Playing "Ugly" Avatars
by Elizabeth Harper 
May 6th 2006 at 9:00AM
As someone who, admittedly, plays a level 60 Gnome (with pink hair and everything), I understand where people are coming from when they talk about the importance of the appearance of your in-game avatar. But if having a "pretty" avatar is so important, how do you explain all of the Horde players out there? Or even the numerous unattractive Alliance options? Kotaku ponders the question, while the source article on Guardian Gamesblog seems to assume that there are no ugly avatars. What about you - is your avatar beautiful or hideous, and why?Filed under: Virtual selves, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joey May 6th 2006 9:48AM
Why specifiy that your gnome's hair is pink? That's the only color hair gnomes have. At least on my server anyway.
Fabian May 6th 2006 10:40AM
Well for my undead mage I went for a sinister and evil look - that fit the character I wanted him to be (RP-server).
My druid is a good strong and righteous tauren, he may not be "sexy" or anything, but I like him the way he is. He looks solid and fearsome to have as an enemy. I play characters for a reason beyond "hey it looks good" or "hey it looks hot".
I also have a female night elf on a roleplay server - but that character was made for an all-female (and mostly night-elf) guild. Of course I didn't make her as ugly as can be, she's now part of a guild that's called "sisters of sin" (translated, german server) where all the members are female night elves. And they often roleplay to live up to the name.
So basically for me each character is meant to have a different personality and I try to choose their looks accordingly. If being ugly or evil fits the character I want, I don't shy away from it.
Ghostle May 6th 2006 11:19AM
I think more deeply you have to see that the most of the Horde is not evil. The Tauren are like the counter part to the Night Elves, in tune with nature. The Orcs had their problems in the past but it was due to the Burning Crusade, Thrall got his people away from that and embraced their shamanistic ways. The Trolls are allies with the Horde because Thrall helped them out. The only true evil race are the Undead, because they do have alterior motives. Well wheres my point, here it is, The Tauren, the Orcs, and the Trolls are good hearted, they want a life of peace, but the Alliance only wants to destroy them, so they have to fight back. So people who play these races can see the goodness of the Horde. So people don't see an ugly race, they see a good race. Besides, nothing looks cooler than a giant Tauren Warrior in full Epics, come on, totally beats anything the Alliance has.
As for people with Undead characters like me, we just want to scare the hell out of people playing on the Alliance, and give them nightmares of the undead who wont stop camping them, so ya, I love making Undead male characters look ugly as possible.
snivlem May 6th 2006 1:46PM
I played a real ugly dwarf priest. I was trying to make him look like Grumpy from the Seven Dwarves, but that name was taken, so I took Gramps. He's an ugly old geezer.
cancerox May 6th 2006 8:59PM
I have an undead warlock on Daggerspine named Jacktorrance. So I tried to make him look as much like the Jack Nicholson character in the Shining as much as possible?that is, if he were an undead character. A few people I've run into understand the reference.
Then I created a troll on Kilrogg server and named him EstebanRey. I randomized his look rather making a caricature of Mr. King.
Skhardra May 6th 2006 9:22PM
"But if having a "pretty" avatar is so important, how do you explain all of the Horde players out there?"
Hey, orc females are hot!
Dave May 6th 2006 11:37PM
The only problems I have with aesthetics are gnome warriors and troll feet.
Sam Mellick May 6th 2006 11:46PM
Uhh...#3...there is no "evil" (playable) race in WoW. Each is just as "evil" as the next.
Personally, I play an undead rogue. Ugly yes, but I don't care. And if it starts bothering me in the future, I'll just stealth, and won't be able to see him :D
obo May 6th 2006 11:59PM
"Hey, orc females are hot!"
'Badunkadunk' should be in the orc language
Meanwhile, I can't help but laugh at NE female dances since seeing that video of dorks dancing the WoW dances... because that's what 90% of them look like, if you're lucky
obo May 7th 2006 12:02AM
and what's wrong with gnome warriors? Don't tell me you wouldn't fear a dual-hammer-wielding gnome. Your feet and shins are gonna fugging HURT when he's done with you. They're gonna hurt FOR HOURS.
And I haven't even gotten to Franky vs. the Argent Dawn... dude, just don't screw with gnome warriors. They go OFF.
Dave May 7th 2006 11:06AM
Anyobody ever seen a troll in the battlegear of wrath? You've got this badass armor except for its big, goofy, blue Nightcrawler feet. Not that I'm dishin' on Nightcrawler, but it bugs the crap out of me.
DaFox May 8th 2006 12:51AM
I always spend time picking my characters face and stuff.
But when ever i run by a female dwarf i just want to ask them "What the fuck were you thinking when you made that ugly bitc.h"
PodMonkeys May 8th 2006 7:53AM
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I go for cute for my female characters, and as not ugly as possible for my guys. (In my view of looks)
Dragonvarld May 8th 2006 10:19AM
I play on an RP server as a Night Elf. I tried to make him as ugly as possible since I was role playing a hermit-type hunter that has an elven mother and a dragon father.
Mat May 8th 2006 11:43AM
The thing I like about the NE males isn't their pretty looks, it's their rocking facial hair!
Seriously, my druid alts 'stache is out of control!
My male dwarf main is just like I imagined an old fighter to be... bearded and weathered, with cold, bright eyes, like Clint Eastwood, that let you know this geezer still has some fight in him and'll lick you good if you start talking bad about his horse (well, ram in this case).
Brian May 8th 2006 5:44PM
I personally make my avatars as ugly/wierd/bizarre/out of place looking as possible. I want people's reaction to be "what........the...........fuck????" when they come across me. Just thinking about the look of perplexion on their face as they are walking around with their carefully thought out names and painstakingly cultivated appearances, it brings joy to my cold, black heart.