First Wallpapers for the Next Tomb Raider Game Unveiled as Crystal Dynamics Rolls Out Society of Raiders Fan Page

[Grimlakin]

Welcome to our freaking future:

Full text of "Harrison Bergeron (& Activity)"

It's a short story where people that were 'above average' had to wear devices that made them 'average'. Just like everyone else. To be better than was a criminal act.

That's where we're freaking headed at this rate. I agree with MadMummy we need to celebrate and support those who rise above. Just as long as it isn't my stepping on those below.

 

[MadMummy76]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Sure, but there are universal standards of beauty which will appeal to most warm blooded men.

You have to be willfully blind to not notice that in the last roughly 10 years give or take many prominent female videogame characters have been deliberately designed to be less attractive to a male audience.

And when a game actually tries to create a character without that treatment, all hell breaks loose and people are trying to cancel the game for it. I'm talking about Stellar Blade. Which was labelled as controversial and even outright porn, just because the main female protagonist is attractive.

 

[DrezKill]

You have to be willfully blind to not notice that in the last roughly 10 years give or take many prominent female videogame characters have been deliberately designed to be less attractive to a male audience.

Didn't that happen with Lara Croft when going from TR 2013 to RotTR and then Shadow of the TR? Although it's kinda funny, cuz I seem to recall that 8th-gen consoles got an updated version of TR 2013 where they re-modeled the character after a real model and actually tried to make her prettier. I don't recall the actual details. I just remember that PC wasn't getting that update. I'm sure community mods handled it though.

I don't really care which way devs roll with it. It's cool if they make them attractive, but it wouldn't stop me from enjoying the game if the character was ugly. What I care about is the gameplay. I think Aloy in HZD was pretty ugly, but I still enjoyed the game just fine. Wouldn't have made a difference if she was prettier or even uglier. Prettier doesn't matter cuz it's kinda hard for me to be attracted to a fake video game woman that is just a polygonal 3D model with a rigged animation skeleton and textures applied to it anyways.

And when a game actually tries to create a character without that treatment, all hell breaks loose and people are trying to cancel the game for it. I'm talking about Stellar Blade. Which was labelled as controversial and even outright porn, just because the main female protagonist is attractive.

I was gonna mention that very same game. Cuz I seemed to recall that there were complaints that the main character's body was unrealistic, and then the devs showed how they 3D-scanned an actual real-life human model's body to create the main character's 3D model. Which is f*cking hilarious, cuz then what do those people have to say?

 

[MadMummy76]

Didn't that happen with Lara Croft when going from TR 2013 to RotTR and then Shadow of the TR? Although it's kinda funny, cuz I seem to recall that 8th-gen consoles got an updated version of TR 2013 where they re-modeled the character after a real model and actually tried to make her prettier. I don't recall the actual details. I just remember that PC wasn't getting that update. I'm sure community mods handled it though.

I don't recall hearing this. TR2013 was a reboot so it made sense to have a different looking character, there were some odd complaints that her boobs were too small, but if that's the only metric someone measures beauty by then they are actually in the wrong.

I think the then new Lara Croft design was pretty good, I detected no signs of deliberate uglification.

I don't really care which way devs roll with it. It's cool if they make them attractive, but it wouldn't stop me from enjoying the game if the character was ugly.

Even if you can force yourself to play with an unattractive character, it is simply human nature to empathize more with a character that you find attractive, hence elevating the whole experience. So I think unattractive characters make games objectively worse.

What I care about is the gameplay. I think Aloy in HZD was pretty ugly, but I still enjoyed the game just fine. Wouldn't have made a difference if she was prettier or even uglier. Prettier doesn't matter cuz it's kinda hard for me to be attracted to a fake video game woman that is just a polygonal 3D model with a rigged animation skeleton and textures applied to it anyways.

Gameplay is only a tiny fraction of the overall experience. I'd sooner play and enjoy a game with bad gameplay but a good story and characters, than a game with flawless gameplay design but a lackluster story and cast.

My conscious mind might be aware that it is all fake, but I still get excited and feel emotions when playing games, because of the unconscious mind. Why do you care about movies then, those are all fake characters, enhanced by wire-work, stunt doubles and CGI?

I was gonna mention that very same game. Cuz I seemed to recall that there were complaints that the main character's body was unrealistic, and then the devs showed how they 3D-scanned an actual real-life human model's body to create the main character's 3D model. Which is f*cking hilarious, cuz then what do those people have to say?

