Pretty characters in a harsh world.

[ArmachiA]

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 . 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]

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]

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 ). 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.

[Grott]

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 has 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]

I mean personally I think its a nice change, that people want to have rugged looking characters.  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.   Granted I can see the more city bound characters, such as the crafter types to be less scared.  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.    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.

[Mayumi Shiro]

I think that's the beauty of role playing in general isn't it?  You can play your view and others theres with minimal toe stepping involved.  In a conversation, if one were to ask my character how she manages to keep her appearance up thru all of the toil, she'd likely give you a disaproving look and reply in a bratty kind of way, saying, "I go out of my way to make sure that if I do become a great hero, I'm going to be remembered for my skill and beauty, not my skill and stench!"

[Orlog]

I'd like to note (even though it's been said already) that this discussion isn't an attack on people who enjoy playing pretty characters. I've only expressed my preference to rough looking characters. If you personally like the look of pretty characters, that's fine! But, please don't try to play victim where there is no attack.

 

Suggesting that people are only allowed to have any kind of "anime inspired" character as far as look within the game because it's what you prefer is crazy, and the "my way or no way" mentality needs to be erased.

 

I was kind of disappointed with the character creator.

 

I agree here! I'd like to see a lot more scars and roughness for female characters. I know there are a couple of scar options, but they're so small that you can barely even see them at all. With that being said, there are a few options you and mess around with in make up that make your character look more sleep deprived or dirty... So, I guess that's a small plus?

[Black]

People play what they play.

 

While I do see some Apocalyptic stuff in the greater world, I haven't ventured too far from the starting city to see an really ravaged landscapes. I am fairly low-level (even with playing v1.0 lightly). From what I see so far, this world is still "pretty". Again, if there is some wastelands, I'll just have to explore and find them. In my opinion, it seems more apt to title this post "Pretty characters in a Pretty World".

 

But that is neither here nor there for me. I play what I like.

 

And while I do have some character concepts that can be rather "high", I personally tend to favor either the roguish or the down-trodden or the rough-and-tumbler. The thing is, that we need both types and all those others in-between to get anything interesting out, because it would be pretty bland if we all were from the same backgrounds, wouldn't it?

 

In any case, my main is going to be "rough". Being new here, I am still wondering which server to set up my main home, although I am more inclined to do it on Balmung, since I am a Legacy Player.

[Grott]

In my opinion, it seems more apt to title this post "Pretty characters in a Pretty World".

 

Not trying to start an argument or belittle your opinion here but....

 

...You do know that the world was almost completely destroyed by a giant dragon monster who came out of a moon that crashed into the ground right?

 

I can't say a world rebuilding itself after an apocalyptic cataclysm strikes me as something that would be "pretty." Sure, the scenery is nice, but that's just because nature is cool looking. I knew a guy who paid $40,000 to climb Everest last year. Said it was amazingly beautiful, but he also talked about becoming sort of desensitized because there were a lot of dead guys who just collapsed on the mountain from altitude sickness and couldn't get back down in time. Just because something looks pretty doesn't mean it's not fatally harsh at every turn.

 

Not everyone has to play a gritty character, of course. I would never suggest that everyone needs to be dirty and gross. But on the same hand, Hydaelyn is a very viable outlet for that kind of character.

[Mayumi Shiro]

In my opinion, it seems more apt to title this post "Pretty characters in a Pretty World".

 

Not trying to start an argument or belittle your opinion here but....

 

...You do know that the world was almost completely destroyed by a giant dragon monster who came out of a moon that crashed into the ground right?

 

I can't say a world rebuilding itself after an apocalyptic cataclysm strikes me as something that would be "pretty." Sure, the scenery is nice, but that's just because nature is cool looking. I knew a guy who paid $40,000 to climb Everest last year. Said it was amazingly beautiful, but he also talked about becoming sort of desensitized because there were a lot of dead guys who just collapsed on the mountain from altitude sickness and couldn't get back down in time. Just because something looks pretty doesn't mean it's not fatally harsh at every turn.

 

Not everyone has to play a gritty character, of course. I would never suggest that everyone needs to be dirty and gross. But on the same hand, Hydaelyn is a very viable outlet for that kind of character.

