An Idea for MM Henchman Customization (That may be possible!)

Alright, so I want to see if this is even possible...

Normally, when you think "MM Customization", you think "Costume Editor".

What I would like to consider is, possibly, a form of MM customization more akin to Weapon Customization. As in, giving alternate henchmen models to the players.

Allow me to give an example. Suppose you were a Thugs MM. Normally, your thugs are a member of a generic street gang. But suppose your villain was a former Hellion? Then, during costume creation, you can select a "template" for your thugs. Some may be based off of existing Critter Groups, for instance. Some of these could be unlocked through badges as well.

These models are static, like the existing ones. I also realize that this obviously isn't going to be easy. Each set has 3 tiers, with 3 upgrades, so that's a minimum of 9 models. More if the third in a set has a special ability, or if you don't want your thugs to be triplets. There are (including Demons) 6 MM Powersets. That 46 models not counting random variation, but taking into account Arsonists and Medics. This obviously wouldn't be a simple undertaking, even if they started by using existing models.

But, it may be more possible that total customization. What do you think?

I don't think that is going to happen. Simple reason is that all that data of their costumes needs to be transferred.

If we get customization then I expect that we will be given a choice which group of pets we are getting. Some examples:

Thugs: normal streetpunks, hellion streetpunks, family streetpunks, hellion girlfriend streetpunks.
Soldier: Standard Soldier, council soldier, WWI german soldiers, family goons etc.
Ninja: Ninja, Catgirls, Street Wariors etc
Zombie: Standard, Trollbased (zombiefied on drugs), Fresh corpses, skeletons
Drone: Standard drones, Council drones, Malta drones, Nemesis drones.

Deamon: Standard deamons, Wailers, Cot deamons, Fae entities, Devouring Earth?

I can't find the post, but BaBs (or someone) said something along the lines of 'MM Pet customisation is in the pipe, and their trying to make it as customisable as possible.'

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Pretty much what the others said about having to transfer templates.

Not to mention, you need to create AT LEAST 9 new models for each setting for this to work at all:

Henchmen, Enhanced Henchmen, Upgraded Henchmen
Secondary, Enhanced Secondary, Upgraded Secondary
Boss, Enhanced Boss, Upgraded Boss

For Thugs/Soldiers:

Alternate Henchmen, Enhanced Henchmen, Upgraded Henchmen.

Let's say you wanted to give ONE alternative costume to each MM set, not counting Demons:

(12x2) + (9x3) = 51ish?

53ish new models that would need to be tested to make sure they work with the set. No major clipping issues, no problematic animation, no nothings.

But if you're going to let me dream, here's what I'd like to see:

Thugs: Default, Women Henchmen, Cyberpunk, Mafia
Mercenaries: Default, Women Henchmen, Agents, etc.
Zombies: Default, Flaming Zombies, Skeletons, Rotting Corpses
Robots: Default, Steampunk, Rusted, Dread Tech (like broken-down-looking)
Ninjas: Default, Women Henchmen, Warriors, Tais, Shadowmen

Well, if full on MM customization is in the pipe, that's probably better...

Though, I never said this would be easy. It's not like "Oh yeah we can do this in the next patch, piece of cake", but more like "This would probably have to wait until after GR, but it's possible."

Call me easy, but I just want to associate a certain skin to a particular individual henchman. Then I will be content.

As I understand it, its not customizing the minion's appearance that is the problem, but rather that the power itself simply cannot call up an NPC that isn't already baked into the power. Its the same reason Granite didn't get customization.

First of all, Mastermind henchmen customization using the costume editor is a bad idea. Thugs and Mercs would work well, as would Ninja, but Zombies use player-inaccessible costume items, and have a very strict design specification, and Bots don't even use player models. What's more, from the concept art we've seen for Demons, they won't use player models, either. And even if they could, Ninja need to look like ninja, Zombies need to look like zombies and you can't have little girl scouts serve as Thugs, no matter how many cheap laughs you may get out of it. See: Clown Masterminds, and why definitely not.

Secondly, I believe BABs has talked about technical limitations, at least last time I heard. I don't want to misquote him, but as I remember it, what gets summoned isn't controllable by the costume design system. I'm not sure that is necessarily still true, as we can alter our summonlings, like the Stone Lumpy and the Dark Fluffy. It's quite possible that how the system is rigged, with henchmen and their upgrades, is what's causing problems customizing them.

We actually don't have just three costumes per henchman. We have four: no upgrades, just first upgrade, just second upgrade, both upgrades. Some henchmen get away with each upgrade changing separate things, making them interchangeable, but some do not. Thugs, for instance. Your Enforcerses (sic) start out in their tank tops. First upgrade alone gives them leather jackets. Second upgrade alone gives them leather jackets and thug masks. First plus second upgrade gives them trenchcoats and thug masks.

That, and if you look at your upgrades, especially for Thugs, and how their costume changes are rigged... It's a frikkin' mess. I'm not sure how much of the problem is technical limitations and how much of it is just not having the opportunity to get in there and mess with the setup.

Suffice it to say that I DO want to see henchman customization, but based on a selection of presets, not on out-and-out costume editing level.

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.