The Half-Naked Elf Problem
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
I think I just talked about this last week in my cartoon:
http://www.serialmmogamy.com
I think I would be more comfortable with the sexual objectification of an MMO avatar if it was an equal-opportunity objectification. If YOU can have the choice of playing a half-naked FEMALE avatar, why am I not given the opportunity to play a half-naked MALE avatar?
Leslee
http://www.serialmmogamy.com
I think I would be more comfortable with the sexual objectification of an MMO avatar if it was an equal-opportunity objectification. If YOU can have the choice of playing a half-naked FEMALE avatar, why am I not given the opportunity to play a half-naked MALE avatar?
Leslee
Fact: if you like how the women in Tera are dressed then you are a juvenile delinquent.
Fact: it breaks immersion and all sense of taste to be running into battle wearing protective gear that amounts to little more than a thong and bikini.
I think the author's idea is reasonable, but if I were a developer I would elect to keep senseless filth out of the game altogether. Gaming needs to grow up past the females as sex objects thing and juveniles who get off on this stuff need to get touched by someone of their preferred sex.
Fact: it breaks immersion and all sense of taste to be running into battle wearing protective gear that amounts to little more than a thong and bikini.
I think the author's idea is reasonable, but if I were a developer I would elect to keep senseless filth out of the game altogether. Gaming needs to grow up past the females as sex objects thing and juveniles who get off on this stuff need to get touched by someone of their preferred sex.
It's something I like about The Old Republic. Nothing is really that revealing or sexy. Quite a few things are utterly ridiculous looking, yes, but they aren't revealing.
Well, except the heavy robe Jedi Guardians get at the end of Tython. On men it's a shirt, on women it's a bra.
And the dancer outfit, though that's only available as a "social" item. Meaning you have to have a certain amount of social points (you get 'em by completing quests with people) if you want to wear them.
But that's the only one I've seen.
Just not fair.
Well, except the heavy robe Jedi Guardians get at the end of Tython. On men it's a shirt, on women it's a bra.
And the dancer outfit, though that's only available as a "social" item. Meaning you have to have a certain amount of social points (you get 'em by completing quests with people) if you want to wear them.
But that's the only one I've seen.
I second this. How come the women get to run around with no pants on, but I can't? It's not fair dammit! I was so glad when I saw the dancer outfit in TOR. Then my heart sank when it said female only.lesterley said:
Just not fair.
You know, when I first started reading the article, I wasnt going to finish it, and just write it off as another thing about chainmail bikinis. Good thing I did keep reading. I wish games like Skyrim let me do this (I love the Thalmor's hooded-robes, but love the stats my Nightshade(?) armor from the theaves guild gives me.)
I like how Jade Empire did it.
Yes women were scantily clad but so were lots of the guys too.
Hell Tiger Shen had no shirt.
If the ladies have to dress like that the guys to do.
Which is why I lol'ed at Origins lady armor.
Uhm the point of armor is to cover your chest, not say SHOOT ME RIGHT HERE
Yes women were scantily clad but so were lots of the guys too.
Hell Tiger Shen had no shirt.
If the ladies have to dress like that the guys to do.
Which is why I lol'ed at Origins lady armor.
Uhm the point of armor is to cover your chest, not say SHOOT ME RIGHT HERE
This was in at launch and it was one of the cooler features of the game. You had a decent selection when you start the game of different clothing items, plus your char's appearance, dye them however you want, and then once you're in game you never have to change appearance if you don't want. The fact you could actually keep the appearances even after you sold the armor and select them from a dropdown bar was nice too, so you could gather a huge collection of different costume pieces to mix and match as you wanted, and they'd always stay the same colors as the one you chose in chargen so stuff would always match. But then you'd still have the pieces you were actually wearing providing the stats, whether they were visible or not. It's the way really any clothing system should work I think since it lets you build a 'closet' of clothing choices, whereas Shamus's system would still require you to keep the low level clothing, which means taking up inventory space if you want multiple options.MorganL4 said:
+1Scrumpmonkey said:
Wow. What the fuck. Not okay, developers.
OT: This is my problem with the idea in the article. In the unlikely event that I were to play a MMO, I would prefer it not feature pedophilia-related shit, at all, ever. Giving players the option to pick between pedo and non-pedo gear would not make it okay.
What about a system such as the one in Morrowind? There clothes and armour were different things and could be worn layered over each other. So if you have armour equipped it shows on your character but you could wear cosmetic clothing over (cloak, mantle, cape, robe) or under (pants, shirt, gloves) it.
Alternatively, why not have the ability to have equipment smithed or tailored with custom trim and decoration?
Alternatively, why not have the ability to have equipment smithed or tailored with custom trim and decoration?
Rift has the 1 outfit for stats, 1 for appearance thing too.
But really how ever many people there are that don't like objectifying women, they will always be vastly outnumbered by those who do.
But really how ever many people there are that don't like objectifying women, they will always be vastly outnumbered by those who do.
It's an adult female of that fuzzy race, only with smaller boobies compared to the gazungas on the other characters. I think people are being too pedo-paranoid and games are a bit silly to get weirded out over considering most gamers have beaten and burned innocent people to death in GTA or Saints Row. But that's just me, I've never come across anything in a video game that "shocked" or weirded me out.Scrumpmonkey said:Actually i have heard of Tera, the biggest thing i heard about it is that is basically has a "Scantily Clad Loli" class. No seriosuly look;
Yeahhhh... im not comfortable with whoever designed those. Stay the fuck away from me
If anything it's more of an issue of sexual dimorphism.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BizarreSexualDimorphism
Yeah, I'm sure they just "happen" to look exactly like underage girls dressed in sexualized outfits. Clearly pandering to IRL creepy people had nothing to do with this character design. Far be it from me to trample bluehole's artistic integrity.Nurb said:
Haha, wow. It's amusing that there are no males, you can see right where the devs drew the line. An entire race of ten-year-old catgirls who never invented trousers, sure, but little boys? Eww, that would be creepy.Scrumpmonkey said:
I don't mind chain mail bikinis, or even lolis really, in a single player game, but MMOs feel like public spaces to me, and I'm not on pants-off terms with any of you people. Some fantasies are not to be shared with strangers.
That this fuzzy race resembles four-year-olds in metal thongs was a conscious decision on the part of an actual developer, you know. They didn't just "get that way" out of nowhere, and characters aren't designed in a vacuum.Nurb said:It's an adult female of that fuzzy race, only with smaller boobies compared to the gazungas on the other characters. I think people are being too pedo-paranoid and games are a bit silly to get weirded out over considering most gamers have beaten and burned innocent people to death in GTA or Saints Row. But that's just me, I've never come across anything in a video game that "shocked" or weirded me out.Scrumpmonkey said:Actually i have heard of Tera, the biggest thing i heard about it is that is basically has a "Scantily Clad Loli" class. No seriosuly look;
Yeahhhh... im not comfortable with whoever designed those. Stay the fuck away from me
If anything it's more of an issue of sexual dimorphism.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BizarreSexualDimorphism