Quick "gender option" suggestion

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Catsukee wrote:

I think implementing a feature like this would be a fantastic addition to the game. Allowing players to customize their character's body type through an MTX system would not only enhance personalization but also cater to a wider audience of players who seek representation and identification with their in-game avatar.

For those who may not feel fully immersed or connected to their character due to limited body type options, having the ability to morph their Inquisitor into something more aligned with their preferences, whether it's a Scion, Witch, or any other form, would greatly enrich their gameplay experience. It's all about fostering inclusivity and ensuring that every player feels empowered to express themselves in the virtual world.

Moreover, from a business perspective, offering such customization options through MTX could provide an additional revenue stream for the developers, which in turn could support ongoing game development and maintenance. It's a win-win situation where players get more flexibility in character creation, and the developers have the means to continue delivering quality content and updates.

Overall, I believe introducing a feature like this would not only meet the demands of players looking for more diverse representation but also contribute positively to the longevity and profitability of the game. It's a progressive step forward that aligns with the evolving expectations of modern gaming communities.

Chat GPT

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gladiatorpie wrote:

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Catsukee wrote:

I think implementing a feature like this would be a fantastic addition to the game. Allowing players to customize their character's body type through an MTX system would not only enhance personalization but also cater to a wider audience of players who seek representation and identification with their in-game avatar.

For those who may not feel fully immersed or connected to their character due to limited body type options, having the ability to morph their Inquisitor into something more aligned with their preferences, whether it's a Scion, Witch, or any other form, would greatly enrich their gameplay experience. It's all about fostering inclusivity and ensuring that every player feels empowered to express themselves in the virtual world.

Moreover, from a business perspective, offering such customization options through MTX could provide an additional revenue stream for the developers, which in turn could support ongoing game development and maintenance. It's a win-win situation where players get more flexibility in character creation, and the developers have the means to continue delivering quality content and updates.

Overall, I believe introducing a feature like this would not only meet the demands of players looking for more diverse representation but also contribute positively to the longevity and profitability of the game. It's a progressive step forward that aligns with the evolving expectations of modern gaming communities.

Chat GPT

Holy shit you're right. Checked it with an AI Detector and it's 100% written by ChatGPT. :D

You see it more and more each day. Not a fan, and the text reads like it was written by a machine too

Sadly I think we are fast approaching a time where picking out what is AI and what is not is going to be an important skill.

And its going to get to harder and harder to tell as time goes on.

makes you wonder why someone would even post "their feedback" if its ai-generated.

What is the actual point of even taking the effort to do that? You get more accomplished writing a 6 word sentence of your OWN feedback than plugging those same words into an AI generator and copy-pasting THAT here.


Regarding the whole gender option thing: the biggest con I see is that its an RPG, you are playing a specific role, that role happens to be female, it is what it is. The other side of it are people saying: well we have all these fantastical designs, random effects, massive mtx that covers up the character anyway so...why not gender too?

I am firmly in the former camp: the witch is female. Period. That is how the game developers wrote it, that is how it was designed, that is how it was voiced, it is what it is.

If gender was REALLY such a crazy big dealbreaker for some of those in this thread and other gender threads....there ARE male and female roles to play. You choose to play a female role, then complain later that its a female? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Some games offer MASSIVE character customizations, from gender to race, skin color, facial hair, genital size, height/weight, you name it. THIS ONE DOES NOT. Not all games HAVE to offer crazy character customization, and there are many that do not.


I legitimately feel like many who "claim" that gender plays a big role in their PoE experience....are simply lying to themselves, to the public, or both. If that were TRULY such a major problem, they wouldn't be playing PoE in the first place. The very first thing you do in this game is choose your character. If you don't like the character designs because its your hot button issue of the day, you'd abandon the game right there.

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alhazred70 wrote:

Spoiler

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Reshemin wrote:

And it's pointless, because this is not a roleplaying game. Would you feel better playing Super Mario games if you could do it as Super Maria? Play a mustachioed Lars Croft in Tomb Raider games?

Pointless. As those are not RPGs. And PoE is neither. 'nuff said.

Holy arbitrary (and perfectly wrong) gatekeeping.

guess what the RPG in ARPG stands for?

You're gonna be REALLY shocked when out find out.

Or hey giving you SOME benefit of the doubt maybe you already know and you're being disingenuous and projecting your own subjective view onto literally everyone else.


Anyway I like Options I think most people would prefer to HAVE THE OPTION than to excuse/apologize/dismiss it. If I want to run around sundering with a thicc female Marauder thats an option I don't currently have that would be fun.

