Guild Wars 2

Is there any chance we could get some Clothes(light armor) for Female(mostly norn and human) that don’t look like they were taken off some 18th century kitten?

Medium armor wearing classes got some really nice choice of good looking items that don’t have that “trying to hard to be cool” feel to them.

I know you want to make light, medium and heavy armor each feel unique but come on, you could give us something more then kitten/kitten items or some overdoing it, spikes and skulls wanna be kitten gear…

You’ve got a great point to make. There’s also a nicer way of saying it that doesn’t refer to women who wear such clothes as what you’ve said in your topic title.

The issue of clothing options per gender is a pretty big discussion point across the forums here. The imbalance between males and females needs to be corrected, and this game has the potential to be a leader in this area.

There’s an amazing video I saw last night that was so well made and spoken:
http://youtu.be/j68VtAJWQtA

Also a great blogger I like to follow named Anita Sarkeesian will be doing a project on women in video games. Her awesome blogs are at https://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency

Edit: Here’s a summary of what I believe about the issue. I’m adding this here after two pages of discussion and communication:

• Male avatars should have the options for as much freedom of expression as female avatars have in the costumes available.
• This freedom, which is great for both genders, encourages role play, creativity, ownership, and investment in ones characters.
• Such freedom sends the message from the developers that they are conscious of and welcoming to a wide and diverse community and playerbase.
• There exists an imbalance in GW2 in the ways players can express themselves through their avatars and their gear appearance options, primarily that males have far fewer options than females to wear revealing clothes.
• This imbalance is even clearer when some outfits are quite identical between males and females but others are very needlessly different.
• Maintaining this imbalance sends an implicit message that the game’s creators sees men and women as different, and that men and women should have different rights or freedoms (these differences in rights and freedoms should be mostly irrelevant in 2013).
• Individual staff at Arena Net may not believe these things, but this is the message implicit in the options given to players.
• I want Arena Net to give players these freedoms to express themselves through male avatars as easily and in the same number of ways they can with female avatars
• I’ve been trying to make my point in the wrong thread! :\

It’s great that we argue equality and that we constantly strive for it in society. It’s good that we take that to games such as GW2 and apply it to fashion within the game.

Biological Psychology also demonstrates that while there are societal influences which can help determine people’s behaviour. People are also hardwired to behave and respond in particular ways.

It’s important to ask for balance with regards to GW2 fashion and great that we have those conversations and while that process is important, its important to understand you’re never going to get balance. Concurrently we have to avoid forcing our views onto other people. As such you have to allow people the space to wear what they want within the realms of GW2.

It’s better to ask what you would like from ArenaNet for yourself. Rather than telling them what they should be doing for other people.

SoPP.7034:

It’s great that we argue equality and that we constantly strive for it in society……..

……ask what you would like from ArenaNet for yourself. Rather than telling them what they should be doing for other people.

This. Some players don’t like the current set of female clothes, but there are also a lot of players that do like them. A wider variety of clothing could satisfy the fassion needs of every player without cutting back on the current set of armors.

It’s embarrassing as an adult playing this game to get intellectual friends to take it seriously when female characters are portrayed in such an overtly sexualised manner.
For all of the excellent work done in creating female Charr, it’s all undone by the sheer quantity of boob holes, bared midriffs / legs and even open crotch dresses.
It’s a farce and it dehumanises women. Worse, I worry that it reinforces behavioural patterns that women are having to fight against on a daily basis at the moment. Every day women are told that they’re only at their best if they’re buying the best clothes / perfume / accessories / cosmetics and that they NEED to look sexually alluring if they’re to be successful, and this game does nothing to stop that being the case.

The community really doesn’t help either and shows a worrying tendency to get aggressive when anyone even attempts to hint that the way women are being portrayed in games might be chauvinistic, misogynistic and demeaning.

Heck, you’ll even get people attempting to justify these portrayals by saying “But women artists worked on these portrayals, therefore it must be okay”.

No it really isn’t.
Grow up gaming.
People are people, not objects to be lusted after, owned and dismissed.

Mungrul.9358:

It’s embarrassing as an adult playing this game to get intellectual friends to take it seriously when female characters are portrayed in such an overtly sexualised manner.

