Chainmail Bikinis & other Cheesecake art in the 4th Edition Core Books.

[Mr. Wilson]

Don't care one way or the other. I suppose less overtly sexual images depicting hawt babes wouldn't hurt bringing in new females, but I'm more worried about the ones being driven off by fellow gamers who can't help but stare at females, make rude comments, or immediately assume the female is their one true love.

Those people scare me.

 

[RangerWickett]

Might want to qualify that some, because that's really an overgeneralization there.

I've never been alienated by 'cheesecake art', and as others have said, women they know haven't been either.

So, while it may alienate 'some' women gamers, unlike your statement, it doesn't alienate 'all' women gamers.

I didn't intend to make a blanket statement. Without an indicator like 'some' or 'all,' I'd assume people would interpret it as 'some.' Likewise if I'd said "I love cookies," I think it's clear that in general I like cookies. Though there are exceptions. (Peanut butter cookies, for instance.)

Cheesecake art alienates some women gamers.

There's a difference between tastefully beautiful images with a hint of fun, and shameless, puerile cheesecake.

This I'm cool with:

This I am not:

(Well, at least not in my game products.)

 

[Kaffis]

So the consensus is... no consensus. (Though I'd suggest that anything that less than 50% of the market supports shouldn't be there...)

Either side has to dip into the indifferent to muster 50% (even after excising the "I like Pi" option). That said, both sides are pretty close, though favor has a slight edge and is more heavily weighted to strong than moderate.

 

[Klaus]

Some cheesecake doesn't hurt. Some people like playing sexy characters, and there should be some art for it.

 

[delericho]

If the cheesecake art is proving a barrier to women joining the hobby (and it may be having a slight effect), then I think I would prefer it to be gone from the D&D core rulebooks. However, I'm not particularly offended by it.

I definately don't want to see silly "stab here" armour designs, though.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I think Claudio's Image #2 and #3 hit it just right for a D&D product. I love Image #1 the most of course because I have that all-important male XY gene pairing and the classic response to visual stimuli.

 

[EricNoah]

Not offended by it, but I do find it embarassing and unnecessary.

 

[small pumpkin man]

I think Claudio's Image #2 and #3 hit it just right for a D&D product. I love Image #1 the most of course because I have that all-important male XY gene pairing and the classic response to visual stimuli.

Three's fine, two's actually really good, if 4e showed that much character and action I'd be really happy. First one looks like a "Julia Roberts from pretty woman" dressed up in fantasy gear, if that's what it's representing, then sure, whatever, but that's not really appropriate for a D&D manual.

(self edited for granma speak)

 

[Wormwood]

Cheesecake is strongly bound to fantasy fiction.

I'm not like Lovecraft, who would tear off the more lurid Wierd Tales covers.

 

[Dausuul]

I'm fine with sexy women in the PHB, but I feel like there's a line between "sexy" and "thinly disguised porn." It's hard to define exactly where that line is; but I think a lot of it derives from clothing that is obviously impractical for any purpose except looking sexy.

For example, I've got no problem with a portrayal of a female warrior in loincloth and leather halter (see Klaus's picture #2). Most people would prefer a little more protection, but if you don't want to be encumbered by armor and are in a fairly warm climate, it's not unreasonable.

On the other hand, put the same woman in pauldrons, greaves, gorget, vambraces, helm, and half a breastplate, with exposed midriff, cleavage, and a metal G-string (see Klaus's picture #1), and I have problems. Put her in a suggestive pose, and I have more problems. That outfit is providing all the drawbacks of armor--weight, loss of mobility, expense--with none of the benefits.

Similarly, high heels on adventuring women are ridiculous, at least while they're actually adventuring.