Idea Change Your Pirate! (For the better...)

[Grey Vice]

Eventually, TLOPO will become completely the same as POTCO when it closed. When that day comes, there are new features that I believe would make the MMO game play experience even better!

One of which would be the addition of an NPC who offers the ability to change the pirate's appearance. Alterations like these would cost a near fortune! This is the Caribbean, Mate. Not a Physician's office! The price on bodily alterations would range from 5,000g to 200,000g depending on the amount of alterations and the type.

For example...

• Change in Eye Color - 5,000g
• Change in Body Type - 75,000g
• Change in Facial Structure - 25,000g
• Change in Height - 15,000g
• Change in Body Type, Height & Facial Structure - 115,000g

(Prices would be added together if selected together)

An idea to base this off of is Galathil from The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim - Dawnguard.
She is an NPC who offers the ability to purchase changes to the character's appearance.
A small room with a bench, tools and a chair could be inspiration for the setting of the NPC.

The second could be an NPC who allows the character to purchase a name change. This would work whether the player wanted to use a premade name, or type-a-name. Due to the importance of Staff able to know what people's names are in the game, the names would be submitted for review, as if you were to be creating a new pirate. There is also the fact that this option would have to be quite expensive to prevent a flood of name change requests (200,000g seems reasonable).

I see this NPC sitting at a desk with a tricorn/feathered hat writting on a paper. They would have to be that generic looking 18th century bookkeeper.

I'd love to see these NPCs located in the Secret Trading Outpost. Possibly through the secret door that leads to the spare ship!

Leave feedback below!
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Suggested Changes
-Add some additional price tag to the payment for these features. Using a system like Bones or Stones would help to ensure people don't mindlessly change their pirates. (Especially for name changes)

 

[Luna Storm]

I like this.
I would really like to change some things on Luna (mainly her yellowy skin tone lol) and her height.

Im not sure about name change however, As some would change their name regular and I personally would not know who is who anymore lol.
I think there is enough names being submitted for approval by new pirates and people making alts.

I cant help thinking though, if we could change everything on our pirate, would we make many alts anymore? Or just keep totally changing out higher lvl pirate? Idk.

I would really like to fix my main pirate though. My alts I'm atleast happy with.

 

[George Hamilton]

I kind of like your idea for name changes, and we can keep that idea in the back of our minds until the time that the game reaches the release phase. As the game is now, gold is extremely easy to obtain, so unless that changes, we should not consider pricing such important things in gold. Notoriety levels could be an option—one level per name change, which would make a shred of sense in that the higher the pirate's level, the more "notoriety" or "infamy" the pirate would have, and the more damaging to his "reputation" the name change would be.

However, I am strongly opposed to the idea of allowing changes to one's physical appearance. I feel that this is something that is much more immutable and that (flawlessly) changing one's appearance would completely ruin immersion.

 

[Grey Vice]

I like this.
I would really like to change some things on Luna (mainly her yellowy skin tone lol) and her height.

Im not sure about name change however, As some would change their name regular and I personally would not know who is who anymore lol.
I think there is enough names being submitted for approval by new pirates and people making alts.

I cant help thinking though, if we could change everything on our pirate, would we make many alts anymore? Or just keep totally changing out higher lvl pirate? Idk.

I would really like to fix my main pirate though. My alts I'm atleast happy with.

I think people would eventually grow tired of playing the same pirate again and again. Especially if they have nothing left to collect Legendary wise. So I doubt this would phase out alts from the game. Although I do understand your thinking for that.

 

[Grey Vice]

I kind of like your idea for name changes, and we can keep that idea in the back of our minds until the time that the game reaches the release phase. As the game is now, gold is extremely easy to obtain, so unless that changes, we should not consider pricing such important things in gold. Notoriety levels could be an option—one level per name change, which would make a shred of sense in that the higher the pirate's level, the more "notoriety" or "infamy" the pirate would have, and the more damaging to his "reputation" the name change would be.

However, I am strongly opposed to the idea of allowing changes to one's physical appearance. I feel that this is something that is much more immutable and that (flawlessly) changing one's appearance would completely ruin immersion.

