Female Kerbal Possible Concept Art (they are supposedly androgynous but bear with me)

[DaRocketCat]

Listen, would female kerbals be added, they wouldn't look like models. They would have to wear no makeup, have short hair, and would basically look like male kerbals.

And besides, IRL the vast majority of astronauts are male, and I don't see you writing petitions to the White House.

Honestly, this is a non-issue, the game is NOT centered around the kerbals themselves. I don't want green humans of different genders, I want green little things that happily ride an SRB into a wall at 2km/sec.

[rodion_herrera]

the vast majority of astronauts are male

A "vast majority" doesn't equal to "ALL".

[Fel]

*blush* wow thanks

I actually stole my avatar from the Kerbal Space Comic http://www.kerbalcomics.com/2012/02/04/concept-art-the-female-kerbal/

So thank Capt'n Skunky

The only issue I have with that is that there is a distinct "seductress" element. "Chibi" is trying to maintain the playful "youth", but does go too far.

Look, I'm not an artist, or an "Anime Art-Style Connoisseur," but people shouldn't be saying "Anime is bad" because many of the art styles that Anime has have moved over into western productions... we're looking for a FUSION of elements to create what is distinctly "kerbal," Excluding styles simply because it isn't ENTIRELY kerbal is... well, yeah...

[Scrogdog]

Perhaps the younger set needs a bit of a history lesson as well?

Google the Mercury 13.

[Brabbit1987]

Listen, would female kerbals be added, they wouldn't look like models. They would have to wear no makeup, have short hair, and would basically look like male kerbals.

And besides, IRL the vast majority of astronauts are male, and I don't see you writing petitions to the White House.

Honestly, this is a non-issue, the game is NOT centered around the kerbals themselves. I don't want green humans of different genders, I want green little things that happily ride an SRB into a wall at 2km/sec.

Oh I am sorry if adding female kerbals will all of a sudden turn them into humans .. your comment makes no sense. >.>

[rodion_herrera]

Well said, Fel and Scrogdog, bravo!

[Ted]

It's always nice to see a discussion about Kerbals themselves and how KSP's fans want them to eventually look. Regarding giving Kerbals specific Genders, I recall HarvesteR mentioning during KerbalKon that whilst they might look into eventually doing such a thing, it was simply not a priority at this time in KSP's Development. Additionally, whilst we don't have any specific dislike for people discussing what they eventually want Kerbals to look like, people derailing a thread into a often repeated cyclic discussion on the current gender of Kerbals is very much frowned upon.

Thus, I ask you all to please bring this topic back to OP's images and away from the whole Kerbal Gender matter. Note that I am in no way invalidating any of your arguments, I'm just merely stating that this is far from the place for them.

I don't want to have to lock this thread, but will most likely have to, should the current discussion continue, so please stay away from it. Thanks.

[Tortoise]

I sure would tap.

[Ben Kerman]

The only female Kerbal concept art I ever thought was really fitting to the current art style was done by this guy.

An early sketch by him was already brought up earlier, iirc the only finished drawing he did using that concept was this parody of the Voyager plate:

http://imageshack.us/a/img4/7378/kerbalplaque.jpg

Edit: didn't notice Ted's reply, sorry for fueling the discussion even more.

Edited June 14, 2013 by Ben Kerman

[rodion_herrera]

Thank you so much Ted, for that, frankly I was getting tired of "refocusing" the issue at hand, to my original request, and that was the objective evaluation of my friend's renders. Again, I applaud the vigilance of the mods in highlighting the fact that I DO NOT condone this "No Females" vs. "Yes Females" issue. More power to you guys.

[Der Kosmos]

I personally don't likethe style, but as you said, it's not final. I think that if Squad was to make female Kerbals (which I would like), they'd probably end up "softening" the features of the current model. Someone on here did a really nice drawing of that.

This is what female Kerbals have and always will look like to me. I think it would be cool if we got those in the game.

[rodion_herrera]

I am giving Osay a copy of that sketch above... I wish she could get the time to try and do a render of that sketch, THEN we can evaluate this again

[Scrogdog]

Cool! I agree that's the best concept art I've yet seen.

[The Jedi Master]

Ignoring the fact that female Kerbals are nowhere near a priority, I think they look half creepy and half cute.

[Pipcard]

This is what female Kerbals have and always will look like to me. I think it would be cool if we got those in the game.

