Color Customization


Blue Rabbit

 

Posted

This was posted by srmalloy over on the US forums, thought people may like to see this.

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Having had a chance to look at the (still under development) I16 changes at the NCSoft booth at the San Diego Comic-Con, I am looking forward even more eagerly to its release. What they are showing is the character-creation part of I16 -- it doesn't have any game connectivity.


The character design process looks exactly the same as it was, with two exceptions. After your costume design, the 'Next' button takes you to the Powers screen, where you can alter the colors of your powers. In addition, across the top of the screen are text labels for the segments of character creation -- Archetype, Origin, Primary, Secondary, Body Type, Costume, Powers, Name; clicking on one takes you to that section without losing progress, so you can jump around through character creation in any order.


The powers section has drop-down sections for Primary and Secondary powers -- I didn't see an entry for Epic or Patron powers, or for pool powers, and I'm going to have to ask them about that tomorrow -- similar to the Upper Body / Lower Body / Head sections for the costume creator. These open up into a list of all the powers for that powerset. The powerset has a color choice box -- 'Default', 'Custom', 'Bright [power]', and 'Dark [power]' (i.e., 'Bright Fire' and 'Dark Fire'). When you pick 'Bright', you get additive color changes -- the colors you pick brighten the power (i.e., the standard Energy Blast colors are 'Bright'), and when you pick 'Dark', you get subtractive color changes -- the colors you pick darken the power (i.e., the standard Pain Domination is 'Dark'). You have an "Apply colors over entire character' button that works for powers the same way the similar button does for costumes, and each power has the same options individually (except 'Custom', which appears for the powerset when you set colors individually for the powers).


Power customization will not be available for the MA when I16 goes live; they are still looking at the problem of the additional space that it would take up reducing what you can build due to the size limitation of an arc.


In the process of rebuilding the way powers are colored, they have managed to address one of the problems that was described as a major stumbling block -- with a very few exceptions, the customized power colors change, not only the color of the power as your character uses it, but the effect of the power on the target. If you change your Fire Control powers to blue or green, for example, the Fire Cages around mobs will be blue or green just like the animation visuals around your character. When you pick a specific power in the Powers section of the character creator, your character will continually repeat the animation for that power, showing both the character animation and the power effect (i.e., the Fire Imps power summons imps, etc.); the colors selection grid normally obscures a lot of this, but it can be rolled up out of the way for a better view. The powers that don't completely change colors are all ones that have 'fixed' visuals -- Smoke will animate with the colors you pick for the power, but the cloud of smoke around your target will still be black. I need to go back tomorrow and see how many powers are like this; I need to find out how many of the summoning powers (i.e., Controller and Mastermind powers) have customization, and to what degree.

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Posted

Busted

[will let carnie take the pleasure in telling why]

Edit: Though i suppose more people might read it here too so hmm worthy of a bust or not . . . . . . . ah dont know!


@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!

 

Posted

Was this posted in a different thread? I am sorry I rarely read half the threads on here anymore hehe


 

Posted

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Busted

[will let carnie take the pleasure in telling why]

Edit: Though i suppose more people might read it here too so hmm worthy of a bust or not . . . . . . . ah dont know!

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Bust, or bust not - those who hesitate are busted themselves


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

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So I'm still stuck with the Yellow Pom Pom's of doom then??

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You mean Hasten? I'm sure all other power pools will get attention eventually


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

And therein lies the annoyance for me....."eventually"

You'd think that the power pools, something picked by virtually the entire player base, and powers such as Hasten and Super Speed that are picked by a large selection of players, I would wager, should have been done from the start!

What's the point of being able to pick and choose all of Coin's powers, making them all fit with a costume only to have it spoilt by the yellow glow of super speed and hasten? And the same applies for other pools as well.

Makes no sense to me.


We built this city on Rock and Roll!

 

Posted

There's no reason they can't colour more powers. BaBs said he was going to look at Devices, so clearly, the list of powers to be done isn't locked down.


Necrobond - 50 BS/Inv Scrapper made in I1
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Aber ja, nat�rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.

