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[Andreus Ixiris]

(Forum selection for this subject was a bit tricky - it touches on both OOC and IC issues).

So as you know, I have pretty strong feelings about freedom of choice when it comes to character creation and customisation. When CCP revealed that they were race-locking character art assets such as hairstyles and clothing, I was very upset, and I made noise about it at the time, but no-one in CCP paid the slightest bit of attention because, you know . So the matter sat on the back-burner for a while, and I brought it up every time it felt appropriate, but CCP paid no attention.

Let's not delve into the recent crisis any more than is neccessary for the discussion of this topic - the upshot of the recent debacle is that CCP are now listening intently to almost every complaint, no matter how superficial, people have about their game. I asked both Trebor and Seleene to bring the subject of character asset racelocks up with CCP in the recent emergency summit - I'm not sure if they did, but it was worth a try. The callous pragmatist in me knows that right now, CCP can't afford to piss off its fanbase very much more than it already has, and so it's paying a lot more attention to even the most tedious and banal issues people have.

Enter my thread on the subject.

At first there was a spattering of support from random forumgoers, and I pretty much expected it to languish as an unimportant subject forever. Then, the impossible happened, and CCP actually paid attention to it. I immediately felt my spirits rise when what was given was not a valid reason, but a contrived excuse. I realised at this point that the situation is not - "CCP can't, it's too difficult", it's "CCP won't, it's easy but they don't want to".

Then CCP Konflikt dropped a bombshell which caused that rarest of all things - me and a member of Star Fraction being in complete agreement.

Look and feel:

An even shorter answer, it breaks the look and feel of the game. Why would a Caldari pilot wear an Amarrian robe? It makes no sense.

As Elaron put it:

I can think of a number of reasons why they might want to. The point being, though, why not let the players make that decision?

Konflikt's off-hand comment is something that made even non-roleplayers get upset - another example of how they don't trust the players to do things the right way. Now, from past experience, when a CCP member drops a lore argument, it means they've basically run out of any legitimate reason for not doing something - and especially so if the lore reason they give isn't even a legitimate one.

I know there are a bunch of Ammatar and Caldari-race Amarr loyalists out there who want the option to wear Amarrian ceremonial garb. Meanwhile, I want the long wavy hair for Intaki, and combat trousers and flight jacket for Andreus in particular. I think we have a genuine chance of getting CCP to cave on this if we push for it.

Solus Starcunning was talking to me about the actual facial features themselves - she'd like to be able to make young-looking Amarr, and I'd like to be able to make older-looking just-about-everyone-else. I think this is a brilliant idea, and if we can succeed in a test case with the clothing and hairstyles, this is what we should go after next.

[Saede Riordan]

I want matari tattoos!

Posted in support of topic.

But I don't think this will get anywhere when they can keep it restricted and offer back that functionality for a fee.

[Katrina Oniseki]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I don't agree.

It's already darn hard enough to tell the difference between races, nevermind bloodlines. If anything, I think they should start bloodline locking clothing options, hairstyles, and such. In my opinion, the bloodlines have lost most of their flavor since the new character creator, with only the most obvious ones (Brutor, 'asians') retaining any sense of unique appearance.

[Saede Riordan]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I don't agree.

It's already darn hard enough to tell the difference between races, nevermind bloodlines. If anything, I think they should start bloodline locking clothing options, hairstyles, and such. In my opinion, the bloodlines have lost most of their flavor since the new character creator, with only the most obvious ones (Brutor, 'asians') retaining any sense of unique appearance.

And not being able to tell them apart is bad why?

people are people are people are people.

[Katrina Oniseki]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I don't agree.

It's already darn hard enough to tell the difference between races, nevermind bloodlines. If anything, I think they should start bloodline locking clothing options, hairstyles, and such. In my opinion, the bloodlines have lost most of their flavor since the new character creator, with only the most obvious ones (Brutor, 'asians') retaining any sense of unique appearance.

And not being able to tell them apart is bad why?

people are people are people are people.

I didn't say it was bad, and I don't think it is bad. I just liked the fantastical exaggerations the previous characters had. Civire were overmuscled, rock jawed hard heads. Amarr were scowling and crow nosed with high gaunt cheekbones.

It wasn't realistic, and it wasn't 'better'. It was just something I liked, thus, I don't agree with more blurring of the races.

[Myyona]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I don't agree.

