Char Creation: Less Random, More Custom

[Frission]

I would like to see char creation fully customizable. Being able to choose all aspects of my character, from appearance to voice (and pitch of voice, since there are several) with arrows, sliders, or whatnot would be far superior to the current system where everything's random, so when I start a new game I'm sitting there clicking "Change Look" 800 times until I find a look and voice combo that I like.

This goes further than just looks though—It hasn't escaped my notice that your stats are 100% randomized when you start too, as are potential starting perks/flaws, if any. So you could go through that 800 click process, finally get the char you like, then start up only to find out that all your stats but dex or luck are 5, and you've gotten "weak" or "fat" as a mod on your captain.

At which point we flip a table and go start over from the beginning. x_x

So yeah, full customization on character creation please! Looks, Voice, Stats, Perks/Flaws, all of it! :3

[Morz]

I agree with this. The ability to customize your character and character's stats would make this game a lot more personal and fun. Customization is always something players love.

[Ceiis]

More character customization would be wonderful.

(Deleted the multi posts. My internet/Steam was going wacky, sorry bout that ^_^)

[Kestrel]

I wouldn't count on it. Goes against the core of the game and the developers have already stated that they were hesitant to let you directly control a single character at all. I think they like the dice rolling aspect of gameplay.

[Frission]

Well that's just silly, it should be an option for the people that want more control. The people that like going random should still be able to.

[Ceiis]

Originally posted by Frission:

Well that's just silly, it should be an option for the people that want more control. The people that like going random should still be able to.

Exactly.

[Simba]

I want to see at least visual customization, but I'd also like to have the ability to change the defaul character name when creating a new game. Cause I'm lazy and I use the same name every time but not the one that's in game currently.

[Doktor]

More customization for the captain creation would be so great ! I don't mind to have randomly generated crew but the captain is special, it's kind of my avatar and I love so much to customize my avatar. It's like creating and customizing my ship. It has a powerful feeling of making it personal.

Besides that it adds more depth in the strategy chosen at the begining of the game. Offering choice to people is always great.

If no such customization is wished, at least consider normalizing the random attribution of stat points. Don't roll each stat separately but garantee a fixed amount of points which are then randomly distributed to the stats. It will avoid situations where you captain is so crappy that you can't help but to create another until you're satisfied enough with the generation. Or at the contrary you start with a captain so overpowered that the begining of the game is ridiculously easy.

[Frission]

Not to mention the frustration of finally rolling up the look and voice you want only to find out your captain is fat, depressive, and has 3's in STR, VIT and INT. x_X

I actually had that happen more than once :(

[Sgt. Shotgun Suds]

Well honestly, I like how they have it now. It plays out for a much more interesting scenario as you can have all sort happen!
It is a pain getting a bad perk on your Cap'n when you finally find a good look so having something to change the look to your liking sounds more in line with the game rather than practically stripping such a main feature that just adds a whole new element of fun.

[Frission]

If you read you'll note we never said to strip out the random option entirely. But for those of us who don't like frustration for no good reason, we'd like the customization.

[Banished]

Originally posted by Duke Spill Of Spudington:

Well honestly, I like how they have it now. It plays out for a much more interesting scenario as you can have all sort happen!
It is a pain getting a bad perk on your Cap'n when you finally find a good look so having something to change the look to your liking sounds more in line with the game rather than practically stripping such a main feature that just adds a whole new element of fun.

Yeah, Duke I have to agree with Frission on that one; why not just offer the option of random selection to the players who want it, AND give the customizing crowd their treat too?
It doesnt subtract anything from the fun of the game, and in fact, would serve them better to appeal to a wider selection of people who like different things, while keeping in line with their original designs.

[Lactose the Intolerant]

Nope. What's the point of having character creation if someone can just go onto the wiki and grab the best min/max build they can find? Not all men were created equal and I think the character gen should stay exactly how it is.

[Frission]

Oh I don't know, Lactose..... How about "fun?" Your fun and my fun are different things. The other thousands of players all have their own ideas of what fun is as well. The idea that 'nobody should get a choice because they all need to play the game my way' isn't really a very wise stance on the matter.

Originally posted by Lactose the Intolerant:

Not all men were created equal

To quote a developer I heard speak many years ago: "Reality sucks. That's why people play games."

[Durgrobach]

The fact that character creation and customization is available would deter nearly everyone from "rolling" a new character. Sure, people might do it if they're bored and want to pass a bit of time, but 95% of the players would simply create their perfect pirate.

I think that the look/sound of your pirate should be customized, but not the stats. This being said, they DO need a better stat-assigning algorithm.

I recently rolled a Weak, Dumb and fat pirate with stats below 5 for everything but dexterity.
While I had also rolled someone without a single stat below 15.. They just need to find a better balance, instead of randomizing each stat individually.

[Doktor]

Originally posted by Durgrobach:

The fact that character creation and customization is available would deter nearly everyone from "rolling" a new character. Sure, people might do it if they're bored and want to pass a bit of time, but 95% of the players would simply create their perfect pirate.

I think that the look/sound of your pirate should be customized, but not the stats. This being said, they DO need a better stat-assigning algorithm.

I recently rolled a Weak, Dumb and fat pirate with stats below 5 for everything but dexterity.
While I had also rolled someone without a single stat below 15.. They just need to find a better balance, instead of randomizing each stat individually.

Please, just speak for yourself and don't assume that "95% of people will do this". Anyway, why would it bother you if 95% of people would simply create their perfect pirate ? Why do you care ? And what is a perfect pirate ? As Frission said, everyone has his own definition of fun. You have no right to tell other people what is fun and deny what they find fun.

I have some other arguments to add :
-Whatever I roll initialy, I can still build and will build "my perfect Captain" as I level up. So random generation will just delay me to do what I want and what I like to do.

-If there is only one "perfect Captain", then there is a serious design flaw (in my opinion as always). There should be many different ways to develop your Captain, each viable. Choice ! For example : a fighting Captain, a skillfull Captain, a lucky Captain, a managing Captain, etc... Everyone has his own conception and idea of a Captain. Everyone should be able to explore those ways. The Flaws and Qualities system that I proposed in another topic is a way to emphasize that point.

-I don't deny the fun to roll a random Captain for people that like it. And I think the option should be kept (with a better stat assignement). But for me it's just a pain to re-roll until I find a decent enough Captain to play, Captain that I will build as I want anyway.

-The character creation must be thought with the character development in mind. I would probably develop this point in another thread but let me give a headline. As you level up, your pirates quikly become performant in everything. When they reach level 30~40, they can have decent stats with no flaws and can learn pratically every basic skills. Basically every pirate becomes good at everything whatever his randomized creation. Giving meaningful choices at creation and in developpement with many viable ways is important. Meaningful choices means that you won't end up having clones good at everything. But as I said, I will develop my ideas in another topic.