Women and Armor!

[Fyrebrand]

Nice video! I found it amusing and poignant.

I might have to agree with some folks, though, that FFXIV is not really a big problem in this regard. Almost all the caster gear I've seen shows basically nothing of my (female) character's body. Even the skimpier/sexier outfits in this game are quite tame compared to most other MMOs. Not that I'm against sexy armor/costumes in games, but as it is so impractical (and possibly even embarassing/demeaning), it should be an option the player can choose to apply rather than a default design that is enforced on female gear as a rule. Like, rather than have all female armor be the stereotypical "chainmail bikini," design armor where the player can choose if they want less or more pieces of it to show and expose their character's body -- whether it is male or female. If it still ends up that there are just a bunch of bikini-clad female characters running around, fine -- at least it was chosen that way on an individual basis, not forced.

Meanwhile, games like Scarlet Blade received a lot of negative press for its sleazy, pandering design choices, and probably turned a lot of potential customers away from the game. And where is it today?

And then there is TERA, which was only a little better in that aspect, where I seriously felt embarrassed for my character a lot of the time. The costumes were designed so that every time she took a step, you got a flash of her butt/panties from most angles you'd realistically be playing from. I really felt bad for this person, having to wear this stuff, like "I'm sorry, I did not design this outfit, don't blame me for this..." While it's not the main reason I quit playing, it was ironically a turn-off, and it made me apprehensive about recommending the game to friends.

[HakuroDK]

AFAIK, the only piece of gear that has issues is the DRG AF chest, which on men has chainmail covering the chest where women have their chests bare.

But other than that, FFXIV has done very well on the equality side of things.

[Dotsusama]

AFAIK, the only piece of gear that has issues is the DRG AF chest, which on men has chainmail covering the chest where women have their chests bare.

But other than that, FFXIV has done very well on the equality side of things.

You mean Ninja AF.

Dragoon AF has the tummy showing on ladies. You know, instead of armor plating it's just a big STAB HERE sign?

And don't get me started on the boob windows for things like the Evenstar coat or ST robes. Or how on women most "slacks" and "pantaloons" end up being skirts and thigh-highs.

Or how on men everything is slacks or shorts but on ladies they're panties with frills.

BUT NO, PLEASE. KEEP LINKING THE GLADIATOR SET AND SAYING THERE'S NO PROBLEM

I am so done with people and this topic.

[Miitan]

Dragoon AF has the tummy showing on ladies. You know, instead of armor plating it's just a big STAB HERE sign?

I prefer to think mine has abs of steel. :3

[Lukha]

I'm mostly happy with the direction FFXIV has gone in regarding armor coverage...A great deal of the armor is very practical, and most of the skimpy stuff is that way for both genders. It's a far cry from my experience with other MMOs, where not only was female armor typically more revealing, but also far more detailed, so that it was actually pretty hard to make a male character look halfway decent, let alone sexy.

The only change I'd make to FFXIV's armor design is to add a toggle between 'normal' (i.e 'male model') and 'sexy' (e.g 'female model) modes for items with significant differences. This way you could choose whether you want to see your dragoon's midriff, and whether you want to be wearing a miniskirt (Short-shorts for guys?) or actual pants and so on.

[Gralna]

You mean Ninja AF.

Dragoon AF has the tummy showing on ladies. You know, instead of armor plating it's just a big STAB HERE sign?

And don't get me started on the boob windows for things like the Evenstar coat or ST robes. Or how on women most "slacks" and "pantaloons" end up being skirts and thigh-highs.

Or how on men everything is slacks or shorts but on ladies they're panties with frills.

BUT NO, PLEASE. KEEP LINKING THE GLADIATOR SET AND SAYING THERE'S NO PROBLEM

I am so done with people and this topic.

New armor for all characters, that doesn't objectify anyone and still offers complete protection!

[Zentsa]

That gave me a good laugh. Wasn't expecting the ending.

totally same to me xD

[Ashiee]

I just... I just want dragoon AF that covers my belly ._. I would glamor that instantly if I could.

[kyuven]

The only change I'd make to FFXIV's armor design is to add a toggle between 'normal' (i.e 'male model') and 'sexy' (e.g 'female model) modes for items with significant differences. This way you could choose whether you want to see your dragoon's midriff, and whether you want to be wearing a miniskirt (Short-shorts for guys?) or actual pants and so on.

Why can't guys wear skirts?
Also, so what if the female armor has boob windows? There are male pieces of clothing that are just a set of pendants, or that show the ENTIRE chest.
As far as MMOs go, FFXIV is pretty equal as far as ridiculous armor designs for both genders. People complain about the window on the dragoon armor without realizing they shouldn't be able to sit down in the damned things.

[Remilia_Nightfall]

I don't see the issue. The only reason for a female miqo'te to exist is to satisfy fanservice. It's pretty much a species engineered for that sole reason.

Developer 1: "Hey, let's put a catgirl race in the game, but let's NOT make it fanservice!"
Developer 2: "what"

too bad Developer 1 was probably Yoshida and Developer 2 some peon.