Not at all, you misunderstand. I'm saying it's not really that BIG of a deal unless they're literally NOT wearing clothes. I mean sure, to some people a costume might be "slutty" or "sexy" but still comes down the one fact. It's video game character=fake, pixels, not real.

No, what bothers me is people's insistence that everyone else's design has somehow had more attention or more of an overhaul.

Everyone else, it's just modified variations of their basic design with added detail. I'm sorry, but everyone keeps saying "Sonya has a classic look...but it's still new." No, it's not. She's wearing a belly-shirt with more detailed pants, and a beret. Scorpion is wearing pretty much the same damn outfit he's always wore, except they've re-arranged the placement of spikes and skulls. The only character that's really impressed me in this game so far is Shang Tsung.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing...but it bugs me that Kitana is somehow the leper of the group when they did no more or less with her than anyone else.



I love that you think this is something I do exclusively for Kitana and no one else when......I don't.

But when you have only the "classic" look to work with, it's the small details that end up coming together and creating something bigger. The new characters and their designs were riding on the amount of creativity and effort the MK Team put into them, or rather, put into updating their classic looks with as many small details as possible that would, ultimately, create something satisfying for the fans of the respective characters.

All we're saying is that it seems the MK Team put more effort and more of that creativity into the first characters. Like you said, most of them DO have costumes that are a reminder of their past ones, but like I said, it's the small details, the small additions and changes, that make the big difference. Sonya's additions were all (if analyzed separately) simple, yet creative. Something as little as adding belts to the boots, elongating the gloves, or giving her bangs over the eye, makes the whole thing look completely new while maintaining that nostalgic "feel" they're aiming for. Something so simple as making Scorpion's flesh see-through translates into a "wow" factor for his fans, making them happy with his new look. We're just noticing how Kitana didn't get AS MUCH as the others. Her additions, from what I can see, include a ribbon and a new take on her bathing suit attire that switches up where the blue and black are. That's not enough to make us look at her render and really be amazed, or pleasently surprised, or even interested for the more demanding fans.



Lol, look, XD, I don't hate hardcore Kitana fans at all (just the constant offhand comments about other characters), so not everything that comes out of my mouth is a crude challenge. Just take the damn compliment, dammit, lol

I'll read through that thread soon. Trying to get rid of a fucking virus or something that keeps telling to download their program. (If anyone has tips on getting rid of it, its name is Worm.Win32.Netbooster, and it's a fucking slut).

I totally agree. Over and over she's looked unlike the tough warrior she's written as. I think it's actually very contradicting having her written like a great and powerful warrior princess but then having her look like a weak delicate airhead. She behaves more according to her damsel-like appearance then her story as an ex-assassin and current military commander.

I base my views of her more on her image and personality than her story.


I also agree. I think what you're nicely trying to say here is that Xia exaggerates Kitana a lot.

You also see that there's a lot of plain goody-goodiness to Kitana? You can't imagine the list of profound traits Xia believes her to have.

I'm just saying though, I'm not trying to offend anyone.

I don't think a single Mortal Kombat character has ever really been thoroughly 'fleshed out" or even given a remotely natural, human, and sympathetic personality, especially of late. The problem now is that, while the pallet swap age has ended, very few characters have actual depth to them. There are a few exceptions here and there, and personal preference might make one character stand out as more empathetic than others.

For example, I love Sub-Zero. I picture him as a cool-headed (pardon the pun), methodical fighter, a master who leads the Lin Kuei with determination and conviction, who feels conflicted about the evil nature of hs undead brother Noob Saibot, the growing threat of Sektor's army, and the general unrest in his own ranks, such as with Frost, and at times Sareena. Of course, much of this is alluded to. Not much of it is stated. In the games, he's just as wooden and lifeless as the others, but as a fan, I GIVE him more depth than he currently has.

Same goes for Sareena. She has so much story and character potential. Unlike some fighters, not even SHE knows if she's good or evil. She's inherently evil and she's trying very hard to be good. She's both a slave to Quan Chi and a vital ally of Sub-Zero. She's both beautiful, ugly, good, evil, strong, weak, among many other things. That's damn compelling, and THAT is why I will forever demand her inclusion in any Mortal Kombat game, including this crossover. "Iconic" characters be damned. I'm sick of them. Give me some GOOD characters.

But, back on topic, Kitana is another character who, pretty much after MK3, lost any personality and has been on auto-pilot. Saying she "mourned the death of Liu Kang" is rather vague and unintersting. Showing it would have been better. We're being told their stories, but not shown them. There's no viewer immersion or interaction. Yes, I know this is a fighting game and story and character development is about as far from the developers minds as possible, but these characters, if they are indeed "iconic", DESERVE to be explored, humanized, and expanded upon. What sort of person IS Kitana? I've played every game, and I know WHAT she is, princess, assassin, leader, Liu Kang's unrequited lover, but WHO is she? After more than ten years, I know about as much about her as I did during MK2.

I guess that's why the fans step in and give them much needed depth, even if it's not exactly "real" or established.

I also liked it, I hope her hair is going to look like that in her alternate costume (in case there will be any).

