The Half-Naked Elf Problem

Negatempest

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The only thing that has kept guys from running around in loincloth, boots, shoulder pads and maybe a helmet is....well the armor just isn't there to do it. I have anticipated and have never gotten a time where I can create a bad-ass tank spec warrior with an old-school gladiator look of maybe shoulder pads, a shield, boots and wolf skin loincloth. Just to prove how bad-ass he is in the form of not needing much armor.

The only game I played that got kinda close to that was obviously the Conan MMO, but I didn't like the gameplay too much.
 

Eamar

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Lunar Templar said:
Eamar said:
No, she's not naked. Nakedness is not the point. The point is she's wearing "armour" that has clearly been designed with sex appeal as the primary goal. That's what we're complaining about. If I'm playing a female tank, I want her to look as tough and solid (bulky, even) as her male counterparts. Elegance and sexiness are not at the forefront of a lot of women's minds in this situation, contrary to popular belief.
so? when did 'sex appeal' for any thing suddenly become a bad thing? i mean sure, the plate mail bikini is face palm worthy, but you seirusly putting this set on par with that? just cause there's a little bit of leg showing? personally i think this whole argument is largely stupid, whining about realistic armor is largely pointless since 99% of the time it's all based on the armor's STATS not how much is covered in terms of protection. i will concede 'half naked elves' as a problem though, elves aren't that interesting to look at, but that's getting into other things :p

also, 'Fiona' isn't a tank. Vin doesn't have 'classes' like that (or a real threat table, which sucks some times x.x)
If you can't see why this would be a problem for some (not all, granted) women, then I don't think this conversation is going to go anywhere. I stated in my original post that I have created sexy characters in the past. Sex appeal as an option is not a problem. The problem arises when there isn't any other option, and when items that would look like functional armour on a male avatar become underwear when worn by a female one.

The point is that these games are supposed to be fantasy. My fantasy, your fantasy, whatever. They shouldn't have to be mutually exclusive. I have no problem with you wanting to make Fiona sexy. I have a problem when I'm trying to indulge in a bit of escapism of my own only to be forced into playing an avatar that is very obviously some guy's fantasy, not mine. And honestly, I cannot tell you how sick I am of the way my gender is (overwhelmingly) represented in this hobby.

Also, I didn't mean to imply that your character was a tank or anything, it's just a problem I've encountered in the past. I like to play heavy hitting characters like that and am often presented with frankly laughable characters to fill that role. Personally, I love both Mass Effect and Dragon Age because my female characters, while obviously looking *different* from their male counterparts look no more sexualised. (Though I would actually really like to play a game where the male and female characters who wore very heavy armour looked more alike, a la the original Metroid. Because honestly, when both genders are encased in massive space marine suits of power armour, how are you going to tell the difference? :p )
 

AppleShrapnel

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Kahunaburger said:
...I don't know what to say, besides "reported." This is literally the worst thing I have seen posted on the Escapist. Take a bow, man.
As you say. /bow Although I find it hard to imagine that someone proclaiming their being smitten with something designed to be sexy as the worst thing you've seen on the Escapist... but ok, that'll be my claim to fame, i suppose. :p

Kahunaburger said:
It's okay to be angry at pedophilia. That's the normal human reaction.
I'm not seeing anger, only blind, seething rage... but anyway, I can assure you, and the Escapist community at large, I'm not a pedobear. :p I would never force myself on any woman, regardless of age. The Elin are just a little fantasy, like all the games where we become mass murderers, womanizers, evil bastards and other such unsavory concepts.

If you like playing GTA and wandering the streets, shooting pedestrians, massacring law enforcement and running over old ladies with an SUV, I'm not gonna report you to the FBI or anything. ._.

Taunta said:
You're missing the point. No one ever said remove all sexy armor from games period. The problem is that a lot of times that is the only option for women. I don't always want to play slutty characters. Maybe I want to play a no-nonsense tank character. On the other hand, there are very few options to play a slutty man character either. That's the point. There's no choice.

