Female RPC!

[nonnos]

I'm -almost-always disappointed with the clothing and general looks of a female RPC.This article zips it.LOL.
Click to view  

[Verderbnis]

True, True!

Even the male RPG-heroes from Japan always look like Backstreet Boys. Where are the dirty antiheroes with scars in their face and some unheroic attitudes?

Where is the Bard of "The Bard's tale"? Where is "The Witcher"?

A clear no to clean heroes...  

[Arius Geiza]

*cough*

A few comments.

First, I do agree with Hellraver on some level. Heroes and Heroines in reality would rarely be "clean" so to speak, if anything, the added ruggedness to some have been a clear and good way of adding depth to the character.

Now, as for what is contained in that link...I first offer the idea of physical fitness. First of all, the breasts. Younger girls in RPGs do not have very large sized ones (yes, they do tend to be anatomically correct) and though it may not be as common, you can come across the occasionally small breasted adult heroine. However, as did nature create, a good number of adult women have fairly sizable breasts, and thus is the basic model for such.

Next part is detail on the skin. As good as graphics are, and as capable as it would be, it would be extremely difficult to render a completely detailed character with every nook and cranny programmed to have a specific look 100% of the time instead of simply creating a basic model after a certain skin type/tone/complexion. Yes, the villain/hero theme of such tends to be different. One can easily separate this from reality, for I often find some RPG villains and some RPG heroes to look more or less neutral, if not opposite of what might have been intended.

The clothing is obvious and I won't argue the point. Sex sells. Same reason most heroes are ripped and hard.

As for the arrangement of such...*ahem* It is a fantasy world after all. Strange alignment of clothing would be expected in a different realm. They aren't usually set on Earth with Earth's history, culture, and traditions. Even if they are in a medieval realm, they tend to stay as historically accurate as they can, while adding creativity (no shame in that) as far as I can tell anyways.

Footwear is something a bit odd I will agree with. Stiletto (that's actually typo'd in the site) heals aren't fit for combat, but the combat boots would be. Nothing wrong with that.

Hair? These are animated characters. 'Nuff said.

Judging from your signature, and the tone of which the site is written in (as well as your stating you are almost always disappointed with female RPGC looks), I would say this was in a negative light. So for those reasons above, I state that I don't believe it is a very negative thing. There are some stereotypes, indeed, but the things put there are fairly conventional. The site stating the idea of one becoming said character is rather amusing to me...considering there's one problem to that. The animated look will always be different from a photograph. People who cosplay said characters KNOW this, and they embrace this, and have fun doing it. They don't expect to capture it's essence, though some people could, just by simple luck of genetics.

Last, but certainly not least, a comment on your signature, for I am rather offended by it. By that you are actively suggesting a very horrible picture painted on men. Some men are like this, we all, however, are not. Given the current state of society and women's role in it, I think that's fairly clear. I wouldn't honestly be very bothered by this, but it is for this reason that I am: If feminism is at all what my last semester course in it taught me (with both male and female students, and a male and female instructor, so yes, two instructors, both genders, both perspectives), then feminism is HURTING women more in the present, than it was when it first began, and it is not what they need. My opinion. Cheers.

Edit: I apologize for not being able to respond later, I must be at work all day, I'll come back and check later.  

[Mikutron]

< 3

I LOL'd.

 

[General Overall Deception]

I believe that, as nadian said, this is fantasy, in RPGs there is none hero that does not have perfect body, even when you talk about the typical huge guy that fights receiving a lot of damage (thats the closest stereotype of me) they incredibly huge, i mean i am only 5'8'' and still kick big guys asses, there is a lot of things that you could want to see in a RPG that is just not gonna happen, cuz reality only sells on tv, nuff said.  

[Zphal]

I don't like little clothing on female heroes. I don't really like it on male heroes either. I prefer whispy, fluttery clothing on males and females. Rippling muscles are good, from time to time, but realistically, it behooves you to wear more in combat.

I fancy myself one that if need be would pick up a sword, grab a bow and a quarrel of arrows, but I would never dress like most feminine heroes are depicted. I'd armament myself in chainmail and leather. That, and I'm assuredly not one of those large-breasted gals, whose boobs miraculously float in place. (*is reminded of "zero-G jugs" from Futurama* xp )

Although I don't like it when females in real life wear little, but spend time wishing real life guys would wear less. I guess it makes me a big contradictor. Or something.  

[little_moon_girl]

It's like saying we should be like video games or animated characters. I think it's insalting.  

[Strideo]

The whole "J-rocker" look seems to be in as far as Japanese RPG heroes go these days. There are some exceptions but there are few unfortunately.

