Aro 9 - Discussion Thread
Write Idea
Posts: 466
Aro breaks the waves, and continues the aquatic theme. Character looks great, and nice to have a strong male frame that isn't shredded to high heavens. Both bundles are just, meh? Wished they would've leaned into more of a theme. I understand, though, why they didn't go with a horselord or underwater king theme. Cos he looks soooooooooooooooooooooo familiar...
• Aro 9
• Aro 9 HD Character Bundle
• Aro 9 HD Add-On Bundle
Discuss!
Post edited by Write Idea on
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Comments
Yeah, I saw Jason as soon as I saw him. I'm just picking up the diving gear. There isn't good diving gear made for G9 that I'm aware of.
I really wanted to like Aro, because he's a good looking guy without a perfect body. In fact, I wonder why they picked Dad Bod for the alt morph, since the base Aro morph has just enough of a belly to be noticeable, and IMO, more appealing. However he has the same torso feature I disliked in Kjaer 8, very prominent man boobs. Combined with the odd looking creases under the breasts of G9 masculine figures (that many of us have disliked from day 1), and it's not a very natural or realistic look.
Also. a nice looking diving suit, except it lacks the bouncy compensator, is included in the add-on bundle. It would be nice if the mask looked more like the recreational diving full face mask. I might pick it up, as the other modern SCUBA gear sets I have seen in the store in the store are either gen4 era, or was made for just one gender. Pet Peeve Warning: Divers DO NOT USE oxygen tanks! They contain regular air, or another oxygen-containing gas mix, usually nitrox (more oxygen & less nitrogen than air).
ETA: Any idea which motorcycle is used in the main character bundle promo?
https://www.daz3d.com/xi-dark-custom-chopper
Aro looks good, I particularly like the promo pic with the guitar. He seems to mix rater well, which is good as while I like Jason as an actor, I have zero need for celebrity lookalikes.
The bundles are things I'm not likely to ever use, except maybe the Islander outfit.
I don't care too much for the figure, except maybe the dad-bod, I wonder how well it works without the Aro figure.
The Rock On Misfits outfit looks fun, the jacket looks useful, the jeans are probably the best I've seen lately, it comes with basic sport SOCKS, which are extremely useful, as there actually aren't many socks around for male characters. Oh, and the texture add-on has materials to turn it into shorts, though that is available for other jeans as well. Overall, a very decent male outfit, which might mix well with other male outfits.
The Sea props are basic, but useful. The windsurf board might need some custom work, like additional footstraps and tweaking the pose to have the figure stand closer to the rear, placing the sail more to the centre. But the sail seems to be a seperate object, so that shouldn't be too hard.
I quite like Aro 9, even though I’m not particularly keen on his paunch and his eyebrows. The Character Bundle is, well, a bit so-so. I thought the era of undercut hairstyles was finally over... But I think I’ll use this month’s coupon on the Aro 9 Character Bundle. In two weeks’ time, some boring white girl would probably be waiting for me again.
The Add-On Bundle is interesting because of the Full Diving Equipment and the XI Sea Props, but for me it’s the XI Sea Cave that’s the real draw. I love caves, especially when they’re combined with water. The islander Outfit is nice too. The Dad Bod, on the other hand, I could have done without.
I really love Aro 9, his skin is insanely detailed, even more than Julian, Charlie, Lucas, and Carter, which I already think are some of the most realistic skins so far. He’s also a great lookalike. I get so happy when all the texture maps match perfectly, difusse crease on normal crease, difusse pimple on normal pimple, so thanks to the artist! I’m not usually into celebrity based characters, but if that’s what it takes to get more diverse and unique faces like Sigrid and the newer male models, let's go for it. Sigrid felt very refreshing and different from the other recent females. Honestly, I'd get anything but another Madison, Brianna, Leona, or Nadine…
MRL Combinations : Warrior Braid and Beard For Genesis 9.
I have it. Pretty nice product.
It's Warrior Braid and Beard by Mihrelle.
I have a mixed reaction to the main bundle but I am buying it. I looked at the character's HD promos and without the HD, that line under the boobs doesn't seem to appear. So, does that appear that all the promos were done with the HD dialed in? I would prefer to think of him as an aging Metal Rocker or Metal Head, who loves the beach at times. But, as someone who is a generation older than this character, 'Dad bods' are real. I teased my son about his when I last saw him. Men grow up, just as women do and our bodies change.
I thought the https://www.daz3d.com/dforce-islander-outfit-for-genesis-9 was better than the normal board shorts we get, but was worried when I saw there was no buckle on the belt, but I saw one on the texture set. But staring at its main promo, I think I am seeing poke-through on the thighs. I have had issues with new products I have bought recently and while before simulating them, no apparent problems, but after simulation, poke throughs all over where there is little to no morphs to adjust. (Even Fit Control and smoothing modifiers haven't been able to help at times.) These outfits have been by a variety of PAs whose quality has been excellent in the past. It has made me wonder if something else is going on with the simulations? Or could those areas reflect an attempt to show water spots from waves?
But I am only getting the main bundle, https://www.daz3d.com/aro-9-dad-bod-hd-shape-add-on, https://www.daz3d.com/dforce-islander-outfit-for-genesis-9, https://www.daz3d.com/dforce-islander-outfit-texture-add-on, and https://www.daz3d.com/dforce-rock-on-misfits-outfit-texture-add-on.
overall I like the character, skin texture.
Somewhat similar to Elios 8. Another Jason M, at least for G9!
