Oh, now I get it. Their appendages are recreational.

Well, I don't think Azura would curse someone to make them ugly. That is Boethiah's trademark. Doing the same would be unoriginal. The other Daedra would laugh at her. The real idea was to make them look more cool, like other people's dark elves! Bethesda just dropped the ball by mixing up the goblin's artwork with theirs, and now it is probably too late to go back and make all new models and textures for them that actually look like elves.

Actually, why do they still bear the curse of Azura anyway? That should be long gone by Skyrim. Her champion destroyed the Tribunal. The crashing of the moonlet that destroyed VVardenfell was the final act in that drama, since it happened because the Dunmer had stopped believing in the Tribunal. So why are they still funny-colored? It has been two hundred years. They ought to be regular elves again. Whatever that is.

Oh wait, The Rule of Cool is why.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 15 2011, 05:46 PM

I don’t think that there is a statute of limitation on Azura’s Curse. According to Vivec:


As for the rest, it seems to me that you have fallen into several of those tropes yourself. Like this.
This.
And, of course, this!

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Aug 15 2011, 07:44 PM

@SubRosa and Destri: Damn the two of you! Now I've lost two hours of study time thanks to your links to tvtropes.com! But they were two very fun hours, I'll admit. I have been rolling at some of the stuff on that website! Now I remember why I don't go there. I first found it during Nanowrimo, and have avoided it since, since it cost me writing time.

A bit off topic here: There is a similar list of tropes on dramafever, specific to k-drama, but I have found it applies just as well to other genres. Now when I recognize a k-drama trope, on a k-drama or elsewhere, I always end up laffin' hysterically and pointing at the screen.

Okay, back to the topic here. I recall somewhere on this forum that you can pick your body type as well as customize your face. It makes me wonder just how many elven characters are going to end up ectomorphs? Me, I think elves can come in all body types, just as Africans and Native Americans do. The idea of customization of the appearance of your character is what appealed to me about Oblivion, and it seems like Beth may have taken this further in Skyrim by extending the customization to the body types. However, all I've seen (of the males, anyway) are the WWF-'roid overload body type, and nothing of the other types Skyrim is supposed to offer. I'd like to see examples of those before I start making any judgment on the races here.

I did notice the high level of detail in the skin on these samples - veins, pores, the whole nine yards. Makes me wonder how they really look in game, because that level of detail is quite impressive to me.

I've noticed a lot of the criticism on here is regarding things that you will obviously be able to change when you make your own character.

Orc take two

(real) Redguard take two

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Aug 15 2011, 09:13 PM

I went and looked at the Orc we saw back in April. Except for the haircut they all look the same. Lesson learned? DON'T use the Imperial haircuts on your Orsimer!


Now we're talking!! There does seems to be a lot of monocular vision in Skyrim, doesn't there?

Indeed! Those are all the standard elf tropes for a thousand years. Only Bethesda seems to think that elves should instead belong to the The Mighty Glacier, Big Guy, or I'm the Juggernaut beyotch! tropes.

A good explanation for why there are still dark elves. Here I was thinking it was just that you cannot have an RPG these days without having a dark elf race. After R. A. Salvatore made them cooler than regular elves (and well, everyone else), who doesn't want to play one? It is typically the first race I go for in any RPG.


I can lose myself for hours on TVTropes. Almost all of those are standard Anime tropes as well. The main exception being the foursome, which is not so common. Usually they go for the standard Western two-somes or love triangles.



That is a much better Redguard. But aren't they supposed to be somewhat, well, red?


Am I the only one who thought his hair was purple at first glance? Also, am I the only one who keeps thinking of the hulk? Not a bad thing mind you, orcs are supposed to be big, green, muscular, and ill-tempered after all.



The trouble is that it is not only your character, but all the npcs you have to look at when you play the game. I for one don't want to have to look at elf after elf whose face looks like worn out shoe leather, or a week-old corpse, and have to pretend that they are not monsters.

Besides, this is probably more fun than playing the game will be!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 16 2011, 12:28 AM

Methinks you are right . . .

So do I!!

This:

Made my day!!!

*I think I may have even owned that copy of Excalibur*

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Aug 16 2011, 12:56 AM

I'm The Juggernaut!