Is it more work? Sure so is literally any content that add to the game to give players things they like. Is it worth it for GGG? Hard to say monetarily but traditionally in RPG's and ARPG's like POE more emotional investment in your character is traditionally seen as good for long term retention.

More axis of customization is also traditionally viewed as a value add in terms of player retention.. In fact in ARPG's this is MOSTLY achieved with "build crafting" but some aesthetic crafting also ALREADY HAPPENS (MTX).

Its seems beyond arbitrary for some gate keepers to draw a line at gender. I have to "run past Goblin troupes giving me PTSD" (inside Forum meme) and Super Anime Rainbow over 9000 Wings all the time.

Can't have a female gladiator or a Male Ranger though? Wat?

Personally if I'm not feeling a character's aesthetics, theme or "vibe" if you will I will almost 100% of the time reroll EVEN WHEN THAT CHARACTER IS DOING WELL. Sometimes that reroll happens to many times and I get bored and stop playing.

Fostering more investment in a character is considered the right game design in most cases. Sell it as MTX if they want. I've bought worse MTX packs for less reason.

Oh my. You did it. This warrants an answer.

I was, admittedly, quite blunt about it. Because I didn't want to write a lengthy text, as I still want to get some white sockets on a piece of armour before tomorrow... bah. You apparently missed the major point, so lets elaborate.

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alhazred70 wrote:

guess what the RPG in ARPG stands for?

You're gonna be REALLY shocked when out find out.

Or hey giving you SOME benefit of the doubt maybe you already know and you're being disingenuous and projecting your own subjective view onto literally everyone else.

I'm scheduled for some actual RPG tomorrow - as a DM, by the way. I might in fact know better than you what those letters are supposed to stand for.

Like I said somewhere here some time ago already, Role-Playing Games are not about stat-building. They're about playing roles. Doesn't matter if people slap letters as a label on whatever it may be - if you cannot play a role in the game then it is not a roleplaying game. It's that simple.

The only thing in PoE that comes even marginally close to roleplaying is ... one thing. And that's the Bandit Choice in Act 2 - go figure. Its actual impact on the gameplay? Zilch. So really not even that. Heck, Jagged Alliance 2 is more of a roleplaying game than PoE (or Diablo, or a ton of other games with the 'RPG' label) ever was.

Anyone out there calling Jagged 2 an RPG? Go figure.

The label 'RPG' in regard to videogames gets used by most people along the lines of the label 'Rock' in music. Most folks will readily admit this doesn't really say anything specific about the music in question, apart from there being electric guitars and a drumkit involved. Which puts Warpaint in the same basket as Biohazard, Pink Floyd and Senser (yep, quite abitrary choice there).

Am I disingenuously projecting my own subjective view onto literally everyone else here? Because I don't think so.

PoE is no more of an RPG than Deus Ex is. You get to play predefined 'characters' with a fixed role in a fixed setting. And I don't care how many folks wrongly call that an 'RPG' or an 'RTS' or a 'WTF' ever.

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alhazred70 wrote:

Its seems beyond arbitrary for some gate keepers to draw a line at gender.

I draw the line way before that. I always got really annoyed looking at the stupid haircut of the Scion. And I would really like a bunch of options regarding this, and her clothing, and the colour of her clothing, and the Duelist's hairs also, and the colour of his shirt...

See where this is going? Yep, of course I would like to have as many options regarding character appearance as in, say, Bethesda games. Why only gender? That would just be a (meager) start...

But what I would not like is some bandaid-wannabe-fakeass shenanigans like, say, just using the Scion model for a female duelist, change haircut to the Ranger's, hair colour to witch brown and have her wear the same shirt in green. The character models are all quite distinct, so I would not take less for gender specific alternate versions.

And that's what you seem to have overread of sorts - like I said, that would mean doing seven new characters. No, I will not take the male Ranger as just a bald Duelist with a yellow shirt. That would not be enough.

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alhazred70 wrote:

Personally if I'm not feeling a character's aesthetics, theme or "vibe" if you will I will almost 100% of the time reroll EVEN WHEN THAT CHARACTER IS DOING WELL. Sometimes that reroll happens to many times and I get bored and stop playing.

And we both know that we both don't care about that in PoE, do we? Because - see above. You do not mistake it for Skyrim either.

So that's where I'm coming from here. Options are always nice to have, but how much sense does it make compared to the work involved? A game like Need For Speed is in need of having a plethora of different car models, but just how many of those make sense if you're playing Super Mario Kart?

If I really care for customizable characters I play a game where that is built in because its part of the game concept. Means I don't play Mario Kart, Elite Dangerous or Vampire Survivors then. Or PoE.

