Okay so i had this idea about the 3rd person view that i wanted to share with everyone.

Since ( hopefully) 3rd person is fixed in Skyrim (as apposed to OB) i thought it would be cool to SEE progression in your skills by how your character presents him or her self.

For example. at the beginning of the game, everyone will look generically the same, a wanderer/adventurer with no specialzed skills.

So say i invest in Alchemy, and i become a Novice in Alchemy, wouldnt it be cool to see a little alchemist pack visable if you have the tools in your inventory?

As you progress you will gain more noticable differences, maybe stained fingers from mixing ingredients together, to a full travelers alchemists pack (master level)

I could see this working with other skills as well, like a master in Smithing would have a small hammer present on his pack or around a belt loop.

Anyone else have any ideas?
I think this would just add to the aesthetic purposes, not really affecting gameplay.

no.

This..
What whould happen if you get master skill in ..... Weapons then your whole body will look crazy and if you go with maces you will have a crushed skull and run around smacking yourself in the head.

No.

Care to elaborate? i want to make clear that its nothing noticably huge, but i want to make a difference between novice and master skills except effects and the occasional villager saying something about it, how would they know unless theres something visable for them to see and comment on?

Thats kind of my point as well, in OB they commented on your mastery levels withouit even knowing you.. how would they know youre good at heavy armor? or Athletics.

So you mean more of a small show thing? like if your are a good sneaker people may say your are very careful with your steps because it doesn't sound that much-?-

This.




With all the care I generally spend on making my characters look the way I want them to, I want nothing in the game to alter that appearance outside my control. None of this Fable-esque "I gained some strength, so I've mutated into a steroid freak" or "I ate some pie, I look like a fat slug" crap. No getting scars from attacks (can you picture a 100+ hour melee character, disappearing under the weight of all the scars). No badly done false aging. No growing hair to screw up the hairstyle you chose. No glowing eyes / tattoos / veins because I happen to be a spellcaster.

None of it.

Period.


edit: of course, having a character who can give you a tattoo, or a barber to change your hairstyle... that's fine, because it's under your control.

Looks like I don't need to post, everything i wanted to say has been. Spent forever in OB getting a natural looking, less lore-friendly but less liver-diseased skin tone for Altmer, just to get all scarred, muscle bound, or glowing. No thanks.

Yes, nothing like fable where you change dirastically, just minor changes like i said, say i invest in Alchemy, and i become a Novice in Alchemy, wouldnt it be cool to see a little alchemist pack visable if you have the tools in your inventory? it would be cool to see some progression visual wise to my character instead of people randomly commenting me like they can magically see my stats too.

Kiralyn:
With all the care I generally spend on making my characters look the way I want them to, I want nothing in the game to alter that appearance outside my control. None of this Fable-esque "I gained some strength, so I've mutated into a steroid freak" or "I ate some pie, I look like a fat slug" crap. No getting scars from attacks (can you picture a 100+ hour melee character, disappearing under the weight of all the scars). No badly done false aging. No growing hair to screw up the hairstyle you chose. No glowing eyes / tattoos / veins because I happen to be a spellcaster.

None of it.

Period.


edit: of course, having a character who can give you a tattoo, or a barber to change your hairstyle... that's fine, because it's under your control.
'

Wicca: well you obviously didnt read that hard, i wasnt meaning you eat pie, you get fat, where in my first post does pie, fat, and steroids happen?

I would like some elements but nothing that was forced upon me, such as the discouloured fingers etc. more like robes with an alchemy pack on or some pouches.

I would be interested in things like backpacks though, but not anything to do with skills just general types.

Didn't say you did. Those are just all the examples of previous "appearance adjustment" systems that have been touted as "amazing" in the past. And they were, generally, garbage.

Well then i agree with you that that is garbage, but since thats not what im talking about, it seems your just spamming information thats unrelative to what im trying to point out, which is why i said:

well you obviously didnt read that hard, i wasnt meaning you eat pie, you get fat

You gain skills, and its reflected on your character, one doesnt become a Master alchemist or a master in a school of magic and just look like a normal person, is what im implying, that there should be visual "perks" so to say for gaining levels in skill. Like every 25 levels you got better, or unlocked a perk within that skill, but im implying to add a visual aspect to that and not just game play aspects

maybe if you received a special piece of clothing or armor or a weapon that was optional to use. I like receiving gifts in games as a physical representation of what I accomplished and I think this could work like that. You could get the item from an already established master in the skill.

