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PeriasGift · **06-24-2013, 04:51 PM**

I think that variety is awesome when it comes to characters, but I don't think that people should feel less awesome about their RP because they play someone generally seen as 'pretty' or better because they're breaking the norm. Most of the NPCs in the FF series look extremely pretty/clean/etc no matter what they're going through, so it's not like it's just player characters doing this.Â
Me personally, I've always enjoyed playing a character that I find visually appealing.

ForestGuardian · **06-24-2013, 04:55 PM**

I really don't think any way of doing it is better than the other, so I can't really offer applause for those who want rougher, dirtier characters, it's just another aspect of your character which leans closer to realism and further from Fantasy.

And let's face it, this is a Final Fantasy game... Looking back through the series, characters keep ridiculous hairstyles with ease, wear incredibly uncomfortable armor and do some rather exaggerated stunts... I'm not going to expect people to carry around hair product and fix up their hairstyle that the game gave them after every battle, and I'm not going to assume that it's messed up unless they say it is.Â

As for getting dirty, I think it's entirely possible some characters may be more self aware, light of foot, agile and careful about not getting dirty. Where as some characters will trudge right through the mud, some will be so observant that they walk around, hop across, or step over the mud.Â

This definitely is NOT Skyrim, but we do have to acknowledge that, to our characters, it's just as real, even if the art style and the background of the series allows for well kept characters taking on the biggest baddest enemies. It's just not up to anyone but ourselves to decide whether our pristine white robe is covered in muck after a battle in the woods.

Dycize · **06-24-2013, 06:06 PM**

I've never really got to RP in a down'n'dirty kind of world yet, but I tend to play characters on the fairest end of the spectrum.
The reason being... Well I like pretty characters. And tend to play them rather young.
Note that I do not dislike the rugged characters, not at all, I like seeing people do them and bring variety and be that grizzled veteran. Scars tend to have a strong effect, particularly when visible. It tells "this person went through something special!" and generally they do.
Even melee fighters really. Those who wear big armors, well, wear big armors, so they are generally well covered, and the "lighter" fighters are generally pretty bent on avoiding getting hit. And there's the case of magic too.
In the end it still comes down to those special occasions...
And now I think of Squall from FF8 and his training induced face scar. Which is pretty insignificant in terms of experience, yet it's there...
As for dirt, well, it's dirt, easy come, easy go, and there's not really options to dirty one's gear!

But generally, there's also the fact that video games tend to give you character creators who fit the world. What I've played of FF14 has pretty people all over the place, so it doesn't feel too out of context for me.

Nee Ninean · **06-24-2013, 06:07 PM**

I don't see a problem with Nee being cute, while she is neecapping some Roe or other villain. The particular roe being one of my linkshell leaders. Tongue

Curtis West · **06-24-2013, 06:23 PM**

I am sorry if this was brought up... I glanced over some of the posts, might have missed it.

I was kind ofÂ disappointedÂ with the character creator. There were instances where I was given tons of choice, such as picking color of anything... skin, hair, eyes. But the body can only be muscular or not. There are no various shapes (maybe even 3 "types" would do, per race). I pictured my character to be short-ish (although I am still putting him taller than normal because I know most guys crank up the hight for their characters so that even "average" guys seem short, which is annoying), muscular and kind of bulky. Unfortunately he looks like a model of a smith, rather than an actual smith.

Lack of facial hair for male midlander faces is also an issue for me. I don't want an old man face just to have a mustache worth having, you know? This coupled with the fact that there is no "age" scale, and my character came out looking younger than I intended. I either plan on toying around more or even possibly trying alternative race/face combos to get it right.

I must say that the scars you can elect to put on the face are a good touch. It makes me wish for body scars. And how about tattoos? That's be cool.

I understand people who may wish to play pretty characters though, even if it doesn't fully make sense given what they do in-game... or they have to create a certain RP background to accomodate the good looks. A lot of gamers (just in general, but I assume RPers too) play forÂ escapism.

Scarlet Willow · **06-24-2013, 06:36 PM**

If I may, I'd like to add a little to Curtis West's post. I had originally planned on playing as a lady Highlander when they were announced; I thought the males were rather grizzly and thought the women would be a little similar, but I found them to be just taller with broader shoulders than their Midlander counterparts. The Roegadyn females actually took me by surprise - they're still "pretty" for Square standards, but they also look capable of squeezing the life out of you between their biceps.

There's nothing wrong with pretty characters - it is Square Enix after all - especially when you take their class into consideration. But I've sort of craved for a slider that doesn't only do just muscle definition, but muscle mass as well. We're adventurers, and while not all of us are going to be trudging around in the mud or getting Malboro slobber all over them, we go out and fight things, run to dodge, etc. and I think in that respect there should be some muscle mass gained.