 

Posted

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What's the point of being able to pick and choose all of Coin's powers, making them all fit with a costume only to have it spoilt by the yellow glow of super speed and hasten? And the same applies for other pools as well.

Makes no sense to me.

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Unless the devs have taken into account the huge amount of work it's taken so far to get PC for our primary and secondary pools, and are aiming to launch GR before the holidays, so they don't have the rest of the year to work on converting all the other pools for PC, and have decided that the other pools will be added to PC later, as the primary and secondary ones are the main ones people use.


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

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What's the point of being able to pick and choose all of Coin's powers, making them all fit with a costume only to have it spoilt by the yellow glow of super speed and hasten? And the same applies for other pools as well.

Makes no sense to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless the devs have taken into account the huge amount of work it's taken so far to get PC for our primary and secondary pools, and are aiming to launch GR before the holidays, so they don't have the rest of the year to work on converting all the other pools for PC, and have decided that the other pools will be added to PC later, as the primary and secondary ones are the main ones people use.

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yeah everyone has to have a primary and secondary power set. you don't have to take power pools (arguable how much fun you'll have if you don't delve at least a little, of course) so i'm ok with them focussing on primaries and secondaries first.


@craggy see me on Union for TFs, SFs (please!) or just some good ol fashioned teaming.

 

Posted



I saw this in Lord Kalistoh's post in the suggestions section.

Makes sense to put it here, with all due credit to LK for finding it.

Colour customisation


Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.

Hero 50's - 25

Villain 50's - 1

 

Posted

It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?


We built this city on Rock and Roll!

 

Posted

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It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

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Because it won't fit their release schedule - CO is this year, and they're sure to want PC out before it launches.


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

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[ QUOTE ]
It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

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Because it won't fit their release schedule - CO is this year, and they're sure to want PC out before it launches.

[/ QUOTE ]

CO is this year - at the moment.

It remains to be seen if it will actually make its September release date - never mind 2009.


Proud member of FOXBASE ALPHA and coalition associates.

Hero 50's - 25

Villain 50's - 1

 

Posted

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It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because it won't fit their release schedule - CO is this year, and they're sure to want PC out before it launches.

[/ QUOTE ]

CO is this year - at the moment.

It remains to be seen if it will actually make its September release date - never mind 2009.

[/ QUOTE ]

Atari commands September 2009


@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

 

Posted

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What's the point of being able to pick and choose all of Coin's powers, making them all fit with a costume only to have it spoilt by the yellow glow of super speed and hasten? And the same applies for other pools as well.

Makes no sense to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless the devs have taken into account the huge amount of work it's taken so far to get PC for our primary and secondary pools, and are aiming to launch GR before the holidays, so they don't have the rest of the year to work on converting all the other pools for PC, and have decided that the other pools will be added to PC later, as the primary and secondary ones are the main ones people use.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah everyone has to have a primary and secondary power set. you don't have to take power pools (arguable how much fun you'll have if you don't delve at least a little, of course) so i'm ok with them focussing on primaries and secondaries first.

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Errrr - yes you do (unless you're an Epic AT) at Level 24 you're forced into it (unless you don't train up after you level).


 

Posted

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It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because it won't fit their release schedule - CO is this year, and they're sure to want PC out before it launches.

[/ QUOTE ]

CO is this year - at the moment.

It remains to be seen if it will actually make its September release date - never mind 2009.

[/ QUOTE ]

Atari commands September 2009

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe, just maybe they'll remember the folly of Age of Conan. Or just look to their own catalogue and remember how KOTOR II and NWN2 did...

Hahahahaahahahaahahahaha, no chance. If it's not ready, then Atari'll still go ahead with the launch. Then Cryptic get to put in some more overtime and late nights trying to get it up to scratch for post release.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm happy with the way there doing things as i was expecting them to do the power pools/epics first with maybe a small selection of the more wide spread powers.

So I'm glad they've done the primaries and secondarys first.


 

Posted

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And therein lies the annoyance for me....."eventually"

You'd think that the power pools, something picked by virtually the entire player base, and powers such as Hasten and Super Speed that are picked by a large selection of players, I would wager, should have been done from the start!

What's the point of being able to pick and choose all of Coin's powers, making them all fit with a costume only to have it spoilt by the yellow glow of super speed and hasten? And the same applies for other pools as well.

