In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, there are no differences regarding the Crown Store between males and females. Men can also wear the wedding dress. However, several areas of bare skin for women were removed in Update 6.
Men in daring outfits
It was one of the most frequently asked questions: Will it really be possible to wear the wedding dress from the Crown Store as a man in The Elder Scrolls Online? And the answer was: Yes, you will!
And indeed – as can now be seen in numerous pics – some are happily trying it out. On reddit, for example, there is a thread: “I bet everyone with a male character did this first!”
Women no longer really
Meanwhile, there has been some fuss about the female models for months: With Update 6, some armors were made significantly more modest than they were before. Ever since the changes were on the test server, players have expressed their dissatisfaction.
Some are already complaining: “ESO ruined my view.” What used to be sexy and elegant now looks less stylish with Update 6. Midriff, neck, and shoulder exposure, as well as a glimpse into the décolletage, have been removed from many armors to represent femininity. The new models look like they could also be appropriate for tourists in strictly Catholic countries; well, the lady in the picture probably would have to undergo an exorcism, but something is always:
Whereas in other games, women are lightly clad and not just wielding a swinging sword, it seems that Zenimax has decided with Update 6 to dress female characters a bit more modestly and practically in some cases.
Under “ESO hides my cleavage” (freely translated as: TESO hides my boobs) there is a long thread in the official forum where players lament their fate.
Changes in The Elder Scrolls Online have not only opponents
Some complain: “No matter what I wear, my heroine looks like a nun.” However, the change does not only have opponents; for some TESO fans, the new look fits much better in Tamriel. For them, steel bikinis, as seen in some Asian MMOs, would be a nightmare. Female characters there are often defined by what they do not wear.
It does not seem that Zenimax primarily made adjustments due to a sense of modesty: Existing, already modest outfits have also been altered with the intention of being more realistic.
The change takes on an ironic twist when one knows that with the transition of TESO to Update 6, the age rating of PEGI was raised from 16 to 18: The legal system was apparently taken as a point of concern.
What do you think?
You can read how Cortyn views the topic “sexy outfits in MMOs” here: Sexism in MMORPGs – Absurdity in decisions and body proportions
