Realistic suggestion to armor design problems fix

[Syrocc]

First of all, this isn't a QQ thread, but it's a constructive suggestion to how the problem of end-game armor design could be fixed (a kind of skinning many people want to see implemented).

 

Coming from someone with some programing knowledge and who's worked in the industry before, The easiest way to implement a feature for a custom look for your character is to clone the equipment page of your character, making this new tab work as a social tab. Funcom did this with Anarchy Online back in the day and the community received it REALLY well.

 

Basically, you'd have an extra page on your character screen, similar to char, companion and spaceship pages that are currently in. All it takes is to clone the char screen, renaming it to something like social, and removing relic/implant slots. Players could then equip any armors there, and THOSE would show on your char, instead of the actual item you are using. From a programming point of view, it seems to be the easiest fix to implement, the only hard part is to make sure the social armors don't give players any stats.

 

Now, why do I consider this to be a necessary change to the game?

 

Simply, because myself and 80%+ of the people I've talked to are generally unhappy with how the level 50 armors look like, especially the pvp sets.

 

I would never roll a smuggler, just because I couldn't stand my character looking like Captain Retard with a breathing problem.

 

The level 30-49 armor designs (sometimes even the green grades) look so much better for many classes. Classes like smuggler, sentinel, imperial agent, etc. receive insanely ugly PvP armors at 50, and we're forced to use them because they are the only items that allow for competitiveness in PvP.

 

I'm sure all the players have different opinions on what armors they like, but the general attitude of the playerbase is one of dislike to the end-game looks.

 

From my personal point of view, it's the most annoying feature of the game. PvP will be balanced out eventually, bugs will get fixed, content will be added, but as long as I hate the way my character looks, I'll never be able to play a certain class.

 

If you have any other suggestions, or if you simply agree to this idea, please share. The only way to make change is to speak our minds as a community.

[Syrocc]

Bump!

[JediMasterRyanW]

So basically you want an appearance tab.

 

If they ever get the moddable gear to be viable at 50, we wouldn't have this problem. I'd rather wait and hope they get their act together on this rather than have them try to implement an entire new system.

[Syrocc]

Well, the idea you are suggesting also works, even if it's in a different way. Either way, the endgame armors look bad, if not horrible at times (with some exceptions).

 

Any system that would allow me to customize the appearance of my character would make me happy to be honest.

[Goreson]

First of all, this isn't a QQ thread, but it's a constructive suggestion to how the problem of end-game armor design could be fixed (a kind of skinning many people want to see implemented).

 

Coming from someone with some programing knowledge and who's worked in the industry before, The easiest way to implement a feature for a custom look for your character is to clone the equipment page of your character, making this new tab work as a social tab. Funcom did this with Anarchy Online back in the day and the community received it REALLY well.

 

Basically, you'd have an extra page on your character screen, similar to char, companion and spaceship pages that are currently in. All it takes is to clone the char screen, renaming it to something like social, and removing relic/implant slots. Players could then equip any armors there, and THOSE would show on your char, instead of the actual item you are using. From a programming point of view, it seems to be the easiest fix to implement, the only hard part is to make sure the social armors don't give players any stats.

 

Now, why do I consider this to be a necessary change to the game?

 

Simply, because myself and 80%+ of the people I've talked to are generally unhappy with how the level 50 armors look like, especially the pvp sets.

 

I would never roll a smuggler, just because I couldn't stand my character looking like Captain Retard with a breathing problem.

 

The level 30-49 armor designs (sometimes even the green grades) look so much better for many classes. Classes like smuggler, sentinel, imperial agent, etc. receive insanely ugly PvP armors at 50, and we're forced to use them because they are the only items that allow for competitiveness in PvP.

 

I'm sure all the players have different opinions on what armors they like, but the general attitude of the playerbase is one of dislike to the end-game looks.

