...in fact, pretty much ALL the mage robes pre level 19 or so look absolutely terrible compared to any other rpg I have ever played.

not much thought went into the design for these, especially compared to the other armor types. a lot of the leather armors have nice fine detail for example.

someone with time on their hands could do well designing some better looking armor for this game. and remodelling the male body types; males are way too ham fisted and bulky looking. reminds me of early versions of WoW characters.