It’s a farce and it dehumanises women.

women are being portrayed in games might be chauvinistic, misogynistic and demeaning.

People are people, not objects to be lusted after, owned and dismissed.

…..Really? It’s just a video game, calm down.

Look, I understand your views, but you have to understand that Arenanet meant no offend with this. No one included those particulair armors/dresses to demean, insult or even dehumanize anyone.

Strange how my female friends don’t seem to have a problem with the skimpy armour in this game. Guess they’re just normal human beings rather than pseudo-intellectuals.

I detect a little Jack Thompson in Mungrel there so I’ll leave that post well enough alone . However I will say this I think they have a very good mix of both armors that cover one up and somewhat more revealing sets . Heck there’s one light armor set that makes you look like Maleficent why not go for that ?

…and there you have it. Three immediate responses justifying this institutionalised sexism, not even seeing it as a problem and attempting to belittle my character in order to make my viewpoint null & void. Ad hominem at its finest.

I see you failed to address the little fact that I have female friends who don’t have a problem with the armour in this game. If they haven’t got a problem with it (and yes, they play the bloody game), why should you?

This again? OP wandered into a town and saw all light wearers in skimpy armor…
Just because everyone wears it doesn’t mean it’s the only armors that exists…it just means people made a choice…

Again…take a look at the link below
http://www.gw2armor.com/human/female/light_list.php
plenty of covering options there…

First of all, I do not find outfits that show skin “whorry” and I find the use of that word quite rude. I am a woman who personally finds certain skin showing aesthetic nice looking, beautiful, and even at times classy.

Secondly, I DO understand your complaint. Some people find outfits that do not show an excessive amount of skin far more beautiful and would like to see their characters in it. There should be more options for this. Everyone has their own tastes, and I personally would love to see something beautiful for light armor that is not revealing. one thing I love about this game is the amount of different armor looks and the ability to mix and match, but it is true that for female norns/humans there is an excessive amount of skin exposure clothing. Maybe if enough people show interest in new less revealing outfits ANET will put them in. Here’s hoping.

Also, seriously guys? Mungrul made some good points. Gaming culture does still have issues with portraying sexuality and “dehumanizing women.” It is a sensitive subject and should be taken seriously. Now, I do respectfully disagree that the outfits are oversexualizing the characters and hence making it hard to take them seriously (with the exception of a few outfits I’ve seen). I don’t think that a lot of the outfits are that bad, in fact I find a lot of them rather pretty or cool looking. Maybe it is sending the wrong message that you have to be pretty to be a hardened warrior but I also don’t compare my own life and actual reality to what is in a video game so it’s never bothered me. I know there are people that do, and they project their fantasy selves into game but this can be a healthy thing. Video games are a way for people to do things in a controlled environment that does not hurt the people in the real world and satisfies whatever itch any individual many have. Would I dress in the outfit my Elementalist has on right now? No. But I like the fact that I can run around in this outfit on a computer screen and not be judged.

uknortherner.2670:

I see you failed to address the little fact that I have female friends who don’t have a problem with the armour in this game. If they haven’t got a problem with it (and yes, they play the bloody game), why should you?

Hearsay and if you really want me to address it, if they really do feel that way, it’s the way society has programmed them to believe that they should see nothing wrong with being objectified.

Mungrul.9358:

uknortherner.2670:

I see you failed to address the little fact that I have female friends who don’t have a problem with the armour in this game. If they haven’t got a problem with it (and yes, they play the bloody game), why should you?

Hearsay and if you really want me to address it, if they really do feel that way, it’s the way society has programmed them to believe that they should see nothing wrong with being objectified.

Ok, Uknortherner, not all women have the same opinion. Just because you have a lot of female friends that like the outfits, does not mean all women are fine with them.

Mungrel: as soon as we start defining ourselves by what we wear or like, we start dehumanizing ourselves. Just because a girl likes a skimpy outfit does not mean she is “programmed” to like anything, and is less of a woman for it.

Disig.7169:

Ok, Uknortherner, not all women have the same opinion. Just because you have a lot of female friends that like the outfits, does not mean all women are fine with them.

I never suggested otherwise. I was countering Mungrel’s suggestion that all women found the clothing offensive (and if they didn’t then they should), which they clearly don’t.

uknortherner.2670:

Disig.7169:

Ok, Uknortherner, not all women have the same opinion. Just because you have a lot of female friends that like the outfits, does not mean all women are fine with them.

