About hot characters in computer games :)
- Thread starter Kyriakos
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You could romance some of them (and fail). But iirc, a number of them had quite extensive stories/quests related to them. By the same token, we could say "almost all male characters exist only for the protagonist to kill". I mean... how do you want a random unnamed bandit NPC to be implemented?
Angst
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Hot guys in video games are definitely accepted, but it depends on what kind of hot guys being depicted. If it's too "sensual", it can garner negative market attention, which is free advertising but not necessarily good for business, seeing that straight males are still the primary consumers in gaming. Think bikini armor for men in a way that isn't intentionally using it as something disturbing (The disturbing usage would be stuff like Soul Calibur's Voldo).
However, market's changing. This is seen in that ridiculous sex outfits have overall begun to see criticism and characters are being redesigned to feel less fantastic. This of course both appeals to changing taste, but also garners rage from segments of the consumer base that finds this horrid or inexcusable and want the big boobs swinging again.
Personally, I prefer a more natural look, but think oversexualized things, even the fantastical, definitely has its place. What I get tired of is people saying that women are being designed as flat when it's more completely astronomical tiddies being reduced to C cups; when people get uncomfortable with designs that are "sensual" but targeted at non-straight-males; and I'm also uncertain as to whether pink capitalism is actually solving the problems ahead of us. The latter I just want to be proven wrong about btw, since it's not going anywhere, and I'm not about to "break eggs" to gamble that something better's coming up.
However, market's changing. This is seen in that ridiculous sex outfits have overall begun to see criticism and characters are being redesigned to feel less fantastic. This of course both appeals to changing taste, but also garners rage from segments of the consumer base that finds this horrid or inexcusable and want the big boobs swinging again.
Personally, I prefer a more natural look, but think oversexualized things, even the fantastical, definitely has its place. What I get tired of is people saying that women are being designed as flat when it's more completely astronomical tiddies being reduced to C cups; when people get uncomfortable with designs that are "sensual" but targeted at non-straight-males; and I'm also uncertain as to whether pink capitalism is actually solving the problems ahead of us. The latter I just want to be proven wrong about btw, since it's not going anywhere, and I'm not about to "break eggs" to gamble that something better's coming up.
How about a game when the characters role wasn't always decided by their sex?
If you can't separate enemies coded as enemies regardless of their gender (regardless of their implementation) from significant non-player characters with dialogue and an accompanying plot alongside the player character . . . I'm not sure what to say?
TheMeInTeam
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Attractive characters seem to do better in general, for video games but also movies etc. It's not the only factor and sometimes having an unattractive character makes sense. What makes a character good-looking isn't universally agreed anyway.
This is one of those areas where consumers can vote with their wallets. Though I might be an outlier, since in most cases I find developer disregard for competent UI conventions more offensive than their choice of art design by a wide margin. A character's appearance may or may not be to my preference (I personally prefer character designs fit the fictional world they're put in), but I can broadly see how it might be to somebody's preference. Bad UI is strictly negative/wastes time for everyone, to varying degrees, and has had creeping prevalence in the games I've been playing.
This is one of those areas where consumers can vote with their wallets. Though I might be an outlier, since in most cases I find developer disregard for competent UI conventions more offensive than their choice of art design by a wide margin. A character's appearance may or may not be to my preference (I personally prefer character designs fit the fictional world they're put in), but I can broadly see how it might be to somebody's preference. Bad UI is strictly negative/wastes time for everyone, to varying degrees, and has had creeping prevalence in the games I've been playing.
What would that mean in terms of Witcher 1 though? Female thugs and male prostitutes?
The game takes place in a world that is inspired by medieval Europe and features all sorts of ugliness - racism, banditry, genocide, serfdom, feudalism, and also sexism. It does not mean it endorses any of it.
Although, that is somewhat separate issue from your original complaint, which would be... the agency given to various NPCs and the depth of their character/backstory? And once again, I don't think women were treated worse than men in this regard.
When a character is "significant and has dialogue and an accompanying plot" you can't say they "only exist to have sex with", can you? But iirc there were also some NPCs in TW1 whose main purpose really was just a sex encounter and who had no other plot significance whatsoever. There were similarly minor and irrelevant male NPCs as well though. It's just that Geralt, being heterosexual, didn't sleep with them.
EDIT: If there is a criticism to be raised, it would be about how these sex encounters were rather indecorously turned into kind of "collectible" cards.
It's about the intent. AmazonQueen is criticising the companions because they're so shallow. Your counterpoint was to invoke some kind of gender discrimination against men in the game, because men (apparently) comprise most of the game's villains / faceless mooks / you name it. My point is that's a poor comparison because one (set of) character(s) are meant to be more than faceless mooks, and their gender is relevant to both the plot and your own interactions with them. Unless a particular enemy is plot-relevant and has actual characterisation, gender is superfluous in terms of who you're fighting.
