Race Customization

Presumably you have the same ammount of freedom..?

Are we going to be able to change how they visually appear or will there be pre set race portraits? And if we are able to change their appearance, will this also be true for our own race choice?

You can already change the portraits.

But are there any other options being considered to be added?

I am thinking along the lines of the following:

Deciding where your starting alignment will lean?

Having the ability to dictate the number and quality of planets in your home system (limited by some sort of a points system of course)
i.e. you have X PQ points, and you can assign Y to one planet, and the remaining Z to another, as long as the point’s equals X.

Select custom graphics for your home systems stars and planets? i.e. size, textures, moons, rings?

The ability to individually name each planet and the star in your system (so you do not get [assuming your race name is "Super Race"] Super Race as the star, and Super Race I, Super RaceII, Super RaceIII, etc, for the planets)

Since there are going to be more planet types, perhaps an initial ability to colonize one type or another. (If some of the standard races will get this special ability from the start)

I am just throwing out ideas here.

You can already change the portraits.

Sorry, wasn't being clear. I meant in the game itself, kind of like the Sims, would there be a character editor that would allow you to generate a race portrait, not import one in from another source.

I want to know if the customized races remain a permanent choice for future games, so that I don't have to re-create them with every new game I play.

Ex: Right now, every time I play a custome race, it remembers the last settings I had, but if there was an old set of stats I liked as a different custome race I'd have to remember how I did it and change the stats manually again.

Yes, there will be a few new options that you can choose to customize your race as well as the AI, like your initial alignment, which personality you have (AI code & flavor text), etc.

I asked for an entry field for the star name, but so far that has not been added.  With modding, you should be able to create your own custom star system and name the stars and planets there.

There won't be a face editor for portraits.  That would take way too much work for almost no benefit.  You can't even see your character's portrait in game.

vigesimal, even now you should be able to use the load button on the custom race screen to load one of your previously configured custom races, as long as you've been giving your custom races different names.

 

I asked for an entry field for the star name, but so far that has not been added. With modding, you should be able to create your own custom star system and name the stars and planets there.

Would this still raise a cheat flag for metaverse games? (If you did the modding)

Anyway, its good to hear that there will be some new options. Thanks.

Deciding where your starting alignment will lean?

Already doable.

Having the ability to dictate the number and quality of planets in your home system (limited by some sort of a points system of course)

Already doable.

Select custom graphics for your home systems stars and planets? i.e. size, textures, moons, rings?

Already doable.

The ability to individually name each planet and the star in your system (so you do not get [assuming your race name is "Super Race"] Super Race as the star, and Super Race I, Super RaceII, Super RaceIII, etc, for the planets)

Already doable.

Since there are going to be more planet types, perhaps an initial ability to colonize one type or another. (If some of the standard races will get this special ability from the start)

Most likely doable, once I get my hands on a copy of the DA XML files.

Before you ask for modding requests, I suggest you actually attempt to mod the game via the XML files, since everything you have asked for can (or will likely) be modded through the XML files as it is.

I've actually found that changing the Homestar value in the raceconfig files does absolutely nothing - at least it didn't do anything the last dozen times I tried it.

Sure, you can modify the 'Custom Race' star system in the CustomPlanets.xml, but that's just annoying to force that just to change planet and star names - especially when you have to do it every time you have a different custom race. Also...

Would this still raise a cheat flag for metaverse games? (If you did the modding)

... I suspect this would be a concern, as well.

Marcathonas, I am speaking of customization that would not raise a cheat flag in the metaverse.

I was inquiring as from my understanding, any change in the main game data files, raises a cheat flag in the metaverse. My main questions were to see if any additonal options would be included, and my question was answered.