It's impossible to reason with these people. Most usually they turn out to be the greatest hypocrites of all, actually secretly enjoying what they condemn in public.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

The only thing sad here is only being able to enjoy a game who's characters someone finds attractive.

Go outside.

 

[Grimlakin]

The only thing sad here is only being able to enjoy a game who's characters someone finds attractive.

Go outside.

Meh hot characters of either sex still add to the fun.

 

[Riccochet]

the woke nonsense kills everything it touches. Started with E3 when they removed the booth babes and it died off quickly after. Any game, tv show, movie, whatever gets wokedified turns to trash.

When will people learn?

 

[Endgame]

the woke nonsense kills everything it touches. Started with E3 when they removed the booth babes and it died off quickly after. Any game, tv show, movie, whatever gets wokedified turns to trash.

When will people learn?

If the only thing keeping E3 alive was the booth babes, it deserved to die.

 

[MadMummy76]

The only thing sad here is only being able to enjoy a game who's characters someone finds attractive.

Strawman argument notwithstanding, what would actually be sad is if I stopped caring about beauty and aesthetics.

Go outside.

Why does this topic offend you so much? I'm truly curious.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Strawman argument notwithstanding, what would actually be sad is if I stopped caring about beauty and aesthetics.

I'd hate to be your friend, unless I was beautiful or handsome. Clearly if I was neither of those you'd have zero symphony for me.

Why does this topic offend you so much? I'm truly curious.

Oh I don't find anything offending. I think it's comical that grown men can't enjoy a video game unless their virtual character is "sexy." Haha

 

[MadMummy76]

If the only thing keeping E3 alive was the booth babes, it deserved to die.

I think said booth babes would disagree, that gig was supplementing their income, and I think most of them enjoyed doing it. Same thing happened to grid girls. I find it kind of ironic that they would call us misogynists when it is the progressive ideology that is making attractive women persona non gratae.

 

[MadMummy76]

I'd hate to be your friend, unless I was beautiful or handsome. Clearly if I was neither of those you'd have zero symphony for me

Are you a videogame character? I thought we were talking about those. Also where did I say that I have zero sympathy for ugly characters? I said it is easier to sympathize with a character who is attractive.

Oh I don't find anything offending. I think it's comical that grown men can't enjoy a video game unless their virtual character is "sexy." Haha

Your attitude says otherwise, I mean you can't even engage properly with what I wrote instead you are coming back with non-sequiturs and strawmans.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Are you a videogame character? I thought we were talking about those. Also where did I say that I have zero sympathy for ugly characters? I said it is easier to sympathize with a character who is attractive.

Your attitude says otherwise, I mean you can't even engage properly with what I wrote instead you are coming back with non-sequiturs and strawmans.

Sure.

You see, this is the same as the people who claim video characters are overly sexualized and want to do away with it.

That gate swings both says. I couldn't care less about either one, but I do find both sides of the argument quiet engaging and amusing.

 

[Endgame]

I think said booth babes would disagree, that gig was supplementing their income, and I think most of them enjoyed doing it. Same thing happened to grid girls. I find it kind of ironic that they would call us misogynists when it is the progressive ideology that is making attractive women persona non gratae.

E3 wasn't supposed to be bikini-con. If the models want that work, it's out there for them. If the event couldn't stand on actually being about games, then it wasn't a worthy event in the first place

 

[Grimlakin]

A large part of events like that are the perks that go with the event. Like professional conventions. The perks are the booths and the schwag you can get when attending. Also the presentation and accelerated training and such. But it all adds value.

Have a convention and have crap perks like **** food and such. People won't attend. The booth babes were part of the 'fun' or the 'crazy' of the event on top of the actual content.

If you think Penny Arcade con's don't have a laundry list of 'perks' as well... well I would say you're mistaken.

 

[DrezKill]

Gameplay is only a tiny fraction of the overall experience. I'd sooner play and enjoy a game with bad gameplay but a good story and characters, than a game with flawless gameplay design but a lackluster story and cast.

For me gameplay is pretty much everything. That's why I play video games. If I wanted to focus on the other stuff, passive media is good enough for that. The whole point of video games is the playing part. If the gameplay sucks, then f*ck how good the rest of the game is.

I don't recall hearing this.
...I think the then new Lara Croft design was pretty good, I detected no signs of deliberate uglification.

I meant after TR 2013. I remember hearing complaints that in RotTR and Shadow of the TR she was made uglier than she was in TR 2013.