I second that statement. I also want the ability to add long turquoise pigtails to my Kerbal.

[Brabbit1987]

Ya I have to agree, I like the above sketch the best.

[Brotoro]

Real Astronaut Hairâ„¢ courtesy of Valentina, Sally, and Shannon.

[Fel]

Uhh, I'm not going to get into this further, I'll say two things:

I do not have the art experience to argue this, but Kerbals are on a distinct "masculine" design. It is extremely difficult to look at them and think they're female, but very easy to claim they look male... so arguing they're androgenous is an insult to the female players of the game. (i.e. if they were distinctly feminine (rather than masculine) and Squad claimed they were "genderless," you all would be arguing that they look "gay" or "like faggots" (which is a common anime hate argument.)

I mean, there is a bit of an issue with the current "body form"

http://www.kerbalcomics.com/comics/2013-06-04-episode-27-first-contact.png

While this is designed to produce the "Uncanny Alley" phenomenon, it is kind of the point that the body makes it hard to generate a "female form" without exaggerating features to cover up the underlying masculinity.

There ARE times when Kerbals show their true nature as babies; which a better artist could isolate and exaggerate to move the needle away... but it still means that the kerbals might need some small form changes. (Really, people underestimate how small differences can change a gender... taking http://animeyume.com/blog_images/clannad_as_picnic.jpg as example, the mind instantly associates genders for the characters; yet the distinctness of said genders is extremely low. Small differences.)

Edited June 14, 2013 by Fel

[rodion_herrera]

Real Astronaut Hairâ„¢ courtesy of Valentina, Sally, and Shannon.

Gasp. It's Diana Ross and the Supremes!

[Brabbit1987]

Uhh, I'm not going to get into this further, I'll say two things:

I do not have the art experience to argue this (and neither do the plethora of "exception photo" posting people), but Kerbals are on a distinct "masculine" design. It is extremely difficult to look at them and think they're female, but very easy to claim they look male... so arguing they're androgenous is an insult to the female players of the game. (i.e. if they were distinctly feminine (rather than masculine) and Squad claimed they were "genderless," you all would be arguing that they look "gay" or "like faggots" (which is a common anime hate argument.)

I mean, there is a bit of an issue with the current "body form"

http://www.kerbalcomics.com/comics/2013-06-04-episode-27-first-contact.png

While this is designed to produce the "Uncanny Alley" phenomenon, it is kind of the point that the body makes it hard to generate a "female form" without exaggerating features to cover up the underlying masculinity.

There ARE times when Kerbals show their true nature as babies; which a better artist could isolate and exaggerate to move the needle away... but it still means that the kerbals might need some small form changes. (Really, people underestimate how small differences can change a gender... taking http://animeyume.com/blog_images/clannad_as_picnic.jpg as example, the mind instantly associates genders for the characters; yet the distinctness of said genders is extremely low. Small differences.)

I agree with everything said here. Very well said, and could not have put it better myself.

[rodion_herrera]

Well good news and bad news. Osay said she'll try to attempt to make a mesh out of that sketch. The bad news is, that I can't guarantee when she can finish it, but at least she said she'll try. So now my question is, do you want her HAIR like that? Like, is that BALD, or close-cropped, sailor/marine jarhead cut, for a female Kerbal?

[kyle.mk.howard]

I believe the females should have a different shaped eye than their male counterparts. Like almond or oval shaped as opposed to the circular eye of the male.

Thoughts?

[Brabbit1987]

I do have to point out, there really is no reason for a female to shave her head to go to space. There has been plenty of females on the ISS with long hair. Not really sure where some got that idea from.

[rodion_herrera]

I believe the females should have a different shaped eye than their male counterparts. Like almond or oval shaped as opposed to the circular eye of the male.

Thoughts?

Well I kinda liked the anime eyes in Osay's render, however that was met with much vehemence and revulsion so I stand down on that *snicker*

I do have to point out, there really is no reason for a female to shave her head to go to space. There has been plenty of females on the ISS with long hair. Not really sure where some got that idea from.

So please tell me, what kind of hair would a female KSP player want as a "default" female Kerbal hair...now is your chance Brabbit!

[AlternNocturn]

Let's just say if I saw this sitting in the corner of dark room, I'd burn the house down. I'm not saying you did a bad job, they look very good. But they just invoked my phobia of dolls and mannequins. I think they could be made a little less doll-like.