Recent Final Fantasy game are pretty bad about having pretty boy J-rocker heroes and scantily clad female characters. Lulu, Ashe, Penelo, and Fran all seem to have outfits that are more for ogling than being practical.

Here's a rugged looking fellow from FFVI. You can't look at that beard and tell me Sabin is not rugged! xd

Check out Terra from FFVI! Sure those leggings are tight but at least she isn't stuck in a miniskirt like Ashe!

The hero from Shadow Hearts had kind of a bad attitude, I mean I've never heard an RPG hero tell the villain "Hey! S*** head! I'm coming for you!" but he still looked pretty much like a J-rocker pretty boy and the female characters were dressed in showy costumes (which the main female character did complain about actually xd ).

Eh, whatever! xp  

[Verderbnis]

It'd be cooler to have more naturally looking hero/ine/s. But a fattie with bad skin and androgyne properties won't sell the game.

Also I'd like to see another thing happen if the hero does action and crashes the glass rooftop of a mall! What's with the people getting hit by shatters and splinters?  

[Arius Geiza]

zphal_girl87

I don't like little clothing on female heroes. I don't really like it on male heroes either. I prefer whispy, fluttery clothing on males and females. Rippling muscles are good, from time to time, but realistically, it behooves you to wear more in combat.

That depends on your strengths and role. If you overburden yourself with equipment, then you will fall to some disadvantages. Really you must equip yourself with what is suited best, if we're talking about real life practicality (obviously in game it makes no difference, it's all ruled by numbers). Wearing mostly torso armor while leaving your limbs scantly clad would be an advantage to movement and depending on your type of weapon, weapon handling. Also keeping certain equip down, like a single shoulder pad for blocking strikes, instead of a shield, or simply to also use as a ramming weapon, would require you to keep your other shoulder well guarded by your weapon handling, or other techniques, but saves you on some weight. These are all things to consider when talking about combat equipment.

zphal_girl87

I fancy myself one that if need be would pick up a sword, grab a bow and a quarrel of arrows...

Don't mean to sound nitpicky but...isn't it "quiver" of arrows? Just want to make sure if I'm remembering correctly.

Hellraver

It'd be cooler to have more naturally looking hero/ine/s. But a fattie with bad skin and androgyne properties won't sell the game.

It also is unrealistic. Most fantasy games have the hero/heroine from something that requires physical fitness, or would actually create it as a side effect. Unless we're talking about a fairly large person with a stocky build, this generally means fit, with toned muscles.  

[Hiro Cascade]

rofl Somehow that seems so true. -To video game standards anyways.  

[Verderbnis]

Not really, because there are storylines with characters having unusual properties. For example Anotsu of "Blade of the Immortal" has thin arms...

...but swings an axe.

It is maybe a thing of creativity. They don't have any good ideas today. They are not even willing to create unconventional heroes with unique fighting styles. The swordsman always looks like a swordsman and fights like a swordsman, and is boring like the common swordsman.  

[Arius Geiza]

I have very skinny arms, yet I can bench press 200lbs (trust me, I don't look like I can do that). Muscle mass doesn't necessarily denote strength.  

[General Overall Deception]

Strideo

The whole "J-rocker" look seems to be in as far as Japanese RPG heroes go these days. There are some exceptions but there are few unfortunately.

Recent Final Fantasy game are pretty bad about having pretty boy J-rocker heroes and scantily clad female characters. Lulu, Ashe, Penelo, and Fran all seem to have outfits that are more for ogling than being practical.

Here's a rugged looking fellow from FFVI. You can't look at that beard and tell me Sabin is not rugged! xd

Check out Terra from FFVI! Sure those leggings are tight but at least she isn't stuck in a miniskirt like Ashe!

The hero from Shadow Hearts had kind of a bad attitude, I mean I've never heard an RPG hero tell the villain "Hey! S*** head! I'm coming for you!" but he still looked pretty much like a J-rocker pretty boy and the female characters were dressed in showy costumes (which the main female character did complain about actually xd ).

Eh, whatever! xp

hey I like Fran, I wish i could found an island full of smexy bunnies... oh wait the heffner guy already did...

btw remembering about that FF, I think the male chars would have to be more like Bartier :3  

[PlainSimpleGarak]

The "sexy" stereotypes don;t necesarily bother me; but there is a difference between a character wearing shorts and a t-shirt walking down a street and a character wearing a chainmail bikini walking through a dangerous battleground. I can look out my front door and see the former... but there is no reason other than "sex sells" to see the latter. Anyone, male or female, young and beautiful or old and grizzled should be wearing nothing into combat. Most computer RPGs have combat; and it seems just pushing the ticket to sexiness to underclothe female warriors.