I never suggested otherwise. I was countering Mungrel’s suggestion that all women found the clothing offensive (and if they didn’t then they should), which they clearly don’t.

Ah, I see, I did not notice she had said all. But yeah you are right, and I absolutely see nothing wrong with people liking how their character looks.

uknortherner.2670:

I see I am wasting my time debating this with you.

You wanted a response, I offered one.
I am inclined to bring out a stereotype against you based on your name to display exactly how society can program people to behave simply based on appearances.
uknortherner implies someone living north of Birmingham. Likely someone who eats a lot of fatty food, drinks excessively and is bigoted, uneducated and racist. Or on the flipside, a raging socialist who hated Thatcher, blames the Tories for destroying a way of life and plunging the north into poverty, wears a flatcap and has an unhealthy obsession with whippets. Probably smokes heavily too.

Chances are, you’re nothing like that, but popular media portrayals would have people believe “It’s grim up north” and that’s the way you are.

Now imagine the media is telling you every day you have to wear this particular blouse, those particular boots, you should smell a certain way and that you should paint your face daily and wear your hair a certain way in order to fit into society. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that you may begin to believe this is the way things should be?
Heck, parents start training you for it as soon as you’re born, dressing girls in pink and boys in blue.

Aren’t stereotypes fun?

Am I the only one who uses the transmutation stones if I don’t like a skin -.-
For real guys and girls >.>
ANet gave you the option to swap the skin of the armor. You want to run around like a kitten nun, no problems, find the set. You want to look more appealing – stones.
I don’t see why you are crying out. This is not Tera. You have options here.

You like medium armors? I dislike 90% of them because they are not appealing to me. Yet I transmute the crappy armors on my alts with the few ones that I like. Another activity I like to do is, mixing skins from different sets and retaining the bonus of the better gear. Aww Yeah!

Mungrul.9358:

uknortherner.2670:

I see I am wasting my time debating this with you.

You wanted a response, I offered one.
I am inclined to bring out a stereotype against you based on your name to display exactly how society can program people to behave simply based on appearances.
uknortherner implies someone living north of Birmingham. Likely someone who eats a lot of fatty food, drinks excessively and is bigoted, uneducated and racist. Or on the flipside, a raging socialist who hated Thatcher, blames the Tories for destroying a way of life and plunging the north into poverty, wears a flatcap and has an unhealthy obsession with whippets. Probably smokes heavily too.

Chances are, you’re nothing like that, but popular media portrayals would have people believe “It’s grim up north” and that’s the way you are.

Now imagine the media is telling you every day you have to wear this particular blouse, those particular boots, you should smell a certain way and that you should paint your face daily and wear your hair a certain way in order to fit into society. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that you may begin to believe this is the way things should be?
Heck, parents start training you for it as soon as you’re born, dressing girls in pink and boys in blue.

Aren’t stereotypes fun?

Mungrel, I hate to say it but I think you are misinterpreting him. He’s not saying this is how it should be, he is saying that yes, some girls like this.

Ravenmoon.5318:

Am I the only one who uses the transmutation stones if I don’t like a skin -.-
For real guys and girls >.>
ANet gave you the option to swap the skin of the armor. You want to run around like a kitten nun, no problems, find the set. You want to look more appealing – stones.
I don’t see why you are crying out. This is not Tera. You have options here.

You like medium armors? I dislike 90% of them because they are not appealing to me. Yet I transmute the crappy armors on my alts with the few ones that I like.

No of course not but let me give you some advice here…Dont tug on supermans cape,dont spit into the wind dont pull the mask of the old lone ranger and dont try and reason with Jack Thompson here

Disig.7169:

Mungrel, I hate to say it but I think you are misinterpreting him. He’s not saying this is how it should be, he is saying that yes, some girls like this.

Not misinterpreting him; just trying to explain how we’re led to believe things are the way the are and how our world view can be shaped by society.
I’d be interested to hear if his female friends thought that there was nothing wrong with the human female Masquerade set for example. If they honestly see nothing wrong with that, there’s something drastically wrong. It’s a blatant example of “Male Gaze” design.

