Adds to the realism.

[Malifore]

So Bethesda has managed to make Oblivion extremely realistic with all these cool new AI features and things, but one thing I can't help noticing is the fact that everyone is perfectly in shape.. Where are all the fat wealthy merchants? I don't know how difficult it would be adjusting larger sized clothes and armour for these people, but it might be a good idea. :D

[Vagrant0]

I don't know how difficult it would be adjusting larger sized clothes and armour for these people, but it might be a good idea. :D

Primarily why they didn't. They had enough trouble fitting armor to two different body types, and still made mitakes. In order for them to handle a more specific weight option they would have to do each mesh multiple times to fit and move properly, while still resulting in people complaining about how it isn't good enough. As is even adding a heavier body mesh, without anything else, takes significant time, effort, and interest. Bethsoft cannot provide any of thise. Modders can, but as there are few with the time, resources, and interest to do so, most of the other body types have been for more ideal women with painted on armor. It could have been possible to make the meshes a bit more dynamic so you wouldn't need to refit each and every one, but could set verticies to adjust based on internal variables, but I don't think the engine would support it. There is also a technical aspect to it in that bodies are determined by gender, then textured and scaled by race. If you have a mesh for females that mesh affects all females. You can get around it with OBSE and a hell of alot of scripting, but it still isn't easy or practical to do so given how body slots are setup.

 

Basically, while it would be an improvement, having any real variation would require alot of effort. I believe there is somone trying to do it with some of the body mods floating around and OBSE, but that would really only allow your choice between a barbie body and a more athletic body. As far as I know, there aren't any larger fatter body mods out there, and if there were, they would likely have significant issues in regards to clipping around the joints.

[threedees]

another problem with different shaped people is that the current animations wouldn't look/feel right. fat people walk different to thin people, or tall people. If there were say a fat body mod it would look very odd using beths animations, which are designed for a person of a fairly average-athletic build. It's very unlikely that modders could get different animations to play depending on body-type, and thats IF they've gone through spending weeks and weeks on dozens of new animations.

[Malifore]

Oh yeah, some good points there.. Okay, what if a simpler one was made, with two different sizes, the one we already have and a larger one was made and it just came with ready painted on clothes? It wouldn't even have to be for every race either, just so there are some big people in the game.

[SickleYield]

It's never been impossible to just make differently-shaped clothes and then pretend there's the right shape under them, it's just that no modder has so far wanted to expend hours and hours of effort to add overweight people to the game.

 

Given our hobbies, a lot of us are overweight and have to look at that all day in the mirror anyway. ;)

[Malifore]

Lol. Oh well I guess I'll just have to try to make it myself then, I got the right software, I just can't be bothered to learn how to do it... :P