It's implemented, you just didn't utilize the vendor that allows you to do it. The Companion Customization vendor allows you to pick one of 7 looks for your companion based on the kit you buy. Body type and face stays the same, I believe, but you can choose a different hair style and skin color with these kits. Doesn't sound like much, but it does make quite a bit of difference in how they look. For example, Mako went from a darker colored girl with short hair to a blonde, light-skinned girl when I changed her look. Only problem is the Companion Kits are way overpriced...12,500 credits per kit.
Ok, I see. Wish I'd known about that vendor, so I could check it out for myself. 7 choices is much better than 3, at least - especially if the quest reward is on top of that, making it 10 different choices.. "Full customization" still sounds misleading to me, but as far as limited customization goes, that does sound much better.
Also if you look at the last patch notes you see that other people will be only running with "companion" while you will be running with Mako for example. So after people customize their companion and it's just a "companion" you wont be seeing everyone running with "your" companion especially when people will choose their favourite companion out of seven choises and then customize it on top of that. It might look like everyone is running with the same companion at the very beginning but the variation comes quickly after the first few days into the game.
Ofcourse at the base it will be the "same" companion but it does not have the name and it does not look like your companion. If you expect the game to have tons of options then that's just unrealistic for any game imo when the game has the size as TOR, eventually people will realize the size and everyone can ask them selves if they want two hundred different companion options for each of the 23 companions in the game or if they want single zones bigger than the whole world of Rift for example.
I played the bata for SWTOR. I liked many features, even the voice acting if it were a solo game, loved the classes, companion's, having your own ship. I'm not a big Star wars fan, but I like the game, but not as an mmo.
Would you like it as much as a stand alone off-line game.
I will let you into a little secret , you have a choice in this game and if you wish just play the storylines.....
But by doing that you will miss vast opportunity and lots of fun, but the fantastic developers have given people options.
A bit of a pointless post as the game delivers solo , multiplayer and a lot more....
________________________________________________________ Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
Companions can't have unique names because the VO still need us to be able to say the pet's name. We don't have that kind of text to audio tech in the game.
The alien companions only have limited customization features, like gear and color. The humanoid companions have full customization features. You can make them look completely different from their default look.
Do you mean I can choose different hairstyles and colors?
Because thats not what i understand under "fully customizable". Granted I understand I wont be necessarily be able to change their gender or race, but come-one skin-color tones and a hair-do?
Bodytype would already do wonders.... it doesn't need to be boob-sliders but some variation at least past the exact same face with a different wig.
So, in other words, the only thing it's missing is body type changes? Because, other than face, hair type, and hair color, you really don't have many optimizations settings to begin with for companions, or characters, even. There are only 4 body types in this game, so your inability to make a fat body type from a skinny one is the reason you wouldn't call this full customization. Sounds pretty nit-picky to me. This game doesn't give you a lot of character customization options either, but by looking at the Mako pictures up there, it seems pretty varied as far as companions go. This is like complaining that Rift doesn't allow you enough variety in the pets available to them. At least here you can change them to look completely different than their default, despite not being able to change every little thing about them. Not sure what more you could want.
The cut scenes in this game are one of its best features. But it's also the feature that really handcuffs them in terms of customization, because they can't get too varied with their looks or they have to go back and add all those different looks into each and every cut scene. We're all going to have to accept that and move on to other complaints. For what it is, this is more than enough customization given the restraints imposed by the cut scenes. The only thing I would prefer is to be able to change the names of the companions, but even that becomes difficult due to them being called by them in the cinematic sequences.
So, in other words, the only thing it's missing is body type changes? Because, other than face, hair type, and hair color, you really don't have many optimizations settings to begin with for companions, or characters, even. There are only 4 body types in this game, so your inability to make a fat body type from a skinny one is the reason you wouldn't call this full customization. Sounds pretty nit-picky to me. This game doesn't give you a lot of character customization options either, but by looking at the Mako pictures up there, it seems pretty varied as far as companions go. This is like complaining that Rift doesn't allow you enough variety in the pets available to them. At least here you can change them to look completely different than their default, despite not being able to change every little thing about them. Not sure what more you could want.