I was thinking at first that only 200,000g is not enough of a price tag for something of such importance. When I thought of this idea, I was thinking some kind of collectible item (like Bones or Stones) could be added into the price tag as well. It would be a great opportunity for Grog to be implemented into the game! I also like the idea of using Notoriety as a currency in this sense. It makes sense that you'd lose some reputation after changing your name.

Onto the physical appearance part...
This game isn't meant for immersion. There are skeletons, fish people, and man sized wasps. The only thing I can say to people who would like the idea is (and its the same thing I say regarding trading in the game) 'If you dont like it. Dont use it.'

 

[George Hamilton]

Onto the physical appearance part...
This game isn't meant for immersion. There are skeletons, fish people, and man sized wasps. The only thing I can say to people who would like the idea is (and its the same thing I say regarding trading in the game) 'If you dont like it. Dont use it.'

This comes down to the difference between realism and believability. It is possible to feel immersed in completely unrealistic fictional works. For example, people can feel immersed in Minecraft although real life isn't composed entirely of right angles and doesn't have armless exploding creatures, or A Game of Thrones although real life doesn't have dragons or magic, or even "Beauty and the Beast," although real life isn't a cartoon musical. I think the immersiveness comes from the particularity, consistency, intuitiveness (in the case of video games), and otherwise overall quality of the work. In my prior three examples, imagine if something really inconsistent with everything else happened—that in Minecraft, you could copy and paste structures only while standing on a mountain; or that in A Game of Thrones, some character had an army of modern soldiers; or that in "Beauty and the Beast," the Beast developed the power to fly during urgent situations. Adding the ability to simply change one's appearance without severe side effects in a game that is supposed to be set in a historical "Age of Piracy" would likely be the most confusing aspect of this game.

 

[Eric Sailcutter]

I think this is a good idea, maybe not necessary but fun and for those who didn't get their pirate right at first stab it's a great second chance.

 

[Grey Vice]

This comes down to the difference between realism and believability. It is possible to feel immersed in completely unrealistic fictional works. For example, people can feel immersed in Minecraft although real life isn't composed entirely of right angles and doesn't have armless exploding creatures, or A Game of Thrones although real life doesn't have dragons or magic, or even "Beauty and the Beast," although real life isn't a cartoon musical. I think the immersiveness comes from the particularity, consistency, intuitiveness (in the case of video games), and otherwise overall quality of the work. In my prior three examples, imagine if something really inconsistent with everything else happened—that in Minecraft, you could copy and paste structures only while standing on a mountain; or that in A Game of Thrones, some character had an army of modern soldiers; or that in "Beauty and the Beast," the Beast developed the power to fly during urgent situations. Adding the ability to simply change one's appearance without severe side effects in a game that is supposed to be set in a historical "Age of Piracy" would likely be the most confusing aspect of this game.

There were accounts of plastic surgeries as far back as 600 BC, often seen in ancient Indian texts. Although, pretty much all plastic surgeries up till the 1900s were to cover wounds, birth defects, and destroyed skin tissue; sure changing the height and body type of our pirates isn't exactly a cover up of a lost ear, but that's the MMO Character creation aspect to the game. People have been augmenting their bodies for centuries, whether it be tattoos or piercings, cultures have been messing with the human body for quite some time. Having an 18th century plastic surgeon would really be the least troubling thing about the game. If you really want immersion we should enable rust on the swords when you head to sea, or when you jump into water your pistol has wet powder.

 

[Kelcraft]

I like the idea of a ONE TIME ability to change. I had a life altering experience that changed how I look in real life. Hopefully that will be a ONE TIME change. But make it based on level - you CANNOT do it until you reach level XX (say 30 perhaps)....It's an offer that gets made at that point, and again at say level XY (40), but only those two times period. And it costs.

 

[Bess Tackstealer]

I love your ideas especially the name change idea, let's say you have an in game wedding for the bride be able to change her name would be epic, maybe create some guidelines as to how or why you want to change your name, and as in the beginning when you choose your own name, again have them submit it for final approval.

 

[George Hamilton]

There were accounts of plastic surgeries as far back as 600 BC, often seen in ancient Indian texts. Although, pretty much all plastic surgeries up till the 1900s were to cover wounds, birth defects, and destroyed skin tissue; sure changing the height and body type of our pirates isn't exactly a cover up of a lost ear, but that's the MMO Character creation aspect to the game. People have been augmenting their bodies for centuries, whether it be tattoos or piercings, cultures have been messing with the human body for quite some time. Having an 18th century plastic surgeon would really be the least troubling thing about the game. If you really want immersion we should enable rust on the swords when you head to sea, or when you jump into water your pistol has wet powder.

