Weird niche suggestion...

[biostem]

So while overall I like the art style and character models for our characters here, one thing that's unsettling is the dead-eyed/blank stare our characters possess.  To that end, what I'd love is a sort of "blinking" aura.  I think this could be accomplished in a few ways:

 

1. A simple aura that sporadically places ovals of the same color as your character skin color roughly over the eye area.

 

2. A more complex aura that uses the same skin-colored ovals, only they go through an actual sliver to fully closed effect.

 

3. An even more complex version would include eyelashes as part of the fully animated blinking animation, (could still be a 2D decal applied over the existing face, though).

 

4. The most complicated and least likely implementation would affect the entire face and include things like subtle mouth movements and maybe even having your character's eyes move around a bit, (still as a 2d decal, though).

[Rudra]

Okay, I'm not a dev and not familiar with the game models' limitations, but from what I see in the game and what I've seen from others that did this?

 

1. The effect doesn't look like blinking in the instances where anyone has tried this in other sources I have seen. Either in 3D modeling, admittedly with rather old 3D graphics programs, or in animations that can be found online, it winds up either looking like the eyes simply briefly disappear or some odd object appears over the eyes and then goes away.

 

2. Adding an object to the models that actually animates through a blinking motion, even if done faster than we can realistically see, can work, but only if the covering object is sufficiently... what's the word I'm looking for? It isn't overlapping, though that is a large part of what it does. The thickness of the covering model over the texture eyes has to be minimal, and still manage to not clip. I don't know what animation and 3D modeling software the devs are using, but that could be feasible. One thing I should point out? We already have blinking in the game. The Wailers blink. Particularly the Wailer Kings and the giant one. So whatever is going on with those, if it could be replicated on character models, would meet your desire.

 

3. Adding eyelashes to characters for the blinking? I'm not sure how well that would work in this game. In the instances where our characters already have eyelashes in particular since unless those model textures got revamped to remove them for adding animated eye lashes for the blinking, it would get weird.

 

4. Sorry, but I'm against an animated decal for mouth movements or even blinking. Every time I see it done? It is horrific. For mouth animations, the models would need to have the heads redone.

[megaericzero]

Remember those Mac vs PC-style parodies they did to advertise the game back on live that used the PS1-era solution of swapping in alternate face textures to "animate" the face? Just a funny thought - looking like Mega Man Legends.

 

--

 

The disappearing eyelids solution sounds good until they don't move or scale properly with face sliders and end up appearing on the cheeks or brow.

 

Also the mental visual of the continued blank stare but with occasional blinking sounds funny. Like the lights are on but nobody's home.

[Gairian1974]

Well met all and again.

 

I am unsure where to place my suggestion, so I opted to place it within this strain.

 

Back when the servers were line, I remember the limit on available character slots could be adjusted by NC Soft.

If that is something still available to the developers currently, I have a suggestion.

 

Reduce all players to a maximum of 10 total characters, instead of the 1000 or so we currently have access to.

 

My reasoning is simple, with the increased number of new and returning players since the licensing was announced. (as below)

1) "Name Availability" is once again becoming a concern.

2) Any characters beyond the 10 that are displayed on the character select screen, can easily be overlooked and thus forgotten and often not played.

3) So any characters that are beyond the displayed 10 are in effect, "Names" that are rendered unavailable to those who may be returning or new players.

4) One of the concern from back when the "Live Servers" were in use, was the act of "Name Scalping" I am hoping that it dose not come back to

CoH/CoV/CoR

(It was the practice of people "locking Down Names" and attempting to solicit money from members of the community to "Let them Use" name for there characters,

in effect a person would stack a lot of character names, then attempt to "sell them" for real world profit. I remeber NC Soft doing something the stooped the practice once it was discovered, but do not know how they did so.)

It was the same "category" as most any other of the numerous "In Game Sales, for "Real World Money" and thus illegal, but people would still try and "profit off the game", as it were.

 

I have unfortunately seen the "precursors activates a hand full of times in the game already" so wanted to give you all a heads up, and offer the above suggestion/possible resolution.

 

(the "precursor" I have seen most often thus far is "Auction House Price Pushing" witch is the practice of purchasing a mass quantity of a given "common/needed" item and re-posting them in mass with a higher price tag, making things more difficult for "new/low level" characters to get so they can "build enhancements" for there characters.

 

My thanks for your time and concentration.

Edited February 7 by Gairian1974

[Rudra]

7 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

 

Reduce all players to a maximum of 10 total characters, instead of the 1000 or so we currently have access to.

Several of us have well more than just 10 characters, and your suggestion would require us to give them up.

 

7 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

1) "Name Availability" is once again becoming a concern.

This has already been addressed.

 

7 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

2) Any characters beyond the 10 that are displayed on the character select screen, can easily be overlooked and thus forgotten and often not played.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you don't have more than 1 page of characters. I play any of my characters I feel like playing on any given day. And I don't limit myself to just glancing at the 1st page of characters when I do.

 

9 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

3) So any characters that are beyond the displayed 10 are in effect, "Names" that are rendered unavailable to those who may be returning or new players.

This statement is pure garbage.

 

9 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

4) One of the concern from back when the "Live Servers" were in use, was the act of "Name Scalping" I am hoping that it dose not come back to

CoH/CoV/CoR

As someone who lost their character name back on Live when I went to remake a character, I get it. However, I still adhere to the first come first serve philosophy of names in this game.

 

10 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

(It was the practice of people "locking Down Names" and attempting to solicit money from members of the community to "Let them Use" name for there characters,

in effect a person would stack a lot of character names, then attempt to "sell them" for real world profit. I remeber NC Soft doing something the stooped the practice once it was discovered, but do not know how they did so.)

If you find someone doing this? Report them and watch their account get banned.

 

 

[Gairian1974]

Understandable, perhaps 50 or so characters would be more acceptable, though I do understand, as I have/play few characters myself, perhaps my perceptions on the topic are skued.

 

First come first serve names is fair, though perhaps the addition of second/sur names could also assist with name availability.

 

Ie: Ranger (Red), Ranger (blue),  ect.

 

Could be a viable option.

[arcane]

54 minutes ago, Gairian1974 said:

Understandable, perhaps 50 or so characters would be more acceptable, though I do understand, as I have/play few characters myself, perhaps my perceptions on the topic are skued.

 

First come first serve names is fair, though perhaps the addition of second/sur names could also assist with name availability.

 

Ie: Ranger (Red), Ranger (blue),  ect.

 

Could be a viable option.

I have ~130 level 50’s. Your suggestion is very… problematic.

[Rudra]

2 hours ago, Gairian1974 said:

Understandable, perhaps 50 or so characters would be more acceptable, though I do understand, as I have/play few characters myself, perhaps my perceptions on the topic are skued.

So you are still demanding that players like me give up our characters? No.

[lemming]

On 2/7/2024 at 11:05 AM, Gairian1974 said:

Well met all and again.

 

I am unsure where to place my suggestion, so I opted to place it within this strain.

Correct forum, wrong thread.  Completely different subject from the original post

 

There are a couple threads about names already that would be better suited.   Limiting numbers of characters, probably best as a new thread.