Customizing solider details (apperance, name, country, sex)

[TrashMan]

Only one name, and editable is simplest and great. Those who want to use nickname instead of real name are able to do so, or just insert the nickname between ~

Name plus callsign.

It's a far better solution, since only the callsign is displayed in-mission. Makes sense.

It's shorter, easier to remeber and uses less UI space.

Personal, I still enjoy both real name and callsign editable. Real name would be the name I want for that soldier, and callsign would be something cool like "Skull Leader", "Storm Vanguard", etc...

Edited October 18, 2012 by TrashMan

[The New Romance]

I think soldier customization is one thing Firaxis' XCOM:EU actually got right (well, pretty much, they won't let you change sex or nationality, but you are allowed to facelift everyone into oblivion... oh well).

I don't request customizable armour colour and Guile hairdos for Xenonauts, but I would be very glad if we could edit

- first and last name

- a separate nickname (call it "callsign")

- if possible, faces, gender and nationality

However, the last point would also mean we'd have to be able to choose a matching regiment, skin colour and all that, and I personally think those properties needn't be changeable - name and nickname are essential, however, and the current "callsign" system is quite awkward in that respect.

National flag display would be a great addition as well.

Edited October 18, 2012 by The New Romance

[XenoMask]

I actually don't like soldier customization in XCOM: EU because I find it immersion breaking I do like nickname system though

[Shuichi Niwa]

@TrashMan : yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking about when I said "Skull Leader". Can't blame me for being a die-hard Macross fan

It's nice to see a komrade here *shake* *shake*

[TrashMan]

@TrashMan : yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking about when I said "Skull Leader". Can't blame me for being a die-hard Macross fan

It's nice to see a komrade here *shake* *shake*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVGFy3V7a7I&feature=related

I?m the fan of hte original MAcross...not the garbage that is the sequels (Macross 7...uuuuuuuugh)

[ElTee]

I actually don't like soldier customization in XCOM: EU because I find it immersion breaking I do like nickname system though

You can just choose to not use it and keep your sense of immersion.

Some of us give no care about 'immersion' in what's really a soft-scifi, abstracted game that isn't realistic. Thing is we can't change the country, gender or face anyway.

If you make it one bit, you'd need to allow quotation marks and increase the character limit. So you have "Joker" Bob Smith instead of Joker Bob Smith.

[Gribbstar]

Just adding my voice to the list of folks wanting as much soldier customisation as possible.

As already stated its one of maybe 2 things Firaxis got right. I'll get back to you when I find out what the other thing was.

[Raakku]

I find it weird and greatly immersion-breaking when a game allows me to completely change the player character mid-game. Some sort of optional "mercenaries-R-us" screen where the name, face and nationality of the soldier could be edited and then the wanted soldier would pop to the base with the next batch of recruits and couldn't be re-named anymore would be much better.

Call-signs are completely different thing, as they are something that is given by the military, unlike the soldiers name or face and so could easily be changed as many times wanted.

Though I have to admit, I never even noticed that the soldier names could be changed in the original X-Com.

[XenoMask]

You can just choose to not use it and keep your sense of immersion.

Some of us give no care about 'immersion' in what's really a soft-scifi, abstracted game that isn't realistic. Thing is we can't change the country, gender or face anyway.

If you make it one bit, you'd need to allow quotation marks and increase the character limit. So you have "Joker" Bob Smith instead of Joker Bob Smith.

I know, hence why I don't use it. Doesn't change the fact that I find option of it silly. I'd like it better if we were allowed to create a soldier when recruiting them.

[TrashMan]

I find it weird and greatly immersion-breaking when a game allows me to completely change the player character mid-game.

So don't change it.

Of all the things to find immerions breaking...really. You soldiers changing wepon specilaizations? Aliens not bombing us to stone age? ETc, etc...

Seriously, I think a vocabulary check is in order.

Immersion = something that makes you get lost in the game.

Versimilitude/beleviability = something that makes the setting feel real (even tough it's not)

Realism = something that mimics reality

Being able to change the soldier? Why not?

Think of it as hireing a nother guy and not changing the existing one.

In other words, you didn't hire Shelly Anderson, 26, from Canada.

You hired Mohhamad Al Safiri, 35, from Egypt.

After all, Xenonauts is sponsored by the entire world, so you should have a pick from everyone around the world, not just 10 starting soldiers.

Or you can just argue that the soldier got his name legally changed (cna be done) or had a plastic surgery/sex change operation. Whatever sits with you better.

[Shuichi Niwa]

I cut relationship with an [ex]friend of mine because he said the original Macross is too fuking ugly for him to watch =))

[Raakku]

I'm not a native english speaker so I'm not quite sure if I chose the right word, what I meant was that the ability to drastically change the soldier whenever the player wants makes them less like a little virtual people with their own identity. Even if that identity consists only of a bunch of attributes and name/face. I don't even like the respec-option that some RPG:s offer, and that has significance on the gameplay.

