Question: Golden/Silver Age Costumes

Hey, folks. As we continue to add costume options to the game--filling in gaps and checking items off players' long-time wishlists, it's interesting to watch the ongoing requests evolve. Lately, I've seen a few more mentions than normal about Golden/Silver age costume ideas, and I wanted to dig a little deeper about it.

Obviously, COH was originally conceived with that era in mind, and many "basic" super-heroic options are already available. But let me know what's missing for you, and maybe we can get something going.

A major thing would be to have spandex and masks not look like they were painted on - actaully giving them an edge to make it look like they were separate from out bodies would be great.

Another thing would be to have an option for the classic white eyes on the masks, rather than the more realistic eye holes.

Capes, boots and gloves are already pretty well covered in the costume creator.

In my opinion, we're missing a lot of basic options.

Things like textures. A good example are the new CoT tights. They have a really defined texture, but the 'spikes' on it prevent it form being used for tights. If that makes sense.

We need more basic shoes as well. We have several boots, but they all go up to the knee. It would be nice to see a boot/shoe that only goes up to mid-calve. There could be a Skin and a Tights option for the rest of it, so that it would still work within the confines of the 'shoe' category and fit in with the rest of the options. Just an idea.

Same with gloves, we have a few half-gloves, but they are -all- skin above the glove. Makes it look very tacky when used with tights/sleeves.

And I remember this idea being made by someone awhile ago, but more cape mantles that could be placed into the Shoulders category.

EDIT: And yes, a MILLION times what GG said. We need better masks. Manticore has a mask that sits on top of his face, rather than is painted onto it. So it would seem possible, at least from this simple player's mind.

yes more classic/spandex options also skeleton parts (actual skeleton, not zombie) and phantom limb parts (invisible)

Well, coming at this from a Golden Age/Pulp perspective (and I apologize if my focus is too pulpy):

Jodhpurs/breeches. I cannot stress this enough.
Flight helmet.
Pith helmet.
Zoot suit.
Wide-shouldered jacket--think Joan Crawford.
Sam Browne belt.
Riding boots.
Holsters!
Rocket packs/jetpacks.
1930s/1940s hairstyles. At least a 'Victory Roll' type hairdo:

Yes, texture to look like its an actual article of clothing without looking baggy. And white options that don't just blend into skin.

The biggest thing I want are face masks that don't look painted on.

Thanks, N.S.!
Off the top of my head...
Masks:
Definitely some more mask options that don't appear painted on.
I could see accomplishing this in a few alternate ways...
Some as Head detail 1 (all the different domino, pointed, triangle) masks so that they have some nice textures and a small amount of geometry. Allowing these to have two color options would accomplish a nice amount of variety (so long as they could also be fully monochromatic, of course).

Also, some more faces that are full masks (like full mask, ninja and sightless).
If you look at the Bone Face option, it is a much more solid color/texture, compared to sightless and the others... the black is black, as opposed to slightly greyed.

Some of the new mask faces could have different texture surfaces (shiny, matte, quilted, seems, seamless, etched patterns) and adding in more patterns to apply over them (the face painting category) could go a long way towards creating a much more dynamic and diverse masked customization process! Some of the new masks could even have some sort of eye lenses built in (and/or see the following...).

Still sticking with masks... Some detail 1 EYE LENS options would be fantastic! The Sonic Goggles (I think they're called) that came with the Martial Arts Pack are somewhat like this... But you could have a lot of different shapes and different textures (matte, mesh, shiny, plastic, glass, mirrored) eye lens options that'd be great for masks and unmasked faces as well, I'm sure.

My last bit on masks would be the Detail Options locked within the Full Mask head options...
We haven't seen any additions there in a long time and they are great accessories to customize characters with! The ones available are also a little lacking in resolution/quality as well as colorization options.
Regardless, some mew options for those would be fantastic. Even just taking some of the existing ones and creating similar ones with different textures, color options and such would be a huge addition!

I think the biggest thing about the desire for new golden/silver age costume options are that the options we do have are quite old and do look it, compared to a lot of the new stuff. Beyond that, it is simply wanting more options, of course.

Textured cowls, that could include multiple options to accessorize them seems like a good thing. Think really tight hoods.

More Patterns:
More patterns that we can use on chests, gloves, legs and boots is a major plus any and every time they are added. That's the kind of stuff that many players wish fell from the skies on a regular basis.

I think a major key to the simple, tights-wearing costume is having more things to create a bit of individuality on the simple tights.

A cape that ruffles over the shoulders more (sort of like the High-Collared Capes, but without the high collar) would be great.

More Tights, but with different Textures:
The simple tights are a must, but a tiny bit of texture added to them can make a big difference.
Tights for chest, gloves, legs and boots that are leather, pleather, metallic-shiny, slightly ridged, quilted, scaled, matte... These could all allow for the kind of difference that people in tights would really have between each other. It's still the simple tights silhouette, but with some different texture in there to break it up and give some individuality and detail to a still simple outfit.


