Character Cosmetic Customization

Path of Exile is a real gem. Playing both the Diablo 3 Beta and PoE, I can safely say that PoE feels like the true Diablo successor. I'm also glad to see a high level of character customization, like the FFX-inspired sphere grid and the capability of using any skill on any class. However, there is one thing that I feel is preventing Path of Exile from reaching its full potential:

Gender Locked Classes.

There's no excuse for gender locking in an online RPG developed in today's standards. Personally, I feel I'm completely discouraged from certain classes (*cough* marauder and witch) because I just simply despise the way they look.

Having multiple genders and facial/hair customizations does go beyond just the "look" component. Character immersion is something an RPG should try to achieve, and players should feel a connection to their character they've created. Having a bunch of Duelists with the same hair, face, and undergarments running around just kills the experience.

Instead, at the character select screen, players should choose a class (like what it is now), and, in the character naming process, should be given a few hair styles, facial expressions, the choice of gender, and choice of beginner armour colour. Hell, offer greater customization as a micro transaction and I guarantee it will sell like crazy.

I hope you seriously consider my suggestion, and thanks for reading.

Izman

I'll agree that having even some minor form of customization would be awesome. Something as simple as presets, skin color and hair color would do wonders.

Adding in male and female for all the roles would be a welome site as well.

With the money boost that came with the donations we can just watch and see if GGG has the time and money available to do this.

I, too, want to make a goatman witch.

I'd be very surprised if character customization wasn't already slated for the cash shop. I've read that there will certainly be dyes.

As for gender choice, while it would be welcome I don't think it's important. The fact is, you can barely see your character in game anyway, due to the very high camera angle. And, since I understand that voice acting is in the works, gender choice doubles the work... and the problem is made even more acute if there is a bigger role in the game for the characters' backstories, which I believe is also in the plans. Have you read the stories? They are gendered (for instance, the witch is a mother), so you'd need a whole new set of backstories as well if new genders were added.

I don't agree, btw, with this:

"

There's no excuse for gender locking in an online RPG developed in today's standards.

There are plenty of RPGs being released every year that have gender locking... virtually every European RPG and Japanese RPG have it. It is related to the backstory issue... if your character is written by the devs, with a history and a personality, human society being what it is, there's no way to make that character somehow gender-neutral, and many RPG developers have embraced the storytelling opportunity that having gendered characters presents.

I think gender choice would be great, but they have already stated that it is far from trivial to accomplish. Hopefully they see that it is desired and line that up for the store eventually.

"

Srkandi wrote:

... and the problem is made even more acute if there is a bigger role in the game for the characters' backstories, which I believe is also in the plans. Have you read the stories? They are gendered (for instance, the witch is a mother), so you'd need a whole new set of backstories as well if new genders were added.

Luckily back stories are really easy to write right? A new back story accommodating a new gender shouldn't be a hassle at all.

How often do the character's talk as well? I'm sure there are males and females willing to say 4 lines for little production time.

"

Srkandi wrote:

I don't agree, btw, with this:

"

There's no excuse for gender locking in an online RPG developed in today's standards.

There are plenty of RPGs being released every year that have gender locking... virtually every European RPG and Japanese RPG have it. It is related to the backstory issue... if your character is written by the devs, with a history and a personality, human society being what it is, there's no way to make that character somehow gender-neutral, and many RPG developers have embraced the storytelling opportunity that having gendered characters presents.

Normally I would agree with this, but understand that I said an online RPG. In a single player game, a gender locked story is perfectly acceptable, but when you're entering the online component, then it becomes a different story.

As well, with the whole history and story telling, nothing is being erased by ADDING more options to the player. Witches shouldn't be male? Make them called Wizards. The witch was a mother with back story? Then the Wizard will have his own back story for being exiled without being a mother.

Online games with customizable characters and a plot-driven story can exist as well. Guild Wars 1 is a perfect example of such.

My opinion on the best solution:

Free to Users

- A choice of 3-5 hair styles
- A choice of hair colour
- A choice of 3-5 facial expressions

Cash Shop

- A purchasable sex change for a given class
- Extended hair styles
* Barber - Costs 20 points for a haircut

Personally i have no problem with the gender locking and if your not going to play a character because you dont like the way they look then you are thinking about it way too much.

A cosmetic micro transaction store would be very good though, and i was dissapointed when the store did open not to find purchasable glowing eyes, fire hair, electric sword, and an option to hover rather than run.

Earlier on in the closed beta i saw chris at the the shore encampment with a glowing firey sword and he told me that it will be one of the many character customization micro transactions.

So my question is when??

and yes, gender selection would be nice but i dont see it as being necessary.

Edit:I think face expressions, hair styles and all that are a total waste of time on this game, for no other fact than you never actually see those parts of your character after the log in screen. I believe nearly everyone can see this as obvious.

There are plenty of great excuses to only offer 1 gender per character.

Firstly, the designer's vision of what his own work is meant to be. This is mostly artistic, be it visual or literary.

Secondly, the immense amount of money it costs to pay for the man-hours needed to create the models, textures, and animations, and to make them work properly. Months ago, Chris gave a rough estimate that it would cost about $250,000 to create the opposite gender for all 6 classes.

With all that said, the plan has always been to offer aesthetic customizations in the cash shop. Dyes, at the very least, will be available. Facial features are unlikely as you rarely see characters' faces, and this would involve a fair bit of modelling. Hair color, maybe, but you can't hide you headgear anyway (and I don't think this will be an option).

"

WhiteBoy88 wrote:

Hair color, maybe, but you can't hide you headgear anyway (and I don't think this will be an option).

That's too bad. I wonder if there will be alternate avatars for the friends list.

Id like to see a hide helm option added to the game please,

As well if possible a basic char creator similar to that used in Dungeon Siege, 1, 2.

If not the char creator then certainly an option to maybe do a few basic cosmetic alter ations like maybe a hair colour change.


And then that would work with the hide helm option as not always want to see my characters run about with tin buckets on thier heads :)