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Age of Conan: Warrior Women of Hyboria
Szark
News ManagerMember Posts: 4,420
The Age of Conan official site has been updated with a look at the role of women in Age of Conan and the differences between the game's view and the 1930's view of the original Conan Lore.
The women of Hyboria have long been a lively debated topic among the Age of Conan community, even to the extent where many of you doubted their very existence in the game.
Suffice to say Hyboria will be FILLED with women of all kinds, from the “to be expected” female prostitutes to the extremely able female fighters.
As some of you may have picked up during our development, we have chosen a somewhat updated view on women compared to the works of Robert E. Howard. The world circa-2007 is very different, in most places, than the 1930’s in which the original Conan stories came around. Early on in our development, we therefore made a very clear and conscious choice: Namely that any female player in Hyboria should be just as strong and able as any man! The strong, fierce and independent female is perfectly in line with the lore of Howard, however, we have expanded it to include ALL the female players. And seriously guys, you wouldn’t want anything else, now would you? (let the discussions start!)
;)
Read more here.
Comments
Very nicely done. Sexy when they need to be but not trampy (rather not use the more accurate word). I confess I was beginning to wonder were they were
Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads! Swords for everyone!
Yeah Funcom respects us so much they're adding game content that's going to ensure very few women will feel comfortable playing this game. This was one of the major titles my gaming partner and I were looking forward to as an alternative to WoW PvE drudgery until we heard about the sex buff and game nudity etc. Now it looks like we'll be playing Warhammer instead. Neither he nor I is interested in being part of a gaming community attracted by the soft core porn this design team seems determined to confuse with adult content. Go over to their boards, read the posts of those who seem to think it's a great idea and then tell me with a straight face the posters are "adult". Sad to see another game with a solid beginning end so badly.
Well from a girls point of view i was happy with the screen shots. Especially, after WoW. I was so glad when in the artical that you can not be totally nude. I was worried about seeing a bunch of 13 yr boys running around as naked girls talking trash. I do confess I am not to happy about the "sex" buff either.
Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads! Swords for everyone!
I don't see it as soft core porn as some seem to. They are just adding more realism to the game itself. I mean come on back then it wasn't full clothes and eveyrone fought fair(not like that today either but hey). The females being just as good as the males is a two sided argument. There are the advantages and disadvantages on story and gameplay traits. Anyone that looks at this as anything other then a gaming company trying to add realism and something new besides the same old mmorpg can get over it and just not play. For those of us who are looking for something new hopefully this will add atleast something to keep us preoccupied till something better comes along.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that the arms on those character models are all anorexically thin. And after all this talk about making "women strong and powerful." You can't swing a blade with no muscle on your arm.
Did everyone forgot that the character customisation is really extensive??
There is even an age scaler!
http://stage6.divx.com/user/FordCQC/video/1605566/Conan-Female-Model
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwxE9TtvGmc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYz3c052tHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrPG4YdL7u4
I think the female models do look a bit thin, say on the arms, but by no means is it soft porn - unless your a religious freak. It was the choice of the person who made those actual models. And thats what people are forgetting - choice - this is an mmo after all. AoC will offer countless differences in character models not everyone will be the same. You could be a fat 5ft women if you wanted - or close to it.
You know if people think that it goes someway to prove how realistic they take it for. Some people prefer this other prefer stumpy dwarfs in other games.
There's nothing new here, same big breasted stick figures in a war thong that games always have. Oh, and they all have makeup on for god's sake.
Heaven forbid that female characters should look like they actually fight. Why would barbarian chicks care about their hair and makeup or wear low cut halter tops? If they're so equal, wouldn't they be out chopping off limbs, looting temples and getting dirty?
I have never seen a human female character in an action game that wasn't a sex object. Sex in a game I could deal with, if it was just sex and not some juvenile fantasy filled with slutty women in micro armor. Let's call a spade a spade here, when was the las time you saw a male game character with oversized attributes in a thong?
R.E. Howard pictured them like that. And every cartoonist for the Conan series drew em like that. Even Red Sonja was a pinup girl in a skimpy outfit. That being said, I find it both sad, and a typical example how the gaming industry is today. Some people like to say we outgrew all that 80's stuff but games are still there. My biggest fear though for Conan is that all the preteens will be running around with naked chicks and getting their first hardon, spouting obscenities to random passerby's(sp?).
