Back from my vacation and checking up on this thread. Hope everyone had a pretty good Christmas.

 

 

 

I think they're saving it for either this upcoming mini-expansion or as an adrenaline shot when they need to hold on to or spur more subscribers. I'm hoping this isn't the case, but it makes sense from a business standpoint.

 

This, of course, takes the optimistic view that they're working on it at all.

 

Would really be nice if we could get some moderator feedback on this, but I understand that they might have bigger fish.

I did have a happy holidays. May you have had a happy holidays, yourself.

As for the topic, I sure hope that it's the former, not the latter. I can wait until RotHC. I hope they're saving purchasable character slots and Cathar for then, too.

I did have a happy holidays. May you have had a happy holidays, yourself.

 

As for the topic, I sure hope that it's the former, not the latter. I can wait until RotHC. I hope they're saving purchasable character slots and Cathar for then, too.

I think they've pretty much confirmed Cathar for the Makeb expansion, but I could be wrong. If they don't drop them, I think it would be yet another PR nightmare for EAWare. But that's beside the point. The fact is, I think a lot of people would rather do a race change for their shadow/assassin named after a certain cat-like cartoon character with thunderous origins than start from scratch. And I think they'd gladly pay a couple bucks to do it. The whole customization implementation would probably pay for itself within a few days if they do it like even a fraction of what people have mentioned here. Obviously if they overdo it on the nickel-dime aspect, they'll have it backfire horribly, but something would be better than nothing at tis point.

We can only keep getting sigs on this (and other threads) with the hopes that EAWare might eventually take us seriously. I still believe it will happen one day, but they're (the devs) stuck behind the 8 ball right now since having to rush f2p and the cartel store (for better or worse).

I would still be more than grateful if one of the lovely and talented forum moderators would shake down a developer for any information on this, however (violence is a last resort, but authorized as needed to retrieve the information )

I flipped back a couple pages, but didn't see any thread titles suggesting something similar, so I thought I'd touch on it or at least dig it out of the back of the closet.

 

Character Recustomization?

 

It really needs to happen. Now that it's easier than ever to unlock races with cartel coins, it would be nice to be able to go back and really do what you wanted to during character creation, but didn't have the tools to do it unlocked yet.

 

I'm all for restarting a class just to do things better. Not that I make it a habit, but this is a hobby more than a way of life for me, so I don't mind spending the time to start over. Especially when there really are only 4 stories and playing through them gets faster the more you do it. But not every (many) of the player community feel this way, especially the newly acquired f2p crowd we have. It's especially unfair to them since they only have 2 character slots on the account total. They can buy your coins to open up a race, but then they have to sacrifice their only other slot to take advantage of the character creation options, even if they bought the unlock for the race they're currently playing.

 

Throw us all a bone here, BW. Give us a vendor, on each respective fleet perhaps, that will allow us to recustimize our character. I'm not asking for an AC swap or a race change (although race does nothing from a gameplay standpoint in this game). I just want to be able to swap out the old busted bionics for the new hotness once I unlock the cyborg race or something similar. I'm not even asking for a body type swap. Just the cosmetics. Maybe a new hairdo. The new swanky bionic eye that I mentioned. Maybe get a new tattoo or have one removed. Charge us credits for it. One more money sink can't be all that bad, right? Hell, I'd even be ok with a (SMALL) cost in cartel coins. You could even make it into a legacy item for player ships just like the GTN, mailbox and repair droid. You could even make it a function OF the repair droid (he dabbles in facial reconstruction on the side).

 

Please, BioWare... You're our only hope.

 

EDIT: so this thread has (thankfully) gathered a bit of momentum and a few suggestions have poped up that I hadn't taken into consideration when I originally posted it. So with that in mind, I'm going to simply provide a list of suggestions here. Call it an overall thread TL;DR for the attention deficit crowd.

 

- Legacy customization droid similar to the repair droid to recustomize your character at will or with possible credits

- "Barber shops" for players to spend credits for minor cosmetic changes

- Cartel store full recustomization option with possible name change (not legacy name)

- Cartel store race/gender/name change only option

- Cartel store Legacy name change (not really a fan of this one, but provided for completion)

- Vastly upgraded or revamped character creation tools with more range of features and options (CoH anyone?)