What if I wanted to multitask because I got turned on by someone's character dressed up like a Chippendale? Too bad, I can't.
All true. But as far as gender equality goes in terms of skimpy armor, Tera really is the best. There's a post somewhere on here that shows the males, even with the more stylized body types, showcasing a fair amount of skin. Not as much as the ladies, no, but again, that's just how it is...

Taunta said:
Anyways, "that's just the way it is" is not a good excuse when addressing these kinds of things. You only see it as "not broken" because the system is in a place that currently favors you. Now you know what male privilege is.
There's no such thing as a good excuse. :p Fact of the matter is, majority of gamers are male, thus, sexy ladies are more likely to move more games. Is that shortsighted and maybe even a bit sexist? Yeah, maybe a little. >.>

But if it isn't girls selling the games, it's military ordinance, just look at Call of Duty. :p Gaming is filled with gun-nuts and sexual deviants. Doesn't that just paint a pretty picture? XD

For what it's worth, I apologize for my lack of perspective on the matter, but as more and more gamer girls surface, perhaps things will find a happy medium... we can hope, at least. ^_^;
 

Taunta

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AppleShrapnel said:
Taunta said:
You're missing the point. No one ever said remove all sexy armor from games period. The problem is that a lot of times that is the only option for women. I don't always want to play slutty characters. Maybe I want to play a no-nonsense tank character. On the other hand, there are very few options to play a slutty man character either. That's the point. There's no choice.

What if I wanted to multitask because I got turned on by someone's character dressed up like a Chippendale? Too bad, I can't.
All true. But as far as gender equality goes in terms of skimpy armor, Tera really is the best. There's a post somewhere on here that shows the males, even with the more stylized body types, showcasing a fair amount of skin. Not as much as the ladies, no, but again, that's just how it is...

Taunta said:
Anyways, "that's just the way it is" is not a good excuse when addressing these kinds of things. You only see it as "not broken" because the system is in a place that currently favors you. Now you know what male privilege is.
There's no such thing as a good excuse. :p Fact of the matter is, majority of gamers are male, thus, sexy ladies are more likely to move more games. Is that shortsighted and maybe even a bit sexist? Yeah, maybe a little. >.>

But if it isn't girls selling the games, it's military ordinance, just look at Call of Duty. :p Gaming is filled with gun-nuts and sexual deviants. Doesn't that just paint a pretty picture? XD

For what it's worth, I apologize for my lack of perspective on the matter, but as more and more gamer girls surface, perhaps things will find a happy medium... we can hope, at least. ^_^;
Yes, but Tera is not the entire games industry, nor is it representative of the entire games industry. Show me a good example, and I can show you a thousand bad ones.

Again, no one said "all sexy ladies are bad", but I can guarantee you as much as sex is selling, it's losing sales too. You should go back and read the article again. When it gets to a point that it is alienating the female market, then it's no longer an issue of gender equality, it's an issue of lost sales.

Additionally, I highly doubt there is a statistically significant number of people that buy games for the sole reason that it has boobs on the cover. Sex might help sales, but losing it would not cripple sales.

I fail to see how COD is in any way relevant to the conversation. We're not talking about recurring themes in the popular games industry, we're talking about skimpy outfits specifically.
 

Lunar Templar

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Eamar said:
If you can't see why this would be a problem for some (not all, granted) women, then I don't think this conversation is going to go anywhere. I stated in my original post that I have created sexy characters in the past. Sex appeal as an option is not a problem. The problem arises when there isn't any other option, and when items that would look like functional armour on a male avatar become underwear when worn by a female one.
there are games out there, MMO's that do have this problem licked ya know like EQ2, which, i don't play cause the combat sucks (and SoE screwed me on a purchase but that's a whole other thing) and really, i have to be having fun before i care about how my character looks.

