Gender Equality in Costumes - A lack thereof

Z echoes many of my sentiments, but mine go deeper than just these last few costume packs.

Whether I drop VIP or not I haven't decided yet, but if I do it won't be just because of this particular pack, but because I don't like the direction this game or the devs have been taking since they announced Freedom. I knew then that the game was going to go somewhere I didn't like, and so far, I'm being proven right.

I will be buying TOR, whether I actually play beyond the first month remains to be seen, but if it has enough to engage me then EA will likely be getting my 8.99 a month, not Paragon Studios.

Paragon Studios, you shouldn't have taken the game down this road.

I honestly don't see why that couldn't be a possibility. Paragon Studios is known for , and indeed makes it a selling point, that it listens to its players.

What better way to make that reality than letting us see stuff like that? And, hey, market research right? Isn't that part of marketings job?
I've never seen any of that, just a big dollop of assumption...

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Appreciate the response Z but my argument still stands that if you are not going to listen to feedback when beta testing costume items than why put them out there in the first place? Plus the above quote comes off as a flimsy excuse. Not the posting mind you but creating new sets part. If the thinking is quantity over quality then this thread points out that this a very flawed decision. I'm sure others would agree that it's better to put a golden product on the market than a bunch of hurried out, flawed items.

I also agree with the many posters that make the point that this has been brought up time and again starting with the magic pack going forward. Almost like a case of maybe they won't notice we did it again if it's new and shiny enough.

Just because I need to know. When did Jay change his name to Cheryl?

Edit:
At the risk of being modded. For once a certain entity who shall not be named got it right...

Originally by Arcanaville: Everything in Praetoria was designed during a drinking binge in which the devs temporarily forgot the rules.

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Apparently, Jay is no longer with the studio.

Personally, I have both the funds and the split personality to enjoy both.

The female characters I play are more modestly dressed, and I agree that it wouldn't hurt to see more variety in that department. But those four characters don't represent the average, and neither do your forum's complaints. Please keep that in mind! In the comics, for every Sue Storm, there are a gazillion Emma Frosts, Scarlet Witches, Wonder Women, Black Cats (here's looking at you, Virtue), Storms, Mystiques, Power Girls and She-Hulks. And it SELLS. Now, log in to the game and tell me if you see much difference.

Back? Good. Now you know, many of your female players actually do enjoy their more revealing choices.

This is a comic book genre-based game, which is what the artists have been designing for. And the artistic direction in City of Heroes is the best out there. So please don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Do not hand the steering wheel to the forum community for the game's artistic direction. I'm not saying don't listen to the community. I'm saying we rarely represent your wider audience's tastes (CoT revamp and pre-tinting are probably exceptions, obviously), as sales have undoubtedly revealed time after time after time after time.

Huh, fair enough

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

If I had the funds to do so, so would I.

As explained in the thread about the gunslinger pack, Jay is no longer at Paragon Studios. He's doing smartphone apps these days (talk about a step down )

I will bring the topic to development.

Realistically, don't expect it any time soon. Schedules are planned out months in advance and right now we're working on both Issues 22 and 23 and art schedules are quite possibly the most rigorous and time consuming of the lot, especially the character artists. Time to revisit previous costume pieces is not currently included and to do so would compromise new costume sets, villain groups, etc, etc...it has an extreme domino effect.

One of the selling points of the Paragon Market, as Noble Savage pointed out, was that it was much more flexible about adjusting and expanding existing costume themes than the old Super Booster series. If the Magic Pack can't be revised, for whatever reason, then the art department can create a heavy jacket for the female model that can serve in the place of the Baron jacket. If the Barbarian Costume Set is untouchable, then David or Cheryl can devise fantasy leather armor pieces for females to complement it. Etc., etc,. etc.

Plenty of players would be happy to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to these complaints about the lack of equivalent female costume pieces, but at present, we don't even have that option.

To elaborate, Jay joined his friends start up. He had been with Paragon/COH for over 7 years and contributed greatly to the artistic development of the game, in fact you're going to be seeing the results of his work for some time to come. It's also worth pointing out, CoH was the only game Jay had worked on in the gaming sector, so it's understandable that he'd want to broaden his portfolio and experience a bit more.

Basically, he couldn't tell his friend "no" anymore and made the leap over. We certainly miss him and wish him all the best. Good news is, we still have two very experienced and veteran artists with both Eric and Cheryl and a new addition joining the art team soon.

This may sound snarky, but the sort of hinted half leaked might be coming medivel style pack, please tell me it's not being made right now with the same design ethos as the gunslinger pack?

I'd just ust wear it under the other stuff

Oh, I didn't for an instant think it was anything other than amicable. People move on in the industry, it's the way it works.

Unrealistically, just fake it using the Martial Arts robe and pants that exist in the costume creator now, and hope to get the belt and better hair under a cowboy hat.

Originally Posted by PleaseRecycle it has gone from unconscionable to downright appalling that we have no way of measuring our characters' wetness.

Originally Posted by Brillig It's hard to beat the entertainment value of Whackjob Wednesdays.

To that point, if the pretinting on this set were fixed AND two new sets: a gunslinger for her and a gambling man for him were introduced and priced at 200 pts a piece and a pair of holsters (single gun and double gun) were thrown in for good measure (even at an additional 40pts each), I'd buy it all. 880 pts. total. 400 for the original pack. 200 for the "fill in the gaps" costumes. And 80 pts. for the gun belt variants.

And Zwill, as you gather feedback, please for my part, make it clear to the artist Cheryl that this is not a criticism of her hard work. I think the modeling and texturing, given the game engine restrictions, is quite good on these elements (and the attempt at a dress via belt bustle and buttskirt tech is laudable). I think the faults here lie with management: not addressing pretinting concerns early enough, not recognizing the divergent gender based themes soon enough in this pack to split it into two full packs, overlooking the inclusion of proper gun belts, etc.

No Zwill! You obviously can sprout tentacles that cast out clones of yourself to do more work because you are a super human!

I kid.

Take your time.

I don't know what barbarian set you looked at, but the males got the loincloth and chest straps that the females did not get. And they got the non-ridiculous boots.

Thanks for the update. Best to Jay in his future ventures. 7 years at any one station is a long stretch.

That loin cloth looked absolutely silly. Males DID get the belt though.

And that exists, maybe not in the Gunfighter pack but else where.

I see a lot more general complaining than just about the gunfighter pack. I just trying to be clear here.

Or a Dance hall, I be the first to say some more skirt and dress items would be nice. I not trying to invalidate your point as much as I am trying to get people to remember that their is another side to it.

Sorry this a Graphical MMORPG not a Pen and Paper RPG that creates limitations of both time and money, it be awesome if everyone one could where everything they wanted. I like hair on some of my guys while wearing hats for example. Of course we totally for get the Spandex you can see a man's six pack as being not the same problem on men. I have a Pirate wearing a Lab Coat because there wasn't the correct option for him too.

Agreement! What you don't have a male character that screams to have Sir Pounce-alot on his shoulders.


Wait, one minute here, the gunslingers pack is at least period specific and setup to the period, it certainly better than the magic pack in that regard.

I am with everyone of Heels not being Superhero/Fantasy attire.

Doom/Batman in 2012

The Resistance has boobs too, and better hair!