Brink: What exactly is the point of visual character customization?

[Zhukov]

As most of you are probably aware, Brink is an upcoming multiplayer-focussed FPS by Splash Damage.

One of the features that the developers are making some noise about [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109834-Brink-Has-102-Quadrillion-Unique-Characters] is the extensive character customization system. (Apparently they also pissed some people off by not allowing for female characters, but that's a whole other topic. 15 pages and counting last I checked [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.281854-Brink-No-Girls-Allowed].)

I offer the following video by way of example:

You get the idea.

Now, this certainly isn't a bad thing. But does anyone else find it utterly pointless?

It's a first person game. You are hardly ever even going to be able to see your meticulously customized fighter guy. It would be like Valve letting you choose a novelty hat for Gordon Freeman. And even if you could see you character, you won't actually be looking at him. You will be intently scanning for enemies and movement routes with the occasional glance at your HUD.

I suppose you could say it's for the benefit of other players. You know, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies by giving your character some pretty makeup or whatnot. But that doesn't hold either because other players aren't going to be paying any attention whatsoever to your awesome design. They'll only be looking at you for the fraction of a second that is required to decide whether or not you are a target. Your enemies won't be thinking, "Oh wow, that guy has the Na'vi warpaint skin. What a badass!" They'll just be thinking, "Friend?/Enemy! Aim-shoot-dodge!"

Like I said, this isn't a complaint. Character customization won't make the game worse or anything. It just puzzles me that they would go to so much effort to put it in an online FPS.

So... um, thoughts?

 

[Wicky_42]

It allows you to have more investment in your character, creates a huge amount of variety in the other characters you see in the game, and adds life and vibrancy to the teams. It's pretty cool, I like the idea. Shame there's no female models, though :/ If you're gonna do it, do it right...

 

[Katana314]

The whole point is that it's for social benefit, ie "look at me".

You could make the same argument for real life; why would someone dress well if they see themselves in first-person?

(Still, it would be funny if a game provided extensive character customization in a singleplayer-only experience where you never see yourself, just as a joke)

 

[the monopoly guy]

Well being able to customize your character in TF2 has proved very popular, and that is also an FPS. People like to look unique and cool even if they can't see it themselves. I think its great to provide customization like that. It allows you to create your own character with your own style, instead of cookie-cutter military dude #540.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

Because Team Fortress 2's most succesful feature are the hats?

Seriously though;, there are some third person camera moments in the game (example: when you are down) and a lot of people just like to customize their character to as much detail as they can.

 

[Shadowfaze]

Its for the sense of individuality. Or at least until you find your 'individual' characters clone for the twentieth time, obviously.

 

[Zhukov]

The whole point is that it's for social benefit, ie "look at me".

You could make the same argument for real life; why would someone dress well if they see themselves in first-person?

But nobody is going to look at you. At least not for more than a second. And if they are looking at you, you might want to do something about that because it means they're about to shoot you.

It allows you to create your own character with your own style, instead of cookie-cutter military dude #540.

Yeah. You'll be an utterly unique snowflake... in a virtual blizzard of utterly unique snowflakes.

For all intents and purposes, you'll still be fighter dude #8556.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I want to play my semi-silent character of choice, I suppose that's the point. If I want to be Heavy from TF2 with a minigun, then Hell yes! If I want to run around looking like "The Lone Wanderer" from Fallout 3, then I can do that, too.

Also, if you play with friends they might I.D you by your particular outfit, which makes things a bit easier. "Oh, here comes Bob in his tire outfit..."
I suppose I find it easier to play a character I think doesn't look stupid, basically... and I'll be damned if I'm having someone else tell me my definition of "looking stupid".

Unless they say "Westro Baptist Church", but that's another talk entirely.

 

[Night_S1ash]

The different body types (Heavy, medium, light) Change your health and running speed, plus what SMART movement you can do
Ex.
If i had a small body type, i'd run fast and be able to wall run etc. but would have less health than a medium or a heavy

 

[Jakub324]

I suppose it makes you feel more attached to your character and looks good on the box, but beyond that, I agree it's pretty pointless.

 

[Zhukov]

The different body types (Heavy, medium, light) Change your health and running speed, plus what SMART movement you can do
Ex.
If i had a small body type, i'd run fast and be able to wall run etc. but would have less health than a medium or a heavy

I'm referring to the purely visual customization. Clothes and scars and tattoos and stuff.

Not the stuff that actually has an effect on gameplay.

 

[drizztmainsword]

It's all about character recognition. If I'm running around in TF2, the only way I can tell one pyro from another is either hats or names. In Brink, I can tell one character from another because, even though they serve the same function, they can be visually distinct. This lets you find your friends, and your enemies, faster and with more precision.

Also, look at games like Oblivion. You rarely see your character, except in the inventory screen, but I will spend forever making that character exactly what I want it to be.

 

[Night_S1ash]

The different body types (Heavy, medium, light) Change your health and running speed, plus what SMART movement you can do
Ex.
If i had a small body type, i'd run fast and be able to wall run etc. but would have less health than a medium or a heavy

I'm referring to the purely visual customization. Clothes and scars and tattoos and stuff.

Not the stuff that actually has an effect on gameplay.

Right, but that wasn't specified, my bad.
I guess so you can make yourself feel cool, same reason for gun camo in COD or Armour in Halo

Related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m2b-j1Yu8M

 

[Night_S1ash]

That's all?
That's what they made such a "we have a bradazalillion characters herp da derp" fuss about?
You just pick from a handful of presets.
That's just pathetic compared to oblivion or mass effect.

No theres a shit loads of options, what are you talking about?

 

[Wolfram23]

Some of it, like body tattoos, are obviously pointless 90% of the time. But it seems like a lot of them have different stats like more armour, or allowing more speed, or whatever. So that's cool.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I think part of the gameplay is dependant on how you look as the operative I know you can disguise yourself and sabotage the other team for example.

 

[NightlyNews]

Because in an over saturated market you have to sink more than average resources in a random aspect of gameplay and market the shit out of it as your gimmick.

This is coming from someone who has the game preordered and is probably going to stay up tonight to be one of the first to play it. I like character customization, but I care more about it being quick and easy. I'm afraid tf2s hat system will still be more entertaining then the comparatively complex brink customization.

 

[Woodsey]

Body types change gameplay, whilst further customisation looks more interesting for you, and people like to have their character look unique, even if they can't see them.

I think there may be stat changes too, like some others have said.

Oh, and your character appears in cutscenes.

 

[conzan]

its for fun i find this sort of thing fun, sometimes things in games are just for fun