Genocide Qua on 1/7/2016 at 08:31
Hello
Sulphur. Interesting perspective on the outfit. When designing the primary suit fabric (the purple, lined undergarment) the idea was to have it function as a second-skin which would not only suppress body temperature from external detection but also regulate a consistent level of body heat against extreme, environmental shifts. To optimize such a function, the fabric envelops and conforms to the bodies' unique contours and crevices completely, leaving no gaps or loose ends. The layers on top of that can be customized to users' needs. Since she is to be light-weight and agile, the gear is primarily safety padding and several pockets and slots for minimal gear. The colors are not final but having them vibrant is a conscious choice. I would rather avoid the all-black gear for her just to try something new.
The sexualized aspect of her presence is an interesting interpretation, as well. What made you come to that conclusion? Is it the exposed second-skin? I hear similar type of commentary today but it's almost exclusively geared towards female characters. This kind of segues into my next update:
Inline Image:
https://s32.postimg.org/kjvey9dmd/grunt.jpgA concept for the male and female standard guard loadout with a similar type of second-skin.
In your view, and anybody else reading is welcome to chime in, is such exposure of contours much more noticeable on women than on men? Does her dressing in such a manner take away a great deal of perceived agency? Be honest, this really interests me. Does an exposed mans backside have that same kind of sexual connotation?
In regards to her actual sexuality and possible intimacy; yes, there is an aspect to her character that focuses on it and is starkly reflected physically:
Inline Image:
https://s31.postimg.org/benh0fha3/nude.jpgCheers. More to come.
Sulphur on 2/7/2016 at 03:47
Hello there. Yup, it is the exposed second skin, which is fine in principle and concept. The positioning of it is pretty obvious, however, due to the colours, don't you think? I mean, it's basically a flashing neon sign that says, 'look at my crotch and inner thighs', and it's the same with the derrière. Perhaps you didn't explicitly mean for that to be the case, but that's what the end result looks like in my opinion, anyway. And yes, this is the same for men; I don't see why we should make an exception for a man's backside.
Keep in mind I don't have an issue with sexualising anyone in art, whatever the gender. That's a choice you make for good or ill, consciously or unconsciously. The history of sneaking suits (in video games anyway) appears to be they're constructed to accentuate curves and muscles, be it men (hello, Snake), or women (hello, um, Velvet Assassin? Odd how few stealth games there are with female protagonists). I don't have a problem with that either, I can even admit to appreciating the, ahem, tight design at a base level.
The thing is, stealth clothing by design means something that has a low visual profile, and splashing purple onto the crotch and butt areas seems to me to defeat the purpose and raise questions as to is this just a stylistic/sexual flourish for the sake of it. As to whether it takes away her agency - no, it can't, really. It does make one question why the character would choose to don that sort of apparel, however, since a suit with private areas that stand out seems a bad fit if the intent is purely for sneaking around.
Genocide Qua on 4/8/2016 at 03:14
Back with another concept as the project expands. This time it's a mood study that expands a bit on the setting itself and characters you'll encounter in game: formatting the study in such a way so I can learn from old masters is a bonus. Although the initial place is a prison, I want it to be open with minimal barriers you would see in a traditional facility meant to confine a large amount of individuals. With that in mind, each inmate is forced to wear a kind of proximity collar that detonates if out of designated bounds.
Inline Image:
https://s32.postimg.org/vmzbzl2cl/mood_study1.jpgHello again, Sulphur. Thank you for the feedback. I can see your perspective and the appealing allure color splashes can have. Regardless of intentions, I think there will always be circumstances where people will see narratives that the original creator never intentionally envisioned and that's normal. Working through this project, and seeing the different personal narratives at play, it has inspired me to play off of that and give way to ambiguous story-telling and let the player take in the world to their own accord and not force narrative exposition on them prematurely.
Reminder that I have created a Facebook page for the game which will be updated as it develops.
(
https://www.facebook.com/uspgame/)
Cheers guys and thanks for looking and leaving feedback. More to come.
