Technically all romance options are limited except if you play human or elven female, Elven female has the most options, followed by human, and then everyone else has the exact same number.
All romance options are "limited". Nobody can romance everybody, or even have access to all the possible romance options But yes, female humans (and elves )have one or two more options.
On the point of female protagonists being overtly sexualised and aiming for the male players gaze instead of for women to identify with them. Why can't it be both? Can women not identify with women that are designed to apeal to guys? If we're arguing for inclusivity then female characters appealing to men shouldn't be a problem. As long as being sexualised isn't the only thing a character has going for them and they have a personality then I don't see how somebody wouldn't be able to relate.
I'm not seeing a problem here. Many male protagonists are sexualised as well, even though it will kill some people to admit it. It isn't JUST a male power fantasy, characters like Nathan Drake, Joel, and legions of cutesy jrpg guys have a massive female following, not to mention the hunks from the Bioware titles.
And for people that DO consider this to be a genuine problem, how would you go about rectifying it? Obviously you cannot make female protagonists ugly, as there will be just as many complaints, you can't give them personality defects either, for reasons I explained in my last post. How do you make a female character that appeases most if not all women gamers whilst making straight guys not want to bang her? It seems impossible right? Much easier to create a stubbled guy who doesn't have everything about them dissected and turned into some ideological argument.
All romance options are "limited". Nobody can romance everybody, or even have access to all the possible romance options But yes, female humans (and elves )have one or two more options.
That's pretty much what I meant, everyone gets 4, human females get 5, elven females get 6, because Solas and Cullen are racists. =P
On the point of female protagonists being overtly sexualised and aiming for the male players gaze instead of for women to identify with them. Why can't it be both? Can women not identify with women that are designed to apeal to guys? If we're arguing for inclusivity then female characters appealing to men shouldn't be a problem. As long as being sexualised isn't the only thing a character has going for them and they have a personality then I don't see how somebody wouldn't be able to relate.
I'm not seeing a problem here. Many male protagonists are sexualised as well, even though it will kill some people to admit it. It isn't JUST a male power fantasy, characters like Nathan Drake, Joel, and legions of cutesy jrpg guys have a massive female following, not to mention the hunks from the Bioware titles.
And for people that DO consider this to be a genuine problem, how would you go about rectifying it? Obviously you cannot make female protagonists ugly, as there will be just as many complaints, you can't give them personality defects either, for reasons I explained in my last post. How do you make a female character that appeases most if not all women gamers whilst making straight guys not want to bang her? It seems impossible right? Much easier to create a stubbled guy who doesn't have everything about them dissected and turned into some ideological argument.
i wonder if it's about the sheer number within the sample? If there are more male characters, then even if there is the same amount of sexualized characters, it has a greater effect on how people see it. If there were more female characters (bringing the number up to closer to even with male characters), then the proportion that any one 'trope' (not sure if that's what I actually mean here), such as sexified ladies, is smaller. If there are only one or two major female characters in a game, then if one of them is sexualized, it feels worse than if there are four or five guys and one of them is sexualized.
I also think that it's because there is greater diversity in male characters that it doesn't feel like an issue to have some sexualized guys. Maybe it ties into my first point a bit? If there are more guys, then writers are more likely to do something different with the characters. If there are only one or two female characters, then it's more likely that they will fall into "damsel in distress", "helpful sidekick", or "sexualized babe" tropes. I mean, just look at DA: I as a great example of this. There are three female companions and none of them are sexualized and a portion of the audience lost their damn minds about it.
I think that, instead of trying to only create female characters who appeal to both men and women, developers should work on creating more (and more diverse) female characters in general, some of whom will appeal to men, some will appeal to women, and some will appeal to both (and even that's a sketchy idea because two guys could have very different ideas about "appealing female characters").
