More Near-Human Customization Options

[Ylliarus]

So, surely I am not the only one who wants to recreate some of the Near-Human species that are known to Star Wars. Some examples would be the Zeltron, Arkanians, Kiffar or Zelosians. Sadly, doing so is currently quite impossible as we lack the customization options like red, blue or green skin tones for Humans or entirely white eyes with no pupil ingame.

 

As such, I would like to suggest a Near-Human customization options pack for Humans and Cyborgs containing various exotic skin colours, eye colours, hair colours and perhaps even tattoo options (so we could create Kiffar), so we could recreate the Near-Human species mentioned earlier.

Edited April 10, 2020 by Ylliarus

[Ylliarus]

So is this not something people would want? I am frankly surprised as I always read people wanting species like Zeltron or Arkanians or Kiffar.

[SteveTheCynic]

I'm not sure that simply having skin/hair/eye colours and relevant tattoo patterns(1) would yield the right result.

 

Probably the most important fault would be that all NPCs would treat you the same as they would a human character (because in game-mechanical terms you would be one), which wouldn't be accurate. (It mostly affects Impsiders, but there are a few conversations Pubside that mention it or allow you a special comment if you're not human. The ones that spring to mind are Nik the Whiner on Coruscant and your conversation with Master Til'lin during the Padawan Fia mission on Tython.)

 

On the other hand, from an asset-design point of view, a non-specific "Near-Human" species(2) that had a variety of colours and tattoos and so on would be an interesting way to address it. Because NH could use the same face meshes as Human, the geometry-design work would be eliminated.

 

(1) I'd guess the tattoos whould be on the cosmetics slider, because there's no "tattoo" slider, and the classes that have their own tattoos (SW, BH, Trooper) put them on the cosmetics sliders.

 

(2) Similar to the "Alien" species in STO, where you can do all manner of exotic stuff.

[Ylliarus]

On the other hand, from an asset-design point of view, a non-specific "Near-Human" species(2) that had a variety of colours and tattoos and so on would be an interesting way to address it. Because NH could use the same face meshes as Human, the geometry-design work would be eliminated.

 

This is something I had suggested not too long ago as well, a Near-Human species category like we have with Cyborgs at the moment, containing various skin tones, eye colours, hair colours etc etc to recreate the many Near-Human species that exist in lore: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=977322

 

However, the thread didn't have any meaningful reactions or responses, so I assumed it was something undesirable.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Ylliarus

[SteveTheCynic]

However, the thread didn't have any meaningful reactions or responses, so I assumed it was something undesirable.

Well, consider what I posted above to be my vote of support.

[Lhancelot]

There was a thread about this, I wrote on that one awhile back about adding near-human races. I even went and looked them up, as I was not familiar with such races and added what I thought would look neat.

 

Anyway, I don't have the focus to do that again but will say yes, any additional customizations for player characters are welcomed. Tattoos also. Scars. These could be added to body parts other than faces, too I'd think.

[Ylliarus]

There was a thread about this, I wrote on that one awhile back about adding near-human races. I even went and looked them up, as I was not familiar with such races and added what I thought would look neat.

 

Anyway, I don't have the focus to do that again but will say yes, any additional customizations for player characters are welcomed. Tattoos also. Scars. These could be added to body parts other than faces, too I'd think.

 

I have seen some people get creative in trying to recreate Echani, Arkanians or Kiffar. But the options that we have for that are really limited, yeah. I even saw someone once trying to pull off a Zeltron by using a Sith Pureblood without all the tendrils and bone spurs, but it's not the same as simply having the red skin for the Human species for example

 

Or a red skin in a new species category called "Near-Human" so that the game would be able to distinguish between Human and Near-Human. That would have my support even more it could contain various appearance customization options to recreate the various Near-Human species.

[sdrakulya]

Or a red skin in a new species category called "Near-Human" so that the game would be able to distinguish between Human and Near-Human. That would have my support even more it could contain various appearance customization options to recreate the various Near-Human species.

