Personally I think characters that have low Strength and still look buff are annoying. I know some players think it's hilarious in the Elder Scrolls to build the most unique player character ever, but it immersion breaking for me.
I'm all for player choice and options, but the player should at least have a minimum threshold of Strength to look like Arnie, Dexterity could open up body types that look like Olympic Gymnasts or Pro Soccer players, low con could let you play as a character that looks sickly or always looks tired like Vince Vaughn (gain some bags under their eyes).
The player would always have the default average Tav build to use, while unlocking other physiques.
@black elk: Thats a very good post
I also think that charisma should not influence your look.
Lets take this example to the extreme:
- High str means you have more muscles. Now imagine an elf fighter who looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger with pointy ears.
- High dex means you do more complex yoga poses as idle animation. Low dex means you move like in the ministry of silly walking sketch.
- Low con means you look sick.
- High int means you look like a nerd.
- High wisdom means you look older. (sorry, I had no better idea)
- low cha is ugly and high cha is beautiful.
This was the issue with Fable 1, where the player character became a beefcake old-man very easily.
In any case, I don't want my appearance restricted by attributes at character creation, even by the 3 physical ones STR, DEX, CON which might ostensibly influence appearance. In my mind all the attributes like Strength or Dexterity or Con take on magical properties especially at the extremes, such that a player might be much stronger or more dexterous than they appear.
IRL there are athletes that are stronger or more dexterous than they look. But they usually all have a baseline of physique one way or another. Athletes who are stronger than they look usually still look strong, athletes who are more dexterous than they look can be seen in the Premier League all the time.
On the topic of the Body-builder look, you'd have to eat & lift like Schwarzenegger to look like him. It's very normal that if an athlete doesn't overeat they become stronger without gaining excess mass.
