Are you an Eastern style or Western style player?

UOvet

I really wish I could get my hands on some of the game East. More PvP driven, maybe more of a grind but beats the bitching about content. How about you? Games like ArchAge and a few others that come out there really make me wish I almost lived there a few hours of the day .

My assumption is Western players - Casual, easy, less PvP, more PvE, enjoy bitching about content, less team focused.

Eastern - Grindier, PvP focused, more team focused, usually look better than Western games (subjective) and have more "original" ideas.

 

Again, all subjective on how I "see it". I guess I'm fed up with all the crying and bitchiness, not to mention unoriginality I'm seeing over here in the states regarding MMO, and really games in general.

Caldrin

I dont like the easten/asian art style with silly weapons 6 times the size of the person.. it just annoys me.. also wow annoys with with its silly super glowing everything.. guess im just more of a low fantasy person as i really liked the style of Age of Conan that was just an amazing looknig game and could be really fun at times too

I play darkfall so dont mind a game that takes time to play..

 

just1opinion

OP, It's obvious by the tone of the descriptions that YOU are an "eastern" player. 

 

I like a combination of things from BOTH of your descriptions, so I suppose I'm a "hybrid" player.  I prefer more PvE, but I loathe overly easy games, I hate senseless whining over games, I am however, probably more casual than hardcore. I hate grinding endlessly, PvP does nothing for me unless it's world PvP warring over opposing cities or something on a large scale, and I CERTAINLY do not think anime looking graphics hold ANYTHING on more "western" style graphics. I don't think it's particularly healthy to want to play characters that look like sexualized first graders.

 

I guess you can tell by MY tone that I would probably favor western style IF you added some more good qualities to it.

TruthXHurts

I just wonder in MMO's and a lot of anime... Why are the heroes always white? lesser characters are generally stereotypical asian looking characters, btu the hero and main villains are usually blonde haired and fair skinned.

just1opinion

Originally posted by TruthXHurts

I just wonder in MMO's and a lot of anime... Why are the heroes always white? lesser characters are generally stereotypical asian looking characters, btu the hero and main villains are usually blonde haired and fair skinned.

Sounds like it's a stereotype on THEIR side in trying to "westernize" things and make them NA friendly. Guess they don't realize that our population is not really PREDOMINANTLY blonde haired, blue-eyed, and looking like grade schoolers, huh?

Ausare

Anime characters look caucasion, and I don't think it's worth denying it and accusing americans of having a skewed vision. This is the reason why:



Commodore Perry 's escapade into Japan - this was the first time that the Japanese were truly exposed to the occident, and the time period thereafater, the Japanese adopted a "westernization" policy in all aspects of their society. Suddenly, everything that was "western" was associated with modernity, and this time period after Commodore Perry and before WWII is responsible for much of Japan's modernization. This is historical fact, go look it up, there are tons of books written about this period of Japan's history.



Thus, when the first Japanese comic books came out in newspapers and magazines, "Astroy Boy" and other early Manga that followed looked rather white. The logical progression was that the animations which were based on the manga looked white too, as to be consistent.



Furhtermore, Disney had a huge influence on the original japanese animators, the idea of anime being anything but international after Disney, was out of the question. Both historically and economically, there was no reason for anime characters to look anything but white.



It hasnt' been till very recently that we have started to see anime characters look more n more japanese.

Read more: Why do anime characters always look so....well, white? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/188106#ixzz1Ir65Syas

Meowhead

Oh no, not the dreaded 'Why are all the people in anime/Eastern stuff white?' question.  Ugh.  I could go into this a lot, but... eh.  Nobody ever wins at this topic. :P

I think it helps to realize that it partially stems from them being idealized cartoons, often not representing any particular race, and that Westerners just go 'Oh.  Idealized.  So they're like US, because the best looking, palest people are us.', while Asian people associate the characters with looking like idealized versions of themselves.

Japanese people?  They can be shockingly pale.  Only people who draw them as yellow is like... WWII propoganda cartoons. :T

Also, the whole eye thing isn't a 'Look, it's Western style eyes!', it's more of a 'Look, big eyes are more expressive!'

