일러스트레이션 아트 디자인의 조정 방향에 대한 제안:

[洛雨]

A letter to the Guardian Tales development team［The letter has two paragraphs, both with a summary of the topic］

Subject reference:

This letter is based on the "Flower Portrait Adjustment Design Direction" questionnaire initiated by players (the voting period is 8 days, and the current results do not represent the final decision). The core focus is "How can succubus-like characters "reduce excessive exposure" while strengthening "character charm" through design details", hoping to provide the development team with optimization references from the player's perspective.

Dear creators of the development team:

Hello! I am Guardian Tales player "Luo Yu (Fanchen)". Recently, many players in the community have been discussing the "flowering portrait design of succubus-like characters". Everyone agrees that "the charm of succubus should not only rely on "exposing", but also use details, background and atmosphere to make the character "alive".

We have sorted out the most popular suggestions from players in this survey, and would like to talk to you about these ideas-

1. Design logic: from "more exposure = charm" to "charm hidden in details"

Many players feel that the current succubus portrait is a bit "sexy for the sake of sexiness" and lacks the sense of story that the character should have. Everyone hopes to try these directions:

- "Telling stories" with materials and light and shadow: For example, details such as "satin reflection under the moonlight" and "collision of lace and frost" not only retain the gorgeousness of the succubus, but also have more layers than direct exposure; tulle and hollow designs can also replace "straight exposure" to make the character look more refined.
- Use elements to strengthen the "sense of identity": add a cloak, family emblem or frost rune to the character. For example, the "demon noble" can use "wind-blown ribbon + tightly grasped family emblem" to express pride, which is consistent with the background setting and reduces exposure.
- Amplify "racial characteristics": The wings of the demon character can be made into gradient colors (such as cool blue-purple gradient) or unique patterns, which not only highlights the "demon attribute" but also does not appear monotonous.

2. Temperament breakthrough: Succubus is not only "erotic", but can be more three-dimensional

Everyone hopes that Succubus can break out of the stereotype of "sexy tool man" and try more diverse temperaments:

- "Noble sense": For example, through details such as "exquisite lace gloves" and "jewel-inlaid scepter", the character's arrogant background is expressed;
- "Mystery": Use dark tones, eye reflections in shadows and other designs to highlight the cruelty or mystery of the devil, and it is not necessary to expose too much.

3. Let players "participate" in the design, not just "accept" the design

Many players hope to participate more deeply in the adjustment of the character portraits, such as:

- Open "Design Review Questionnaire": Like other games (such as AA72), let core players vote to decide the design direction, so that everyone's opinions can be truly heard;

- Public design manuscripts: The development team can send some artist's drafts, explain the design intention of each element (such as "the folds of this cloak are to show the character's sense of power"), so that players can understand the ideas behind the design.

4. Cultural adaptation: take care of the feelings of players in different regions

Players in different regions have different acceptance of "exposure", for example, Korean players may prefer "low exposure" design. It is recommended that the team investigate the preferences of different regions and adjust the exposure threshold of the character portraits so that global players can accept it.

5. Small details make the characters "come alive"

- Interactive Easter Eggs: Add some small interactions to the character, such as when you click on the character, the wings will flutter slightly, or the badge will glow, making the character more vivid;
- Holiday-limited character: Launch themed characters on Halloween and Christmas, and let the succubus wear holiday costumes (such as succubus in Christmas costumes), which is both fresh and can break stereotypes.

We know that adjusting the characters takes time and effort, but these suggestions are all ideas that players really want the game to be better. Guardian Tales character design has always been our favorite. We believe that as long as we find a balance between "charm" and "exposure", the succubus character will become more in-depth and attract more players.

Finally, thank the development team for their efforts. I hope these suggestions can help you. Let's make Guardian Tales better together!

Best regards，
Signed: Luo Yu (Fanchen)

thank you~

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Topic summary: "Contrasting cuteness is the favorite of players, but character depth is the fundamental reason to retain people - don't let the nudity design overdraw the artistic value of the game" >>> Talk about my thoughts on the design of the succubus character. The core contradiction between "erotic expression‎" and "character depth" in today's two-dimensional games - when the character design becomes a "borderline tool", the cultural symbols and narrative value behind it will be eliminated. This misalignment of design logic will not only cause players to question the "depreciation of the character", but also make the game fall into a creative dead end of "exposing for the sake of exposing".

