My world view is not stereotypical, I am only reflecting the feeling and atmosphere that the books and the previous games set up. That is how the world of the Witcher works. Not saying it is realistic or how it should be in the real world. Just saying how that world is set up in tone.
My world view is not stereotypical, I am only reflecting the feeling and atmosphere that the books and the previous games set up. That is how the world of the Witcher works. Not saying it is realistic or how it should be in the real world. Just saying how that world is set up in tone.
What bothers me a lot more than the female characters' clothing is the apparent lack of diverse body types. I'm no where near the end of the game but I would like to see more variety in body types. There should be short, tall, skinny, fat and everything in between. I also realize there are technical limitations but I do get tired of seeing the same people with slightly different clothing, facial features and hair.
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One reason for the lack diversity in body types is surely the technology... another one is the setting. In the dark ages, you did not find many fat people in peasantry, since food was scarce and work was hard. There are some variations in the game, more so then in many other RPG's of similar make, like Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls, but every random generator reaches it's limits at some point.
I love this idea that the only time women show skin it's because some man (aka pig) forced her to dress like that. I'm not a woman, but from what I hear some women dress certain ways and it feels empowering. I don't presume to tell other people how to dress or feel, so here we are.
It is a stereotypical "ideal" male world (regarding gender) though, is the point. And not at all in a realistic way. I've seen both peasants and sorcerers dressed the same. There is the herbalist (I forgot her name) who has zero magic, and she dresses down too. In all respects she's a peasant as well, just one whose occupation we actually know because we have a quest involving her. The only reason for her dressing down seems to be because she's a quest NPC. It's what I've noticed. If it isn't a prostitute or a quest NPC than the NPCs have normal clothes on.
Which leads me to think that the only reason quest NPCs are dressed as they are, is pretty much for the viewing pleasure of the male audience. The excuse that it's "powerful woman dressing how they like to get what they want" only works to a degree. If people can't really admit otherwise, they are in denial, and trying to excuse away their guilt for what they know is true. It's a videogame norm, why even the male audience who it is done for, tries to deny it as if it were the worst thing in the world, is a mystery to me. You might it as well just call it the equivalent of Japanese anime "fan-service." That's what it essentially is, accept for video games.
Another point to add is that sorcerers aren't all powerful in the Witcher 3. That excuse can't even be used. They are being hunted, and burned at the stake to the point where they have had to go into hiding. If clothing equated to a "power" mentality, we would see these same sorcerers dressing in normal clothing in this period of history. And yet they don't. At least not the quest ones...
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Compare to some MMOs with those minishirt & bikini like outfit, I feel the clothing female wear in WItcher 3 to be pretty subtle. The limit is maybe showing half the breast. They probably should cover up a bit more in line with middle ages, but thats about it. Its definetely sexualise, some female characters, but I do not think they went that far to make me feel uncomfortable like some MMOs.
Also: People could simply attribute it to a) artistic freedom and/or b) the fact that people like to look at beautiful characters... seriously, what's up with that pseudo-puritan BS we have to endure with every new game nowadays? Even if some of the characters are "sexualized", so what? There are just as many hunks with rippling muscles in the Witcher games as there are scantily clad women (Crinfrid Reavers anyone), so could we just get over our infantile sensibilities already? Cheez...
Straight men find looking at an attractive woman pleasurable, as we are genetically programmed to do. A woman can decide to use that knowledge to her advantage or not. I have seen some who do and some who don't at work and out of work. But don't think only women use clothing to attract and influence in the world. Why do well off men wear thousand dollar suits, $400 shoes and nice watches? What about the vehicles people drive?
The Blood Baron had a special horse... same thing.
This doesn't bother me to much accept for Keira metz. You can see the sides of her nipples she showed so much cleavage and it just made me say out loud "why?".
But its okay because
But its okay because
I killed her 
Also don't forget the puritan viewpoint from the middle ages until early America. European culture dating back to the Medieval Ages had depicted females as temptresses who could lead men astray, and the Bible claimed that Eve and her kind had been forever tainted with sin from the moment she accepted the serpent's apple in the Garden of Eden. Real medieval women wore long dresses and never pants. The rich wore better fabrics and furs. Often a hat. But games are for fun and the temptress idea has been expanded upon it seems. The witch trials, like in early America,
can be seen via the church of the holy flame and is sadly all too real and not so long ago.
I wouldn't care if the main quest men were sexualized just as much as woman in the Witcher 3, but they aren't. What is there? The shirtless sailors that look like their faces have been beaten in with a wooden board? Yah, seems to be about it... I bet you if that happened though all the white straight males would come out of the woodwork and bitch and moan, and start quoting the bloody bible.
I actually know this is exactly what would happen, as I saw it happen with the Mass Effect games, just because people were given the choice (yes the choice, as in not forced) to have a gay relationship. The funny part is none of those same men complained about the option for them to also have the choice to have a lesbian relationship if they had created a female Shepard.
