Be Original!

[Previsionary]

^^^agrees with volsung.

The reason I find this discussion interesting now--outside of skins, skopes, fxs, and hexes, which there's barely a lack of--is that just last year there were at least 4 different modders with original mods being shown off and asking for help or feedback and all those mods went unnoticed even by some of the posters here. So, I'm trying to figure out why it's on a sudden upswing now and not back then, heh. Going by a recent example, Voltimax asked for help quite a few times or even a word of encouragement. I know for sure that I and Carra helped him, but that thread went mostly unnoticed by the public which is one of the contributing factors to that mod being shutdown. It was an origin mod based on his avatar in the NPI-verse iirc. So, if the community suddenly wants more original content mods, then we're going to have to get better at cultivating the plants. The very least you could do is encourage someone to stick with an idea whether you actually play it or not.

In other fields of interest, I always find a mainstream skin creative and original because no two skins by any person "should" look exactly alike. You may not go out and download them all because you've already found the perfect one, but just like these characters are drawn differently by every artist that touches them, you get a pick of variety every time someone touches the character. I do wish people would go out and skin different versions of some characters to move away from their current/classic looks, but that doesn't always happen. It'd be even better if new costumes were designed for mainstream characters all the way around really (Hi murs! --Exiles reference).

And...yeah, I think that's about it. No, I'm not just saying that because I forgot whatever else I was going to say. Who told you that?! *panics*

...

*disappears*

[herodad1]

i like them both equally well.when i get bored with mainstream i go original and vice-versa.like the man said earlier...its all about having fun.i wish i could do what you guys do.your all AWSOME in my book.

[the_ultimate_evil]

As for the fear of a character being misused or, even worse, misappropriated, I know a few skinners on this forum who share that view, that apprehension that their character could be stolen or twisted into something they aren't. Well I've been to devient art, and let me tell you, there are worse things to happen to your character than having them get trounced by the Avengers in the RR.

i know what you mean by dev art lol, i have no problem with people using flesheater in the rumble room, you can have anyone knock the crap outta him all you want, it was aspects like people changing his origins, pm'ing me with changes to his colour scheme,asking can they use him as another character etc that turned me off releasing my originals. i have no problem showing them here just letting you lot get a hold of them :P

[Lunarman]

Ok here's my guilty secret: I've never put mainstream characters into my FF game. I really don't like it, all I'm interested in is my own original universe, that of FF and other peoples original stuff like AA. It's so much more dynamic and off the wall, which makes it more fun to play

Certainly mods and skins of originals get less interest, but I'm always watching DJs or Cars threads as mostly their work in new and refreshing, opposed to a variation on something you've seem before.

[laughing paradox]

I'm all about the mainstream characters.

I've downloaded some original skins/meshes and made them into my 'own' characters, like generic villains. I'm sure we all have a whole universe of superhero and supervillain characters created in our minds from our youth.. and maybe one day I'll create mine for FF... but I'd create them for myself, not expecting others to get into them. I'd understand that, though. I'm the only one 'invested' in them and that's why I'll be doing mainstream characters for as long as I can, because I understand that people what these characters..especially since there are still so many that have never been done before. I got into this game because it was the coolest way to make The X-men fight the Sinister Six.. or the Avengers against the Marauders..  or the Teen Titans against the New Warriors...battles that once could only be left in the realm of imagination are fully realized before my very eyes. My inner geek is full of glee.

[catastrophe]

Im the opposite, i only download originals tbh. I never found it fun skinning mainstream because it was already done so many times, when i see originals in threads it immidiately catches my attention and i can sit staring at the skin and bio for quite some time. I first bought this game to see some new heroes fight new villains and when i found out it was possible to actually skin and make your own heroes i was dazzled, i made insanely powerful heroes fight insanely powerful villains and let my imagination try to develop relations between the opponents. I already knew that Xavier tries to change Magneto's point of view and that they always end up sending the Acolytes against the X-men and the X-men coming out on top.


Im all about redesigns of mainstream though :D

[Lionheart]

i have no problem showing them here just letting you lot get a hold of them :P

Which is a shame for people like me; your skins are fantastic. But I'm one of those players who doesn't necessarily follow the artist's story ideas, but makes new characters out of them (to a certain extent) for danger room use. However, if I use custom skins for my own purposes, it is always for personal use, not to share/change for public consumption.

I like both mainstream and custom, but actually prefer original character skins. If people download my skins and use them for characters other than what they were created for, that's fine with me -- as long as its for personal use only. If anyone wants to use my characters in a mod, I'm open to discussion.

Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for skinning of late (which is bad; I owe YL a couple of skins).

But to all the skinners of original characters: I enjoy your work and download many, many of them, and anticipate many more (like Car's internationals, etc.; subtle hint  :) ).

[House Quake]

I've been 100% original from day one... oh so many years ago.  Stuck to it no matter how little recognition original chars got vs mainstream because my philosophy was to skin for my own enjoyment... and if anyone wanted to join the ride... they were welcome to do so.  I don't think it would be in-appropriate to suggest that I personally  influenced many skinners to do original work through the years indirectly by my own dedicated example or through direct encouragement and guidance even. 

I will admit that the biggest nods of encouragement has come to me over the years when other skinners and artist sought to do renditions of what I created.  One particular character of mine has been rendered in several drawings, a couple of paintings and has been skinned by C6.  Yeah when arguably the #1 skinner of all things mainstream asked to skin one of my originals... I couldn't help but have a sense of pride in that I was actually reaching a few peeps with my ideas.

