Argonian: http://www.tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/...-1313172305.jpg

Bosmer: http://www.tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/...-1313174800.jpg

Dunmer: http://tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/2383757-1312992912.jpg

Khajiit (take two): http://www.tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/...-1313172607.jpg

Orsimer: http://www.tesnexus.com/imageshare/images/...-1313172495.jpg

(Not) Redguard: http://media.gamer.nl/screenshots/b4b2/b4b...acbb5ccdafb.jpg

Anyone else think that orc looks kinda like Frankenstein's monster?

However, let me say Bethesda did a superb job on the Argonians.

The khajiit pic doesn't look as good as the last one did.
The Argonian looks cool though.
Bosmer looks a little funny with the huge sword lol.

Maybe that Bosmer's just holding a normal sized sword, huh? It just looks big on him.

The Argonian and Khajiit do look spectacular. The elves on the other hand are all butt-ugly. I suppose we have to take their word that the Redguard actually is one. She looks like she might just as well be an Imperial or a Breton (or a Nord, given how many dark-haired and dark-eyed Nords there are in Oblivion).

Argonian – Nice. Would still have rather seen them go less humanoid, but I really can’t complain about this at all. I think I will definitely have at least one Argoinian character in Skyrim.

Bosmer – Not sold on the Bosmer yet. They seem wholly unremarkable, and going for the facial tattoos seems too ‘Ashlander’ to me.

Dunmer – Now that’s what a Dark Elf should look like! I haven’t rolled with one since Morrowind. Looks like that’s about to change.

Khajiit – I’m with KC, the last one looked better. I do like that they aren’t prettifying the races (forgive me, mALX). Khajiit should have fur long enough to bristle.

Orsimer – My second biggest disappointment. Not only does the hair make him look like Frankenstein (thanks TK, now I can’t get the image out of my head), but his features have veered dangerously close to ‘human with a pug nose and dental issues.’ I guess the flip side is that you might actually be able to make an attractive female orc, but why would anyone want to do that?

Redguard – My biggest disappointment. That is NOT a Redguard! That is a tan Imperial! Hopefully the character creator will provide more diversity amongst the individual races because I flat out refuse to invest 100+ hours into a stringy-haired, olive-skinned Redguard!

Ditto!

With Destri on this. Albeit for the following:

The first Orsimer picture that Bethesda had available was exactly what I wanted the Orcs to be: Pariahs and 'Corrupted Folk,' complete with pointed, elven ears and faces with odd angles and large mandibles. The result was something that looked as if it was about to drop into the uncanny valley without getting there, a sufficiently lifelike and realizable facial structure without being too close to human. The new face is just too human.

That said, I will say that this picture looks like it was taken at a bad angle. Also, as Orsimer are technically Mer, or elves, I'd like to think that they are far less susceptible to wrinkles than your average Imperial, and their short life expectancy is merely an outgrowth of their violent tendencies and not due to significant reductions in long youth.

The Bosmer looks promising, and I don't mind the facial markings nearly as much. I hope that Naughty Hottie is correct in that the Wood Elf is just a small guy with an average sized sword. As for the face paint/tattoo: as far as I'm concerned, that's just forestry camouflage, and painting one's face and/or body should give bonuses to chameleon spells and sneak checks.

For the rest:

Argonian: just a little too human, but still a nice improvement over Oblivion. Still have a problem with the reptilian female possessing mammary glands, but I can get past that. Approved!

Dunmer: Now THAT is how you do an Ash-Born! Excited!

Khajiit: Liked the first one better. This is Tamriel, and more importantly, this is Skyrim. House cats need not apply. I'm interested, however, in seeing a female Kahjiit identified as such. I know the first one was clearly male, and this new one looks male as well. I would prefer if the natives of Elsewheyr did not have bilateral pectoral mammaries, but rather the abdominal ones seen in real-world cats.

Redguard: Nope! Not flying with me. Show me that picture without telling me the race, and I'd have sworn she was a Nibanean from Leyawiin, not a descendant of Yokuda. Darker skin had better be available, otherwise, some extensive modding will need to take place.

Overall, I would like to point out a significant leap forward Bethesda seems to have gotten: Defined jaw-lines and facial structures. Oblivion's NPC's seemed to be more 'Oval' than the expected average, and that was even worse with generic guards and random enemies. I don't know if it was a misguided attempt at increasing the overall 'beauty average' for the game, but we need less of it, and more 'distinctive factor.' Skyrim looks to be going that way, so I'm hopeful.

The faces are certainly a lot better than Oblivion overall. That said: the beast races and the Dunmer aren't bad, but I'm less impressed with the Orc and (especially) the Redguard. I'm with everyone else here in saying "that's a Redguard? Seriously?" If you'd asked me to guess, I'd have said an Imperial.

...I actually didn't check the race names before I clicked and for the last one went "oh, I guess she's an Imperial! Or maybe Breton? Let me check."

REDGUARD?!