About your point about how scruffy white straight male protagonists aren't picked apart, again, I think it's because of the sheer number of them. There are, literally, dozens of them that I can think of off the top of my head. If a straight white guy didn't like one of them, it's not hard to find another one that they do like. Now, let's do the same thing for, say, black women. How many major characters in video games this past year were black women? Not many. If Vivienne has been portrayed in a stereotypical way, it would be harder for a black female player to find another character who looks like them that they could relate to.
i wonder if it's about the sheer number within the sample? If there are more male characters, then even if there is the same amount of sexualized characters, it has a greater effect on how people see it. If there were more female characters (bringing the number up to closer to even with male characters), then the proportion that any one 'trope' (not sure if that's what I actually mean here), such as sexified ladies, is smaller. If there are only one or two major female characters in a game, then if one of them is sexualized, it feels worse than if there are four or five guys and one of them is sexualized.
I also think that it's because there is greater diversity in male characters that it doesn't feel like an issue to have some sexualized guys. Maybe it ties into my first point a bit? If there are more guys, then writers are more likely to do something different with the characters. If there are only one or two female characters, then it's more likely that they will fall into "damsel in distress", "helpful sidekick", or "sexualized babe" tropes. I mean, just look at DA: I as a great example of this. There are three female companions and none of them are sexualized and a portion of the audience lost their damn minds about it.
I think that, instead of trying to only create female characters who appeal to both men and women, developers should work on creating more (and more diverse) female characters in general, some of whom will appeal to men, some will appeal to women, and some will appeal to both (and even that's a sketchy idea because two guys could have very different ideas about "appealing female characters").
About your point about how scruffy white straight male protagonists aren't picked apart, again, I think it's because of the sheer number of them. There are, literally, dozens of them that I can think of off the top of my head. If a straight white guy didn't like one of them, it's not hard to find another one that they do like. Now, let's do the same thing for, say, black women. How many major characters in video games this past year were black women? Not many. If Vivienne has been portrayed in a stereotypical way, it would be harder for a black female player to find another character who looks like them that they could relate to.
The amount of a certain type of character may play a role sure, but that kind of leaves a catch-22 type situation. Devs are unwilling to take risks creating those characters because of the fear that they will be negatively recieved. Whilst the consumers complain about a lack of those characters whilst decrying those that have been made.
On people finding different types of characters appealing, that is absolute truth, look no further than Cassandra. Diversity amongst characters would definitely help but these demands for strong, unsexualised (is that even a word lol?) female characters is actually PREVENTING devs from creating different types of women. Funnily enough, Grand Theft Auto V did a good job of making the significant female characters unique (obviously in a jaded, tongue in cheek way that is Rockstars calling card.) And that game was berated for it's portrayal of women, despite it's portrayal of men being just as bad, if not worse.
As to why generic white guy protagonists aren't over analysed, I don't think it's just due to there being a lot of them. It's also because we (society) realise that they don't represent white guys everywhere. We recognize that they are individual characters.
Female protagonists on the other hand do. They are somehow considered to be a representative of their entire gender. This also leaves a weird situation where they have to be a shining example to other women (strong female characters,) but they cant be TOO perfect or they will be giving women impossible standards to live up to. I can't in all honesty blame devs for not wanting to take the risk, even though I'd like them to more often.
I'm still looking everywhere for Isabela. Can't seem to find her. My guess is she's hiding in the tavern somewhere. That's where I'd be.
That's pretty much what I meant, everyone gets 4, human females get 5, elven females get 6, because Solas and Cullen are racists. =P
It was the writers decision to make them race gated. That does NOT mean they actual racist. If they were actual racist they would likely not get along with the Inquisitors at all.
It was the writers decision to make them race gated. That does NOT mean they actual racist. If they were actual racist they would likely not get along with the Inquisitors at all.
It was a joke, though Solas does kinda talk like a racist grampa about every race, Dalish included. He sums up every companion as a stereotype based on their race and only if they "surprise him" are they worthy in his eyes, otherwise they are just "typical of XYZ race."
It was a joke, though Solas does kinda talk like a racist grampa about every race, Dalish included. He sums up every companion as a stereotype based on their race and only if they "surprise him" are they worthy in his eyes, otherwise they are just "typical of XYZ race."