One other thing to consider why the females in the game are the way they are. Recently watched a dev interview where they said the gfx artists got their inspirations on how woman in the game should look from various model/adult sites. No wonder the womans ingame look like tramps
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Grammar nazi's. This one is for you.
Female characters in fantasy and science fiction have historically been sex objects. However, for those people who have read the original Conan stories as well as modern medium (Movies, Comics, Jordan books, etc.) there has always been the character of "Brigid" who is his primary love interest and at least his equal in cunning if not brute strength.
Flash forward to today as more women take up MMOs and read sword and spell fantasy literature you have a small group of authors dedicating equal time to women warriors, Erikson for example who is practically writing an integrated Roman empire epic, or parts at least depending on which book, where women in the Malazan army play equal roles as heavy infantry and marines.
Will breasts in the game encourage the "wrong" crowd to become the fanbase for AoC? That depends, clearly their target base is very wide, from a more interactive combat bringing in twitch players to PvP to large scale combat I feel that having topless beggers and prostitution is no less annoying than player prostitutes were in UO or bikini dancers in WoW for that matter.
there wont be real sex in the game...the whole prostitution thing will be mostly 1) Go to the npc 2) Click ok 3) Watch lights go off and listen lame sound clip 4) Lights go back on, you're buffed!
What in the hell is up with their arms? Um... guys, women have muscles under their skin too.
Those women look pathetic; Barbarian barbie. Of course, I wasn't expecting much from this genre.... obviously they aren't going for any kind of gender realism. And yes, I know that the source material has male-fantasies in place of actual women, but if you're going to change the abilities of the women in the game to equal that of a man and diverge from the source material in that respect, you should probably make the women look like they could actually lift a sword.
I hope to God that you can make a female character buffer than that via character customization, or I'll be forced to play a male character instead, if I even play AoC at all.
I like how the female avatars look (and the male)
I can't see the big problem some ppl have with the half-nudity... its just a minor factor of the game as whole to "spice" up the world/ your screen. I think Funcom doinig a great job visualising E.Howards Hyborian world.
..............
I can think of several other games with much better looking female avatars, but I suppose I am not seeing the full range of character creation and what it is capable of. Perhaps the person making the particular avatar displayed has an ugly fetish....
Agree with many above. I'm dissapointed that Funcom want to profit on sexism. Not that I'm surprised. Is there a game that doesn't? Was looking forward to Conan but since they seem to do like the rest of the game developers and follow standard sexist norms with anorechtic supermodel avatars and beefy male he-mans I'm loosing interest. Of course, everyone should have the opportunity to design their avatar, be they thin classic Red Sonjas or Governator barbarians, but do they have to persist on using theese unrealistic stereotypes?
Just look at the armor. I bet the male counterpart of that furry leather armor thing that only covers the breasts on a female avatar is a fully covered armor with extra beefy shoulderpads. Though with the same armor values ofc. Why make it so? Does a female have a natural urge to show skin? Or is it the devs urge to get off on virtual skin?
And no, I'm not against it because girls can't take nudity and foul language, which I'm sure they bloody well can just like any other. No, it's because it's just another part of a screwed way of how we look at each others bodies and their different roles based on gender.
Even though the devs should try to give justice to a set universe and it's set values I think it's important to apply todays ethical discussion and find a route that doesn't condone sexism and it's male/female norms.
And finally: Can they make it more obvious which group is their main target when they use minimal dressed models during conventions? And I don't think it's the lesbian gaming community they have in mind. Pathetic perverts. It's such a sleezy trick, like a car salesman putting a naked model on the hood of a car.
But other than that I'm sure it'll be a great game!
I think screenies like this completely dispute the plea that the sex theme needs to be included the be loyal to the lore.
Its clearly about using sex to sell the game which is unfortunate.
Female warriors need to portray a warrior more than they need to portray a female. The page three should be left to the prostitutes...
