Guild Wars 2

I recently bought GuildWars, and have been loving the experience. Last night, I decided to make a new character. I had this great visual for a Norn female necromancer.

I was embarrassed by the uber-kittently outfit the game wants to start the character in. I don’t mind the sexy outfits available for female characters, but I was bothered that I had to start the game in one.

kittenty female armor is a staple in fantasy games, so I am not suggesting getting rid of all overly-revealing armor for female characters. I am suggesting that maybe the starting gear shouldn’t be on of the more ridiculous.

I understand that I can buy decent (and more practical looking) armor almost immediately, so the starting armor isn’t going to prevent me from playing. It is, however, deterring my wife.

I wonder how many other people are so turned off by that starting gear that they can’t play the game?

Just a thought.

Thanks.

Think of it in terms of character progression as you level your gear starts to get more intricate and more cloth/detail is used. I can’t say I ever thought of it as the sexy staple, nor was I ever bothered by it or looked at it as something that would stop me from playing.

If your wife is deterred get her to understand there are many other armor sets to choose from and you can buy (or recieve from zone completion) transmutation stones to make one piece of armor look like another. In the end if that doesn’t work point her towards the asura. They use the male armor model so they are ‘usually’ more covered.

I did recently try to create an older looking, distinguished witch character and the frilly armor looked absurd on her. Of course the lack of old faces made it a difficult endeavor to begin with.

Your wife isn’t alone. It took me a long time to roll a light armor profession because of the starting armor, and when I showed a friend it actually turned them off playing the game at all. Unfortunately some people don’t have anyone to tell them there’s better stuff out there, and it also makes a statement about what the game WANTS you to see as light armor, ie. little frilly skirt with wedding garter.

Considering there’s a lot of non-ridiculous armor later on, I don’t know why this starting armor was chosen.

There was a lot of discussion, mostly negative, about this starting armor when the game launched. Most people have way out leveled it so its no longer a consideration.

One thing you can do is get the transmutation stones from fully exploring areas, including cities, or you can buy them from the gem store.Then check the armor in the trading post, you can preview it to see what it looks like. Buy a look you like then transmute the look. Under level 80 use the yellow stones and level 80 uses white stones (or crystals). So check and make sure the armor level is appropriate to the T stones you have.

There is also karma armor that various heart venders sale. But you have to be able to get to them. Might be difficult at low level.

The Asura starting armor, for female and male, are not ridiculous like this at all. However, you would be hardpressed to find an abundance of feminine armors for our poor Asura. Anyway, my point is, she could roll and Asura! (Or a Charr, I think, for that matter…)

This is by far my biggest issue with Guild Wars 2. I really enjoy the game but how the video game industry portrays women in general is terrible and I expect more. I have no issue with skimpy armor existing, but for it to be the rule and not the exception is simply demeaning. It hinders Guild Wars as an otherwise good work of art and entertainment, and it hinders the entire video game industry by reinforcing the stereotype that video games are mindless and only made for adolescent boys. This issue really bothers me even as a man. Anet, if you are reading this I believe you have a moral obligation to do better.

That said I love Guild Wars and will try to look past female armor.

I could see why the starter light armor for female humans/sylvari/norn would be off-putting for some people.

It honestly doesn’t bother me (although I think the garter’s an odd choice), but I would’ve expected the starter armors to be something a tad more nondescript so that the player could then choose what direction they wanted to take their character’s armor.

Would be nice if anet allowed the players to chose 1-3 options for their armor during character creation.

1- Current Skins
2- A modest less revealing skins
3- Conservative "proper fancy " type of skins victorian style or so

It always stuck me as inappropriate. Seeing a huge female Norn Necromancer jogging by in a miniskirt, that shows her underwear, and a garter belt is jarring. I had the Hall of Monuments. As soon as I got out of the starter instance I went there and got something more appropriate.

Really don’t like that starting armour, personally I think it makes your char look a bit well…stripperish. One of the reason’s I made my Ele a Charr.(Besides there awesomeness)
Really wish that they gave you a choice of like 3 different skins or something. Like a skimpy outfit, in between, and fully clothed.

Don’t make a human/norn then? Really you wear starting outfit for like 10 minutes and its replaced.

Conan.8046:

Don’t make a human/norn then? Really you wear starting outfit for like 10 minutes and its replaced.

Human/Norn/Sylvari. 3 of the 5 races.

And people starting out aren’t going to know where to go to get new armor so it’s more than 10 minutes.

also don’t play a race because their women don’t wear clothes is not a solution.
it is also strange that to be covered you have to wear male armors like charrs and asuras do.