[PR] Contributor Rewards accessible to all

[Zamujasa]

just so everyone is aware, this is what we're arguing over, and this is after having to take the security one's helmet off because otherwise it was literally impossible to tell.

i may have snuck a natural color in there too, see if you can find it.



i personally think the concerns are overblown in every direction and that the majority of people will use normal skin tones, but even if they don't i don't have an issue with this because they look like normal spaceman, just with a funny color.


edit: here's a better example with (random) hairstyles

[Lefinch]

Honestly it's not like you can't go absolutely bizarre with hair combos anyway. I got an eyeless character, a person with what looks like an eldritch rune for a face. A mannequin. I also am not exactly invested in this particular dogfight: I'll work with what restrictions you give me and make things I want to make and the only thing "Complete freedom of colour" screams to me is "Oh I could make Mr. Men-like people" So I really wasn't going to comment.

But the nonsense hair combos already sort of highlight if you want people to go nuts they literally already -can- Most people still seem to want to enjoy making "Normal" people.

[Flaborized]

just so everyone is aware, this is what we're arguing over, and this is after having to take the security one's helmet off because otherwise it was literally impossible to tell.

i may have snuck a natural color in there too, see if you can find it.



i personally think the concerns are overblown in every direction and that the majority of people will use normal skin tones, but even if they don't i don't have an issue with this because they look like normal spaceman, just with a funny color.


edit: here's a better example with (random) hairstyles

Obviously the entire discussion is pretty low stakes, it's been accessible to a smaller group of people and it's not like the planet has erupted in hellfire and the oceans have overflooded ruining the land (because of the color customization at least). I don't think these images prove a very strong point from my perspective because like yeah, they're incredibly visible, they're on the part of the character that draws the most attention (their face) and you obviously can't really see it if you cover it up with a mask. That's true for anything you could implement aesthetically that doesn't poke through clothes (like tails do). Again, if people couldn't see it, they wouldn't want to customize it.

Just because it's a relatively minor thing doesn't mean I automatically think it'd be a Good Change. The game's aesthetic direction is made up of lots and lots of little things. Even with the silly goofy hair that sometimes makes you not look human, having blue or pink or green skin makes you look distinctly not like a regular human. It's fine if other people don't think visual consistency matters or is less valuable than letting people have endless facets of customization, but I think it *is* valuable and limiting your options in this way is worth it. I don't *really* want to re-iterate all the points I've already argued here, I'm not personally for the PR for whatever that opinion is worth.

[DimWhat]

Not really feeling this PR. Zamu really put it into perspective on how ugly this looks in combination of our current randomized hairs.

[mintyphresh]

Not really feeling this PR. Zamu really put it into perspective on how ugly this looks in combination of our current randomized hairs.

I'm pretty sure Zamu wasn't using the version of the PR that does the color filtering I added. #3, 6, and 7-10 on that lineup (and probably more) should not be possible with the limitations provided.

---

Hey, I don't disagree with this, characters with a specific identity which falls apart unless they have certain traits should just be able to start with it. But I'm just letting you know that if my monkey OC has to awkwardly shuffle to genetics for his genes because we're not getting a monkey trait, I want the same punishment be applied to rainbow people.

I can't tell if this is sarcastic or not.

[DimWhat]

Oh that's still not good. 6 and 10 were the ones I was worried about more than the rest.

[mintyphresh]

whoops, skipped a number there. Editing...

[Zamujasa]

i was playing with the current version i couldn't be bothered to test the restricted version; i don't think anything other than a minimum brightness is needed, and even then the default 'blackest' character you can make is darker than my original suggestion

at the end of the day this is just another episode in the endless saga that is the contributor medal and character customization, and there's nothing more to elaborate on. i think this is cool and good and will likely see less use than some people think it will. i am certainly not budging from my position (if anything my experiments with it have only made me more convicted in thinking it should be open)

[KikiMofo]

Personally I've barely ever seen anyone use the funky colors. I know theres plenty of contributors but I've only seen a couple people ever use the special skin colors. Is this a bigger problem on the RP servers or something? On Classic I'm pretty sure no one would care about weird skin colors.