Great likeness and I'm glad that whoever sculpted the morphs didn't back off on the thick-boned and heavy built physique that's so common among male polynesians, alough some of the add-on products look like they've been slimmed down a bit.. After recently watching THE WRECKING CREW the Rock On outfit feels like a great match to me, especially compared to some of the stuff we've been stuck with in some of the new cheaper DAZ core figure bundles, and whjile I'm not crazy about the fringe, I imagine that can be hidden, and the set even comes with both a cut-offs version AND the socks to go with them. Meanwhile, the hair/beard combo look equally useful and versatile, and for once the expression pack has some interesting new stuff that would make it worth loading. The Add-on bundle also looks good, with the dry-suit diving outfit being a solid match for existing real gear, the Islander outfit being another usefull set of everyday casual wear, the sea cave enviroment looking to have a lot of uses, and the sea props set being an unexpected jackpot with 3 + 1/2 different modes of transport (are sailboads and kayaks complex enough to use the term vehicle?). I am disappointed that there are no new releases that aren't directly Aro -ties, espeically since the PAs missed out on the option for poses for the kayaks and sail board. Oh, and finally, I don't use the Premiere exclusive morphs, but am I the only one that sees the Avi add-on as being a near look-a-like for Temura Morrison?
Character is nice enough. No particular need for him. On the WL in case that changes, or there's a promotion that makes it worthwhile to get him.
As usual, the marketing turns me off. "Modern rugged masculine"... modern? What makes him modern? Aren't people just people? Or are we going for a "no really this isn't who this is obviously meant to look like" vibe?
Also, personal issue with the term "Dadbod" as there is no such thing. Assuming the individual in question was assigned male at birth, the look depicted has nothing to do with fatherhood. Meanwhile the bodies that went through the childbearing process do not get that level of celebration and accepance. Nope, a whole cultural movement and multiple industries geared around trying to make it look like we never grew a whole entire human (or multiple whole entire humans), and if we don't conform, shaming us for "letting ourselves go."
So while I think all bodies should be celebrated, and I'd love to have another average-person bod option, I am absolutely not buying that shape due to the marketing alone.
Also, kinda bummed they didn't make a companion to the Mera cosplay outfit from the last release. I was hoping for a decent Aquaman.
"A "dad bod" is a male physique that is slightly overweight, soft, or flabby, yet still considered attractive or "average" rather than intensely muscular. Popularized around 2015, it represents a balance between having some muscle and a softer, often beer-influenced, stomach, frequently attributed to aging or a less strict lifestyle."
This is not something that is "celebrated", in fact before I found this definition, I never knew it was considered "attractive". You really do hear every imaginable complaint here.
@SnowSultan - You are, of course, welcome to your opinion. I stand by mine.
ETA: I'm fully aware of the term's history; that doesn't make it less problematic. Or me more inclined to encourage its use, commercially or otherwise.
My son is over 6 ft 3 in, ex-Army, and during Covid was able to work at home, is in the Army Corps of Engineers. He put on weight while caring for his wife who not only had an autoimmune disease but also got cancer, supervised the high school kids' and the elementary kid's homeworks, set up a physical education program for the eldest for basketball, the next martial arts, and the youngest ran while she bicycled. And did his job remotely. The oldest two are now in college, and the martial art kid, well that translated into football in high school and then a scholorship for college for someone who was deemed in kindergarten as too autistic to be able to be integrated into society. He married their mother when they were in first and K grades. So he built a 'Dad Bod' by being a dad. His weight set gathered dust in the garage. It happens. He put his love into his wife, her kids and their child. BTW, his wife is going great the last I spoke to her. She is also a great cook, so part of that dad bod is from good cooking.
I'm becoming more and more of the belief that a lot of the text generated for this store is created by AI, as a lot of it is rather inane. In this case, though, I think it's just code for "we copied the appearance of one of the current top action hero stars almost exactly but will never say it directly".
The thing is, it's NOT really a Dad bod at all. That's just how big guys of Polynesian extraction tend to look and while it is padded, it is anything but flabby. After all, if you someone like Momoa in a cage fight with most of the actors with gym bods who are trying to pass as action heroes these days (like Ryan Goslin, Matt Damon, etc.) who do you really think is going to completely clobber the other?
>>The thing is, it's NOT really a Dad bod at all. That's just how big guys of Polynesian extraction tend to look and while it is padded, it is anything but flabby.<<
That's true but the "Dad Bod HD Addon" can be used on non-Polynesian characters, making it a "real' dad bod, assuming that is a thing.
>>ETA: I'm fully aware of the term's history; that doesn't make it less problematic. Or me more inclined to encourage its use, commercially or otherwise.<<
How is using that term, "dad bod" problematic in ANY way? It's a common modern description of a specific male body shape. It's not demeaning women, it's not propping up men, and there are probably customers who will actually search for that term when looking for this sort of shape for their characters.
Some have said that the majority of the customers here do not read the forums. I hope it's true.
I feel like she already adequately explained why it's problematic, you just might not have found her points persuasive.
I think it's pretty good but the only thing I really want is that diving gear so I used my coupon to get Kai 9 instead. I'll probablly get Aro 9 HD bundle eventually, just like I didn't get Kai 9 HD bundle when she 1st came out.
I liked his strongman belly. Not so much the texture creases under his pecs, particularly noticeable when you render the Premier character Avi.
Face textures looks good, but lips duckbill a bit with a lot of the expressions I tried. Might be a feature of the actor who inspired the sculpt?
Test images attached if you want to see the big versions.