Forums » Suggestions

Character creation screen

Oct 04, 2004 Nakamura link
I think the character creation process is great as it is: enter a name, click a couple times, and you're playing! It's great if you think of VO as a tactical game.

A few changes could make the process better if VO is going to support roleplaying to any degree. What I have in mind is a character creation screen (separate from the character list) that would display visuals illustrating the difference between the three factions (Itani, Serco, and Neutral Territories). What I'm thinking of is something along the lines of what you get when starting a game of Terminus.

The character creation screen that I envision would have two main settings: a field where enter your pilot's name, and a set of radio buttons that lets you choose a faction. The rest of the screen could show an image of two pilots, one male and one female, chatting as they walk through a hangar, with spacecraft in the background. There would be three versions of this image, one for each faction; when you click a radio button, the image will change to display the graphics for the selected faction. The design of the pilots' flight suits, and of the spacecraft in the background, would give the player information about the nature of the faction in question.

This sort of thing would help to increase the immersion factor for roleplaying, and it would be fun eye-candy (especially if the pilots were extremely attractive) even for players who are more interested in tactical than RP.

In general I'd like to see a lot done to make the factions different from each other. Each faction needs its own special ship models or textures, so they'll look different even if there's no difference in performance. There could also be different types of equipment available for purchase, etc.

If the factions don't look and feel very different from each other from the start of the game (and by this I mean more than just history lessons published on a website) players will have to stretch a lot harder to care about one faction over another. As it is, it doesn't seem to make much difference which you pick...
Oct 04, 2004 Cam link
That's one hell of a detailed request.
I don't think animated avatars or station interiors are anywhere close to the top of the priorities list.

Each Nation does have a Unique Special ship. You just need some high levels to get it.
There are also nation specific variants of ships, the Itani border patrol centurion, the Serco guardian vulture, they may not be big differences but they're there, I know I as an Itani would like that Serco vulture quite a bit :D

-Cam-
Oct 04, 2004 Phaserlight link
Don't forget the NT Warthog special :D

Those are great suggestions Nakamura, and in a perfect world I'm sure that's what the game would have. I bet there will be some kind of character creation process in the final version, but I'm not sure to what extent. There's only so much a four-man team can do with limited time.