260 réponses à ce sujet

[Darkly Tranquil]

I made my FemShep anything but "sexy". She had scars all over, buzz cut, nearly bald. no make-up at all. And was a ruthless, cruel b**** to deal with.

So basically she was Jack?

[Chiramu]

Back to the OP, were you talking about the walk of the femquisitor? Personally I think it would be nice to have a normal walk for the femquisitor too. 

[Imported_beer]

One thing that I have noticed with many custom female Commander Shepards is that they generally are overly beautified if that makes any sense. Rarely have I seen any female Shepards (including many female Hawkes and Wardens) that looked like average women. Attractive, but not like Maxim cover attractive or anything to that nature. It seems like when you allow people to create their female characters, men normally create someone who is overly sexualized while women while a bit tame, still go for extravagance in a way. You rarely see female Shepards/Hawkes/Wardens that are more on the Cassandra scale of things; attractive, yet not the typical "Hollywood", mainstream, or western ideals of what female beauty is. I am saying that most Shepards/Hawkes/Wardens I see (female) typically all have long hair, thick makup, straight and angular features etc...again, not like a Cassandra who has angular features, but is also....."normal" looking, Scout Harding as well. 

 

I think that may be because beauty is allegedly subjective but subjective ideals of beauty owe a lot to what you are socialized to find attractive. Whether you like facial hair or not (in men), whether you prefer blonds/redheads, whether you like full lush lips, or a flat, discreet behind, sometimes, a lot of it was because you were taught it was beautiful. (Some characteristics like wide set eyes etc are relatively universal)

 

Look at beauty contests within each country and you will find that the contestants match each other in terms of the physical attributes that particular culture values. Thus, when a person wants to make a person as aesthetically attractive as possible, the chances are high (not absolute) that the attractive characters share characteristics with celebrities and the like. These people create the character that looks the way they want, and then they play them the way they want.

 

However, I have found that some people want to create faces that match a character they already have in mind. I saw a woman who painstakingly fiddled with eye and brow combinations for hours because she imagined the geeky mage she created in DA:O "squinted in concentration". That was the defining "look" of that character. 

 

I personally am terrible at character creation. I am often mildly surprised my characters end up looking vaguely human.

[DLaren]

 

 

I had never really thought about it so I pulled-up all of my female Dragon Age characters. None of them look like over-sexualized supermodels -- just a bunch of cute black chicks.

 

I expect this trend to continue into Dragon Age: Inquisition.

[Wolfen09]

just remember, all these bioware games are actually stories told by varric... and varric will make even the most ugly character shine like a goddess....  blame varric for his perspective

[Schmonozov]

So why does this thread exist? How come it hasn't been locked?

[Ieldra]

@OP:
I make no apologies for it: I want my characters to look good, and I'm unlikely to play someone like that hawk-nosed elf in one of the videos. I'm not keen on makeup, simply because I don't think it helps with the looks as a rule, and I may give my Inquisitors a scar or two to make the face more interesting, but the starting point is always a good-looking face. Why? Well, because there is no reason to make them less than appealing unless it's part of the character concept. If I end up creating a face that looks immediately interesting without looking attractive, I'll not shy away from it but so far it hasn't happened.

Having said that, the face in my avatar pic is an exception. I installed about two dozen mods for it, and it's my 12th Warden. I was deliberately going for "as beautiful as I can make her" because that was part of the character concept. I'm not planning to go to such extreme lengths with my Inquisitors any time soon, even should it be possible, but I also won't make my Inquisitors less attractive just because others don't and the complete set is unrealistically one-sided.

[PhroXenGold]

What I often find with character creators is that it's very easy to create ugly women (just do stupid things with the sliders), and it's reasonably easy to create "supermodels" as the OP puts it. It's the inbetween that is much more difficult. To create women that look...realistic. Not ugly, but not notably attractive. The ones with some flaws, but not to the extent of the "look at how greusome I can make her" pics that have cropped up a couple of times in this thread.

[Majestic Jazz]

I'm average looking in real life, why would I want to look average in a video game too?

So if you were drop dead beautiful in real life, you would create an average looking character?

[Doctoglethorpe]

I think its a global issue for most games (and movies/tv/etc)  Women, even when they are supposed to be without any makeup, still have makeup on.  Eye shadow, concealer, whatever else they use to make their skin all lovely and eyes shine like jewels.  As a society we've gotten used to thinking of a woman with modest, unobtrusive makeup as being an accurate depiction of what a typical woman with none looks like, and those that really have none on are odd looking, not representative of reality.  We've been tricked by media into thinking that gorgeous girl on the commercial is what every girl should look like when they wake up in the morning.  Its an illusion.  People on tv and in movies are always wearing makeup, even men, to make them look nice even when in roles where they are supposed not to, just with enough moderation to not make it overly obvious and distracting.  The "ugly nerd girl" is still beautiful, they just give her glasses.  Games have come to reflect that and do the same thing.  Women especially.  Very rare do you see one without at least a bit of eye liner on them.  All the women I've seen in DAI have that.   Of course its also been an issue for games that showing all the little details in skin hasn't been possible until recently, blackheads and flaky skin and all that ****, so a uniform, makeup caked looking skin has just been as much a technical limitation as it has been an artistic intention.  But as we're getting into an age when we can show that level of detail, we seem to not really want to.  People want to look nice, artists want their art to look nice, business people want their products to be attractive, so we keep making everyone, especially women, exceptionally beautiful, even the "relatively" ugly ones.  

