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A Precursor of Impending Change

Discussion in 'Whatnots' started by Taluntain, May 25, 2002.

  1. Sniper Gems: 28/31
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    Arabwel, it isn't freedom, it is preference or choice. ;)
     
  2. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    [​IMG] Oh, maybe I should have explained why I want to leave some avatars (those basic ones you can't choose) as opposed to switching to all-portraits completely...

    Well, the thing is, those avatars are unisex. The portraits are obviously not. So I can't change the regular avatars for regular portraits, because in that case everyone would get either a male or either a female portrait. The system is automatic, and you can't choose.

    If anyone has any better suggestions, let me know.

    P.S.
    Ahh... silly me. We'll just cut the avatars out completely and replace them with some sort of ranking system like stars. Why the hell didn't I think of this sooner?

    In that case everyone would be able to keep their custom avatars, the pool of existing default ones would be added to custom ones AND, I could also add portraits for those who wanted them (to change, or anew), and for females.

    How does that sound?

    [This message has been edited by Taluntain (edited May 27, 2002).]
     
  3. Extremist Gems: 31/31
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    That sounds as...

    What are you still waiting for? Do it already! ;) :p
     
  4. Errol Gems: 23/31
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    Stars? nooooooooo!
    WEll anyway that sounds pretty cool.
    So:
    Custom Portraits instead of Custom Avatars.
    Normal Avatars for normal (uncontributing people)

    Got it.
     
  5. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    No. Sigh.

    Everything custom remains the same, but:

    a) there is also the option to switch from a custom avatar to a custom portrait (if you want to)
    b) the regular avatars for uncontributing members will be replaced with a ranking system of a star-like concept

    In other words, portraits and avatars will ONLY be custom from now on. ALL avatars that you will see will only be available as custom, so you will only see one of a kind from now on. And all portraits will likewise be unique.

    I feel I'll have to implement this first before people will fully understand what I'm talking about. :D
     
  6. Errol Gems: 23/31
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    Rightey hoey!
    So I will be able to choose between having an Avatar, or a Custom Portrait.
    And say...Sniper will have some ... star type things?

    This would make all us..contributors...even more unique amongst the users and therefore bind our lovely commuinity even closer together...clever :p;):D

    Hopefully im correct...
     
  7. TheBlackRose Gems: 13/31
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    Even though I am a 'custom user' and will have a portrait, I don't like the new plan. Let the regular users have avatars, even if they are rather "bland" or non-descript. Why? Because stars suck! :lol:
     
  8. Faerus Stoneslammer Gems: 16/31
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    STARS!!!!??!?? That's not cool! What's wrong with us cheap, uncontributing, *too young to own credit cards* people? :cry:
    And why can't we keep our unisex avatars?

    [This message has been edited by Faerus Stoneslammer (edited May 27, 2002).]
     
  9. Wildfire Gems: 23/31
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    [​IMG] Stars was only a suggestion. If you have a better idea, why don't you post it?
     
  10. Thorin Gems: 9/31
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    Is see that your major problem is not with portriats or avatars, but with male and female picture selection.

    My idea is as follows, on the profile page you should have two buttons, one says normal pictures, and the other, would say female. What this would do is that if you clicked on the female button, you avatar would switch the female/unisex set of avatars, while the normal button would retain the image set we have now.

    This would allow people that have not donated and are female to have female avatars

    Also you still included the option for portriats for those that donate money.
     
  11. DragonRider SkyWard Gems: 16/31
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    NWN AVATARS

    Ok heres an idea to think of. It could solve your female/male custom avatar problem. Use the charaters from NWN. Think about it, their could be both female and male avatars. You could use the monsters in NWN like you do now with regular people like me. Use monsters for the regular people and the pc's for custom avatars.

    To give it even better custom ability you could have the custom people eather pick out a person from a list or if they have NWN send you the right info from the game so that they can make their own in the game and then send it to you. Once you get it then you can put it up. Though this is probley really hard it's a thought.

    Dont use portaits! Come on. Every site use's portaits. It's so....common. And this is a place of uncommonness, thats what makes this site so great.

    Stay with 3D.

    All you would have to do is wait for awile. I dont think that many people would mind waiting till then.

    Think about it Taluntain. Sorcerer's Place would look like something that has never before been done. This site is unlike none of the others. Portraits are on every other site.

    I plead with you...no beg of you! Dont use common portraits like every other site. Wait for Neverwinter Nights and use their avatars. It would be worth the while and I'm sure that BioWare wont mind. After all they let you run that beta contest.

