[Dev Journal] Neverwinter: Character Customization Developer Blog

SBFord

Perfect World Entertainment has partnered with MMORPG.com to bring our readers the first-ever information about how character customization will take place when a player first steps into Neverwinter. See what the Neverwinter team has to say and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Your choice of race will give you some bonuses to your core stats – Strength, Constitution, etc. In addition, races unlock racial abilities, like the Versatile Defense ability for Humans, granting a bonus to your Defense. With these racial abilities, you can customize your adventurer towards your play style, giving you a better Critical Hit chance if you like flashy attacks, or granting you the extra resilience to wade into the thick of it.

Read more of our exclusive developer diary: Neverwinter: Character Customization.

Scellow

What about beta ?

Methos12

With the dark and mysterious Tieflings, for example, character creation will let you really customize how infernal your character is. If she’s actively working to overcome her background, use some of the different horn variants and remove any tattoos and scars. You can also scale her eyes to be larger and more expressive, with a softer color.

Alternatively, if she’s embracing her bloodline’s cruelty, add some height with heels, plus slim and lengthen her hands for a classically knife-slender demi-demon. You can also set her up with a selection of tattoos, and you’ll be able to change their shape and color.

 

I don't know why this made me chuckle.

hfztt

Looking at the youtube stuff, I got put off by how they ahve approached the abilitity animations. They are way to over the top for an old D&D player like me. They look like somthing out of Torchlight. Now I like the later for it over top approach, dont get me wrong, but I just really dislike that they are not keeping the animations more "realistic" here. (Yeah, I know, how do you define that? But i think at least of few of you will get my point.)

 

Grinnz

best be a hide helmet option.....hate when games give you all these head options...then have helmets in game that cover it up....

pookir

Originally posted by Scellow
What about beta ?

read ma mind)

Razeekster

Hopefully this game get's realeased in Q1 of 2013 at least... Seems like it's taking an awefully long time but I guess it's good they are taking their time to make a game that doesn't suck (or so I hope).

Terranah

Originally posted by Alphamojo
best be a hide helmet option.....hate when games give you all these head options...then have helmets in game that cover it up....

 i second this.  I hide helmet and a hide shoulder pad option are nice.

 

I really enjoy robust character creation.  Sometimes it really sucks that I'm an artist, but I can't help it.  Aesthetics is something I'm thinking about, much like my musical friend who is critical of other musicians.

Xstatic912

@ hfztt

But it isn't based off the old rule set, so that why i'm guessing they went the over top animations, big numbers etc..

Funny, blizzard once stated seeing big numbers in combat has a psychological effect on person letting them think they are
Very strong or doing alot of damage..

Personally i'm looking forward to this more than eso.. Foundry alone is worth it, plus can't beat f2p option (as i'm sure they'll have a life time sub choice)...

azzamasin

Really looking forward to this title but I really want more information on additional classes.  From what we know so far there does'nt appear to be a 2H "warrior" type of character.  I almost always play "heavy-armor"  Melee and but I never play it with a shield.  I'm an offensive type of hybrid melee/magic player at heart but when all else fail I revert to more pure class such as WoW Warrior or GW2 Warrior.

 

Then again Neverwinter might jsut be the first MMO I decide to play a magic-user, unlike the poster above I love the animations of the control wizard, he looks liek a complete and total badass.  Plus with the ability to make your character appear old I might jsut make my guy look as much alike as "Elminster" as I can hahahah!

 

 

Nikopol

To me it's not really about the rule set when it comes to D&D.  I've always thought the game had a certain slow and deliberate quality to it. I think that's why the video games that nailed D&D best were turn-based ones.

Though of course turn based doesn't work well at all with MMO... So failing that, I really would like to see a somewhat slower, less flashier game that gives you a break on the finger-dance.... A game that lets you lean back and think along with the game rather than merely react to it.

But first we have D&D Online and now this...

Lack of demand for a more sombre and slower paced game or an oversight on the part of game developers?

 

wordiz

Originally posted by Scellow
What about beta ?

Seriously.

adam_nox

Originally posted by wordiz

Originally posted by Scellow
What about beta ?

Seriously.

fo realz

Maephisto

I appreciate the info and all........

But if a new MMO hasnt surpassed EvE's character customization suite......then we dont  need to hear about it.  They are all the same. 

Like others have said.......when is BETA?

TheDarkrayne

Hoping for the best character appearance editor in a fantasy game to date here. If crypic know about one thing it's definately how to make a good character editor.

Betaguy

Still looking forward to playing this title... great write up.

Onomic

What ruleset does this game use?

Camthylion

I hope its better than SWTOR, SWTOR CC was a complete and utter disappointment.

Septdeez

Originally posted by Scellow
What about beta ?

this is what I want to know

AlBQuirky

---

Originally posted by Nikopol
To me it's not really about the rule set when it comes to D&D.  I've always thought the game had a certain slow and deliberate quality to it. I think that's why the video games that nailed D&D best were turn-based ones.

Though of course turn based doesn't work well at all with MMO... So failing that, I really would like to see a somewhat slower, less flashier game that gives you a break on the finger-dance.... A game that lets you lean back and think along with the game rather than merely react to it.

But first we have D&D Online and now this...

Lack of demand for a more sombre and slower paced game or an oversight on the part of game developers?

---

I am so in your corner here, Nikopol I am very tired of action combat oriented games. I long for the slower pace of a more D&D-esque type of combat.

[EDIT]

---

Originally posted by Vannor
Hoping for the best character appearance editor in a fantasy game to date here. If crypic know about one thing it's definately how to make a good character editor.

---

STO's character creation is not all that great. Human males, for example, have 2 long hair choices, both of them very similar. The coloring choices for hair and eyes seemed rather limited, too.

Champions Online character creator is a slimmed down version of City of Heroes, but it does have a good many choices for character creation.

dzoni87

Originally posted by Vannor
Hoping for the best character appearance editor in a fantasy game to date here. If crypic know about one thing it's definately how to make a good character editor.

I second this.

In no MMORPG other than Cryptic's (City of Heroes/Champions Online) did i spend more than 2 hours just in creating character.... Though im not expecting costume/armor editing, at least im expecting decent face generator other than "Face 1" "Face 2" "Hair 1" "Hair 2"...

 

birdycephon

Oh c'mon I want a list of all the customization sliders.

nyxium

Blizzard could take some notes and hints about the head and body sliders. Good write up for a good looking D&D game. Keep dev'ing it up for going gold time.

Talemire

Originally posted by Scellow
What about beta ?

Nailed it.

Vorthanion

I'm already turned off by this game with them going for action combat, but I certainly won't give it the time of day if they don't include the Druid class.

Psyentist

Pretty standard fare, although specified roles for classes might be a bit troubling to the more avid D&D fans like myself. Choosing a field of magic for DC bonuses is one thing, but curtailing the funcitonality of a melee character might be a bit of a downer.