No, wait, I dont' really want to get into this, but it's not the way you think it is, mostly.  It's a lot of filtering Eastern art aesthetics through limited, stereotypical Western views of how you portray Westerners vs. Easterners. :T

(edit:  Previous poster is almost exactly what I'm talking about.  Limited understanding. :T   Paleness is considered attractive, but that's something that goes back in Japan far further than Commodore Perry.  It's not 'Whiteness', it's 'Paleness'.  Pale = not much sun = rich people = stay looking young longer.  Just look at how freaking pale some Japanese people are.  Far paler than the standard ruddy Westerner. :T    Actually, in many cultures, paleness/smoothness of complexion is considered attractive.  It's associated with being rich and living longer.  There's a few random exceptions, like milkmaids, because they would get cowpox, letting them avoid chickenpox, and hey... not having huge pockmark scarring all over your face, kind of hot.)

Komar

Why cant you play the asain mmorpgs?  There are quite a few out there and available outside of asia.

MumboJumbo

I wish Eastern anime/art/mmo characters WERE designed to LOOK Eastern. I like cultures that are proud and show themselves and their vision to the rest of the world. And the culture of the East has a lot to show everyone.

But as for MMOs I don't go for Eastern ones. I like Western ones a lot more and prefer to play in a Western milieu and population.

maskedweasel

I play all kinds of games,  and while I dislike grind for grinds sake which you do notice is more prevalent in eastern games, I still find one every now and then that I enjoy.   

 

While the stereotypical eastern and western MMO rarely interest me you can find enjoyment in both depending on the developer and the game.  

 

As for what I like in MMOs,  I like PvP when the combat is based on real-time actions and not turn based actions.. I like team based combat,  and I like going solo in PvP sometimes too.  I like both open world and instanced PvP.  I like skill based systems and I like class based systems.  I like questing, adventuring, exploring,  crafting.  And I don't have to have them all prevalent in a single game in order for me to get excited about playing that game.

 

I'm also rather flexible on art styles.  I like the look of TERA, though I do feel the models are a little over the top,  but I also like the look of SWTOR though I feel the character models need a little bit more polish for faces,  while characters with helmets are absolutely amazing to me.

 

So.. to summarize,  I don't really have a preference and I rather not conform to one kind of play style.  Why can't we just play everything?

Meowhead

Originally posted by MumboJumbo

I wish Eastern anime/art/mmo characters WERE designed to LOOK Eastern. I like cultures that are proud and show themselves and their vision to the rest of the world. And the culture of the East has a lot to show everyone.

But as for MMOs I don't go for Eastern ones. I like Western ones a lot more and prefer to play in a Western milieu and population.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8

Here.  A quick search using the internet helped me come up with this.

Pay careful attention to the 'how people portray foreigners' section, where it's pointed out that stereotypical 'Oh hey look, it's that race' features are something that's used by people of other races.

For example, slanty squinty eyes are Western shorthand for 'look, I drew an Asian', while in the East, it's generally used for 'Look, I'm making fun of Western stereotypes.'.  :T

edit:  The video is only 6 minutes long.  It helps explain the 'Why do Japanese people want to be white' thing going on which I find rather distasteful. :<  So everybody who thinks that should watch it and think a little bit more about what they're saying.  Just a little bit.

doubleedit:  Actually, the guy's a LITTLE delusional, because neither Asians OR Caucasians really look like anime people, but that's the whole point.  They're an unrealistic idealization of the human form that isn't Asian OR Caucasian.  He has more of a point with skin tone, and of course you can find examples of any race to fit any face profile.

Thorqemada

Simple: Paper is white, colours where expensive, printing coloured was extremly expensive, drawing of books and movies is a huge bunch of work and even more when most of it has to be colourized.
So if you be not totally insane you will draw peoples only in the way of outlining them most times and thus simply let appaer everybody white.
I still know when i.e. disney comics where black and white and the special releases had every 4th page or so with some colour.

Meowhead

Originally posted by Blutmaul

Simple: Paper is white, colours where expensive, printing coloured was extremly expensive, drawing of books and movies is a huge bunch of work and even more when most of it has to be colourized.

So if you be not totally insane you will draw peoples only in the way of outlining them most times and thus simply let appaer everybody white.