Mungrul.9358:

Disig.7169:

Mungrel, I hate to say it but I think you are misinterpreting him. He’s not saying this is how it should be, he is saying that yes, some girls like this.

Not misinterpreting him; just trying to explain how we’re led to believe things are the way the are and how our world view can be shaped by society.
I’d be interested to hear if his female friends thought that there was nothing wrong with the human female Masquerade set for example. If they honestly see nothing wrong with that, there’s something drastically wrong. It’s a blatant example of “Male Gaze” design.

I Like that design (I am female), and several of my other female friends like it too. You ma’am are really super insulting women’s right to like whatever they like. You think it’s wrong that women like to see their characters online in an outfit that showed skin? How is this wrong? Who are you to judge those of us who happen to like to dress our avatars in different ways? If you read my earlier comments you’ll see that I said that defining a person by what they wear or like IS demeaning. You are demeaning those of us who happen to like that outfit.

Have you looked at the available armor sets? Like, most of them?
Admittedly, the starter light set stretches the definition of “dressed” pretty far, but for the most part GW2 armors are very modest.

Just to be clear and to illustrate what I am talking about, the attached is Masquerade armor.

It looks like lingerie.
My friend and I have nick-named it “The Porn Bo-Peep Look”.

I’m not saying ALL female armour is this bad, but that still doesn’t excuse these examples of exploitative design.

Mungrul.9358:

Just to be clear and to illustrate what I am talking about, the attached is Masquerade armor.

It looks like lingerie.
My friend and I have nick-named it “The Porn Bo-Peep Look”.

I’m not saying ALL female armour is this bad, but that still doesn’t excuse these examples of exploitative design.

Really? You don’t think I know what it looks like? One of my good female friends has her main character wearing it. I stand by my statements.

SoPP.7034:

It’s great that we argue equality and that we constantly strive for it in society. It’s good that we take that to games such as GW2 and apply it to fashion within the game.

Biological Psychology also demonstrates that while there are societal influences which can help determine people’s behaviour. People are also hardwired to behave and respond in particular ways.

It’s important to ask for balance with regards to GW2 fashion and great that we have those conversations and while that process is important, its important to understand you’re never going to get balance. Concurrently we have to avoid forcing our views onto other people. As such you have to allow people the space to wear what they want within the realms of GW2.

It’s better to ask what you would like from ArenaNet for yourself. Rather than telling them what they should be doing for other people.

I appreciate what you are saying here. I think I advocate mostly for a fair variety of clothing options (half or less being “skimpy”), and that this same variety exists for both female and male avatars. I’m glad to see that most, if not all, the NPCs are dressed for the context of story and world, and not for the context of a Earth 2000s club music video.

I’m am wondering what you mean by “Biological Psychology also demonstrates that while there are societal influences which can help determine people’s behaviour. People are also hardwired to behave and respond in particular ways.”. Where have you seen the research that demonstrates this “hardwiring”, and in what way are you using that to support your point?

Actually, most of the sets for Light armor cover more than they show… Not really sure where the gripe comes from.

I never understood why designers don’t do a little bit of everything when it comes to cloth armor. I mean, you’re not wearing it for protection, you’re wearing it for stats. You neither need to be dressed like a monk or wearing a bikini.

Personally, I thought Tera had some of the best light armor options I’ve ever seen. My sorcerer had everything from a pantsuit to a coctail dress. Nice change of pace from being forced to wear burlap sacks for years.

I’m a guy in this situation, but I thought I’d say something about this:

http://gw2armorgallery.com/human-light.htm
http://gw2armorgallery.com/human-medium.htm
http://gw2armorgallery.com/human-heavy.htm

The number of revealing armors is far less than the number of covering armors. The issue mainly is that everyone has a different sense of fashion, and more often than not, I see women (characters) wearing skimpy armor. Why? In their eyes, it looks good. Its all a matter of opinion, really. Light armor just happens to have the greatest amount of revealing armor. I don’t like that armors can be as skimpy as some are, I’m content knowing that there is enough for all. I’m just glad personasly that the male side of the spectrum does not suffer this issue. But I do see how all of your points make sense.

Well it’s just a game and some revealing clothes look really cool, the masquerade one looks stupid IMO but whatever. I for example have two female character’s, one is a theif who has the famous underboob armor and the other is wearing full non revealing plate, I just think each set looks cool for their specific class revealing or not.

