DDO Devs: Pls allow us to change the look of Armour!

[moorewr]

6 warforged wearing top hats and identical docents walk into a bar.....

But seriously, I've been doing some critical thinking about this. It's all going to come down to 2 possibilities:

A) Armor, shield, helm and weapon skins get the rabbit hat treatment (buy one from the store, wear it as long as you please)

OR

B) We get to choose the skin of a visible item either when we pluck it from the chest or equip it for the first time.

If B occurs, then they should still have unique appearances for unique items...just multiple possible skins for unique items that do not occur on other items.

I think we will get store items that replace the armor skin, and we will also get crafting in the stone of change to change color of certain armors or the entire appearance.

A small suggestion, devs: why don't you focus on different color combos for DT armor -since that's a limited number of skins - as a first step? Make my DT vestments black with a crimson sash, would you, please?

[Alabore]

So it's a d20 logic thing - you can't wear two sets of armor at once, if one of the sets is part of your body.

Ok, thanks.
Basically, balance reasons.

A) Armor, shield, helm and weapon skins get the rabbit hat treatment (buy one from the store, wear it as long as you please)
OR
B) We get to choose the skin of a visible item either when we pluck it from the chest or equip it for the first time.

I'm still hoping they consider C - providing some mixing and matching feature so players can customise the individual suit of armour, without having to use skinning gimmicks or appearance slots.

At any rate, I'm hoarding otherwise useless +1 and +2 stuff...
We'll see.

[Cesious]

/signed

To add something after not reading everything posted here. Back in NWN and NWN2, people's modules were made as to allow armor crafting of the sections of armor that were actually hard-coded with multiple appearances for variety. Colors were also applied by dyes normally and some even had dyes you could combine for more unique colors, Guild Wars even holds this system. I suspect that DDO has the same type of system running in the background, I have seen armors that look nearly the same except a slight variation on the skin such as instead of short sleeves, it goes long, shoulderpads being added to a simple outfit for something.

Why couldn't DDO implement a system where we could change several sectors of our armor? Simple enough to do something like:

Base type? Leather, Chain(Torso must be chain for chain shirt), Plate(Torso must be plate for breastplate), etc. with customization. Being able to change to a different torso, pants, shoulderpads, gloves, boots and under-clothing(Not underwear, but a long sleeved shirt under a breastplate for example).

Example: I literally just saw 2 players with almost the same exact armor, only that one was normal and the other had an extra chestpiece and shoulderpad that made it more unique. Probably an upgrade from normal to masterwork or +1.

Weapons? Take the base type, change by the main 3 sections of the weapon: Blade/Hilt/Grip or similar for other weapons.

I always wonder how these major companies can't accomplish things that a single person does on a low-spec PC in their parents' house. Or where they get their ideas on things to bring in people. Uniqueness doesn't exist in many MMO's... DDO, WoW, EQ, etc. all have the same best set of items for every single character at endgame. WoW at least has a variety in them, EQ had a little less-so, but DDO is at the bottom end of the spectrum in equipment variety while being up there in character variety.

[gurugeorge]

/signed

Turbine have an excellent system in LOTRO (you can't directly change the looks much apart from dyes, but you have an extra set of slots you can use for looks while keeping the stats of your main armour), surely they can implement something similar in this game?

[Cesious]

/signed

Turbine have an excellent system in LOTRO (you can't directly change the looks much apart from dyes, but you have an extra set of slots you can use for looks while keeping the stats of your main armour), surely they can implement something similar in this game?

Do you mean like... you have your main armor you use for stats and can equip a second set of armor to use for looks, able to dye that to alter it? That's completely awesome.

[Persnoody]

Do you mean like... you have your main armor you use for stats and can equip a second set of armor to use for looks, able to dye that to alter it? That's completely awesome.

yeah, they also allow you to hide most of what you are wearing, everything can also be visible, like your boots and gloves and cloak, pretty great for customizing your look.

it would be awesome if we could run around in capes on ddo haha

[Cesious]

That would be great. Personally, I have a style I always try to customize towards because I enjoy the look, makes me sad when customization is lacking. In NWN originally, I created my own armor based around the stats of existing pieces just to have it not look like I rolled down a cliff into a pit of mud and tried to clean it off by rolling in the grass.

[MarkusWolfe]

Ok, thanks.

I'm still hoping they consider C - providing some mixing and matching feature so players can customise the individual suit of armour, without having to use skinning gimmicks or appearance slots.

At any rate, I'm hoarding otherwise useless +1 and +2 stuff...
We'll see.

Well, perhaps we can do the mixing and matching when we equip it for the first time......but whatever.

Hey, is there any chance we get an underarmor skin that is 'butt naked'? Because I've been looking at some Diablo III work and.....well, it speaks for itself:

[Alabore]

To add something after not reading everything posted here. Back in NWN and NWN2, people's modules were made as to allow armor crafting of the sections of armor that were actually hard-coded with multiple appearances for variety. Colors were also applied by dyes normally and some even had dyes you could combine for more unique colors.

If you don't mind me rambling a bit, I recall NWN1 and NWN2 had very different customising features.

In NWN1 clothing/armour was made of individual limb and torso parts; except for a couple fixed bits - tied to armour type - you had a lot of freedom in fine-tuning appearance.
With fan-made add-ons, such as the CEP packs and some custom scripts, you could add new parts, and hot-swap them, without ever leaving the quest you were running.

NWN2 features a different model system: you had undermeshes usually tied to armour types, and a number of overmesh bits, you could add to undermeshes.
You could not swap them in-quest; you either had to edit saves and reload or use scripts to swap appearance to pre-made items - but you had complete freedom in mixing and matching appearance, regardless of types.

