Image Designer Archive
Thread: Revised ID FAQ's
Please comment on how these can be made better
In particular I've "fleshed out" the ID FAQ since Kwee will not be updating her wonderful guide since she left swg 
Message Edited by NJ62 on 11-23-2004 06:28 PM
Message Edited by NJ62 on 11-23-2004 07:47 PM
by Kwee and n'Jessi
Q: What can an Image Designer do?
A: All facial/cosmetic/physical modifications available at character creation as well as:
- Additional ID-only hair/frill/lekku/horn/ridge styles (Bald now available!)
- Expanded color palettes (a Master has access to 256 colors in each palette). These include Eye color, hair color, spot color for aliens, and skin color
- Stat Migration: Now the only way to migrate your stats is to visit an ID (more details later)
- Holo-Emotes
Q: How do I find an Image Designer?
A:
- Tents are good places to start (see below for tent locations).
- If you don't have any luck in the Bestine, Theed, or Coronet tents, a wise next step is to check out the thread always stickied at the top of the ID forum called "Looking for an Image Designer?? ID's listed by galaxy". Add the ID's in your galaxy to your friend's list and ask if they're available when you see them online but please give them a few minutes to load in.
- Ask your local entertainers for suggestions
- Many servers have an entertainer channel (such as Bria's "ent" channel) or an ID channel (such as Scylla's "salon" channel). Join the chat channel and politely ask for assistance.
Q: What's this I hear about timers?
A: ID sessions are now accompanied by a timer that must finish its countdown before a change can go through.
- Non Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes, the timer is 1 minute (or 30 seconds in an ID Tent)
- for body changes, the timer is 2 minutes (1 minute in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes
- Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes, the timer is 30 seconds (or no timer in an ID Tent)
- for body changes, the timer is 1 minute (no timer in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes
- **CHANGE COMING SOON: There will be no timer for self-cosmetic/body changes done outside a tent
- Timers do not stack, but instead the highest timer is applied, so if you are getting a stat migration and lip color, the timer will be set at 4 minutes.
Q: What are the ID Tents for?
A: The ID Tents halve the cosmetic and body timers so that cosmetic changes take 30 seconds and body changes take 1 minute for non-masters. No timer bonus exists for Stat Migration, which is the only ID ability that must be done in an ID Tent.
Q: How does Stat Migration work?
A: You must set your stats yourself (ctrl-O), and you may do this before or during the ID session. Your stats will not move unless you see an ID. The ID will have to be grouped with you, and you must both be standing inside an ID Tent. The ID will select the stat migration option and a 4 minute timer will begin counting down. After 4 minutes (you will see the timer on your interface), and assuming you have paid for the service, the ID will offer the change to you and your stats will move instantly when you accept. For a good description of how to set your stats, see Hollow1Neville's guide
Q: How do Holo-Emotes work?
A: There are 16 Holo-Emotes. An Expert Hairstylist has access to all of them. Whether you are given “one” or “all” there will be 20 charges. Type “/holo help” in game for instructions on use. Holo-Emotes can be set off every 30 or 60 seconds, and were described by our dev as tiny generators implanted subdermally in the scalp or weaved into hair that need time to recharge between uses. An informative site on Holo-Emotes (which includes screenshots) can be found here.
Q: Where are the ID Salons (Tents) located?
A: You can type “/find salon” in one of the following five cities to have a waypoint created for you.- Theed -5130 4260 (next to the Cantina, visible from Starport area)- Moenia 4790 -4730 (visible from the Starport and Cantina)- Bestine -1440 -3700 (back behind the Cantina)- Coronet -360 -4690 (near the Cantina and Shuttleport B)- Vreni Island -5150 -6370 (next to the Cantina)
Q: Are the tents player city placeable/architect craftable?
A: Not at this time, but we are told they will be one day.
Q: Can you change my gender or species?
A: These changes have been vetoed by Lucas Arts. Do not expect them in the future.... ever.
Q: Oo ooo, then can you make me superhumanly tall? What about an extremely large chest?
A: We can do everything available at character creation within regular character creation species limits. This means that if you’ve maxed out your height, we can’t make you taller.
Q: Can I have hair even though I’m a Twi’lek? Horns for my Human? Lekku for my Mon Cal?