I still know when i.e. disney comics where black and white and the special releases had every 4th page or so with some colour.

Nobody is white except for albinos though.

Caucasians?  NOT ACTUALLY WHITE.  Shocking, I know.  Nobody is paper color, so dunno why it looks any more Caucasian than Asian. :T  Except for the part of people's brain that automatically associates main characters as being like them, except for in the ways they are explicitly not.

Anime characters aren't Caucasian, they're just so inhuman and weirdly devoid of any particular racial characteristics they're easy to empathize with 'Hey, that's a white person!'.  Except they're not. :T

MumboJumbo

Originally posted by Meowhead

Originally posted by MumboJumbo

I wish Eastern anime/art/mmo characters WERE designed to LOOK Eastern. I like cultures that are proud and show themselves and their vision to the rest of the world. And the culture of the East has a lot to show everyone.

But as for MMOs I don't go for Eastern ones. I like Western ones a lot more and prefer to play in a Western milieu and population.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8

Here.  A quick search using the internet helped me come up with this.

Pay careful attention to the 'how people portray foreigners' section, where it's pointed out that stereotypical 'Oh hey look, it's that race' features are something that's used by people of other races.

For example, slanty squinty eyes are Western shorthand for 'look, I drew an Asian', while in the East, it's generally used for 'Look, I'm making fun of Western stereotypes.'.  :T

edit:  The video is only 6 minutes long.  It helps explain the 'Why do Japanese people want to be white' thing going on which I find rather distasteful. :<  So everybody who thinks that should watch it and think a little bit more about what they're saying.  Just a little bit.

doubleedit:  Actually, the guy's a LITTLE delusional, because neither Asians OR Caucasians really look like anime people, but that's the whole point.  They're an unrealistic idealization of the human form that isn't Asian OR Caucasian.  He has more of a point with skin tone, and of course you can find examples of any race to fit any face profile.

It's a good vid, because he tries to cover a lot of ground and does makes some useful observations and broaden the definition of Asian countries, ethnicities and cultural norms.

I still find some of the art though seems to take Western attributes eg different colored hair/eyes and sometimes facial bone structure that are non-representative of Asian people. I guess it comes down to art and adding creativity and variety and melding features together to create something fantastical?

But I like the Eastern art to be Eastern and reflect themselves is I suppose the crux of what I do and do not like about it. Funnily, almost all the Eastern animation running IS Eastern styled however!! It's a mystery : )

Thorqemada

Well, i am not able to explain better.
But colour is a thing of the modern and white is in this case not a defined colour but a broad approach.
There be also no black or yellow coloured people, its only an appoeach to use this words bcs we can otherwise not explain without pictures how something looks and it has settled down into our language.

Meowhead

Originally posted by MumboJumbo

It's a good vid, because he tries to cover a lot of ground and does makes some useful observations and broaden the definition of Asian countries, ethnicities and cultural norms.

I still find some of the art though seems to take Western attributes eg different colored hair/eyes and sometimes facial bone structure that are non-representative of Asian people. I guess it comes down to art and adding creativity and variety and melding features together to create something fantastical?

But I like the Eastern art to be Eastern and reflect themselves is I suppose the crux of what I do and do not like about it. Funnily, almost all the Eastern animation running IS Eastern styled however!! It's a mystery : )

I think of the different colored eyes and hair as being indicative of 'Since we've really simplified the facial structure, we need quick, easily identifiable ways for characters to stand out'.  I mean, they're just as likely to use pink or green or blue hair as they are blonde, and nobody really has pink/green/blue hair.  It's not 'Oh look, Caucasian hair', or 'Hey, red eyes, must be from England!', more of a 'Anime character eyes/hair' thing going on.

Plus it's fun to play around with!  I mean, whee, pink hair and purple eyes.  That's neat.  In a weird sort of way.

I think it's more helpful to watch a series that has people that are actually supposed to represent Westerners interacting with people who are supposed to represent people who are Eastern.

... also, the idea of Eastern art being Eastern... that's weird.  I mean, I'm really heavily into comics, more so than something else, and the Japanese have carved out a cultural identity with their art stylings and comic design that makes it fairly distinct.

