This thread is tricky 'cause at a fundamental level you are basically saying one identity takes precedence over another.


BUT...


I'd rather focus on fleshing out both genders, especially males, then going back and having some unisex action going on.


For starters,

The game needs a big overhaul on facial-hair/eyebrows. No one should have to use an eyebrow tattoo and every male race should have access to a complete set of facial hair options. For a game that like its traditional masculine and feminine aesthetics, it makes it pretty damn hard to make a masculine looking character when the dudes in this game have a chronic case of Babyface Syndrone due to shitty facial hair options. Male Viera are supposed to be more androgynous but they actually have an excellent spread of facial features that suit a lot of different tastes, I'm super jealous.


Furthermore, and this is really only an issue with Roe/Hroth, a lot of robes just look glaringly awful. This is mainly due to the fact that its horribly scaled and/or fitted for bigger bodies. The sleeves are always too puffy and the base of the robe is way too wide, making almost every robe look like a shower curtain. This translates over to unisex gear as well, it looks so goofy that it ends up just looking like a joke rather than a genuine expression of oneself.



But these are all symptoms of the overarching problem which is that males are intentionally desexualized as hell in this game, and that's why I feel like girl characters have it way easier.


For women, almost every glamor item accents their bodies well, Boobs/Ass/Thighs/Waist are always present and the gear looks like it was made for them. Even if the gear is not sexual in nature, it still makes the character look appealing. This means that girls just have way more options for glamor where they can still feel like they have an attractive character. There are issues they face too of course aka every leg item is underwear, but still.


For men, anything short of armor/plate just looks bad 'cause men in this game have no defining features aside from their faces and sometimes height. They try to make up for this by pushing real hard to make something "masculine" but it just ends up making the gear more uninteresting because its usually just a more boring version of the female equivalent.

Revealing clothing is def not an option 'cause revealing outfits just highlight how featureless male bodies are in this game. Hell the only males in this game I think have an actual defined body are Roegadyn and even then they look weirdly disproportionate.


I think the level 90 WAR/SGE coats are a good example of how to make attractive masculine-leaning items (imo.) But the real solution is just to give definintion to male bodies, obviously not to a fetish-y degree.

Examples being more prominent biceps/thighs/pecs/abs when wearing thinner gear would go a long way. Also less robes, more tunics/jackets/trenchcoats and sleeveless items plz.