[Female Avatars] How did we go from . . .

[p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]I have been playing the game from Beta, and I am still mystified (and saddened) that we went from This . . . [/face][/p][p][/p][p](Which we keep seeing in the intro video!)[/p][p]. . . to the bathrobes we have in game now? [/p]

The armors in this game are simply the worse thing about it imo. compared to EQ1 and all the concept/early beta shots we saw of EQ2.

[p]I am inclined to agree. I understand that the development is time consuming but that still does not do the armor graphics juctice. Not to mention the treasured drops. An example would be a level 49 requirement and lower stats than a level 31 armor. Why develop it? Isnt there some kind of scale that randomly generates a number or something? Who is making this crap? With all due respect ofcoarse.[/p][p]Armor dye and COOLER graphics FTW!!! We dont want cute and cuddly. We want MEAN AND WICKED looking armor!! Stun us! Put us in AWE!!![/p]

It is not just that . . .
Why keep having the promo video pop-up at the start of each session then. I almost seems like SOE wants us to see how badly they failed in realizing the look for EQ2 they wanted.

i don't wanna defend the art department here but i hope you see how weird it is to compare a rendered promotion video to the game... there's no game which looks like its rendered promotion videos...

I personally like the realism in the armor compared to other games. Since when does "combat armor" = "lingerie"?

Kenozh@Valor wrote:

[p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]Of course I do. But . . . [/face][/p][ul][li][face="comic sans ms,sand"]They don't even attempt to use the same styles as they have in the promo video.[/face][/li][li][face="comic sans ms,sand"]And they don't let us just turn the bloody thing off. (yes, I know that hitting a key will stop it.)[/face][/li][/ul][p] [/p]

[p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]Well, since the 1920s with the art styles used on the Pulps for fantasy stories. [/face][/p][p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]But also, since there is no "social element" to EQ2 to speak of.[/face] [/p]

wierd, I don't think it shows for me at all now...

Jalathan@Lucan DLere wrote:

My video disappeared a while ago, also. And stop drooling over damn female video game characters! I don't need to see twenty wood elves running around in their thong armor. That's one of the reasons I left WOW.

Velshara wrote:

Nonsense! I don't see why I should stop drooling over female video game characters. ;-)
(And I would also want to give High Elves, Dark Elves, and Half-Elves their due!)
"Thank Heaven for Wood Elf Girls! 'Cause without them what would drunken dwarves do!"

Ok, when the day comes when I can chain male Wood Elves and Half elves in my basement as House Status Items.. then you can have your thong armor.

[p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]I have no problem with that. But, the male avatars in EQ2 are not especially inspiring. :-([/face][/p][p][size="xx-small"][face="comic sans ms,sand"](And to capture those Wood Elven and High Elven men, you are gonna want that thong armor. )[/face][/size] [/p]

LordFyre wrote:

You're telling me!

Velshara wrote:

Rarely was full plate worn from head to toe. I don't find the armor to be realistic so much as simplified and homogenized. The game is high fantasy which generally means some license between practical and esthetically pleasing. When have you ever seen a wizard wearing a bathrobe? Usually the ropes are flowing and not meant to be protection from anything but the elements. Combat armor would most likely allow freedom of movement and would cover vital organs rather than every inch.

Personally, I find it all to be rather sad, uninspired, ridiculous, cookie cutter, and boring. Everyone looks IDENTICAL. Why even have races or classes or genders if everyone is the same?

All that said... I'm pretty sure SOE get that they failed. I'm pretty sure their intent was to have more variety. Corners were cut, budgets were slashed, and as usual in big business they compromised quality for bottom line.


And we don't even have a belly button

[p] Than this is not THAT kind of fantasy you are imagining. Never been. Armor is looking like armor (even somes colors do suck or look alike) beside that, there are lots of THAT kind of fantasy games around to hang out with. I heard they even started THAT kind of fantasy games in Second Life. They even have whips for that.[/p][p]Mentioning armor lookalikes also, I don't think medieval armors looks really distinct from person to person in their categories. [/p]

[p]You know, selch, I don't think that there is a single posting on these forums that I have ever actually agreed with you?[/p][p]I actually wasn't going to "THAT kind of fantasy." Others might have been - I cannot say - but I wasn't quite going there with this subject.[/p][p]And, with the idea that medieval armors looking similar. I believe that is why surcoates were invented. [/p]

[p] My my.. I'm sorry that we can't get on together well. [/p][p]I'm sorry not to understand connection of "Social element" to quote "Lingerie" type of fantasy armor in another way.[/p][p] [/p]

[p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]Well, given the way this thread flowed I can see how you would make that connection. Of course, I still do not understand why it upsets you so. [/face][/p][p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]In any event, where I was going with this is that for whatever else the visual environment of an MMO is, it is also a piece of art. So it should look cool. And, in our western society, for a female looking cool usually does include an element of "sex appeal." [/face][/p][p][face="comic sans ms,sand"]As to not getting on well, We just have sincerely held, but diametrically opposing, viewpoints on this subject. [/face] [/p]

[p]It upsets me such desires because in combat there is no such thing as gender. Only thing is to survive AND beat the opponent and to do it correctly, it is necessary to pick best accessories, rather than caring for the look. It is combat, gory, bloody combat. [/p][p]That's a roleplaying issue. While I hate to wear my purple-pink boots in combat, black pants, red chest plate it is necessary for me to survive. That's not different. [/p][p]For me reality of art what makes me more into this game. I don't mind having this types of clothes for people to wear around cities unless not categorized as public nudity, just in the degree of real life traditions, I strongly disagree having those as "combat" gear. Because combat is combat, requires armor, not piece of cloth not bigger than a palm to be stronger than hardest steel. As for me, I wear my formal suit that has zero stats or mitigation in cities or when not fighting and it does not hurt to walk around with that when not fighting. [/p]