Ray Of Light
08-11-2005, 05:25 PM
Like a lot of people I am sure, I have lots of suggestions for Guild Wars. But I thought about them carefully, and realised that the one I want to see most of all is…
MALE MONK MAKEOVER
It is all well and good to resist the body fascists, until you are dedicating many hours to an alter ego who is quite clearly A Chubby Bald Guy In A Loincloth Painted Blue. This just does not inspire a glow of satisfaction when your peers happen by in their shiny master crafted platemail or 75k formalwear.
So to bring some style to the Male Monk class ( and inspire more Monk players ) I suggest an alternate Male Monk model, selectable at character creation.
Taking it from the top :
Head Tattoo
The issues :
They are chunky ( just how many needles to the head would they take ? ).
They are bright blue ( this is not a popular colour, and dyeing neutral black is expensive ).
They are indistinguishable swirls ( surely no-one can recognize Skill speciality by looking ? ).
They appear underneath hair, when you have any.
The improvements :
Make the patterns thin and elegant ( see Mhenlo art ), which should also distinguish each.
Make the default colour black ( see Mhenlo art ) ; everyone likes black - few can afford it.
The replacements :
Facial tattoo ; obvious, can even keep the Head Tattoo name and just show them differently.
Halo ; no trouble with hair, various shapes and intensities, plenty religious, so cool.
Hair Style ( head tattoos are on top of bald heads )
The issues :
Just look at them.
The replacements :
Shaven styles ; to complement the current one, with very different hairlines.
Crew cut ; less bald, also more evil.
Bowl ; classic martial arts influence and the Friar Tuck favourite.
Mullets ; keeping with the current themes but a bit less radical.
Preppy ; for the non-Eastern monks, think earnest preachers and door-to-door.
Long and messy ; favourite of missionaries and cranky martial arts Masters.
Face
The issues :
Tendency towards bland, shapeless or in a totally different age bracket to the others.
The replacements :
Ancients ; if you want to be old you want to be a Master with extreme facial hair.
Diversity ; blondes can be monks too ! Why not some African-heritage styles as well ?
Body Shape
The issues :
See opening comments. Not flattered by loincloth.
Not indicative of a life of abstinance, self-discipline or study of the martial arts.
Low credibility for adventurer, particularly when dual-classed with Ranger or Warrior.
The replacements :
Athletic ; Conforming with other models ( except Thunderthighs ), good for dual-class.
Thin ; Radical concept. Stresses the abstinance, discipline, missionary angles. Good for mages.
Bodywear And Legwear
The issues :
High waistband ; so different to the other characters, combines badly with tattooed areas.
LOIN CLOTH.
The improvements :
Standardise the waistband height ; simple but effective.
Replace the loin cloth with at least a fundoshi ( think of the children ! ).
The replacements :
Long sleeves ; overhanging the arm wear, Eastern style or those snazzy one-sleeve styles.
Gi ; for anyone looking to pursue the martial arts angle.
Body Tattoo
The issues :
As with head tattoos ; blue and so chunky it is hard to distinguish anything.
The improvements :
Make the patterns thin and elegant ( see Mhenlo art ), which should also distinguish each.
Make the default colour black ( see Mhenlo art ) ; black looks good with everything.
The replacements :
Celtic ; I think Mhenlo already has some resemblance, but mainly for variety and style.
Textured ; for instance stripes of dragon scale effect.
Footwear
The issues :
Sandals across almost every style is a little dull.
NB I really like the barefoot tattoo style.
The replacements :
Plimsoles / slippers ; for martial artists and old-man monks.
It is not my intention to be mean to Male Monk players ( well, except for those chubby blue loincloth wearers ), but I think that this class could be so much more appealing and would like to see them first in line for an additional model. Certainly the appearance aspects are what dissuades me from playing a Monk, when acquiring the superficially-impressive treasures is such a large part of Guild Wars.
I just feel that the current tattoos and tattoo + hair situation suggest an overall lack of concern with this model compared to the other 11 ( who are basically hotties, aside from Thunderthighs The Barbarian ). The mere existence of the loincloth outfit certainly suggests that it might be something of a joke among the designers.
