HeroMachine 3 Items
One of the members of the HeroMachine discussion group wrote the following suggestions for HeroMachine 3:
I have three suggestion for the HM 3
1- create a forhead component. Cool for jewel and other piercing but also for rhino or unicorn horns and for classi mask insignias.
2 - Separate belt in two components : the belt body and the buckle. It permit to create combos. You can introduce in hM3 stuff like metallic letters buckles or other symbol bucles and combinate that with all kind of belt.
3 - Patterning : Not just propose only color but also patterns. Those patterns must be color customisable, of course. It particulary interesting for components like undershirts, leggings and masks. But we can imagine different kinds of patterns and textures for each components. But i suppose it’s less manageable.
These are excellent suggestions. The patterning is already in the plan (such as it is), but I hadn’t thought about separating out buckles.
In my head, the basic idea behind HM3 will be that each spot on the body will have multiple sets of items you can load onto it. So for instance, among the slots available to place on the Torso would be four for shirts (Shirt Slot 1, Slot 2, Slot 3, and Slot 4). I’d have a bunch of separate files containing item sets that would fit any of those four slots, probably grouped into themes, like “Undershirts”, “Overshirts”, “Bandoliers”, “Capes”, etc. so it’s easy to find the items you want. But you could choose to load all four slots up with the Undershirt items if you wanted.
One of the key differentiators between HM1 and HM2 was that in HM1, if you wanted a particular body, you were stuck with whatever components and items were made for that body. So if you wanted a big brickish looking guy, you couldn’t get martial artist weapons, or if you wanted a melee warrior you couldn’t get firearms. HM2 did away with that limitation, so all items and all components were available on any body style. But you still are stuck with, for instance, only one Coat slot. If there are two Coats you want to layer on a character, you can’t. My goal with HM3 is to do away with that limitation, so that you can basically load any set of items you want into any component slot you want.
That raises some complications when it comes to masking — for instance, fitting a gun into a hand without the lines from the gun overlapping the lines of the hand. But that’s the general idea.
December 4th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I think there should also be more options for feet. Kind of like the limbs option in the hands category. It would even be nice to have some feet to go with the limbs.
Thanks
December 12th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Is it posible to have items that cover/replaces the whole hand, ala the Borg from Star Trek: TNG? Basicly, mechanical scaners, welding instruments, alien teckn-dodads, stuff like that.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
There is one such item at least in the Expansion, a set of mech-style machine guns. And there are “handless” Expansion skins, so it’s certainly possible to have items that would replace where the hand ought to be. I don’t have plans to do so, but it’s a good suggestion. Maybe down the line.
December 16th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Might I also recommend more facial options? I was really happy with how much was added in the way of noses, eyes, hair, etc in 2.5, but we still need more! Good job and keep up the good work!
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
when will it be released?
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
curly hair would be nice. like really curly
January 25th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
You should have lobster claws
February 4th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I would like to see more options for the body. Perhaps things like Centaur bodies or giant snakes. Maype even little long necked snake things.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Thanks for the feedback, Jack. I wanted to note that there is already a centaur body in Pants, and a snake one as well.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Maybe Add in the Option to Have Speech and Thought Bubbles to the Image, to Make the image look something like a comic panel.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
How about an outline color option. Black is nice, but coordinated colors would be even better! Loving the 2.5 and can’t wait for the 3!
February 19th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Tentacles (2,4,6 options would be nice). Not nec Doc Oc style but from the sides and/or shoulders like the extra arms currently are.
March 2nd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
How ’bout a wide, full-body cape (i.e. like Batman’s)
March 5th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I think you should be able to customize your own weapons like for a sword you can choose a handle and then the blade or something like that
March 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Having customizable positions that the character(s)can stand in, would be nice.
March 16th, 2008 at 4:05 am
I’d suggest 2 additional poses for the characters: seated with legs together, as if at a table, in a car, etc, and seated with legs apart as if on the back of a horse, elephant, dinosaur, or other animal used for transportation.
I’d also suggest a “Vehicles” folder or module–anything from horses to horse-drawn wagons to cars to spaceships. Kinda like the “Companions” and “Backgrounds” modules now.
March 16th, 2008 at 4:07 am
I have a question about HM 2.5. The query is: When do you think HM 2.5 will be available for download? I’ve downloaded 2.0, and since it’s now residing locally on my computer it runs much faster than 2.5, but version 2.5 has some expansions and bells and whistles I’d love to have. Can you give us an ETA?
March 18th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Neck “laces” for capes (i.e. tied strings) might be nice
March 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
perhaps you could give a estimated release date?
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Here’s a suggestion for HM 3: Give us body types or some other way to indicate characters’ ages: kids and teens (useful for sidekicks), adults, and older people (mad scientists, prominent citizens, and helpless old folks just waiting to be rescued by OUR HERO! Also, while we’re talking about old people, please consider adding a “bun” to the feminine hair choices (useful for kindly little old ladies like Martha Kent or Peter Parker’s Aunt May). Love the site!
April 9th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
STAR WARS STUFF LIKE BOBA FETTS ARMOR AND HELMET WHOULD BE AWSOME!
April 10th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Your idea for the shirt slots sounds good - will you also apply it to leggings?
The ability to create more flexible colour designs by combining combinations of shirts/pants would be great. Also, ensuring continuity between pants and shirts would be appreciated - so that stripes and designs could be carried accros the whole body.
And the extra arms still look a little clunky - can they be refined a bit - perhaps by making them add to shoulder bulk to form an extra joint?
I’m all for tentacles in the wings slot
Also, how about a shirt option that actually adds heaps of muscle bulk, for creating characters similar to Guido in X-Factor. Or would that require a whole new body form?
April 11th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I think you need a skin option for fur. And maybe head too. make it look furry.
May 11th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
It will be cool to build Cars for our heroes like a Batmoble type of thing