- Character faction change (possibly considerably more complex with having to change ships, story arcs, etc. Maybe causing all story flags, skill points, etc, to be reset. Would need to lock AC to cross faction mirror class, however. Provided for completion.)

 

More added as and when the need arises.

 

P.S.: Woot! Thanx for the 5 star rating guys! Your posts and support keep this thread alive.

YES. THIS. NOW please.

And name change ability.

Server change.

oh and adding ability to copy/past chat logs so you don't have to screenshot just to copy a log. >.<

As far as I can remember, this is something players wanted to have since the game started.

I think BW has some serious database problems and doesn't dare to implement such a basic option.

Really, it wouldn't have been that hard with a solid and clean database structure from the get-go.

In any case, I still want this option and am even willing to pay for it a small fee.

As far as I can remember, this is something players wanted to have since the game started.

 

I think BW has some serious database problems and doesn't dare to implement such a basic option.

Really, it wouldn't have been that hard with a solid and clean database structure from the get-go.

 

In any case, I still want this option and am even willing to pay for it a small fee.

I don't understand what the database has to do with anything. It obviously stores the information on your character, such that you're not logging in to some random head swap or something. It also gives you the same option form"hair style 7" and "scar 13" every time during character creation. Simple things like this would simply be an edit in the code telling it to use "hair color 4" instead of the one you had before, for example. Which should be very easy for the system to "remember".

But I'm neither a programmer or a database expert, so I could be wrong.

thumbs up

would love to re do some chars

I don't understand what the database has to do with anything. It obviously stores the information on your character, such that you're not logging in to some random head swap or something. It also gives you the same option form"hair style 7" and "scar 13" every time during character creation. Simple things like this would simply be an edit in the code telling it to use "hair color 4" instead of the one you had before, for example. Which should be very easy for the system to "remember".

 

But I'm neither a programmer or a database expert, so I could be wrong.

What didn't you understand? You explained it quite well. It's as simple as that.

However, if you missmanage a database - e.g. bloat it, create stupid data redundancy, use hardly unique keys - you'll get problems in the long run. Changing values afterwards then, will probably trigger ... unwanted... results.

I only can imagine this scenario as to why BW hasn't already delivered such a basic option.

Ok, it's either this or they're totally ignorant of the (financial) value of it. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer...

What didn't you understand? You explained it quite well. It's as simple as that.

 

However, if you missmanage a database - e.g. bloat it, create stupid data redundancy, use hardly unique keys - you'll get problems in the long run. Changing values afterwards then, will probably trigger ... unwanted... results.

 

I only can imagine this scenario as to why BW hasn't already delivered such a basic option.

Ok, it's either this or they're totally ignorant of the (financial) value of it. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer...

My ignorance on the issue is with the actual repercussions of changing the values. From a leymans standpoint, it would stand to reason that there wouldn't be any. Somewhat like erasing the wrong answer for your test question and writing in the correct one. Intellectually, I know that they aren't exactly the same thing when dealing with computers and data, but since I don't have any experience in that field, I can't quantify it.

That said, I think they have the capacity, the willingness and the desire to do character recustomizations at some point. It's just probably sitting towards the bottom of their priority list at the moment. I've tried contacting the forum moderators to see if they can rattle some cages, or at the very least run a metal cup along the bars, but I haven't heard anything yet.

So I got a reply to my enquiry and Allison had this to say:

Hello! Thanks for writing with your question. We know that players are interested in seeing recustomization options (like a barbershop) and have definitely passed this feedback along. Though I don't have any new information right now, I'll make sure to pass any along that I get!

Needless to say, it's not all that we'd hoped, but it's more than we had. At least they're aware of it.

Big "thank you" to Allison for the response and here's hoping we have some more news on this sooner rather than later.

I'm interested in why you think everything should be on the table except gender and species. And, in truth, I can probably take a stab at your reasons behind species, but I'm still puzzled by you inclusion of gender there.

Because the story line with your comps is often set with your gender. Changing gender is going to throw a monkey wrench into this mechanic, not to mention some gear is female only. Having the ability to change everything else will (in my non profession opinion) not effect anything. Changing hair style, Hair Color, Eye color, Body type or Body color tattoo's, scars etc. None of this will affect anything but your character appearance. And that is what we want. We want to re-fresh the appearance of your character. I am an altaholic. I know why I am, I get tired of looking at the same character. I stop playing them because I want something new. A character that has a bit different appearance. I can't tell you how many times I start rolling a character, get tired of its looks and delete it. I have 4 50's. 2 above 40 and all the rest are below 25, why because their predecessors appearance started to bug me. I will not delete a character above 30, because there have been too many hours spent on it. If I get tired of that class or character. I move to another. One day I may just get tired of them all. bye.