Your secondary argument of "it reflects the time" is also poor for a couple of reasons. I understand it, but let's break it down:
- The game is based on a world inspired by medieval Europe. Sure. To that end, the book (the world) merely based on medieval Europe (and not in fact, medieval Europe), liberties can be taken in portraying said time period. The book opts not to do this for <reasons>. However that's no justification for the developers also not doing this, considering the games are their own thing and not 100% representative of the books.
- Nothing about the time period dictates that a protagonist has to have prominent (or even minor) NPCs that exist to provide sexual favours to the player character. That is an intentional choice the developers made. They chose to do this, to design it, implement it, and so on. Are you saying that they're immune to criticism for these choices?
I think they used Superman as the actor to play the Witcher in the tv series exactly hoping that this would increase the audience - and more than likely increase the female audience even more than the male one, given he is seen as the latest sex symbol.
Looks-wise, he isn't close to the Witcher in the game, who is older and more like that Hannibal Lecter tv series actor.
He seems to be a very cool guy, don't get me wrong. Just mentioning this as an example of media selling looks/sexual appeal as well.
Looks-wise, he isn't close to the Witcher in the game, who is older and more like that Hannibal Lecter tv series actor.
He seems to be a very cool guy, don't get me wrong. Just mentioning this as an example of media selling looks/sexual appeal as well.
Its possible to have a game or story set in a world with racism, sexism, homophobia etc where characters have to deal with those issues, possibly making things more difficult for them. An example of this would be Brienne of Tarth in GoT. Witcher 1 didn't do that, it embraced sexism and encouraged players to treat female characters as sex objects.
Chicken Pizza
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I remember playing Duke Nukem when I was young, never knowing If I should continue clearing the level from monsters, or keep looking at one of the dancers/posters, lose blood from my head and play much worse.
Sexual thoughts in games are distracting, beautiful characters shallow and hard to take serious. That's why I don't play The Witcher. If I had to remove Fawkes or Sarah Lyons from Fallout 3, Sarah would have to go obviously.
Her role seems to be someone to fall in love with, fantasizing about her sweet ass while following her, being rejected etc in the stupid man/woman game. If you're into that stuff, why play computer games?
Which makes a couple of the lines at the end of the game, when somebody has to enter the radiated control room, some of the best. Paraphrasing:
- So, should we draw straws?
- Hell, no, I'm not going in there.
- Well, so much for chivalry. What is the code?
- I'm not telling you.
Sexual thoughts in games are distracting, beautiful characters shallow and hard to take serious. That's why I don't play The Witcher. If I had to remove Fawkes or Sarah Lyons from Fallout 3, Sarah would have to go obviously.
Her role seems to be someone to fall in love with, fantasizing about her sweet ass while following her, being rejected etc in the stupid man/woman game. If you're into that stuff, why play computer games?
Which makes a couple of the lines at the end of the game, when somebody has to enter the radiated control room, some of the best. Paraphrasing:
- So, should we draw straws?
- Hell, no, I'm not going in there.
- Well, so much for chivalry. What is the code?
- I'm not telling you.
Perhaps, but life in the world today is pretty convincing that many, lots, most men use game, TV shows and movie characters as role models for what they say, how they act and how they treat other people. The CFC population is not very typical.
Zardnaar
Deity
Meanwhile out in the real world....
Witcher3 is gritty. Never really played it but watched my wife play it as it's more her thing.
An RPG is exactly that. There's no formula for them they can be as violent, cruel, light fluffy etc as they want.
Witcher 3 was a hit game. Is it R18? Don't like it don't buy it.
EnglishEdward
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Didn't get that too. Anybody confuses Lara Croft, Gordon Freeman and Super Mario for real people?
No, Lara Croft was a stage name of Angelina Jolie
and Super Mario is the Prime Minister of Italy.
Of which my preference is for the former.
Ajidica
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How Witcher 1 handled sex was, for me at least, juvenile, off-putting, tasteless, and ruined the story the developers were trying to tell.
You complete a rather dark quest story about racism, abuse, poverty, and oppression, and the female elf quest giver says to Geralt "Thank you so much for your help, u want sum fuk?" and then hands you a softcore trading card.
The fact CDPR excised that completely from Witcher 2 and 3 in favor of working the romance and sex into the story in, for a video game, a mature and adult way, indicates they were sort of embarrassed about that aspect of Witcher 1.
EDIT: As far as sexiness in videogames, I mean, yeah. Nobody wants to spend hours looking at a bunch of models hit with the ugly stick. At least be equal-opportunity when it comes to the sexiness.
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