Changes to Custom PC Sprites

[Tobias]

After careful deliberation, I have added an option that will let you choose whether or not to see custom player characters that were drawn by the player themselves. If disabled (id est, you don't want to see them), a character that was drawn by a player themselves will be rendered as a regular player character.

Right now, this is merely a switch found in your "Options" menu (Options -> UI -> Display custom player characters), however if need arises, it will be added to the character creation screen and displayed when someone creates their first character. Right now, the option is enabled for all characters. Should I add it to the character creation screen, the option will be opt-in for new and low-level existing characters, and opt-out for current characters at or near the current level cap.

Note that in PvP maps, custom sprites are always disabled. This is because other players need to see what you are wearing and need to see your team affiliation at a glance. No way around it. You will always see yourself as a custom sprite, however.

I will address a few potentially asked questions (PAQ) right here.

Q: Why?
A: Players already have the option of customizing their character by equipping items they have earned from battles, showing trophies and titles that they earned with their skill and wit, and stand out in this way. The problem with player drawn characters is that they look vastly different, yet aren't earned by any in-game means, so that all of this immediately becomes completely and utterly meaningless. They draw an inordinate amount of attention to themselves, despite not being related to the character's status in the game world, or the character owner's skill in playing their character in any way. Even worse, no matter how skilled and well someone else plays, they can not possibly hope to ever get into the same league as someone who obtained their character with skills that do not matter in the game-world.

Last but not least, I believe that this kind of "meta-gaming" implies a sense of the character being privileged or "better" than other players, which could not be further from the truth.

Because of that, I feel it is necessary that players can choose whether they want to see such heavy customization, or whether they prefer seeing everybody equal, with all difference in appearance being achievable via in-game means and in-game skill.


Q: Why make this option opt-in for new players?
A: I have observed the reaction of new players that run into customized character, and the response has been overwhelmingly negative. Note that this is unrelated to the quality of the animation or the drawing quality - but simply related to what they are seeing. From what I have seen, they acted confused ("WTF is that?!"), irritated and usually wanted to have the same (without being able to get it).

This is understandable: Players are essentially removed from the "magic circle" (Huizinga J, Play Theory) when they suddenly run into something so vastly different that - despite the difference - has no meaning in the game world or effect on the gameplay - hence the confusion. They realize that they will never be able to achieve the same - hence the irritation. They want to have a customized character, because it ends up being a status symbol - though that status is not related to in-game skill or specific privileges (id est, a completely new player may easily think that due to the different appearance, custom characters are game masters, which is not true). Finally, the few times I was around when a new player first spotted custom characters, I've also seen a demeaning attitude towards players that were confused about this ("Um dude I made this O.o"), which makes it even more seem like the other person's something more and the lesser player "should have known" - which does not help the issues I perceive with this either.

I believe that by adding an option that briefly explains the situation, players acknowledge their existence (removing the confusion), realize they can just turn it off again if they dislike it (removing irritation) and understand that what they're seeing has no in-game meaning (removing the association that custom appearance may be connected something other than simply having animated their character). This is a win-win situation for the player: Someone who enables the option indicates that they want to see custom characters - they know that they may exist and will have their minds and eyes open. Someone who prefers not to be bothered with that will leave the option disabled, in which case they won't be bothered with it.

Q: Why make it opt-out for older players then?
A: They're already used to it, and have withstood the "shock". Some of them have even filed support tickets, and all of them have essentially been explained what was said here. It's additional work I had to do, but it's done.

Q: What are the advantages of disabling this option?
A: The advantages are:
- Every player is equal in principle, and all you can see on other players you can obtain yourself via in-game means.*
- You see what they have equipped, which allows you to judge their current strength.**

* Excluding retired items and pets. However, they do have a place and meaning in the game world and the game's story.
** Template files do not show equipments, because of how brittle the Flash Player is when it comes to on-demand loading of player sprites. Because of that, they cannot reasonable be added in without either statically including them in the FLA file (which I will not do), or Adobe fixing that bug (which I would not hold my breath for).

Q: What are the disadvantages of disabling this option?
A: You see a regular character instead of their custom one.

Q: But it's a role playing game.
A: Yes, but as it requires a large deal of work before getting added in (id est, greater than 99% of the player base has no way of having this privilege, no matter how good they are at the game), it's realistically god-modding. In addition, if this option did not exist, I would have to put very strict quality control on the characters - and even then certain things may "slip by". By making it an option, I can lower these standards just a bit, because I would know that anyone checking this option explicitly stated that they wanted to see custom characters.

Q: Does this also go for player-drawn items?
A: No. These items are readily available in-game for in-game means. Players have been wearing a hat resembling Heather's vegetarian shark for ages, have the option of buying a Berry hat, can obtain Tacos, and so on. If you want it too, just obtain that item. If you want to draw your own, drawing a single file is a lot less work than animating hundreds of frames, so it's much more accessible and mainstream.

Q: Does this also go for player-drawn NPCs, quest givers or player-made maps?
A: No. NPCs, quest givers and player-made maps (once made official) can be used by every player the same. Everyone is able to go to Radium's den (and Radium herself, for example, has no additional privileges or similar on that map). While players may be confused by seeing an NPC in a different style there, they can immediately click them and find out how they fit into the game, and what quests they have. These are fully integrated into the game world, and treat all players equally.