Cullen also has said some pretty racist things about Dwarves and Qunari as well.
Cullen also has said some pretty racist things about Dwarves and Qunari as well.
I haven't talked to him enough to hear that. I've hated him since Origins, apparently he got better and now he's a drug addict with PTSD... I don't care.
=P
On the point of female protagonists being overtly sexualised and aiming for the male players gaze instead of for women to identify with them. Why can't it be both? Can women not identify with women that are designed to apeal to guys? If we're arguing for inclusivity then female characters appealing to men shouldn't be a problem. As long as being sexualised isn't the only thing a character has going for them and they have a personality then I don't see how somebody wouldn't be able to relate.
I'm not seeing a problem here. Many male protagonists are sexualised as well, even though it will kill some people to admit it. It isn't JUST a male power fantasy, characters like Nathan Drake, Joel, and legions of cutesy jrpg guys have a massive female following, not to mention the hunks from the Bioware titles.
And for people that DO consider this to be a genuine problem, how would you go about rectifying it? Obviously you cannot make female protagonists ugly, as there will be just as many complaints, you can't give them personality defects either, for reasons I explained in my last post. How do you make a female character that appeases most if not all women gamers whilst making straight guys not want to bang her? It seems impossible right? Much easier to create a stubbled guy who doesn't have everything about them dissected and turned into some ideological argument.
For me it's also about how well (or poorly) the sexualised woman is characterised. When she is literally just there as boobilicious eye candy, it feels...crummy, because it's just another little reminder that 'we're not thinking about you when we make this game. You are not the target audience, we are not concerned with your interests or feelings, and you don't matter.' It's not necessarily a dealbreaker, it's just one of those little things that can add up to death by 1000 cuts over time.
The most egregious example I think I can think of is fairly old now. It was one of the Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance games I think, on console, and when you get into town you end up in the tavern, of course. The tavern was staffed by a woman with the most ludicrously oversized anti-gravity breasts you can imagine, and the 'camera' focused directly in on them, not her face, while she talked. It was meant as a joke, I imagine, and I did give a sardonic chuckle because of the absurdity of it, but it really took me out of the game whenever I had to interact with her. She did not have any particularly meaningful dialogue or role in the game, just giving out random 'kill ten rats in my cellar' quests and being a boob model.
Did I feel horribly personally offended and enraged? No. Did it feel like a little tiny slap in the face, to be told 'this isn't for you and people like you - women- mostly exist to look pleasing for men'? Yes.
Conversely, Isabela bothered me a lot less, because even though she has a similarly hydraulic figure, she's an actual realised, well-rounded (steady!) character. She's not *just* boobs, and her sexuality is a facet of her character.
Sexiness and sexuality have a time and a place in games just like they do in real life, but that place and time isn't 'everywhere, all the time' just because a character is a woman, even an attractive one. And it shouldn't be for male characters, either.
It was the writers decision to make them race gated. That does NOT mean they actual racist. If they were actual racist they would likely not get along with the Inquisitors at all.
? Cullen's not a racist no but Solas is a mega racist.
? Cullen's not a racist no but Solas is a mega racist.
Solas simply got a superiority complex.
Gods tend to have those.
? Cullen's not a racist no but Solas is a mega racist.
Well... to be fair... most of the PCs ancestors used to live in caves when he was walking around being hailed as a god. I don't know if the Kossith even existed back then.
Ok, it's not really fair, and it still makes him a racist... (in the sense that the Ancient Elvhen > any of the other races alive now) but he's not perfect and this is just one of his flaws. It's really hard for him to see the person behind the race, he's a big picture sort of guy and it extends to his personal life. Some of the other companions got more politically correct flaws, it's true. 
As for the number of romances a male PC gets... I don't even want to hear it. 