I think you're thinking of suspension of disbelief with your list of "unrealistic" things in the game, well it's a tactical turn-based game against aliens, so ofcourse I have to accept that the invading interplanetary force can be won in a serie of skirmishes and that the time freezes between the movement of the soldiers. The things that happen after the initial premise make or break the belief in the internal logic of the gameworld.

I'll try to explain it other way: the soldiers' attributes grow automatically as they perform certain things, this represents them gaining experience and getting better at what they do... now it could have been made with actual experience points that build up and raise the soldier in levels and every now and then award the player with stat- or skill points that can be freely used to upgrade the attributes of the soldier. The latter option gives the player more freedom with the soldiers but I prefer the first one as it feels more realistic and makes the soldiers the little people I mentioned in the beginning of the post and forces the player to accept them as they are.

I'm not against being able to change every and each one of the rookies to whatever the player wants, I have coworkers whose little virtual counterparts I could happily send to battlefield as an exclusive mine-stomping crew, what I'm against is being able to change the name and face of the soldier countless times whenever the player wants... it would make it so that you can give your name to whichever soldier that happens to be the best one at the crew and change it every time when an other soldier gets better... I find it too easy.

[Shuichi Niwa]

it would make it so that you can give your name to whichever soldier that happens to be the best one at the crew and change it every time when an other soldier gets better... I find it too easy.

Some do that. Others don't. Let those who want to do it, and we who don't shouldn't have any problem with it [since we don't do it anyway, why should we care if other people do it ?]. No need to make it any more complicated ^^

[TrashMan]

I'm not a native english speaker so I'm not quite sure if I chose the right word, what I meant was that the ability to drastically change the soldier whenever the player wants makes them less like a little virtual people with their own identity. Even if that identity consists only of a bunch of attributes and name/face. I don't even like the respec-option that some RPG:s offer, and that has significance on the gameplay.

Who would anyone change the name a dozen times anyway?

If you do change it, you do it at the very start, because you have soemthing specific in mind.

I don't know anyone who keeps changing names.

I know 2-3 who change nicknames based on what a soldier does.

But I don't see it as a sproblem at all.

I think you're thinking of suspension of disbelief with your list of "unrealistic" things in the game, well it's a tactical turn-based game against aliens, so ofcourse I have to accept that the invading interplanetary force can be won in a serie of skirmishes and that the time freezes between the movement of the soldiers. The things that happen after the initial premise make or break the belief in the internal logic of the gameworld.

Then why is it so hard to accept that you can hire a soldier with a name you specificly like?

There's 6 billion poeple on the planet.

The latter option gives the player more freedom with the soldiers but I prefer the first one as it feels more realistic and makes the soldiers the little people I mentioned in the beginning of the post and forces the player to accept them as they are.

Forcing a player is often not a good thing.

And if stats define a soldier, then changing the name changes nothing. Especailly since at the start of the game the stats are pretty much the same.

I'm not against being able to change every and each one of the rookies to whatever the player wants, I have coworkers whose little virtual counterparts I could happily send to battlefield as an exclusive mine-stomping crew, what I'm against is being able to change the name and face of the soldier countless times whenever the player wants... it would make it so that you can give your name to whichever soldier that happens to be the best one at the crew and change it every time when an other soldier gets better... I find it too easy.

Why would you dissalow other players to paly the game as they like?

Now I dont' see much point in changing the name several times myself, but I see no reason to spend time and resources on trying to specificly stop it for no gain whatsoever.

[TrashMan]

I cut relationship with an [ex]friend of mine because he said the original Macross is too fuking ugly for him to watch =))

I fnid it funny that the old Macross is more believable and down to earth than the new crap they keep chugging out. Yeah, the animation can be really bad..especially when the backup animator team did the job. But it can also be really good at times.

[XenoMask]

You cut out friendship because you had different tastes?...

[Raakku]

Who would anyone change the name a dozen times anyway?

If you do change it, you do it at the very start, because you have soemthing specific in mind.

I don't know anyone who keeps changing names.

I know 2-3 who change nicknames based on what a soldier does.

But I don't see it as a sproblem at all.

But that's what I meant: shouldn't it be enough to be able to customize the identity of an soldier once; when he/she is recruited? What would you leave out of being customizable on the soldiers? Gender? Shouldn't it be changeable whenever the player wants also then? And what would we have then: a genderbenderUFOdefenderforce?

Nicknames/Callsigns are completely different matter and I agree that they should be freely customizable.

[TheColonel]

But that's what I meant: shouldn't it be enough to be able to customize the identity of an soldier once; when he/she is recruited? What would you leave out of being customizable on the soldiers? Gender? Shouldn't it be changeable whenever the player wants also then? And what would we have then: a genderbenderUFOdefenderforce?