WHAT THE-

I certainly hope that pic is not representative!

The others are much better - I do love the Argonian - and oh man I am *drooling* over the graphics. Now, if only I didn't have a laptop that overheats and crashes if I ask it to play somewhat complex flash games.

I quite like the new Bosmer, I personally feel it fits a bit more with the race. We've had a long time of them being small humans with high voices, when they should be ferocioius and half feral...Or thats how I feel.

The beast races are definately much, much better than Oblivion and Morrowind, though I agree the first Khajit looked better than this new one.

The Dunmer looks amazing, I was so sick of the purple dunmer from Oblivion, they finally look like they have ash for skin again.

As for the Redguard...I think theres a pretty strong consensus here.

Some new ones:

Bosmer take two

Dunmer take two

Redguard take two (outside the castle of Rohan Whiterun)

Bosmer is too masculine now, I think. Facial hair and six-pack abs don't suit them, I've always seen them as the males being somewhat androgynous.

Dunmer: yup, we can choose to have blind eyes now. Seeing these new Dunmer faces is really a very pleasant throwback to Morrowind, now they actually look like they grew up in the ashlands.

Redguard: For those of you who thought the previous photo did not look like one, and I agree, I actually think that's an Imperial.

The Dunmer do look like throwbacks to Morrowind. Which is to say freakishly ugly. The Bosmer just looks like a Neanderthal. In fact all the elves in this game seem to look like monsters rather than people. I guess I am just an old fuddy-duddy, because I grew up on the idea of elves being graceful, almost ethereally attractive beings. Not cavemen. And who on Earth Nirn got the idea to put mohawks on elves? It is as bad an idea as the bride of frankenstien beehives that the elf women had back in Oblivion. I have to say the more I see of this game, the more my desire to avoid it like the plague increases.

Not far from what I had hoped for in the Argonians. Figured they would still be a sight off from the Morrowind versions but damned if she does not look awesome. Having trouble loading the others, though that is probably because of this horrid computer.

Edit: Forgive me, in my haste to fix this vexing problem I neglected to thank you, Tomas. So I thank you for allowing myself and others the change to see forms of our favorite races from Skyrim.

Now that my problems have been delt with:
The Argonian looks wonderous. Much better than the Oblivion version. Definetly going to be one of my first choices.(Those, like others I'd still like to see them lean towards a less human form.)

It looks like some one decided to give the Bosmer a serious adjustment. Much more, how should I put it, feral. More like what I would expect from a race with cannabalistic culture!

The Dunmer look as though they have been given back some of their fire, as well as their ashen skin tone!

The Khajiit, both the original and new, remind me of the faces your Morrowind character could choose from. Looking forward to seeing their full customization myself.

Both the Redguard and the Imperial are a refreshing sight.

As for the Orsimer I detest the nose. The rest of his face is acceptable.

I guess you don't like it when your men ooze testosterone out of every orifice and look like they've ODed on steroids a few dozen times, Rosa?

Sounds like Tolkien-influenced elves to me. Perhaps the Altmer will stick to the notion of elves that suit you. I'm also sure that the above are all merely examples and with the differing body types you can roll something more within your tastes. To me the ash-born and a race who routinely give themselves over to the Wild Hunt would have some members that appear barbaric.

@TK - I like the second Bosmer more than the first (though I do agree with 'Rosa on the haircut). The Dunmer simply look bad-a$$, and the second (or first) Redguard is closer to what I'm looking for.

I'm thrilled with how unique the races look so far. The individual appearance of the character will vary obviously. I'm sure everyone will get a character they find aesthetically appealing (or not depending what you are going for).

I do prefer the look of the Tolkien elves, who are the classic concept of Ljósálfar or Light Elves from Scandinavian beliefs. But there is nothing stopping that kind of person from being a so-called barbarian (which is to say someone who does not dwell in a city, rather than someone who does not speak Greek). Galadriel lived in a tree after all. Being a barbarian IRL did not mean being knuckle-draggers addicted to steriods and having bad hair. The Celts were classic examples of barbarians, and had a knowledge of metallurgy that far surpassed that of the Romans, and produced artwork that was stunning in it complexity and beauty. Not to mention their laws were far more liberal and humanitarian than those of the Romans or Greeks. For example Celts did not throw unwanted babies on garbage heaps to die. Or abandon their old to whither away and die alone. And women were actually people in their society rather an objects. For my idea of what a wood elf ought to look like, try this guy for example, or this one..

To put it another way, I think elves out to be played by people like Johnny Depp or Leo Decaprio, not Arnold Schwarzenegger or Rolf Moeller. Like TK said, a 300lb gorilla is not my idea of an elf. On the other hand it is perfect for races that are supposed to be muscle-bound apes, like Orcs and Nords. If they said these Bosmer were Nords instead, I would say great.