Let's start with the relationship between "family background" and "nudity threshold". A succubus set as an "ice and snow noble" should have a strong contrast with its "noble identity" in terms of nudity: for example, through details such as "exquisite lace gloves" and "gem-studded high-collar dresses", the character's "temptation in abstinence" is strengthened. But the reality is that many games deliberately magnify the nudity elements in order to please the "lsp group", resulting in a complete collapse of the character background setting. For example, the "Dragon Princess" in a certain two-dimensional game is clearly set as a "holy woman who protects her people", but she wears a high-slit battle suit, and the extent to which her skirt flies during battle is far beyond the rationality of the plot. This design of "sacrificing the character for the sake of skirting the edge" ultimately makes players feel that "the character is just a tool for selling meat".

Let's look at the logic of creating a "sense of contrast". The real charm is never "how much nakedness" but "the misalignment between expectations and reality". For example, "Ye Lan" in "Genshin Impact" integrates "sexiness" into "mystery" through the background setting of "mysterious intelligence officer" and the capable shape of "tights + black silk"; "Kafka" in "Honkai Impact 3" uses the rebellious image of "rivet leather jacket + red lips" to create a "dangerous and charming" interstellar hunter temperament. The "edge" elements of these characters always serve the "character personality" and "plot logic", rather than simply "selling meat". On the other hand, some games (this market has problems, not just GT), in order to attract the LS group, force the characters to add mechanical designs such as "burst clothes" and "shake", which not only makes the characters lose their souls, but also causes players to dislike "vulgarity".

More importantly, the loss of control of the "nudity threshold" will directly destroy the players' recognition of the "value of the character". If the portrait of a "snow and ice noble" succubus changes from "frost flower hollow crown + satin cloak" to "vacuum + lace suspenders", players will feel that "the official treats the noble status of the character as a joke". This kind of "design downgrade" will not only cause negative reviews of "character depreciation", but also make players doubt the overall aesthetics of the game. For example, the controversy caused by "excessive selling of flesh" in the early days of "Azur Lane" led to the loss of a large number of players; "Fantasy" was reported for rectification because of "excessive exposure of swimsuit skin", which are typical cases of "out of control of nudity threshold".

As for the relationship between "sweeping the edge and attracting LS", it is essentially a game between "short-term traffic" and "long-term word of mouth". The LSPS group that attracts people by exposure has very low loyalty - when new games launch more exposed characters, they will immediately leave. What can really retain players is the "cultural symbol value" of the character. For example, 2B in "NieR: Automata" has a sexy design of "black silk + short skirt", but more players remember her "loneliness with a mission"; "Hu Tao" in "Genshin Impact" has become a popular character by virtue of the contrast of "quirky personality + plum blossom pupil". These cases prove that "scratch" is just icing on the cake, and "character depth" is the core competitiveness.

Think about your own suggestion - "designing character temperament according to family background", which is actually the core of "character narrative design". A "Lolita succubus" can express "quirkiness" through "sly smile when playing pranks" and "naughty actions of teasing enemies with magic"; a "noble succubus" can convey "ice and snow temperament" through "arrogant posture of slightly raising chin" and "crisp sound of hitting the ground with scepter". The cost of these details is much lower than "increasing the exposed area", but the improvement of the character's charm is exponential.

Finally, I want to say that the "sense of conquest" is never obtained by "exposing". When players see a "snow noble succubus" grow from a "puppet bound by power" to a "queen who breaks fate", the sense of conquest brought by this "character arc" is far more impactful than "exploding clothes welfare". Game developers need to understand: the real LSP group pursues "character uniqueness" rather than "exposed universality". When character design returns to the "narrative-based" position, marginal elements will naturally become "charm bonus" rather than "controversy trigger point".


The "sense of contrast" that players love, the embodiment of "character liveliness"

The fatal flaw of "exposed design": using "stimulation" instead of "resonance" will not keep people

The core of art is "character depth", not "exposure"

The "vitality" of game characters is always hidden in "contrast" and "depth" - nudity is just a cheap stimulant, and the character story is an addictive drug. Human words: nudity can only attract people, but it can't keep them (mainly to build the depth, temperament, characteristics, and features of the character)

Only by grasping this balance can the game truly "survive".
［Don’t say that illustration art is useless. On the contrary, it is also very important. Please pay attention to it!］

thank you~

The lower body can be as shown in the picture, and as for the face, just use the original one

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[洛雨]