Poll: Should Tali's face be revealed?

[daftalchemist]

The mask is Tali! And besides, no matter what Bioware makes her look like, it's not going to be good enough. It would be just as awkward as suddenly giving a voice to Gordon Freeman. It would never live up to fans' standards of what her appearance should look like.

And besides, damn near every other woman in those games looks like a train wreck or a hooker. I don't want those same people trying to put a face to the most awesome and strong female character in recent gaming history.

 

[Ghengis John]

The mask is Tali! And besides, no matter what Bioware makes her look like, it's not going to be good enough. It would be just as awkward as suddenly giving a voice to Gordon Freeman. It would never live up to fans' standards of what her appearance should look like.

And besides, damn near every other woman in those games looks like a train wreck or a hooker. I don't want those same people trying to put a face to the most awesome and strong female character in recent gaming history.

I hear you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEV0E2EAePo&feature=fvwrel
Jump to about 8:45 and wait around a minute. You'll see your thoughts are shared by somebody else.

Though, in my opinion Bioware itself should handle resolving some of the lazy design mysteries that they've left open. It's clear from the success of the franchise and even their own issued statements that Bioware is not just going to let the I.P. sit around in limbo. If the original creators don't have their say in what female Turians or a Quarian without it's suit looks like then some team of hacks will and they'll be endless debates over what's canon. What's more with a movie (series?) in the works the likelihood of this increases. Not everyone's going to think it's cute hearing about things that exist unseen forever. Look what happened with Columbo's wife.

 

[beefpelican]

I think it's kind of silly that nobody in the mass effect universe knows what a quarian looks like. They die just as frequently as any other species, so you'd think someone would have taken the helmet off out of curiosity.

 

[The Keeper]

What about the Volus? Doesn't anyone want to know what they look like?

That, unforutnately, is never going to happen. The Volus CANNOT go outside of their suits in an environment suitable for Humans, Turians, Quarians and Asari. If they do, they will suffocate because they breathe ammonia, their flesh will split open and their blood will boil out of their bodies due to the lowered atmospheric pressure. Quarian immune systems might make open-air environments very hazardous, but they can at least attempt it. Not so with the Volus.

Could still be shown somehow. I can think of a couple ways.

 

[Luke5515]

There was no option that said, no definitely not.
It's just one of those things that's so built up now, no matter what happens, it wouldn't live up to your expectations. See Doomsday Arcade big bad and Double D's head from Ed Edd and Eddy.

 

[Frozengale]

I would like it more if they didn't have her reveal her face. To me I've always identified her by her helmet, it basically was her face. You can see her eyes at times and sometimes catch the hint of a facial feature but when you get down to it her armor is part of her personality, which includes her helmet, so it's as much her face as anything else.

 

[Saelune]

I only think her face should be shown so this whole thing will end. I dont think in the ME world, what they look like is some hidden knowledge. It may be uncommon, but likely out of laziness of the people to see it.

 

[Hyperactiveman]

I think Bioware should look into it... If they haven't already tried to design/concept a Quarians face that actually looks genuine, alien, attractive and would suit the race as a template appearance for all Quarians...

Of course if they haven't tried, haven't found, or cbf trying to make it then I think they shouldn't bother and retain the mystery.

 

[Frozengale]

I think it's kind of silly that nobody in the mass effect universe knows what a quarian looks like. They die just as frequently as any other species, so you'd think someone would have taken the helmet off out of curiosity.

It never says that no one does. Just that not many people do. For one most Quarians live in the Great Migrant Fleet, which means that just because they die doesn't mean they are near other beings. And even if a Quarian dies away from the Migrant Fleet doesn't mean someone is going to take the helmet off, snap some photos and show everyone. There are also some Asari that know what they look like. The Bartender on that one planet that Liara is on says that she knows what they look like.

It's not like it's a big conspiracy or anything. It's just a matter of circumstance. Almost all Quarians live in the Great Migrant Fleet and they don't like removing their helmets because they risk disease. So most people won't see a Quarian at all, so chances of them ever seeing them without their helmet are slim.

 

[saber152]

Honestly i don't care ether way, i mostly want to know what the frig Tali's race looks like. Tali and Wrex are my 2 favorite characters in the Mass effect series, Wrex was a badass who was willing to cross the main character his friend for a chance to help his race survive, and if he survived to the second game although we didn't get much more of a story about him was still badass. Tali in the first game was a useful member of the team and i almost always had her in my team, her people were interesting, what they once were and what they have become intrigued me, seeing how they are trapped inside their suits and or a migrating fleet of ships made me respect their race for it's determination to work past their past mistakes.

In short i just want to know what quarians look like in Bioware's eyes, the quarians are bioware's characters.

plus some of the tali fan art of her face are very creepy.

 

[Sinclair Solutions]

I thought they already did...

Spoiler

 

[Crimson King]

The reason that Tali has such a fanbase is that she's somewhat of an enigma with that mask on that conceals her face. BioWare even poked the fans with this fact when you finally get to 3rd (and/or 4th and/or 5th) base with her in Mass Effect 2 and she takes off her mask for Sheperd but at an angle that conceals her face from the viewer.
I think that if BioWare did decide to show her face, it would ruin the mystery about her somewhat...actually it would completely ruin the mystery.

 

[beefpelican]

I think it's kind of silly that nobody in the mass effect universe knows what a quarian looks like. They die just as frequently as any other species, so you'd think someone would have taken the helmet off out of curiosity.

