Question/sugestions about the character customization

nathan

Hey guys.
I was browsing FA and I found this: https://www.patreon.com/Khralzar
Its a game called Shades of Elysium, they have a very simple but effective skin customization: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23394741/
They are very limited in body modifications, but it raised one question: how is the customization going to be made in Yiffalicious?

I personally prefer and support something similar to how The Sims 3 did with their animal Sims: presets of types of tails, paws, body shapes, nuzzles and ears, with modification slides being used for the final touches, modifying event for length and shine. Another thing The Sims done right was the ability to use layers of markings with free color palette and custom placements much like the vynils from Need For Speed.

Another interesting feature that I think would be valid is the option to import transparent files (like .png) to be used as tattoos, or plain files to be used as patterns for fur and clothes. And if that isn't possible, the next bext thing would be a separated App for customization of skins, where users could paint in real time over the characters they created, like a living canvas (what would improve a lot the perception of shading and color for each creationg).

With these in place, you can virtually create any OC, fursona or whatever (I have high expectations for this game, if that wasn't clear).

What do you guys think?

nathan

For example: with the use of the slides for fur length and body, together with being able to correctely made use of low shine fur and custom placed layers with skin tones (freedom of coloring), one could trick the game into creating a Sphynx (furless cat), something it was never intended for, but worked around just fine.

Another example was that you could choose extreme colors that would appear neon-bright even under shadows, specially if put next to very dark markings, giving the illusion of bioluminescence.

The Sims 3 offered a very intuitive method of creation that was more simple than it sounds like, giving total freedom to the creator, his creativity being the limit. Not only that, but because every tool to create were already ingame, there wasn't the need to make a different skin for each character, just codes, which in the long run, would save up a lot of space and speed the loading I think.

Oozaru

It will take quite some time for them to implement character creation into the game. They will have to do all the slider morphs for every character. In Sims 3 there were only cats, dogs and horses, and they all used just 1 base model for each species. So they had to create morphs for just 3 characters. Yiffalicious already has more than 3 characters, and there's more to come in the future. Well, they could use one body model for all males and females, then simply add parts like ears, horns, tails, and feet as customizable presets to add to your character if you wanna make a specific species. Would still be pretty much work tho and the heads would have to be kinda presets as well, with each it's own morphs. Still they could reduce work time with just one body model and it's morphs for each species. Most of them have pretty similar bodys anyway. Add a muscle and height slider, and voila. Diversity.

The Editor will come. We'll probably have to wait for it long tho.

nathan

That's about what I was talking about: one body type for each sex, with fur, scales, types of paws, claws, muzzles, ears, horns, wings, genetalia and etc being pieces you could slap in it, with sliders controling the rest.

But come to think of it, each species particularities, like heads and paws, would have to have its own slides so it wouldn't mess up the expressions. But still, it is more diverse and palpable than most other ideas.

Oozaru

Well, they already have all the expression sliders. They'll probably reuse them in Y2. They won't really have to redo the heads. They just have to make the editor slider morphs for each head. Which is pretty easy, tbh. I used to make my own slider morphs back in my Sims 3 days. It's not really rocket science. It is a lot of work for one single person, tho. Well, then of course they'll have to programm the editor first, before they start with slider morphs. A lot of work for such a small team...

nathan

I think that small is relative, since I have seen bigger teams make big steaming piles. This one is already impressive by itself, imagine in the future!

Played a demo of Rack2 yesterday, and although clunky, the character creation is decent, and if we get at least that, It pretty much will succeced. You can even alter stiffness, lentgh and fluffyness of the tails!

Oozaru

Oh? There is a demo? Where did you get it? o.o I'd love to give this game a try.

nathan

You have to support the game on Patreon, but I manage to find an 0.1.06 build. Its... lacking, to say the least, considering how much time its being around. The characters also looks like more fursuits than actual anthros because of their big paws and heads, but its the best creator so far. Breasts are fugly, though.

I liked Cathouse Tale a tad more in the aesthetics department, and it has a open alpha buid: https://www.patreon.com/posts/1847047
Its promising, but still too limited compared to YF in terms of scenes, as it is WAY underfunded.