In-Depth Look at Character Creation

[Fey]

Serious question: why? Not all video games let you change your appearance after making your character initially, but some do, and they don't necessarily make it restrictive like that. So it's not new. If people really want to change things, I don't know why it would need to be more restrictive than, say, changing your character's shirt whenever you want. It's optional and up to you.

Is it just because it's different? I know some people hate change, especially too much change.

Nope, that?s definitely quite the assumption you?re making in the last part.

For me, it?s because to some extent AC comes with a certain amount of realism.
I know there are plenty other exceptions to that in the game, but I still like having some ?restrictions? to preserve that feel (as an example, this also includes the inconvenience of stores not being open 24/7?it might be annoying sometimes, but I appreciate it for the sake of realism).

Drastically altering your face is not very realistic at all, especially on a daily basis. Our bodies are something very personal, tied to an individual, making up part of who they are. The idea of someone just switching from light to dark skin or swapping out their noses is almost a bit unsettling to me.

To be clear though, I understand why others are excited and would never want the feature removed for my own preferences?I?ll just not use it much :3
Also, I do think it?s great for making a change if you actually find yourself hating what you initially chose!

 

[Khaelis]

Nope, that’s definitely quite the assumption you’re making in the last part.

For me, it’s because to some extent AC comes with a certain amount of realism.
I know there are plenty other exceptions to that in the game, but I still like having some “restrictions” to preserve that feel (as an example, this also includes the inconvenience of stores not being open 24/7—it might be annoying sometimes, but I appreciate it for the sake of realism).

Drastically altering your face is not very realistic at all, especially on a daily basis. Our bodies are something very personal, tied to an individual, making up part of who they are. The idea of someone just switching from light to dark skin or swapping out their noses is almost a bit unsettling to me.

To be clear though, I understand why others are excited and would never want the feature removed for my own preferences—I’ll just not use it much :3
Also, I do think it’s great for making a change if you actually find yourself hating what you initially chose!

When you're living in a town as a human surrounded by anthropomorphic animals, realism kinda gets tossed out the window. Changing your appearance on a whim doesn't matter as much at that point.

 

[Fey]

When you're living in a town as a human surrounded by anthropomorphic animals, realism kinda gets tossed out the window. Changing your appearance on a whim doesn't matter as much at that point.

It’s totally fine if you disagree about the feature itself, but that’s a very flawed argument. Fantasy worlds usually follow some rules of realism. It’s very common to have unrealistic elements mixed with otherwise realistic circumstances.

 

[Khaelis]

It’s totally fine if you disagree about the feature itself, but that’s a very flawed argument. Fantasy worlds usually follow some rules of realism. It’s very common to have unrealistic elements mixed with otherwise realistic circumstances.

I don't disagree with it, and what you just said contradicts your previous statement a little. /:

 

[Fey]

I don't disagree with it, and what you just said contradicts your previous statement a little. /:

How do you mean? Because swapping your face out could be one of those unrealistic elements?

 

[Khaelis]

How do you mean? Because swapping your face out could be one of those unrealistic elements?

This conversation's starting to get off topic, especially since I'm too stubborn about shutting up. Might be a good idea to just leave it at our opinions on the topic.

 

[jiojiop]

Also, the thing that concerns me about having no gender option is what pronouns NPCs will use when speaking to us. People have preferred pronouns, and don?t always want to go by gender-neutral ones.

I get what you?re saying, but IMO the best compromise would be having more options, rather than less. Our perspectives are different, so I don?t think arguing over this will be worthwhile.

Well the entire argument is moot because you still select your gender at the start.

Frankly I think it was always unbelievable that a Japanese game would do away with gender entirely considering how rigidly gendered Japanese is. You literally can't refer to yourself with certain versions of "I" if you're female or some only in certain situations (and men eschew gender neutral ones because they're too considered too effeminate), there are group genders, and certain words are not acceptable for women to say. I'm by no means an expert but you will run into the importance of gender very quickly in Japanese.

 

[KeatAlex]

I'm incredibly excited about blush.. no more limitations to one face style having the feature

LOVE the blush, just wish they'd give us fantasy eye colors. I'd love to have purple or pink eyes.

 

[skeletontape]

GREEN EYES. Finally I can have my real eye color!!

 

[Fey]

This conversation's starting to get off topic, especially since I'm too stubborn about shutting up. Might be a good idea to just leave it at our opinions on the topic.

I don?t really see how it?s off topic?we are literally talking in depth about the character creation after all xD
I?m fine leaving it at this too though if that?s what you want.

 

[jiojiop]

Drastically altering your face is not very realistic at all, especially on a daily basis. Our bodies are something very personal, tied to an individual, making up part of who they are. The idea of someone just switching from light to dark skin or swapping out their noses is almost a bit unsettling to me.

I agree. While I do appreciate that I won't have to spend 2 hrs agonizing over which eyes to pick, it is a bit unsettling. Many games don't allow you to change everything about your character after creation and the ones that do that I've played implemented it as plastic surgery.

I'm a little uncomfortable with plastic surgery levels of changing your character. And I do agree with what meggiewes said about it removing a sense of permanence – a sense of continued perpetual identity.

It would be unfortunate if every time we want to just change our hairstyle, we have to go through other stuff like skin color.

 

[bubbleblib]

It seems that the different twitters all got slightly different footage which is nice to see~

 

[Aubrey895]

I was against changing your face after you first pick, but it has grew on me.

 

[meggiewes]

Serious question: why? Not all video games let you change your appearance after making your character initially, but some do, and they don't necessarily make it restrictive like that. So it's not new. If people really want to change things, I don't know why it would need to be more restrictive than, say, changing your character's shirt whenever you want. It's optional and up to you.

