Cool Costumes, and good costume design advice!
By
Aerones,
Posted on: 2007-10-26 24:36 in Multi-Media Fan Creations
Right. So as I've seen already, color has been beaten to death in this thread. What should probably be covered now is how you use the different parts of the costume creator to make what you want.
Simply said, be creative. In many cases, true ingenuity can create great costumes. Some outfits, such as that of The Crown (not my character. He actually posted here on page 1), use existing parts to make new parts that are put together to make something new. In this case, he used a headband and the crystal crown headpiece to make a golden circlet. Things like this are creative, and sometimes make onlookers just look at them and say: 'That's really cool!... Damnit, why didn't I think of that?'
Of course, in many cases, you can feel free to use the parts as whatever they were meant to be. Just choose what looks and feels right for the character, as your part selection can pretty much go anywhere, depending on what character you're trying to make.
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Yeah...
Advice is fine, but comments like this
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Just for the record Demarko is black and dark red, and he looks pretty freakin kewl to me.
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the twenty other "Kewl" kids that dress all in black and look completely identical to each other from 10 yards.
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are lame.
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Oh you left out the part where he called me a Nazi for promoting individuality.
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And why were you called a Nazi? Advice is great, but only when someone asks for it. The way you came off... it was like, damn, big-headed much? You acted as if you were an authority on the matter. I mean, you cited your own costumes as "good examples"! Not only that, when someone felt the same way and told you, you insulted his costume. Sorry, that just irritates me.
Look, I know you were just trying to help, but you went about it poorly.
And I apologize for getting so off-topic. This thread is excellent, I'll try and come up with more tips!
Costume Tip: How to come up with something presentable
1. Drink Red Bull
2. Go to sleep (for some reason I get drowzy on Red Bull 
)
3. Wake up with a "ding" and realise "Holy Crap!!! This costume's gonna look WIKKID!!!"
that's how I get my costumes done.
Anyway, to some more 'practical' advice...
The best costumes are just ideas that 'pop' into your head. Best thing to do is, just never settle for what you initially have. All this "use this many colors, use that pattern" etc will only confuse you even more.
"Feel" what you're doing, play around with all the options and you'll come up with something. Sometimes you'll find something you really like/love, sometimes you wont. Just have fun with it. 
EDIT: Shiza! Didn't read Chisoku's post. Basically what he said. 
People hate the truth. And the truth is: [ QUOTE ]
Yes, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the twenty other "Kewl" kids that dress all in black and look completely identical to each other from 10 yards.
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Word.
http://www.virtueverse.net/wiki/Massacre_Melanie -the original Fire/Dark Corruptor -
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=115217
The Guide to BURN
In regards to costume pieces.. that is alot harder to give tips on.
Costume pieces, in my experience, are almost entirely dependent upon the players personal preferences.
For example, I really dislike the hoods and the "scarves" that cover the lower part of the head. I just think they are too...i dunno.. "Image comics"...if that makes any sense.
However, I have seen some really good costumes that use them to good effect. I know some people dislike my use of the bone boots and gloves on a hero... I think it looks good, some people think it looks too "evil".
Therefore, the only recommendation I can really give in regards to costume pieces is;
- Dont feel obligated to use something from every costume slot. Sometimes a really good simple costume is ruined by the overuse of "flare".
- Dont be afraid of straight lines and blocky patterns. Alot of people seem to shy away from the simple patterns in favor of the more detailed ones.. but some of the best patterns in the costume creator are the Line patterns.
- If ya just cant decide what to put somewhere.. think about what kind of hero you are making.
---What is his origin type(Natural? Tech? Magic?)
---If he was in a comic book, what heroes would he be associated with (X-Men? Justice League? Cosmic? Golden Age? Silver?)
---What pieces are you SURE you want to include in the costume? (if any)
Take all that information, go to google images..and look up comic book art that fits within those parameters. It is a great way to get ideas for a costume.