Why do you care about movies then, those are all fake characters, enhanced by wire-work, stunt doubles and CGI?

But the women are real though. Those actresses actually exist.

EDIT:

Same thing happened to grid girls.

Another sad loss. What is the world coming to?

 

[Ditchinit]

For me gameplay is pretty much everything. That's why I play video games. If I wanted to focus on the other stuff, passive media is good enough for that. The whole point of video games is the playing part. If the gameplay sucks, then f*ck how good the rest of the game is.

This.

 

[MadMummy76]

Sure.

You see, this is the same as the people who claim video characters are overly sexualized and want to do away with it.

That gate swings both says. I couldn't care less about either one, but I do find both sides of the argument quiet engaging and amusing.

You offered no argument, apart from a strawman and a non-sequitor, and now you try and play the "I'm better than you" card? Please. What makes you better? Not caring about how people are depicted in games? You say you don't care, but demonstrate a whole lot of care by stooping to insults like "sad" etc.

But I'm not holding a grudge, if you actually want to engage with the points I made, and not some strawman, I'm still willing to talk like adults.

E3 wasn't supposed to be bikini-con. If the models want that work, it's out there for them. If the event couldn't stand on actually being about games, then it wasn't a worthy event in the first place

No, it is not supposed to be, neither are car shows, or other conventions. The booth babes and various dance shows were just part of the experience, an additional bonus to make people want to attend in person. Take that away, less people will want to attend, lower attendance means next year less exhibitors will think it's worth the hassle, until eventually it all collapses.

And the claim that it was sexist because it only catered to men is also incorrect. It catered to men because 99% of attendees were male, so who else would they cater to?

 

[MadMummy76]

For me gameplay is pretty much everything. That's why I play video games. If I wanted to focus on the other stuff, passive media is good enough for that. The whole point of video games is the playing part. If the gameplay sucks, then f*ck how good the rest of the game is.

There is maybe one in a thousand games that can pass on gameplay alone. Most games would be repetitive chores without the story behind them giving meaning to the struggle. The only games that I don't play for the story primarily are strategy games and simulations.

I meant after TR 2013. I remember hearing complaints that in RotTR and Shadow of the TR she was made uglier than she was in TR 2013.

This is the first time I'm hearing about that. The only thing regarding the character design that I remember is that they made Lara less muscular in the final game compared to the trailers, but that was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, not Rise.

But the women are real though. Those actresses actually exist.

I'd actually say less realistic most of the time, because you can design a videogame character to look the part, but more often than not in movies the actresses don't look physically capable of performing the feats they are supposed to be doing.

Another sad loss. What is the world coming to?

You mock, but I actually think it is sad. This is nothing but institutionalized mysoginy. The hypocrites and dishonest actors might say "you just want to fap to them" which is a curious self report if that is the only thing they can think of when talking about beautiful women.

But alas, no. I used to watch Formula 1 religiously, but the TV broadcasts usually only started after the grid girls already disappeared, and I never actually attended a race in person (too expensive for me). Still when they announced the ban on grid girls because it is "incompatible with our values" it made me genuinely angry. I was horrified how could a global promoter be so hostile to women. And then the next year they announced they are taking F1 into Saudi Arabia, and suddenly the oppression of women all made sense. So it is my unwavering conviction that any time someone speaks out against admiring female beauty, that they are hypocrites at best, and most likely outright mysoginists.

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

You offered no argument, apart from a strawman and a non-sequitor, and now you try and play the "I'm better than you" card? Please. What makes you better? Not caring about how people are depicted in games? You say you don't care, but demonstrate a whole lot of care by stooping to insults like "sad" etc.

But I'm not holding a grudge, if you actually want to engage with the points I made, and not some strawman, I'm still willing to talk like adults.

No, it is not supposed to be, neither are car shows, or other conventions. The booth babes and various dance shows were just part of the experience, an additional bonus to make people want to attend in person. Take that away, less people will want to attend, lower attendance means next year less exhibitors will think it's worth the hassle, until eventually it all collapses.

And the claim that it was sexist because it only catered to men is also incorrect. It catered to men because 99% of attendees were male, so who else would they cater to?

Lol, arguing with you is like talking to a brick wall. I'll pass.

My argument still stands and hasn't changed. The looks of the characters have nothing to do with how great a game can or can not be. And by looks I simply mean whether they'd be attractive if they were real.