A: That was an exploit that is no longer possible.
Q: I've seen a certain hairstyle on an NPC of my species. Can an image designer give it to me?
A: Not necessarily. Some NPC hairstyles are not available for players. In particular, zabrak females often have horn-and-hair hybrids that look like human hairstyles with horns added - most of these are unfortunately not available for players.
Q: What can Master ID’s do that non-Masters cannot?
A: Not much actually. Chances are good that a skilled Novice ID will be able to help you with what you need. What is found exclusively in the MID skill box: skin color, head size, torso (women), age, 32 extra colors in each palette.
Q: Where can I get more information about ID or find pictures of hairstyles, colors, holo-emotes, etc?
A: Check the links in the stickie on top of the forum.
Q: Can I see changes before I accept?
A: Yes, you will be able to see a Before and After image of yourself. The After image updates in real time as the ID shows you potential changes. You have an option to zoom in on your face. The new ID user interface allows for multiple changes to happen in one session (before only 1 change could be made at a time)
Q: If an ID changes me, can he or she change it back if I don’t like it?
A: Yes, what an ID can do, an ID can undo, with two exceptions. ID’s without Expert Hairstylist (Hair IV) do not have access to all of the hairstyles, so if you think there’s a chance you might change your mind after accepting a new do, be sure to ask if your ID has your hairstyle as an option. Also, some colors are only available at higher skill boxes or Master. Within an actual session the ID has a “revert all” button he/she can hit if you want to start the whole process from scratch (individual changes can only be reverted by hand) but consider the time you would both lose should you choose to do so..
Q: Why am I smiling like a dork?
A: It’s mood – do /mood none. Either that or you're in the cantina listening to music/watching dancers. Do /stopwatch or /stoplisten and you'll get rid of the funny face (and will stop listening or watching).
Q: How does ID xp work?
A: A (non-Master) ID gains experience by making a change to your character, giving you a holo-emote(s), or migrating your stats. The amount of xp is based on how long the timer is. The exp does not stack, so it would be kind to suggest an ID break up a long session into a few parts so that they can get exp for more than one change.
Q: What are the bugs?
A: Here are a couple that have been documented, and are still not resolved:
- “You are already in the process of an ID action” bug - when one of you goes LD during a session, the ID may not be able to design you (or anyone else) until they relog.
- The UI does not always show the outfit you are wearing, but instead something you were wearing earlier. Try a relog.
- When a zabrak does not have hair, and an ID gives him hair, the hair color may not be visible to the client in the preview window, but if you accept the change, the hair color will go to what the ID has selected.
Q: Can someone practice ID on me without changing anything?
A: Not since Pub 8.1. A change must be made for an ID to get experience. IDs like to practice using eye color however, which has minimal impact on your overall apearance and is easily restored.
Q: What should I expect to pay?
A: Some image designers set fixed prices, and others do not. It should be asked up front. Price systems might be set up based on complexity of the change (higher skill required = more expensive) or time spent on the ID session. If your ID works off of tips, consider this question: if someone spent a half hour doing a custom tailoring order for you, or made you a gun upon request, wouldn’t you tip him for the personalized effort? A Pricing Guide can be found on Pani’s Lightstrider Image Designs site. A growing trend seems to be set prices for stat migration but tips for cosmetic work.
Q: Why am I being charged if ID doesn’t cost resources?
A: ID takes the valuable resource of time - think of it as on par with requesting a long and complicated custom order from a crafter. Some of us have paid for our training. We have to buy clothes so we can look nice for our profession. We have houses. We spent time getting ID xp, time that we could have spent farming Baz Nitch lairs back in the day. When we ID YOU we are spending time we could have spent doing missions, crafting, or any other lucrative endeavor. We spent points on ID that you chose to spend on skills that help you take better missions, or craft better items. We are providing you a service. Pay up!
Q: What if an ID is charging too much? I really need this stat migration.
A: Sometimes ID's will purposely charge "too much" for a stat migration, for whatever reason. Many times, however, players undervalue our time, or think they are entitled to a free stat migration because stat migration is necessary or because they used to be able to migrate without an ID's help.