Truth be told many women aren’t build to wear the skimpy clothes you see in this game the female and male avatars in this game aren’t reflective on the looks of actual human beings. They’re our notion of what we find powerful/attractive/perfection.

I think the perspective of this thread is backwards. We need more male armor to make them look like strippers.

My charr needs more sex appeal :P

Leo G.4501:

I think the perspective of this thread is backwards. We need more male armor to make them look like strippers.

My charr needs more sex appeal :P

Oh gods no. May Grenth have mercy on us should that happen.

Ravenmoon.5318:

Am I the only one who uses the transmutation stones if I don’t like a skin -.-

I use them constantly. The look I have is a mix of Invader armor and the legging of Plated armor. Now I’m just looking for better stats which reflect my playstyle and I transmute the look over my new armor piece.

Leo G.4501:

I think the perspective of this thread is backwards. We need more male armor to make them look like strippers.

My charr needs more sex appeal :P

Don’t we have the Pit Fighter armor already? lol

I think the human female light armors look great i like most of them but I’m a man.

Maybe a better title for this thread would be “more spiky/dangerous looking gear”? I fail to see how anet is not balancing the variety of gear that is covered vs skimpy since the majority of the gear is non-revealing.

@Mungrul.9358
Saying that skimpy clothes are dehumanizing is because media influenced you. Let’s face it. If media didn’t say skimpy clothes were sexual, would we think it? If we take a look at people in near the equator, you can sure say they wear “skimpy” clothes or little clothes. What about the designers and artists who make those clothes? Do you think all of them want their clothes to be think that or did they want it to be seen as art? Just wearing skimpy doesn’t mean they’re being a sexual object at all. Instead, you should look at the person’s intent and purpose before judging them. Never judge a book by its cover, right?

Btw, the Masquerade set doesn’t look like “porn bo-peep” at all to me lol. It’s just your perspective influenced by what you been exposed to and your own values. Now, would I like people wearing these clothes in real life? Not really because they’re not running around shooting spells and saving a fantasy world from monsters, but I would admire the art of fashion if they did it for a fashion show. At least on my characters, it feels like a fashion set that exhibit my character’s beauty style and power.

Atlas.9704:

Don’t we have the Pit Fighter armor already? lol

Have it.

For heavy, you have pit fighter 1 that shows some torso and leg, then pit fighter 2, gladiator and barbaric that show some torso for heavy armor. In light armor, you have a set that is not available outside of PvP that shows a good amount of torso and leg, tactical that shows off leg, feathered (which looks god awful, IMO) that shows off some torso, then masquerade and cultural tier 1 that shows off leg. And medium…the best you’re going to get is showing off some arm.

I fit all the revealing armor in 1 little paragraph ( 9 armors in total) and since charr wear the same thing for male and female, you’re not left with many options.

There are a lot of sets to choose from, but each class has it’s foibles.
For cloth it’s not really a matter of covers vs doesn’t cover, it’s a matter of a lot of them looking like they were hacked out of somebody’s drapes (sorry, no offense meant to the designers), and the alternatives being on the less existent side.

I wear the Winged set (but don’t display the head/shoulders). Why? Not because it’s skimpy, but because it’s richly detailed and has a very elegant feel to it, despite being skimpy. I’d much rather it covered like the asuran version of the same, just without losing the level of detail.
I was rather disgruntled leveling tailor to discover the Feathered set, but figured eh no worries I’ll just craft the rare set and be done with it. Only to be further disgruntled to find that was the Masquerade set -.-
Neither Feathered nor Masquerade fits into an aesthetic I like, but if people want to wear them fine, great even, less people wearing the same thing as me. Also, the lvl40 crafted Acolyte set is pretty decent, and the way the dye zones work out you can dye just the fingers of the gloves so my necro looks like her fingers are dipped in blood

For medium it’s trenchcoat vs …well, trenchcoats for the most part. There are only a handful of non-trenchcoat sets. Rawhide, Duelest, Studded, and some of the culteral stuff, so really there your options are trenchcoat, beginner set, or sleek/sexy set.
I don’t mind the trenchcoats so much myself so I use the Noble, Pirate, and Heritage sets.