Q: Can I animate my own character, and will you add it in?
A: Yes, if it fulfils basic requirements.

Q: What are your animation requirements?
A: Basically, you have to try your best to make your character blend in.

• The character may at most be only minorly larger than the regular player sprites. If your character walks on two feet, I'd imagine something similar to Cladt - both in size and in breadth. Don't make it larger than Cladt, rather a bit smaller. Ask me if you're unsure. Reference: http://beta.icyworlds.net/sr.jpg
• No god-modding: Displaying an attack animation where your character shoots a bazooka on their target (which on a new player does like 5 damage) is a no-go. Likewise, it'd be just as weird if the attack displays your character sticking out its tongue and that's suddenly supposed to hit someone for 50 damage. It has to be a proper attack and should not look ridiculous.
• Try to follow the animation in the game: Don't make it distracting or annoying. Your character already stands out by being different, but if players get distracted in boss fights, PvP or whatnot just by constantly being drawn to having to see what in the world is going on with your character, then that would obviously be too much. Take the current player sprites as reference - I dare say they are fine: When you are paying attention to them in PvP it's probably because the player behind it is doing something (chasing after you, healing an alley) that affects you. Yet I'd say the animation looks pretty smooth: so even if you spam keys, people won't get seizures.
• No flashy effects: the game adds them when you use skills anyway, so if they suddenly see a graphic similar to what slash produces on your character on every attack, that'd be distracting. On monsters (such as the slashes I put on Cladt's minions) it would be fine, because they are monsters only and it's easy to tell what they can or cannot do - but on player sprites that's a different story.
• The animation must be complete. I will review and fix minor ActionScript mistakes that you may have introduced by moving frames in the Flash file around, but if there is any major postprocessing required (white backgrounds, bad cropping, missing actions), I will simply tell you to fix your file and get back to me once you are done. Do not simply send me an animated Photoshop file or GIF; putting that into Flash and fixing all the references is actually more work than if I had just drawn the whole animation myself.
  
• Avoid MS Paint jobs, please. Unless you do pixel art, you really should use a tablet. MS Paint is not necessarily pixel art (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_art).
• I strongly suggest that you show me a WIP as soon as possible. Don't be all secretive for weeks or months, and then suddenly show up with a complete file that fails one of the requirements, or that "pushes the envelope". The former will make me ask you to fix your animation, and the latter won't exactly make me happy (in which case you'll get a rather long reply reprimanding you and essentially telling you that I won't add it in). Show me early WIP, get feedback and make sure you're going down the right path, these are your best bets to make sure your work will be added in.

Q: What are your copyright requirements?
A: I follow a "don't steal, and don't cause me troubles for something that's already extra work for me" approach.

• You need to make the animation and all graphics completely yourself, meaning that everything must be your own work. No bases or anything. If there is anything that you didn't do yourself, you must have express written permission, and you need to show me that permission, and make sure that you are allowed to grant me that permission as well.
• For anything except player sprites (items, monsters, pets) I will require you to sign a copyright release form, which grants me a non-exclusive but permanent, world-wide, irrevocable and royalty-free permission to use (for my game, and any derivatives I may create from it), adapt, mix and modify the item/monster/pet you drew. This does not apply for player sprites, as I will simply take them down if you bring up any copyright related issues. Note that if you request your player sprite to be removed, this will be permanent and I will not add it back, as I'm not into emo games ("I have a bad day, now I am mad, I don't want it anymore!").

Q: What are your FLA structure requirements?
A: Do not nest any animation into additional movieclips - all animation needs to take place in the one timeline you will see in the FLA file. Flash has a bug where it will skip any Actionscript deeper than three Movieclips under certain circumstances, and this game will trigger it. You are welcome to file a bug with Adobe, but my last bug report was retired without action after three years - so don't expect them to fix it, they won't. Rather heed my instructions and work around their bug. ;P

Q: What are your file requirements?
A: A FLA file containing the entire animation, please. You must use my template, I will not accept just any file. You probably need Adobe Flash to edit it, if you don't have it already. Adobe Flash is a rather large download from http://www.adobe.com/products/flash.html , with a horrid UI, completely overpriced, and buggy. They have a 30 day trial on that page though, which is fully functional.

Q: Are there any additional requirements for pets?
A: Do not draw a pet that looks similar to another pet that can already be obtained. It you cannot show me WIP and suddenly come up with something that just happened to look really close (or close, but better!) than another pet that can be obtained, then I will either tell you that I cannot accept it, or I will just add the pet as an alternative, and require you to earn it yourself through in-game means instead of simply making it purchasable.

For example: Bat pets are obtained from a rather tough trophy. If you happened to draw something that looks really similar to a bat (or that looks bat-like, but fancier), then I will add it as an alternative reward for that trophy. This is because drawing your own pet is not supposed to be a way of sneaking around having to obtain that trophy. In addition, all players that had already obtained that pet would be given the option of obtaining your pet as well, at no further cost or effort.

Q: Where can I download your template?
A: Here at this post: http://my.icyworlds.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=190.0;attach=110

Just updating this, since custom sprites are no longer supported, and haven't been for years. It had been used only once, and there it caused a large amount of confusion among players, thinking that players with different sprites were admins, while at the same time, keeping them supported to allow for equipment, costumes and individual animations would have been a lot of work.

We have fur markings and dyeable equipment, which allow for a lot of customization.

- fin -