If the armors are not being purposed for a significant character, they will almost invariably be modeled for humans, exported to Charr, and come with all the features thereof. Stretching. Clipping. Removal of horns. It’s almost impossible to find any armor or any combination of Charr armors without these things. And that’s where the laziness comes in. Anet has shown no signs of improving these things, and continues to release stretched models, clipping, and other designs that clearly show undue lack of care for the Charr. Remember how I excluded Citadel of Flame armor from the list of armors designed for Charr? That’s because it wasn’t. Ironically, it’s one the Charr’s worst armor sets. Consider the first argument, and you realize that no Charr would ever be caught dead wearing anything relating them to the Flame Legion. Consider the second, and you realize just how foolish and lazy the design is. This is a set of armor designed by a Legion of Charr, for a Legion of Charr, and yet it comes with some of the most obvious stretching and clipping issues in the game. The outfits don’t even have slots for a tail, and they were designed for Charr. It’s indicative of how little Anet cares to treat the Charr and their armor with due consideration, and another example of how the designs and implementation of our armor falls dead last on their list of priorities.
So, where does the Radiant Helm fit into all of this?
Here’s what my Charr looks like without the helmet on:
( http://i.imgur.com/BYyey7N.jpg )
And here’s what he looks like with it on:
( http://i.imgur.com/grFY2N5.jpg )
Absent: Horns, ears, mane, dignity.
On a general level, I wasn’t going to get the Radiant Helm anyway. Sans that fact I’m short a few achievement points, it’s too bright for my tastes. Of course, this isn’t about that. This is such an extreme level of laziness and lack of care that I can’t even be mad, I’m simply impressed. This is a helmet that I’m guessing a very small proportion of the population has even dedicated enough time into the game to receive yet. It’s supposed to be prestigious. On Charr, it’s anything but. I have absolutely no doubt that whoever was tasked with modelling this helm simply took the helm for the humans, and placed it right on the Charr’s head without even a thought that, culture and anatomy argument aside, it might be both ugly and uncaring to not even make an attempt to preserve the ears and horns of the character. Of course, I don’t blame the modeler – this has been the precedent since the beginning. And that’s what this is about.
So the helm looks awful, just don’t wear it, right? Of course, and that’s the plan. But here’s the problem: this sets a whole new precedent for laziness when it comes to modelling armor and putting even a trace amount of care into crafting a quality product. That’s what this is all about. As I said, it’s no secret that Charr get the short end of the armor stick, but this takes it to such a high degree that I can’t help but worry for the future of Charr armor. This isn’t an isolated incident being extrapolated by a slippery slope argument – it’s a continuing decline in quality that is the basis for why I and many other Charr players feel that Anet simply does not care.
And that’s why I made this post. I have my completed Armor set for my guardian, and have had it for months without incentive or good reason to change. Many other Charr players probably care less than me about how their armor looks, and I wish I could have that level of indifference. I’m making this post because I think the Radiant Helm represents an unacceptable decline in quality that crosses a line Anet should have stayed well above, and someone had to say something. In the grand scheme of things, is it a big deal? Not really. There’s a whole game with lots of other issues to worry about. However, this is an issue that’s very close to a race and a community that I very much enjoy, and to see things like this completely frustrates me. It’s my hope that there’s at least one person at Anet who it frustrates as well, who might be able to have a say. Not for the helmet, but for the future of Charr armor, the quality of the armor of other races, and the quality of armor for races to come. The Charr community already has no hope for good looking armor unless we get new cultural sets, and I can’t imagine the same is untrue for any potential future races if they happen – Tengu, Quaggan, Skritt, what have you. For their benefit as well, someone needs to start caring.
tl;dr – Disconnected Developer. Discontent Charr.