The point is that these games are supposed to be fantasy. My fantasy, your fantasy, whatever. They shouldn't have to be mutually exclusive. I have no problem with you wanting to make Fiona sexy. I have a problem when I'm trying to indulge in a bit of escapism of my own only to be forced into playing an avatar that is very obviously some guy's fantasy, not mine. And honestly, I cannot tell you how sick I am of the way my gender is (overwhelmingly) represented in this hobby.
o.0? your gender? *checks profile* oh .... same page now (makes more sense having the complaining coming from an actual female) though I'm not sure what solution to give, a side hoping for a happy medium between sexy and functional. i like the general design of sets like Chiulin, that balance of form and function, i mean yeah it's sorta sexy but it still looks like it'd do the job of protecting the person in it (better the Karoks version, he's just got two leather straps covering his chest)

there's always going to be games like WoW or Tera where armor's held on with a bit of string and wishful thinking, but there's also going to be games where it's handled better, just a matter of looking

Also, I didn't mean to imply that your character was a tank or anything, it's just a problem I've encountered in the past. I like to play heavy hitting characters like that and am often presented with frankly laughable characters to fill that role. Personally, I love both Mass Effect and Dragon Age because my female characters, while obviously looking *different* from their male counterparts look no more sexualised. (Though I would actually really like to play a game where the male and female characters who wore very heavy armour looked more alike, a la the original Metroid. Because honestly, when both genders are encased in massive space marine suits of power armour, how are you going to tell the difference? :p )
it's cool, a lot of people make that mistake about vin, they see the shield and plate and think 'tank' until they figure out there's like zero agro control in that game (where i have seen bosses stomp a cross a room, ignoring the person whaling on them just to pop some one trying to down a potion, it sucks as much as it is funny XD) i hear you on the heavy hitters though :D there a few joys greater then wading into a mob and clearing a room with nothing shy of upper to top tier enemy's capable of slowing you down let alone stopping you. i call them bulldozers though, seems fitting :D

but yeah, i do kinda hear you, there's suspension of disbelief and then there's 'wtf is this ...' my problem though is generally not the armor, but character model size. like when i wanna build a tank and i have to do it with a super model :/ some times, i wanna roll a female that's the size of a house cause i want her to look the part of a tank, armored or not(like the female Barbarian in D3, she's fucking HUGE o.o;;) and yes, i am one of those guys that rolls female character pretty much exclusively so i encounter this alot
 

AppleShrapnel

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Taunta said:
*super-effective snip*
True. Tera is a good example, but bad examples are everywhere. I was pointing it out because it was the catalyst for the article, and if nothing else, it's a step in the right direction... well, kinda.

Also true on next two points. Developer and publisher studios just tend to see the big picture and little else. If they could convince themselves that less sex appeal wouldn't bankrupt them, things may balance out. That's just something they'll have to figure out on their own, though. No one, especially consumers, are gonna be able to convince them otherwise... not saying the whole "vote with your wallet" thing wouldn't work, but... well, maybe they'll see the light soon. :/

And right again, COD was totally irrelevant. That kinda snuck in there while I was still thinking about Kahuna's post... my bad.
 

Negatempest

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Over-sexualized? Maybe, but I hardly see any point in arguing over this type of topic from my own point of view. The kind of armor an avatar wears is pointless compared to the role the character plays. Think of it the way I kinda see it. This is far better than the females only being mages/sorceresses and males only being the tanks. Sure bikini armor exists, but that is small potatoes considering she can fill a role as any other male can without suffering stat differences. Heck if mmo's really wanted to become sexist, females would of had lower stats than males and limited to staves or wands. But any female supermodel body can hold the same 12 foot sword a male can who has muscles made of pure testosterone....and it's unfair for the women?
 

Eamar

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Lunar Templar said:
there are games out there, MMO's that do have this problem licked ya know like EQ2, which, i don't play cause the combat sucks (and SoE screwed me on a purchase but that's a whole other thing) and really, i have to be having fun before i care about how my character looks.
I totally understand putting gameplay first, I just find it saddening that I am increasingly losing my ability to see past this stuff :( The minute I see jiggle physics being touted as a major selling point I lose all interest, no matter how good the game might be.


o.0? your gender? *checks profile* oh .... same page now (makes more sense having the complaining coming from an actual female) though I'm not sure what solution to give, a side hoping for a happy medium between sexy and functional.
Haha yeah, I am indeed a woman :p Ah, I *really* don't want to pull the "you don't get it because you have a PENIS" card but... yeah, I guess it hits a bit closer to home when it's your gender being presented like this (sorry!) Like I said in my original post, it's not just the characters that bug me, it's the comments on videos (either of gameplay or of female games journalists) along the lines of "BOOBIEZ!!!1!11 ZOMG I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR TITS." So I probably tend to conflate the two, which may not be helpful. Though I don't think it's too much of a leap to connect the two a lot of the time...