That's my two gil anywho . _ .

Uther · **06-24-2013, 06:50 PM**

(06-24-2013, 03:15 PM)Beatric Reid Wrote: This topic was brought up in the race selection thread, and I actually got a few people commenting on how my mentality of being a rough bitch visually is refreshing to see. But, this kind of confused me, because I personally feel that it shouldn't be that foreign of a concept. Pretty characters in a rough world just come off as very unrealistic to me. Especially in a game that has you going out into the wilderness, fighting monsters that're larger than life and at times even killing people to survive.

As I had mentioned in this other thread, I'm not saying that attractive people shouldn't exist. But, looking fresh faced and bug eyed just doesn't seem to fit the world, unless they're absolutely new to the world of doing any kind of work. Plus, the character models within the game are pretty attractive from the get go; I see no need to add on to that.

So, what are your thoughts on it?

I haven't read any posts on this thread yet except this one, but I'll get back to you all once I do if I have anything to add. I have to agree completely. I'm all aboutÂ being realistic and dirty with my character. I even go so far as to make my character seem like he's fallen from grace and had a rough few years. Uther Skystrider comes from a knightly background. He was trained in the ways of combat and court from an early age, but he's mostly dropped the latter and become a dirty, wandering, brawler with a spear. I even wrote a description of his appearance to practice my writing before I jump into fan fiction. I looked at this picture for reference.

I'm re-writng it here, but it was essentially:

"The man stood with the posture of one who came from nobility, though the charm and grace had dissipated years ago. His face was scarred from battle, burned from the sun, and covered in dirt. The hair on his head was equally unkempt. Strands of brown fell from his head to just above his chin. The man made little effort to keep it out of his face, aside from a lazy middle part. The hair on the back of his head was ignored all-together and ran wild in tangled knots and gravity defying strands. His armor, which at one point looked heroic and neat, was now an extension of his filth. The jerkin was dotted with holes and blood stains, while the mail itself was missing links and seemingly falling apart. On the top left corner of the leather chest piece, half covered by tattered off-white cloth, was a sequence of torn stitching from a long since removed heraldic badge. In it's place was a sloppily painted and faded picture of an uprooted tree: the symbol of a knight who had been disinherited."

Not my best writing by far, but you can see what I'm getting at.

EDIT: As far as personality is concerned, Uther isn't a "dark character" or amoral/immoral by any means, but he definitely keeps it real. He was raised fighting dragons and thus has no illusions about the nature of combat. He's a good man and an earnest man, but that doesn't make him clean and pretty and friendly. There's also a sense of pent up rage from his own exile and the death of his wife six years earlier, but as a respectable warrior he's learned to keep his own emotional problems in check. In short, he's real. He doesn't sit around and focus solely on his past like many one-dimensional characters do, but it's still there. And he doesn't dick around when it comes to battle. He knows exactlyÂ what type of world he lives in, and while he tries to be as valiant and chivalrous as he can, it's not always an option. Sometimes you have to take the messier road.

Azthran · **06-24-2013, 06:52 PM**

I'd have to go with a mix of realism and the look fitting the character. As mentioned before this is a fantasy setting and often these settings follow a more romantic road when it comes to characters. That being said from looking at this as a game all character creators in any MMO will give you options that fit the setting.

Now I love adding bits of realism in there because these things will happen. People get hurt or killed, dirty, lost, even some may become mentally unstable.

Looking back at characters I've played before I have a trend of playing older and generally roughed up characters. My troll in WoW had a broken tusk, covered in scars, blood stained teeth and so on but in that world it still fit. Even considering trolls had pretty insane natural healing properties along with potions and magic.

For another example of a game that uses a lot of pretty people we have TERA. The character models were very pretty or cool looking but those of us who RPed tended to look at the every day things of the races. Aman for example (and I'm overly simplifying them here) are warrior smiths, most Aman be it male or female spend their lives in a forge or on the battle field and tended to be scarred or burned.

For me U'zhan is a step away from these older roughed up characters and he's a relatively attractive male miqo'te. This isn't saying he's super pretty or anything he has a couple scars and gets dirty but he's still green when it comes to adventuring.

Now I feel like I just ended up rambling about my characters there, sorry about that. ._.

Varus · **06-24-2013, 07:11 PM**

(06-24-2013, 03:15 PM)Beatric Reid Wrote: Especially in a game that has you going out into the wilderness, fighting monsters that're larger than life and at times even killing people to survive.

