Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Additional Character Customization

Oh here's another knock on idea that I think would be great...

Let us create our unarmored appearance AND our starting equipment in a design suite!

Many people have requested an option to select their starting equipment, and other's have replied they don't see the point. But if you got to actually design the equipment, choose basic colors and style elements, such that it had a particular look, then I think everyone would be able to see the point. Because then it becomes part of characterization.

I honestly don't think it needs to be super complex initially to do a proof of concept, but then it could be like a fun thing that they add in with new patches. Or perhaps people could create their own models eventually and continue to flesh out the idea that way? It's really something I've always wished for in a modern D&D crpg game. NWN1 had a cool concept but that was like 20 some odd years ago. and it was a feature of the toolset more than the base game. But I think something like that done modern could slip into the same role that the old painted 2D portraits used to have. Cause at least our initial avatar would have a more unique look. Especially combined with more faces, makeup tattoos, phenotypes and such.

A simple toggle, to show "unarmored appearance" would be cool for role play.

It could just overlay on top whatever you're currently wearing to show the regular clothing look or basic tunic or chiton etc that the player designs. There could even be another option to show "undergarments" where the PC can choose what kind of underduds they like best. Maybe its a slip, maybe boyshorts or bikinis, maybe nothing whatsoever as the player prefers. Start simple, some basic cuts and accessories, hood no hood, a few sashes a few belts, but with a large variety of color or pattern options for the isolated elements.

But I think the real win would be designing the actual starting equipment!

They could do it up super cool, with like a selection of base armor and weapons models, with say half a dozen components each, and then half a dozen options for those. The boot designer alone hehe, I mean can you imagine? Different colors for everything. Like for the patterns on the armor or the leather grips on the weapons. Different dyes for the linen cloth components, or different tints for the metal components. The key is to have a large variety of modular elements which can each be colored independently. Sure there are some compromises to be made between modular and overall cohesion, but even working with some pretty basic stuff, color can go a long long way. Slap a new coat of paint on the old thing, and its made new again. Same concept, but in this case for the threads. I said design suite, but I really mean something rather simpler and serviceable for a game of this kind. Something with drop down presets for the basic models, multiple choice style essentially, but with a color wheel or pattern tiles so that the player can tweak the various elements on the fly to suit their tastes - all while cool music plays in the background!

You know everyone would hold onto their first set of wizards robes or chainmail or that longsword with the rad hilt too, just because it would be extra special like that. Even if it's just the unenchanted regular stuff, they'd be the one's you made, so everyone would love it. That would be an instant win, for a studio that leaned into it, since it really indulges the players creative side. The same way a race or class selection, or choosing certain abilities or skills engages, but on the aesthetic front along with the faces and hair and all the rest.

Doing it at the beginning of the game would be novel, since usually this kind of stuff is reserved only for the very end of a crafting tree, but I'm saying we should have an upfront version for the regular clothes and ideally for the basic starting equipment too. Just cause that would be way too cool and nobody is really doing that for a game like this these days. You could still have crafting in the game, but I mean attaching something like this to the Character creation process.

Pre-game, as it were. It should launch as like the last step of character creation. The fact that it's regular clothing or unenchanted stuff, means it wouldn't have to complete with the +1 or +2 equipment, or compete with crafting within the actual gameplay, which might yield yet more options for better equipment, but it would still give players so much more to work with in designing an overall look for their character. I think people would love it! They'd spend hours upon hours in the character creator. It would be like choosing a custom portrait or Major and Minor colors in BG1, but the totally next level version~ haha!

ps. I feel like game studios always do the same thing, the player starts out looking lame in intentionally lackluster regular equipment, and they then have to develop their "badass look" over the course of the entire game as their reward for playing. Like when they get that super cool loot +5 and the curtain falls on their ultimate look. The problem though, is that someone in the art department might think one sort of look is the absolute best thing ever and which everyone will surely want, but perhaps very different than what the player has in mind for their specific character. By allowing the PCs to create an unarmored appearance at the outset, or a basic set of standard equipment that defines their overall look, I think that would go a long way towards making everyone's character feel truly customized.

But they should do it at the very beginning, while the player is still creating their character ideas, not like 10 hours or 100 hours into the game. Do it at the outset, so the players can get all excited and invested in the character they are about to play. Someone should really do it. A D&D game that had such a feature from the getgo would be very successful I think.