 

I think this would be by far the best option. Low effort for the devs vs making countless individual playable races, high customization options for players, much expanded RP enviroment. Maybe the result wouldn’t be perfect, like arkanians would have 5 fingers, but it’s okay. And it can’t be hard, just copy all the base human options and add a few colors, tattoos etc. I’d love it so much

[Ylliarus]

I think this would be by far the best option. Low effort for the devs vs making countless individual playable races, high customization options for players, much expanded RP enviroment. Maybe the result wouldn’t be perfect, like arkanians would have 5 fingers, but it’s okay. And it can’t be hard, just copy all the base human options and add a few colors, tattoos etc. I’d love it so much

 

Naturally, I'd prefer the option of having an entirely seperate species category called "Near-Human", stuffed with all the appearance customization options to recreate various Near-Human species. That said, simply adding exotic skin colours to the Human playable species would be a low effort, viable alternative in my books as well it wouldn't be ideal, but it would at least be more than what we have to work with at the moment.

[sdrakulya]

Imo the issue with adding it to human isn’t so much that NPCs wouldn’t know you’re an alien but rather that it can be confusing and weird for people actually wanting to be human to find those weird customization options there. Maybe someone who doesn’t know much of the lore would pick something for their human not knowing they go around looking like a weird hybrid. From a game design point of view it just feels wrong to add stuff to a race when it doesn’t belong to said race. But I don’t see how making a new race called Near Human would be harder for the devs, probably easier, and better for everyone imo

[Ylliarus]

Imo the issue with adding it to human isn’t so much that NPCs wouldn’t know you’re an alien but rather that it can be confusing and weird for people actually wanting to be human to find those weird customization options there. Maybe someone who doesn’t know much of the lore would pick something for their human not knowing they go around looking like a weird hybrid. From a game design point of view it just feels wrong to add stuff to a race when it doesn’t belong to said race. But I don’t see how making a new race called Near Human would be harder for the devs, probably easier, and better for everyone imo

 

Don't get me wrong, I fully agree with you. It's why in an earlier thread I suggested the idea of a Near-Human species option, like we have with Cyborgs currently. However, that thread didn't seem to grab any attention so I assumed it wasn't desirable. I changed the idea to something that I thought would be more low effort for the devs, but I absolutely agree with you point. For RPers it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but someone who wouldn't be that well-versed or immersed might be confused.

[BlackSilverDawn]

So, surely I am not the only one who wants to recreate some of the Near-Human species that are known to Star Wars. Some examples would be the Zeltron, Arkanians, Kiffar or Zelosians. Sadly, doing so is currently quite impossible as we lack the customization options like red, blue or green skin tones for Humans or entirely white eyes with no pupil ingame.

 

As such, I would like to suggest a Near-Human customization options pack for Humans and Cyborgs containing various exotic skin colours, eye colours, hair colours and perhaps even tattoo options (so we could create Kiffar), so we could recreate the Near-Human species mentioned earlier.

 

I totally agree with you, we need more near-human species - don't forget Keshiri on the list! That and Zeltron are what I want most to see happen in ToR, for species (the above pink & purple species would definitely bring a lot of play value for me, would re-species my most used toons). Most mates I know pick Human more than anything else on their accounts. Really need something that allows many of us to mix it up, rather than having soooo many look-a-like human alts.

 

(don't feel bad, there are plenty of people who'd want this, and yes - have asked again and again and again for near-human species, but a lot of us don't check the forums that often these days..)