For heavy it’s that most of them look overly bulky, just look at the Plated set.
I like the Heavy Plate set, because without Head/Shoulders it’s not too bulky but still has a good look (as a bonus I hardly ever see anyone else wearing it)

Leo G.4501:

I think the perspective of this thread is backwards. We need more male armor to make them look like strippers.

My charr needs more sex appeal :P

While hoping to god that the last sentence is a joke, I wouldn’t mind this.

And for the OP – norn wearing “skimpy” clothing makes sense. They’re norn. Their lore demands that they have little clothing – both male and female. Why? Their bodies produce large amounts of body heat, which allows them to survive in cold climates despite their lack of fur or blubber. And in turn, they also tend to wear few clothing or armor (the latter is more about them being kittenes though).

If you ask me, there are too few skin-showing armors when it comes to norn – especially male of any class. Though this fault comes from how all races share the same design with little modifications to fit their race’s physique.

I wouldn’t mind a few less “skimpy” armors in light, but I don’t think that there’s too many or that having some is an issue.

Just so long as you don’t go giving charr females tutus, or gods forbid, giving male charrs some speedos.

There are very little revealing armors in comparison to the non revealing armors for females. Other than that hard to take a thread seriously when the Author can’t even spell out please in a proper way.

uknortherner.2670:

I see you failed to address the little fact that I have female friends who don’t have a problem with the armour in this game. If they haven’t got a problem with it (and yes, they play the bloody game), why should you?

Wait, so you’re saying these female friends of yours get to decide other people’s desires in armor skins?

Edit: hey, you know what? I’d like a skimpy male armor skin, just like the women get. Is it a valid concern now?

Mungrul.9358:

Just to be clear and to illustrate what I am talking about, the attached is Masquerade armor.

This argument is much clearer when you look through the armour and find the revealing female armours. Then look at the male equivalent, and notice what skin isn’t showing.
Some examples attached. Mouse over for the armour names, you’ll see they are in pairs.

This discussion is about the clear argument that a chainmail on a female should be identical to a that of a male, with space for breasts. There’s no magical reason for it to become a bikini.

The exact same goes for weapons. If weapons had different skins based on the gender of the character then these forums would be on fire and the producers would be slammed up and down the blog’o’sphere.

Unfortunately, chainmail bikinis were established in a few games, then the wrong/irrationality/immorality was repeated and it becomes accepted both to a majority of the playerbase and the producers who permit their marketing departments to sell the sex of women in images.

The issue of magical bikinis would not be a problem to me personally if there were as many platemail corsets that became magical speedos for men. We could then look at the GW2 armour gallery and see as many revealing male armours as female, even if they weren’t always in the same pairs. We would laugh at this crazy magic and see that it has nothing to do with men and women but instead is about us as adults and teens.
But that is not the case. It is women who are clearly sexualised more than men here.

Note: The Medium and Heavy armours are actually fantastic for not having the chainmail bikini phenomenon (in most cases, not all). It’s really quite remarkable how well the armours are mirrored between the genders again and again. Even Norn heavy armors do not show this “body heat” argument given above.
It seems this issue is clearest and strongest in the Light armour category (which has some excellent mirroring, but still begs the question why why why? We have a costume slot that could be used for skimpy outfits for both males and females equally (because someone says it’s important to have skimpiness in the game). Have you seen the “Temple” armour??? And yet they were so good with the other two armour types!)

I made a point of posting the examples above that show the disparity between males and females in the way armours are drawn for each.
Now I want to show the places where this was done really well by Anet. In these examples you can see how the armour is mirrored brilliantly between the two models. You can almost imagine that these two characters picked up the same outfit from the ground and put it on (hip, shoulder, and chest width exceptions reasonably applied).

Looking through these great examples of gender balance shows how both male and female fighters can protect themselves to the same extent. It says that if skimpiness in appearance is desired, it can be made available for both females and males.

It also says that such skimpiness does not need to exist in the armour slots, that these things could be perfectly available through the town clothes slots (if/when they fix it so you change costume when YOU want rather than when the game says so).
It makes me wonder if dungeon armour sets could come with an armour option as well as a town clothes/costume option. That is, for every dungeon, karma, and cultural tier they could add a town clothes option that shows the skimpier version so that there are ‘heavy clothed ’ and ’light clothed’ options for all the fashion categories.