I used this method just recently to create a cosmic hero that I was struggling with. In the end it was a picture of Adam Warlock..one of my all time favorite heroes.. that helped me to finish the costume and make something I was satisfied with.
p.s. Thanks for the nod Chisoku 
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I know some people dislike my use of the bone boots and gloves on a hero... I think it looks good, some people think it looks too "evil".
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I know where you are coming from on this Crown. In fact I'm sure you will agree with me that there's little other choice. It's a piece that "must" be used.
I find the metallic bone boots and gloves are one of the most important costume accessories cuurently available. Why?
Because of the reflective option they provide, as well as the fact they offer a full coverage option up to the elbos and knees. The only other glove or boot options I can think of offerring this kind of coverage or reflectivity would be the Vanguard pieces, (and they have to be earned later in game).
This also leads into textures, as someone recently brought up. The texture of a reflective covering, next to or against a matte or dark background, is an "instant" eye-grabber! You can test this by making a costume with a very dark colored suit with nothing on it except metallic bone boots and gloves. Start by coloring the boots/gloves white and yellow respectively. Change colors to taste. You will find the contrasts are rich, and will probably spark creativity.
One caveat to the coloring of the metallic boots/gloves: The darker you make the color, the less refelctive or polished effect you end up with.
I'm also a sucker for matte boots and gloves, (especially flared). They hold color "strongly", (in a matter of speaking), and offer good areas of "texture-contrasting" on the costume in general.
[url=http://starwindgraphics.deviantart.com/]My deviantArt page[/url]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/AceFrankly/Starwind-Name-Signature1.gif[/IMG]
Proud member of The Impossibles/Pinnacle -[url="http://www.theimpossibles.org"]www.theimpossibles.org[/url]
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LES BLK PLZ!
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Don't listen to her. Not one bit. She doesn't know what she is talking about. Black is back!
-Virtue's First Naughty Girl-
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LES BLK PLZ!
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Don't listen to her. Not one bit. She doesn't know what she is talking about. Black is back!
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Easy for you to say, you have the best mostly black costume in the entire game with Nadya.
Well, the best black and white at least.
Poison is another example of great use of Black.
lol its easy to make cool black costumes if you have a cool concept to go with it.
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Yeah...
Advice is fine, but comments like this
[ QUOTE ]
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Just for the record Demarko is black and dark red, and he looks pretty freakin kewl to me.
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the twenty other "Kewl" kids that dress all in black and look completely identical to each other from 10 yards.
[/ QUOTE ]
are lame.
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Oh you left out the part where he called me a Nazi for promoting individuality.
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Well you DO have blonde hair and blue eyes! >.>;;
... But then again last I checked Nazis didn't create scythes of ice <o.@>;
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Brown eyes actually...
I agree with Turbo-Ski's assessment of the costume creator, as well as Chisoku's suggestion that several unrelated pieces can be combined and colored to create a new effect.
One of my suggestions is to use the costume sets that are provided by Sexy Jay, such as the Exo-Proto and Justice sets, and then use colors that fit with the powers you've chosen. Now you may not always want to use a full set, but an interesting twist is to make a villain wearing two-toned sinister armor on the chest and legs, but offset it with different gloves and boots using a third color to round out your costume.
Plain tights can be great for this just by using the patterns provided, and matching the upper torso with the lower legs, such as the Razor pattern, or the Panels pattern, etc. With two Primary colors and a third to balance it out, this makes for a good costume recipe, in my opinion.
I think the #1 rule should be:
If YOU like it, then it's just fine.
Here is an example I did showing how you can use the existing pieces in different ways. It is really simple, but I have always liked the effect...
Midnight Solstice
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One of my suggestions is to use the costume sets that are provided by Sexy Jay, such as the Exo-Proto and Justice sets, and then use colors that fit with the powers you've chosen.
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Am I the only one who really wishes you could change the color of the straps on the ExoProto Armor and not just the background? This is a perfect opportunity to bring in 3 colors to something, but the selection isn't there..
