Idea for Mastermind Henchman Customization

I bet I am not the first to have this idea, but since i couldn't find another topic about it.. here we go.

The idea, or atleast my idea for Henchman Customization is to make the henchmen look like diffrent mobs from enemy groups, but still keep the same powers they always had.
So it's an idea to make them changable to mobs that have similar powers/themes.

----

For Mercenaries:
Arachnos Soldiers, Wolf, Bane and Crab Siders.
Council soldiers, Nebula, Penumbra, Vortex.
Longbow, I will place Longbow as a maybe, since they are a hero group, but they could have a group gone rogue?
Malta Operatives, only the human mobs.
Nemesis soldiers, only the human mobs.
Vanguard troopers, only the human mobs.
5th Column, only the human mobs.
Crey, Guards and medics fits the soldiers and medic, Agents for Spec Ops, and Crey Armor troopers for Commando.


For Necromancy:
Banished Pantheon Zombies
Vahzilok Zombies
Halloween Zombies, but only as a maybe.
Circle of Thorns, ghosts and demons, (ghosts will however no be able to fly like normal ghosts in the game.)
Werewolves/Vampires


For Ninjas:
Tsoo ninjas, all the the Tsoo mobs could be use, the magic ones or even the Ancestor Spirit could replace the Oni.
Knives of Artemis, are very similar to ninjas in some ways.
Warriors, Also gonna place them as a maybe-list since they aren't ninjas. Cause they do use swords but not katanas/ninja blades.


For Robotics:
Arachnos, Arachnobots and Drones
Clockwork
Council/5th Column robots
Malta robots
Nemesis robots
Praetorians, AntiMatter clockworks, Neuron clockworks (Praetorians are on the maybe list)
Vanguard HVAS


For Thugs:
Dockworkers/Scrapyarders
The Family
Hellions
Infected
The Lost
Mooks
Outcasts
Skulls
Trolls

----

In my first version of the idea you don't pick one theme for all your men, but that your allowed to pick for each one of them, say a Mercenaries Mastermind with Soldiers that look like Council Penumbra soldier and a Nemesis soldier, the medic looking like a Crey medic. The Spec Ops look like two diffrent Malta Operatives. And the Commando like a Arachnos Crab Siders.

Ofcause that team would looks a bit chaotic do to the wide mix of groups, so one theme for all them hencemen wouldn't be so bad after all.
So in my second version of the idea, you would pick mobs from the theme you've chosen. If you pick the Crey theme you can get Crey Guards and Crey Medics for the soldiers and medic, Agents for Spec Ops, and Crey Armor trooper for Commando.


Problems

One problem might be that Equip and Upgrade power visual changes won't be shown. This could be fixed if they will could be shown diffrently. Like Crey Medic turns into a Crey Geneticist or Crey Scientist. etc...

Another problem is some mobs from each group won't fit for all of the henchmen, like a Werewolf might not fit so well for the Zombie Horde or even the Lich, it would look good as a Grave Knight. But Grave Knights have swords, so the visual effect of the swords wont be shown if a werewolf is chosen, instead it would attack with it's claws. But it would still be the same attacks.

Necromancy was a bit hard to pick for, since there aren't many necro/dark magic themed enemies in the game. Ninjas were even harder since there are even less ninja groups in the game.

---

Heh, so long as we get the costume options to go with them
/Signed by me, because I like themed stuff =]

---

nice idea, it would get me interested in playing one again.
/signed

but won't it be difficult to implement?

---

[ QUOTE ]

Vanguard HVAS


[/ QUOTE ]

Me likey

---

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Vanguard HVAS


[/ QUOTE ]

Me likey

[/ QUOTE ]

-doubletake-

/SO signed if we could have something that awe inspiring clunking after us.
really, really want one of them

---

Like the concept so /signed
Though it will likely be the upgrading that is the problem.

And to Necromancy, you could add the Red Hands (the ghost pirates found in port oaks) think they would fit well.

---

Would if I could, but to much time have passed for me to edit it. ^^
But yeah the Ghost Pirates could also be used for Necromancer

---

One way to get around any possible upgrade problems could be to use auras.
So, primary upgrade is a blue aura, secondary is a red one, for instance. For Robots it could be the electric aura, undead the fly aura, etc, or simply a generic glow aura.

Certain ones, such as the Crey troops, could use alternate models. So Security guard, security agent, elite agent, or medic, geneticist, chief scientist.

