*** New Edits Added to Bottom of Post 05/05/09 ***
I posted this before, but I think it get overlooked, I was thinking it would be kinda cool to utilize the "Favor Points" aspect of the game in order to, instead of just offering items, unlock different color skins for our current 8 demigods. These skins could cost a LOT of favor, so players have something to work up to that seperates their demigod from a (for lack of a better term) newb, my example was, we take the Black/Red Unclean beast we have, and we change the red areas to green, black areas to brown, and give a purple tint to some of the details, makes him look more sickly. What do you guys think about this?
In my opinion a little bonus cosmetic upgrade, rewarded for dedication and playing for a while is always a nice "Something Special" for dedicated players and fans.
Maybe even if subtle changes could be made to the new skins, the rook instead of being a tan (sandy mud and brick) castle, with human like towers atop him, you could skin him with a black skin, and more chaos based castle structures on top, instead of the sun orb, a nice reb orb sitting up their like a blood orb.
I also think that even though some concerns about the current small number of 8 demigods was raised in a few other postings, these subtle changes would still differentiate the two characters. Almost having a Light & Dark version of each demigod. In this manner, I have put some thought into it, it would only require additional art, but balancing, ability, and stats would be left unchanged.
Heres a few of the ideas,
Current ------- Re-skin & Description
Rook (light verison) ------ Necropolis (dark version) New skin would be black bricks, with the blood orb or a green orb of souls, instead of a trebuchet a catapult that launches corpses, instead of normal arrows, flaming arrows
Unclean Beast (dark version) ------ Keeper of the Wastes (Light version) think of it as a Sphinx type creature, all the green diesease that the unclean beast would launch could be changed to tan, sand clouds.
Torchbearer (dark version) ------- Stormcaller (light version) More of a wind/electric version of the TB, instead of chaos looking armor, more royal Knight armor, fire spells reskinned to a wind color, almost ethereal, frost reskinned to electricity, freezes could look like a continuous stream of lightning going around the unit
Vampire Lord (dark version) -------- High Lord Magus (light version) A robbed clerical mage type, large magical property would justify the hovering effect. Instead of a swarm of bats maybe a surge of energy, or bite would be a Magical Essense drain.
Regulus (angel) (light version) ------- Valganis (demon) (dark version) Instead of torn angel wings, give him bat like skeletal structured wings without flesh yet to prevent constant flight. Hooves and the whole nine yards of a demon. Instead of the crossbow use a bow and arrow contraption or something?
Sedna (light version) ------ Maldar (dark version) It would have to look like a skeletal knight atop a firey steed that could bring up the dead souls to heal living allies. Summon yeti would summon hulking bone constructs.
Oak (light version) ----- Decay (dark version) I dont think much would need to change here, color scheme, maybe red fire eyes under the helm, and give him a mace instead of an Axe or a large sword. Wouldnt have to re-skin any of his skills.
Queen of Thorns (dark version) ----- Priestess of Desire (light version) more of a character that teeters on the dark/light border, stay with the theme of insects and vines, only instead of thorns have flowers, and instead of beetles carting her around on a rose have catapiller or grubs cart her around on a venus fly trap.
Thoughts ? Again, although Art is a huge time consumption i think minus the balancing, new abilities, and all that comes with creating a NEW demigod, these new skins could be rewards for A LOT of favor points. Its sort of a nice specail way of saying "This guys been playing a long time, lets give him basically a NEW demi god, that follows the same overall format of an old one"
*** Edits/Updates ***
So I was thinking that these wouldnt take the place of the actual Favor Item slot, it would just be something you could purchase for say, 50,000 Favor Points per skin. This would make it like a long term goal, and this would add such a variety to the game. Pantheon could then list all 8 Demigods for selection. Just in each of their respective light and dark forms. In order to unlock them in custom/skirmish though, the favor points would need to be utilized.
I'd really like to see something like this get some attention. That an a nice Icon oriented rank system for playing games so we have something to work for long term. Thing of how Warcraft 3 had it so that 25 wins / 150 wins / 350 wins etc. got a neat picture next to their name.
- Mord