You're absolutely right, the world is definitely viable for that kind of character.  It's equally viable for the other side of the coin and everything in between as well.  There's no right or wrong answer, it's viewpoint and how a person wants to play.

 

You view the world as a harsh post apocalyptic place struggling to recover, I see it as a vibrant world, strong of will and able to overcome the destruction of the past.  Where scars still remain, the world as a whole seems to have recovered well and nicely since a mere 5 years ago.

[Grott]

I see it as a vibrant world, strong of will and able to overcome the destruction of the past.  Where scars still remain, the world as a whole seems to have recovered well and nicely since a mere 5 years ago.

 

And that's a perfectly fine way to view it. There's a lot of room for interpretation in this game's lore and it makes for very interesting and unique player characters. I will never attack anyone for playing a pretty character, and I hope no one will ever attack me for playing a rougher-looking character. Both are completely viable and make perfect sense in FFXIV. Personally, I just enjoy consequences more than many others do.

[Azthran]

I've seen a lot of posts about anime inspired pretty things so lets not forget that anime can also have a lot of ugly, disgusting, and down right disturbing things in it. After all variety is the spice of life!

[Ellie]

As some of you may be aware, this thread was previously locked due constant argument. As per member requests, we've decided to reopen the thread with the off-topic posts removed. We ask that you try to move on with the discussion and avoid off topic bickering.

 

Should this thread get out of hand once more, it will be locked again indefinitely. So please, be courteous and give each other the benefit of the doubt.

 

Thank you.

[Black]

In my opinion, it seems more apt to title this post "Pretty characters in a Pretty World".

 

Not trying to start an argument or belittle your opinion here but....

 

...You do know that the world was almost completely destroyed by a giant dragon monster who came out of a moon that crashed into the ground right?

 

I can't say a world rebuilding itself after an apocalyptic cataclysm strikes me as something that would be "pretty." Sure, the scenery is nice, but that's just because nature is cool looking. I knew a guy who paid $40,000 to climb Everest last year. Said it was amazingly beautiful, but he also talked about becoming sort of desensitized because there were a lot of dead guys who just collapsed on the mountain from altitude sickness and couldn't get back down in time. Just because something looks pretty doesn't mean it's not fatally harsh at every turn.

 

Not everyone has to play a gritty character, of course. I would never suggest that everyone needs to be dirty and gross. But on the same hand, Hydaelyn is a very viable outlet for that kind of character.

You're absolutely right, the world is definitely viable for that kind of character.  It's equally viable for the other side of the coin and everything in between as well.  There's no right or wrong answer, it's viewpoint and how a person wants to play.

 

You view the world as a harsh post apocalyptic place struggling to recover, I see it as a vibrant world, strong of will and able to overcome the destruction of the past.  Where scars still remain, the world as a whole seems to have recovered well and nicely since a mere 5 years ago.

 

Just want to clear up something; As I said, I haven't been out into the greater world  and so far, I have yet to see any "struggle" to rebuild in the greater world. I do understand that "prettiness" can hide danger, but I also expect to see some scars in the earth and maybe more active rebuilding. Even in Guild Wars 2, with the city "Lion's Arch" intact, one can go to a section of it and see a rather large scar in one section of the earth.

 

Just saying I haven't seen that sort of evidence yet in the world around Limsa Lominsa (or the starter area around Gridania). I know life goes on, but I do expect to see some after-math, however, even the NPCs are a bit non-chalant about the big event during conversations. For my perspective, this should be about dealing with the world and its changes, through your eyes and NPC's eyes. We must remember, the origins of the early FF adventures : they were done as a way for the main writer (and I forget his name; I apologize) to deal with the loss of his mother in real life. Maybe I see that opportunity here, but I do not see it being used/shown in the greater landscape of the world (again, from the starting area around Limsa Lominsa...There very well could be areas that show devastation and/or more obvious recovery attempts).

 

As a "reader"/"watcher", I just want to see more obvious examples of that, especially after the Apocalypse. Mind you, I don't mind a bright and cheerful world, I adore such things, but I also like to see the struggles of the common man dealing with their new situation. It's a signature in many stories I prefer, especially some stories from Japan.