 

From my personal point of view, it's the most annoying feature of the game. PvP will be balanced out eventually, bugs will get fixed, content will be added, but as long as I hate the way my character looks, I'll never be able to play a certain class.

 

If you have any other suggestions, or if you simply agree to this idea, please share. The only way to make change is to speak our minds as a community.

 

Congrets on 'having some programing knowledge and ... worked in the industry before' as well as having to bump your own thread.

 

First: maybe it would be better to post something that is a suggestion in the Suggestion Box?

 

Second: Why? Because you don't like the look of your armor. I get that. But how much time do you actually have to spend in that PvP gear? Unless you limit yourself to just PvPing you do have options!

 

Options other than making an 'Appreance' tab that overwrites the visual aspects of the 'Character' tab but not the game values.

 

Frankly, if you actually had an idea as to the gaming and CGI models/animation you would know that it all comes down to a) models and b) textures/skins.

 

So, if you don't like the gear (as you say) think about what you don't like: is it the overall shape or is it just the look?

 

If it's the first, well, you can only hope that the bees at BW are busy making new PvP models; if it's the latter... guess what: given the right means non-BW affiliated people can actually create mods for 'things'.

 

Or maybe you have never seen/heard of nude mods or 'better skin' mods done for games?

 

So, what about allowing people out here to design a new looks for existing sets?

 

Make it an open contest:

 

Bw: 'Here are the raw textures of gear XYZ. In order to accept your entry the dimensions/resolution needs to remain the same. Please feel free to enter any design that is considered suitable for SWTOR and does not violate any copyrights.'

 

There is actually already software out there that can help you do so, you know...?

[ThePirateMD]

I agree a lot of late game armor looks bad. It really makes me wonder who was designing it.

 

I actually think the FORUMAVATARS look much cooler than the in-game armor, lol.

 

I personally think that the TOR team needs to tone back on what they think is epic. Stop giving consulars dresses, damnit! There HAS to be a way to make robes look more ******.

[Silversable]

If they ever get the moddable gear to be viable at 50, we wouldn't have this problem. I'd rather wait and hope they get their act together on this rather than have them try to implement an entire new system.

Actually, the mere fact that the set items available in HM FPs / Ops include set bonuses (which is a stupid idea in itself...) is enough to favor appearance standardisation.

 

I strongly support the idea of a fully separate appearance tab, with the *possible* limitation that the gear you show must be of the same category as the gear you wear [i personally don't mind, but I can see that some people would...]. If you show light armor, then you must actually wear light armor, otherwise the armor you wear is the one that is displayed. The appearance tab basically becomes a selective overlay.

[Syrocc]

Congrets on 'having some programing knowledge and ... worked in the industry before' as well as having to bump your own thread.

 

Second: Why? Because you don't like the look of your armor. I get that. But how much time do you actually have to spend in that PvP gear? Unless you limit yourself to just PvPing you do have options!

 

Options other than making an 'Appreance' tab that overwrites the visual aspects of the 'Character' tab but not the game values.

 

Frankly, if you actually had an idea as to the gaming and CGI models/animation you would know that it all comes down to a) models and b) textures/skins.

 

First, my bad for posting this here, in General. I really though general was, well, a general thread. I must have been mistaken, since it's obviously a specific topic you'll shed light on, I'm sure.

 

Second, I bump the thread because of the lack of responses and don't want an idea to get lost on page 132. Last I checked, it wasn't illegal in the state I live in; and frankly, a bump isn't exactly spamming. Again, sorry for taking up space from reposted questions and non-constructive whine threads.

 

Third, I am a PvPer. To be competitive, I need to wear Centurion, Champion or Battlemaster gear, which looks the same, apart from minor color differences. You're telling me that if I ( and a lot of other people as well ) don't like the way armors look like, we shouldn't use the PvP sets? That's your big answer to the problem?

 

And some PvE armors have the same problems. So, people who like raiding should use crappy gear just to look decent or somewhat closer to their image of how their character SHOULD look like? I imagine my bounty hunter to look like Bobba Fett, not like a bee-farmer or hockey player.