And actually, it's kind of interesting that you automatically assumed I was a guy (not having a go, just making a point). There are A LOT more female gamers out there than people realise, many hidden behind male avatars and forum profiles and staying well clear of voice chat (honestly, try using voice chat in any popular FPS as a woman. You would not believe the abuse you tend to get. Again, not trying to demonise men here, it's the vocal minority and all that, but it leads to women hiding themselves).

i like the general design of sets like Chiulin, that balance of form and function, i mean yeah it's sorta sexy but it still looks like it'd do the job of protecting the person in it (better the Karoks version, he's just got two leather straps covering his chest)

there's always going to be games like WoW or Tera where armor's held on with a bit of string and wishful thinking, but there's also going to be games where it's handled better, just a matter of looking
Absolutely there are some decent games for this out there, and I'm totally down with sexy as an option for both genders when it's appropriate. I mean, it would make total sense for male and female Blood Elves in WoW to shmex themselves up, for example. Like I said, and as Shamus said, the key element is choice. Also I happen to love WoW :p

it's cool, a lot of people make that mistake about vin, they see the shield and plate and think 'tank' until they figure out there's like zero agro control in that game (where i have seen bosses stomp a cross a room, ignoring the person whaling on them just to pop some one trying to down a potion, it sucks as much as it is funny XD) i hear you on the heavy hitters though :D there a few joys greater then wading into a mob and clearing a room with nothing shy of upper to top tier enemy's capable of slowing you down let alone stopping you. i call them bulldozers though, seems fitting :D
I'm not familiar with vin at all, so my bad. But YAY for tank love :)

but yeah, i do kinda hear you, there's suspension of disbelief and then there's 'wtf is this ...' my problem though is generally not the armor, but character model size. like when i wanna build a tank and i have to do it with a super model :/ some times, i wanna roll a female that's the size of a house cause i want her to look the part of a tank, armored or not(like the female Barbarian in D3, she's fucking HUGE o.o;;) and yes, i am one of those guys that rolls female character pretty much exclusively so i encounter this alot
Totally agree, character models are a major problem, perhaps more so than the outfits. Something that bugs me in particular is the lack of variety (again, it all comes down to choice). While still limited in many cases, there does tend to be a lot more variation in male body types in games (compare males and females here: http://en.playpw.com/heroes.html )I can totally understand some people wanting to play as a supermodel lookalike, but I'd prefer my characters to look like they can handle the weapons they're supposed to be using. My personal preference would be for powerful, muscular females who looked more like elite athletes than models.
 

Eri

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I love all the people up in arms over "sexy" young looking characters but these same people have no problem with mass murder.
 

Moromillas

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animehermit said:
Eamar said:
Totally agree, character models are a major problem, perhaps more so than the outfits. Something that bugs me in particular is the lack of variety (again, it all comes down to choice). While still limited in many cases, there does tend to be a lot more variation in male body types in games (compare males and females here: http://en.playpw.com/heroes.html )I can totally understand some people wanting to play as a supermodel lookalike, but I'd prefer my characters to look like they can handle the weapons they're supposed to be using. My personal preference would be for powerful, muscular females who looked more like elite athletes than models.
I think TOR, and for the most part, Bioware RPGs in general do this pretty well.

In TOR there are 4 male and female body types: small, regular or supermodel, Amazon, and finally curvy, which mirrors the male counterparts :p.
TOR actually has the same problem as Tera.
 

Moromillas

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Eri said:
I love all the people up in arms over "sexy" young looking characters but these same people have no problem with mass murder.
lol ^ 100% truth.

It is pretty strange that players would take issue with this, being that it's fantasy land and all, or not real I should say.
 

