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How is the character customization?
brihtwulf
Member UncommonPosts: 975
I have read some posts complaining about the lack of character customization in DDO, but I have also read some saying that it's fairly good about it. I would like some input from those who have or are playing the game. I think this is important to a lot of people and it can be a big turn-off if everyone comes out looking the same. So:
1. Despite a low number of races, can you create your character to LOOK different?
2. Can your character achieve a unique look through the items they have/wear or does everyone look the same?
I know personally I hate it when I look like everyone else, as an example in Lineage 2.
Comments
IIRC, you can choose your hair style, hair color, eye style, nose style, mouth style, and facial hair (facial hair only for humans, dwarves, etc.). There are about 12-18 options for most of the choices.
The items (even if they are the same thing) look different , so that there won't be many others looking like you.
The customization options are good but not phenomenal. There's a lot of choices with hair, eyebrows, facial hair... and the colors thereof. Also skin color, lips, nose. That's all very good.
On the downside, each race gets about four facial markings (tattoos, scars) which aren't enough and you cannot adjust your height or build.
In my opinion Character customization for DDO is the best on the market. Now the graphical representation is ok, could be better but pretty good. There are so many multi class combinations you can make in DDO and different feat and enchantment options available. The smart thing turbine did was not add pvp. This would have lead to so many balancing issues that are not necessary when its just a pve game. D&D has had so many years of balancing & tweaking the classes that what you get in DDO is the end result of all that work.
Well, I think character customization, as far as looks, is not the best in the industry and not the worst either. You have about 7-10 choices, each of: hair style, eyebrows, eyes, and lips. There's about 3 nose choices and 3-4 facial hair choices. Then there's about 5 different "facial detail" choices. Hair Color, Skin Color and Eye Color have about 24 different colors to choose from, with varying shades within each color. Each race has it's own set of these, so it adds to the variance.
From what I can see, each item of the same type looks the same on each person, so an elf wearing plate mail, the plate mail looks the same on another elf. However, if it's a different type of platemail, like +1 Plate Mail, it has a different look to it.
I did notice that there are "goggles" in the game, however, if you put them on, they don't show on your characters face, which I think kind of sucks. I hope that's something they fix in the future.
I don't think you can dye armor or anything, at least as far as I've seen, but I could be wrong.
Hope that answers your questions.
I guess to be more specific: Are there alot of varieties of armor to wear in the game and do they make you look different from everyone else? I'm sure that if they are wearing the exact same armor as you, they will look like you if you are the same race. But are there a lot of armors available to wear? You say that there is plate and plate +1. Are there more types of plate, and do they all look different. To me the character customization is not good if you come off wearing the same items as everyone else, or at least looking like a majority of the other players.
Like in EQ2, most people of the same armor type (ie plate, leather, and cloth) look like one another. The faces and hair might be different, but they're all in the same suit of armor and there are very few variations to this. I guess for me it's a little harder to get into a character when you look over at the elf next to you and you both wore the same dress to the prom, you get my drift?
You will be able to tell wether someone is wearing a light armor, medium, or heavy, by the looks but you can't tell what it is exactly.
edit:
There is about 30 different warforged looks so they get the short stick of the deal... but then again warforged are mass produced contructs...
Since upon selecting a character you get to see their face up close, you often don't pay that much attention to what they are wearing.
Yeah I like most of it, but it is a little generic, you cant customize the items themselves with dye or anything.
The helmets make long hair disappear and goggles dont appear, as well as my cloak. And there is no height or weight at character selection. I doubt ill be keeping this game for more than a month theres just not enough content right now, I might come back to it later if it sticks around.
Posted: 3/05/06 11:45:08 AM by brihtwulf on WoW_Refuge's thread titled 'This...Game...ROCKS!!!'
While I respect your right to have opinions on gameplay and the "fun factor" they're not really accurate. You may have fun with the game, and I'm not saying that it isn't fun at all. The real problem with this game is that it offers similar gameplay style to Guild Wars, only subscribers to DDO are required to pay a monthly fee for the game. SO, while the game does have its fun aspects, there are better, more complex MMOs out there that are worth paying the monthly fee for. Or, if you're looking for a group based instancing game, or one that has the same aspects on with PvP, you may as well buy Guild Wars and forgo the monthly subscription.
And my little irritation is also the lack of character customization. I really like to get a feel for my character and have myself set apart more from others, but DDO doesn't really allow for that. It's too bad, because I'm a huge fan of Pen & Paper D&D. At least there I can have different items and my pure imagination to set me apart from other players...Hmm... You know, while reading over your posts on this thread I actually found myself initially impressed by your apology for jumping to conclusions and comparing this game to Guild Wars merely by their instancing similarities... But, as I read further into these Discussion Forums, I noticed that you didn't do it once - You did it twice. Once, stating in the above posted thread, and again, later:
Posted: 3/05/06 11:53:41 AM on MMO_Munk's thread titled 'What people want to Know.'
DDO = Guild Wars + Monthly Fee
Enough said.
Yet... What I don't understand, is the order of your posts... You began by flaming the game's gaming style, saying it was just like GW, except that you paid for it, and it lacked pvp... So you suggested that people go get their money and time's worth by playing Guildwars instead (if they're play style preferred instancing). Did I get that right? Then, you posted a few minutes later again comparing this game to Guild Wars (yet this time with a little less description in your post as to why). And now... Hours later... You ask people about customization options, after having flamed this very feature of the game? How about the next time you want to flame a game's features, you experience the features for yourself and do so out of experience? It really makes little sense to me how you are going to bash the game, make it seem worthless to potentially interested players, and hours later ask how the very same features you dismissed as being terrible, are. I guess it takes a special kind of player to make such advancements on a game's forums...
I respect that you played the game in the initial phases of beta... I, however, don't respect your willingness to quickly put a negative tag on the game due to the gameplay you experienced during those beta stages. Listen... It's called Beta-Testing. It's one of the developmental stages of designing a video game. That means it's not ready yet... Would you like me to go over all of the stages of developing a video game for you? I am currently studying to be a game developer, and would be happy to do so - that way, the next time you are luckily invited to participate in such a stage, you can better appreciate the experience... The game is not ready, and therefore declared finished by the developmental company, until it goes gold - that is, the game is approved by the development company and it's lenders as having been thoroughly tested and developed and is being mass produced for release into the market. Once the game goes live (during this phase), the devs are silently announcing that the product is finished. Next time - think about this before you begin bashing something that hasn't even been completed yet. That's like saying "My Hamburger tastes like shit!" when you asked for it well done and are pulling it off the grill when it's still medium rare and taking a bite out of it.
If you want to expand your knowledge of the game, that's fine - I support such a thing for actual interested and potential gamers. This game isn't for everyone, as it isn't a traditional MMORPG in any sense... I just want to state that I hope to never see you in the game, or on any respective forum threads, as your lack of supporting evidence is sure to ruin the experience for everyone else involved.
I recall in beta having three +1 longswords that all had different graphics when equipped. Which was quite cool. I don't know if they kept that variety in release.