Erm, I highly doubt comparing women and men clothes is a good way to prove that the gear is sexualized for women.

Why? It’s simple. Ask yourself, why can’t women go bare-shirt like men do at the beach? If they do, they’re considered stripping. So, who came up with the idea that women and men should dress differently and cover different parts? No one specifically except human culture over the past many years. There’s no “logical” reason to cover up any part of a human based on gender. It’s something from culture. Now, remember if we take into account many cases in history, women covered up more than men because men wanted them to cover up, to lower the chance of being “seduced”. (I’m generalizing this).

“Sexualized” clothing is completely your own perspective, which may be influenced heavily by culture, media, and everything around you.

That’s why it makes no sense to compare between male and female clothes. They’re always going to be different because male and female generally have different tastes and style.

And also, I’m totally against sexualized views of women. It’s wrong in my books. But as far as the gear choice goes in GW2, I’d say it offers enough variety of “skimpy” and “non-skimpy” clothes. I view the “skimpy” clothes as artistic and stylish though and see them as an expression of creativity.

Btw, skimpy clothes on male characters reminds me of Barbarian in Diablo III :P, and that stuff makes your character look pretty mean and dangerous. Why can’t the same work for female? Can’t there be a fierce and low cloth female? I say blame the media and culture for implying women wearing little clothes improper.

I’m not against having skimpy armor for either male or female characters, if that’s what the player desires. I simply believe there should be adequate options for both modest and skimpy clothing, and I do agree there is some disparity when it comes to Light female armor.

Having to create skimpy and non-skimpy versions of each armor would be far too time-consuming, however. A better way would be to divorce the appearance of armor from its stats altogether by creating an “Armor Wardrobe” where you can choose the appearance of your armor and apply it to your current armor.

uknortherner.2670:

Strange how my female friends don’t seem to have a problem with the skimpy armour in this game. Guess they’re just normal human beings rather than pseudo-intellectuals.

I’m a female gamer and I DO have a problem with it. Your female friends do not account for all female gamers. Also, your assertion that only “abnormal people” care about this issue is completely false, and quite frankly, it makes you look like a fool.

If this issue doesn’t bother you, that’s okay. But when you try to put down the issue, or put down the people who care, THAT is not okay. If you don’t care, don’t pay attention.

As for female armor, the problem is that the male version of an armor set is modest, while the female version of the EXACT SAME armor set is skimpy.

Skimpy female armor is OK, but ONLY if armor sets are the same for men and women. If the woman gets a metal bikini, the man should get a metal codpiece or a loincloth. As it is, it sends the message that women are only important if they are using their bodies to please men.

To the original poster and all those who jumped on this bandwagon, I’d like to start out with, where in the english dictionary is “plox”? To start a complaint you should make sure your every word is well thought out and it helps if they are actually words. Your view on how revealing the armor is, is probably very important to you, but seeing how the world of GW is their (the developers) vision and not yours (unless you just happen to be on the development team) then what ever attire they choose for the classes to wear and how they look are completely up to them. It’s like reading a fantasy book that describes a cultures clothing as being revealing and risque (the authors vision) and then writing a review complaining about that aspect of the story. You could try and find yourself other skins, I promise you there are others that cover the entire female body, and yes on Norns. Maybe next time you should just simply request other skins rather than ranting and expressing your ignorance.

Zaxares.5419:

Having to create skimpy and non-skimpy versions of each armor would be far too time-consuming, however. A better way would be to divorce the appearance of armor from its stats altogether by creating an “Armor Wardrobe” where you can choose the appearance of your armor and apply it to your current armor.

I’ve just posted an idea for this here: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Advanced-Gear-and-Appearance-Options/first#post1283611

It’d mean people could pursue more appearance options, and make their appearance suit their context better, whatever that means to them. Being able to customise your appearance AND have a variety of options available in-the-moment would be great for allowing people to play to their own tastes.

I like your use of plox so sure bring on the new armor.

pretty sure the options non-skimpy outfits far outnumber those that are.

There needs to be a topic requesting less lame looking male clothes, since GW2 portrays a lot of really lame looking male outfits, and that is offensive.