I'm still bummed that Cassandra and Dorian friendzoned me. As a straight female I find myself obligated to make 2 male characters just to romance these two wondefully-written companions. *sigh*
On the point of female protagonists being overtly sexualised and aiming for the male players gaze instead of for women to identify with them. Why can't it be both? Can women not identify with women that are designed to apeal to guys? If we're arguing for inclusivity then female characters appealing to men shouldn't be a problem. As long as being sexualised isn't the only thing a character has going for them and they have a personality then I don't see how somebody wouldn't be able to relate.
I'm not seeing a problem here. Many male protagonists are sexualised as well, even though it will kill some people to admit it. It isn't JUST a male power fantasy, characters like Nathan Drake, Joel, and legions of cutesy jrpg guys have a massive female following, not to mention the hunks from the Bioware titles.
And for people that DO consider this to be a genuine problem, how would you go about rectifying it? Obviously you cannot make female protagonists ugly, as there will be just as many complaints, you can't give them personality defects either, for reasons I explained in my last post. How do you make a female character that appeases most if not all women gamers whilst making straight guys not want to bang her? It seems impossible right? Much easier to create a stubbled guy who doesn't have everything about them dissected and turned into some ideological argument.
Often sexualised female characters have been oversimplified. They are one-dimensional and often only in the game just for fanservice.
Easy way to avoid would be making female character who is attractive but doesn't have ridiculous sexy armor, at least unless the whole game is designed that way including male characters armors as well. Make camera angles that aren't focused on her boobs or butt. There isn't similar scenes nor armors for most male protagonists in the games after all.
I think it's possible that both gender can be happy with female protagonist who is attractive in way some male protagonists are but also is multi-dimensional and well-written. I don't believe women are looking for perfect female characters without flaws after all since flaws are things that add in the character. But I don't think being weak-willed, being sexualised or depending on male character (as character trait used often) are flaws that add to character.
Of cource there is individual preferences as well. I don't think female character can ever satisfy every female and male customer. I know that what I would want is not what lot of male gamers would want at least when taking accord some comments aimed towards Cassandra here..
For me it's also about how well (or poorly) the sexualised woman is characterised. When she is literally just there as boobilicious eye candy, it feels...crummy, because it's just another little reminder that 'we're not thinking about you when we make this game. You are not the target audience, we are not concerned with your interests or feelings, and you don't matter.' It's not necessarily a dealbreaker, it's just one of those little things that can add up to death by 1000 cuts over time.
The most egregious example I think I can think of is fairly old now. It was one of the Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance games I think, on console, and when you get into town you end up in the tavern, of course. The tavern was staffed by a woman with the most ludicrously oversized anti-gravity breasts you can imagine, and the 'camera' focused directly in on them, not her face, while she talked. It was meant as a joke, I imagine, and I did give a sardonic chuckle because of the absurdity of it, but it really took me out of the game whenever I had to interact with her. She did not have any particularly meaningful dialogue or role in the game, just giving out random 'kill ten rats in my cellar' quests and being a boob model.
Did I feel horribly personally offended and enraged? No. Did it feel like a little tiny slap in the face, to be told 'this isn't for you and people like you - women- mostly exist to look pleasing for men'? Yes.
Conversely, Isabela bothered me a lot less, because even though she has a similarly hydraulic figure, she's an actual realised, well-rounded (steady!) character. She's not *just* boobs, and her sexuality is a facet of her character.
Sexiness and sexuality have a time and a place in games just like they do in real life, but that place and time isn't 'everywhere, all the time' just because a character is a woman, even an attractive one. And it shouldn't be for male characters, either.
So for you it's a case of, as long as it isn't the primary thing that's focused on and the character is fleshed out, you don't have a big problem with it?
So for you it's a case of, as long as it isn't the primary thing that's focused on and the character is fleshed out, you don't have a big problem with it?
