Image Designer Archive

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Kwee wrote:

Image Designer State of the Profession

BuGs aNd IsSuEs

• Hairstyle change - hair color default bug - If a new hairstyle is accepted, hair defaults to brown (humans), white (bothans), or orange (rodians) for everyone except the client. Horns default to brown for everyone, including the client. A server reset will fix it, but it of course is a huge pain in the butt for people wanting a certain look for an event later that day, or Image Designers and clients working together to get a certain look just right.

I believe this is being fixed.

• Hair color change bug - If a client's hair color is changed, only they can see the change, the color will keep looking how it did after the last server reset to everyone else...until the next server reset when this rectifies itself. Sometimes a server reset is not necessary, but the variation in how much time must go by logged out for the correct hair color to be visible to all is so great, we cannot pin it down (this is also true of the #1 bug).

I believe this is being fixed.

• Outstanding offer bug - Sometimes an Image Designer will get a message that their client has an outstanding image design offer. This used to happen VERY frequently in beta, but a time out feature was put into place to override this. Eventually if the client does not hit "accept" or "refuse" when offered something, the offer times out. Well in certain circumstances (some of them with no known cause), the time out never happens and the Image Designer will be unable to ID anyone for random periods of time, though a server reset always fixes it. It is more likely to happen if either the client or ID'er has a lag spike/crash or if a macro is being used with no pauses or pauses too close together. Workaround submitted by JonasBlackmore: “(1) Target yourself and type /imageDesign (2) Target your client and type /imageDesignSetValue eye_color 1 (3) Have the client accept or refuse the change (4) Tada your client is now fixed and working.”

No information available.

• Slider bug - Sometimes (and we have never pinned down why this happens but it's frequent enough to affect everyone every so often) when you click on a feature you want to modify that has a slider bar as it's interface, the slider goes straight down to the zero position (all the way to the left) without you even touching it with your mouse. You have no way of knowing what setting the person's feature used to be at because it happens so fast you can't fix it. Even more horribly, the person's feature defaults to the zero setting first despite the fact that you haven't hit "commit" in order for them to receive the offer window. It has in fact been used as a grief by some, and has made many people scared to use our services, and us afraid to offer them. So while just checking things out (say I click on chin to see what chin number value they have) their chin automatically disappears and I have no way of fixing it. We then have to eyeball it and I have one very nervous and flustered client. This bug happens with all things controlled by a numerical slider including face and body mods: nose length, cheeks, height, etc. - VERY awful wicked bug. Workaround submitted by Kanewt: “Log and come right back and everything will be back to normal.”

No information available.

• Ahhh! We’re shrinking! – Each time height is selected, and before the “commit” button has even been pressed, a person’s height shrinks by one point.

No information available.

• Missing abilities - These are available in char creation but we can't do them: (1) Baldness (2) Male Zabrak and Male Twi’lek freckles (3) Eye shape (while eye shape is listed it actually does eye angle, we need both an eye angle AND eye shape option).

This is being fixed.

• Mind needed bug - I hear this is a bug in other professions as well. Some people with lower mind, such as 400 or 500 often complain that they can't do mods they should be able to. For example something might require 375 mind, and with 400 mind they are told they don't have enough. Some ID'ers therefore are unable to do some of the higher up skills.

No information available.

• Female frame bug – This is a rarely reported bug, but has been noticed by the most hawk eyed Image Designers and customers, and been tested and confirmed within the community. Once a female has received a weight change, she permanently loses some of her roundness. Her frame can never again be as full in the hips and rump as it used to be. It has been suggested that perhaps some of the body settings revert to a male frame. However, while the hips and rump are narrower, so are the shoulders and back, and a male frame would have the opposite effect. This is a bug that needs further investigation, and is a very serious one for those affected.

No information available.

• Preview hair bug - Before and even after you offer someone a hairstyle, you cannot preview what it would look like on a client, but you can do so with all other ID modifications. Result is that you end up offering things that look awful on the client, but you have no way of knowing.

This is being fixed.

• Hairstyle interface - Related to #7, the hairstyle icons on the ID UI cannot be resized, they are so tiny that some people with older graphics cards cannot even make out what they're looking at. They are helped some by screenshots (see ID websites sticky), so having numbers in the corner of each hairstyle would make life SO much easier. Even I with my ok graphics card can not tell a lot of hairstyles apart, especially the horns and short male hairstyles, and combined with not being able to preview the styles (see #7) I always embarrass myself offering comb-overs and other icky hairstyles to clients who came looking for something snazzy.

No information available, although I hope this is part of the UI fix.

• We can't see what we're doing - A very common request is for a zoom in ability on the /examine window, or our own special ID window to see customer's faces well. We just can't see what we're doing. A related request is for a special ID lighting device.

This is being fixed.

• Cross-species hairstyle exploit - A hot fix went in so that those that had used an exploit to give themselves or others cross-species hairstyles would revert to a default hairstyle. Wookiees, Mon Calamaris, and Twi'leks were not affected by this hot fix and still have their exploited hairstyles.