The whole idea to me just sounds like 'I would really like to play Sonic the Hedgehog in Batman: Arkham City'. k, slight exaggeration there. Would it be nice to have as an option? Sure, because why not... oh, wait. Because it means the game designers would have to do the whole work again to make that Sonic do Batman things, that is. Admittedly quite some more work than what's in question here, granted - but see above. You'd have to - arbitrarily, in fact - do seven new char models in a game that, by concept, does not actually need them.

So, here ya got my disingenuous subjective view in a lil' bit more elaborate fashion. I'm back to that piece of armour. Cya.

^you make good points, but you also make some pretty bad ones.

RPG games are simply not "just about the character customization options", which you seem to imply in your entire post. The RPG genre is defined by: choosing a character or class, advancing through storyline/character development of some sort, gaining skills levels and talents, and GROWING as a character.

SOME rpgs offer huge customization at the front end (elder scrolls, others)
SOME rpgs offer huge customization during the game (dragon age, PoE)
Some rpgs offer both

They are ALL rpgs. It is the character PLUS the gameplay that makes an rpg. This is why Super Mario is NOT an rpg. This is why sonic is NOT an rpg (except the dreamcast Sonic (literal) RPG). Whether you create your own "role" from scratch, or choose a pre-designed "role" is irrelevant to the overall genre.

Your "definition" of an rpg is entirely subjective, and quite frankly, wrong. It is a narrow, singular, subjective description of one single TYPE of rpg, but not rpgs in general and most definitely NOT ACTION rpgs. To ignore the "gameplay" in the definition of a genre of GAME is ridiculous. And your post screams of unearned elitism and incorrect assumptions.



And if you think you aren't playing a "role" in PoE.....you are woefully mistaken. When you select a Witch, you are literally stepping into the shoes of that Witch and playing her entire life through Wraeclast. There is a story, there is motivation, there is character development, etc. If you choose to ignore it, that is subjectively YOUR choice. Doesn't make it any less of a "role" you are playing.

ME having a different visual for my character


HAS NO IMPACT ON YOU

your templar can continue to look like a decrepit old man who's 1 gust of wind away from the grave. it doesnt affect MY ENJOYMENT


so why do you insist that MY TEMPLAR using the scion character model + voice, AFFECTS YOU? or has a detrimental effect on ""THE STORY!!""


my character being male, female, nonbinary, DOESNT CHANGE THE STORY.


and it takes NO extra work. ALL the animations and voice lines already exist! (except for those voicelines for part2 that never got finished anyway!!!)

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Reshemin wrote:

So, here ya got my disingenuous subjective view in a lil' bit more elaborate fashion. I'm back to that piece of armour. Cya.

So just subjective gatekeeping then. Could have saved us both a lot of typing if you had just put the last line at the start of the other post. Or even the start of this one.

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jsuslak313 wrote:

^you make good points, but you also make some pretty bad ones.

RPG games are simply not "just about the character customization options", which you seem to imply in your entire post. The RPG genre is defined by: choosing a character or class, advancing through storyline/character development of some sort, gaining skills levels and talents, and GROWING as a character.

SOME rpgs offer huge customization at the front end (elder scrolls, others)
SOME rpgs offer huge customization during the game (dragon age, PoE)
Some rpgs offer both

They are ALL rpgs. It is the character PLUS the gameplay that makes an rpg. This is why Super Mario is NOT an rpg. This is why sonic is NOT an rpg (except the dreamcast Sonic (literal) RPG). Whether you create your own "role" from scratch, or choose a pre-designed "role" is irrelevant to the overall genre.

Your "definition" of an rpg is entirely subjective, and quite frankly, wrong. It is a narrow, singular, subjective description of one single TYPE of rpg, but not rpgs in general and most definitely NOT ACTION rpgs. To ignore the "gameplay" in the definition of a genre of GAME is ridiculous. And your post screams of unearned elitism and incorrect assumptions.



And if you think you aren't playing a "role" in PoE.....you are woefully mistaken. When you select a Witch, you are literally stepping into the shoes of that Witch and playing her entire life through Wraeclast. There is a story, there is motivation, there is character development, etc. If you choose to ignore it, that is subjectively YOUR choice. Doesn't make it any less of a "role" you are playing.

Well said.

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alhazred70 wrote:

.

guess what the RPG in ARPG stands for?

In PoE it stands for nothing. You have to make holy guacamole exactly TWO choices during the campaign - bandits (not exactly a choice as people pick what's best for their build) and whom to give that sekhema feather (entirely irrelevant). Compare it to actual RPGs like say Planescape Torment.