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I've just come to a shocking realization: Not everyone can have what they want... I think...
A hear many people saying they loathe the gear grind and while I agree I also keep hearing they want distinct gear so they never look like someone else... and this got me to thinking...
People dont care about gear because by the time you level it'll be replaced with some other carrot on a stick that offers only a fractional benefit. People want gear to matter again, and that entails gear lasting more than 30mins.
But people also never want to look alike.
But isnt this counterintuitive?
Because in order for everyone to look different there has to be more gear, but by adding more it dilutes the gear-pool. Unless of course studios are comfortable with developing the same gear with the same stats with only cosmetic differences. That would be very inefficient.
So, by making everyone unique we end up making gear worthless?
Comments
There are at least 3 different systems by which the appearance of a character's clothing ca be partially or completely separated from the stats of their gear.
1. Double equipment slots. The right set gives stats, the left set gives appearance. For the left set, class restrictions may be removed. Often the cash shop will sell statless gear that looks cool.
2. Dyable everything. The player has to wear the gear with the stats but they can at least make it all matching colors. An advanced system might have "dyes" that can change texture, not just color.
3. Stitchable appearances. In this case a player merges two items of the same type in a crafting process that creates an item with the stats of one and appearances of the other. This can be combined with consumable items that add a glow to a piece of gear.
I'm fine with this one but dislike having costume slots and tabs . I guess it's an RPG thing but I think you should wear what you're actually wearing
Really great ideas
city of heroes, almost everyone looked unique. They found a way to give items stats and alter powers without compromising your ability to look different than every other player.
If someone did it and did it well 8? years ago, no one should really have any excuse why they can't other than we didn't feel like adding that to our game.
If this is the only incentive to complete content in an MMO it's not very good game and in fact I think encouraging this kind of behavior just makes the playerbase that the game does have more dickish.
+1
Don't worry. Eventually won't need to even play a MMORPG. You'll buy the levels and gear and then just parade around town.
Actually the people who are interested in looking stylish and coordinated are usually among the least dickish players because they are usually not the same type of people who are interested in dominating other players.
When a character was created, their costume never changed, with the exceptions of capes at level 20, auras at level 30, and of course the Icon Shop, where characters could buy more costumes to fill their multiple costume slots. This was something I loved about CoH.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
It was a great system. I haven't seen any other mmorpg that used a similar technique.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.
-- Herman Melville
Well, actually, all the superhero games have something similar... Its become kind of standard for those games that allow you to have gear slots that don't change your appearance. Its one of the things I love about those games... though I do like unlocking new gear pieces in DCUO. At the end of the day though, you unlock so many styles its hard not to find something you're absolutely happy with.
Likewise. Same goes to TSW, with actual gear is (mostly) unseen, so you can dress like the way you want.
LotRO worths a mentioning too, with it's fashion shows and the (I guess) 7 costume slots, the wardrobe and dye system, and (I guess, since I've never counted) probably just as much cosmetic gear in the game as "regular" statted gear. And with the war-steeds in Rohan, now the mounts can be dressed up multiple ways as well
DCUO has all the standard equipment slots you see in a traditional RPG and powers use the traditional skill tree with no slots. I'm not sure what you mean by "all superhero games have something similar". It's nothing like CoH.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.
-- Herman Melville