The cut scenes in this game are one of its best features. But it's also the feature that really handcuffs them in terms of customization, because they can't get too varied with their looks or they have to go back and add all those different looks into each and every cut scene. We're all going to have to accept that and move on to other complaints. For what it is, this is more than enough customization given the restraints imposed by the cut scenes. The only thing I would prefer is to be able to change the names of the companions, but even that becomes difficult due to them being called by them in the cinematic sequences.
Let's be fair here. Can you have an asian with blonde hair? Red hair and blue eyes? Red haired cyborg? No and no to a bunch of other stuff. At least, that's as best as I understand it.
There are appearance kits, but those are limited in number and don't cover everything by a long shot. In a game where you can run into hundreds of other players very easily, I think wanting more customization than that makes a lot of sense. At least having hundreds of options would be easy and a lot better than just a handful or two.
I think it would have been far better as a single player game.They wouldn't have had to deal with the restrictions of an MMO.Imo,their unique voice over dialogue doesn't mix well with a theme park/kill 10 rats MMO
Comments
Also if you look at the last patch notes you see that other people will be only running with "companion" while you will be running with Mako for example. So after people customize their companion and it's just a "companion" you wont be seeing everyone running with "your" companion especially when people will choose their favourite companion out of seven choises and then customize it on top of that. It might look like everyone is running with the same companion at the very beginning but the variation comes quickly after the first few days into the game.
Ofcourse at the base it will be the "same" companion but it does not have the name and it does not look like your companion. If you expect the game to have tons of options then that's just unrealistic for any game imo when the game has the size as TOR, eventually people will realize the size and everyone can ask them selves if they want two hundred different companion options for each of the 23 companions in the game or if they want single zones bigger than the whole world of Rift for example.
I will let you into a little secret , you have a choice in this game and if you wish just play the storylines.....
But by doing that you will miss vast opportunity and lots of fun, but the fantastic developers have given people options.
A bit of a pointless post as the game delivers solo , multiplayer and a lot more....
________________________________________________________
Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
So, in other words, the only thing it's missing is body type changes? Because, other than face, hair type, and hair color, you really don't have many optimizations settings to begin with for companions, or characters, even. There are only 4 body types in this game, so your inability to make a fat body type from a skinny one is the reason you wouldn't call this full customization. Sounds pretty nit-picky to me. This game doesn't give you a lot of character customization options either, but by looking at the Mako pictures up there, it seems pretty varied as far as companions go. This is like complaining that Rift doesn't allow you enough variety in the pets available to them. At least here you can change them to look completely different than their default, despite not being able to change every little thing about them. Not sure what more you could want.
The cut scenes in this game are one of its best features. But it's also the feature that really handcuffs them in terms of customization, because they can't get too varied with their looks or they have to go back and add all those different looks into each and every cut scene. We're all going to have to accept that and move on to other complaints. For what it is, this is more than enough customization given the restraints imposed by the cut scenes. The only thing I would prefer is to be able to change the names of the companions, but even that becomes difficult due to them being called by them in the cinematic sequences.
I'd love it as a single-player RPG because to be honest, I don't like MMO's so much, mostly because of their communities.
one or two builds back I soloed a char to lvl 45 not grouping to see if my toon sufffered. It didn't
I miss DAoC
Let's be fair here. Can you have an asian with blonde hair? Red hair and blue eyes? Red haired cyborg? No and no to a bunch of other stuff. At least, that's as best as I understand it.
There are appearance kits, but those are limited in number and don't cover everything by a long shot. In a game where you can run into hundreds of other players very easily, I think wanting more customization than that makes a lot of sense. At least having hundreds of options would be easy and a lot better than just a handful or two.