So, tans.

[mikanmilk]

I like getting tanned in the game, but I made a lot of shirts with the shoulders showing and used the default skin color, so I use an umbrella in summer.

I totally agree that a skin color option should be added in the game. I like making my character look as close to how I really look as possible.
The only problem I see is that it seems like the game creators want you to be able to change your skin color and not be stuck in one color. If you chose your skin color at the beginning of the game and couldn't get darker or lighter it would take out a cool feature. I have light skin in real life, but like the fact that I can go back and forth between light and dark in the game.
I think you should be able to choose at the beginning, but there should also be like a tanning salon or something where you could choose one of a range of skin colors and it would stay like that unless you decided you wanted to go back and change it again, like the hair and eye colors.

 

[Lykke]

I think sunbeds at Harriet would be nice It would be quick and easy!

 

[Waluigi]

I think sunbeds at Harriet would be nice It would be quick and easy!

Sunbeds impose bad morals in children

Like thinking sunbeds are a good invention

 

[Brackets]

Sunbeds impose bad morals in children

Like thinking sunbeds are a good invention

Yeah promoting sunbeds in video games would be bad idea I think

 

[Uffe]

I think sunbeds at Harriet would be nice It would be quick and easy!

Spray tan!~ Though I'd never do that in-game or in real life.

 

[tinytaylor]

That is true. ACNL allows you to use your mii design but that would do nothing for your arms and legs, would it? I hadn't thought of that. Ugh...that would look weird. If the mii can be almost any colour, why would it be hard to add the option for ACNL?

exactly.

I like getting tanned in the game, but I made a lot of shirts with the shoulders showing and used the default skin color, so I use an umbrella in summer.

I totally agree that a skin color option should be added in the game. I like making my character look as close to how I really look as possible.
The only problem I see is that it seems like the game creators want you to be able to change your skin color and not be stuck in one color. If you chose your skin color at the beginning of the game and couldn't get darker or lighter it would take out a cool feature. I have light skin in real life, but like the fact that I can go back and forth between light and dark in the game.
I think you should be able to choose at the beginning, but there should also be like a tanning salon or something where you could choose one of a range of skin colors and it would stay like that unless you decided you wanted to go back and change it again, like the hair and eye colors.

Well lets say there's a spectrum of tanning level 1 being the lightest and level 10 being the darkest.
I'd think just because I start at level 6 wouldn't mean I won't get darker.

 

[budewarmin]

Tan is cool, just I don;t like it on my own character

 

[Sharmista]

I personally don't care that much about it. I think it is nice that they put it in the game, just like real summer and all. I don't plan to tan though, but if it happens then why not. It is only temporary and I have no problem with it. I just play like I usually do. I play mostly at night though... so the thing about tanning...

 

[Ettienne]

I find it funny how much tanning seems to either anger or frustrate ACNL gamers. If there were no tanning whatsoever, there would be fewer complaints, I'm sure. How many RPGs are exist where the character you play as is anything but light-skinned. Few and far between. Yes, this isn't a true RPG and more of a simulation game. But do you really want to play Animal Crossing: SIMs?

Personally, I don't want to tan in-game. Not to keep my appearance as close to my own as possible, but because I use QR codes that show shoulders and neck lines and would prefer them to match. Straw hat summer, here I come.

 

[Hypno KK]

I think the tanning feature is neat but I kind of find it annoying because I don't like how it's just sort of used as a replacement for having an option to choose your character's skin tone at the beginning. Plus, tanning takes a lot of work, restricts the designs you can wear, and ends up disappearing (I think) so it's not even permanent. I like it as a feature but I wish they'd have a skin tone slider or something in addition to that.

 

[beemayor]

There's too many posts to quote them all so I'll just say this: any white person commenting about how they don't think a skin-choosing option would work or how they don't find it necessary: imagine for a second that you're not white (big task, I know) and try to imagine how you would feel if your skin was very very dark, or even a medium tone, just not WHITE, and you start up a game where you have the play as a character who is white even though you are not. I bet it wouldn't feel too great, especially if you're trying to model your mayor after your own image.

I get that there are plenty of other games with white (usually male) protagonists that sell well and are played by a wide demographic consisting of many races and ethnicities. But I can assure you, I have INCREDIBLE doubt that any person of color who is an avid gamer has ever started up ANY game and said, "Wow, can't wait to play as yet another middle age white guy."

The concept of not being adequately represented in games and other media doesn't bother you until YOU'RE the one not being represented.

 

[estypest]

I don't view my mayor as being a representation of me (especially since i don't have purple or pink hair or blue eyes for that matter) so tanning doesn't bother me either way, I'll just play my game as I do.

 

[MadisonCrossing]

I don't really care if I have one or not to be honest.
And about the side note, I agree with you, even though I probably talk about my dreamies and such just as much as everyone else. ; u ;

 

[juicyness]

I'm usually pretty tan in real life, so I like my character to have a bit of a tan as well. It does suck for wearing most pro-designs, but oh well.

I just don't like the 4-5 level tan. It's a bit too much in my opinion.

 

[MayorAriana]

Like others said, I find it wrong that we must start off the game "pale". That was the first thing I noticed while watching a Day 1 runthough, I had just figured you could change it in Shampoodle. I still think it should be an option when we start off. I don't like the whole "tanning" idea because it goes away way too fast. If they let us choose our skin color it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[mikanmilk]

On the point made about RPG characters, usually you are playing as a "character". Like Cloud in FFVII, Link, Chronos, Mario etc. Being a girl I always prefer playing as a female character, but when the character is someone else, not meant to represent me, it's not too bad.
But if the character is supposed to be ME, I would hate playing as a guy. So I understand people who want their character to have their skin tone.
Prior the late 90s there were very few playable female characters in video games. I was always very happy with that rare chance that I could play as a girl.

 

[Smokee]

There's too many posts to quote them all so I'll just say this: any white person commenting about how they don't think a skin-choosing option would work or how they don't find it necessary: imagine for a second that you're not white (big task, I know) and try to imagine how you would feel if your skin was very very dark, or even a medium tone, just not WHITE, and you start up a game where you have the play as a character who is white even though you are not. I bet it wouldn't feel too great, especially if you're trying to model your mayor after your own image.

I get that there are plenty of other games with white (usually male) protagonists that sell well and are played by a wide demographic consisting of many races and ethnicities. But I can assure you, I have INCREDIBLE doubt that any person of color who is an avid gamer has ever started up ANY game and said, "Wow, can't wait to play as yet another middle age white guy."

The concept of not being adequately represented in games and other media doesn't bother you until YOU'RE the one not being represented.

^^ this though. Well said.