Do you think that a character in a rpg should change it''s clothes when he equips it, i mean, visually? Maybe it''s better to keep the same or few clothes so the player gets to remember better the character. On the other side, changing clothes add a more real look to the game, and the player could just like to see how would the character look with certain clothes. Any comments are welcome.

Depends on the nature of the RPG. If it''s a very linear one, like a Final Fantasy, then your characters should only change appearance if they undergo some very fundamental change (ie. In FF4, Cecil [main character] turns from a dark knight to a paladin at one point). This is because in a linear game you really have to be drawn into the story, so familiarizing with the characters is important. Unless you make armour changes really important to gameplay, then I''d consider showing them. Weapon changes should always show though.

In a less linear RPG, like Baldur''s Gate, you might want to add "types" of armour. Leather, steel, plated, etc. So while you could have 5 different types of leather, they look the same on a character. This is much easier on your modellers/sprite artists while still adding more realism. If you need the player to connect with the characters more, then you can tweak each type to look different on each one.

In very open RPG''s, a MMORPG or something like Diablo 2, having lots of different looks is more important as you don''t want duplicate characters running around. Diablo 2 went a little past the "types" or armour, as it would tint them different colours if they had extra stats. (and it had a lot of types).

------------
MSN: nmaster42@hotmail.com, AIM: LockePick42, ICQ: 74128155
"It''s all part of the conspiracy of conspirators conspiring to conspire their own conspiracies..."

quote: Do you think that a character in a rpg should change it''s clothes when he equips it, i mean, visually?

I don''t see why not, I always am pleased when I see nice touches like that. Of course, depending on a number of circumstances, it may be difficult to implement (i.e if the game was 2D, imagine all the extra gfx and such), but it it were possible, I definately would add changing clothes.

quote: Maybe it''s better to keep the same or few clothes so the player gets to remember better the character.

I don''t see this as a problem, especially if the player is going to be using the particular character a lot (if not all the time), since the player will get to know the character enough to take the visual changes in better.




Marc.

I must confess a great joy in being able to alter facets of my character''s (characters'') appearance to my taste. If it weren''t so very taboo for me to do so, I might have played with dolls as a child. Whenever it is technically feasible, I ask that the ability to change clothes, hairstyles, etcetera, be included and thoroughly implemented. Were there a wide selection of clothes to buy in a CRPG, I would have to think very hard about which I wanted more: new arms and armor, or a snappy addition to my wardrobe. If Everquest had a "tailor" class I would happily pay umpteen dollars a month to sit around sewing elaborate embroideries onto the furs of barbarians.

The only thing I ask is that the game effect of clothes be minimal, so that my decision of what to wear is more about what I think would best express my feelings and aesthetics than about getting that vital combination of stat bonuses. I liked the Rune Blade so much more than the Ultima Weapon, and would have given Cid the Mop permanently if it didn''t cripple him to use anything but the Scimitar.

There, I''ve confessed my total fruitdom. Happy now?

---------------------------------------------------
-SpittingTrashcan

You can''t have "civilization" without "civil".

I think that a key factor should be the level of graphical detail available for the characters - if you can''t tell two NPCs with identical clothing apart, then you probably shouldn''t be changing clothes graphically. If it''s easy to identify characters regardless of costume, then having costume affecting graphics is only going to add to the game.

Mind you, I agree with STC that if you allow equipment to affect appearance, then at least some of it should be purely cosmetic (maybe allow players to modify the appearance of their gear without affecting functionality - eg coat of arms on shield, armour could have designs painted on it/woven into it with a purely cosmetic effect... a longsword is always going to look swordlike, but for a price you could get runes engraved into it, or jewels set into the pommel.

For that matter, decoration could have in game effects as well - if your magic system includes symbol-drawing as a means of spell-casting, then certain designs could have magical effects. Obviously, some designs will represent clans/guilds in a multiplayer environment

=====begin lol=====

Yeah, let''s play kiss dolls inside a rpg !! (could we choose the underwear too ? I hope there will be ***tons*** of beautiful girls as PC )

=====end lol=======

Well, it would be a part of the gameplay, I mean, the kind of clothes your character is actually wearing could influence the reaction of NPC (charism).

For instance, if your character is invited to a reception at an ambassy or a castle, and that he wears his casual, old, full of holes and blood, dirty clothes, then he couldn''t enter. So it should go to a room to change clothes (no change in front of all that people !) to wear something smart.

And depending the country, there could be different clothes styles so that a foreigner can be identified as such immediately, forcing your character to buy local-style clothes for a better integration.

And there could be situations (infiltrate a guarded building) where the furtivity of the cloth can be important (dark vs bright cloth).

To conclude, if you add this feature, I think that it can enrich your gameplay more than just a simple graphical feature.

----
David Sporn AKA Sporniket

Only if it has a meaning or purpose, otherwise the extra work would be a waste of time. (Single Player)

In too many online games you cannot recognise characters because they all look alike (They all wear the same most powerfull armor...), that''s something we are discussing since a few weeks on the NWN server I''m playing.

Most users would like to have their own clothes, and for online gaming I think a simple texture (with server side validation) upload could do the trick.

-* So many things to do, so little time to spend. *-

Most players I imagine like to individuate their characters with unique appearances.

In Asheron''s Call, some players will actively seek out matching pieces of a particular type of outfit. At one point, caps with huge feathers were popular, and a fellow I know was the ''only one'' with a matching white ensemble (the cap was hard to find).

It just adds that little dimension to play that players can either take seriously or just goof around with.

My game is a lineal one, it''s not online and there are 10 characters, but the main character is played like the 80% of the time.

From the ideas written in this thread i might make the character able to change clothes in situations where the change it''s important and keeping your usual clothes wouldn''t be apropiate.

As a big fan of carefully chosen equipment and realistic capacity for carrying it, I like the idea of showing everything you''ve got on you. Sure, some can be in a pack to save polys, but if you have a freaking five-foot axe and a longbow, you aren''t going to haul it around in a belt pouch, and there''s no way you''re going to trick anyone into thinking you don''t have one. I like the idea of dressing differently for different applications, like camoflage, and I''d like to see it developed beyond that, into sound concerns. If you''re sneaking around at night with chain mail on, people are going to make fun of you. You''ll have to sacrifice protection for other attributes, such as stealth or freedom of movement, even weight. Nobody climbs buildings and swims moats in 250+lbs of steel. It''s silly.

I also like the idea of customizing the appearance of gear. For MMORPG applications or just for a one-player game, it would be nice to be able to size up an opponent''s gear visually, and could serve as a disguise system, as well. In the Arthurian Legend, there were a few times when the KotRT found that they had "honored" themselves into a situation they couldn''t handle, so they''d just lend Lancelot their armor and let him handle it. He got to do a good deed, and their reputations were intact, not to mention their skulls. If, in a MMORPG, or any RPG with character interaction, NPCs recognized you by your gear, not by your identity, you could do all kinds of cool things. There could be times when somebody else really needs to get something done, but can''t ask for help, so you knock the dude out, take his gear, do the job and then switch back with him. He now officially owes you a favor. Or, you borrow the outfit of a far more intimidating character, scare the poopies out of your enemies, and resolve the issue without injury.