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Originally Posted by CaptainBinky
I can't re-iterate enough how important it is to us (in terms of story) that she does look like that.
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I don't want to dredge up the topic again, but I find this statement interesting. I'd like to use it in comparison to another recent game, Al Emmo. For the creators of that game, it was very important to them, and in terms of story, that their main character be a pathetic, Woody Allen-type, complete with whiny, annoying voice. They are using and reinforcing a stereotype specifically for the reason of making the character immediately identifiable. When a player sees and hears Al Emmo, they pretty much know who he is right away.
So far it seems that Al Emmo as a character has had some mixed responses. Many seem to find him fine and just don't like the voice. A few just don't like him as a character outright and don't want to play the game because they have no interest in playing as that kind of person. But all seem to agree that his look fits his type, and though not all short, balding, middle-aged men are exactly like Al Emmo, it is a stereotype people recognize.
In the case of Forgotten Element, you say the characters look is very important to the game. This can mean either two things: you're playing TO type, or AGAINST type. TO type will mean that when people see this character and expect a "bimbo", they'll be right when they play her and she is a bimbo. AGAINST would mean that when people see her and expect a bimbo, they'll learn an important message about stereotyping and prejudging when they realize she isn't a bimbo.
But the thing is, in either scenario, the issue is about the character's image. Whether the character has an IQ of 20 or 200, it all comes down to her looks. If it's important to the story or puzzles, then that means her body/looks will either cause or solve some conflict or puzzle in the story. It's hard to see how that can be done without resorting to "guy looks at girl, thinks she's a dimwit, she's able to outsmart him because he underestimated her" or "girl needs to get keys from security guard so she uses her femine wiles to distract him" types of puzzles.
Anyway, I'm actually looking forward to the game. I just think you'll have a hard time with her looks being such an important aspect of the story and still manage not to make a commentary (intentionally or not) on what you guys think a woman should or should not look like.
