Regular Models or Alternate Models or ?
We all know about the Alternate Models. Some of us love them, some of us hate them, some of us just don’t care. But which is used more often? Do people use one over the other or a combination of both? Are people really happy with the way the models are set up right now or would they like to have a third option? If you’re one of those hoping for a third option, you may get your wish…or maybe not.
From Holly “Windstalker” Longdale:
We discuss the issues around having two sets of models often on the team. We’d all like to get the options down to one set of models, either the main or the Alternate Appearance (which I and others call SOGA). It would be better overall in terms of being able to create assets, animations and so forth as doing them for all races over two model types is an insane amount of work.
We have also discussed doing a whole new set and abandoning the old ones. Also, in terms of all the armor, animations, etc. also many months of work for several artists rather than creating new assets for armor, etc. in game.
But we don’t want to make changes for the sake of them and we’re not sure there’s any way to do this without a negative impact. Some people love their SOGA models, some people love their original models. We can’t disable one without upsetting those who enjoy the other.
We may put it to a vote to the players pretty soon though. Might as well ask so we’re not making assumptions that half the players prefer one or the other appearance.
Maybe we’ll run that as the next poll?
And certainly, as the OP asks, we have looked at forcing the appearance you choose on those around you, but as it is set up now, it’s based on the user’s preferences as you know in terms of which model type to display.
This is being discussed on EQ2 Forums.
Would it actually be better to simply have one model? And if so which one? Or should we just abandon the ones we have available now and go with something completely different?
Tags: character models
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Comments (57)
Sharann
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For some races I prefer Soga (i.e. original human females look like they’ve got only 1 braincell and they share it with next door’s cat), for others I’d rather select the original (wood or dark elf for instance). And the in-game vampire npcs looked good so why in heaven did they have to create a botoxed-looking female?
So I definitely would love to see a complete set of new models. And please make them look good (not bland-looking like in Lotro) and with a bunch more options than what we currently have (as an example several faces with feature sliders like in Aion). Currently we have only one face per race/gender to play with.
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Feldon
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I use a mixture of soga and original. Some of the originals are pretty lumpy.
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Ruatta
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I am another that has a combination of original and SOGA models for my alts. My human males are SOGA, but my human females are original. My elves & half-elves are SOGA, except for my Teir’Dal (Dark Elf) as I prefer the original model. My Ogre alts all use the SOGA model (the look makes me think of large green Klingons).
Keeping in mind that not all character options have a SOGA model (Kerra, Iksar & Trolls) I hope that SOE will continue to allow the players the option to choose the appearance they prefer.
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Striinger
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If I wanted to play WoW…I’d be playing WoW. Since I’m not, I go more for the original models instead of the hyper long limbed, horn-like eared, bright berry colored SOGA models. If you put enough armor on them I suppose they look okay (since you can’t really see them).
IF they wanted to take a stab at building all new models, they’d have to change how the models work to make them much “better” (has to do with the number of attibutes per node they can use and the number of deformers they can use being low…if I recall). If they start with one of the models (doesn’t matter which set, but it’d make most sense to use the ones with the highest node density) and retarget those nodes to a new model…it shouldn’t require armor set changes. So, a new set that replaces the others shouldn’t (if they do it right) require asset redesign.
EQ2 allows more character appearance customisation than most (not talking faces, but what your toon looks like fully geared running around). Rift is a prime example of “looks good on paper” customisation…until you’ve run around a few times following a stranger because they looked so much like your buddy.
So, would I like to see them spruce up how pretty the toons are (especially facial stuff to make SoEmote less…pointless)? Sure…great…give that a go, BUT it’s not my highest on my list of stuff that I’d like to see done. Unfortunately, what *I* would like to see done requires them to replace a few artists with a few programmers (e.g. authentication fixes to prevent voice and zone dropouts, server code optimization to reduce/remove “lag” when my client is still pushing 70 fps, fix a few more gameplay “annoyances” like dropping through the world, or even extend the abilities for players to create content…if that’s what their plan says they want to do!).
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Eschia
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One thing I know is possible, and all it takes is a little texturing work, which could easily be done in photoshop, gimp, or paint tool sai, would be to take the original models and UPDATE THE TEXTURING, so they don’t look like silly puddy. If SOE don’t have time or people to do that, then what are they doing?
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Trevyn
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Like Feldon I use a mixture. While some (!) SOGA are nice – others are far from. SOGA caters a certain audience (and was done for them obviously because they didn’t like the regular models).
For my liking most soga models are too – well – asia-grinder like. If I only wanted that kind of model only I would continue to play Lineage
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wintersblade
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Are we all forgetting that there is already a third option set to play our toons in…./cutemode /cutemode2 /cutemode3…..cutemode3 for pvp all day loooong. Teapot, out.
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