- Ask if there is a novice ID around. Novice ID's will often charge less for a stat migration. Master ID's, in contrast, will raise prices to encourage customers to seek out novices who still need xp.
- If you are truly poor, you can plead poverty and politely ask for a reduced price. However, if you are capable of making the money easily, the image designer will tell you to take a hike. Master elite combat professions, or those wearing full composite armor will be given the boot.
Q: I get ID’d all the time and don’t pay for it. Why should I start now?
A: That is really up to the image designer, who has the tools to require payment. We now have a secure payment window built into our user interface. The ID’er will enter the amount they wish to be paid, and if you do not match or exceed the amount you will not be able to accept the changes. Some ID’ers work for tips and may enter a minimum tip amount or leave it set to zero and give you the option to show your generosity. If they’re not happy with your tip (for example they work with you for 20 minutes and you tip them 10 credits) they have the option of canceling the session. ID's talk to each other. If you stiff enough of us, word will get around, and nobody will want to work on you.
Q: Oops I just realized I left my money in the bank, now what?
A: The secure payment window will pull money from your bank if you do not have enough on hand. Don’t fret!
Q: What is general etiquette for an image design session?
A: Ahhhh the do’s and don’ts.
- DO: be polite to your image designer
- DO: be prepared to wait if others are in front of you
- DO: make an appointment – that will ensure you don’t have to wait.
- DON’T: bombard your image designer with tells. Even better, use e-mail. He or she may be in the middle of a session.
- DON'T: send your ID a tell when you first see his/her name pop up on your friends list. Allow the ID to load into the world first. Wait 2-3 minutes before contacting him/her.
- DON’T: criticize the design aspects – YOU wanted to see the hairstyles/lekku patterns/ mon cal spots. And WE didn’t design them. Saying “eeew” is not nice.
- DON’T: expect the ID to come to you. If you must meet at a salon for a stat migration, it is usually up to you to go to the salon where the ID is working, not to ask the ID to fly to your closest salon. We are actually pretty busy people. Would you expect a crafter to do home delivery?
- DO work on one change until you're happy with it
- DON'T jump around between changes before you're satisfied with the one in progress
- DO: ask for price up front
- DON'T complain about pricing. If the price is too high, you can find another image designer. If you have financial hardship you can also try to politely negotiate with the image designer.
- DO: say “thank you”
- DO: recommend your friends
- DON’T: recommend jerks.
Message Edited by NJ62 on 11-25-2004 09:25 PM
by Kwee and n'Jessi
Image Designer Basics: Abilities
Q: What can an Image Designer do?
A: All facial/cosmetic/physical modifications available at character creation as well as:
- Additional ID-only hair/frill/lekku/horn/ridge styles (Bald now available!)
- Expanded color palettes (a Master has access to 256 colors in each palette)
- Stat Migration
- Holo-Emotes
Q: When can I start image designing?
A: A novice entertainer can image design immediately, but he or she will not have access to all the features a master does.
Q: How do I image design?
A: Make sure your victim - I mean client - is in your group. Then target him or her and type /image, or use the radial menu and use the "image design" option. An interface will appear that is very similar to character creation.
Q: How do I image design myself?
A: Type control-1 to target yourself (or /target self) and then type /image (or "/im"). You will then be able to change yourself using the interface. You can also image design yourself by clearing your current target (by pressing “escape”) and typing /image, but this method does not grant you a timer bonus in the tents (**Has this been fixed?). Note you get twice as much exp if you ID someone else.
Q: I can’t image design myself or my friend. It’s broken!
A: Is your friend a Wookiee or a Mon Cal? If so, you’re out of luck for now. They have no features changeable until ID2 in the entertainer tree, when you get eye color.
Q: Can I give Wookiees a fro, or remove Zabrak horns?
A: These cross species hairstyles were only available via an exploit that has since been disabled. Occasionally you still see people running around with hairstyles they should not have because those species who are not meant to have hair cannot be fixed.
Q: I've seen a certain hairstyle on an NPC of my species. Will I be able to do that?
A: Not necessarily. Some NPC hairstyles are not available for players. In particular, zabrak females often have horn-and-hair hybrids that look like human hairstyles with horns added - most of these are unfortunately not available for players.
Timers
Q: What's this I hear about timers?
