"Dressed to Kill"
By
Tiny Dancer
By
Tiny Dancer
Do you ever go to Felucca or even to Luna bank and think that your Ultima Online peers are color blind? Do you look at your paperdoll all dressed up in your banksitting best and wonder if you should succumb to the peer pressure of fitting in with the "L33t" crowd?
If you find yourself thinking "Whatever happened to the good ol' days of PvPing while naked" or "whats wrong with using just two colors in your scheme!?!" Then let me introduce you to the wide, colorful world of Dressing to Kill. Quite simply put,the more you stand out the more fights you will get.This is a very good strategy... Almost as effective as galloping into a faction base on an "OJ" when the enemy is guarding sigils.
In order to fully understand the diversity of styles that you can chose from, we will need to go over some of the basics before we charge into what I like to call "the wardrobes of the personalities"... you guessed it, you are what you wear.
These are some of the essentials needed on the path to success as a PvP trendsetter, skirts...sashes...bright sandles... basically, the more clothing you can fit on your toon the better.
The way you present your character has a lot of significance. For example, bright, flashy colors symbolize wanting to be noticed. You don't see hardcore PvPer's running around Fel Yew Gate in monks robes and provisioner bought boots do you? Of course not! That would be like wearing a bathrobe to a ball at the whitehouse.
Hair color and style is just as important as your ensamble. Glacial blue or blaze hairdye often symbolizes wealth (or owing a lot of cash to a broker). Some of the most fashionable hairstyles of the moment include the afro, the long haired hippie look, and the mohawk.
For beards you have the long pointed beard (for the uber l33t) the vandyke and the goatee.Some of the "Top Models" of the pvp world will dye their beards a different color than their hair color. Nothing says high fashion quite like "two-toning" it.
To better evaluate which look would fit you best, lets take a look at some of the more popular fashion statements.
The Barbarian: These intimidating men and women slaughter animals with their cruel weapons of mass destruction. They wear their prize skins atop their heads, the teeth of the furry creature who gave its life almost buried into the proud warrior's forehead. The added stature the warrior gets from the magnificant beast's horns adds to his mile high ego.
The Overachiever: This personality is probably one of the easier ones to spot in a crowd. The love of color flows from this person almost as fluently as the speeches that he so generously bestows on anyone that will listen, even if they are forced to. This person will not be sastified unless he has used every tokuno dye possible. His little pixel hands shake at the meer mention of new pigments coming to the shops of Luna. His "Puss in Boots" eyes water with wanting when a more industrious player has a color he doesn't have yet.The "green with envy" cast to his skin brings out the highlights of his bright europa gold attire.
Maynard James of TraG [COM]
"Being noticed is why you dress well. Being so sexy everyone wish's they were as leet as you!"
"Being noticed is why you dress well. Being so sexy everyone wish's they were as leet as you!"
Foxxy Roxxy of HEAT [MIN]
"Fashion is all about getting noticed and who DOESN'T want to be noticed?!?
"Fashion is all about getting noticed and who DOESN'T want to be noticed?!?
The Tactical Tyrants: These "twins" have the ability to clone each other, and if done correctly they can multiply like the Octo-Mom's offspring.This manuever depends on everyone looking identical to throw off the enemy by making targets harder to call... A simple "get the guy in the purple robe" won't work here! This is even more effective when everyone has the same name.
The Equestrians: These lord's and lasse's love of their fourlegged friends is heart
warming... These people are sure to please even PETA. Their desire to prove their devotion causes them to color-coordinate with their warhorses. Nothing says extreme like a Minax riding into battle galantly on a furious red steed with his blood red armor glinting in the sunlight, or a Shadowlord peeking from beneath his green hooded robe into the face of evil from atop his emerald mount.
The Flying Tormentor: Otherwise known as the Gargoyle.This is one of the more complex species. These unique individuals aspire to amaze people with their intricately patterned wings and intimidating horns,its easy to stop and stare in awe of them.Their large grotesquely shaped feet are often bare... I am assuming this is to better show off the blood stains on their claw-like toes.
KillaKornflake of CoW* [COM]
"Fashion in PvP to me is all about being remembered.If you look like everyone else and don't have your own style how will they remember who put them face down?"
"Fashion in PvP to me is all about being remembered.If you look like everyone else and don't have your own style how will they remember who put them face down?"
The Lady: Generally the most fashion conscience of our more bloodthirsty cousins. A cloak you say? Heaven forbid... No shabby grandma's shawl for these elegant vixens! Bustiers of hardened leather(gives a whole new meaning to pushing them up and out)are more their style. Some call it Anal retentive to not wear a robe with extra mods or *shudders* a cloak, but we know there is no justification to wear something that ugly.
We would be remiss if we didn't discuss the Rper's of the community. These stalwart foes cling to the old ways... no leather for warriors here! Give them plate armor or give them death! These Knights epitomize the "distressed" look. For a casting type toon I would suggest you examine your father's old worn out lazyboy recliner that your mother hates for inspiration.
After examining our brothers and sisters of war, hopefully you will be better informed on the fashions of the PvPer. With some self examination and a little pondering of your now naked paperdoll you should be able to embrace a "L33t" look or atleast understand those who refuse to "blend in".
The Notorious I-C-U
"If you are dressed well people will know you aren't a noob so they won't try and gank you right away".
"If you are dressed well people will know you aren't a noob so they won't try and gank you right away".
In closing I am offering a word of advice, don't wash your blood red robe, europa gold sash, and dryad green doublet with your underpants...tie dye just isn't in this season.