The only other thing I can think to mention right now is...
Don't forget about the gloves and boots and the Flat Boot Option so that we can make those full-bodied tights looks when desired (Sleek Tights is still missing from the Male's Flat Boots for some odd reason).

And don't forget about including any patterns across as many of the gloves and boots as is possible. New extremely detailed costume pieces are great and beautiful, but continuously adding in the patterns, textures and details across many of the different gloves and boots options allows for so many more choices! And that allows for more and more of the great individual looks that this game's costume creator can kick out.


I hope that might help somewhat...

And thanks again for asking!

Tintable chainmail for men and women. Needs to work for characters like Shining Knight and Aquaman.

Large cape broaches -- maybe the most neglected area of the costume creator. Think Dr. Strange.

But really, just taking the existing Tights and Tights w/Skin options and texturing them cloth, sleek, matte, and metallic would go a long way.

Asymmetrical tights patterns.

Patterns for gloves and boots that match ALL tights patterns. (Can't list 'em off the top of my head, but I've been disappointed in the past when I can't make matching boots/gloves.)

--NT

Hats without hair ala the Golden Age Sandman.

The ability to have goggles and earpieces at the same time.

More male headpieces like metallic headbands.

When I think golden/silver age, I think of cowls and tights that look more like clothing. Very Jack Kirby. The ones we have now look less like clothes and more like simply plastic (or, as someone else noted, like paint).

New patterns for tights that aren't too busy. Take a look at the Arctic pattern, for instance. That has far too much going on in it, and I rarely see anyone use it because it just looks plain awful as a pattern to wear on one's costume. It doesn't do a good job meshing with existing options, either.

Now look at the Alpha pattern. Very simple. Meshes well with other existing patterns. Doesn't try to recreate Mona Lisa on your body. We need more patterns like this.

Interestingly enough, we don't actually have any basic trim patterns for anything, either. Gloves, boots, and every cape except the Magic Cape don't have any basic trim options to go with them. It would be nice if we could design capes like this.

I think you could make good use of the baggy top for this. When I think of Golden Age/Silver costumes, I think of how the tights were always kinda loose. So a few new baggy top options would be good for that.

More for the tucked in pants too. Although the Resistance pants have been really good for this, but they've got darker bits that don't quite work.

Oh, some work on the v-necks? They've got no detail, so they come off as kind of a creepy flesh shelf so I haven't been using them for retro costumes, but with some work or a redesigned version, they would be *amazing*

Tunics! A lot of old hero costumes used tunics.

Is there a way to do a really long loin-cloth thing? I'm thinking of the villainnesses/heroes who had those long-dress things with huge slits up the legs, so a loin-cloth costume piece cut right could imitate that.

Well, I did a quick Google search of Golden Age Comics, and unfortunately, everything and it's third cousin came up, including some modern interpretations of Golden Age, such as Air Boy and Masquerade. So when you're asking such a broad question, you're going to get a lot of broad answers.
I will add my voices to people clamoring for more mask options that look like masks rather than paint.
But in my search, I did notice a couple of themes that kept recurring - high collar capes (like the original Green Lantern), puffy, pirate-like sleeves and shirts (again, Golden Age Green Lantern, FireBrand, Red Bee, etc.), true, tied shut trench coats, including a longer, almost dress-like ones for females, and one or two jungle themed characters, like Sheena and also a male, "circus strongman" type version. I also saw a couple of turbans (notably Sargon the Sorceror).
I'd also like to make a pitch for "scale armor," like that on Aquaman's shirt and Deathstroke's costume. There's a pattern called scales already, but it's just not the same. If scaled shirts would head toward copyright infringement area, at least consider scale pants.
Things like safari jackets and pith helmets (and perhaps even the jungle garb I mentioned above) would be fun too, but maybe they would be considered more "pulp" than Golden Age. Even so, we want 'em and would love to have 'em.

This is something I've wanted more of for quite a while.

I think what some people are saying about textures is correct. Things like the texture on the more recent cinematic Superman suits, or even the Spiderman suits. Things that add texture to the tights, but not actual patterns per se; like the recent CoT costume pack. It was great that it had texture! . . . But those spike patterns make it pretty unusable as a base for a Silver Age costume, in general.
Alternately, some higher-res tights in general would be nice, since the base ones we use are noticeably low-res.

Along with this, perhaps a sash belt (think Captain Marvel), some masks that have white eyes rather than eyes holes (Green Lantern), some new cape patterns that are maybe more subtle and less complicated/complex, the ability to put chest symbols on a cape, or on shoulder pads . . .

In general I would really like some classic, simple, well-defined superhero costume pieces. And while we do already have a lot of pieces like that, they're all very old, and very low-res, and a lot of them have chunky/blocky models (as regards shoulders, gloves, and boots) that were fine at the time they were released, but just look bad now.

EDIT: Aw yes, and as Electric-Knight mentioned, perhaps a cape that collects at the shoulders a bit. Overall though, I think the idea - for me, at least - is simple, high-res, good looking pieces that express the iconic simplicity of golden and silver age costumes.