It's already darn hard enough to tell the difference between races, nevermind bloodlines. If anything, I think they should start bloodline locking clothing options, hairstyles, and such. In my opinion, the bloodlines have lost most of their flavor since the new character creator, with only the most obvious ones (Brutor, 'asians') retaining any sense of unique appearance.

Well, as the cloth pieces in the NeX store goes directly against that philosophy (no discrimination between races) you will have to face the difficulties recognizing people based on their wearings anyhow as more cloth items get introduced to the store and more people will buy them.

[Katrina Oniseki]

Well, as the cloth pieces in the NeX store goes directly against that philosophy (no discrimination between races) you will have to face the difficulties recognizing people based on their wearings anyhow as more cloth items get introduced to the store and more people will buy them.

Yeah.

I know, and I'm getting used to it.

[Andreus Ixiris]

While the question of racial differentiation is an interesting one, I'd say it's largely a personal matter now. The days of any mechanical differentiation between the bloodlines or the races besides a few starting skills is all but gone, and there's enough intermix of clothing styles between the races that clothing doesn't help differentiate them anyway.

I also think that racial differentiation always needs to take a back seat to player choice.

[BloodBird]

While the question of racial differentiation is an interesting one, I'd say it's largely a personal matter now. The days of any mechanical differentiation between the bloodlines or the races besides a few starting skills is all but gone, and there's enough intermix of clothing styles between the races that clothing doesn't help differentiate them anyway.

I also think that racial differentiation always needs to take a back seat to player choice.

I'd very much agree with this - what I'd love to see on top of all the universal clothing we have now, and the universal options for doodads and tatoos and hair cuts etc, is blood-line options. They don't have to be limited, in fact I'd love it if they were not limited - if a player of a Civire toon wanted to explain how, say, her father sent her to the state to train, but she grew up on Gallente Prime a half-gallente half-Civire but preffer to live in the Fed, she uses Gallente-style clothing and haircuts popular in the Fed, she should be able to.

And I should be able to make my toon look like the Traditionalist old-school Intaki he is - Intaki haircuts, tatoos, doodads, clothing etc. This option, on top of all the universal clothing, would allow any player to costum-tailor their apparence as they wish, to suit any angle in RP or other, that they want.

It would also help make toons slightly more identifiable based on clothing - the facial and body-build options being very universal (as it should be) should be no barrier to cultural differences and/or prefferances being displayed in fluff-options.

After all, to most people the difference between a Chinese and Japanese girl is likely to lie in clothing options, if we think more traditional clothing here - wearing more internationally available sweaters and jeans for instance, should make it a bit harder to say who is from where. All I want is to have this option in-game.

[Merahl]

I am in complete agreement. I was quite disappointed when the old Ambulation costume designs were utterly scrapped, but I suppose the choice to create a "station culture" or some such was done deliberately. If that is the way they want to do it, they should go all the way, including the hair color options and tattoos, which are inexplicably restricted, as well.

[Vincent Pryce]

Want long hair for male gallente. Like, now. 

[Andreus Ixiris]

So yeah, if people can spread this and make some noise in this thread, we might actually be able to make CCP pay attention to this.

[scagga]

Andreus and I discussed this matter at the recent London meet and overall I am in favour of the motion.

However I would support the idea within the context that non-racial garbs be obtained for a fee (Isk or aurum, whatever), rather than as a standard option. 

One option that I would have also wished for, but think is asking too much, is for bloodlines to be able to created loyal to opposing empire factions (e.g. minmatar characters starting in amarr or ammatar space).  The problem with that option I guess would be the extension to 0.0. entities...

[Raphael Saint]

Want long hair for male gallente. Like, now. 

And I want short hair for the Amarrians that doesn't look so foppish.  Maybe some sort of trade can be worked out?

[Louella Dougans]

Nope.

Giving them out for free in the char creator takes away from the potential for Incarna proper.

Want to get an Intaki hairdo when you're Minmatar ? Then travel to places where there's an Intaki hairstylist, and wander about. See what else is going on when you're there.

Same for anything and everything else.

Having it all available for no effort whatsoever at character creation takes away possibilities for non-NeX related features in Incarna proper.

Think about it.

A character with outfits not available at char creation, someone says "hey, where'd you get those?" they could reply, telling a tale of their adventures in space. Adventures which other players could have as well. Ingame. Not some bumph made up about how previously to being a pilot they were a whatnot.

Reasons to go out and explore the universe, have adventures, make stories, interact with people.

Having it all laid out in the char creator takes away that potential.