 

I've think I've probably completely missed the point of this thread and gone off on a tangent, but whatever, I wanted to say that.  

[Girtuoklis]

Don't worry op, we'll have plenty of 'unique' heroes:

[Ailith Tycane]

If I'm average looking in real life why would I want to make an average looking PC in a roleplaying game? Of course I wanna play as someone hot, lol. 

[fchopin]

Sorry op but i try to make my characters as attractive as possible unless i try to create a story based character for different reasons.

[KoorahUK]

 

Love me some ugly Shepard. 

 

Personally I always just see where the char gen takes me. I rarely have any rl model in mind, but I confess I do want my heroes to be somewhat attractive but there are plenty of unconventionally attractive people out there and my HI is going to be one I think. He's certainly going to be older, late 30's 40 and I want to give all my quizzy's some decent scars.

 

[KBomb]

I think its a global issue for most games (and movies/tv/etc) Women, even when they are supposed to be without any makeup, still have makeup on. Eye shadow, concealer, whatever else they use to make their skin all lovely and eyes shine like jewels. As a society we've gotten used to thinking of a woman with modest, unobtrusive makeup as being an accurate depiction of what a typical woman with none looks like, and those that really have none on are odd looking, not representative of reality. We've been tricked by media into thinking that gorgeous girl on the commercial is what every girl should look like when they wake up in the morning. Its an illusion. People on tv and in movies are always wearing makeup, even men, to make them look nice even when in roles where they are supposed not to, just with enough moderation to not make it overly obvious and distracting. The "ugly nerd girl" is still beautiful, they just give her glasses. Games have come to reflect that and do the same thing. Women especially. Very rare do you see one without at least a bit of eye liner on them. All the women I've seen in DAI have that. Of course its also been an issue for games that showing all the little details in skin hasn't been possible until recently, blackheads and flaky skin and all that ****, so a uniform, makeup caked looking skin has just been as much a technical limitation as it has been an artistic intention. But as we're getting into an age when we can show that level of detail, we seem to not really want to. People want to look nice, artists want their art to look nice, business people want their products to be attractive, so we keep making everyone, especially women, exceptionally beautiful, even the "relatively" ugly ones.

I've think I've probably completely missed the point of this thread and gone off on a tangent, but whatever, I wanted to say that.

With better gaming engines, a lot of games are beginning to show flaws and "imperfections". And a lot of those who do wear make-up, it is very light and natural and I see nothing wrong with that.

As for playable and customizable characters go, there is almost always an option to go make-up free and if a person chooses to add make-up, piercings, tattoos when applicable, it's their business-- whether they were "tricked" into it or not.

[SetecAstronomy]

I find issue with the assumption that supermodels are the apex of attractive. 

[berrieh]

I am saying that most Shepards/Hawkes/Wardens I see (female) typically all have long hair, thick makup, straight and angular features etc

 

 

Can you even have long hair in all the MEs? Maybe in the last one or something, but I remember all the hairstyle choices at the beginning being fairly short (and pretty ugly) and practical looking. I never put a ton of makeup on my protagonists, and hair varies though I tend to go shorter hair just to be practical. I usually make a tomboyish looking character, though not unpretty (pretty facial features but little makeup and shorter hair). Most femSheps I've seen have been fairly average looking, though... not ugly, but not beautified. I guess different people might have different ideas of average though. 

 

I will make lots of different Inquisitors, but my first one will probably be a tomboyish elf. Cute, but not done-up. I try to make my characters look like their personalities. 

[Plague Doctor D.]

Well,i always make characters in my game look average to bad.Its stupid enough that,if were looking at entertainment media in general,you apparently have to look drop dead gorgeous or super badass to be anything other than a comic relief/bland side character.I dont want to support that trend in my games.

 

But hey,if you like that sorta thing,knock yourself out.Its your game after all,you paid for it.^^

[Panda]

I'll do my characters attractive in my own standards which slightly differ that other have but not completely.. I think. I don't want to play "ugly" characters but I usually do their look based on their personality. I guess I go more towards cool than pretty.

[Doctoglethorpe]

With better gaming engines, a lot of games are beginning to show flaws and "imperfections". And a lot of those who do wear make-up, it is very light and natural and I see nothing wrong with that.