 

And lastly, the "textures" and "models" you refer to already exist. I did clearly state that lower level armors look great. Those should be re-used. That's it. And don't presume to know what my knowledge is limited to.

[VanorDM]

Any system that would allow me to customize the appearance of my character would make me happy to be honest.

 

Don't have the quote any longer, but they are working on a system that will allow you to remove the mods from end game purple armor and put them into orange items. The set bonus will follow the armor mod, most likely.

[Syrocc]

Don't have the quote any longer, but they are working on a system that will allow you to remove the mods from end game purple armor and put them into orange items. The set bonus will follow the armor mod, most likely.

 

Good to know, just wanted to share an alternative solution, although I'm sure BW thought of this already.

 

Still, what you say makes sense, I could live with that tbh, even though some green grade items look wicked and wouldn't be usable with that system.

[Goreson]

Third, I am a PvPer. To be competitive, I need to wear Centurion, Champion or Battlemaster gear, which looks the same, apart from minor color differences. You're telling me that if I ( and a lot of other people as well ) don't like the way armors look like, we shouldn't use the PvP sets? That's your big answer to the problem?

 

And some PvE armors have the same problems. So, people who like raiding should use crappy gear just to look decent or somewhat closer to their image of how their character SHOULD look like? I imagine my bounty hunter to look like Bobba Fett, not like a bee-farmer or hockey player.

 

And lastly, the "textures" and "models" you refer to already exist. I did clearly state that lower level armors look great. Those should be re-used. That's it. And don't presume to know what my knowledge is limited to.

 

See, this is where potentially the branding is wrong:

 

IMO SWTOR is not just a PvP game. Other people apparently think so.

 

I do understand your pain in that sense that there have been (onlineFPS) games I directly un-installed again just because the offered character customization sucked.

 

But for SWTOR I think PvP is just some part of game.

 

That's why I don't have just one outfit but multiple. And yes, potentially I'll rather go with 'this looks cool' over 'this gives me the best protection'.

 

It's a choice...

 

the thing now is that you obviously consider PvP (lvl) gear as the only option. Which is fine...

 

And you also pointed out that there is low(er) level gear that you think is great.

 

So why not just post (here or in the Suggestion Box) that BW should include many, mant different styles of PvP gear reflecting all the gear you've come across over the times in SWTOR?

 

Instead you opt for an 'Appearance' tab.

 

This smacks very much like 'I want the best armour value, but I also want switch between cool looking outfits.'

 

Which is a different story...

[Syrocc]

I am aware it's not JUST a PvP game. I don't mind. But end-game atm means one PvE set and one PvP set. My aim is to have both (one equipped, one in the inventory), and switch according to what I'm doing.

 

However, this does not solve the problem of looking terrible when PvPing, or, in some cases, PvEing. What about classes who have horrible looking armors on both ends? For instance, the PvP and PvE armor set of the smuggler class is almost identical, and both look annoying.

 

I'm playing SWTOR, not a marvel MMO, I don't want my smuggler to look like Captain Retard!

[Goreson]

I am aware it's not JUST a PvP game. I don't mind. But end-game atm means one PvE set and one PvP set. My aim is to have both (one equipped, one in the inventory), and switch according to what I'm doing.

 

However, this does not solve the problem of looking terrible when PvPing, or, in some cases, PvEing. What about classes who have horrible looking armors on both ends? For instance, the PvP and PvE armor set of the smuggler class is almost identical, and both look annoying.

 

I'm playing SWTOR, not a marvel MMO, I don't want my smuggler to look like Captain Retard!

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

 

having said that: If you haven't do so I would check (and potentially post in) the Suggestion Box, maybe with your 'Appearance Tab' suggestion, or maybe with my (maybe a bit more realistic) suggestion to re-use 'older' (read: lower level) armor designs for end-game gear.