BlueKenja

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Use Phantasy Star Universe's system. You use shield items with slots for protection that can add graphical effects (shadowy auras, glowy auras etc) but the actual appearance is determined by clothing you choose to equip your character with which is purely aesthetic.
Make clothing craftable and rare drops from mobs and bosses, make weapons, shields and slot items drops from mobs and bosses that allow you to upgrade your offence and defence without altering your clothing appearance and you get progression and choice. Oh and make the clothing the same for males and females, if its a shirt, waistcoat and trouser combo on the male its the same on the female, if its a bikini on the female, its a bikini on the male.
 

Faux Furry

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lesterley said:
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
Have you ever played Skyrim? If there is a piece of armor or clothing that is even a little bit revealing on a female character, it might not even have a top at all in the male version(especially the various fur armors [http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Fur_Armor_%28Skyrim%29] or rather loin cloths in some cases. Thinking of loin cloths, even the base equipment for the male characters is more minimal, kind of the way it is in Demon's/Dark Souls.)and in one instance, an ensemble which is a baggy top and pants on female characters turns into ragged pants with no shirt on the male characters.
Bethesda games in general tend to do that kind of thing, with the same effect happening with the Bombshell [http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Bombshell_armor] armor in Fallout 3.

That's without having to shy away from RPGs into hack and slash or beat-em-up territory or games based upon real world combat sports.
 

JaceArveduin

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Eamar said:
Lunar Templar said:
o.0? your gender? *checks profile* oh .... same page now (makes more sense having the complaining coming from an actual female) though I'm not sure what solution to give, a side hoping for a happy medium between sexy and functional.
Haha yeah, I am indeed a woman :p Ah, I *really* don't want to pull the "you don't get it because you have a PENIS" card but... yeah, I guess it hits a bit closer to home when it's your gender being presented like this (sorry!) Like I said in my original post, it's not just the characters that bug me, it's the comments on videos (either of gameplay or of female games journalists) along the lines of "BOOBIEZ!!!1!11 ZOMG I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR TITS." So I probably tend to conflate the two, which may not be helpful. Though I don't think it's too much of a leap to connect the two a lot of the time...

And actually, it's kind of interesting that you automatically assumed I was a guy (not having a go, just making a point). There are A LOT more female gamers out there than people realise, many hidden behind male avatars and forum profiles and staying well clear of voice chat (honestly, try using voice chat in any popular FPS as a woman. You would not believe the abuse you tend to get. Again, not trying to demonise men here, it's the vocal minority and all that, but it leads to women hiding themselves).

i like the general design of sets like Chiulin, that balance of form and function, i mean yeah it's sorta sexy but it still looks like it'd do the job of protecting the person in it (better the Karoks version, he's just got two leather straps covering his chest)

there's always going to be games like WoW or Tera where armor's held on with a bit of string and wishful thinking, but there's also going to be games where it's handled better, just a matter of looking
Absolutely there are some decent games for this out there, and I'm totally down with sexy as an option for both genders when it's appropriate. I mean, it would make total sense for male and female Blood Elves in WoW to shmex themselves up, for example. Like I said, and as Shamus said, the key element is choice. Also I happen to love WoW :p

it's cool, a lot of people make that mistake about vin, they see the shield and plate and think 'tank' until they figure out there's like zero agro control in that game (where i have seen bosses stomp a cross a room, ignoring the person whaling on them just to pop some one trying to down a potion, it sucks as much as it is funny XD) i hear you on the heavy hitters though :D there a few joys greater then wading into a mob and clearing a room with nothing shy of upper to top tier enemy's capable of slowing you down let alone stopping you. i call them bulldozers though, seems fitting :D
I'm not familiar with vin at all, so my bad. But YAY for tank love :)

