Sex appeal and armour design in Guild Wars 2

[Pure Heart.1456]

Straight up; I'm male, 39 years old, love working out at the gym, been playing since launch.

 

Part of the initial attraction to the game was the athletic fitness physique of the Norn female model. I am and have always been on the look-out for armour pieces that accentuate this most excellent modelling work. It is therefore frustrating that the armour designs in Guild Wars 2 that target this area are comparatively few and far between.

 

So that there is no misunderstanding, ridiculous "bikini" armours like those found in other games are _not_ what I am talking about here.

 

Given that nearly six years have passed since launch, I feel I've exhausted my options for armour customization as it relates to the above, and I was wondering what impact (if any) the addition of armours that accentuate or enhance the 'sexual' appeal of armours for both male and female models would have on the existing customer base and also newcomers.

 

**There are many old, mundane armour pieces that nobody needs/wants to use, and "new life" could be given to the game at an economically reasonable cost by editing and enhancing these older armour pieces, particularly since clipping issues have already been solved for those pieces.**

[BlueJin.4127]

I don’t agree that bikini armors are any more ridiculous than other armors designed for sex appeal. They’re both designed for the same reason, whereas real life armors are not about sex appeal.

 

Personally, I want some thong armors, like Ivy from Soul Calibur and Cammy from Street Fighter. GW (even GW1) has almost no armors that show a character’s butt. :angry:

[Dante.1763]

> @"BlueJin.4127" said:

 

> Personally, I want some thong armors, like Ivy from Soul Calibur and Cammy from Street Fighter. GW (even GW1) has almost no armors that show a character’s butt. :angry:

 

Im very thankful for that personally.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"Pure Heart.1456" said:

> There are many old, mundane armour pieces that nobody needs/wants to use, and "new life" could be given to the game at an economically reasonable cost by editing and enhancing these older armour pieces, particularly since clipping issues have already been solved for those pieces.

 

That's a lot of number of assumptions.

* Some amount of "mundane" skins are appropriate: nice skins are nicer when compared to the ordinary ones, for example. And of course, the "cheap skins" have to look cheap. And some people like less ornamentation. So I doubt there's widespread agreement about which skins or how many there are

* Editing & enhancing isn't necessarily economical. There are a lot of factors that go into skins and it isn't likely to be the case that the easiest things to change in the armor (or weapons) are necessarily the ones that would make them look that different, let alone more attractive.

* Clipping turns out generally to be more complicated than a lot of us non-ANet types think, so I think it's also not necessarily true that these skins don't have to be tested.

 

****

Tell you what, though:

* Make a list of skins you think are (a) mundane & (b) don't serve some other purpose in their ordinariness. (Doesn't have to be a complete list, just a few sets in at least one armor weight.)

* Describe the types of things you would change in each to make them attractive enough that people would covet the skins instead of ignore them. Bonus: show some before|after screenshots (even if it's just copy/paste combining with something else -- unless you're a designer, no one's expecting great art).

* Let graphic artists offer opinions about how easy|hard they think it might be to update.

 

Generally speaking, it's better to articulate an issue and let ANet figure out the solution. In this case, the discussion also needs some sort of proof-of-concept to illustrate that there is a problem that can be solved or that this is really as simple as it sounds when typed out, without being worked on.

 

 

[KeoLegend.5132]

Yes for more female sex appealing armors

hell no for more male sex appealing armors

[Heraldusluminare.2946]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> Tell you what, though:

> * Make a list of...

Heh, totally have to agree with this. Think it's really helpful for the devs if you can explain specifically what you want to see, especially if you have some great solutions. :)

[Mister Asdasd.6194]

We need more male sexy armor. Right now the only ones that come to mind are

The light chest piece from Twilight Arbor which only reveals a bit of the chest area

Tribal light chest armor,which leaves little to the imagination with only a collar covering him

One of the armors found in Elona forgot the name, looks like you have suspenders but no shirt on

Some gladiator and pit fighter armors

[ProverbsofHell.2307]

Why not look at real women tho? Never understood this.

[Pure Heart.1456]

> @"ProverbsofHell.2307" said:

> Why not look at real women tho? Never understood this.

 

Sure, who isn't'? But then, we may as well just have Minecraft graphics then.

[Warobaz.9543]

I'm gay, from the bear community, and the only character i created as an eye candy is my Norn male warrior (w/ the fattest body type). I can't say I'm happy with it, as 99% of heavy leggins clip with the hands, and I'd like to see some lighter designs in heavy armors - not specifically sexier, no one needs an orichalcum oiled jock-strap, let's be real !

 

At least the leather hoodie is an outfit now, heh <3 ^_^

[sorudo.9054]

what's wrong with wanting a skintight shiny leather outfit?

i mean, to me skin doesn't really cut it, i can understand we can't have anything latex in GW2 but leather can.

[Trise.2865]

> @"sorudo.9054" said:

> what's wrong with wanting a skintight shiny leather outfit?

> i mean, to me skin doesn't really cut it, i can understand we can't have anything latex in GW2 but leather can.

 

[There ya go](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sneakthief_armor "There ya go").

[Balsa.3951]

oh didnt saw that thread before would have not made mine. Yes more sexy armor cool armor i m tired of how uninspired armor is in this game....

[Dami.5046]

After 13 years of online gaming I still wonder why folk get turned on by pixels.

[TheQuickFox.3826]

> @"KeoLegend.5132" said:

> Yes for more female sex appealing armors

> hell no for more male sex appealing armors

 

Sexy male chars disapprove this message.

[Ashantara.8731]

> @"KeoLegend.5132" said:

> Yes for more female sex appealing armors

> hell no for more male sex appealing armors

 

Wow, sexist much? :angry:

 

I am female and I refuse to play females for most parts, because there is no good looking adventurer's gear for them, but only ugly high heels version of armor sets or ridiculous half-naked or overly "femmy" designs that no serious adventurer would wear.