---

Customizations of pets would be a welcome thing. Perhaps now we get the MA with the option to make custom enemy groups a similar system could be used for the MM pets? Personally I would like to have the option to update them.

---

Yea i recon customisable pets is way up there in things the player base wants at the very least it may appease those desperate for new MM sets as they could at least have the same primary but with a different look.

and while I'm not a immediate fan of the OPs idea of giving faction models its a step in the right direction. Personally tho I would much prefer if they were gonna go down the different selectable models route that they did a variation for each set based on origin and then made faction skins unlock able in a similar way to the current weapon customisation.

---

Customizable pets would be, as far as I know, pretty damn difficult to implement, though it'd be a function many people (including myself) would undoubtedly love.
Basically, using the call pet power summons a specific mob under your control, and this mob is shared between all instances of this power - the pets are not individually tied to you (aside from their names, which often bug up and get misapplied between resummoning anyway). As far as I know, anyway.

Besides, they're using mob models, not player models, and thus can't really be customized in the sense that players can, anyway, due to their costumes being one whole piece as opposed to multiple pieces (not counting the Upgrade costume additions, which are specially made for each specific pet model anyway), and having unique aspects to them.

So, they'd need to assign each and every MM's pets (all 6 of them) directly to the MM summoning them - which adds a whole bunch of extra data for the server to keep track of, and would require a LOT of bugtesting to make sure your pets don't accidentally trade costumes between one another between resummoning as it happens with names sometimes (or between other players' pets, or any other possible bugs that could pop up). Not counting changes to appearance from Upgrade powers.
And there'd have to be something done about the costumes themselves - revamp pet appearances so they all only use player costume options? Do this, but keep their unique costumes as extra options (if these options are not proliferated to players as new costume options, expect protests)? Give the pets limited, pet-specific costume option choices similar to VEAT uniform customization? What happens to Robotics, who don't even use a normal human skeleton?



Also, I sincerely doubt we'll ever be allowed to make the pets look exactly like members of existing factions anyway, for various reasons - confusion in missions when fighting against said faction, among others.

---

Some valid points there Col_Blitz. A couple of problems are already being solved with the MA of course. But a lot more will remain. Still MA brings us one step closer wouldn't it? One can hope.

---

One can hope as well for faction-clone PC costume pieces -hopes-

---

While custom colouring of MM pets would be a nice addition, I think actual model customisation is, as Col_Blitz has pointed out, very much in the "ain't ever gonna happen" box.

---

Have to agree with Col_Blitzkrieger that there might be some confusion with mobs and pets.
I have a few times after I12 came out almost gotten angry I couldn't attack an Arachnobot, which turned out to be a VEAT's pets.
I found out they have them as pets, so that isn't a problem anymore. ^^

---

I wouldnt say 'never'.

Technology and Software restrictions are becoming more flexible everyday.

2 Years ago, if the developers were given the idea of creating a mission editor, where you could design the costume of all the npc mobs, they might have laughed.

If the ability to customize npc mobs exists, it is most certainly possible to customize your minions, its not a case of the developers cant, its just a case of they wont, because it would involve massive storage requirements. Why do you think they are limiting players to 3 architect arcs, because of storage space per a player would be quite large.

If the developers invested heavily in storage space, they COULD provide customizable minions using the costume creator, in the EXACT same method the npc mobs are getting in issue 14.

---

Azmodan - 50 - Storm/Energy Blast Defender
Baaleos - 50 - Gravity/Power Blast Dominator
Orici - 50 - Fortunata
Psi'on - 44 - Kinetics/Psionic Defender
Azazeel - 40 - Warshade
Bloody-Ice - 31 - Ice/Cold Domination Corruptor

[ QUOTE ]
storage space

[/ QUOTE ]I should note that this is why you can only upload 3 arcs per account for the MA.

---

[ QUOTE ]

Why do you think they are limiting players to 3 architect arcs, because of storage space per a player would be quite large.


[/ QUOTE ]
I think I noted it first. Lol

---

Azmodan - 50 - Storm/Energy Blast Defender
Baaleos - 50 - Gravity/Power Blast Dominator
Orici - 50 - Fortunata
Psi'on - 44 - Kinetics/Psionic Defender
Azazeel - 40 - Warshade
Bloody-Ice - 31 - Ice/Cold Domination Corruptor

Aaaah, I just seem to be making stupid post upon stupid post today, sorry.