Nicknames/Callsigns are completely different matter and I agree that they should be freely customizable.

I suggested a hire custom soldier button to go alongside the normal hire button in a previous post. It's a decent idea, but there are definitely more simple ways for Chris to implement aesthetic soldier customisation.

[TrashMan]

But that's what I meant: shouldn't it be enough to be able to customize the identity of an soldier once; when he/she is recruited? What would you leave out of being customizable on the soldiers? Gender? Shouldn't it be changeable whenever the player wants also then? And what would we have then: a genderbenderUFOdefenderforce?

Nicknames/Callsigns are completely different matter and I agree that they should be freely customizable.

Everything ashould be customaizable.

If the players want to change the profile picture or any data (including sex) let them.

Why should I be only able to change it at start?

what if I mispell the name and only notice it later?

[thothkins]

Since names and call signs are getting confusing, here's what I'd quite like.

Click on Soldier Name "Chris England" - changes the name, so you can call people your friends etc.

Click on Soldier Callsign "Le Grand Fromage" - changes what the person's nickname is.

Click on Portrait - Select a portrait of your choice for this soldier from the pool.

Click on Giant "R" - Changes squad role.

Click on Flag - Allows you to select a flag form a Flag folder. Default image here could be a Xenonaut Logo or UN.

Click on Rank - Could allow you to select your own rank image from a Rank folder? Just a thought.

Assignment & Role pull down added just to see what they'd look like there.

In game, could there be a menu option - Soldier Name/Call Sign. This would determine what the soldier would be known as elsewhere in the game - such as on the Battlescape and the personnel screens. For example Cpl Chris England or Le Grand Fromage (without the rank being mentioned at all with the callsign?)

Caveats - the kick starter pre-order soldiers may have to be set in such a way that their details can't be altered. Alternatively, they may simply appear as defaults, that you can order. It depends what the Kickstarter text states, and if anyone feels ripped off by that.

[Pinetree]

Since names and call signs are getting confusing, here's what I'd quite like.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1578[/ATTACH]

Click on Soldier Name "Chris England" - changes the name, so you can call people your friends etc.

Click on Soldier Callsign "Le Grand Fromage" - changes what the person's nickname is.

Click on Portrait - Select a portrait of your choice for this soldier from the pool.

Click on Giant "R" - Changes squad role.

Click on Flag - Allows you to select a flag form a Flag folder. Default image here could be a Xenonaut Logo or UN.

Click on Rank - Could allow you to select your own rank image from a Rank folder? Just a thought.

Assignment & Role pull down added just to see what they'd look like there.

In game, could there be a menu option - Soldier Name/Call Sign. This would determine what the soldier would be known as elsewhere in the game - such as on the Battlescape and the personnel screens. For example Cpl Chris England or Le Grand Fromage (without the rank being mentioned at all with the callsign?)

Caveats - the kick starter pre-order soldiers may have to be set in such a way that their details can't be altered. Alternatively, they may simply appear as defaults, that you can order. It depends what the Kickstarter text states, and if anyone feels ripped off by that.

I like this. I mentioned in the Xtended backgrounds thread that I never change my soldier's names as they have histories now but if you could change those too then that would be pretty cool.

[The New Romance]

Oh yeah. I like the direction of the suggestion.

[Gribbstar]

Posting this in here as it's related.

How about Facebook integration. Your initial squad is a randomly selected (or even picked by yourself) group of people from your friends list. The pool of soldiers that you hire from could also be built from this list.

Flesh this out with the ability to log a friends missions, kills and memorable moments and then do a post tagging them in it. I think it could get pretty amusing.

I know there are obvious clashes with the kickstarter folks having their names in and I have zero clue on how much valuable dev time this would take up in relation to far more important features.

As I understand it though the facebook API isn't hard to work with and if by some act of god you run out of other things to do might you consider it?

[thothkins]

I was just thinking about something similar this week. It's great getting to pick who your initial squad are form the pre generated soldier list. But in a "Let's Play" game, you keep on changing names to people you know. Would it be possible to select people form the pre generated soldier list to populate your hiring pool? If the stats for these are no better than the normal hiring pool, it would be nice to bring in some of the people who populate the boards in during the game.

Yes, you can always change the name/call sign, but a number of these guys now come with their distinctive portraits and it would be nice if it all goes together.

[Kenjiro]

Hi,

I'm new around here so I'm sorry if this has ever been brought up

I believe the soldier faces are too soft. I mean these guys are supposedly the best of the best that Earth's military and law enforcement can offer. They should be real badasses even on their rookie times on the organization. Yet they look like the bank teller across the street

I'd like them to look tougher than the average nice guy