I still have that copy of Excalibur! You made me dig it out of my comic boxes. I have been meaning to look at my Captain America's ever since seeing the movie anyway.

"Nice Punch. Cute suit. You the local good guy?"

"I'm Captain Britain!"

"Figures. Pleasedtameetcha."

POW!

*Somewhat shortened for brevity*

The new redguard looks good, though the Orc stays the same really.

Is it just me? Or is everyone getting toughened up in this game? I think we've only really seen battle scarred and hardened warriors in this, where are the friendly merchants!

On another note, the armor and weapons look AMAZING.

Female Dunmer

OH MY GOD!!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!?!?!?!

It's a vampire!

That dog looks a lot like a pet. Cool.

Since I can in no way defend this face I cede my time in this thread to SubRosa.

I have to agree with KC, that dog looks way cool. The only thing is, he doesn't look like he belongs there. An import, maybe?

[rant]
Based on the screenies I've seen of Skyrim over on the Beth site, I would think Huskies fit in better. That kind of environment is tough, very tough survival-wise. And the Irish Wolfhounds (that is what this dog looks like to me) just aren't cut out for Arctic Circle survival. Their coats aren't thick enough, they need to eat too much (food is plenty scarce up there, and damn hard to find in the winter), and they lose too much body heat through those loooong legs of theirs. They're actually better adapted for warmer climes. Yes, Ireland and Scotland aren't that far from the Arctic Circle, but their climes are warmed by the Gulf Stream. Look further east and west, and notice that the dogs that thrive in these areas (Huskies, Lapphunds, other Spitz-type breeds) are characterized by relatively small sizes, thick, thick fur and less ravenous appetites. As a matter of fact, Huskies are notorious for their finicky appetites - they are actually bred to work hard on relatively little food. What about the Malamutes? They're big (sometimes topping out at over 100 lbs) and massive. That's just it. They were created by Alaskan settlers who thought bigger was better. They found, through trial and error, that St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, Wolfhounds and Deerhounds just didn't do well on the tundra. The best sled dogs (and the ones who win the Iditarod) are the smaller, thriftier Huskies. Sorry.
[/rant]

Okay, I'm gonna step off my soapbox. I think I will leave the female Dunmer alone.

I agree, I don’t think I need to point out that lady’s issues. It seems that some of the NPCs might be hard to look at.

Am I alone in thinking that all of Skyrim will not be a frozen wasteland? The dog (Ulfe!!! ) is standing on grass next to a mer in a sleeveless… whatever she’s wearing. My assumption is that different terrain will produce different climates. Cold, certainly, but not necessarily arctic. Isn't there water above Skyrim? I guess I have ocean currents in mind to moderate the climate, too.

Perhaps you're right, Grits. But what I've seen of Skyrim's environment suggests taiga and tundra - i.e. a more Siberian climate rather than a Northern Ireland/Scottish clime. I could be wrong, and I will naturally defer to those who actually live in such places.

That's not to say the dog (Ulfe it is!) can't survive there - she just needs a lot of meat and a very rich owner to maintain her energy level and stay warm! As for the sleeveless thingamajig, who's to say it isn't enchanted with Resist Frost? Like some of those HH-cup flimsy metal bras we keep seeing in mods aren't charmed with Feather?

Oh my gosh, and we know that Nord women (Sigrid!)have access to enough calories to produce such extravagant HH assets! Fat reserves for a long winter?

I guess I only look at Atlantic Canada and northern Europe as inspiration, and defer to the ones who live in Skyrim. Which is to say if that’s a Skyrim dog, then I can believe it is.

And may I just say... woo hoo, pet dogs!! YAY!!

I stand vindicated. (although to be honest, I would rather not )

Her face does look weird. Even I was not expecting a Neanderthal brow ridge! And what are those marks? I wonder if they are supposed to be scars? Since it looks like the game supports having one eye, maybe it also gives the option for ritual scarification?

The dog does look good though. Excellent detail on the fur. So too with the gloves and her armor. Actually, everything but the people in this game looks good! Like h.e.r. said, it does seem like an odd breed of dog for an area that is supposed to have the highest mountains in all of Tamriel.

I can't wait to see what they come up with next! Maybe the female wood elves will have horns?

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 18 2011, 08:24 PM