Character creation is often an important part of an RPG and that’s why it is being added to Diablo 4, but it is pretty easy to see this system is under developed. There have been videos dedicated to talking about player choice and letting people play as the character they want, but with the current system this really isn’t an option.
When someone logs into a game with the impression of a character creator in their minds they are going to be thinking of things like Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077 and a host of other games that offer this feature including Diablo Immortal which has a more robust character creation than D4.
By allowing people to create their character they are going to be more drawn to that character and in turn more willing to purchase cosmetics. In a recent interview Rod and Joe discussed concerns in regards to ladders and how people seeing a class being the most powerful even if it is only by 1% will skew the player base to play that one class. This isn’t much different to limiting player choice by in essence saying you want this look you have to play this class.
By freeing the player to pick the class on just the game play you are increasing the likelihood they will purchase cosmetics for multiple classes. It is a win for players and company.
HOW
While D4 doesn’t need to be on par with other titles it should at least be adequate. With the current system here is a solution that can help people feel they have more choices and add more personality to their characters.
Double face and hair options for all.
Allow players to select their body type. Create a secondary option after picking your class to chose between the 5 available body types (the 5 classes) which then gives the options for that body types face and hair.
Split the current tattoos to body area so a player can pick the tattoo they want, but say they just want it on their arms they can and don’t need it on the chest and back or vice versa.
Offer colors for the makeup options.
WHEN
While these changes would certainly take some time there is no way to see it by launch, it would be nice to hear there is more coming for this system. Launch and the first season will likely involve a lot of work around balance and bug fixes updating the character creation could be something to be worked on in season 3-4 once the game gets its feet and hits its stride.
I know there are some players who are happy as is, but there are also a lot of players who are really disappointed so I hope the feedback is given some thought as it will benefit not only the players, but the company as well due to increased retention from players branching out to other classes due to not being locked to picking based off the current silhouette design as well as direct profits from players purchasing cosmetics for more classes.
I’d love to see more makeups, hairstyles, and tattoo options. I’d also like them to fix the hair colors, since they all seem muddy and too dark, imo.
Faces, I can get behind as well. Since we currently have: caucasian 1, asian, black, caucasian 2 (from what I can see of the facial structures). Having 3 options of each would give people a lot more diversity.
I don’t see them adding the ability to change body type. Mainly because they’d have to make armor sets go with each body type, as opposed to keeping them class based. If you wanted a buff, fat, or super skinny sorc; that’s 3 more types they’d have to rig sorc armor for. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be cool, but it’s most likely never going to happen. Even in games where you have body sliders (excluding mods), you’re stuck to a body type (eg. Elden Ring, where you adjust everything, but can’t really be fat, or super buff; only skinny to moderately rotund).
It isn’t impossible to adjust armor for bodies. I know they don’t use it but UE5 has tools that handle this for you which they could develop diverting similar or even doing by hand wouldn’t take all that long. I get yes it is work, but it isn’t impossible or unreasonable. This is Blizzard who has more resources than any of the other companies mentioned and it would pay for itself with.
Do I have faith that Blizzard cares enough or will do anything? Probably not. They’ll sell faces at $10 each, but if they really want this game to last 5 years + and see a good profit letting people make characters they like has to be a solid foundation rather than trying to sell every option.
I want that for you too! I really hope they do something to make all classes something people enjoy creating. For how much they talked about make the character you want this really shouldn’t be a thread
You see so little of your character with the isometric angle, even if its zoomed closer than older diablos. Blizzard should have stuck to the older predefined models from the earlier games.
I really hope they beef up character creator for all classes eventually.
It did feel like the weak link in that beta.
Like for example, same hairstyles and beards and tattoos/cosmetics for all classes. Come on. And no body type 1/2/3.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about what we do have, as it’s loads better than what any ARPG is producing (looking at you PoE and Last Epoch with gender locked classes in 2023). But if we’re not careful, we’ll run into: “they gave us this much, couldn’t they have given just a bit more?” So it’s a hard thing to balance. Because, if they gave more, then people would want even more. “Only 10 faces? Why isn’t there 20?” Etc.
Again though, I think a modest 3 of each “race” for faces, 4 body types to select from, adjustable makeup (they did it with tattoos after all), and brighten the hair a little so your blondes and gingers don’t look like they just walked through falling ash, and it’ll be solid.
I do acknowledge though, that the isometric angle does diminish some of these things. But people what something they connect with when looking to inventory, transmog, and character screens.
Technically there were like 9 repeated hairstyles and then each class had 2-3 hairstyles unique to that class but yeah I agree. Still not enough options.
I really REALLY hope they listen to community feedback on this. It really is NOT that big of a request I don’t see how a small team couldn’t have body types added and armors adjusted within a couple weeks (after launch and season 1).
Most ARPGs have very limited character customization. It’s almost a part of the genre, because our characters are almost always canonic in the lore. Still, some of these games make lots of money with cosmetics.
The thing is: our characters are changed season after season, we don’t have as much time as in an MMO.
While I get what you are saying is that we got more than PoE or D3 or LE, yes, this is true, but why even give a character creator then? Like you said to sell cosmetics so it would be in their best interest to provide more options.
So it maybe a genre thing of the past, but why talk so much about a character creator and how you can see your character in cutscenes when really they didn’t add much of anything.
It actually would be nice to change characters season after season, but with the lack of a character creator you are playing the same character season after season. This is why more options would make it a better experience.
EDIT I actually am not buying LE because it has no character creator and classes are gender locked. These things are that important to me in games. Say what you will it is my money if I can’t play a character I like I’m not giving it.