Totally agreement.Â

I'm giving Tyonis all the scars you can apply to a character to emphasize a lifestyle filled with the constant threat of a gruesome death. Â

I want SE to apply an age and stress complexion slider to highlight the strain of such a lifestyle, but I doubt we will get that level of customization.

But I can still hope for better facial air. And a practical ponytail stylized for Hyur warriors that doesn't have half of my character's hair shaved off.Â Frustrated

Uther · **06-24-2013, 07:16 PM**

(06-24-2013, 06:52 PM)Azthran Wrote: Looking back at characters I've played before I have a trend of playing older and generally roughed up characters. My troll in WoW had a broken tusk, covered in scars, blood stained teeth and so on but in that world it still fit. Even considering trolls had pretty insane natural healing properties along with potions and magic.

Now I feel like I just ended up rambling about my characters there, sorry about that. ._.

1. I totally forgot about mentioning other characters. I had an undead warrior in WoW and he was as realistic as I could make him for a dead guy. In life he was a foot soldier in the Lordaeron army. He retired to become a farmer and fell to the plague. When he came back he was, initially, completely fucking horrifiedÂ at what he had become, and then jealous and vengeful against the human race. Then, after spending time deployed with orcs, he became an extremely skilled warrior and picked up an insane savagery and brutality to temper his vengeance with. All-in-all, his predicament had driven him into being a total psychopath. Which I think makes sense for a man who wakes up as a sentient corpse. He looked like shit, he smelled like shit, and his armor was haggard and unfitting. I also had a dwarf rogue, but the undead warrior was the more interesting of the two.

2. Don't worry about rambling about your characters. I just did it twice.

ArmachiA · **06-24-2013, 07:23 PM**

I've actually never thought about Loki or Armi being pretty... I just made them to what I thought they looked like...

Loki is really pretty, though. I don't mean like ICly, but I really love her character design that I made for her and I think she is just gorgeous. I guess this means ICly she's absolutely pretty, but I like to believe I gruffed her up. She does have a giant scar on her face from being in the War and keeps her hair in a ponytail so there is no fuss about it.

Armi is pretty, but she kind of Hollywood plain. The kind of pretty where anywhere else in the world she would be considered pretty, but in Hollywood she always plays the plain best friend XD. You know the type. She's as plain as I can get her in a Final Fantasy game, really. She's not ugly, but the whole point was to make her unremarkable. She doesn't have any scars and she's not gruff, but she's definitely not OMG GORGEOUS

Martiallais · **06-24-2013, 07:37 PM**

One thing to remember despite the discussion is that there's definitely room for everyone along the spectrum. I mean, even Mr. Yoshida himself said that one thing he wanted ARR to offer was a chance for players to "Create a quality character that represents you, be it manly, cute, rugged, or sexy."

Reference

FreelanceWizard · **06-24-2013, 07:55 PM**

Personally, I disagree that every character has to look rugged, dirty, and like they just got back from killing things for a living (even if they just did Smile

). My logic is that the setting for FF is largely filled with idealized, anime-styled characters that never get dirty and are always oozing with dramatic style. While we know that people get dirty and scarred while fighting, that just doesn't happen in FF games. That's not to say that there's not settings where that's appropriate (consider, say, EverQuest) or that "you're doing it wrong" if you prefer a grittier look; rather, I'm saying that it's entirely appropriate by virtue of the character art and the nature of the setting to be an anime-inspired paragon of beauty.

Uther · **06-24-2013, 08:07 PM**

It's definitely right to presume that it's up to the individual on how dirty and gritty they want their character to look. Some of us just prefer a sense of realism in our fantasy. Despite playing half a dozen Final Fantasies, I've never been a fan of anime or the stylized Japanese look. I've always been more of a Western Fantasy type of person, and in much of the stories I read, play, or watch, there's a sense of "Yes, this is fantasy, but we're not making excuses for our world. People still get dirty and beaten." which I admire. No one hasÂ to be gritty and realistically filthy if they don't want to be, but I choose to bring that feel to my character.

Razamir Lahoka · **06-24-2013, 08:17 PM**

I mean personally I think its a nice change, that people want to have rugged looking characters.Â I agree with the op for the most part if your an adventurer and your fighting things that could level cities if they wanted, your not gonna stay scratch free.Â Â Granted I can see the more city bound characters, such as the crafter types to be less scared.Â Personally Razamir has scars and other such things that give him a rather rough look to him, as well as being blind in one of his eyes.Â Â Â But I don't expect everyone to be rugged, as I have said there is many different types of lifestyles, as well as the looks that accompany them.

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Pretty characters in a harsh world.

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