Makes no sense to me.

[/ QUOTE ]patience is a virtue,if they gave us everything in one go we would always demand more now


Prof Radburn controller,Celtic Ice Maiden,blaster,Miss Knockout scrapper,Mistress Davina controller,Stone Hart,tank Split Personality PB.Queen Lostris controller,Fridgid Mary blaster,Shocking Fire blaster Future Elfling defender, Little Weed controller,Capo Angelo MM, Commander Buzzsaw MM, Justice Tank tank all 50,s

 

Posted

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I'm happy with the way there doing things as i was expecting them to do the power pools/epics first with maybe a small selection of the more wide spread powers.

So I'm glad they've done the primaries and secondarys first.

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What he said. Happy that, because of the work required and the timeframe alotted to do the work in, pretty much everyone can customise a large proportion of their powers from the start.


 

Posted

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It just feels like a half-[censored] job again, similar to MA. That was even delayed to add something the players really wanted adding, so why can't they do it with this?

They are basing issue 16 all about power customisation, it's what the issue is focused on, seemingly almost in it's entirety. I can't see the point of not doing it properly. There's not even going to be that many powers in the pools to actually change, a lot of them don't have colour effects, such as fitness pool.

Why do it improperly?

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There is always someone who has to whine, ist't there.

Each power has to be chanaged individually to make it customisable. They have already done 1241 powers. that has taken them around 16 months. If they delayed the issue until they had done all the pool and epic powers, it would have been around another 8 months. Not only would CO be out (even if delayed to 2010) SWTOR and DCUO could well be out as well.


I really should do something about this signature.

 

Posted

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There is always someone who has to whine, ist't there.

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I'm not here to "whine" Praf, I'm here to express displeasure, as I'm sure I have the right. I havn't been insulting or degrading in anyway, I've simply said why I'm unhappy and given reasons for that.

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Each power has to be chanaged individually to make it customisable. They have already done 1241 powers. that has taken them around 16 months. If they delayed the issue until they had done all the pool and epic powers, it would have been around another 8 months. Not only would CO be out (even if delayed to 2010) SWTOR and DCUO could well be out as well.

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I have no issues with them trying to get it out, I just question the wisdom of releasing it with a flaw like this. Given that the Power Pool are used much more widely than specific power sets (I'd love to see the stats on how many people pick powers such as Hasten over other powers, I'd be surprised if it's not one of the most picked powers out there given how useful it is....and yes, I know not everyone picks it) it seems illogical to me to leave out the powers most used and selected by people that will spoil the colour flow of a costume. I've designed costumes for my toons with Hasten in mind as I know ruin the effect of it otherwise.

Why create such a massively powerful cossie creator with so much variation in it only to hamper it with a few more powers left over that still can't be changed? Especially given how relatively few of the pool powers actually need customizing?


We built this city on Rock and Roll!

 

Posted

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There is always someone who has to whine, ist't there.

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I'm not here to "whine" Praf, I'm here to express displeasure, as I'm sure is allowed. I haven't been insulting or degrading in anyway, I've simply said why I'm unhappy and given reasons for that.

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Each power has to be chanaged individually to make it customisable. They have already done 1241 powers. that has taken them around 16 months. If they delayed the issue until they had done all the pool and epic powers, it would have been around another 8 months. Not only would CO be out (even if delayed to 2010) SWTOR and DCUO could well be out as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have no issues with them trying to get it out, I just question the wisdom of releasing it with a flaw like this. Given that the Power Pool are used much more widely than specific power sets (I'd love to see the stats on how many people pick powers such as Hasten over other powers, I'd be surprised if it's not one of the most picked powers out there given how useful it is....and yes, I know not everyone picks it) it seems illogical to me to leave out the powers most used and selected by people that will spoil the colour flow of a costume. I've designed costumes for my toons with Hasten in mind as I know ruin the effect of it otherwise.

Why create such a massively powerful cossie creator with so much variation in it only to hamper it with a few more powers left over that still can't be changed? Especially given how relatively few of the pool powers actually need customizing?


We built this city on Rock and Roll!