A: ID sessions are now accompanied by a timer that must finish its countdown before a change can go through.
- Non Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes (including holoemotes), the timer is 1 minute (or 30 seconds in an ID Tent - Tents are discussed in the next section)
- for body changes, the timer is 2 minutes (1 minute in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes, and this can only be done in a tent
- Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes, the timer is 30 seconds (or no timer in an ID Tent)
- for body changes, the timer is 1 minute (no timer in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes, and this can only be done in a tent.
- COMING SOON: no timer for Cosmetic or body changes on self outside a tent
- Timers do not stack, but instead the highest timer is applied, so if you are getting a stat migration and lip color, the timer will be set at 4 minutes.
Tents (Salons)
Q: What are the ID Tents for?
A: Most people are under the misconception that an ID must always be in a tent to do Image design. You must be in the tent to do certain things, and the tent carries bonuses for others.
- The ID Tents halve the cosmetic and body timers so that cosmetic changes take 30 seconds and body changes take 1 minute for non masters
- Tents eliminate the timers for master ID's doing body or cosmetic changes.
- You must be in a tent to do a stat migration, and there is no timer bonus for it.
Q: Where are the ID Salons (Tents) located?
A: You can type “/find salon” in one of the following five cities to have a waypoint created for you.
- Theed -5130 4260 (next to the Cantina, visible from Starport area)
- Moenia 4790 -4730 (visible from the Starport and Cantina)
- Bestine -1440 -3700 (back behind the Cantina)
- Coronet -360 -4690 (near the Cantina and Shuttleport B)
- Vreni Island -5150 -6370 (next to the Cantina)
Q: Are the tents player city placeable/architect craftable?
A: Not at this time, but we are told they will be one day.
Stat Migration
Q: How does Stat Migration work?
A: The customer MUST set their stats themselves (ctrl-O). This may happen before or during the ID session, though some ID's have reported the stat migration not going through when stats are tweaked during the session. Their stats will not move unless they see an ID, and it must happen in an ID Salon (tent). Select the stat migration option and a 4 minute timer will begin counting down. The stats move instantly when the player accepts. For more details see Hollow1Neville's guide to which you can also refer your client.
Q: Can I perform a stat migration on myself?
A: No you can't.
Holo-Emotes
Q: How do Holo-Emotes work?
A: There are 16 Holo-Emotes. They are tied to hairstyling skill. Roleplay reason for how they function as stated by our dev: tiny little generators weaved into your hair or placed sub-dermally (under your skin) that need to recharge (hence the having to wait betw each triggering). Whether you give “one” or “all” there will be 20 charges. Type “/holo help” in game for instructions on use. Holo-Emotes can be set off every 30 or 60 seconds, and were described by our dev as tiny generators implanted subdermally in the scalp or weaved into hair that need time to recharge between uses. Here is a list of holoemotes, with screenshots.
Skill progression and xp
Q: So I'm novice entertainer. How do I get to novice ID?
A: You start off being able to image design right off the bat, but you only have certain abilities (and you may not be able to ID all species at that point). You get experience for making changes to yourself or a friend. Remember, it only gives you xp if you make a change and the person accepts. That is the way it works from novice entertainer to master image designer.
Q: When is everything granted?
A: See Kwee's ID Guide for a chart of what cosmetic and body changes are granted when. As to the newer skills:
- Holo-emotes:
- Hair I gives you: Beehive, Brainstorm, Imperial, Rebel
- Hair II adds: Bubbles, Hologlitter, Holonotes, Sparky
- Hair III adds: Bullhorns, Champagne, Technokitty, Phonytail
- Hair IV adds: Blossom, Butterflies, Haunted, Hearts, and the All option
- Color palettes
- Novice Ent: old palettes
- Novice ID: all palettes have 16x6 colors
- Any Tier 1 box: all palettes you qualify for have 16x8 colors
- Any Tier 2 box: all palettes you qualify for have 16x10 colors
- Any Tier 3 box: all palettes you qualify for have 16x12 colors
- Any Tier 4 box: all palettes you qualify for have 16x14 colors
- Master ID: all palettes have 16x16 colors (=256 colors)
- Stat Migration
- Novice ID on up. There are no changes to the stat migration feature as you advance up the ID skill trees.