This has been fixed.

WiSh LiSt

• New content – top five: more hairstyles, more hair colors, body tattoos, textured 3-D facial hair, hip/rump adjustments

One of five items is being addressed.

• Temporary disguises – dozens of threads have been devoted to discussing the potential PVP ramifications, but it is very desired

Not being added.

• Buffs not available through other means (now that Musicians and Dancers are buffing) – could be tied into “massage” or visiting a “spa”, or perfume

Not being added.

• The ability to craft and sell makeup (little lipsticks and eye shadow), wigs (though this one is controversial as unlike makeup, hairstyles are a top ID request and there is concern we would lose business), or buffing spa products (e.g. massage oil).

Not being added.

• Image Designer missions - These have been requested very often, a case where we feel like the red headed stepchild of entertainment. Even in beta there were requests for ID missions to do a modification to an NPC.

Not being added.

• Image Designing vendors - This is also often requested in the Merchant forum. Merchants destroy dozens and dozens of vendors trying to get just the right look. Would be a wonderful boon to two content hungry professions.

Not being added.

• A Master Image Designer building, equivalent to those placed by Master Musicians and Dancers. Ideas have ranged from having it be called a Spa or Beauty Salon, to having two or three rooms accommodating the different things Image Designers get up to, such as hairstyling/makeup (beauty salon), personal training (gym), and plastic surgery (clinic).

This will be "watched."

• A way to advertise our prices, services, and location. We often wish there was a piece of paper graphic for putting price lists on the bazaar/vendor. Many of us are merchants yet there is no “Image Designer” section on the global map (Advertising III).

Not being added.

• Improved User Interface. A way to zoom in in the /examine window (a workaround used by some) or a new special ID UI window (similar to the character creation interface).

This is being addressed.

• A special ID lighting device (could be called a mirror)

New UI should negate the necessity for this.

• The ability to stop clients from fidgeting/moving during the ID session (it is SOO hard to determine how long someone’s nose should be if their face and body are constantly twitching).

No information available.

WiSh LiSt AdDeNdUm (sent to Thunderheart and Runesabre in early March 2004)

Functions that might be considered critical:

• 1/ Disguises




• Lower various negative factions, possibly also lower positive factions as a balance; Are given via a visit to ID’er or via a disguise kit purchased from an ID’er; Temp duration


• Offer some protection against bounty hunter detection, for when bounties extend to others besides Jedis


• Re-covert overts – an alternate method with some benefit


• Make you less likely to be stopped for a crackdown/smackdown - can’t remember what the second one’s called Reason? You blend into the crowd, why would they pick on someone that doesn’t look suspicious?

Not being added.

• 2/ ID building with function




• Doubles as social interaction spot and city bldg for Image Designers (advertising, visibility)


• New function(s) could be connected to object(s) in bldg, but would require the presence of an Image Designer


• Some examples: Hot tubs that speed up stat migration, a mud bath or steam room that gives a charisma bonus, a disguise counter for applying disguises…


• Could also be used (though not required) for hairstyling, tattooing, plastic surgery, personal training, makeup artistry

Being added but missing the two biggest points—that it allow for specific advertising, and be a city building, not just for 5 specific spots.

• 3/ Charisma bonuses




• The premise is that improving your look enhances how others view you, and makes you appear and feel more charismatic and confident. Such an effect could domino through various areas of a player’s life…


• Some ideas: Higher mission payouts, Politician bonuses, Better buffs...

Not being added.

Functions that affect another profession:

• 1/ Ability to ID Vendors (Merchant)

No information available.

• 2/ Droid that projects a holoimage of client (Droid Engineer)




• Customer (and others nearby) would be able to see potential changes on a life-size, projected image of themselves


• Would allow customer to preview several changes at once

In part subsumed by the new UI, in part by the tents.

Functions that potentially affect all players:

• 1/ Ability to speed up stat migration

Not being added.

• 2/ New art content




• Top five: More hairstyles, Extended color palettes (especially hair), Body Tattoos, Textured 3-D facial hair, Bigger Hips/Rumps

One of five being added.

• 3/ Last name changing




• Especially for role play reasons such as adoptions and marriages

Problems with name being intimately tied to character tracking prevents this from being added.

• 4/ Poster Ads – Public Relations




• Could be created by Image Designers and placed on city bulletin boards for others to read.


• Some ideas: Could advertise roleplay events, a merchant’s store, a PA, or a politician

Not being added.

Other Image Designer Wish List Items:

• 1/ Bug fixes

Many are being fixed.

• 2/ Improved User Interface




• Cannot zoom in on face


• Hairstyle icons are tiny, not resizable, and you cannot determine what they represent


• You cannot preview what a hairstyle might look like on someone before offering it


• Would like a way to stop person from fidgeting, especially wild head gyrations

Most if not all of these issues should be fixed by the new UI.

• 3/ Craftables




• Lipstick and eyeshadow, for fun and as a means to advertise on the bazaar

Not being added.

