Cloaks and other cloak-like things.

[jbd1800]

So one thing I think would be a cool addition to the visual look of P:E would be for cloaks to be visually represented on your character figure. I know it they were'nt represented in the original IE games, but the video from InXile for their game Torment got me "pinning for the fjords."

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Is2T5ue5d8

 

Big fan of the very public development process, and I'm sure cloaks or no, this will be one heck of a game.

 

 

[J.E. Sawyer]

We are currently experimenting with cloaks.  We know people like them!

[Lephys]

As long as they still show up on thermals, I'm cool with that.

 

Seriously though... I think the past decade-or-so of RPGs has suffered from a severe cloak shortage. And, as immensely splend-tacular as they'd be as purely aesthetically-functional in P:E, I'd hardly object to them working into some minor role in the mechanics (equipment concealment, negation of ranged weapon accuracy during a snowstorm, etc.). *nudge nudge*...

[Sensuki]

I heard that dynamic hair is in the works as well. Holy FuQ I've always wanted a game where you can actually be Rapunzel. Hair is teh win.

[Pewch]

Cloaks period are awesome, but a fluttering cloak that moves in the wind? Well you are practically a badass with just that.

[Tsuga C]

We are currently experimenting with cloaks.  We know people like them!

Major clipping isn't acceptable, but please don't forego cloaks over a few minor quibbles. They're period appropriate and, yes, they're just plain cool.

[Morgulon the Wise]

As long as my characters cant get sucked into something thanks to them I will let them wear cloaks 24/7

[motorizer]

I hope you can stand on a fleeing enemies cloak and cause him to fall in a slapstick manner.

[rjshae]

Cloaks period are awesome, but a fluttering cloak that moves in the wind? Well you are practically a badass with just that.

 

Yeah it's funny how often game cloaks end up looking more like capes.

[Lephys]

Ooh! What if they actually kept your gear from getting wet? Maybe certain items could be ruined/spoiled/damaged if they get rained on. *shrug*

[Bloody Hypocrite]

Makes me think of the fantastic mod Frostfall for Skyrim. Without appropriate gear, exposure to water and cold is gradually debilitating and can prove fatal.

[Tagaziel]

Ooh! What if they actually kept your gear from getting wet? Maybe certain items could be ruined/spoiled/damaged if they get rained on. *shrug*

I picture a team of adventurers with priceless, yet water-sensitive artefacts travelling to a city. Then Clumsy Joe slips on the crossing and pulls everyone into the water. Cue wrath.

[Iucounu]

Well, the NWN games, both one and two, were a bit overcloaked for my taste. Everyone of my party was wearing a cloak from an early stage. I think as soon as you introduce magical cloaks with bonuses, you have the same problem as with helmets: You either wear them and gain bonouses, or you don't wear them lose bonuses. In both cases it changes your visuals, and if it doesn't, like when you're wearing a helmet but it isn't showed, it feels akward. 

By the way, I don't mean to imply that I have any problem with helmets. And I also have no problem with the possibility to wear cloaks, but I guess tastes differ how excessively they are built in. 

Edited June 21, 2013 by Iucounu

[Jarmo]

Yay, cloaks are excellent. I wouldn't mind the game being "overcloaked" at all, no such thing.

 

From non-programmers point of view, it's kind of hard to understand what's so difficult about cloaks and long hair and stuff.

 

But one does begin to get the idea when seeing weapons on back going straight through the cloak, running feet likewise.

Or looking at some cloak mods to Oblivion or KotOR, looking good as long as you don't move, 

but as soon as you do, you'd expect the cloak to not just continue pointing downwards as if it was made of cast iron.

[Lephys]

From non-programmers point of view, it's kind of hard to understand what's so difficult about cloaks and long hair and stuff.

*cracks knuckles*... Allow me to take a very noobish, hardly-educated guess:

 

I think it has to do with the dynamics of the thing. When you animate an arm, you've got a shoulder, and an elbow, for example (pretend there's no forearm, for now), and everything in between is "static." Only when the elbow moves is the bicep/tricep region going to move, and it's only going to stay directly between the shoulder and elbow joints.

 

But, with a cloak/some hair, pretty much the ENTIRE OBJECT is joints. It's like... a joint field. So, I mean, mathematically, it's just that much more complicated to handle the animation than, say, a people.

 

Granted, I'm not saying that "joint" is the actual terminology used in actual, technical animation (which I'm going to start learning very soon so that I can stop being a noob and actually start working on making game things, if not a game, itself), or that cloak/hair "joints" function no differently than a people elbow.

 

But, I think that's functionally why such things are so hard, in an oversimplified fashion. That and, you've got to make sure they move freely, yet don't get stuck on things and just hang in FRONT of the person's face/person the whole time, or simply wrap around everything and stay there. So, it's almost like you're attempting to code a paradox. "Be affected by the wind, but don't move like this or this, even though moving like you're affected by the wind WOULD have you move like that!"

[rjshae]

Non-linear elastic properties combined with collisions and realistic rendering of a semi-transluscent material makes the GPU a busy little boy.

[LadyCrimson]

I like cloaks and simple capes, but my favorite is still the long, open western/cowboy overcoat, flapping back in the wind. I know, it's cliche by now, but I still love it.

 

But at any rate, it's nice to have some kind of over-garment to go with the armor or clothing. Adds some visual/dress-up pizazz.  Will they have minor bonuses like +1 to persuasion (or whatever) for their visual awesomeness?

 

I just don't want a decorative cloak to replace an actual armor piece/slot. Some games do that...should be an independent cloak slot.

[Leferd]

I am especially intrigued by the wardrobe from Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. Plenty of surcoats, robes, and cloaks worn over mail and varying styles of half helms, hats, and other headwear. Especially the Hospitallers. Granted Renaissance era armor and 12 century levant fashion are presumably different, but the looks are striking.

 

So how about it Obsidian? Robes and surcoats for all?

[Stun]

We are currently experimenting with cloaks.  We know people like them!

Temple of Elemental Evil did them marvelously. they fluttered in the air naturally when you moved, and stood still when you did.

 

That, and they simply looked really cool when a swordsman did a fancy spinning move in melee.

[Sabotin]

I'm sort of torn on the subject. In some instances cloaks look really nice, in some they look terrible.

 

I'd really like if it was only a visual thing or togglable or something.

[Stun]

Yeah, Cloaks looked absolutely horrid in NWN1. They didn't even look like cloaks. Instead, they looked like giant, ugly potato sacks. And they had no animation whatsoever.

[Merlkir]

If you wanted a disadvantage to cloaks with magic bonuses, just give them some kind of a movement penalty. Fighting in a cloak is not easy.

[Leferd]

OT: Merlkir, I see you're involved with the Glorantha kickstarter and did some artwork for King of Dragon Pass. Impressive stuff!

[Merlkir]

:D very ot, but thanks! Yes, it's true. Lots of cloaks and richly embroidered robes in both projects!

[.Leif.]

Though I still love +3 Cloaks of Ninja-stealth, I'd be completely alright if cloaks were mostly for decoration. I'd prefer to see fewer generic +2 cloaks of protection and more unique special cloaks.