Elf playable race may not be Obsidian elves

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Arkah EMPstrike, May 16, 2019.

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  1. Astirian

    Astirian Avatar

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    If we get kobolds with character customization I'll finally be able to reduce the size of that lower jaw! :p
     
  2. Lars vonDrachental

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    Well this could be the official version on implementation but as today avatars are roleplaying to be native novians they could also roleplay they are native elves or kobolds but in general I guess it would be reasonable that as long as you are not telling the NPCs that you are an avatar they might not know it...even if specific quest might spread this rumor e.g. if the oracle is meeting the forecasted avatar the guards may spread that info to other NPCs and your status as avatar might get that way general knowledge.
    Creating behavior rules for NPCs based on your current body would be indeed nice but before that is possible I think there must be general mechanics ingame to let NPC judge your actions based on their own “convictions”. E.g. saying always the truth might raise your virtue but the results could still make single NPCs or factions angry.
    Once such mechanics are ingame they can extend this to also judge your visual appearance and not just based on the avatars body (human, elf, kobold,…) maybe it could be even based on the gear you wear.
    E.g. NPC could be doubtfully that you can handle a quest if you are wearing rags or worn equipment or a shady vendor might not trade with a knight in shiny armor or elves might not fight other elves on sight (even in combat scenes) and just attack if you attack them/take unwanted actions or ...
    This would indeed let the world feel more believable but that needs a lot of work. ;)
     
  3. Ataniiq

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    Current models with pointy ears.
     
  4. Elwyn

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    I've always chuckled inside that the "elves" in SotA were a great trolling of people who want "pretty" elves as characters. But as I realized and pointed out, other games have standard fantasy elves and call them something else. In particular Final Fantasy XI and XIV both do this, each with their own name.

    I feel the game itself has been lacking in the "cute" and "pretty" departments that you tend to find in Asian games, and a gnome/halfling race would be another good thing. (The Fairy Belt isn't quite far enough, since it doesn't change body proportions. We need bigger head and pear body shape options!) I think that more likable character models could also help with that "attach rate"!

    Chris did point out that it would be more difficult to have a race much different in rigging to humans (that might make kobolds more work) because all sorts of clothing would have to be re-worked. It seems Star Trek got it right ~50 years ago when they realized it was cheaper to just slap funny ears and foreheads and colorful skin make-up on alien races.

    And I found it interesting when Chris said the Port crew in general isn't very thrilled about their "ayy lamo" elves.
     
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  5. Jefe

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    Solution for the face problem was presented ages ago in discussions about elven children.

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Anpu

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    Not really happy at all if they are going to add a new playable race, JUST for the sake of adding them.

    If they just added some appearance options that look like the elves (which is what the Obsidians did), that I would be ok with.

    The amount of time spent on creating an entire new player race, could probably be better spent on adding more custom appearance options. Which is sadly extremely lacking.
     
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  7. Synergy Blaize

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    Personally, I would not choose to look like the current Elfs (obsidian) in-game... They are Fugly! & not what I picture as Elvish what-so -ever.

    BUT... I DO agree that we should have MORE slider ability to create OUR Avatar, symbolizing, age etc...

    I recently tried to create an "elderly avatar", with grey hair in a bun & she still looked like a teenager with grey hair in a bun.

    Let us age & weather our char with the sliders please.
     
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  8. Belladonna Rose

    Belladonna Rose Bug Hunter

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    Once entering and creating avatars you would have to go to the New You shop to change your look. We originally came here as avatars per the beginning when we all first start. So there should be an option elsewhere in the game to go back AFTER you have created your look. But i agree with Synergy that we need more options when starting out. If someone wants to look short and fat then they should have that option. There is really nothing at this time other than clothing that makes any of us look that unique and special. And for Pete's sake fix the colors. I want Auburn hair....not salmon pink....or if i choose black hair i want it BLACK not some variation of black. And i would like some different hairstyles as well....What we have now is horrible. But i think there are ways around the elf looks....Still look like we do just add the ear feature and such. Ohhh and blonde hair not white.
     
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  9. Parson Barr

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    You're right. I do remember those. Never played 3 all the way through. IV was when I joined the scene.
     
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  10. Jason_M

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    Elves are twisted transmografications of humans born from horrible experimentation upon unwilling human Novians by the Obsidian Order.

    They're not cute, they're not lovely, and even the "innocent" ones are still suspiciously far too closely connected to Artifice. This our lore, our world. It's not Tolkein and that's OK.

    Also, if you're not an avatar, you're not immortal, so you age and die and don't resurrect.

    If you're not an avatar, how do you do the quest?

    If you're not an outlander, how do the NPCs inrerract with you?

    In my humble and unsolicited opinion, this is a pandora's box situation. One of the oldest, largest, most famous, and most interesting clans of UO were the Orcs. They got by with good roleplaying and masks. If I remember correctly, I believe they started well before masks of Orcish kin were added to the game. And they prospered - warts and all!

    Perhaps Elf and Kobold masks could be added to the cash shop for a cheap price for role players to use. Maybe even some hybrid masks. But changing all of the quests, game world history, lore surrounding death mechanics, and doubling all NPC interractions to accomodate non-outlanders is an impossible task. (Except for Arcanum, of course, which did NPC interractions with several different races marvelously way back when.)

    It's not my place to say, but the best way to play an alternstive character is probably still to throw on a mask and role play if you want to be an elf/kobold/fish.

    Could outlanders from Faerun pop into the world like the Titans from their own? It's possible.
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2019
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