While NWN1 featured a fixed palette, in NWN2 you could enter actual RGB codes.
Dyes would likely work as they did in NWN1; in NWN2 they never managed to provide an in-build, inside quest, item customising feature.

Well, perhaps we can do the mixing and matching when we equip it for the first time......but whatever.

I was envisioning a crafting station that launched a character-creation-like front-end.
It could be tied to favour - first tier of Deneith/Kundarak for basic editing, second tier for exclusive skins and maybe guild surcoats - or offered as an account-wide service as a store option.

To be true, I would suggest the same for changing a char's appearance - hair, complexion even radical changes such as nose, mouth and so on.
Eberron is high-magic; from what I could gather from game-lore magical surgery is relatively common - and I can't see why my chars can't get a shave or a hair cut, except for the few couple options they offered as one-shot tonics.

...

Yes, this would mean some players would play dress-up instead of questing, 24/7.
Deal it with: some love mussels. Some love steak.

Hey, is there any chance we get an underarmor skin that is 'butt naked'?

Well, we DO have the "naked" undermesh, but ladies get odd striped shorts with pockets!
It would be an interesting departure from standard appearance, still.
DDO was lagging a bit, and it was slow on loading gear on my char; the overmesh without undermesh, on "naked" textures, made it look fierce in a Conan-like way.

[MarkusWolfe]

Well, we DO have the "naked" undermesh, but ladies get odd striped shorts with pockets!
It would be an interesting departure from standard appearance, still.
DDO was lagging a bit, and it was slow on loading gear on my char; the overmesh without undermesh, on "naked" textures, made it look fierce in a Conan-like way.

Ah, yes. Conan. The barbarian that spawned a thousand male power fantasies.

Which reminds me, we need to get some giant snakes, piles of corpses and naked/scantily clad wimmens that like to cling to your legs, preferably within walking distance of each other.

[gurugeorge]

Well, perhaps we can do the mixing and matching when we equip it for the first time......but whatever.

Hey, is there any chance we get an underarmor skin that is 'butt naked'? Because I've been looking at some Diablo III work and.....well, it speaks for itself:

He looks like he's got some nasty crotch rash there

[Alabore]

Ah, yes. Conan. The barbarian that spawned a thousand male power fantasies.
...
Which reminds me, we need to get some giant snakes, piles of corpses and naked/scantily clad wimmens that like to cling to your legs, preferably within walking distance of each other.

Ah, I was more of a fan of Elmore's art; I still harbour a more or less healthy appreciation for feminine graces, without the power fantasy side.

...

Or do I...?



...

To most of us that pic is just funny.
To some it's terribly offensive - times have changes; imagery complied.

...

Say, somebody try and link thumbnails, this thread is systematically splashing over my screen's physical boundaries...

[AestorTheKnight]

To most of us that pic is just funny.
To some it's terribly offensive - times have changes; imagery complied.

Nah that Pic could not be offensive - its not like her nipples are showing - But his are!

Thats just a cool Fantasy Pic!

But yeah Skin Underskins with Overplates would be great for Barbarians! Really good suggestion from Markuswolf imo.

[Alabore]

Nah that Pic could not be offensive - its not like her nipples are showing - But his are!

...

It's something different, subtler, about people of both genders being equally empowered.
Different times, different tastes, different author.

[Kochab]

/signed

I completely agree.
Also, can wearing cloaks/capes actually have an effect on your appearance?

[SardaSlayer]

/signed (again)

Do not let this thread die it is bar far the best argument for this change!

I really hope this makes the priority list for update 6.

[muffinlad]

This is actually one of the things that have disapointed me most about DDO. When games not even 1/2 as good have much better looking/dressed characters, this should have been an issue they addressed a while ago.

muffinfacade

[der_kluge]

My human female cleric pulled the armor out of Tempest's Spine - Armor of the Giants, IIRC.

I put it on, and it had this huge bulge right in the middle of her chest. It looked like she had an enormous third breast. It was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. My friend that time also had a female human, and he wouldn't wear it either for the same reason. I'm sure it probably looked fine on other builds, though. But on us, it looked totally ridiculous.

[IronClan]

/signed

I completely agree.
Also, can wearing cloaks/capes actually have an effect on your appearance?

not currently but there's always hope... Cloaks and other flowing cloth like things in 3d games have always been a sticking point... Between 3d engine mesh limitations (interpolation between animation frames tends to look goofy and un-life like, especially in transitions between walking and running or turning etc.) and animator creativity; it's not easy to make cloaks that look decent. LOTRO has them and they look ... well meh... but that certainly seems to indicate that this engine is capable of somewhat "okay" cloaks. LOTRO also has items that all pretty much show on the character... Which IMO is the logical next step DDO needs to take to be a more polished MMO...

If turbine had any idea how bad for business it is for their customers to be explaining to friends "oh well it doesn't have that... or that... Yeah, no you can't do that either... But once you get past all that and the beta feeling UI/Inventory it's a really good combat focused game... Oh you're gonna stick with XoX MMO where you have houses, craft skills, mounts, vast contiguous overland areas and complete control over every cosmetic aspect of your characters/houses etc.? Okay well.. give it a try some time... did I mention it's free and has great combat?

[Alabore]

Cloaks and other flowing cloth like things in 3d games have always been a sticking point... Between 3d engine mesh limitations (interpolation between animation frames tends to look goofy and un-life like, especially in transitions between walking and running or turning etc.) and animator creativity; it's not easy to make cloaks that look decent.

Around patch 1.68 they implemented visible cloaks for NWN1.
I think they were well done - and they had a nice physical feel.
They were a big step up from the fan-made cloaks they had in CEP haks.
Interestingly enough, official cloaks actually were fan-made as well.