damage incorp96 wrote...
So, my wife knows about my Tali love and is ok with it. She has looked at the forum and has a question for you guys (I'm guessing most are guys). She thinks men go after women soley on looks, yet you've (me included) have fallen for a woman you can't even see. You have taken the time to learn about her without her looks being a factor. Now not knowing what you know of her now, how many of you would have even given her the chance (or even time of day) if you could have seen her upfront and she was ugly? Would you have had her in your party, given her a chance and grown to love her, would you have not even have recruited her, or would you have recruited her but not have any dialog with her? To be honest I don't know my answer.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I have returned.
Ouff! That is a tough question. My personal disposition is that looks do matter. The question then becomes "How much do looks matter"? And that is something that can be influenced by other factors such as personality, ability, intellect, chemistry and history together. Granted, chemistry is often based on both physical and psychological factors but can also easily simply be based on physical stimuli and urges, at least initially.
So to get back to your wife's question, I'm not sure what my reaction would have been back then if Tali had had a face like the predator. She had useful skills as a party member so I might very well have included her regardless and developed a more "buddy-buddy" relationship with her. Then again Tali's voice would most certainly not have been a complimentary match to a predator face and I have a difficult time associating her personality with such a visage.
Perhaps Tali'Zorah's situation is a unique one that simply happened to land at the right time, in the right place, in the right "packaging" if you will. Because her features are covered up, and because she wasn't a romanceable character in ME1, it has built up a level of mystery and interest/desire. The fact that her womanly curves suggest at something potentially exquisite under that helmet and suit - which is further reinforced by that voice of hers and a spark of a personality that feels safe, comfortable, warm yet intriguing and passionate all at the same time made it all but irresistable for so many of us. Whether BioWare intended for Tali to become a love interest or not (they have stated that they were worried players wouldn't like her because of her "chicken feet") events on the ground have moved at a pace that has left them playing catch-up. To BioWare's credit they have done a fantastic job in upping their game with Tali in ME2, and have clearly teased that we are on the verge of finally getting to that moment of truth where we shall each be able to ascertain whether or not Tali's face and physical features measure up to the standards we each individually can accept or not. I do not expect to be disappointed yet I also do not intend to fault anyone if they simply can not see themselves with Tali after seeing her face. We humans are many things and amongst them is the irrefutable fact that we are visual creatures. We have evolved to take in, analyze and react to physical stimuli - especially through sight - more than anything else. As our civilisations have advanced it has steadily freed up the possibility of focusing on more than just the outer looks and instead also give credence to what lies within a person's character. And thus we come full circle because while looks may attract us, they are not capable of making us happy on their own. That requires certain character traits that gel with our own which will be expressed as an inner longing for as long as such remains unfulfilled. In a twist of fate Tali'Zorah has ended up in a reverse process of the usual human romance courting patterns and it is precisely because of this, I believe, that she is so appealing to so many.
P.S. I just realised I didn't answer your wife's question. She was asking if I would have engaged in conversations with Tali if she had been of an uncomely visage. The answer is yes, I would have.
Modifié par The_KFD_Case, 10 février 2010 - 09:08 .