There are some sad, disturbing implications to all this effort expended nudifying Naija. Why do you folks so strongly desire such sexual representation in the first place? I
highly doubt anyone here who suggests that they're just innocently making and/or using these graphics out a sincere, genuine admiration for her nude female form, because if you believe that, you're lying to yourself.
My confusion stems from the fact that Naija, as she is shown from within the game, doesn't engender any obvious feelings of lust. Granted, there are examples in existing fan-art where Naija is depicted in ways that men could find arousing, but men can be sexually excited by
anything, regardless of an artist's intent or a piece's context (sad fact
)...
...So, while some of these works present
Naija as beautiful but not especially alluring (re:
not slutty), and this could hardly be construed at most even as merely titillating (meaning you'd have to
really work your imagination over, pervert), there are other pieces of fan "artistry"
*roll* that are blatantly salacious (
a fish-breast sandwich, anyone?). Yet
all of those works lie outside of the scope of Derek and Alec's official creations. Beyond a bit of harmless cleavage, nothing about Naija as she is in the game suggests the kind of anatomy or behavior that would make anyone yearn to see her naked. Not that most men here
need much in the way of motivation to want to see that sort of thing anyway- hence the creation those more lascivious drawings of Naija. Although only one or two posters are honestly vocal about it, the vast majority of male players who download AS's nude modification are doing so out of purely puerile and perverted intent: whatever they might claim otherwise, they're now still free to use that naked imagery of her to indulge their sad, little fantasies. Have fun.
I'd like to make it clear that there is, in and of itself, nothing "wrong" with the nude modification that Alphasoldier created (and I am not just saying that because it has already been completed). The fact is, it's very well done, considering how a similar project could have turned out under a different hand. He drew the rest of Naija's torso, her breasts and her genitalia all very naturally, without adding any vulgar qualities (her privates aren't spread-eagled) or ridiculous endowments (no implants, or constantly aroused, distended nipples). He could have even lewdly altered Naija's default facial expression, but chose not to. I believe, as he says, that AS really does care for his work in way, and on some level sort of respects Naija. His re-skinning work was executed tastefully and the end-result is a
good-looking naked Naija. It's not aiming to be
erotically stimulating, or
lustfully arousing, just to show us a
pretty looking naked teal-skined sea-girl. Ideally, I would hope most guys could similarly admire nudity, without wanting to watch it just to get an erection. I find fault not with with the illustrations, but with what they will be used for.
Moving on...
Given that the graphical style of Aquaria doesn't demand excruciating attention to realistic detail, it's tempting for a certain audience that only pays attention to a few choice bits to call any nude art wonderful as long as a few anatomical features are presented to said audience's satisfaction. But making a nude male figure is more difficult- it isn't as easy to distract from fudged proportions or cartoon-ish features by exaggerating naughty bits. Never mind that I highly suspect most of the players who are using Naija's nude sprite are not going to download a nude Li mod; I still will, and I want to see it looking as good as his freshman effort, especially seeing as how it will be of a gender I can identify with on anatomy.
However, as Alphasoldier's work is not on any level mediocre or poorly done, I have no such concerns about his upcoming modification of Li's sprite library.
After all, since we made Naija be naked, it actually makes sense to have Li now be naked with her- it would be hardly be fair either to him or her if they couldn't enjoy being naked with each other, right?
Yes, I
do have a sense of humor, and yes, I have an appreciation for nudity,
both in
natural and
erotic contexts- and I recognize that there are even situations where the natural overlaps into the erotic, and that it is still enjoyable and perfectly acceptable to be stimulated by it. But not all individuals can understand that when something clearly from the former category is artificially forced into the latter,
it does not belong there- and should not be "used" as such. And this point, I'm not even referring to AS' relatively innocuous mod, but to some lovely bits of fan-art I had the misfortune of uncovering at an earlier point in time. Should you have happened across these works, and, being of the mind-set I've outlined, enjoyed them, then this post squarely indicts you. !@$!*$@# sick. And beyond pathetic, needless to say.
End rant. Thank ya' kindly fer listenin'.