*Shuts up for a while.*

---

I very much doubt storage space is a huge factor in not doing customisable pets after all space is cheep and they could limit the amount of customised pets you could have to a single set so no different looking pets on different costumes.

---

Well, I think we all agree then, that there is no GOOD reason that they deny customizable pet costumes.

They are allowing us to customize entire costume for villain groups for crying out loud, which could be 12+ costumes per story arc, whats with allowing a player to store costume creations for their minions.

Note - For anyone who has made demo recordings, you might be aware that the costume of a character appears at most as 30 lines of text. Thats it.

This is a player I encountered a year or so ago. I still had the demo file. This is what the data is for their costume.

0 29 NEW "Electric Becka"
0 29 COSTUME 1 9bb2ff 0.000000 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873 -0.015873
0 29 PARTSNAME Tight skin_tights Slits 000000 000000
0 29 PARTSNAME Tight skin_tights Straps_2 000000 000000
0 29 PARTSNAME V_fem_Head.GEO/GEO_Head_V_Asym_Standard !Face_Skin_V_Fem_Head_10 !V_Sf_Face_Makeup_1 000000 000000
0 29 PARTSNAME V_FEM_GLOVE.GEO/GEO_Larm*_Justice02 !x_male_glove_eagle_armor_mask !glove_eaglearmor_01_dual 000000 0000d4
0 29 PARTSNAME Platform V_Spikes_01 V_Spikes_01b 000000 0000d4
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME Long_01 Long_01a Long_01b 0000ff 000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 0000d4 0000d4
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME Full Cape_Top_01 none 000000 0000ff
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none Cape_01 Cape_Flames 000000 0000ff 000000 0000ff capes/CapeLongFem.fx
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000
0 29 PARTSNAME none none none 00000000 00000000


All would be required, would be this x 3 for a mastermind. Assuming you wanted 1 for each type of minion, or if you wanted 6 costumes, for each individual minion.

---

Azmodan - 50 - Storm/Energy Blast Defender
Baaleos - 50 - Gravity/Power Blast Dominator
Orici - 50 - Fortunata
Psi'on - 44 - Kinetics/Psionic Defender
Azazeel - 40 - Warshade
Bloody-Ice - 31 - Ice/Cold Domination Corruptor

actuall it would probably have to be x 9 to take into account upgrades

---

[ QUOTE ]
Well, I think we all agree then, that there is no GOOD reason that they deny customizable pet costumes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope. there is a really good reason, there is only one version of each set. everyone with the same power pull the information about the models from the same source. This is why they can't do power customisation either. A change to those powers affects everyone with the power at the moment.

Changing that fact would require a massive rewrite of the game engine.

---

Didn't I already say that?

---

[ QUOTE ]

Nope. there is a really good reason, there is only one version of each set. everyone with the same power pull the information about the models from the same source. This is why they can't do power customisation either. A change to those powers affects everyone with the power at the moment.

Changing that fact would require a massive rewrite of the game engine.


[/ QUOTE ]
Theres me thinking that I saw a post from a dev saying that the reason they cant easilly provide power customization is because its too hard to recolor the geometry particles of powers.

The customization of minions would be equally as difficult as the customization of mobs in mission architect.

There is potentially more file storage required for mission architect than minion costumes.

Im not disputing that there might be a little bit of work involved in getting the models to be drawn from players individual costume databases instead of the shared resource, but once its done, its done, and everyone will have individual minions, and there wouldnt be much, if any impact to performance.

As stated above, the costume is basically 25 lines of plain text. Only performance issue, might be local to peoples machines if they are on low end machines, but thats what a performance / quality slider is for.

We shouldnt concern ourselves with development issues like
"How hard will it be to do" - Developers are there to worry about that.
"What impact will it have" - Developers are there to worry about that.
"is there anything else we can do instead" - Developers are there to worry about that.



Just ask yourself if you would like this feature at some point in time.


I would, and im prepared to let development decide on its priority.

---

Azmodan - 50 - Storm/Energy Blast Defender
Baaleos - 50 - Gravity/Power Blast Dominator
Orici - 50 - Fortunata
Psi'on - 44 - Kinetics/Psionic Defender
Azazeel - 40 - Warshade
Bloody-Ice - 31 - Ice/Cold Domination Corruptor