One thing I've wanted is the ability to have tights / masks that aren't colored skin. If the tights and masks were seperate from the skin it seems to me we'd be able to have patterns sit on the tights rather than the skin, which means we could possibly put patterns onto costume options that include skin, without coloring both skin and tights.

Examples: Keyhole with the Fire Stipe pattern so the center is one color, the outer another color, with a jagged ege, but with skin showing through. Who's this coming from? Power Girl, for one. Or switch from the keyhole to the V-neck, and put the Fat Stripe vertical pattern on the tights but not the skin, and that's more heroines than I could name in ten minutes.

Blast tights with the shredding still there, but if we can add the usual patterns over that, without it coloring the skin too, we can have an alternate, battle-worn outfit. Our tights aren't as tough as we are in all cases.

Next Idea:

Have the Chest Emblem Shapes be a secondary option to the Chest Details, with larger versions of some or all of the available emblems in there already so we can have, say, these by way of example:

Have the top, smaller emblem be the Atom, with the secondary, larger, background the Mushroom Cloud unlockable emblem. Who'd this fit? Anti Matter or Positron.

Have the top, smaller emblem be the Crossed Pistols unlockable emblem, with the secondary, larger, background emblem as the Boot (I think there is a boot emblem?): Maelstrom.

I'd kill to be able to have the Bird Emblem over the Flame symbol, or the Crossed Swords unlocakble over the Shield with OUT having to choose Shield as my Chest pattern, etc etc etc.

Food for thought, since Golden / Silver age hero's and villian's symbols were sometimes composites of what CoHF would see as two emblems layered one over the other.

Perched on Lord Recluse's statue until after my next bio break,
~Raven.

Thirding masks and cowls, particularly since these would work with not only Gold and Silver Age costume designs, but also contemporary ones. Classic domino masks that are actual pieces rather than painted-on colors would be incredibly versatile. Similarly, basic cowls (think Space Ghost) that are closer to helmets than hoods or skin-tight "no hair" heads would find numerous uses.

Thanks for taking our input, Noble Savage.

I didn't think of it at the time, but as long as we're throwing in hairstyles, too . . .

I would like to see something like Reed Richards, or the Kingdom Come version of Superman for the men. One of those hairstyles that screams (or politely interjects?) 'responsible adult' instead of punk rocker, emo kid, or scenester. While I've nothing against those styles, we've gotten a lot of them lately. Not all heroes are supposed to be in their teens/early twenties, after all.

May I suggest any of Marilyn Monroe's hairstyles? I was googling them for a good retro-style and was like, oh my goodness, these are all good!

Echoing the idea of hair you can colour to make it look like the man is older.

Since it seems appropriate to repeat my oft-requested request - Commando Cody-style bullet helmet and jetpack complete with smoke trail.

I think that for Golden Age costume bits, you really need to consider how a costume would be manufactured using "golden age" technology and resources. Keep in mind, also, that fantastic features of such costumes are intended to exaggerate the origins of those elements. Scientists have long coats and big goggles. Heroes with ears or horns or accents on a helmet have them really big to really make a statement about the fact that they are not your average pedestrian.

I would REALLY like an assortment of hats. Fedoras, Stetsons, Zwillinger's cap (every newsboy wears one, right?). All kinds of period hats.

Suspenders.

Iconic hair styles. Betty Paige being an obvious choice, as listed previously.

A pipe; points if it's a meerschaum.

"Jungle Bikini" for lack of a better description - the kind of thing that looks like it's probably scraps of some existing clothes, tied in the appropriate places. Tarzan-style loincloth for the men.

Patterns are simple. Textures are wool, cotton, and leather primarily. Golden Age outfits are sewn from cloth and thread. They aren't form-fitting space-age spandex. Women's outfits tend to either be a variation of a one-piece swimsuit, a bikini, or a variation of an evening gown crossed with some kind of shorts (or the afore-mentioned swimsuit). The "smexy" is the exposed shoulders, arms, and primarily legs.

Men primarily wear loose-fitting clothes that appear like something you might actually wear to a fist-fight.

Women often wear stylized versions of men's shirts or jackets, meant to combine with a skirt or shorts for an overall 'female' effect.

Most accoutrements serve a purpose.

Armor, if it exists and is "furturistic" is boxy, exaggerated, ROUNDED; not pointy or spiky, and inhuman looking.

If it's meant to be futuristic clothing ala Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers then the more outlandish the better to emphasize that it's from "the future".

Since I like to make Golden, Silver, and Bronze-age style characters in both genders, I'd like to see female bikini bottoms that aren't so... skimpy. Something like Silver Age Hawkgirl or Bronze Age Wonder Woman (probably the most well-known example), rather than the thong-like bottoms in the game now.





As it is, it's tough to make a leotard or leotard-with-leggings costume because the briefs pattern doesn't meet up with the top. Even a belt doesn't always cover the gap, which looks even more ridiculous.