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Old 14-11-19, 23:02   #201
Dennis's Mom
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I wonder, do you go through this thought process when you put every piece of clothing you wear on? Not every single thing Lara wears or does has to serve a practical purpose, weather it's a jacket she wears, or her haircut, sometimes things are there for style, they're there to look cool. Character design doesn't need to be this deep.
When what I'm doing is task oriented, yes!

I used to dance. Hair flying in my face, sticking to my sweat, needing to be brushed out--these were things I knew would affect how I danced, so hair was out of my face.

Similarly with clothes: Do they fit? Are the appropriate to the task? Are they going to get caught on stuff, inhibit movement, go where they're not intended, possibly provide hindrances/distractions? (You may think this is over thinking, but I once judged a high school dance competition where the girl wore a tube top and clearly hadn't danced in it before. She spent a lot of her routine pulling up that top so she didn't expose herself.)

That's just dancing. Lara is life and death. A distraction at the wrong moment can very costly, so "looking cool" at the expense of her life seems . . . stupid, and I don't think Lara is stupid. I think she know what she's doing, and prepares for it. Dressing for "style" sort of makes Lara more concerned with other people's opinion than I think she is---at least when she is going for an artifact. Ideally there's no one there to consider her appearance, and if there is, the odds could be low they live to tell anyone about it.

But Lara isn't always raiding, and I imagine she has plenty of opportunity to indulge in "style" over substance the rest of her time.

As a woman, of course, who has played games since the 90s, a majority of female protagonists' costumes have been stupid at the expense of character. I am sensitive to how female characters are dressed. I reject the trope that being "cute for the NPCs" at all times is a primary motivation for women. Also, functional can be cool as well. I don't see any reason not to consider these things.

Last edited by Dennis's Mom; 14-11-19 at 23:04.
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Old 15-11-19, 00:30   #202
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When what I'm doing is task oriented, yes!

I used to dance. Hair flying in my face, sticking to my sweat, needing to be brushed out--these were things I knew would affect how I danced, so hair was out of my face.

Similarly with clothes: Do they fit? Are the appropriate to the task? Are they going to get caught on stuff, inhibit movement, go where they're not intended, possibly provide hindrances/distractions? (You may think this is over thinking, but I once judged a high school dance competition where the girl wore a tube top and clearly hadn't danced in it before. She spent a lot of her routine pulling up that top so she didn't expose herself.)

That's just dancing. Lara is life and death. A distraction at the wrong moment can very costly, so "looking cool" at the expense of her life seems . . . stupid, and I don't think Lara is stupid. I think she know what she's doing, and prepares for it. Dressing for "style" sort of makes Lara more concerned with other people's opinion than I think she is---at least when she is going for an artifact. Ideally there's no one there to consider her appearance, and if there is, the odds could be low they live to tell anyone about it.

But Lara isn't always raiding, and I imagine she has plenty of opportunity to indulge in "style" over substance the rest of her time.

As a woman, of course, who has played games since the 90s, a majority of female protagonists' costumes have been stupid at the expense of character. I am sensitive to how female characters are dressed. I reject the trope that being "cute for the NPCs" at all times is a primary motivation for women. Also, functional can be cool as well. I don't see any reason not to consider these things.
Great post! You make some great points. I still disagree however, I just don't need that level of realism in video games. I don't mind there being a practicality to Lara's outfits, as most of the classic outfits weren't that flashy, they were pretty simple and practical, but there still was a flair them, there can be a balance. I just don't obsess over weather or not every aspect of Lara's outfit is suitable for the current climate she's in.

I definitely understand where you're coming from about females pretty much always being dressed at the expense of themselves, I certainly don't want or need Lara running around in tombs with high heels on and her boobs spilling out of her top or something obnoxious like that, but I think it makes games boring when we think about if everything would work 100% in real life. After all, I go to video games for escapism, not to see if the real world is reflected in the games 1:1, so it doesn't bug me too much if a character is wearing something that isn't exactly practical for the situation they're in.
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Old 15-11-19, 03:04   #203
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Great post! You make some great points. I still disagree however, I just don't need that level of realism in video games. I don't mind there being a practicality to Lara's outfits, as most of the classic outfits weren't that flashy, they were pretty simple and practical, but there still was a flair them, there can be a balance. I just don't obsess over weather or not every aspect of Lara's outfit is suitable for the current climate she's in.

I definitely understand where you're coming from about females pretty much always being dressed at the expense of themselves, I certainly don't want or need Lara running around in tombs with high heels on and her boobs spilling out of her top or something obnoxious like that, but I think it makes games boring when we think about if everything would work 100% in real life. After all, I go to video games for escapism, not to see if the real world is reflected in the games 1:1, so it doesn't bug me too much if a character is wearing something that isn't exactly practical for the situation they're in.
Yeah I agree with this. Somewhat "sensible" sure, but I always like when any video game protagonist has costume design that is unique and appealing to look at. You can add some flair here and there without going overboard and looking ridiculous.
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Old 15-11-19, 19:09   #204
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I agree, and to be clear (if it wasn't) if Lara were in a game wearing that vest from FearEffect's render, I wouldn't throw down the controller in disgust. It's not an outfit I would object to, but when people post these things I assume they want feedback, so I thought it from a "wearing it" perspective.
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