Show me historical plastic surgery that dramatically changed the shape of a person and had no ill side effects—in other words, show me plastic surgery that existed remotely as it is being suggested here. And why do you mention tattoos and piercings? We have both tattoos and piercings in this game, and they fit in because they suit the approximate era that this game takes place in. Lastly, you can't equate drastically changing one's physical appearance with metal rusting and wet black powder, which are minor details that would arguably be a poor gameplay mechanic but would actually fit the setting of the game, unlike your proposed plastic surgery.

 

[Grey Vice]

Show me historical plastic surgery that dramatically changed the shape of a person and had no ill side effects—in other words, show me plastic surgery that existed remotely as it is being suggested here. And why do you mention tattoos and piercings? We have both tattoos and piercings in this game, and they fit in because they suit the approximate era that this game takes place in. Lastly, you can't equate drastically changing one's physical appearance with metal rusting and wet black powder, which are minor details that would arguably be a poor gameplay mechanic but would actually fit the setting of the game, unlike your proposed plastic surgery.

lol ok dude sad

 

[George Hamilton]

lol ok dude

Great talk.

 

[squintz]

This comes down to the difference between realism and believability. It is possible to feel immersed in completely unrealistic fictional works. For example, people can feel immersed in Minecraft although real life isn't composed entirely of right angles and doesn't have armless exploding creatures, or A Game of Thrones although real life doesn't have dragons or magic, or even "Beauty and the Beast," although real life isn't a cartoon musical. I think the immersiveness comes from the particularity, consistency, intuitiveness (in the case of video games), and otherwise overall quality of the work. In my prior three examples, imagine if something really inconsistent with everything else happened—that in Minecraft, you could copy and paste structures only while standing on a mountain; or that in A Game of Thrones, some character had an army of modern soldiers; or that in "Beauty and the Beast," the Beast developed the power to fly during urgent situations. Adding the ability to simply change one's appearance without severe side effects in a game that is supposed to be set in a historical "Age of Piracy" would likely be the most confusing aspect of this game.

Older thread I know. I kind of get your contention, however our toons are our own, we weren't part of the history until we created our toon the first time in tlopo. Since we were allowed to create a toon but with not bad but pretty limited sliders, people just slapped themselves together. I could not make a face I liked and just let the game do it. If more sliders were put into the game, I feel many people would like a second chance to make themselves over more to their liking. Our toons appearance has no functional 'skin' in the game. We are not recorded as such except as the profile in numbers. Plus the fact that people change clothing so much as to try to look like they want, yet the physical body of the toon isn't/wasn't all that successful that they made. Like Vice says, if you don't want to do it, don't.

I only know a few players who have kept mostly their real appearance in the over 2 years I've been here, and that's because they've been around or on the wiki and do have a recognizable presence, but their presence if they were to change totally or leave the game would not alter or break the game, and sadly, only a handful of people would remember them. That's the way of the world.

As with trading, and any other issue that may be contentious, it can be out there but one doesn't have to partake.

 

[Eric Sailcutter]

I kind of like your idea for name changes, and we can keep that idea in the back of our minds until the time that the game reaches the release phase. As the game is now, gold is extremely easy to obtain, so unless that changes, we should not consider pricing such important things in gold. Notoriety levels could be an option—one level per name change, which would make a shred of sense in that the higher the pirate's level, the more "notoriety" or "infamy" the pirate would have, and the more damaging to his "reputation" the name change would be.

However, I am strongly opposed to the idea of allowing changes to one's physical appearance. I feel that this is something that is much more immutable and that (flawlessly) changing one's appearance would completely ruin immersion.
[/QUOTE]
I fail to see how changing ones physical appearance could possibly completely ruin your immersion in the game??? It seems to me that some people didn't get their pirate right the first time and would like a second chance without having to start from scratch. Since the physical appearance of your toon doesn't affect anything in game but possibly immediate recognition of your friends and maybe a few well known pirates, but realistically not likely on well knows, I just don't get your objection. To me the only reasonable objection is resources of the developers could be better spent, exactly how valid that objection is is uncertain to me.