Edited April 21, 2020 by BlackSilverDawn

[BlackSilverDawn]

I mean, how hard is it to add pink, purple, & whatever other near-human species color to the Human species & repackage them as Zeltron, Keshiri, etc? - giving us a lot more character/ RP choices & play/ replay value

[Ylliarus]

I mean, how hard is it to add pink, purple, & whatever other near-human species color to the Human species & repackage them as Zeltron, Keshiri, etc? - giving us a lot more character/ RP choices & play/ replay value

 

As a former RPer, I agree that having more choices would be amazing! I played an Arkanian Jedi Master once, so it would have been nice to have the all white (including pupils) eyes. I also know several people roleplay Kiffar, but we have no facial tattoos to properly convey that. Not to mention all the other races that have been mentioned already.

 

Seeing as how Darth Rivix is (most likely) a Zeltron, perhaps we might get something in the future. Nonetheless, I think adding an exotic skin colours pack to humans and cyborgs would be nice.

[SylvanLore]

• Color-wheels for eyes/hair/skin (at least for the more multi-hued species, such as Twi'leks and Zabraks).
  
• More horns for Zabraks, and hairstyles and tattoos for all.
  
• Body tattoos.
  
• Lekku decorations for Twi'leks (jewellery and such), choosing how to drape them (like over the shoulders), and be able to have HOODS.
  
• Actually, be able to toggle hoods on and off at all.
  
• Option to have long lekkus for male Togrutas.
  
• Scrap Cyborg as a species, and instead make cybernetics buyable and equippable, for ALL species.
  
• More faces for all races. (Seriously, Twi'leks have, like, three faces to choose from.)
  
• Fat female body type. Not just "pudgy".
  
• Chiss with beards.
  

I can go on, but these are the CAS at the top of my head. GAME CHANGES OVER ALL IS ANOTHER TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY.

 

Being able to create your own species might be cool. Color wheels, choose between horns, lekkus, etc. Just add another name generator box for species name, and list it as "unknown" in dialogue species options.

Edited April 28, 2020 by SylvanLore

[Ylliarus]

Being able to create your own species might be cool. Color wheels, choose between horns, lekkus, etc. Just add another name generator box for species name, and list it as "unknown" in dialogue species options.

 

That would be a little too extreme for me. Plus, for me it would break immersion in the story, as I would like my characters' species to be recognized. However, as I said before, a race option called "Near-Human" with a ton of appearance customization options to recreate the existing Near-Human species would be fantastic.

[SylvanLore]

I would be fine with that. How many near-human species are there, anyway? And where is the line drawn? Kiffar, Zeltron, Arkanian.... How many new sliders would have to be added?

[ceryxp]

I would love this, either as more appearance options for humans or a separate near-human species with all the various near-human options. I've long wanted the option to make my main and alt-main look more Echani

[BlackSilverRoar]

Really want the Keshiri toons (purple-skinned humanoid). Zeltron would be a smart move for the next species.

 

Have Chiss toons and it's just sad that's the closest thing to Keshiri.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Willjb

[BlackSilverRoar]

As a former RPer, I agree that having more choices would be amazing! I played an Arkanian Jedi Master once, so it would have been nice to have the all white (including pupils) eyes. I also know several people roleplay Kiffar, but we have no facial tattoos to properly convey that. Not to mention all the other races that have been mentioned already.

 

Seeing as how Darth Rivix is (most likely) a Zeltron, perhaps we might get something in the future. Nonetheless, I think adding an exotic skin colours pack to humans and cyborgs would be nice.

 

^I think you're right: Darth Rivix is a Zetron. [Great] character, btw, very intriguing. He has the charm and smoothness of a Zeltron, while you know he's powerful enough to wreck some insidious havoc. Best character in a long time, complex, ranks up there with Malgus and Arcann <3

 

Hopefully, BioWare sees the potential of integrating Zeltrons (and other near-human species) and doesn't squander the opportunity.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Willjb

[Lhancelot]

I mean, how hard is it to add pink, purple, & whatever other near-human species color to the Human species & repackage them as Zeltron, Keshiri, etc? - giving us a lot more character/ RP choices & play/ replay value

 

Plus, BW imagine the MONEY you'd make selling these different near-human races via the CM?!