Nah, people commenting on my skills is enough for me.

I don't like this idea at all.

Two things should dicate how your character looks.

1) Character creation at the start of the game

2) Items you purchase and add to your character.

Nothing about the player-character's appearance should change on it's own for whatever reason.

Not fond of the idea. Wouldn't you be a bit...cluttered walking around with what amounts to "emblems of station" for most every skill in the game? Nevermind ideas like the "stained fingers" for alchemy would run afoul of people (including me) who don't want the game playing with the appearance we spent time in character creation getting "just right."

I'll pass. :thumbsdown:



You obviously didn't read that hard, people are saying they don't want they game changing their character's appearance on its own without their approval.

I'll still pass on this.

No thank you on changing appearance -- imagine gaining mastery in all the skills! Your character'd look like a freak carrying around all his/her tools of the trades. Also, no backpacks. I prefer my character to have an extra-dimensional pocket where he shoves all his crap.

This. Just less creepy.

There aren't really any practical applications of what you're suggesting. Alchemists have an Alchemy pack? Where? What if I'm wearing heavy armor, where exactly is that Alchemy pack going to show up on my body? And what if I'm a master at EVERYTHING? Am I going to be a pack mule for every skill in the game?

If I can add these things on my own, on my own volition, then cool, but don't force anything on me.

No.

Good points. What we need is more options for the PC to make changes on their own, not more opportunities for the game to start changing things for us. Wouldn't mind going to the arcane university and having a rune fused into my forearm or something, after which my arms glow when I cast magic. However, the game shouldn't just do that on its own.

Agree. I think it would be interesting, but what happens if I'm a master of alchemy and smithing? Wouldn't I look a bit odd with a hammer and alchemical equipment?

Little things like this would add to the game IMO.. Also would be nice if you could pick what you want to display like an herb pouch on your belt or a special way of sheathing your sword at higher skill levels. Little things can make games so much better that they should always be taken into consideration.

Nahzoo beat me to the punch...perhaps upon obtaining mastery we are granted a unique gift relevant to the skill. Just to exemplify, a master of marksman is presented with a feathered hat (a la Robin Hood http://www.royalarmouriesshop.org/images/detailed/0/Robin_Hood_Cap_with_feather_R00849.jpg), a master of blunt oh, idk, an executioners mask ( http://www.infomercial-hell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/executioner_290.jpg ), a master of sneak is presented a cape ( http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/dermotthogswash/hobbitcape2.jpg ). You get the jest. But there would be no requirement to equip these items, and they may be even unappealing to your personal tastes, you are then left with the option to sell them or display them in your home as a trophy. Whether or not these items have encantments, idk...that will have to rest with the opinion of the majority.

Anyone an Assassins Creed player? In AC2 and ACB you get rewards for completing certain tasks and reaching certain goals in the game. i.e. capes and outfits. Now, most do nothing aside from being an aesthetic change, or have little effect, but some do cool things, like making the game easier in some way, or more challenging. All are optional of course, and if something like those were added to Skyrim, you could even display them at your home if you didn't want to equip/wear them. That could add the type of custom master rewards the OP seems to be interested in.

The way I see it as far as the "master gifts" idea goes is that you could be rewarded with a small token, a piece of clothing, a weapon perhaps, or maybe an armor decal based on your rank in a guild, skill level, or because of some great action completed. They're all little things, and I'm talking about them being nice, but not crazy game-changing things like the rewards for the Daedric quests from OB (Nocturnal's, anyone?). And keep in mind, this all adds to replayability, because if some are for being a master of a certain skill, being in a certain guild at a certain rank, or doing some special thing questwise, then you won't "collect them all" in one game. Thus, you'd get to go back with a different build of character and do things differently, getting different rewards.

Just adding some nice little objects or small, but practical pieces of gear for whatever lore/skill/quest related reason would be a great addition. Anyway, just some ideas. What do you guys think of some additions like that?