I think so, yes. If it makes sense for the character to be sexualised, then it's not really a big deal. When it's clear the character only exists as cheap titillation for a certain subset of gamers, and at the expense of actual good female characters or women playing, then it's much more irritating and feels more demeaning. Same for women being 'damseled' or any of the other very stereotypical tropey things, I think. A particular female character getting in trouble and needing help, either from a man or a woman? Sure, fine. If it's always the female character being stupid/helpless/in trouble and always a male character rescuing her (and worse, when she's very clearly just a trophy or reward for the hero), then it's annoying. I'm thinking of someone like Princess Jasmine here, who, for all she protests that she is not a prize to be won, pretty much...is Aladdin's reward for doing the right thing.
I say specifically female characters here because I've seen more of that in the games I've played and in general I think culturally there is a more pervasive association of using women and women's bodies to sell things (cars, technology, games, boats, ice cream, whatever), but I think it would apply to men and male bodies as well. Certainly I find adverts that try to sell, I don't know, cleaning products with hunky firemen or whatever, to be pretty cringeworthy and stupid. (To be fair, that applies to most adverts full stop. Nobody seems to come off well from adverts.)
Often sexualised female characters have been oversimplified. They are one-dimensional and often only in the game just for fanservice.
Easy way to avoid would be making female character who is attractive but doesn't have ridiculous sexy armor, at least unless the whole game is designed that way including male characters armors as well. Make camera angles that aren't focused on her boobs or butt. There isn't similar scenes nor armors for most male protagonists in the games after all.
I think it's possible that both gender can be happy with female protagonist who is attractive in way some male protagonists are but also is multi-dimensional and well-written. I don't believe women are looking for perfect female characters without flaws after all since flaws are things that add in the character. But I don't think being weak-willed, being sexualised or depending on male character (as character trait used often) are flaws that add to character.
Of cource there is individual preferences as well. I don't think female character can ever satisfy every female and male customer. I know that what I would want is not what lot of male gamers would want at least when taking accord some comments aimed towards Cassandra here..
So again, for you is it a case of the characters being a well written, rounded character more important than just having a character that isn't sexualised but is forgettable and bland?
A couple of questions though, why would you say that being weak willed doesn't add to a character? I think it's a flaw that can greatly add to somebody's characterization. Michael (GTA V) Guybrush Threepwood, Nathan Drake (to some extent) all have elements of being weak willed that I find greatly add to their character, and help humanise them.
Out of curiosity, what female characters would you describe as one dimensional and fan service-y? (I mean named characters not prostitute #3 for example.)
Solas simply got a superiority complex.
Gods tend to have those.
Superior racist.
Well... to be fair... most of the PCs ancestors used to live in caves when he was walking around being hailed as a god. I don't know if the Kossith even existed back then.
Ok, it's not really fair, and it still makes him a racist... (in the sense that the Ancient Elvhen > any of the other races alive now) but he's not perfect and this is just one of his flaws. It's really hard for him to see the person behind the race, he's a big picture sort of guy and it extends to his personal life. Some of the other companions got more politically correct flaws, it's true.
As for the number of romances a male PC gets... I don't even want to hear it.
I mean I like the guy too. But there's really no denying he's a mega racist. Javik's racist too and I still liked him. Solas even does the "but you're different from most of your kind" to the PC.
Ah yes. The first Dragon Age game wherein the main character cannot engage in a threesome.
Also the first Dragon Age game wherein one cannot bring Zevran into said grouping.
I was actually hoping the "capture Zevran -> have option to kill Zevran -> have orgy with Zevran" pathway was going to turn into a running gag across every Dragon Age game.
Superior racist.
Yeah I guess it doesn't make him any less racist.
I think so, yes. If it makes sense for the character to be sexualised, then it's not really a big deal.
Question here, why would it "need" to make sense for a character to be sexualised more than it "needs" to make sense for a character to not be sexualised?
Is non-sexualised somehow the default option and sexualised needs a justification to be tolerable?
Not even mentioning the obvious grey area -if there is any difference at all- between ''sexy'' and ''sexualised''...would the same questions that apply to a sexualised design apply to a sexy one?
So again, for you is it a case of the characters being a well written, rounded character more important than just having a character that isn't sexualised but is forgettable and bland?
