Costume versions of in-game armor

[SneakyShin]

I was wondering if it was possible to create costume versions of the standard armor sets that are already in the game.
(Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc.)

The game already has costume slots for gloves, boots, and suit.
The assets are technically finished and (I would hope) would not require too much work in order to make it happen.

You could make players craft those with specific materials, and tie those materials to the endgame content, or 'possibly' your paid currency store.

I don't really know how feasible it is with what you can do with this game, but I thought I'd suggest it anyways.

[Vivi]

It depends if the client already recognizes items as being able to go into those slots. With the way the game works, each item has a "sort code". If the costume gloves and costume boots exist. And while the slots may be there, its a half of a job they've done before they shut the game down. There's a lot in the client that's just there but has no function.

 

The main issue I see here and what would make me lean to not possible is the fact that you'd in theory be able to "mix and match" costume gloves/shoes with already existing costume models. They already have hand/feet/knees on the the 1 model, and putting something overtop of that could cause the model to break and then go invisible as a result.

 

If there was a way to lock people into 1 type of costume, it could be something, but I'm leaning more towards it wouldn't be possible with how existing costumes are already made.

[SneakyShin]

Well, that is a shame.

I assume there's no way to give the full costumes that are already in the game any kind of priority over those pieces I suggested then? (when it comes to how they appear on a character, kind of like the costumes already have over actual armor)

Either way, thanks for the answer.

[Vivi]

Unfortunately no. We don't have the means to break down and repack the actual executable and add in the code necessary to force it to have a sort of hierarchy.

[SneakyShin]

I don't actually know in which order the game loads those assets in, but do you think it'd be possible to make it load in the default version of the model again AFTER (or before, depending on how it's prioritized) the full outfit?
And make those separate single pieces load afterwards, and appear on top of that instead?

I'm just talking out of my ass at this point, but I'm wondering if there's a way to go around the model breaking issue  ^ ^'

[SneakyShin]

Another potential idea I had was making players unable to actually equip the separate pieces if they have a full outfit on, and vice versa. If they have a separate piece or pieces equipped, unable to equip a full outfit.

But I don't really know if it's even possible, with how equipment works in this game.

[Vivi]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:26 PM, SneakyShin said:

I don't actually know in which order the game loads those assets in, but do you think it'd be possible to make it load in the default version of the model again AFTER (or before, depending on how it's prioritized) the full outfit?
And make those separate single pieces load afterwards, and appear on top of that instead?

I'm just talking out of my ass at this point, but I'm wondering if there's a way to go around the model breaking issue  ^ ^'

Changing how the game loads assets is beyond what we're able to change. We don't have the means to unpack and repack the exe (which is what we'd call source files). The game as we have it now involves just changing data files that already exist, and not changing the core functions of the game.

 

On 1/25/2024 at 4:48 PM, SneakyShin said:

Another potential idea I had was making players unable to actually equip the separate pieces if they have a full outfit on, and vice versa. If they have a separate piece or pieces equipped, unable to equip a full outfit.

Also not possible. The items themselves aren't that "sophisicated" to have an order or ability to block use of one or the other. The only limitations they have is tradeable/sellable/detroyable/level req/rank req, things like that.

 

The game is about 12 years old at this point, so its functions and features are quite limited.

 

Edit: Zincite also reminded me of the option of grafting alpha onto higher end gear and just hiding your costume as well. That would most likely be a more realistic option to this and more viable to possibly do.

[SneakyShin]

Not quite what I was gunning for, but it's not like I have any more ideas on how to make it work anyways.

Okay, last questions on this topic then.
Would it be viable for lingerie or weapons then?
(or a whole SET of armor as a costume, in the worst case scenario. But I guess that destroys a decent part of the point.)

[Vivi]

15 hours ago, SneakyShin said:

Would it be viable for lingerie or weapons then?

Lingerie works the same way costumes do, they just don't have a foot model and use a generic one. Which in the past I have played around with maybe changing shoes on lingerie, and it broke the entire model.

[SneakyShin]

Yeah, I figured. But that's now what I meant this time around.
I gave up on the whole "split into parts" thing. Seems like there's no way to make it work anyways.

Would it be possible to make costume versions of the lingerie then? Just standard, full costumes?

(and maaaybe consider making the standard armor sets into a single full costume, or at least turning those weapons into those?  Tho, I assume, on this one I'm just gonna hear "grafting" as an answer)

[Vivi]

15 hours ago, SneakyShin said:

Would it be possible to make costume versions of the lingerie then? Just standard, full costumes?

(and maaaybe consider making the standard armor sets into a single full costume, or at least turning those weapons into those?  Tho, I assume, on this one I'm just gonna hear "grafting" as an answer)

That is actually possible as it's something we have done already. If you have any specific ones you want, just let me know and I can see about sorting it.

 

The weapons at the very least could possibly become weapon skins as well. I don't honestly see why not.