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[DarkTwinkie]

We've been playing around with character customization already as we're building the core system for model creation. We started with a bunch of customizable slots on the character and found that in an isometric/top down view, most of the details get lost very easily. One element that helps us quite a bit is the character portraits. You'll be able to select from many portraits and also import your own. We will have enough slots to give enough choice in gameplay, but not as many as you'd find in a fantasy based game, like WoW. Does a leather strip around your wrist really help you survive the wastelands better? Probably not.

I've been following the armor discussion as well. I tend to agree that having everyone look like space rangers at the end of games can be a bit distracting. We are looking into designing into the world some additional paths beyond simply "bulky is always better". There are some interesting groups in the world working on different technologies. It is possible to get strong but thin materials.

Chris Keenan

[SilverSam]

We've been playing around with character customization already as we're building the core system for model creation. We started with a bunch of customizable slots on the character and found that in an isometric/top down view, most of the details get lost very easily. One element that helps us quite a bit is the character portraits. You'll be able to select from many portraits and also import your own. We will have enough slots to give enough choice in gameplay, but not as many as you'd find in a fantasy based game, like WoW. Does a leather strip around your wrist really help you survive the wastelands better? Probably not.

I've been following the armor discussion as well. I tend to agree that having everyone look like space rangers at the end of games can be a bit distracting. We are looking into designing into the world some additional paths beyond simply "bulky is always better". There are some interesting groups in the world working on different technologies. It is possible to get strong but thin materials.

Chris Keenan

Playing Jagged Alliance: Back in Action really gives an idea of what could be done: Equipment represent minor details in that view. As long as you can familiarize with the character from something you choose in their appearance, it should work well. Of course we all want to make a special character, but i think the name, the stats and the backstory can work pretty good, because in the battlefield we can't appreciate the very little details that we have created

[Woolfe]

We've been playing around with character customization already as we're building the core system for model creation. We started with a bunch of customizable slots on the character and found that in an isometric/top down view, most of the details get lost very easily. One element that helps us quite a bit is the character portraits. You'll be able to select from many portraits and also import your own. We will have enough slots to give enough choice in gameplay, but not as many as you'd find in a fantasy based game, like WoW. Does a leather strip around your wrist really help you survive the wastelands better? Probably not.

I've been following the armor discussion as well. I tend to agree that having everyone look like space rangers at the end of games can be a bit distracting. We are looking into designing into the world some additional paths beyond simply "bulky is always better". There are some interesting groups in the world working on different technologies. It is possible to get strong but thin materials.

Chris Keenan

Hey Chris, thats great news about the armour, I hope our arguing back and forth over the various "types" wasn't too arduous to read through

The character portraits are a throwback, that I am glad is returning. Any chance of them being animated like in the original

[ButchinMelancholy]

Any chance of them being animated like in the original

I would prefer not, as all the rest will be animated this time. ^^
Just classy poses.

[Gizmo]

Any chance of them being animated like in the original

I would prefer not, as all the rest will be animated this time. ^^
Just classy poses.

I dunno... Planescape had animated avatars and it was pretty cool; however, I don't think I'd want close-up cgi heads running Perlin Noise.

[SilverSam]

Planescape had animated avatars and it was pretty cool; however, I don't think I'd want close-up cgi heads running Perlin Noise.

Yeah, there was animations in the characters avatars from time to time. Something like that could be possible

[Canageek]

What if we *want* to create a team of walking tanks, despite there being other options? Why should the existence of other options remove the ability of me to add on a fighter-nosecone sharksteeth decal to my armour?

It absolutely shouldn't, but dev resources are limited. If it's a choice between customizable characters (height, body type, hair color) and customizable armor, I'll go with characters every time.

Of course it would be fantastic if we had both!

That is why I want it so I can put in my own decals and such. Then the art resources go towards other things, and the fans can make a bunch of transparent PNGs I can overlay onto my avatar's armour.

[GodComplex]

I've always been a big fan of the animated avatar, that occasionally does something, even if it is just looking another direction.

[Canageek]

I meant decals that would be applied onto the animated avatar.

[TΛPETRVE]

Personally, I'd love comic book-style portraits with simple 3 frame animations to shift between facial expressions. Just as a quirky retro element.

[DarkTwinkie]

Personally, I'd love comic book-style portraits with simple 3 frame animations to shift between facial expressions. Just as a quirky retro element.

We love the idea of having simple animations on the portraits, similar to the original, but as with everything there is a cost. If we animate them, even with a nice simple 3 frame animation, it cuts down the number of portraits we can have in the game quite a bit. We'll continue to explore this as we build out more assets.

[Gizmo]

We love the idea of having simple animations on the portraits, similar to the original, but as with everything there is a cost. If we animate them, even with a nice simple 3 frame animation, it cuts down the number of portraits we can have in the game quite a bit. We'll continue to explore this as we build out more assets.

What about supporting animated Gifs as avatars ~like Baldur's Gate, but with Gifs ~or better yet MNGs.
Given the dimensions, a library of portraits could popup over the weekend; certainly after a month.

[Zombra]

Gif or multiframe support would be great even if the premade portraits were static ... as long as we had access to the image files so we could animate them ourselves

[TΛPETRVE]

We love the idea of having simple animations on the portraits, similar to the original, but as with everything there is a cost. If we animate them, even with a nice simple 3 frame animation, it cuts down the number of portraits we can have in the game quite a bit. We'll continue to explore this as we build out more assets.

Well, it doesn't even have to be animations - just a few different facial expressions would be nize. In general, a comic-book style GUI would probably make me soil my pants with joy. But well, let us see what you boys and girls have up your sleeves.

[Sleet]

I am ok with non-animated, but did indeed enjoy the animated from W1.

[Drool]

Apropos of nothing, but...

As perhaps an unlockable once the game is beat, it would be cool if the selectable avatar list would also include monster portraits (assuming they have them). I think it'd be neat to play as a Jerk. Or an octotron.

[Zombra]

Apropos of nothing, but...

As perhaps an unlockable once the game is beat, it would be cool if the selectable avatar list would also include monster portraits (assuming they have them). I think it'd be neat to play as a Jerk. Or an octotron.

Neat idea, but no reason to bother making it unlockable since the game will ship with full custom portrait import systems. If you have a PrintScreen key and MS Paint, you can get your own Octotron portrait the minute you find an Octotron in game

[Risingsun]

A very interesting Chris. Thanks for jumping into the convo. Will there be basic avatar customization like at least some skin tone options and a handful of hairstyles? Some rudimentary stuff to make your avatar look like the diverse residents of California and Arizona.

[Canageek]

We love the idea of having simple animations on the portraits, similar to the original, but as with everything there is a cost. If we animate them, even with a nice simple 3 frame animation, it cuts down the number of portraits we can have in the game quite a bit. We'll continue to explore this as we build out more assets.

What about supporting animated Gifs as avatars ~like Baldur's Gate, but with Gifs ~or better yet MNGs.
Given the dimensions, a library of portraits could popup over the weekend; certainly after a month.

APNG support is far easier to implement as I understand it; MNG is rather tricky, which is why it never caught on.

[Gizmo]

APNG support is far easier to implement as I understand it; MNG is rather tricky, which is why it never caught on.

Looks just as good. There is a free APNG assembler on Sourceforge too; and an online APNG assembler.