A couple of questions though, why would you say that being weak willed doesn't add to a character? I think it's a flaw that can greatly add to somebody's characterization. Michael (GTA V) Guybrush Threepwood, Nathan Drake (to some extent) all have elements of being weak willed that I find greatly add to their character, and help humanise them.
Out of curiosity, what female characters would you describe as one dimensional and fan service-y? (I mean named characters not prostitute #3 for example.)
Well-written character is more important, but I still think sexualization takes away from that from characters that are wearing revealing stuff or have fanservice scenes just because they are women not because it fits them. I think character can be sexy or into sex without being sexualised as well, character like this would be like Isabela from the DA or Catwoman in DC comics for me.
Weak-willed can add to character but I'm not sure if it's good trait for protagonist to have. I think it's just too used with female characters with other tropes. It's not something that can be never used but it should be just one character trait amongst others.
One dimensional and fan-service characters well if you want those who are pure fanservice and one dimensional then they aren't within main characters. Lot of main cast females are being unnecessary sexualised like Samara, Morrigan (if we are being serious here.. her outfit isn't really what anyone would wear in the swamp), Madison from Heavy Rain (good character but why did almost all her own quest were about sexual violence towards her, made me iffy at least.) etc. I think these characters could be tweaked for better.
However if we go to very one-dimensinal and fanservice characters there would be most female characters in Witcher (first one at least, haven't played second one), they are just one-nightstands for Geralt really except few female characters in main cast that are sexualised for no reason as well.
I think the problem is small amount of female characters. Because in main cast usually there is 1 female character toward 5 male characters. Since majority of players are males and most of games are still marketed to them, that one female character is made being sexy when 5 male characters have more space to be all different. If there was more equal amount of characters female characters would have more moving space as well and not trying to be both sexy baby character and great resemptations for all females players since that doesn't work very well ^^
I don't know that was what you wanted but my two cents at least ^^;
Well-written character is more important, but I still think sexualization takes away from that from characters that are wearing revealing stuff or have fanservice scenes just because they are women not because it fits them. I think character can be sexy or into sex without being sexualised as well, character like this would be like Isabela from the DA or Catwoman in DC comics for me.
Weak-willed can add to character but I'm not sure if it's good trait for protagonist to have. I think it's just too used with female characters with other tropes. It's not something that can be never used but it should be just one character trait amongst others.
One dimensional and fan-service characters well if you want those who are pure fanservice and one dimensional then they aren't within main characters. Lot of main cast females are being unnecessary sexualised like Samara, Morrigan (if we are being serious here.. her outfit isn't really what anyone would wear in the swamp), Madison from Heavy Rain (good character but why did almost all her own quest were about sexual violence towards her, made me iffy at least.) etc. I think these characters could be tweaked for better.
However if we go to very one-dimensinal and fanservice characters there would be most female characters in Witcher (first one at least, haven't played second one), they are just one-nightstands for Geralt really except few female characters in main cast that are sexualised for no reason as well.
I think the problem is small amount of female characters. Because in main cast usually there is 1 female character toward 5 male characters. Since majority of players are males and most of games are still marketed to them, that one female character is made being sexy when 5 male characters have more space to be all different. If there was more equal amount of characters female characters would have more moving space as well and not trying to be both sexy baby character and great resemptations for all females players since that doesn't work very well ^^
I don't know that was what you wanted but my two cents at least ^^;
Thank you for the in depth reply 
. Interesting that you gave Catwoman and Isabela as examples of women you don't consider to be sexualised, they were honestly some of the first characters to pop into my head that are definitely overtly sexualised in my opinion.
I disagree that it actively takes away from characters though, and think it sometimes actually adds to the characterization. Why do you think it takes away from that?
Question here, why would it "need" to make sense for a character to be sexualised more than it "needs" to make sense for a character to not be sexualised?
Is non-sexualised somehow the default option and sexualised needs a justification to be tolerable?