As for playable and customizable characters go, there is almost always an option to go make-up free and if a person chooses to add make-up, piercings, tattoos when applicable, it's their business-- whether they were "tricked" into it or not.

 

Well I guess my original point I got lost in was that even in chargens that offer a "no makeup" option, those faces usually still do look like they have some modest makeup.  

 

Basically this: http://i.imgur.com/kbCWJGZ.jpg  

[metalfenix]

I always tend to make bald PCs, with full beards just like the one in my avatar. If it can have tattoos and scars, better. They are not very pretty but it's still curious I always end up with the same design (on RL I shave my head, but cannot grow a frigging beard   )

[Ieldra]

Well I guess my original point I got lost in was that even in chargens that offer a "no makeup" option, those faces usually still do look like they have some modest makeup.  
 
Basically this: http://i.imgur.com/kbCWJGZ.jpg

Interesting. The different lighting is slightly misleading though. It makes her hair look much darker in the last three pictures, which makes her look better in my personal opinion, and I don't think that effect is caused by make-up. I like her real face and think she looks good, but admittedly the area around her eyes would've made me think "tired", too.

Anyway, this is slightly different from the way I look at people. IMO face structure is much more important than skin tone, and you can't influence that by make-up nearly as well. I also wouldn't have taken the "no make-up make-up face" as authentic. But then, people tell me I'm more sensitive to make-up than most people.

[SomeoneStoleMyName]

You havent made a disgusting character until you meet a broodmother who chokes in her own puke at the sight of you

[Majestic Jazz]

I think its a global issue for most games (and movies/tv/etc)  Women, even when they are supposed to be without any makeup, still have makeup on.  Eye shadow, concealer, whatever else they use to make their skin all lovely and eyes shine like jewels.  As a society we've gotten used to thinking of a woman with modest, unobtrusive makeup as being an accurate depiction of what a typical woman with none looks like, and those that really have none on are odd looking, not representative of reality.  We've been tricked by media into thinking that gorgeous girl on the commercial is what every girl should look like when they wake up in the morning.  Its an illusion.  People on tv and in movies are always wearing makeup, even men, to make them look nice even when in roles where they are supposed not to, just with enough moderation to not make it overly obvious and distracting.  The "ugly nerd girl" is still beautiful, they just give her glasses.  Games have come to reflect that and do the same thing.  Women especially.  Very rare do you see one without at least a bit of eye liner on them.  All the women I've seen in DAI have that.   Of course its also been an issue for games that showing all the little details in skin hasn't been possible until recently, blackheads and flaky skin and all that ****, so a uniform, makeup caked looking skin has just been as much a technical limitation as it has been an artistic intention.  But as we're getting into an age when we can show that level of detail, we seem to not really want to.  People want to look nice, artists want their art to look nice, business people want their products to be attractive, so we keep making everyone, especially women, exceptionally beautiful, even the "relatively" ugly ones.  

 

I've think I've probably completely missed the point of this thread and gone off on a tangent, but whatever, I wanted to say that.  

 

+100

 

You hit the nail straight on the head and no, you are not missing the point of this thread but rather totally on point, it is just that you explained it in a far more intellectual way than I. My point is that you can still be attractive but yet not look like some super model. By judging by the post in this thread, mainly coming from women, it appears that by being "normal" looking is not attractive and thus because they are "normal" looking in real life, i.e. not attractive, they want to create someone who is attractive in their games, perhaps their ideal beauty?

 

Maybe it is because I am such an open minded guy but I always find those women who use little to NO makeup to be very attractive. For some weird reason, I am always turned off by those women who always use makeup in an excessive manner. To me to tells me that they value their looks more than anything while those women who do not wear makeup are comfortable with who they are naturally and do not need to wear makeup to appear within the guidelines of what mainstream beauty is, as you described in your post. 

 

That is why I created this thread, to see what other people's take were but they completely missed it. People assume that because I do not want to create a super model, that I want to create someone who is ugly. Why does it have to be those two extremes? Why can I not just create a female who does not look like a super model, but yet is still VERY attractive? I am not a superficial person and I believe that it will be the personality and drive behind my Inquisitors that makes them who they are, not CC sliders to make them fall in a spectrum of "This is what ideal beauty is.....".

 

I just think people are missing the point of this thread. It isn't about wanting to create ugly people, but about creating women characters who aren't overly sexualized and a bit grounded, attractive/beautiful, but not like they were purposely created to represent some ideal western view of beauty and attractiveness.

 

Also as a side note, it seems like many women here who consider themselves "normal" looking also does not consider themselves attractive, which is sad. Since when did being normal or average looking equate to being unattractive? Has society gotten that bad to where if a female does not look like some billboard model then she isn't attractive? Is this the shallow thinking of today?