[Varus]

Expanding on how far the City-States have come in five years (read: fallen):

 

Ul'dah, in particular, is teeming with bright and shiny infrastructure built on the broken backs of hundreds of homeless refugees that work for nearly nothing and are practically slaves. Despite the low cost and expendable workforce (read: die on a daily basis), many refugees are still jobless and litter Pearl Street (once known as the "rich" part of Ul'dah) or live in hovels outside the city gates. One of which is aptly named Lost Hope.

 

EDIT: Oh yes, the Sultana and the Flame General are the only people with (barely) any real political power who stand up for these people and promote the good of all.

 

On the other hand, just about everyone else just lines their pockets with coins bathed in the blood of the starving, homeless workforce (slaves).

[Black]

Expanding on how far the City-States have come in five years (read: fallen):

 

Ul'dah, in particular, is teeming with new infrastructure built on the broken backs of hundreds of homeless refugees that work for nearly nothing and are practically slaves. Despite the low pay and expendable workforce (read: die on a daily basis), many refugees are still jobless and litter Pearl Street (once known as the "rich" part of Ul'dah) and live in hovels outside the city gates. One of which is aptly named Lost Hope.

 

Sooner or later, I will go to Ul'dah (or start an alt there) and like I said, I didn't get too far into Gridania to check out the place but...everything seems to be the same so far as in layout of the city. Now, I *can* comment on Limsa Lominsa and the city is like a perfect carbon copy of what I remember from before. Of course, people will build on the same foundations, but I feel there should have been some variations. Maybe a red wall somewhere sticking out like a sore thumb instead of the all-white we see? Maybe a new building or three...or at least different floor plans on some of those buildings. It doesn't seem like Limsa Lominsa was touched.

 

I will bring up that I *do* remember in the opening intro movie of Gridania, we did see some "rebuilding" there. I've only been to the inn, which looks the same. The map seems smaller from above...but, I have to explore to make sure. So far, no burnt trees or characters with hammers rebuilding as I can see.

 

But U'ldah...well, that sounds hopeful from your quote.

[Varus]

 

But U'ldah...well, that sounds hopeful from your quote.

 

lol, it's PRETTY, that's for sure. Just not sure it's idealistic. I have no problems with pretty characters, but unless they were raised under a particularly sheltered rock propped up with a ton of money, their personalities are going to be twinged with quite a bit grit and grime. Perhaps not in a purely violent or brutish fashion, but with a survivalist mentality. (Ex: Less is more. I don't mind eating rotten food once in a while. I have no water, so I better drink my own piss.)

[Myal]

It might be a harsh world but it is also a pretty world. Sure, there was destruction and chaos, but that was five years ago. Now what we see are cities rebuilt, standing majestically, and beautiful landscape.

 

This also extends to the inhabitants; Not one of the pirates have rotten teeth. Not one of the beggars have amputated limbs. You could go the the poorest region of Ul'dah, full of refugees, and all of them look healthy, wearing clean clothes.

 

My character is supposed to have a pretty large scar across her face, but what they gave us are thin lines that barely qualify as a wound mark. Uther (I hope you don't mind me using you as an example) described the appearance of a messy, tired man, but then I looked at the picture and instead saw this very handsome hunk of a guy with hair befitting of a Korean pop idol. The easiest way to make a "rough" looking character is to make a roegadyn or a highlander, I guess, but even them have perfect skin and shiny hair.

 

Point is, mmm... I don't know how to convey this adequately... I think that appearance in this game is very superficial in terms of communicating a character's history and a character's relation to the world, as the game itself doesn't fully use visual to depict the intricacies of its setting. Hence how a character looks becomes something of a non-issue to me: they're all pretty-looking people in a pretty-looking world.

[Grott]

Uther (I hope you don't mind me using you as an example) described the appearance of a messy, tired man, but then I looked at the picture and instead saw this very handsome hunk of a guy with hair befitting of a Korean pop idol. The easiest way to make a "rough" looking character is to make a roegadyn or a highlander, I guess, but even them have perfect skin and shiny hair.