I mean look at the human models they used, they sure didn't pull them from Health and Fitness magazine lol
Think you all should look at this thread : http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/149840
Then ask yourself does this portrayl of AoC female model (All be it "4" screens) of the new model, fit in with every other game you can see in that thread. I mean they could all have "tree trunk" legs or fat asses for all we know - I mean like it really matters?? who cares?? The human body comes in all shapes and sizes, at least it looks like the option is given here in game too. The person who made these is probably their personal preferance.
Then once again I don't see how this comes across as shocking. Early interviews in game development hinted on the fact that Funcoms interpretation the lore will be similar to whats been seen already over the year and thats scantly clad women.
Artists like Frank Frazetta who did some Conan artwork (decaddes ago!) portrayed the women similar to the 4 images shown here. Just have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a2n_GIhteE
Once again judging from the character customisation screens at least you make something that looks different. And that is different to many games and their "stock" models with different coloured hair/skin option only etc etc. AoC gives you choice more so, and that should be commended.
No comments pointing out how well the detail in the armors are? Surely that appeals to the female gamer.
Personally I think the person who created these particular character done them a bit too much exagerating on particular points.
You see the arguments come up usually when a female wants to play a female character, see's a sterotypical thin waist, big boobs, high cheek bones, game character, and gets turned off because it looks like only a small percentage of real life people, and not like them or a typical person.
In a game like AoC which aims to offer all alternatives in a more realistic setting seeing something like this just enchances the argument against the "model" look. It can be too "upsetting" for some people, whether they think its un-natural or soft porn or whatever. Like I said the game gives you a shit load of choices, loads of sliders. Heck I might try and make one with a saggy butt, more typical of a line up at a mcdonalds counter in my experience! just to see if it can be done lol.
Anyway every little part of the lore I have read over the years, gives me the impression of something like this as a women of "Hyboria" - scantly clad yet viscious in combat - blacked out the boobs btw, they weren't massive either. Lets not forget either that its rated "mature"
The fanatical pushing of a nearly unattainable female "ideal" is not only present in the gaming industry. It is everywhere from tooth paste commercials to job applications. It is a testimony of our human race that we "all" swallow it, even though we might know it has no validity whatsoever. I am a man and it sickens me to see all these men fawning over cookie cutter shaped females and all the women ruining themselves to look like those cookie cutters. Intelligence seems to be meaningless these days.
AC (retired); EQ (retired); DAoC (retired); Horizons (retired); EQII (retired); CoH (retired); AC II (tested); Lineage II (beta); Neocron (tested); Saga of Ryzom (beta); SWG (retired)...
I wonder: is getting all upset about half-naked pixel women just as bad and equally pointless as getting a hard-on over them?
Hmmm...
I don't care if it's skinny armed women with implants and make-up or if it's women resembling a female collegiant shot put team.....................you would not have Howard's world, our ancient world, the current world we live in or any plausible make believe world if women were physically equal to men.
It's stupid to say it was Howard's 30's that made him depict women the way he did when it came to their roles and abilities---if anything, it was unrealistic that the best perfumed of the bunch would get close to anything a modern man is taught to find sexy while still being able to be something that VERY VERY few women in history have EVER been....capable fighters .
Life was brutal in this world and any based on it and pretending that women are as capable and strong as men is schit fantasy trying to please all
The designers of this game may find the women in their lives to be able to bench more and jump higher or sprint the 50 faster than they, but at least drop the exclamations after happily announcing that you think it makes sense
(wow, to think that all of the unwilling wives, concubines, slaves, prostitutes, harem wenches and ravaged victims of war spoils were all willing participants in history and that it was Howard's incorrect view of mankind and biology that made him write what he did.) Why make this game adult? Isn't the idea that children are weaker than adults something which was disproved with the epic fantasy of the Harry Potter books?
look @ 30's pin up models! they are smoking!! now look at our modern porn stars, most are malnourished tattooed skanks that you can TELL have drug problems. in conan lore the women would HAVE to be strong (after all they aren't posting on message boards and hitting the ch+ button on the remotes all day). for the game to stay close to true of the story they HAVE to eliminate emaciated crack-whores from the character creation process.
for women playing the game i suggest you read the books first since it is supposed to be based on that (not oily arnie) and you wouldnt want to give $ to a company that objectifies women. to take that statement a bit further i kind of like to think of this game as being made for the men, go play dreamfall if you want to get your sissy-on. if your the type of female gamer that plays aggressively and loves the games chances are you dont care too much what you look like anyways (theres also a stellar chance your a hellion in the sack).
as for kiddies im thinking they should sell the game in a black box just like a porn mag that says 18+ and nothing else. on the box should be a half naked barbarian chick with blood dripping from her loins holding up a head/spinal column dripping blood as well (but you gotta be able to see the look on dudes face) and a bubble saying "i should have fucked him while i had the chance". if THAT doesn't keep fucktard parents from buying little billy whatever he wants then billy has way bigger problems than any game can possibly cause.
