215]

TFH Would be 10+ without Dog Violence.
Gets rated M because of Dog Violence. :^)