... and why should they draw in any particular style?  It's not like you're betraying your nation by not drawing in some very specific art style.

Since I collect manga, I'm pretty aware that Japanese comics utilizes a WIDE variety of art styles and techniques.  Far wider than most people realize, basing it off anime, which is drawn in specific ways partially because animation is a lot cheaper that way. :B

MumboJumbo

Originally posted by Meowhead

Originally posted by MumboJumbo

It's a good vid, because he tries to cover a lot of ground and does makes some useful observations and broaden the definition of Asian countries, ethnicities and cultural norms.

I still find some of the art though seems to take Western attributes eg different colored hair/eyes and sometimes facial bone structure that are non-representative of Asian people. I guess it comes down to art and adding creativity and variety and melding features together to create something fantastical?

But I like the Eastern art to be Eastern and reflect themselves is I suppose the crux of what I do and do not like about it. Funnily, almost all the Eastern animation running IS Eastern styled however!! It's a mystery : )

I think of the different colored eyes and hair as being indicative of 'Since we've really simplified the facial structure, we need quick, easily identifiable ways for characters to stand out'.  I mean, they're just as likely to use pink or green or blue hair as they are blonde, and nobody really has pink/green/blue hair.  It's not 'Oh look, Caucasian hair', or 'Hey, red eyes, must be from England!', more of a 'Anime character eyes/hair' thing going on.

Plus it's fun to play around with!  I mean, whee, pink hair and purple eyes.  That's neat.  In a weird sort of way.

I think it's more helpful to watch a series that has people that are actually supposed to represent Westerners interacting with people who are supposed to represent people who are Eastern.

... also, the idea of Eastern art being Eastern... that's weird.  I mean, I'm really heavily into comics, more so than something else, and the Japanese have carved out a cultural identity with their art stylings and comic design that makes it fairly distinct.

... and why should they draw in any particular style?  It's not like you're betraying your nation by not drawing in some very specific art style.

Since I collect manga, I'm pretty aware that Japanese comics utilizes a WIDE variety of art styles and techniques.  Far wider than most people realize, basing it off anime, which is drawn in specific ways partially because animation is a lot cheaper that way. :B

True there's tons of different genres and styles and anime is more mainstream eg in Japan than by comparison to eg the West so this could explain the trend and taste for "mixing it up" I suppose? For sure their psychology or way they think is very apparent in just about all their anime, but nonetheless I still find the physical representations to be be unrepresentative is I guess what I and all those google posts are banging on about! ; )

I guess when it comes to art we should be happy we have red-heads in the West among our ranks?!

Edit: Bringing the discussion back to MMOs, Battle Royale is a movie I think would be a fun MMO "remake" and in that movie you see a range of very Japanese-behaviors, feelings and types even and all look Japanese too. In the MMO, your avatar/char starts with a random weapon (and an electronic collar of course)...

Meowhead

Originally posted by MumboJumbo

True there's tons of different genres and styles and anime is more mainstream eg in Japan than by comparison to eg the West so this could explain the trend and taste for "mixing it up" I suppose? For sure their psychology or way they think is very apparent in just about all their anime, but nonetheless I still find the physical representations to be be unrepresentative is I guess what I and all those google posts are banging on about! ; )

I guess when it comes to art we should be happy we have red-heads in the West among our ranks?!

Actually, if you want a lot of 'Japanese' seeming people, the series to read are the serious, adult ones.  ... and by adult I don't mean porn, I mean like... comics about stuff like bartenders, or running a hotel, or being a golf playing business man... or the trials and traversals of a Japanese Encyclopedia salesman in the current internet age.

It's the 'serious' stuff like that where the people start seeming more... well, Japanese, and where black hair suddenly becomes the dominant color again, and people with red or blonde hair or whatever are people who dyed their hair.

Problem is, that stuff doesn't really sell well in the US, so people don't really see it.

I mean, if I say something like 'The people in Oishinbo seem very Japanese to me, and all they ever do is talk about Japanese cooking', the average response is '... is that any relation to Naruto?'

Children's comics are childish and unrealistic.  Go figure.  At least they don't have the extreme furry obsession that you see in the US. (Hello Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry and so on...)