but yeah, i do kinda hear you, there's suspension of disbelief and then there's 'wtf is this ...' my problem though is generally not the armor, but character model size. like when i wanna build a tank and i have to do it with a super model :/ some times, i wanna roll a female that's the size of a house cause i want her to look the part of a tank, armored or not(like the female Barbarian in D3, she's fucking HUGE o.o;;) and yes, i am one of those guys that rolls female character pretty much exclusively so i encounter this alot
Totally agree, character models are a major problem, perhaps more so than the outfits. Something that bugs me in particular is the lack of variety (again, it all comes down to choice). While still limited in many cases, there does tend to be a lot more variation in male body types in games (compare males and females here: http://en.playpw.com/heroes.html )I can totally understand some people wanting to play as a supermodel lookalike, but I'd prefer my characters to look like they can handle the weapons they're supposed to be using. My personal preference would be for powerful, muscular females who looked more like elite athletes than models.
Eamar said:
Lunar Templar said:
there are games out there, MMO's that do have this problem licked ya know like EQ2, which, i don't play cause the combat sucks (and SoE screwed me on a purchase but that's a whole other thing) and really, i have to be having fun before i care about how my character looks.
I totally understand putting gameplay first, I just find it saddening that I am increasingly losing my ability to see past this stuff :( The minute I see jiggle physics being touted as a major selling point I lose all interest, no matter how good the game might be.


o.0? your gender? *checks profile* oh .... same page now (makes more sense having the complaining coming from an actual female) though I'm not sure what solution to give, a side hoping for a happy medium between sexy and functional.
Haha yeah, I am indeed a woman :p Ah, I *really* don't want to pull the "you don't get it because you have a PENIS" card but... yeah, I guess it hits a bit closer to home when it's your gender being presented like this (sorry!) Like I said in my original post, it's not just the characters that bug me, it's the comments on videos (either of gameplay or of female games journalists) along the lines of "BOOBIEZ!!!1!11 ZOMG I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR TITS." So I probably tend to conflate the two, which may not be helpful. Though I don't think it's too much of a leap to connect the two a lot of the time...

And actually, it's kind of interesting that you automatically assumed I was a guy (not having a go, just making a point). There are A LOT more female gamers out there than people realise, many hidden behind male avatars and forum profiles and staying well clear of voice chat (honestly, try using voice chat in any popular FPS as a woman. You would not believe the abuse you tend to get. Again, not trying to demonise men here, it's the vocal minority and all that, but it leads to women hiding themselves).

i like the general design of sets like Chiulin, that balance of form and function, i mean yeah it's sorta sexy but it still looks like it'd do the job of protecting the person in it (better the Karoks version, he's just got two leather straps covering his chest)

there's always going to be games like WoW or Tera where armor's held on with a bit of string and wishful thinking, but there's also going to be games where it's handled better, just a matter of looking
Absolutely there are some decent games for this out there, and I'm totally down with sexy as an option for both genders when it's appropriate. I mean, it would make total sense for male and female Blood Elves in WoW to shmex themselves up, for example. Like I said, and as Shamus said, the key element is choice. Also I happen to love WoW :p

it's cool, a lot of people make that mistake about vin, they see the shield and plate and think 'tank' until they figure out there's like zero agro control in that game (where i have seen bosses stomp a cross a room, ignoring the person whaling on them just to pop some one trying to down a potion, it sucks as much as it is funny XD) i hear you on the heavy hitters though :D there a few joys greater then wading into a mob and clearing a room with nothing shy of upper to top tier enemy's capable of slowing you down let alone stopping you. i call them bulldozers though, seems fitting :D
I'm not familiar with vin at all, so my bad. But YAY for tank love :)

but yeah, i do kinda hear you, there's suspension of disbelief and then there's 'wtf is this ...' my problem though is generally not the armor, but character model size. like when i wanna build a tank and i have to do it with a super model :/ some times, i wanna roll a female that's the size of a house cause i want her to look the part of a tank, armored or not(like the female Barbarian in D3, she's fucking HUGE o.o;;) and yes, i am one of those guys that rolls female character pretty much exclusively so i encounter this alot
Totally agree, character models are a major problem, perhaps more so than the outfits. Something that bugs me in particular is the lack of variety (again, it all comes down to choice). While still limited in many cases, there does tend to be a lot more variation in male body types in games (compare males and females here: http://en.playpw.com/heroes.html )I can totally understand some people wanting to play as a supermodel lookalike, but I'd prefer my characters to look like they can handle the weapons they're supposed to be using. My personal preference would be for powerful, muscular females who looked more like elite athletes than models.
Eamar said:
Yeah, I know there's more than a few girls out there, but I've a friend who used to do the whole "be a girl in game to get free shit" thing. I also play Combat Arms, so yeah, I know the extent of the stupidity that happens. (at least CoD doesn't have megaphones...)

