Not necessary, not always and it really depends on those doing the programming (both before and later).
By this logic mods and editing would be harder than completely programming a new game. They would just have to play the game...the whole infrastructure IS there. And if they can not program a working gui window or reproduce the char creation screen...then they don't have to do it like this and go for the approach they ALREADY DID with haircuts and muscle enlargement.
Even if it would be machine coded in alien speak...we are talking about changing VARIABLES, you could find out by comparing different char files, even if you had no clue and no experience with the actual code. Find out what variables are responsible for skin color, find a free database slot, create item that changes that variable. Sell it.
I doubt the devs are not competent to do this, but i am pretty sure there are other factors involved that limit their activities.
Saying that it is not on the agenda, but possible would be far more honest, imo. Or that every shop item or npc adding requires a special procedure.
Saying that it is technically hard to do without a tad more explaining just makes funcom look bad. For example, when it came to the big database merge, people, who worked with databases, knew that this would take time. But saying you can't do item A or have no database space, while releasing tons of similar items or having clearly duplicates...again, just sounds bad.
On the other hand, getting that special person to sign the approval of a quick change or something included in a patch, can take a lot of time too, depending on company structure And if you want to sell this stuff on the shop or create a new area/npc, it will be hard to ninja inside a patch, too.
Last edited by Kurt2013; 29th August 2014 at 18:26.
The way character creation is setup is pretty much incompatible with making huge changes to characters later.
We added as much customization as possible when we added the tattoo and hairstyle vendors in the expansion - and even that is quite "hacky" and we had to get explicit permission from the CTO to do it.
AoC character creation set a really nice standard for CC at the time it was released, but it also was built upon a very specific series of paramaters that simply don't work easily with the way the rest of the game saves and trakcs your character.
TLR - Our hands are tied unless we want to rewrite the entire character system in Age of Conan - and we have other things we'd prefer to focus on.
@Nusquam Thank you, now go steal a cookie from the community team's jar for that post you deserve it
Emirri - Dark TemplarNaerri - Herald of Xotli, Arrienne, Argene, Barbeena, Conqubinne, Shaniz, Shinzei, Laylani and Dorela
send our toons back to the boat.
I always find it hard to create character face because of the shadows and "storm" that is running while you modify things. Even disabling effects does not help.
You pretty much have some surprise once you're on the tortage beach.
Water is my bubble
__________________________________________________ ____
Religolibri (10) Ranger, trying something else
Amtihotep (10) Hox, Using copy paste poss/gen feat