Well I don't like it.

I mean...it's decent, I guess. I just don't want anything to do with an Edenia that doesn't have a rainbow, lol.

Ahhh... I could always put the rainbow back in, make it extra bright, and add glitter and sparkles to it as well, if you'd want!

Personally, I'm trying to find some fans to add to the picture to make her awkward pose more managable.

her pose does make it look like she should have weapons. but why the blue make up?

Blue make-up? I gave her some eye shadow and changed her eye color to make her eyes more distinctive, exotic, and less "vacant" if that's what you mean.

the eye shadow is what i meant. what do her eyes look like now?

Ah. I changed her eyes to a dark blue color, along with her eye shadow, to match her blue outfit. I also shifted the pupils and change the light reflection in them so that they're looking ahead, instead of off into the distance.

This is true, as probably no character in Mortal Kombat has any real personality besides broad strokes and interpretation.

Some fans prefer it this way though and don't like being told how the characters "really" are...especially if it doesn't turn out well. Was anyone happy with the way anyone was depicted in Shaolin Monks? I know I hated the movies and TV shows.

I think it would be nice if we got more sense of characters' quirks and personalties...but I do like there being room for interpretation. It engages me to get into the story and characters. I don't need or want everything spoon-fed to me like a child.

So for all intents and purposes....it seems my Kitana owns yours.
Jealous..?

I don't want to make a big stink out of all this, but the fact that it is a video game is not the point. Video games are just another form of media. We are talking about the way the characters are portrayed. It does not matter if the character is real or not. There are laws that ban virtual (read digital, animated, etc) obscenity. I am not insinuating that MK is obscene so please do not misunderstand me. I make this point only to show that the mere depiction of something, without the use of real persons, can also be offensive.

Whether you think the way the women are depicted in these games is a big deal or not IS what we are talking. It would require a discussion on a much deeper level than I think anyone on these boards would want to engage in. I just pointed out the irony in your statement. I cannot think of many cases where the term slutty is not a derogatory one. You praised Kitana's render for being sexy without being slutty, implying that some of the other women looked slutty. That would be an issue for some people.

Whether you are male or female, there are those who would find problem with some of the costumes, and those who wouldn't. I just don't like it when people are so dismissive of other's opinions. People have different taste levels.

Well said. I agree.

What Kitana needs is not just story, but personality. She's been very linear since day one. Some characters are in an opposite position, like Sonya, who has a defined personality but a linear storyline.

At least broad strokes are better than nothing. Kitana hasn't received any personality characteristics at all. She acts like a typical princess, which is one of the most generic "personalities" in the whole series.

Because we can and it's not off topic.

Meh.

Kind of a dull render. I think her stance is kinda stiff. The outfit isn't very apealling to me. I dunno I guess I just don't find Pre Deadly Alliance Kitana's look to be that interesting. I mean I guess thats cool. I don't recall the older designs ever bothering me, But its nothing I'd go estatic over. Graphically it looks very good. Probably the best one yet even.

how does she act like a typical princess?

because to me princess peach is like a typical princess. kitana couldn't be more different.

MK2 - Kitana is a hitman/secretly a rebel leader

MK3 - Kitana is a fugitive on the run

MKDA - Kitana leads an army from the front lines, recieves training from a man who likes to throw up for fun, then fights the main villains and gets killed.

MKD - Kitana is an enslaved bodyguard

Oh yeah, that's some real typical girly-girl pink dresses and flowers and ponies princess shit right there...>_>

That hair style looks way better than the ponytail.

It is the point though lol, who cares if a girl has a "Revealing" costume...who here is actually going to get off to that? It's just another trivial thing that some people will make a big stink out of nothing. It's pixels, fake. Who cares. I understand you perfectly well and am not saying MK is obsene, that's just my point. They're not. And like I said in that thread dude, most people felt it wasn't degrading woman because you see far worse stuff on TV and movies in fact. Besides, games just like movies have had a rating system dating back to MK ESRB for a reason.

And no, I never said flat out nor implied that "other woman in MK looked slutty" I said a female character can look sexy without being slutty, meaning without showing LOTS of skin or no clothes at all.....It's like Catwoman, she's covered more in the movies as oppose to this design that DC wanted. They're both sexy, but she happens to reveal more in this game...not a big deal really and shouldn't be peoples #1 concern.....

I'm fine with other peoples opinions, but am just stating my own opinion on the matter and like WP said this is way off topic anyway.....so this whole thing is irrelevant to the topic at hand. I still stand with my initial point which is people should worry more about Kitana "whole" rather then her "erotic features or the rainbow in the background..." Actually, it is way the hell off topic...

I don't usually see a lot of the sigs on the board (literally), but this one happened to catch my eye when it came up:


As far as a fairly simple look for Kitana goes... You don't necessarily need the rack of lamb, but I kinda like that. I'm surprised to say the little flourishes of pattern balance out enough to even make me accept the thoroughly redundant face mask! That little touch of design just makes so much more difference than the outrageously generic look heading in to MKvsDC.

Not my ideal, but at least there's a logic starting to build!
Good work, sig person!