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New Character Builder - Suggestions Wanted

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(@kristi)
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Joined: 12 years ago
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Hi folks,

So, given the lack of Flash support in Apple products like the iPhone and iPad I've been thinking it might be time to update the Character Builders to some more current code. This has resulted in a lot of work over the past few weeks and a completely recreated and redesigned builder that will work on these devices and has entirely new art (don't worry, I plan to keep the old versions available too while Flash survives, for those who prefer their style, since I've gone in quite a different direction with the new one.)

I'm not quite ready to show you the beta version of the new builder yet, but here are some features you can expect:

You can create humans, dryads, fauns, centaurs and somewhat short-limbed marsh-wiggles (as in the last version.) Not sure if dwarfs will be available. If I can figure out how to shorten just the legs, I might do that, as squashing the whole figure always looked kind of weird anyway.

You can add patterns to the main clothing items and choose the colors of the patterns themselves.

You can add preset patterns with ready-made designs like Lucy's Prince Caspian Farewell dress and Susan's Coronation Gown patterns.

So, what I need from you are ideas. What items would you especially like to see in the new builder? Are there outfits from the films or books you'd especially like to be able to make? Accessories that should be available? Give me your thoughts while i'm still adding things!


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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Joined: 12 years ago
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Weapons, definitely! (And I seem to remember the old character-builder as being left-handed, which tended to bug me, even though I know that there are a number of lefties out there!)
Other accessories like bags, wreaths, and jewellery.
Are merfolk going to be an option again?


   
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(@kristi)
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Oh, I forgot about merfolk. That shouldn't be a problem. As far as the left-handed thing, yeah, it's the same this time. I'm not sure if there's a simple way to flip it programmatically, so that you could choose and then add items. Is your main complaint that you're right-handed, or that the Pevensies would have been raised to be right-handed?v I just happen to like the way the character looks facing that direction. Would the ability to flip the character for download be acceptable? Then I would just have to account for things like the heraldic emblems getting flipped. What weapons are you hoping for?


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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I did too until I thought, "hold on a sec... I know there was another species in there somewhere...". 😀
Um... I think it's just that I'm used to seeing things (weapons in particular) in folks' right hands. (I was utterly thrown for a loop when I finally realized that a Marvel film character has been left-handed the entire existence of his on-screen adaptation.) Though I do agree that I like the way the character looks facing that direction. And yes, downloadable flip works for me. 😉
At least couple different styles of sword would be nice (I don't know how crazy you're going with options, but I'd like more than just two to choose from 😉 (I like swords...)). Bow(s), a dagger, maybe a spear. I seem to remember you had a rod and a staff before, those were good. I don't remember if you had Susan's horn (or even any horn) before, but those might be good too. 🙂 Also not remembering what options there were for armour....


   
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(@kristi)
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Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 216
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I've got the horn, not much armor yet. Got a generic sword that's very boring. I should definitely add Rhindon and Shafelm, and a scimitar, at the very least. Other sword ideas? So far it's possibile to get good representations of all the girls' LWW Narnia dresses plus their red dresses from PC and Lucy's green dress from PC. The boys have...a pair of pants and a top...I should probably get on that. As far as how crazy i go with options, I'm beginning to notice the load time slightly, but I think the trade off is still reasonable, so I'll probably keep adding options till I lose interest, then in two years i might pick it up and add some more. One good thing: adding items is VERY easy. I pretty much design them in Illustrator and as long as I add one duplicate layer to handle patterns for each item (which I could code for, but I've been too lazy) and set the items to a certain set of colors, I just have to save and upload the doll file and the code handles the rest. With the old version I think I had to at least add the item to a list in the code before it would work. Adding patterns on the other hand, adding patterns is painful.

And I've just discovered I can easily make items semi-transparent, and preserve that even when colors are picked, so that could be pretty cool for mermaid fins, or maybe Calormene veils or something. Maybe for some dryad stuff.

Also thinking of adding some companion characters. There's no option to add a second dressup character like some of the doll programs have, but I could add the Beavers, Reepicheep, a Squirrel...so the character would have some friends.