AmazingAvery :
Good point and a good picture to use as an example. Look at this woman, she looks like a woman. Not much clothes on, but like a woman. It's not the nudity, it's the deliberate use and exaggeration of the female body as, like Dregger put it, a "sleazy trick" to get men's (young boys really) attention.
As a nerdy kid in 70's, I read all of the Conan books and all of the comics (my mother did too!) I expect and actually WANT the game world to mirror the stories. Prostitutes should look like prostitutes and they should look and dress like they might have back then. Fighters and priests should look like they would also....ya know with the appropriate gear on. However, NONE of them should have giant, gravity defying, beach ball shaped boobs and impossibly thin limbs. That's just stupid.
The shot of the booth babes at the convention directly illustrates the path that this leads to. Both of those women have had a lot of plastic surgery to look the way they do. Because women don't look like that naturally. The really good looking ones look about like the picture you posted above....and that's just fine.
Remember that Conan's main squeeze was the pirate queen, Belit. She was beautiful in the stories, but she had her own thing going and was kicking ass and pirating when he showed up. Although she ran around topless, there was no mention of her looking or acting slutty. Conan ran around in a furry loincloth, because he was a crazy barbarian, not because he was a man whore.
So, let's not equate an illustration of a naked woman with sexism. The presence of a naked person does not need to imply that their function is to provide cheap sexual titillation. I think the game industry can eventually get passed the adolescent phase they are in and move on to a more authentic mode of story telling provided players start asking for it. Around 38% of whom are female by the way.
Forums like these are a good place to start that dialog within the community.
I am in the army and I know alot of female soldiers who care about there look, its just natural. So just because they are warriors doesnt mean they have to neglect there look.
bettie page is a perfect example, (did love yer pic btw) R. Crumb also had/has a knack for drawing women in a more voluptuous/realistic manner than most contemporaries (love boris and royo too, but they don't feel real, neither does olivia for that matter). i really hope they don't turn the game into some sort of fkn barbarian barbie fashion show, if the girls (and the guys who like to play blood elves in the back row there) want to play dress up let em play damn barbie games. can us men just have 1 game that isn't pansified?? like before the end of the world and stuff?
game companies need to stop caring what gamers think. i know it sounds ass backwards, but really they are supposed to be engaging in creativity, not catering to the desires of every simpering pansy who says "it should be like wow". the majority of the reason this past year has sucked so much is the input of gamers to developers, you cant please all the people all the time, so why would you even care what they think?
sure who doesnt want their character looking all bad-ass, to me tho if your playing an M rated game that bares this name you should be thinking all about the functionality and saying fk fashion. fashion wont keep you alive, tho you may look all pretty laying there dead minus your head.
you couldnt make LOTR without fkn elves how you gonna try to make conan without big titties?
btw: tkreep what the hell are we looking at over there?
So... let me get this straight...
You dont want any of the features of the comic books / magazines changed, you think the prostitutes, fighters and whatever else should wear the correct style clothing.
Yet at the same time as not wanting it to be changed you infact do want them to change it because your complaining about the size of the boobs (which by the way are fictional so why the hell does it matter either way)
also, what is it thats so wrong about "giant, gravity defying, beach ball shaped boobs" as you put it, I bet u dont have a problem with them in real life so why whine about them in game...
and the 3rd and final most valid point is, why are you getting so wound up over something that is neither here nor there to anybody who has more than 2 brain cells due to the fact that
ITS NOT REAL... ITS A GAME.
Spend your time doing something more constructive... If you wanna play, then play, if you dont, then dont.
more breasts , violence, profanity, sexism, racism, debauchery, alcohol and drug use in games then please.