Weird how hypocritical people's standards are.
Not really... I just said I wouldn't care if it wasn't just one-sided, but it is. I also wouldn't care if it seemed to somewhat make sense, but it doesn't. Also, where did I say anything about being "proud?" No one goes around going "I'm proud!"
I also always find it funny how people like you try and derail the topic as soon as anything about having genders be treated with the same exact sexual degradation comes up in a thread, by labeling others as "social justice warriors" (doesn't sound like those gamergate trolls at all *eyeroll*). It's like you guys panic at the thought or and go into instant hate mode. Sky forbid if woman weren't the only ones treated like trophies in games.
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Not really, that's society/humanity... let's face it, the biggest target audience for games like this is still (straight) men and boys, and they don't like having the "option" to play gay, male characters forced on them. I say "forced", since that's what Dragon Age 2 basically did (especially certain Anders dialogues where extremely cringe worthy). Of course, the same problems don't exists with lesbian romance choices, since most straight men think "that stuff is hot".
In that regard, DA2 and Inquisition only managed to be one thing: A bad example for inclusiveness in games... a really bad one.What many people these days fail to understand is: Players generally don't see them self in their characters (that has been proven by numerous studies). They like to experience an interactive narrative, and the same way a straight guy wouldn't watch a gay porn movie, he also does not care for depiction of male homosexuality in games... I know, in this modern, "oh so open minded society" nobody want's to hear that, but that's a fact of human nature.
Also: Inclusiveness is nice and dandy, but every piece of art follows it's own style, and the style of the Witcher world is: Dark middle ages fantasy, heavily influenced by eastern European/Nordic mythology, where the man are hardy and brave, and the women are sexy and willing... don't like it? Find another franchise to enjoy.
Good god, yes, it was in fact all choices. You apparently have no bloody clue what "forced upon" means. No gay characters in any of those games bent your character over and ploughed them. It was a choice, and you had the option to reject advances. To even suggest what you suggested is ridiculous and shows your intolerance.Not really, that's society/humanity... let's face it, the biggest target audience for games like this is still (straight) men and boys, and they don't like having the "option" to play gay, male characters forced on them. I say "forced", since that's what Dragon Age 2 basically did (especially certain Anders dialogues where extremely cringe worthy). Of course, the same problems don't exists with lesbian romance choices, since most straight men think "that stuff is hot".
What many people these days fail to understand is: Players generally don't see them self in their characters (that has been proven by numerous studies). They like to experience an interactive narrative, and the same way a straight guy wouldn't watch a gay porn movie, he also does not care for depiction of male homosexuality in games... I know, in this modern, "oh so open minded society" nobody want's to hear that, but that's a fact of human nature.
Also: Inclusiveness is nice and dandy, but every piece of art follows it's own style, and the style of the Witcher world is: Dark middle ages fantasy, heavily influenced by eastern European/Nordic mythology, where the man are hardy and brave, and the women are sexy and willing... don't like it? Find another franchise to enjoy.
Also thank you for proving my point with how quite a lot of straight male gamers are total hypocrites with the lesbian comment. Another thing, if you're going to bring up studies and then leave no link to these "so called" studies then I call total bullshit. Every time I see someone use the excuse "I don't see myself as that character" I have to laugh because what they do see themselves as doesn't make sense either since it's a fantasy video game.
No, the only reason people use that bullshit excuse is because they can't stand the thought of playing as anything different. Their own insecurities and hateful biases are the only thing preventing them playing as anything besides a straight white male. I actually had this discussion with someone else because they said they would never play a game if they were forced to play as a girl, and another female gamer who was part of the discussion obviously laughed at him for saying something so utterly stupid because most female gamers are constantly playing as a male character because often that's the only choice, yet it doesn't stop them from playing that said game (obviously for the Witcher 3 it's different since it's based on novels).
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Well there's no way the OP of this thread was ever going to garner support on these forums, but of course it's a valid critique and you're not the first one to notice it. You've made an admirable case for CDPR to consider as they develop their next game, but I would caution you against responding to posts like "the game has boobs, deal with it," because these people simply don't understand the discussion.
So, straight male gamers have no right to not be confronted with themes that make them uncomfortable (ie. male homosexuality)? Talk about hypocracy...
Seriously, with all the focus on inclusiveness these days, one might wonder how developers do even manage to produce any coherent narrative or presentation. The world is what it is, not what identity politicians want it to be. You may call it insecurity or immaturity, but it's a fact of life, and no amount of finger pointing and ridicule will change that. In the contrary, all it will really do is deepen the trenches and fortify the fronts.
On a final note: Believe about me what you want, but I'm only making objective observations here... personally, I couldn't care less how characters look or what sexuality they might have, as long as the game is good, and - personally - I think that's he only attitude that will get us anywhere.
Oh, and for studies, there you go: http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/11313.28005.pdf Only one example.