Peace out,
Hope to one day spread the good word as a preppy waif with some serious body-art.
MALE MONK MAKEOVER
It is all well and good to resist the body fascists, until you are dedicating many hours to an alter ego who is quite clearly A Chubby Bald Guy In A Loincloth Painted Blue. This just does not inspire a glow of satisfaction when your peers happen by in their shiny master crafted platemail or 75k formalwear.
So to bring some style to the Male Monk class ( and inspire more Monk players ) I suggest an alternate Male Monk model, selectable at character creation.
Taking it from the top :
Head Tattoo
The issues :
They are chunky ( just how many needles to the head would they take ? ).
They are bright blue ( this is not a popular colour, and dyeing neutral black is expensive ).
They are indistinguishable swirls ( surely no-one can recognize Skill speciality by looking ? ).
They appear underneath hair, when you have any.
The improvements :
Make the patterns thin and elegant ( see Mhenlo art ), which should also distinguish each.
Make the default colour black ( see Mhenlo art ) ; everyone likes black - few can afford it.
The replacements :
Facial tattoo ; obvious, can even keep the Head Tattoo name and just show them differently.
Halo ; no trouble with hair, various shapes and intensities, plenty religious, so cool.
Hair Style ( head tattoos are on top of bald heads )
The issues :
Just look at them.
The replacements :
Shaven styles ; to complement the current one, with very different hairlines.
Crew cut ; less bald, also more evil.
Bowl ; classic martial arts influence and the Friar Tuck favourite.
Mullets ; keeping with the current themes but a bit less radical.
Preppy ; for the non-Eastern monks, think earnest preachers and door-to-door.
Long and messy ; favourite of missionaries and cranky martial arts Masters.
Face
The issues :
Tendency towards bland, shapeless or in a totally different age bracket to the others.
The replacements :
Ancients ; if you want to be old you want to be a Master with extreme facial hair.
Diversity ; blondes can be monks too ! Why not some African-heritage styles as well ?
Body Shape
The issues :
See opening comments. Not flattered by loincloth.
Not indicative of a life of abstinance, self-discipline or study of the martial arts.
Low credibility for adventurer, particularly when dual-classed with Ranger or Warrior.
The replacements :
Athletic ; Conforming with other models ( except Thunderthighs ), good for dual-class.
Thin ; Radical concept. Stresses the abstinance, discipline, missionary angles. Good for mages.
Bodywear And Legwear
The issues :
High waistband ; so different to the other characters, combines badly with tattooed areas.
LOIN CLOTH.
The improvements :
Standardise the waistband height ; simple but effective.
Replace the loin cloth with at least a fundoshi ( think of the children ! ).
The replacements :
Long sleeves ; overhanging the arm wear, Eastern style or those snazzy one-sleeve styles.
Gi ; for anyone looking to pursue the martial arts angle.
Body Tattoo
The issues :
As with head tattoos ; blue and so chunky it is hard to distinguish anything.
The improvements :
Make the patterns thin and elegant ( see Mhenlo art ), which should also distinguish each.
Make the default colour black ( see Mhenlo art ) ; black looks good with everything.
The replacements :
Celtic ; I think Mhenlo already has some resemblance, but mainly for variety and style.
Textured ; for instance stripes of dragon scale effect.
Footwear
The issues :
Sandals across almost every style is a little dull.
NB I really like the barefoot tattoo style.
The replacements :
Plimsoles / slippers ; for martial artists and old-man monks.
It is not my intention to be mean to Male Monk players ( well, except for those chubby blue loincloth wearers ), but I think that this class could be so much more appealing and would like to see them first in line for an additional model. Certainly the appearance aspects are what dissuades me from playing a Monk, when acquiring the superficially-impressive treasures is such a large part of Guild Wars.
I just feel that the current tattoos and tattoo + hair situation suggest an overall lack of concern with this model compared to the other 11 ( who are basically hotties, aside from Thunderthighs The Barbarian ). The mere existence of the loincloth outfit certainly suggests that it might be something of a joke among the designers.
Peace out,
Hope to one day spread the good word as a preppy waif with some serious body-art.