How to Move Paragon Chat Costumes to a live COH Server

[crashpositron]

HOW TO TRANSFER COSTUMES TO COH SERVER

1) COH SERVER - COH Costumes can be stored in .COSTUME files. Your new COH installation doesn't automatically create a folder for Costumes.  In COH,  go to a Tailor, edit a old or new costume (be sure you are on the Costume tab) and click the Save Costume button. Name it something odd, like HEREBECOSTUMES.  It will create the .COSTUME file in a folder named Costumes in your Tequila install folder.

2) ON YOUR PC - Then use Windows Search to look for HEREBECOSTUMES.  That folder is where you will copy the Paragon Chat costume files. Exit COH.

3) PARAGON CHAT - The easiest way to create the file is to go to a Tailor, edit the costume you want to copy to Live (be sure you are on the Costume tab) and click the Save Costume button.  Name it the name of your toon. Save will create the .COSTUME file in a folder named Costumes in your PChat install folder.
To get to that folder easily, start the PChat client, but don't type in your password.  Click the Folder icon on that screen and then the Costumes folder.  In that folder, select the costumes you want to copy to COH Server and rightclick on them, choose Copy. (You can leave PChat running, if you like.)

4) ON YOUR PC - go to the Folder you found in Step 1, click inside the folder (you should see HEREBECOSTUMES.costume file in there) and rightclick and choose Paste.

5) COH SERVER - Start COH. Your costume files should be available in the Tailor or in Character Creator now.

[Nunikid]

Thank you , wanted to use some of my paragon chat chars in the rogue servers for a while but couldn't figure it out xP

[Garble]

Just note that not all costume parts are available in all the platforms.

Specifically, Icon can use parts not available elsewhere.

[Tahquitz]

Just note that not all costume parts are available in all the platforms.

Specifically, Icon can use parts not available elsewhere.

Levels of Validation
(Might be incorrect, subject to Internet correction.)

No Validation - Icon NPC Mode - Virtually anything goes parts-wise, even if it's 'breaks' the display (like Hamidon in Atlas Park.)

Some - Paragon Chat (DB Edit allows SOME parts from NPC Mode, but trial and error)

Some - Icon Normal Mode - Limited to Costume Editor/Icon Parts, but the list is expanded from live

Full Validation - Live Game (City of Heroes Issue 23, 24, 25.)

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Validation is the game keeping NPC parts unique to enemy groups, archvillains, and "IP Characters" such as Trainers and Contacts out of the pool when editing a player costume.  Validation also keeps problem costume parts out of the hands of players, or fixes issues with textures (like that one time where miniskirts were rotated 90 degrees so 'slits' were on wrong.)

If your costume doesn't validate in Paragon Chat or Live, it's the same behavior in the Costume Editor: you'll see an error message when you load the saved costume that some parts failed to validate.  Click through, and you'll be given an option to "Attempt Costume Fix" for the Costume Editor to pick alternate parts before allowing you to proceed with the costume selection.  You can change the parts, of course, but the non-validated parts will not be available to you.

In Paragon Chat only, after DBEditing a costume, a lock icon will appear on the affected costume slot if the costume doesn't validate.  That means visiting a Costume Editor and changing the costume is a one-way transaction.  Once opened in the Costume Editor, you can't put the costume back the way it was.  You'll get a warning before this happens.  (This applies only to Paragon Chat because DB Editing the Live Games as a player is impossible.)  The lock icon will still appear on Live Costumes in case of Costume Part mistakes, or when a part gets deleted.