I personally prefer LotRO myself, those monthly payments just aren't for me, especially seeing as I haven't touched LotRO in weeks. I'm not sure if LOTRO even has any stripper armor, now that I think about it... But it does have an awesome cosmetic feature. In real life, I don't much care what I look like, but I put time and effort into making my LOTRO guys look badass.
 

AppleShrapnel

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animehermit said:
Just because Tera's character are ALL dressed scantily doesn't really excuse it's treatment of female characters and, the bigger point, the sexualization of children. Most gamers don't really have an issue with sexy female characters, for the most part, it's starting to disappear. People have an issue with Tera because it has an over-sexualized little girl race.
"Most gamers" obviously not referring to the last 5 pages of posts? It is still an issue... far as I can tell, anyway.

While Shamus didn't explicitly mention the Elin in his article, they certainly are a lightning rod for such controversy, but I was scolded not long ago that the point of this discussion was the chainmail bikinis and the like in general; not a particular race in a particular game.

But to humor you, yes, they are overly-sexualized, just like every other race in there, even the males... the Popori may be an exception, but I'm sure fur-suiters don't mind them. :p

But seriously, read a bit more, and you'll see plenty of Escapists taking issue to the humans, high elves, castanics and amani of Tera "dressing like sluts"- not just the Elin. ^_^;
 

Ashannon Blackthorn

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Sep 5, 2011
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I have an issue with this whole thread... even getting off the original topic of female over sexualization in video games.

Kahunaburger is the lead one for this, I showed this thread and his comments ot my Korean room mate who is a quiet 22 year old female exchange student. All she could say is why is he so racist toward my culture?

And Kuhuna and other like him(her?) are. Korean culture is not American. They have much different views on what is acceptable sexually then Americans do. (to a lesser extent Canadians and Europeans but Americans tend to go right off the prude scale quite easily)

Now before Kahunaburger starts yelling I support paedos or somesuch. I don't. I think paedophiles should be executed. If found guilty beyond doubt, bullet to the head.

I'm also aware not everyone thinks like me, or every culture is the same as mine.

So I disprove of paedophilia? Yes I do. DO I think the makers of Tera are pandering to paedos with that loli foxgirl crap? No. and anyone who blindly screams they are is a fucking idiot at best or a fucking idiot racist at worst.

Try and keep some perspectives here people and realize not every human on the planet views things the same way as you do.

I'm curious to see the ratio of Americans to either Canadians, Europeans or asians in this thread. I think it would be kind of interesting and telling in some ways.
 

Moromillas

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May 25, 2010
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animehermit said:
Moromillas said:
animehermit said:
Eamar said:
Totally agree, character models are a major problem, perhaps more so than the outfits. Something that bugs me in particular is the lack of variety (again, it all comes down to choice). While still limited in many cases, there does tend to be a lot more variation in male body types in games (compare males and females here: http://en.playpw.com/heroes.html )I can totally understand some people wanting to play as a supermodel lookalike, but I'd prefer my characters to look like they can handle the weapons they're supposed to be using. My personal preference would be for powerful, muscular females who looked more like elite athletes than models.
I think TOR, and for the most part, Bioware RPGs in general do this pretty well.

In TOR there are 4 male and female body types: small, regular or supermodel, Amazon, and finally curvy, which mirrors the male counterparts :p.
TOR actually has the same problem as Tera.
I wasn't aware TOR had sexualized children in it.
Not the off-topic pedo thought crime bashing thing, but the limited armor choices mentioned in the article.

In TOR there's one class where pants are difficult to find, and have a vast amount of skirts that go down to your ankles. There is custom armor that you can stick mods in, sure, but if you want "the best" armor you have to wear one of these skirts that completely covers your lower shins.