[DEV REQUEST] Balancing Character Customization

[Fitzy]

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.

[Vejjiegirl]

I updated the stats for the males now, I noticed most of the male races are pretty even compared to the female races. Midlander Hyur is OP though! 6 Face styles while the other races only get 4!

Male Au Ra Customization > Female Au Ra Customization

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.

That makes a lot of sense, it would explain why they couldn't add Au Ra Horn selection for example. This would mean that each selection (i.e. Face Shape) would have different slots that they could add into like the hairstyle selection. However, they wouldn't be able to add anything else (for example Muscle Slider for Male Miq'ote)

[Samcaesar]

Snip

As other have stated though worded a bit differently, that's a great explanation on why we won't see the addition of a universal muscle slider yet, but not necessarily an explanation on why the Midlander girl has 5 facial options while the other races only have four, especially considering in many aspects they have notably less options.

[Amiaze]

Not to mention the fact that the girls have an entirely additional slider that's lacking an equivalent the guys (Breast slider).

And thus, Hunberct Longhaft was born.

But in all seriousness, I was a bit irked by this myself when creating another character. There are make-up options available to Highlanders that Midlanders cannot use. And I completely understand making each race and subrace unique in ways, but I don't think that simple cutting off features from one and not offering anything in its place is really the way to go. I'd have to check again to be certain, but I don't think the Midlander Females can use the freckles option that Highlanders can.

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

That makes perfect sense. Given this information, though, I'd like to ask how much memory would be affected by running consoles of varying power, one of which is leagues behind the other two? And this isn't to start a "PS3 limitations!" rant or anything, but I've been assuming that part of the memory issue was due to that. Or is it something that is completely on SE's end moreso than the client's? Obviously, the system can't load nearly as much at once as the others, but that shouldn't affect the "slots", should it?

[Vejjiegirl]

And this isn't to start a "PS3 limitations!" rant or anything, but I've been assuming that part of the memory issue was due to that. Or is it something that is completely on SE's end moreso than the client's? Obviously, the system can't load nearly as much at once as the others, but that shouldn't affect the "slots", should it?

Yeah it could be possible the PS3 limitations are a major issue when it comes to Character creation, although it still doesn't explain how they can make hairstyles in every patch but not add anything else in other areas for races that need them.

[Felis]

Yeah it could be possible the PS3 limitations are a major issue when it comes to Character creation, although it still doesn't explain how they can make hairstyles in every patch but not add anything else in other areas for races that need them.

Sometimes there are also new facepaints

[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.