Recently, I've dug into manually editing .costume files. This has let me throw textures over geometries that the game doesn't normally allow. For instance, this section of file:
results in these feet:
The creator doesn't allow you to select the Bio-Organic skin for Monstrous Large Insect Legs, but has no problem rendering the combination. Well, "no problem" is a stretch; if you try to load the edited .costume through the character creator, you get this:
The character creator treats the file as busted, and loads replacement feet. However, once you're on a map, you can load the costume onto your character or an NPC with /load_costume. It works just fine. I look forward to seeing what kind of combinations this opens up for myself and for others.
But I want to do more than mix up already-available costume components. Let's talk about NPC parts.
Using the method
outlined here, I tried to create a costume file for a Crey Scorpinoid. The Scorpinoid arm cannon looks great, and I'd love to use it; but the piece isn't available even through -n Icon. I hoped that I might be able to manually edit that, and other attractive but unavailable pieces into .costume files manually. When I tried to load the file, results were less than hoped for:
In the above image, I've highlighted the error message. As you can see, it's basically the same as before. I decided to see if /load_costume could work around the problem just the same. No luck: PC or NPC, you end up with the same garbled figure, with missing pieces. Even trying /costume_load (not /load_costume) using the file originally output by /costume_save gave the same results as a proper .costume file:
Now, I don't know the inner workings of the CoH client, or exactly what Icon does to them; however, I can suggest a possible cause for the above behavior, which might help Codewalker or other parties who might have interest in finding a workaround. To get to the following screen, I loaded up Icon in -n (to get access to NPC pieces), granted myself access level 9 or more, and loaded up the Mission Architect with /architect. Inside the Architect, I went to the NPC creator. All of that led to this:
In addition to the three usual types, the Architect now offered Enemy (which appears as I've highlighted), Enemy 2 (normal-looking female body), Enemy 3 (normal-looking non-huge male body), plus Female and Male NPC (both of which just show up completely blank for me). Trying to hit "Next" with any of these five options crashes the client for me, so I haven't been able to dig any deeper.
Still, it got me thinking. Why would one illegal combination (Monstrous Insect + Bio-Organic) load, but the Scorpinoid, even with its default textures, not? I'm speculating, but maybe the geometries for some of the more exotic NPCs (like the Scorpinoids) are associated in the game with these other types, most likely the three Enemy types. If we want to ever use the pieces from these Enemy types, I see three possible ways forward:
- convince the character creator that Enemy costume pieces are kosher for player costumes; or
- convince the character creator to offer the Enemy body types in addition to the standard three types; or
- give Icon the ability to load custom critters in addition to costumes, and get the Mission Editor to load the Enemy type models without crashing.
I have no idea if any of this would be possible, let alone worth the time of Codewalker
et al., or at all interesting for them to work toward. As it stands, Icon is a spectacular achievement, and any additional capabilities gained would be pure gravy. I hope that by sharing what I've learned so far, I might help others in the community enjoy and just maybe expand the abilities of Icon.
