[Hellstrom]

It's clear that when NPCs spawn, they vary in height. According to KTA it's up to a +/- 20% variation and makes for more interesting NPCs, from huge gnolls to cute little orcs to teensy-weensy-weensy hin. It would be cool if players were somehow able to take advantage of the same thing to allow more character customization. For example, I'd like to make Azel shorter than average.

Some thoughts about how it should work (if it can be done):
1. I imagine it could be part of the character options of the rest menu
2. It should not be something that a player can change again and again, so that a character could be short one day, tall the next, and short again later
3. It should allow for some experimentation so that you don't make a single bad choice and get stuck with it. Maybe allow any number of choices while experimenting, then a choice to permanently save the change.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Thanks for listening T :)

[Karilynn]

I'm not sure how feasible this is to be implemented, but it would be pretty cool. :)

[Animayhem]

Well if it could work sure but charge xp loss like you do when you change gods. Azura lost 3400 xp when she switched dieties.

[Hellstrom]

In my opinion xp loss makes no sense for choosing a height (though technically I'm pretty sure it's overall scale, not height). I think of this as the same as choosing languages for a character, essentially a part of character creation, but one that has to be performed in-game since it's a scripted customization.

[Animayhem]

In my opinion xp loss makes no sense for choosing a height (though technically I'm pretty sure it's overall scale, not height). I think of this as the same as choosing languages for a character, essentially a part of character creation, but one that has to be performed in-game since it's a scripted customization.

Yes that would work as well on character creation but after intial creation a one time redo. Though not guaranteed to last you can revert I have heard of it happening to characters who choose the fat body yet do to some fluke get thin and it requires dm/admin intervention.

[Balanor]

Sadly, this is not possible with the complex bodyparts models like PCs. The ability to resize creaures can only happen for the 'simple' models - like all the monsters (orcs, giants, dragons, etc, etc, etc), but those that can actually display armor and cloaks they are wearing (as PCs do) cannot be resized. If you compare closely, you should notice that any NPC wandering the streets of Thay who has a cloak or custom armor on is the same size as your PC. The only option for resizing PCs would be to first change their appearance to that of a 'simple' NPC model from the creature palette who has a set appearance - like Nasher, or Aribeth, or the Valsharess, etc, etc. But then those PCs would never show what true armor, cloak, or helmet they may be wearing.

Should I ever get subraces setup though, it would be possible to resize some of those PCs - like the Goblin, Gnoll, and Orc PCs. But otherwise we're still stuck having to use our imagination for PCs that should be short or tall. :(

[Wids]

I believe it was the Star Wars: Rise of the Rebellion server that experimented with giving PCs height customization once. But, like Thayan said, the clothing/armor settings don't recognize the changes, so they ended up with tall characters with their enlarged heads hovering over their neck stumps, short characters with their shrunken heads inside their chests, stumpy little legs that didn't quite reach their pelvises (with certain Robe options), and such and such.

The idea was quickly scrapped, of course.

Simple body models come with their own troubles too. On the same server, Gamorrean characters use the same simple body model; you can dress your Gamorrean in head-to-toe Mandalorean Deathwatch armor and he'll still look like one of those leather-wearing, sandal-wearing guards in Jabba's palace. The simple model also causes problems when you try to mount a Gamorrean on an air bike; he looks like he's running the air bike along really fast, Flintstones style. So I imagine that using simple models with PCs would cause similar problems with riding horses, unfortunately.

[Balanor]

Yeah, that is another drawback. When/if subraces get implemented or if a PC gets to use a 'simple' body model for their PC, one of the drawbacks is that they will be unable to own or use mounts.

[Vortar the Mad]

Yeah, that is another drawback. When/if subraces get implemented or if a PC gets to use a 'simple' body model for their PC, one of the drawbacks is that they will be unable to own or use mounts.

That tears it! Pm'ing my subrace centaur request to KTA now...lol.

[Hellstrom]

Solution: rewrite the entire NWN graphics engine. Done. (I leave actual implementation to the rest of you as I'm more of a "big picture" thinker)

;)