    Save the avatars!

    [This message has been edited by DragonRider SkyWard (edited May 28, 2002).]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2017
  12. SlimShogun Gems: 13/31
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    [​IMG] Enough already!

    Tal, just switch it or don't. Asking for people's opinion is great and all, but the varied opinions of these boardmembers will just cause conflict. We all have our own, valid opinions, but your's is the one which really matters. If something will help you or create less confusion, do it! Your decisions thus far have helped create one of the best websites (IMO) on the web...along with some great forums!

    (BTW, I appreciate the fact that our opinions matter to you, but the 3000+ of us makes decision-making difficult!)
     
  13. Face it. Taluntain will do what he wants with the Avatars, the only reason he posted it here, and didnt just go through with the change was because he wanted board memeber opinions. Hes going to do what he wants with them. He asked because he is kind enough to want the majority of the boards happy. So, state a valid opinion, and leave it at that, Dont beg him, or whatever you people think your doing, state an opinion and leave it to him to decide what to do with the avatar/pic/medals/whatever he chooses. He will more than likely think higher of you, and your board members will think higher of you. If you dont like his choice, either live with it, and stay...or leave, nobody is stopping you, many here may miss you, and some may not. In the end, its only Taluntains descision about the avatars. He asked an opinion, not for people to beg for one system or another.

    [edit]
    SlimShogun, If one person is making the descision. 3000+ others does not make the descion harder. It only make it harder to please all 3000+ people[/edit]

    [This message has been edited by DeBhaal Stasion (edited May 28, 2002).]
     
  14. Shadowcouncil Gems: 29/31
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    Great idea Taluntain!

    However it is hard to seperate from my custom avatar. I will level up once more and then I think it is over :)
     
  15. Wildfire Gems: 23/31
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    Don't you have two more level ups to go Marnix? Elder Orb then The Slayer? :)

    And DRSW: About NWN avatars, at this stage it is unknown how feasable it will be to extract the avatars from the game, and it will certainly be much more time consuming and more difficult to do so than it will be for the avatars.

    [This message has been edited by Wildfire (edited May 28, 2002).]
     
  16. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    [​IMG] There are no avatars as such in NWN, so that idea is out totally. All models in NWN are not in the engine as a whole but in dozens of parts. I could extract these IE avatars we use now because they were in one piece, but it won't be so in NWN.

    And don't worry about me listening too much to people begging me not to do it and so on. As was pointed out, I'll do what I think is best, I'm only collecting opinions and testing the grounds here.

    As I said, avatars WOULD stay (so we'd still be unique, which seems a major concern to some), but only as custom ones. The only difference would be that people could now choose a custom avatar or a custom portrait, and uncontributing users would have a ranking system based on something that is neither avatars nor portraits. In other words, something that does not have a gender and could be used for both males & females, effectively solving my main problem.

    Someone also suggested allowing to flip between normal/female... Well that wouldn't work because the avatars hack was not made to work that way. And no, I wouldn't go changing it just for that either.

    There was also that lame excuse about "having no credit card" and therefore being unable to get a custom avatar, which is simply untrue. If you really wanted to do something, there are a dozens of other ways you could. Check the helping SP page at http://www.sorcerers.net/Main/helping_sp.php . At worst, you could ask someone in the family or a friend who does have a credit card to either make a purchase or donate a buck or two. And there are also ways to get one without using a credit card.

    Anyway, I don't know of any site who would use portraits from Infinity Engine games only, so I still view that idea as unique, even if we go with custom avatars & custom portraits in the end. (Which is most likely what will happen.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2017
  17. DragonRider SkyWard Gems: 16/31
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    Tal. How are you going to know if I let the pop ups load or not? Thats not really a way to get a custom avatar is it now?
     
  18. Vukodlak Gems: 22/31
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    Yup this new idea souns the most reasonable. It'll motivate more people to contribute and get a custom avatar, those that have grown attached to theirs won't have to give them up...
     
  19. DinoTiggy1 Guest

    [​IMG] I like the 3D-ness of the old avatars, and I'm a girl, but I don't mind the difference betweem pictures. I wouldn't mind having any one of the ones at the momment.

    But I like the portrait Tal, and having portraits would give a bit of change.
     
  20. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    DragonRider SkyWard, no, I can't know if you let them load. So that, out of all the things listed, is not one of the things that would earn you a custom avatar.
     
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