If I have any complaints about the constume creator, it is that certain items should have 3 color options.
My personal rules to remember:
1) Opinions are like [@#$!]holes...they all suck
2) The creator will never have what you need to look how you want. Either learn to work with it, or just find something that looks good and to save your 'real' look for fan-art.
3) DON'T forget your powersets!! They can really affect how you look! There's little more embarassing than to turn on Steamy Mist and discover that you're suddenly running around in "sport" and "bikini2". This also applies to 'critiqueing' other people's attire. See that guy over there with the horrifically bright color scheme? Check to see if he's a dark-armor.
4) Also take your environment into account. Paragon is generally bright and cheery with very high saturation. The Rogue Isles are really dark and dirty and sometimes metallic. Do you want to stand out, or blend in? It's much easier to figure this out in RI. Blend in, use dark colors (I consider this OK if you're a stalker. Being unnoticed is the point, right?). Stand out, dress like a dorky hero. Blue-side is a little more difficult.
And my un-asked-for opinions (gotta fill up my "making people angry" quota):
1) Personally, I hate the player models. Their feet are too small, the waist is set too high, and don't get me started on their necks/faces. No matter how good the textures of a particular costume item are, the model still bugs the hell out of me. So, I find a couple of combinations that make it bearable and use them over, and over, and over. As a result, my login page looks incredibly uncreative. But I'm okay with that.
2) Don't get all caught up on colors when all of your costumes are tights with simple patterns and the occasional ninja or "swimsuit costume". Color's not a magic button. You are not going to look awesome just because you can mix blue and gold.
3) Remember that giving costume advice in-game is just like giving fashion advice IRL. Everyone has an opinion, everyone likes different things, and you're still a bit silly for obsessing over it.
OP asked for fashion advice. Posters responded. Just because you like your costume, doesn't make it good. Most people have terrible costume sense and don't know it.
Good art theory and color sense play key roles here when opinion can be disputed. Want good advice on such? Ask the artists. 'Nuff said.
http://www.virtueverse.net/wiki/Massacre_Melanie -the original Fire/Dark Corruptor -
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=115217
The Guide to BURN
While I think Suichi's a wee bit too harsh in the way she says it - I gotta agree; in a thread like this, when advice is asked for, one must expect opinions to be given, ya know?
It's one thing to give someone unsolicited advice - I don't care *how* good you are, its annoying and arrogant.
But when advice is requested; then its reasonable to assume it will be given; and I think this thread has quite a bit of good advice in it. Obviously, some opinions are going to vary even among the best of costume creators; so one should take a pinch of salt for advice given regardless - but for a thread like this, its generally good to remember thats not like walking up to someone and saying "Hey, your shoes suck." It's more like someone walks up to you, and says "Hey, what do you think of my new shoes?"
A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.
Of course. In other threads, however, where the intent is to simply show off your favorite costumes, unsolicited advice can be inappropriate.
Hey, how about starting a thread in which anyone can say whatever the hell they want? There'd be warning... like, don't post your costume here, unless you have a thick skin, or something. We could criticize each other as much as we wanted, and no one would be allowed to get angry! C'mon, it'd be fun.
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Of course. In other threads, however, where the intent is to simply show off your favorite costumes, unsolicited advice can be inappropriate.
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If you are talking about the thread int he brute forums, he was asking for advice in his original post.
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Hey, how about starting a thread in which anyone can say whatever the hell they want? There'd be warning... like, don't post your costume here, unless you have a thick skin, or something. We could criticize each other as much as we wanted, and no one would be allowed to get angry! C'mon, it'd be fun.
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Welcome to the Internet! Grow a thick skin or continue to cry, we really don't care.
I actually disagree with that Turbo. I'm not saying people *won't* voice their unsolicited advice on costumes - but that doesn't mean they *should*.
That really WOULD be like walking up to a person and saying "Hey, I think you dress funny." The only reason anyone can get away with that here is because no one can smack the crap out of you for doing it.