• 4/ Image Designer missions




• Give an NPC a makeover, hairstyling

Not being added (and judging by the Smuggler push-back very time intensive to add, so understandable)

• 5/ A way to advertise




• Way to register on global map, ID building, craftables to put on bazaar, some type of paper ad that can be placed on bazaar

Not being added.

Message Edited by Kwee on 03-14-2004 08:56 AM

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I hate to say anything before i can actually see these in action, but im disappointed too. These had to have been left over graphics (as has been stated by others) cause they surely aren't more complicated than glitter. When this hits test im gonna be in coronet ID tent trying to lvl and try things out. When this hits live i'm gonna charge hefty for this (the only thing i will charge for) in the hopes of discouraging it a bit. I can only hope that there are a lot of other features we're not hearing about. It almost sounds like the art people who were working on our section got snagged into another section and they threw this together so as to give us something.

Better add me to the list Kwee but i wouldn't send it till after we can get some customer feedback. If they are unhappy we can add them to the list as well.

Personally and honestly i am not impressed with the "holo emotes". They totally dont fit in to the whole SWsetting of the game, but like you all said we should wait and see whatelse we get (hair glitter, palettes, etc) But the thing im really upset with is thatthe ID community had a wishlist, and one of the main ones was new hairstyles seeing how at least 40% of the hairs in the game are not used because they are very unattractive and look really tacky (especially bothan female hair). Then we are promised a cool publish just for ID's, and all ID's are hyped up about it. Now we get some holo emotes that come out of peoples head...its just not what people want. Why not give new hair styles or streaks or something. Thats what people want, not "tamagotchi" cats coming out of peoples head. Anyway i wont be using these on myself or any of my customers. Lets hope we get some cool particle effects and expanded palettes (hair glitter, body paint, etc) as these were all promised.

Theholomabobs are the particle effects...

No glitter or waterfall effects for our hair or bodies or anywhere else.

*Sigh* And I agree, you guys were right.

The more I think about it, the more I'm like **edit**? If we can't have 5 minute starport waits because it breaks the "immersion" of the star wars universe then why can we have holomobobs hanging over our heads? I can't remember who said that, but she was right.

*sulks away to write paper for finals*

I'm happy about the hair and the color palets though

We could use some more hairstyles! (this was probably mentioned before)

.....and one more thing....who has the "Aziza" forum name??? grrrrrrrrr

I think they're alright & will be un, but as I said all along, these & ANY OTHER temporary particle effects are a quick-fix mess. Giant skull, hair glitter...SAME THING. They are a fad that is just like candles or vehicle paint or fireworks. Super limited use combined with total disposeability...equals one thing: people get them like crazy for a few weeks at most. We make some money for a while. Then they wear off & no one bothers to get them again & the waste of time it all was becomes obvious. They are not lasting value for our profession. They are a quick, ONETIME infusion of aid for ID.

I think they would be great & worth it just for what they are, IF I didn't know they used their (for some dumb reason) insanely limited resources & time on these when they simply, factualy, undeniably COULD HAVE DONE BETTER THINGS. DO NOT tell me that tweaking some new hairstyles was that tough. DO NOT try to say with a straight face that all the existing hundered styles are THE ONLY PRACTICAL ONES that can be done & anything else was just too hard. Bull. You already EXHAUSTED all the possible hairstyles barring massive effort huh? You're full of it. Plain & simple.

IOW, cool stuff, bad use of effort & time. They're the icing for a cake we DON'T HAVE.

And, again, at risk of being unpolular & censored, if the ID tents are only in those 5 useless areas, they are worse than nothing. At least before, people won't be trying to get us to fly to BFE to work on them as routine practice.

And has anyone else wised up to the fatal flaw of the tent/ID timer/hollowcronner combo? Now we get to fight w/ grinders who can GET XP TWICE AS FAST in our ID tents as elsewhere. So people will always be able to find an ID on call in a tent when needed....hollowgrinders! Cause the tents will be the ID version of the Coronet Cantina (dancers know the hell of which I speak). As a longtime, lifetime Master ID, it will not hurt me as much. But I truly pity those poor souls trying to legitimately be ID'ers under this system.

Still...worlds better than launch..finally Overall I am sure the new stuff will be great. A lot of the time spent NOT making the obvious, easy stuff like hairstyles WAS spent well..the interface sounds like a blessing, for example!

We really don't know enough to freak out too bad yet (other than the obvious slap in the face that is the ID tent being non-placeable).

Can someone who can get Test Center to run make a comprehensive list of changes? You would be a God amongst ID'ers & have eternal thanks!

I will put in my 2 credits worth as well, though I will not rehash what most everyone has said over again.

I am reserving judgment at this point in time for some of the things.

New interface -- Great!

New Paletes -- Good, could be better.

Holo-emotes -- ???!! **edit**. Big disappointment/betrayal feelings here. Not as I was led to think they'd be.

While I'm mostly happy, there is a big dark cloud behind that silver lining. Wait and see.

/agree with Sunset Sam