 

I don't mind at all, and you bring up a fair point with your examples. It really comes down to how you choose to interpret the world your character is in. You may choose to see Uther as an attractive dude with nice clothes and hair. I don't see him that way, and if I'm RPing, I will probably drop hints that he's supposed to be dirty and beaten. I expect that to be respected, but to what degree is up to you. And I'll do the same for you. If you want to look pretty, I have no issue with it. I won't say "Your dirty because that's how I see it." This game is open to a lot of different interpretations. I just prefer to see my character as a little worse-for-wear.

 

And I agree that in some situations it might be easier to see them as pretty rather than dirty. I've been racking my brain trying to make a dirtied up lalafell for a few days now, haha.

[Orlog]

I think that appearance in this game is very superficial in terms of communicating a character's history and a character's relation to the world, as the game itself doesn't fully use visual to depict the intricacies of its setting.

 

Agreed! It was mentioned in my OP that even despite those trying to work their hardest to try and make their characters seem more grizzled, you're still going to turn out with a somewhat pretty character if only because the character models are pretty by default. But, there are those of us who choose to go farther with said prettiness and vice-versa.

 

But, I guess it should be said that the topic can go beyond what's done in the character creator and focus more on what you intend your character to actually look like. This way you're not shoehorned into talking about any kind of visual representation you didn't really want to be in.

 

I do hope the game allows for more grizzled options at some point, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll just have to stick to my mental images and art.

[Myal]

You may choose to see Uther as an attractive dude with nice clothes and hair. I don't see him that way, and if I'm RPing, I will probably drop hints that he's supposed to be dirty and beaten.

But, I guess it should be said that the topic can go beyond what's done in the character creator and focus more on what you intend your character to actually look like. This way you're not shoehorned into talking about any kind of visual representation you didn't really want to be in.

Aa, if we are to more away from the visual representation, then yes, I do prefer my character to look a little worse for wear, considering her history and occupation.

 

Though, I don't think most RP-er would go out of their way to textually describe how pretty their characters are to begin with. (but I'm new at this; what do I know)

[Asyria]

 

Though, I don't think most RP-er would go out of their way to textually describe how pretty their characters are to begin with. (but I'm new at this; what do I know)

 

Oh my, you'd be surprised... ^^;

 

I personally like for my character to be as close as possible to the one I went through so much trouble to get right in the creator, (and the whole what-you-see-is-what-you-get from miniature wargaming helps foster this) but at some point, imagination has to kick in.

 

It's like voices.

That is SO hard to describe and I have yet to play single mmo (with voices) where I feel the character's voice is right. Heck, even Neverwinter Nights 2 gave me trouble and they had like 2 dozen options.

[Orlog]

Though, I don't think most RP-er would go out of their way to textually describe how pretty their characters are to begin with. (but I'm new at this; what do I know)

 

You'd be surprised, indeed. If this thread has shown me anything, it'd be that there are a number of people who prefer that their character look pretty, both in character model and general intention for the character, no matter the world. Which is, you know, all fine and dandy. But, still something that's pretty confusing to me.

[FreelanceWizard]

You'd be surprised, indeed. If this thread has shown me anything, it'd be that there are a number of people who prefer that their character look pretty, both in character model and general intention for the character, no matter the world. Which is, you know, all fine and dandy. But, still something that's pretty confusing to me.

 

It's escapism, I'd argue; by making a perfect character in game, one can achieve a greatness not available in one's less-than-perfect real life. While I'm not making a value judgment here (by RPing in an MMO, we're all engaging in escapism ), I will say that this behavior, taken to an extreme and with other aspects of "perfection" included, can become bad -- or at the very least self-limiting -- RP. I'd suggest that's why pretty characters provoke negative reactions sometimes, and why some players like to rough up their characters a great deal; no one wants to be accused of being "too pretty" and a dread, if ill defined, "Mary Sue."

 

Personally, I'm all about WYSIWYG for characters in MMOs. I've never been a big fan of detailing differences between my character's "true" appearance and their in-game one in an RP profile, for instance; I build the character as the game permits it, and that's how the character looks. About the only differences I'll include in the "appearance" section of a profile are bits of jewelry, small tattoos, or other less relevant and impossible to display details. I do this for two reasons. One, the devs make the character generator to make characters that they think fit the game world. Two, not everyone has the ability or desire to review RP profiles using a UI mod, wiki, or what have you, so restricting the details there to largely irrelevant ones increases the number of people with which I can RP.