Q: What lines should I go up first?
A: If you want to become “useful” quickly, do hair first, both because hairstyle requests are frequent and Holo-emotes are granted in that line. Any Tier 4 box, Hair or otherwise will grant you all of the colors in the various palettes, minus the Master Image Designer colors. After Hair, opinions differ on whether Face, Body or Markings are the most requested.
Q: Where are the trainers?
A: In any theater, in the back room. Type /find guild:theater, they are typically in bigger NPC cities.
Q: How much exp should I expect to get?
A: 100 exp for cosmetic changes, 300 for physical changes, 2000 for stat migration. Half of that if you ID yourself, except for stat migration which you cannot do on yourself. At least one change must be made to get exp. The exp does not stack, so one cosmetic plus one body change results in 300 exp.
Q: How can I maximize my xp?
A: You should use the tents as they cut the timers in half. You should also practice on a friend, as ID'ing yourself is half xp. You should also do the highest level change that you can, which after novice is stat migration (which you cannot do on yourself anyway.) If you are actually dealing with clients, you might want to break up a session into mini-sessions to maximize xp as the client is making up his or her mind. For example, you might ask the client to accept after you finish his or her hair and then start a new session to do makeup.
Q: Is there any other way to speed up the exp progression?
A: Ormacheck (the exp bonus food) works for ID. The bonus percentage to exp ranges from 3% to 6% so try to find high quality stuff
Q: What can Master ID’s do that non-Masters cannot?
A: Not much actually. Chances are good that a skilled Novice ID will be able to help you with what you need. What is found exclusively in the MID skill box: skin color, head size, torso (women), age, 32 extra colors in each palette.
Q: What’s all this macro stuff I’m hearing about? I want to macro too!!
A: Fortunately, there is no way to completely afk macro yourself through the profession. However, there are some methods to avoid the tedium associated with staring at a timer counting down.
- KeyTokikoMima's self-ID macro with alarm:
/sit;
/image self;
/pause 27;
/stand;
/alarmAddin 0 2 Next ID ready!;
/pause 125;
/ui action defaultButton;
/macro ImageSelfDesign; - Syzygy's macros:
There are issues with the macro on the image designer side—I tried it and it kept losing focus on the ID window, making the defaultButton not commit the change, but for the victim side I ran two macros:
----- Start Macro AcceptOffer -----
/ui action defaultButton;
/pause 0.5;
/macro AcceptOffer
----- End Macro AcceptOffer -----
----- Start Macro AntiIdle -----
/sit;
/pause 600;
/stand;
/macro AntiIdle
----- End Macro AntiIdle -----
I ran both of these on my alt account and only had to worry about keeping my ID account going while grinding. In theory, the following should work for the ID side, but you can't chat while using it as that shifts the focus from the ID window to the chat window, making the defaultbutton go to the wrong place:
----- Start Macro OfferDesign -----
/target [self|victim];
/image;
/pause [63|153];
/ui action defaultButton;
/stand;
/pause 1;
/sit;
/macro OfferDesign
----- End Macro OfferDesign -----
Change the first line to be either /target self or /target Victim'sName depending on if you're self-grinding or have an accepter, and the third line to be either /pause 63 or /pause 153 depending on whether you're doing cosmetic or physical changes. - Editor's note: Please tweak the pauses in these macros to conform with the new time limits, as these macros were written when the timers were (in the tent) 1 minute cosmetic, 2.5 mins body, 10 minutes stat migration. You whippersnappers have it so easy.
Bugs and Issues
Q: What are the bugs?
A: Here are a couple that have been documented, and are still not resolved:
- “You are already in the process of an ID action” bug - when one of you goes LD during a session, the ID may not be able to design you (or anyone else) until they relog.
- The UI does not always show the outfit the client is wearing, but instead something he was wearing earlier. A relog should fix this.
- When a zabrak does not have hair, and an ID gives him hair, the hair color may not be visible to the client in the preview window, but if you accept the change, the hair color will go to what the ID has selected.
Q: What are the other issues in the profession?
A: Check the most recent "Top 5" stickied above to see what our top issues are at this time
Image Designing Clients
Q: How do I get clients?