 

I don't want more "saucy armor" designs in this game, but if there is any to be added, I want it to be equal for both genders and not sexualizing just women.

[Gehenna.3625]

> @"Dami.5046" said:

> After 13 years of online gaming I still wonder why folk get turned on by pixels.

Why not? The mere idea of sex can turn a person on. That's just a thought. You can see someone fully dressed and be turned on. The brain requires a suggestion. If you don't have any reaction at all to depictions of sex or sexuality, I can only conclude that your imagination is rather limited. There's a reason they say the brain is the largest sexual organ in the human body and not your genitalia. But seriously if you don't get it then your brain is too literal for that I guess.

 

[Wrong Device.3014]

"Sexy" is not always bikini. For me the most sexy armour in game is Elegy light and medium. And Krytan.

But... I'd like to see replica of Ranger Elite Druid from GW1. =)

[Zin Dau.1749]

Pixel emits visual data. If you don't get at least > @"Gehenna.3625" said:

> > @"Dami.5046" said:

> > After 13 years of online gaming I still wonder why folk get turned on by pixels.

> Why not? The mere idea of sex can turn a person on. That's just a thought. You can see someone fully dressed and be turned on. The brain requires a suggestion. If you don't have any reaction at all to depictions of sex or sexuality, I can only conclude that your imagination is rather limited. There's a reason they say the brain is the largest sexual organ in the human body and not your genitalia. But seriously if you don't get it then your brain is too literal for that I guess.

>

 

Yep. Pixels emit visual data. If you don't see how people react to vsiual stimulus, why you even comment on this fashion thread--what is fashion but to appeal to visual senses.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

Something I think that a lot of people don't understand is that sexiness is about form more than merely being revealing. To take an extreme example Zero Suit Samus from various Nintendo games is one of the most... ahem... admired characters in video game culture. She's also covered neck to toe in an outfit. Why is this? Her body suit still shows off all of the curves and shapes of an idealized feminine figure when viewed from any angle. I mean, you don't really need a chainmail bikini to look good. You just have to convey the strengths of the form between the different sexes.

 

There are two recent outfits that come _so_ close to achieving this, but mess up in some way. The recent Gem Aura outfit is sleek, form fitting, and can go well on either sex. However, the crystals on the outfit make it incredibly top heavy. Instead of showing the natural shape of a person, it makes everyone look like walking triangles.

 

Another example is the Elonian Elementalist outfit. It looks fine on men, but on women the outfit really distracts. The ribbons break the shape of the upper body, the buttcape inverts the shape of the lower body, and the sleeves make it look like we're walking penguins. If the butt cape was gone/thin as the front cape, if the gigantic chest ribbons were gone, if the sleeves were either more form-fitting or hung off the elbows instead of following through the arm, then the outfit would be so much hotter on women.

 

I'm not sure if these sorts of choices are on purpose, or accident. A lot of armor pieces look to show off accessories, and not to show off the player model itself.

[BlueJin.4127]

> @"Gehenna.3625" said:

> > @"Dami.5046" said:

> > After 13 years of online gaming I still wonder why folk get turned on by pixels.

> Why not? The mere idea of sex can turn a person on. That's just a thought. You can see someone fully dressed and be turned on. The brain requires a suggestion. If you don't have any reaction at all to depictions of sex or sexuality, I can only conclude that your imagination is rather limited. There's a reason they say the brain is the largest sexual organ in the human body and not your genitalia. But seriously if you don't get it then your brain is too literal for that I guess.

>

Exactly.

 

Conversely, one can look at a really hot naked person right in front of him (or her), but if he is just not in the mood, he won't give a kitten. Maybe a puppy, but not a kitten.

 

Yes, I actually used the word kitten on purpose. :tongue:

[AzureTerra.1642]

Sexy Armour for me at least is armour that actually looks like it can withstand hits and not drive weapons into vital area's or leave substantial portions uncovered

[Tailcoat.6920]

I haven't played my Norn much yet (I was drawn to play Asura, Charr, and Sylvari more) but I get nervous that I'll get unwanted attention in some of those light armors. Also, it's winter where I am, so I'd prefer not to imagine how horribly cold those poor bikini'ed characters would be in the snow, ha ha. ;) I assume Norns are pretty cold resistant though.

 

I'm a bit disappointed in the Inquest top for humanoid females (the back is pretty cool, but the front seems trying too hard or the shape doesn't quite go with the rest)-- sexy and impractical looks out of character for the theme... however, giving all non-Asura a too-small jacket like that would be amusing, as if they stole it off a corpse and have their hearts set on the disguise working against all odds. "How do you do, fellow Inquest?" =)

[Omernon.9762]

> @"AzureTerra.1642" said:

> Sexy Armour for me at least is armour that actually looks like it can withstand hits and not drive weapons into vital area's or leave substantial portions uncovered

 

Pretty much this. This is so immersion breaking to see all of these half-naked toons running around with flashy weapons that make no sense at all. Although GW2 is still better than almost any other MMORPG out there, because it has some weapons and armor sets that are both pretty realistic and visually appealing.

 

ArenaNet designers should also open up any history book about castles and medieval walfare, so they can see how defensive structures should really look like and why were they build that way, because good 90% of all defensive structures in this game (be it castle, stronghold, or walled camp) don’t have any defensive value in them...

 

 

[Zin Dau.1749]

If function is so important, why don't all classes just wear the bulkiest heavy armor, instead of separating them into three armor clasees?

 

How much armor do modern fighters wear? Such as boxers, wrestlers, UFC, martial artists. and even modern military soldiers, how much armor do they wear considering they go up against arsenal that is more lethal than previos ages?