Character Upgrade systems in games?

FAT_CAP

I'm looking into Character Systems in games, but I feel my slight lack of current-gen gaming knowledge is doing me a disservice! 

The 3 types of character system I've been looking at are: "WoW Style" where you can change multiple items on your character/ "Fortnite Style" where a whole outfit is chosen with no furhter ability to mix and match/ "Horizon Zero Dawn Style" where a single outfit is chosen, but this can then be upgraded.  

I can find a lot of games with the first two systems, but other than Horizon Zero Dawn, I can't find any other examples of systems where a single outfit is chosen then upgraded. Are there any other examples of this?  I am sure there MUST be, but I can't for the life of me think of any 


WoW style - you can swap each seperate item of armour: Head/ Neck/ Shoulder/ Back/ Boots etc. can all be equipped separately so you can mix and match to your hearts content.


Fortnite/ Overwatch style:
You swap out each "skin" as a whole.


Horizon Zero Dawn style - Different outfits which can be upgraded - from Low/ Medium/ Heavy here:
 

Biomag

I think Injustice 2 has a system like Horizon Zero Dawn, if I understood it correctly. I think there should be a base outfit with 2 tiers of upgrade.

But if you are just thinking about the models, not the gameplay system behind it, you will find several games that have that system combined with WoW's freedom. I think Dragon Age Inquisition had their models like that (it's been a while since I played it, so I might be wrong)

FAT_CAP

Thanks for your reply Biomag! 🙂

Looking at both Injustice 2 and Dragon Age (I haven’t played either) they both seem to have armour sets that are broken up into individual pieces (boots, gloves, helmet etc).

What I’m really looking for is more instances of games like Horizon Zero Dawn, where you only get to equip a full outfit- the Shadow Stalwart set for example, but can then upgrade that from Light, to Medium then to Heavy versions.

There MUST be some other games that take this route like Horizon does...right?!?!?

Biomag

Just for me to understand - are you looking for the game play mechanics or the art-side solutions?

At least on mobile Injustice 2 should have the unpradges locked for each skin - though its less about light, medium, heavy, more in the sense of 3 tiers of armor upgrades (actually same thing goes with Witcher 3 craftable school of the Witcher armors).

The only thing for Injustice I could find is this video with the 3 tiers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk3UbMqZhbE

Witcher 3 - again you can mix them, though gameplay encourges you not to ->

FAT_CAP

Ah yes- that Injustice 2 system is very much what I’m looking for. Having the outfit only swap when you have all pieces of the upgrade is a nice touch!

Just to be clear- I’m looking for systems where this is a gameplay mechanic first and foremost- which would lead on to the art side. The Horizon system is great as each armour has a strong base visual, and can then be upgraded stats wise, while keeping the visual side strong.  There’s lots of RPG systems where you are encouraged to wear all pieces of a set of armour, but if you want, you can ignore that and have the choice to mix and match armour pieces from multiple sets- ending up with a weird and wacky look like a child has dressed themselves from the dress-up box 😁!  This is what I want to avoid.

If the Witcher 3 example didn’t let you mix and match armour pieces, that would be totally what I’m after 🙂

Mark Dygert

@FAT_CAP The latest Assassins Creed let you change the look of any piece of armor to look like any other piece of armor that you had come across. Find better stats but like the look, no problem. It wasn't explained in gameplay or through weird mechanics but they got it, people like a certain look and they don't want that to impact their gameplay in a negative way. It was kind of nice.

FAT_CAP

Yeah that’s a good shout Mark There seems to be quite a lot of “hybrid” systems like this- where there’s either an option to keep the look and upgrade the stats (transmogrification style) or, like the injustice 2 example, only
equip a new “armour set” when you’ve got all the pieces necessary.

It still seems strange to me that Horizon is the only game to fully embrace the idea of treating armour and clothing as a full “set” which can be upgraded rather than individual pieces to grab willy nilly! It’s a great way of given complexity in design while the devs still have control over the visual of the characters.

It looks like Rage and Shadow of War do similar, but I’ve yet to grab them and really look behind the scenes.

Biomag

I guess giving the player the freedom to express themselves has a bigger priority - especially since more and more of those systems like AC Odyssey are around (Star Wars The Old Republic had it for years). There is no benefit for the player to have access only to one skin. Looking at Ghost Recon Wildlands where you have both - individual pieces as well as skins - players often complain why they can't use just parts of skins.

So while it might be nice for the art direction and easier for the dev team, it takes away options from the players restricting their individuality (which also in a day and age of selling skins probably isn't the best approach). 

An interesting variation is DA:I approach to companion characters. While they give the player the freedom to use different armor sets and mix them, each companion has his unique key elements to keep them recognizable - for example one of them will always have an asymmetric shoulder armor that is much heavier on his shield arm. But that is again something completely different, just an idea that maybe approaching things from this direction might give more control to the art direction without limiting the players (doesn't need to be different meshes, just colors being unified to prevent clown looks would be an option for example).

Neox

Not that it adds much here,

but fortnite isn't quite like Overwatch in Terms of assets, in Fortnite you can always, at least theoretically swap the head/hat/hair out. 
In Overwatch that wouldn't be possible, maybe the hair - dependent on other parts on the character texture.
Also Fortnite has the progression based skins as well. some skins get more advanced in higher levels.

FAT_CAP

Thanks Neox - I haven't played Overwatch or Fortnite much past a casual run about and browse of the charater selection (all I seem to do in most games these days!) - so hearing that Fortnite has Progressive Skins too is definitely interesting