   
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(@hobbit_of_narnia)
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Are you going to have multiple options for the centars' fur colors?


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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Weapons: some creature-specific options would be good too, like two-handed swords for centaurs (holding them with one hand won't be a problem, if Oreius and movie!Glenstorm are any example), javelins and/or scythes for fauns, such-like. Maybe a falcon and a hunting-fish could be managed too? If you're willing to play with more swords, Telmarine swords are different from Narnian ones.
Clothes: yes, the boys need more. 😉 Tunics would be good.
Transparency: that is /always/ fun! 😀
Companion characters: yes. Just yes.


   
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(@kristi)
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A falcon. That's a grand idea. Telmarine swords...meh...maybe...(Do I have to? Their armor is so ugly. and everything is gray and black...like Gondor...let's show that everyone's miserable by desaturating our colors. This is why everyone who says they want to live in Middle Earth really means they want to live in the Shire or Rivendell (or Yosemite National Park if you've been following my Facebook timeline.) Nobody ever says "I want to live in Gondor!" At least in Rohan it looks like they know how to have a good time, if by good time we mean lots of manly sports, heavy food, and boisterous behavior. And if you don't mind sleeping in a common hall and the smell of horses. But I digress...) There's a definite Golden Age focus in the builder, though I'll probably do Lucy's pink Telmarine dress and Susan's blue one, since that seems to be a fan favorite.

What on earth kind of weapon is a hunting-fish? OH! Oh, yes, that would be fun. Maybe a double sword option, since a lot of fanfic seems keen to make that Edmund's preferred fighting style. The Archen soldiers who escorted Cor had halberds.

Haven't got any facial hair yet...suppose I should have some...though it's less necessary if there aren't going to be any Dwarfs.

I need to get some of these color choices in hand...why is it so hard to find a green that doesn't burn my retina?

Also, it occurred to me that I could theoretically change handedness by simply letting you put the sword and shield in the opposite hands. Unfortunately that would mean you'd be looking at the shield from the back, which isn't terribly heroic if you want to display your lion emblem.

Now look, you broke my builder. I added Rhindon and now the other sword won't show up. I HOPE YOU'RE PROUD OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE, ARIEL.


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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Well, you don't /have/ to do Telmarine anything. 😉 I get what you mean about drab and unhappy and oh-so-obvious-Disney-bad-guys (even though you didn't mention that one), but at least their colours are somewhat true to their seafaring heritage. 😉

Double-swords would be sweet.

Facial hair... well, Lune and centaurs, at any rate, have beards.

😮 Things appropriate to the likes of Cornelius, Coriakin, and Ramandu would expand options.

Try slightly teal-ish greens. AzaleasDolls greens are often of that tone.

True, but yes, the shield is a bit of a bother.

Oops, heh-heh....


   
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(@kristi)
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Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 216
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It did briefly occur to me to do robes that would work for Father Christmas. The problem with him, Lune and Cornelius is that it's really impossible to add that much weight to a character without changing all the clothing options. (the best folks seem able to do with Lune on other doll sites is use the Tudor builder with heavy robes to try and beef him up from their normally thin Renaissance dudes.) I'm having a tricky enough time doing male and female in the same builder. The men are necessarily slight so that some of the clothing choices will overlap. Because of the design everything has a certain childlike quality, which is ok, but I wonder what it'll look like once I add beards :/


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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Oh yeah, good point.


   
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(@ajnos)
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Yay for lefties!! There is far too little lefthandedness in the world of fantasy. Right-handers can just deal with it; we do all the time. 😉 😛 :mrgreen:

Once a daughter of Eve. Now a daughter of the Second Adam.


   
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(@kristi)
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Joined: 12 years ago
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Ooh, confrontational hedgie is confrontational!


   
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(@kristi)
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Actually I think Tonzura proposed the idea that left-handedness was prized in Narnia. Which didn't mean any of the Pevensies were raised left-handed, but it did help in identifying a villain who had crossed over into our world.


   
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(@ariel-of-narnia)
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@Ajjie: 😛


   
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