How Much Ecchiness You Can Tolerate From a Game?

[Wintermoon]

Actually, there's a common tendency for people to start thinking about sex when they think they are in extreme danger. It's because fear and arousal tend to cause the same bodily reactions. Those two concepts are psychologically linked.

I tend to see zombies as not so much dangerous as disgusting and tragic. Only stupid and oblivious people (and maybe children and the elderly and the disabled) get killed by zombies, which somehow includes almost everyone in zombie movies. I suppose the tragic element could actually also lead to sex, but I'd still expect the sight and smell of walking corpses to kill most people's libido.

Now back to our scheduled programming...

[IonicMomo]

Wow, I would NOT be thinking about sex during a zombie apocalypse. When it takes all of my energy just to focus on survival, sex would be the last thing on my mind. I can't say that I've experienced a zombie apocalypse, but I've lived in a natural disaster zone, which is the closest scenario I can imagine in real life. And in the cases of most people desperately seeking for food and shelter, sex is not even a blip in their consciousness. Even if they've given up the fight, most of them are too exhausted to do much of anything, much less participate in something as energy-intensive as sex. Just my two cents.

Anyway...fan service for the ladies (manservice?). Well, as I've said before, I don't usually like the way fan service is used, so my tastes might moderate and tame compared to others. Shirtless scenes are pretty standard in Western media, some women like pantless scenes too. A cast of good-looking guys with a range of body types, from pretty boys to muscular men, helps in appealing to a wider base. Personally, I like a little bit of Ho Yay between the male characters, if not straight-up physical attraction. And of course, not all of this has to visual; a sexy voice and way of talking goes a long way as well.

If it helps any, aside from the face, "female gaze" tends to drift towards male abs, butts, arms/shoulders, and crotch. So fan service highlighting those areas might be more effective? Maybe? (I know this isn't true of all women, but it's true of many.)

[LVUER]

I don't know whether I would think about having sex in the middle of zombie apocalypse or not, but I think the reason why people want to have sex in the middle of grave danger is because they don't want to die virgin... or at least they just want to do "that" another last time before die.

[Tachyglossus]

I don't know whether I would think about having sex in the middle of zombie apocalypse or not, but I think the reason why people want to have sex in the middle of grave danger is because they don't want to die virgin...

Except me, who is determined to be celebate just in case someone needs a virgin sacrifice. I always wanted to die strapped to an alter getting my heart carved out. Either that or spontaneous human combustion.

Ahem.

I used to be a real prude, but I've since become a bit lax on what I expose myself to without making a fuss. Compared to most people here, I probably am still prudish. However, I'd likely just repeat people by saying if it isn't relevant to the story, cut it. If it is, only show a little and leave it up to people's imaginations. The power of suggestion is remarkable. I don't need nor want to see primary or secondary sexual organs. Suggestive comments, or near nudity I tolerate. Explicit images or text description of explicit sexual acts I certainly will turn the game off and never touch it again and may think twice before downloading another by the same creator.

(Boy do I feel like an outsider.)

[James]

Furthermore, what would be appropriate ecchiness or fanservice for the ladies? We've heard "more topless guys", what else?

Not a girl but I have 4 older sisters who tried to brainwash me into being one. It also doesn't help when there's a bunch of cosmopolitan magazine for reading material in the bathroom.

The number one male body part that a women like? A ROUND BUBBLE BUTT!

Just show the back of a tall guy in a fitted jean talking to his buddy in a bar with a nice round butt.

When I was playing medal gear solid, there was a cut scene where snake was crawling in the grass and there was a zoom up shot of his round butt in that skin-tight grey suit. I was pretty sure he was offering fanservice to the girls and gay guys.

[Tachyglossus]

I wouldn't disagree with the round bubble butt comment. My mother never fails to say "I wonder if he's done professional dancing? Look at the shape of his butt" in movies where men have large glutes.

[rollox]

Why think about perversion when you can think about appropriate plot progression.