[Ylliarus]

I would be fine with that. How many near-human species are there, anyway? And where is the line drawn? Kiffar, Zeltron, Arkanian.... How many new sliders would have to be added?

 

Well, the amount of Near-Human species is high. It wouldn't be possible to include customization options to have the ability to recreate all of them, of course.

 

However, if they created a seperate species category, I could imagine them adding sliders like "Tattoos", "Facial Ornaments" or "Facial Distinctions" , the latter being for Near-Human species that have spiked chins or something like that. They can add a ton of tattoo designs for example, and then players can imagine for themselves what the tattoos mean. For example, there could be a few Kiffar specific tattoos, while the others are general tattoos that could fit with any Near-Human species.

 

Otherwise, most of the sliders can stay the same as with Humans. The only difference would be that the appearance options in the sliders would be more exotic options, such as red skin, pink skin, purple skin, blue skin etc. etc. and the same of course going for hair colours and eye colours (having an option to have entirely white eyes without the pupils showing).

 

A line has to be drawn somewhere, of course, as the team couldn't possibly add every single customization options thinkable. However, I do think that by adding a diverse set of options, players can then use their own imagination to create the species that they want. As long as they have a solid set of customization options available to them, it should work.

[Livq]

for Near Humans.. I wouldn't mind creating someone like Guri from the Star Wars Legends.

 

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Guri ( see link for ref )

 

I mean we got cyborgs But I wouldn't mind seeing something like her.

[Aeneas_Falco]

Rather than a customization pack for humans or cyborgs this would probably be better handled as a Near Human "species" option you choose when creating a character, similar to choosing Human, Twi'lek, or Pureblood Sith.

 

A generic Near-Human option that included skin tones that varied from chalk-white to pink to red to violet or coal-black, with hair and eye color options that varied just as sharply, would allow players to create Arkanians, Echani, Zeltrons, Pantorans, and Keshiri with that one startup option. Or create their own entirely unique species. One of the sliders can also be for cybernetics allowing for the creation of cyborgs.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Aeneas_Falco

[Ylliarus]

Rather than a customization pack for humans or cyborgs this would probably be better handled as a Near Human "species" option you choose when creating a character, similar to choosing Human, Twi'lek, or Pureblood Sith.

 

A generic Near-Human option that included skin tones that varied from chalk-white to pink to red to violet or coal-black, with hair and eye color options that varied just as sharply, would allow players to create Arkanians, Echani, Zeltrons, Pantorans, and Keshiri with that one startup option. Or create their own entirely unique species. One of the sliders can also be for cybernetics allowing for the creation of cyborgs.

 

Yes, I mention that few times in this thread

 

Well, the amount of Near-Human species is high. It wouldn't be possible to include customization options to have the ability to recreate all of them, of course.

 

However, if they created a seperate species category, I could imagine them adding sliders like "Tattoos", "Facial Ornaments" or "Facial Distinctions" , the latter being for Near-Human species that have spiked chins or something like that. They can add a ton of tattoo designs for example, and then players can imagine for themselves what the tattoos mean. For example, there could be a few Kiffar specific tattoos, while the others are general tattoos that could fit with any Near-Human species.

 

Otherwise, most of the sliders can stay the same as with Humans. The only difference would be that the appearance options in the sliders would be more exotic options, such as red skin, pink skin, purple skin, blue skin etc. etc. and the same of course going for hair colours and eye colours (having an option to have entirely white eyes without the pupils showing).

 

A line has to be drawn somewhere, of course, as the team couldn't possibly add every single customization options thinkable. However, I do think that by adding a diverse set of options, players can then use their own imagination to create the species that they want. As long as they have a solid set of customization options available to them, it should work.

 

I also made a separate thread about adding a Near-Human species option, but it got no responses so I assumed it was undesirable. This thread got a lot more attention for some reason, which is funny.