As I said - if someone is asking for advice - then advice should be expected and given. I freely admit, I often think many people have... questionable... taste in costumes. But I'm not going to tell them that unless they're asking me for my opinion. Why should I? Who died and made us the be-all-end-all of fashion?
So I guess thats where my line stands.
If you ask for advice - expect to get it. It *should* be delivered politely; but still, don't ask for advice if you don't want advice.
On the other hand, if someone is just showing off their new look, and you think its crap - don't say anything. It's not going to help anyone; neither the person showing their costume, nor you, nor anyone else. It just creates flamewars and drama.
The internet can be a rude, crude place - that doesn't make it any less of a jerky thing to do. Picking on someone in highschool wasn't right, no matter how many people did it; why would it be any different here?
A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.
...you dont have to be an artist to have good fashion sense.
as far as asking for idea's or advice...I'm all for it, but be ready for not so friendly critiques. also...even if you dont ask for a critique be braced for one anyways, while the folks here are some of the best out there that I have seen you could have a bad seed pop in from time to time.
personally...I say design that which YOU think is cool looking and the rest be-damned...it's your character and not theirs. if you like it...great cause in the end that is all that really matters imo~
...the sword is truth...
~whiteperegrine~
DOOD!
I got a few costumes that could use some help, or so i beleive.
I find them flawless myself, but somehow, lacking. Its quite possibly my preferance for urban camo coloring and miltaristic outfits. But sa they say.
Meh
Krieg animeish original ALL INTENSE LIKE!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9-16-05-48.jpg
with BDU pants
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9-05-41-19.jpg
with rocketboots
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9-23-23-01.jpg
Uber soldat
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9-23-33-32.jpg
uber soldat right
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9-23-33-37.jpg
Suggestions?
( i lightened the colors on the originals secondary palette, so the details on the armor stand out more, which accentuates the entire thing i beleive, allso raised uber soldat from black to grey, pics soon)
Check out Krieg Jaeger, and expand on your own character at Virtue verse!
Actually, from what I can see of the designs... they're pretty good.
But... yanno... can't see much of them, due to lighting, camera distance, cropping, etc.
In-game scenes are notoriously hard to get good reference screenies. But, you CAN get good ones from... the Icon/Facemaker Costuming screens.
"But Soul, how do I get those? I hit printscreen and ... no screenshot file appears!"
Just cos the file isn't created, doesn't mean the screen wasn't captured. Hit Printscreen, open up your favorite image editor, open a new file, and Paste. Hey, there's your costume! and once you crop away all the menu bits... you can composite four shots (front, back, side/profile, and closeup) into one reference image.
Plus the lighting's uniform, no worries about blending into the backgrounds... and no mobs to come along and start beating on you while you're posing for pictures.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
One of the biggest issues with screenshots is that they can all stand some basic levels editing. Play with the "Brightness and Contrast" sliders, or if you know how, the "Levels" correction. It'll increase visibility tenfold and people will be able to actually see your characters.
After that, getting centered closeups of your char is up to you. Icon is the best place for it.
http://www.virtueverse.net/wiki/Massacre_Melanie -the original Fire/Dark Corruptor -
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=115217
The Guide to BURN
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Yeah...
Advice is fine, but comments like this
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just for the record Demarko is black and dark red, and he looks pretty freakin kewl to me.
[/ QUOTE ]Yes, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the twenty other "Kewl" kids that dress all in black and look completely identical to each other from 10 yards.
[/ QUOTE ]
are lame.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh you left out the part where he called me a Nazi for promoting individuality.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well you DO have blonde hair and blue eyes! >.>;;
... But then again last I checked Nazis didn't create scythes of ice <o.@>;
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Or are from Russia.
Crestent lvl 50 Mind/Emp Controller http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...cGallary-1.jpg
http://crestent.deviantart.com/
http://www.creyindustries.com/viewhero.php?id=21809