[Aleema]

Men have the equivalent of cleavage (def. #1). And I think it differs from merely the abdominal section, because even non-built men can have it. Just the area where the leg meets the torso. I've been told it is a "new invention" (in that, it never used to be a thing) and that men have to actually work to emphasis the muscles at that point? Anyway. Girls like yes.

[Sapphi]

On topic - I've noticed something quite interesting with this thread - as James pointed out, you have TWO DIFFERENT groups replying to how much ecchiness they can tolerate. For some, fanservice is a plus, a selling point. For others, it is a turn off from your game. But I am also getting the impression from the second group that they wouldn't mind ecchi content if it was targeted to them. Since most fanservice is targeted towards guys, I wonder how the ladies would respond to the thread question if most of the ecchi content was targeted towards them.

Furthermore, what would be appropriate ecchiness or fanservice for the ladies? We've heard "more topless guys", what else?

How would I respond? I don't know...
More than topless guys or the "equivalent of cleavage" thing that Aleema pointed out...
C-Can we have more guys with cool glasses? Points if they randomly shine! >//////>
*runs away*

[Suikama]

On topic - I've noticed something quite interesting with this thread - as James pointed out, you have TWO DIFFERENT groups replying to how much ecchiness they can tolerate. For some, fanservice is a plus, a selling point. For others, it is a turn off from your game. But I am also getting the impression from the second group that they wouldn't mind ecchi content if it was targeted to them. Since most fanservice is targeted towards guys, I wonder how the ladies would respond to the thread question if most of the ecchi content was targeted towards them.

Furthermore, what would be appropriate ecchiness or fanservice for the ladies? We've heard "more topless guys", what else?

How would I respond? I don't know...
More than topless guys or the "equivalent of cleavage" thing that Aleema pointed out...
C-Can we have more guys with cool glasses? Points if they randomly shine! >//////>
*runs away*

[LateWhiteRabbit]

Just for you, Sapphi. I hear he's a really great guy who'd have you over for dinner any time.

[Sapphi]

You guys are too much

Really though, if the question was "I am making a game for you, what kind of fanservice do you want?" I would answer "Men (and women) in various uniforms, such as military or police, who tote enormous guns, have cool personalities, and a higher ratio of bespectacled people than not. Also, at least someone with cat or dog ears." None of that is really fanservice in the ecchi sense, but it's truly what I like. I would rather see an attractive guy in uniform than with no shirt on, TBH.

But maybe I'm just weird.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

...and a higher ratio of bespectacled people than not.

Well, wearing glasses myself, it is heartening to hear some ladies prefer the look. However, I have not been able to make them randomly shine - maybe I am just not cool or evil enough. Curse you anti-glare coating!!

[SusanTheCat]

Any of you seen the "Porn for Women" series of books and calendar? It had pictures semi nude guys doing house work and serving breakfast in bed. Yummy!

Susan

[Auro-Cyanide]

Pfft, you guys. EVERY situation leads to sex. Don't you watch TV.

Personally I love abs, not really well formed, but soft ones. Arm muscles are also very attractive. Male butts are also very attractive when the male is fit (which is WHY they are attractive to females, means they are fit breeders). I also have a thing for eyebrow and ear piercings. And a five o'clock shadow. Apart from that I look for height and broad shoulders.

But I think you will find that with most females, personality trumps looks every time, especially in games where there is no real life repercussions. It is the beauty and the beast thing. Females are attracted to looks of course, but we fall in love with a personality. Whether it is the funny guy, the protective one or the bad boy we all want to fix, personality plays a really important role. Just look at Mass Effect 2. The male LI were bare deviations from the human female form, with the Quarian being the most extreme. The female LI, while still sticking close to the male human model (I'm pretty sure you have to) they took greater liberties with the character designs and females ate it up. I think those trying to write for female fan-service would be best developing complex and intriguing personalities rather than sexy scenes. You get a mixture and you are gold.