Image Designer Archive

Hello all!

I just started playing a few days ago, and I have been reading about the services an Image Designer can perform. I am intrigued to say the least, as theconcept of looking truly unique is one of the things that finally drew me to this game.

I am currently struggling to make enough money to upgrade my weapons and equipment, to say nothing of armor, but this will be changing soon I am sure.

When I do finally seek out someone of your profession, I would like a good rule of thumb regarding how much to tip for each service. I fully appreciate that the skills you have acheived have been at the cost of a great deal of time on your part, and you should be adequately compensated. I would also like to offer payment of a given amount without being prompted (unless, of course, the Designer has posted the fee prior to the commencement of the work). Of course, my main concern is to have enough money on my person so as to not embarass either myself or the designer I choose to employ.

Having said that, please consider the following questions:

1. Does the level of the Designer figure into the /tip that is appropriate?

2. How much is appropriate for each modification (hair/horns, tattoos, height, etc.)?

3. Does the time taken for the transformation figure into the amount of the tip (or does it, in fact, determine the amount)?

4. Are there any other mitigation circumstances that should be figured into the equasion?

Lastly, on a personal note, the threads in this particular forum have been a fantastic read. Thank you all for adding so much to the depth of this game.

mitigation = mitigating

Crap....

I'll take the first point your riased, I'll leave it to others to answer the rest.

There are certain modifications that only a Master ID can perform, skin tone for example. An Expert Hairstylist (Hair 4) can do the same hairstyles and colours as a Master ID...so there isn't any difference there. As you can see it all comes down to what modifications you want rather than the Master ID tag above someones head....all that tag means is that they have a few (very few) extra mods than other non-Master IDs.

If I get somebody who just wants a new hairstyle I usually point them in the direction ofExpert Hairstylist who has yet to reach Master they need the exp more than I do...though this could explain why I'm poor.

Hmmm I think I even confused myself there somehow.

Alter - Master Image Designer - Starsider

1. Well, I wouldn't say level itself plays a role. The price should depend on the complexity of the change you're getting. For instance, eye color is one of the skills an ID learns while still in the entertainer tree, so it's one of the 'easier' skills to obtain. Whether you get your eye color changes by a hairstylist (= someone who maxed out ID in the entertainer tree) or by a master image designer shouldn't influence the price, in my personal opinion. However, if you'd like something like skin color changed, which only a master ID can do, that should be more expensive, as it's a high level skill. So level alone is no indication for the price of a change, but it indirectly plays into the pricing, of course.

The only problem is that it's impossible for a non-image designer to see in the game which change is complex and which is not. Basically, makeup changes are basic skills (eye color, lip color, eyeshadow color and style, and some basic hairstyles that are available at character creation). Hairstyles that are not available at character creation, facial, body and markings changes, require an advanced image designer, and age, torso, skin color are only changable by a master. It's a little more complex actually, since weight reqires body customization 4 while height and muscle require 2 and 3, but it gives you some basic ideas about the complexity of the changes.

2. Well, if the ID you're going to see doesn't have fixed prices, I would say it depends on a) how much money you have, and how easily you can make money and b) how much the change is worth for you personally. If you can make 10k within 30 mins, it's not exactly very polite to tip 100 credits. On my CH, I usually tip between 5 and 10k, because I always wanted the changes badly and was very happy when I had finally found an IDer. Keep in mind that image designer is an advanced profession as any other, such as tailor, weaponsmith or architect, so in my personal opinion,it's nice totip about as much as you might otherwise spend on a weapon or clothes.

3. Again, depends on the individual image designer you're going to see. This can vary a lot. Some folks charge for instance 1k per minute, others just have fixed prices for changes. In any case, if the image design is taking more than 10 mins, and you want to see a ton of different styles repeatedly, I think more should be tipped than if you knew exactly what you wanted in advance.

4. Not that I know.

---

1. Does the level of the Designer figure into the /tip that is appropriate?

2. How much is appropriate for each modification (hair/horns, tattoos, height, etc.)?

3. Does the time taken for the transformation figure into the amount of the tip (or does it, in fact, determine the amount)?

4. Are there any other mitigation circumstances that should be figured into the equasion?

Lastly, on a personal note, the threads in this particular forum have been a fantastic read. Thank you all for adding so much to the depth of this game.

---

1/ My personal thought is yes and no.Someone that is not yet a master may still be trying to figure out if the profession is for them and will be a viable one to pay their in game expenses. They are probably still building their client base and may not have as steady a stream of clients as an established master (though some people reach master in under a week and then this logic goes out the window). Image Designers are few and far between and they may be saving up money for training from an NPC. From a roleplaying perspective you may want to tip a master more, if only for master-only abilities such as skin color, head size, age, and torso.

2/ There is such variation in pricing strategies. A per change fee that comes up often is 1k. Though some charge more or less of course. I have heard of some charging 500 credits per change. I charge 1-4k per change. And on Lowca I think you can expect to pay as much as 10k per change.

3/ Some ID's do charge according to amount of time taken. Either per minute or per five minutes. Really your best bet is to ask an ID up front if they have a set price scheme, if not then tip as you feel appropriate based on your research here (I'm impressed you are asking!), the level of care received from your ID, and your financial situation.

4/ Oops I think I covered this in #3

It's so fun whennon ID'svisit our forum Thank you for the interesting questions.

I can't say what the people in your galaxy are charging, but for me, having about 15k will cover anything you might need done. Most people I work with don't require so much that I would charge that high, but it's a good estimate if you think you'll need a lot. Of course, ID could be very expensive in your area, and you may want to keep a little more on you.

Anotheridea would be to go back in the forums, and find one of the pricing threads. You should be able to get some pretty good ballpark figures that way.

Again, if you look back, you'll see the roll call. It's pretty big now, though, so scrolling through the whole list looking for your galaxy might be kind of a pain. You might want to just throw up the old "looking for ID on ______" That should get you what you're looking for.

Thanks everyone, I think I've got the general idea now. The work I want is pretty straightforward (tattoos and horns only), but I'll need to "see the catalog" as it were, so it may take a while.

I'm thinking 10K should be adequate, so when i have it I'll begin the search for my Designer. By the by, anyone know of a goodDesigner working on Sunrunner (preferably Naboo)?