A: Generally clients will come to you if you are in one of the tents. I find it best to use one of the "main three" tents - Coronet, Theed, or Bestine. Tent populations will vary from server to server, but very few people will ever be on Vreni Island or Moenia. Those places might be good places if you are planning for a long overhaul with a client and do not wish to be disturbed.
Q: I'm a non-master and I'm concerned about messing up my client and not being able to put him or her back.
A: As long as your client has not hit accept, you can ALWAYS undo a change. Simply hit revert and every change will be undone. You can then return to changing the feature which your client has requested. However, once the client accepts the changes, that's it, and you can only put him "back" if you have the skill to modify that feature in that way. Other than upper level colors or upper level hair styles, everything an ID can do, he or she can undo. If you are changing a color or a hairstyle, and you realize that you don't yet qualify for the "old" color or hairstyle, be sure to warn the client of this fact.
Q: What if someone is a smacktard to me?
A: First of all, you can cancel an ID session at any time and are under no obligation to finish the service. Second, you can add him or her to your ignore list. Third, you can use the "report harassment" feature located in the holocron.
Pricing and Business Practices
Q: What should I charge?
A: Some image designers set fixed prices, and others do not. Price systems might be set up based on complexity of the change (higher skill required = more expensive) or time spent on the ID session. A common approach is that sometimes ID's will charge a set fee for a stat migration, but use a tip system for aesthetic work. Here is an example of a pricing system.
Q: Should a master ID charge more?
A: Some master ID's do charge more because they have access to additional colors and hairstyles. Even if the master ID is doing something a novice can do (such as a stat migration) he or she may charge more to encourage clients to seek out a novice ID for that same service, because the novice ID still needs xp.
Q: Is there an ID pricing "union"?
A: Some servers have an ID union that may be well-organized or ad-hoc. Obviously you can price as you like. The danger to pricing outside the "going rate" is that you'll either get no business or get too much business and burn out. I find it beneficial to keep in contact with my fellow ID's for price-checks, and for "backup" when a particularly difficult customer challenges my prices. Some ID's have "do not serve" lists that go around the server, which are useful for avoiding problem clients.
Q: If my server has a union, how can I find it?
Some servers have chat channels either for entertainers or for image designers only. You can also contact an image designer on your server and ask about it (see the list stickied on top of the forum). A third option is to post on your galaxy forum.
Here is a list of some current channels/contacts:
- Bria: Chat.ent for entertainers and clients
- Flurry: chat.eof for entertainers and clients
- Intrepid: ID Union
- Scylla: Salon for ID's and clients
- Tempest: Union Contact Info
Q:Any other business tips?
Run your business the way that you see fit. You can do image design on the fly or you can use the tents. You can take appointments in advance, or do it on a first-come first-served basis. There is no right way to do it, so find what makes you comfortable.
Message Edited by NJ62 on 12-04-2004 06:45 AM
Um... er.....
NJ62 wrote:
**Snip**
Q: What's this I hear about timers?
A: ID sessions are now accompanied by a timer that must finish its countdown before a change can go through.
- Non Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes, the timer is 1 minute (or 30 seconds in an ID Tent)
- for body changes, the timer is 2 minutes (1 minute in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes
- Master ID's:
- For cosmetic changes, the timer is 30 seconds (or no timer in an ID Tent)
- for body changes, the timer is 1 minute (no timer in an ID Tent)
- for stat migrations the timer is 4 minutes
- **CHANGE COMING SOON: There will be no timer for self-cosmetic/body changes done outside a tent
- Timers do not stack, but instead the highest timer is applied, so if you are getting a stat migration and lip color, the timer will be set at 4 minutes.
**Snip**
Q: How does Stat Migration work?
A: You must set your stats yourself (ctrl-O), and you may do this before or during the ID session. Your stats will not move unless you see an ID. The ID will have to be grouped with you, and you must both be standing inside an ID Tent. The ID will select the stat migration option and a 10 minute timer will begin counting down. After 10 minutes (you will see the timer on your interface), and assuming you have paid for the service, the ID will offer the change to you and your stats will move instantly when you accept. For a good description of how to set your stats, see Hollow1Neville's guide
**Snip**
yay for that though!