[TDHooligan]

Personally I've barely ever seen anyone use the funky colors. I know theres plenty of contributors but I've only seen a couple people ever use the special skin colors. Is this a bigger problem on the RP servers or something? On Classic I'm pretty sure no one would care about weird skin colors.

to my knowledge the number of non-admin contributors that play regularly you can count with 1, maybe 2 hands. 

as for the discussion. idk. i reckon this feature will be used in lots of interesting ways but joke ugly characters will be able to get significantly more hideous. good with the bad i suppose. lots of the regulars take their in game visage a lot more seriously than newer folk do, too. 


depends on how much we care about a lot of randos thinking its a silly idea to make their character an eyesore, and how many decide to do it 

[Flourish]

I agree with Flaborized’s points. I do not want to see this as a trait for humans, but I would be amenable to someone fixing tanning booth code and also adding this as an interaction with taking a colorful reagent bath, given that the colors are still capped below the current lizard color range. Perhaps the tanning booth could be a more precise approach, since you’re able to choose the light tube colors, while colorful reagent would give you a random color?

[Kotlol]

I agree with Flaborized’s points. I do not want to see this as a trait for humans, but I would be amenable to someone fixing tanning booth code and also adding this as an interaction with taking a colorful reagent bath, given that the colors are still capped below the current lizard color range. Perhaps the tanning booth could be a more precise approach, since you’re able to choose the light tube colors, while colorful reagent would give you a random color?

I think that makes more sense. But I do fear that colorful reactant floods would lead to everyone getting their skin color mixed then.
While funny as an antagonist gimmick.... I'd like to keep that pointed out.

The tanning booth is defintally a 10/10 idea.

Still I think consuming "concentrated" stuff would also be funny and less impactful then being dipped in reactant.

Like concentrated mercury will poison you but give you blue skin and such.
That kinda jokes is also funny.

But keep focusing on making it a gameplay mechanic, not a feature to use.
Though I do see some underlying possible issues for this that will be a-helpable in the future. (aka a group going with a certain weird skin color, causing issues then claiming "They hate people of our MAGENTA skin color")
But other wise... I think this is the better outcome.

[glowbold]

I would prefer extreme skin tone be reserved for communicating extreme abilities or ailments. In the example lineup that Zamu posted, I would consider two of them to have the gamma ray mutation at a glance.

[Retrino]

edit: here's a better example with (random) hairstyles

the hairs seem to be more of the issue than anything in the image. if those are hairs from random appearance spawning, it seems like more of a point toward refining how they roll. anything will look bad when layered with several eye bleeding colors of bangs or half of a hairstyle, skin color aside. we do have variables for them already, but it could be a good idea to make them all one color as well? it also just seems odd that someone would go through the trouble of picking traits, especially an appearance modifying trait, if they were going to roll a random appearance. if the goal Was to make an incredibly gruesome design, crimes against aesthetics done purposefully can already be done pretty easily, showcased here by the clash of hairs, clothing, and other existing traits like plant arms coming into play.

its fair to then say, why contribute to the problem? i'd agree that merging this pr doesn't help visual clarity when combined with other things like in the image. it can be confusing to someone who has just learned what hulk is, to see someone spawn in with the same green color. i don't have any rebuttal to this, its a totally fair point. im not too sure what a workaround could be for it, other than certain genes not relying on color alone to convey an effect. dare i say bring back the wrestlebelt/stims swol sprite effect... i dunno. i mainly just want to see more freedom in picking a skintone without having to rely on the current, clunky arrow system, or seeking out a medal to do so. contributor is a fun easter egg medal, but its existence has caused a lot of hurt feelings, i think largely in part to the customization benefits that come from it. this pr is, if anything, a good start. maybe we wont all be able to make sparkledog ocs in the future, but hopefully we will see an improved way to go about skintone picking for characters after the discussions and ideas from this pr thread

[KikiMofo]

I agree with Flaborized’s points. I do not want to see this as a trait for humans, but I would be amenable to someone fixing tanning booth code and also adding this as an interaction with taking a colorful reagent bath, given that the colors are still capped below the current lizard color range. Perhaps the tanning booth could be a more precise approach, since you’re able to choose the light tube colors, while colorful reagent would give you a random color?

I'm fine with more Colorful Reagent mechanics. Always love making my blood funny colors.