Not even mentioning the obvious grey area -if there is any difference at all- between ''sexy'' and ''sexualised''...would the same questions that apply to a sexualised design apply to a sexy one?
For me, personally, non-sexualised is the default option, yes, because sexualisation can so often be done in a dehumanising way. Most people are inherently sexual, but I would say most of us are also not sexual 24/7, or even most of the time. If I'm going to the grocery store, or at work in an office, or doing my laundry, I'm not doing anything sexual and I'm not presenting myself in a sexual way. Being portrayed in a sexualised manner at all times would be reducing me to, well, parts, to how I please (or fail to please) someone outside looking at me, rather than seeing me as a full person who is sometimes sexual, but has other facets and things to offer. My default state in life is not 'look at me, I am a sexually available trophy for a worthy man to claim'.
I have spent my whole life in an awareness that one of the most important, if not the most important thing for me to be is 'pretty', to be aesthetically pleasing, specifically to straight men. Transgressing this idea, and these beauty norms, in any way is 'punished' for lack of a better term. Wait staff in restaurants who don't wear makeup earn less tips than those who do. Pretty much every job interview site you find will suggest wearing makeup (albeit 'natural' makeup) to an interview, if you are a woman. The horrors of bikini season and trying on swimsuits is a cultural cliche, because being happy with your body is almost unthinkable for a lot of people. Think of some of the backlash against Cassandra's short hair, for example, or some of the comments that real life people like Felicia Day or Jennifer Lawrence got when they got pixie cuts (e.g. 'she ruined herself', 'why would her boyfriend let her do that?'). Regardless of how one feels about her politics, when Hilary Clinton was Secretary of State she had articles and stupid questions written about 'why always pantsuits?' and 'OMG she's wearing a scrunchie!', as if wearing slightly outdated hair ornamentation has any real impact on, you know, being Secretary of State for the US.
(Please note, I am not denying that men receive some of this same scrutiny and criticism, nor that all of said criticism comes from men. Women are absolutely complicit in maintaining and upholding these ideas for ourselves, too. But, just based on stuff like the way the health and beauty, fashion and diet industries are so heavily marketed towards women, specifically, and the persistent idea that 'women are just more pleasant to look at' as though it is an objective, immutable truth of the universe, etc. I feel that more emphasis is put on visual presentation for women on a day-to-day basis, in general.)
Good characters tend to reflect a lot of aspects of real people, to feel real, to have that human verisimilitude. If it is a character that is heavily invested into their sexuality and sex appeal, and that is reflected in their presentation, that makes sense. For me, if the characters, specifically and only the female characters, are just by default sexualised, it suggests a mindset that views women not as people first, but as decoration, in a way that men or male characters are not. The subtle notion that men are people, and women are pretty, deviant, incomprehensible versions of men that are...less people is pretty pervasive. The stick figure that represents 'men' on bathroom doors could quite easily represent a woman, too, but instead the woman is 'man with a skirt'. Pacman is basically a yellow circle with an eye; there's no indicator of sex or gender, yet he is coded and viewed as male, and then Ms. Pacman has a bow and eyelashes to designate her as female, even though bows are just an object anyone could wear and everyone has eyelashes. Male is the default human state; being female is other, a deviation from that norm.
So when female characters are sexualised for no reason and with no explanation, that can be jarring and a little bit dehumanising to find in games or other media, personally. And, as I said upthread, it takes me out of the game because it reminds me that I'm not really expected to be playing, I guess, like a little voice in my head saying 'weirdo, this is a boy's game, what are you doing here?' It doesn't send me running tearfully for my fainting couch or anything, but it's annoying, and repeated instances of that add up over the years (because we humans are nothing if not good at finding patterns, even when there aren't any, sometimes.)
Sexy for me is much more subjective than sexualised, because people find all kinds of different things sexy, even things that aren't obviously sexual, if that makes sense. But that is just personal semantics on my part, I guess.
Aaaaand this is long and now I'm going to go watch a movie, but, that's my tuppence on the subject, for what little it's worth.
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