These so-called Dunmer on the other hand, look like goblins. The last one looks like a goblin zombie. If I saw one IRL I would shoot it in the head, because it is obviously either undead or infected with the T-virus. Then I would get out of Raccoon City as fast as I could.

Oh, I get it. You mean androgynous.

Thank you, TK!!

Argonian: Wow! Love her! Except for two things, unless we find out that Argonians nurse their hatchlings.

Bosmer One and Two: I like that they look capable of the Wild Hunt and the enemy-eating business. I imagine that the Cyrodiil Bosmer would be far more Imperial in their culture, and their overall bubbly mannerisms (which I love in Oblivion) might not suit the wood elves who choose to go to Skyrim. These two do look quite thick in the torso, I hope they’re on the hefty end of the range. Also I would like to see more difference between the Bosmer and Dunmer.

Dunmer One and Two: Yes and yes! I am the most encouraged by the way these guys look weathered. It makes me think it might be possible to make a decent face and then put some miles on it without having it look like it’s made of Play-Dough.

Khajiit: Wow, now I want one. If that guy asked for 100 gold, he might actually get it.

Orsimer: That looks like a guy I used to date! Except the Orsimer does have smaller arms. I like the first one.

Not the Redguard: Imperial, nice.

The Real Redguard: Yes. Love the scar.

I would like the Altmer to look as high elf as the Bosmer look wild. To me they are the Tolkien-style elves.

And I agree. I hate how thick-set the musculature on the Bosmer are now, and I'm still on the fence about beards.

Bosmer, in my eyes, should look like human versions of wolves; sleek, attentive, and utterly lethal. Swept-back forehead, long pointy ears, and small stature that is ideal for hiding away in the treetops with lithe, flat muscles that were built for endurance over brute strength; perfect for holding a bow draw. I'm just not getting that feral feeling with these ones. That last one looks like he's fresh out of the ring in WWE Smackdown.

I like the new look of the Dunmer, though. Remember, Rosa, they bear the Curse of Azura, it makes sense that they won't really be lookers.

Grits: believe it or not, Morrowind was actually the odd one out with female Argonians and their... special hardware.

Here's a pic of the female Argonians from Arena and Daggerfall. Notice anything about them?

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.

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!

@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

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!

Methinks you are right . . .

So do I!!

This:

Made my day!!!

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

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?

I think it should be pointed out that all the characters we’ve seen on this thread are the result of the efforts of gaming journalists (Eurogamer, GameInformer, 1UP, etc.) playing with the character creator.

Here are a few more Argonians (before TK beats me to them):

Male Argonian
Hooded Female

And another Orc:

Knuckleduster

And how old are these so-called journalists? Sixteen? (no offense intended to those of our forumers who may be sixteen or younger). I think you may be right Destri. I had been struck by how similar these characters were - almost as if they were drawn by the same comic artist.

Neil Gaiman, where are you when we need you?

I do like how the Argonians look. They are more serpentine now, and less lizardlike (if that makes sense to anyone). You could play Thulsa Doom with one. I think horns do work for them. I especially liked the small ones on the side of the male's neck. But ram's horns? That seems weird.

The orc looks the same as the others. Like h.e.r. said, is the same guy doing them all?

Not on their breasties...just sayin'...

Oh, don't worry, I'm pretty sure we'll have a fair few sexy kitties for you within the first month of CK hitting the shelves.

First of all, I love the looks of the argonians and khajiits(especially the argonians) and the redguards(except the first) looks great as well. The orsimers' noses just looks weird. On the others I suppose it would make sense that in a harsher climate the people would look much more rugged. But from what I've seen on pictures of Skyrim it isn't all that harsh(I said not all, of course it's got to be harsh in the mountains and where snow covers the ground all the time. Absolutely love the dog, and don't think it would be strange at all to have it as a pet in Skyrim, though it looks more like a pet you would keep to cuddle with than to have by your side in a fight, and I don't think it would do well if you ventured into the mountains during the winter.

As much as I love the hairy Khajiit, it is a comfort to know that the velvet-furred Maxical will never look like an albino orangutan.

My friend is actually a journalist who was at Gamescon, and these are all largely preset characters according to him. During the demonstration they were given the designer flicked through all the races at the character creator quickly before diving into the game with a random pick. So I think some of these are presets by the company. However, quite a few examples are custom made.

But they still look amazing, and I am loving the new armor and weapon designs as well, and the poses from the animations seem a lot more natural than the rigid stances from Morrowind and the care free uninterest in Oblivion.

And why not? They are Khajiit,after all! You know, one of the so-called 'beast' races? I don't see anyone trying to de-scale the Argonians. Living in a harsh environment like Skyrim one could imagine Khajiit having a surplus of fur. I for one would LOVE to see a hirsute Maxical!

In any event this:

My favorite Khajiit yet!

looks a bit more sleek and feline.

Still having trouble getting over the crummy low-res LOD landscape textures...

Not the mountains, no, but take a look at that piece of land jutting out behind the Khajiit, that's what I'm talking about.