It never says that no one does. Just that not many people do. For one most Quarians live in the Great Migrant Fleet, which means that just because they die doesn't mean they are near other beings. And even if a Quarian dies away from the Migrant Fleet doesn't mean someone is going to take the helmet off, snap some photos and show everyone. There are also some Asari that know what they look like. The Bartender on that one planet that Liara is on says that she knows what they look like.

It's not like it's a big conspiracy or anything. It's just a matter of circumstance. Almost all Quarians live in the Great Migrant Fleet and they don't like removing their helmets because they risk disease. So most people won't see a Quarian at all, so chances of them ever seeing them without their helmet are slim.

The thing is, they wouldn't ever have to see them in person or in pictures. I've never seen an okapi in real life, but all I have to do is open up wikipedia and heyoh, mystery revealed. Not that everyone would care what a Quarian looks like, but anyone who is curious should be just a space future wiki-search away from the knowledge.

 

[Goofguy]

Honestly, I don't really care either way. I wouldn't mind it if they decided to show what she looked like as I was never one to get caught up in the mystery and awe of it all. However, if Bioware wants to keep said mystery intact, I won't be shedding any tears over it any time soon. Tali can keep her mask on for all I care, I don't want her catching a common cold and buying the farm in the engine room of the Normandy. Think of the mess.

 

[evilstonermonkey]

SNIP

The thing is they cant win with a real face. The reason we loved tali was because she was entirely personality, awkward, shy, not just complete sex appeal and 1 dimensional romance options usually present in bio ware. If shes too attractive, it undermines this a lot, Shepard enters a completely platonic relationship under that pretense (i know i know ME2 but still, you weren't told this) and the gamble came off. Shes hot. Or even average and it undermines it. If shes unattractive people will be angry, it will seem too contrived, people will be naturally put off of her on that level. It will seem like they did it on purpose to ram home the "personality thing" too much. Tali cant really have a "natural" face now.

This^ is what I was thinking, and then immediately afterward was this...

i think that quarians faces should be DESCRIBED and not actually shown, so we can create our individual ideas about what they look like under there masks

if it was actually shown though, it wouldn't really phase me

...which just blew my mind. That is, in my opinion, the perfect solution. Of course it is a variation of the "show another Quarian but not Tali," which I was leaning toward to begin with.

Another option I thought of was: have her take off her mask at some point, but with the view angled so you can't see her face. Then have an option to change the camera angle. That way, only people that really want to see her face will. There will still be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but at that point they can only blame themselves (not that they will).

 

[Mikeyfell]

I'm strongly in the "And let BioWare decide what Tali looks like? Never!" camp.

You see I'm perfectly content with what I think Tali (and all Quraians) look like.

Seriously though, who on Deviantart decided that Tali had purple skin and a chrome-dome?

Spoiler: pic unrelated

couldn't find the one I was looking for.

Showing us what Tali looks like is a no win situation because you can't please fans.
No matter what they show us under that mask Tali fans will hate it.
And non Tali fans don't give a crap.

The part of the Quarian race that I take issue with is that they wear opaque visors in the first place. I mean that has to obstruct visibility. Maybe that's why Tali uses a shotgun? She can't see farther than 2 feet in front of her. Wouldn't a clear visor block just as many germs?

Ohh I thought of another thing I can take issue with. On Ilium when you talk to the Asari bartender she says "Nobody's old enough to remember what the Quraians look like under those masks." or something. Seriously? there's not one 300 year old picture of a Quarian floating around SPACE-GOOGLE? There's not one Quarian X Hanar porn on the entire Extranet? Hell even on Ilium there are adds for gene-therapy treatment for the Exosuite waring races. You're telling me that not one Quarian has done that? I just think it's a little odd that nobody in the universe has seen an unsuited Quarian in 300 years.

 

[Ghengis John]

Yes. [/img]

And if she looks more like a zebra and less like a human? What would you say then.

 

[Infernai]

Ok, for the final time guys...you wanna know what Tali looks like? Here!

Spoiler

If you actually get this reference, then i applaud you

OT: well, i'm sort of with the crowd who partly thinks it should remain a mystery to be honest..but at the same time, i am curious. I dunno, i guess it all depends on how it's executed.

 

[Scabadus]

Ok, for the final time guys...you wanna know what Tali looks like? Here!

*image snip*
If you actually get this reference, then i applaud you[/spoiler]

I was going to really tentativly guess at The Master from Dr Who, but you should really have named the file something a little less obvious...

Anyway, I've said this before but I've always though of the Quariens as looking like the Predators,

Spoiler: Like this guy.

so I doubt I'll be dissapointed with how "not stunning" Tali looks. Pretty much anything will be better than my mental picture of her. (Also, picture that face then go watch her Romance scene on Youtube. It become hilarious.)

That said, her mystery is part of her character now, so I'm not sure how I'd react to her being given an official face. Either way, I would like to see what the Quariens in general look like (apparently their ears are very different to humans, and if you look closely at what you can see of Tali's face through her visor in ME2 there isn't enough room for a full human jaw beneath her nose. Interesting). It would be like the Halo: Legends episodes where you see some of the Spartan IIs' faces: it doesn't ruin the fact that you never the the Master Cheif's.

 

[Cazza]

Revealing her face wouldn't add anything to the game. I wouldn't.