I'm not Fey, but I agree with Fey.

For me, it is all about the game genre. Animal Crossing was supposed to be more of a life simulator. So, I expect some things in a life simulator to be more permanant. Like not being able to change your skin tone or facial features easily. In other games like FFXIV (which is a MMO), it makes more sense to me to offer an option to change your characters appearance drastically because it is a fantasy game. I just altered my character's appearance in that game, only it cost me real money to do so.

A better example would probably be Dragon Quest XIV and Dragon Quest Builders 2. In DQXIV you have set characters whose appearance doesn't change outside of some costumes that you have to hunt down and unlock. It makes sense because it is a JRPG and the game designers want to tell a specific story with those specific characters. In DQ Builders 2, you can change your character around willy nilly after you unlock an object in the game because it isn't really a JRPG where the characters don't change. It is a sandbox building game with JRPG elements. Two very different styles of games and both games I absolutely adore!

Which takes us back around to Animal Crossing. Coming from older AC games where the focus is very much on more of a life simulator, the idea of changing your facial features around whenever you want is a bit of a shock since it does take away the feeling of permanance that the series has always had.

So, am I dissappointed that there is an object in the game that will let you change your facial features on the fly for free as a part of gameplay? Absolutely not. Could it (along with the other massive changes in gameplay as the game evolves) possibly be changing the type of game Animal Crossing is? Probably. It is probably changing to a sandbox game with life sim elements.

Is that going to stop me from playing and loving Animal Crossing? Absolutely not! In fact, I'm hoping we get different styles of mirrors and I'm rooting for a Snow White magic mirror styled mirror.

Am I personally going to use it?

I know you don't have to use a feature and I like the idea of unlocking and changing your hair color/eye color/makeup to customize your character.

It depends? Maybe? Maybe not? I have my eye on the kitty mouth but if I turn out that I hate it wish I didn't pick it, then I would absolutely be grateful that I can just change it instead of starting all over. Especially if it was a year or two down the road.

Would I rather they have the option some other way than a mirror? Yes. I would rather you have to go to a specialist (like Harriet or someone), pay a certain amount of bells, and change it that way.

TLDR: I like having the option available. I dislike that it makes facial features in a life simultion game feel unimportant and impermanant. ACNH is probably more of a sandbox game with life sim elements than an outright life sim game like the past titles were. Therefore, bring on the Snow White magic wishing mirror for my fantasy loving aesthetic.

 

[JKDOS]

It’s totally fine if you disagree about the feature itself, but that’s a very flawed argument. Fantasy worlds usually follow some rules of realism. It’s very common to have unrealistic elements mixed with otherwise realistic circumstances.

Unless you're digging up full trees, swinging magic wands to change cloths, reeling in whale sharks on the beach, or carrying say 40 whale sharks in your inventory.

40 inventory slots, with 40 whale sharks is: 1,600,000lbs or 725 tons. In perspective, that's like carrying around 500+ cars in your pocket

I don't know why people are against character customization so much. And none of this hate existed for Happy Home Designer, or Pocket Camp where this is exists in both. Don't like the feature? Don't buy the game, or don't use it.

 

[Noctis]

I can't believe what I'm reading. lol its just a video game jesus. they're not suppose to be realistic

 

[Khaelis]

I can't believe what I'm reading. lol its just a video game jesus. they're not suppose to be realistic

Aaaaaand that's why I dropped the back and forth early, lol. Cause me and Fey 100% would have been still going on about the stuff above.

 

[Fey]

Unless you're digging up full trees, swinging magic wands to change cloths, reeling in whale sharks on the beach, or carrying say 40 whale sharks in your inventory.

40 inventory slots, with 40 whale sharks is: 1,600,000lbs or 725 tons. In perspective, that's like carrying around 500+ cars in your pocket

I don't know why people are against character customization so much. And none of this hate existed for Happy Home Designer, or Pocket Camp where this is exists in both. Don't like the feature? Don't buy the game, or don't use it.

I am not against it that much.

I acknowledged in my first comment that I’m fully aware of how many unrealistic elements there are in the game, so it’s really not necessary to remind me of those features. I love the unrealistic parts of the game as much or more than the realistic ones, but I personally enjoy a balance between them best.
That means talking animals and digging up trees but also being on real time and not changing my fundamental appearance. I don’t see why that’s such a confusing concept? Different people have different preferences, and mine helps me immerse myself more into the world. That’s all it is.

EDIT: at this point I honestly agree that this discussion is pointless, and will leave it at what I’ve said. I never said the game was supposed to be completely realistic or that I wanted it that way. If that’s what people take from my comments, it’s a misunderstanding and misrepresentation of my intent.

 

[Lati]

The free customization doesn't bother me TOO much. It's not really like I change my stuff too much anyway besides hair.

For me, I simply enjoy the new options for freedom of appearance. The gender thing specifically isn't TOO big of a deal for me personally as I'm always female regardless, but I remember getting a little annoyed in the past that the options for boys always had the messier and more unkempt hairstyles. I myself am I pretty carefree loose individual, so I'd like to ditch the look of elegance for a more "fun" appearance, I feel.

 

[jiojiop]

Don't like the feature? Don't buy the game, or don't use it.

I can't believe what I'm reading. lol its just a video game jesus.

Pretty dismissive comments here. It's not really for you to dictate what others should do or care about.

For a game the runs in real time with seasons, it's not exactly shocking to expect some realism. And it's hardly unreasonable or unprecedented to want to change your hair for the day without having to wade thru skin color options.