If I could refresh the appearance of my character I would find new enjoyment out of the game. Bioware, i am positive this will keep people around playing.

Being able to customise a character would be great. Personally, I'd prefer it to be something I spend credits on but I wouldn't mind a small cartel coin fee (by small I'm thinking 50-100CC). As a roleplayer, I'd like to be able to change my character's hairstyle or give them a scar after a fight.

 

While it isn't something which is needed, it's something which would certainly be a nice little addition that I've seen people asking for since I first started looking on these forums.

I like this scar idea. Actually it would be great if you got a random scar for major Champ/Boss fights. Even more if you wipe. Something that would diminish in time. Or go to the face shop on the fleet to get a scar fix. That would be sweet.

The issue is not really that we have an ugly character (at least not in my situation), it's that I now have access to new options that weren't available on initial creation. These options more acurately reflect the look that I was trying to achieve to begin with. I don't think it's fair that, now that I've hit level cap (or spent CC) and have access to these new appearance options, I have to abandon or delete the character and start over to get the look and feel that I wanted from the start. It's a minor annoyance at best, but it's still an annoyance.

 

In addition, sometimes things just don't work out long term. Character creation lighting is different than in game, dynamic lighting and certain features "clip" some armor types. None of these things you'll notice at first or even until possible end game. While none of them are particularly game breaking, they serve to limit player satisfaction. And if a player ain't satisfied, he ain't playin. No play, no pay. No pay makes EA angry. You won't like EA when it's angry...

 

 

 

 

 

Incredible Hulk jokes aside, there's no reason why any player that spends the copious amount of time on their characters that MMO players do, can't have the tools available to customize their character any way they see fit, as they see fit.

YES!!! Exactly.

There are three visual 'quality of life' improvements that I would love to see in SWTOR before December 2013...

1. Image Customisation

2. Armour dye system

3. Hood up/down mechanic for robes

Numbers 2, and 3 have been mentioned directly or hinted at being in the planning/implementation stage... Just leaves an image redesign or cosmeticist option.

I would love to see a shady clinic, hidden away on Nar Shadaa offer this service for credits, with additional new options and unlocks via the legacy system or ground up makeover token purchased via RMTs in the CC.

EA must be aware of how much revenue they could make from this one feature. I'll wager a VERY small percentage of the playerbase are 100% happy with their avatar.

There are three visual 'quality of life' improvements that I would love to see in SWTOR before December 2013...

 

1. Image Customisation

2. Armour dye system

3. Hood up/down mechanic for robes

 

Numbers 2, and 3 have been mentioned directly or hinted at being in the planning/implementation stage... Just leaves an image redesign or cosmeticist option.

 

I would love to see a shady clinic, hidden away on Nar Shadaa offer this service for credits, with additional new options and unlocks via the legacy system or ground up makeover token purchased via RMTs in the CC.

 

EA must be aware of how much revenue they could make from this one feature. I'll wager a VERY small percentage of the playerbase are 100% happy with their avatar.

 

Well, I can safely say that I'm 100% happy with one of my avatars... but she's been born and unborn several times and on multiple servers until I got it right. And now that I'm finally, officially settled on a server and she's loaded down with expensive GTN purchases of cartel equipment to make her look fantastic, I couldn't justify deleting her even if she was beaten within an inch of her life by a forrest of ugly sticks.

But that's only one of a potential 12.

Not a great return there.

I wish they could come here and reassure us that it is something that they are working on or planning. Have they ever mentioned anything about this?

If I never get to change the look of some of my characters I will feel really bothered.

I wish they could come here and reassure us that it is something that they are working on or planning. Have they ever mentioned anything about this?

 

If I never get to change the look of some of my characters I will feel really bothered.

Maybe they're keeping silent about it because they told us near launch "maybe a year out". They'd have to hold themselves to that if they spoke up now, I guess. That or they think they know what we want, again.

I don't really see why else they'd pass up a golden opportunity like this, especially with EA more involved what with the Cartel Market and all.