[DEV REQUEST] Balancing Character Customization

[Shurrikhan]

Lets see if i can put this into easy terms to understand.

Picture memory as a number of slots. Now assume we have 4 available slots for facial features. These 4 slots can be filled out for example with face, eyes, nose, mouth. We are now using all of our available slots for these 4 customisation options. The reason we cant have the horns and face as a separate option is because this would create a 5th customisation option, but we only have room for 4 options.

As for why adding extra hairstyles doesn't affect this is because even if we have 100 different hairstyles to choose from, ONLY 1 hairstyle (the one you choose) is actually taking up 1 of the 4 available memory slots.

The number of total hairstyles we have to choose from is likely to have its own separate memory allocation but that's another issue on its own. You have to view memory as the separate parts that they belong to to make up the whole.

Its a similar issue to the common misconceptions that people have with inventory space. They wonder why if we can purchase an extra retainer, why cant that extra space just be given on our characters. Its the same issue, 1 character with 100 slots plus 1 retainer uses the same amount of available memory when they summon a retainer as a person with 1 character with 100 slots and 10 retainers. Because only 1 retainer memory is loaded up at any given time. The character inventory memory remains the same at 100 slots

But if we had a person who has a character with 200 slots and 1 retainer, they are suddenly using almost 2 times the memory of the person who only has 100 slots and 1 retainer because that character inventory has to be loaded in memory at all times.

And lets not even get started on the technical side of what memory means cause that just gets even more confusing, does it refer to space on a HDD, or RAM or even the capacity of your bandwidth. Most people on these forums think it refers to HDD space, but in most instances, it refers to the later two areas.

This would make sense to me perhaps in regards to low-RAM systems like a PS3, but beyond that... We have MMOs out right now with some 20+ sliders, another 6 palette choices per character, atop an inventory of up to some 50 slots, banks with another 50, and every item you've ever worn stored alike to an achievement in memory for instant appearance access... If that really comes down to a compromise between character appearance choices, item storage, (and perhaps even achievement storage), I'd rather have the actual appearance choices and just see glamour requirements revised and "optimal for" gear returned.

Now, honestly, I don't think XIV's character creator wants for much. The poster above me has already listed all I'd really want added, apart from the ability to modify some of my emotes, running animation (to avoid the fem hyur flappy arms) or create 'expression sets'.

*Ignore sig. Forgot to turn off. Post way out of date.

[Lycieus]

Its a similar issue to the common misconceptions that people have with inventory space. They wonder why if we can purchase an extra retainer, why cant that extra space just be given on our characters. Its the same issue, 1 character with 100 slots plus 1 retainer uses the same amount of available memory when they summon a retainer as a person with 1 character with 100 slots and 10 retainers. Because only 1 retainer memory is loaded up at any given time. The character inventory memory remains the same at 100 slots

Adding a glamour log or a tackle box would be similar to adding another retainer in this regard. In fact, in the case of a glamour log, it would save memory since you could strip the items registered to it of extra information such as who crafted it, what colors it was dyed, combat stats, etc.

In summary, this doesn't quite apply to inventory. Square wants to make money selling retainers and doesn't want to expend the effort to add features most other MMOs have.

[Noka]

If the setup is optimized, most of the flags are bits. Let's say for one race, 2 bits go to face shape. This frees up memory for other slots, but means the maximum is 4, as bits can be 1 or 0. Thus, the only combinations for marking flags are 00, 01, 10, and 11.

This means it takes another bit to go over 4. If this is optimized for memory, then their memory allocation means that it's simple to add things that they already have a large amount of, but smaller numbers will take more for less. All memory allocations that are just simple bitflags rely on those possible combinations; they can be considered to be 2^(bit number) combinations. So we have 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64...

When you look at the required space, consider this: Races have 50-100 skin colors. Same with hair color, eye color. All these options take up space. So if memory allocation is the same for all races and appearances, then cram room can be challenging, while hair styles aren't because they're not filled yet.

[odie]

We're highly unlikely to get face/body options in place of new hairstyles simply because the entirety of the players can go to an aesthetician to change their hair, but many or most would be unlikely to buy a fantasia to try on a new nose or chin.

[Naunet]

I have to stand behind the OP on principal. The character creation is rather shameful in how limited the options are.

[MistyMew]

I have to stand behind the OP on principal. The character creation is rather shameful in how limited the options are.

Agreed, reasoning why some limitations exist are there yes, but then they need to eliminate those reasons, its up to se to provide this imo.
Many older games offer huge amount of choices in customization (and other game features) time to enter 2015 SE.

ty

[LandricFrey]

Character creation/customization done right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01MEk4RHRW0

[Letbluevannback]

Honestly I'd prefer if they removed the option to toggle on/off limbal rings from Au Ras (they should always have limbal rings, like how Dunesfolk always have glossy eyes and Seekers always have cat pupils) and turn that tab into a Horn tab instead, where you can choose both main and secondary horn sets. The fact that main horns are locked to faces and secondary horns are locked to certain hairstyles is just plain dumb.

[Airget]

Honestly I'd prefer if they removed the option to toggle on/off limbal rings from Au Ras (they should always have limbal rings, like how Dunesfolk always have glossy eyes and Seekers always have cat pupils) and turn that tab into a Horn tab instead, where you can choose both main and secondary horn sets. The fact that main horns are locked to faces and secondary horns are locked to certain hairstyles is just plain dumb.

This is the change that could be made, if they take a step back and see how much those eyes limit the options then they could open the door to being able to make the horns and faces separate for the most part. Even if it was all 4 horns could be used on all 4 faces they could at least do 2 horns per face by removing the eye option.