Regardless of how we think our original creations are received... we should never stop doing them if you get a personal satisfaction out of seeing something from your own mind manifested.  4 out of 5 may prefer mainstream... but don't deprive that one from sharing in your creativity.  I love the amount of original work I've seen done in recent times.  And I hope it continues in one fashion or another.

I personally collect original skins only.  I love the stories.  I only have mainstream skins because they come with the meshes.

[Courtnall6]

As for the fear of a character being misused or, even worse, misappropriated, I know a few skinners on this forum who share that view, that apprehension that their character could be stolen or twisted into something they aren't.

That's pretty much the reason I've stayed away from originals. I think Canadian Shield and my C-6 avatar are my only original releases (other than the community avatar redesigns and skinning challenges I use to do). I have skinned original characters...but I doubt that I'll ever show or release them. Come to think of it...one of my very first few skins....many years ago now...was one of my originals!

One particular character of mine has been rendered in several drawings, a couple of paintings and has been skinned by C6.  Yeah when arguably the #1 skinner of all things mainstream asked to skin one of my originals... I couldn't help but have a sense of pride in that I was actually reaching a few peeps with my ideas.

Fyrehawk is cool man! So cool I actually made 3 skins for him...golden, silver, and modern age! :cool:

[Tortuga]

When I was doing FF skins I focused exclusively on original characters; mostly my own and a few requests here and there.  I loved the feeling of "What'll it look like when I try ______?" and birthing a concept.  That wouldn't have happened with mainstream characters.

[C4]

My interest is completely on Originals now. I have very little exitement left for mainstream.

I love the originals Carravagio, AA, DJ, Tomato and Unkoman makes.


As for why little interest in original mods are shown apart for strangers. Very easy, People always love playing their favourite characters. And originals has to earn their interest. Very few people can compete with what Dr Mike was able to do, and sadly that is what is required to get your originals mod any notice.

But luckily the community are MUCH more originals pro than it used to be in the beginning. It was almost impossible to get help on originals back then. So there is light... :P

And I will be adding my contribution to this soon. and yes soon is a very loose term  :banghead: :P

[Xenolith]

Due to my lack of experince with computer generated art/art on the internet, I don't completely understand the thought/concept that "my ideas could be stolen."  On the surface, it makes sense, but really, who steals this kind of stuff and what would they do with it?  It's not going to end up in another game.  It's not going to be made into a comic book by Marvel or DC, or really anybody else for that matter.  Sure, somebody could take your file, post it on another website and say, "look what I did," but I don't see this as being very important, in the big picture.  I'd say your best option to protect your original stories/concepts is to put them on a a webiste dedicated to your original universe and share them with the public.  That's the best protection...public record. 

As a side note, look for my original '60s style on-line comic strip in 2009.  :)  Seriously.

Oh, I like mainstream meshes and skins.

[murs47]

In other fields of interest, I always find a mainstream skin creative and original because no two skins by any person "should" look exactly alike. You may not go out and download them all because you've already found the perfect one, but just like these characters are drawn differently by every artist that touches them, you get a pick of variety every time someone touches the character. I do wish people would go out and skin different versions of some characters to move away from their current/classic looks, but that doesn't always happen. It'd be even better if new costumes were designed for mainstream characters all the way around really (Hi murs! --Exiles reference).

Hi Prev! :D

I just caught this topic late, and it's a good one.

I could never do my own original characters. Wouldn't know where to start. In all the years I've been skinning and playing this game(off and on) I haven't even come up with my own avatar! :o
Like Prev mentioned above, I've been strongly considering doing personal variations of mainstream characters and also some "what if..." skins as well. Such as "What if Wade Wilson received the power ring instead of Hal Jordan?" Things like that. Not sure when I'll start skinning again, but when/if I do, that's what I'll be doing. That's about as original as I'll ever be. I know, I suck.

I like originals, especially more when they come with a .hero file and back story to them. If they lack those two components I usually just stare at them in CTOOL and marvel at their beauty. That's it though. But, if they come with a backstory and .hero file, I'll actually play them. I guess I feel more connected to the original if it has some background to it. I feel the more depth provided, the more interest will be generated. Having something that's aesthetically pleasing is great and all, but providing more depth to your originals through story(or even just a quick summary) will help establish a connection with other members. Think of it as fishing. The skin is your bait, and the hook is the depth/story of the character. You can lure the fish with the bait, but you can't catch it without the hook.
That said, I should probably comment more then just downloading and enjoying originals to encourage progression and growth.

p.s. If anyone skins Deadpool as a Green Lantern I'll kill them.

[UnkoMan]

Back when I actually played the games, and mods... I would play everything. Originals, mainstream (of which there were many more), whatever. But that was a while ago. My computer has trouble running FFvsTR so I didn't play that many mods for it. Really it's all about the artistic opportunities for me now.

So which skins do I download? To be honest... I don't really. I download meshes so that I can have a large stock in case I ever want to skin on some of them. I may download some skins to glance at closer. See them laid out, and just check them out, but I usually won't keep them. And I've almost never used somebody else's hero files except for when I needed to for a specific purpose. I still have the occasional rumble room run, in which I use mostly original characters of my own. It's purely a selfish thing, I guess.

And then we come to my own skinning. I skin originals. I have skinned mainstream, but that's mostly by the wayside now. Even when I did I tended to focus on lesser known characters. Why? I know that there will be a better skinner than me out there making those mainstream guys. And I'm glad for it. If there wasn't a C6 or somebody is it possible I would be trying to skin mainstream guys? Maybe. I think the game would certainly be a lot less interesting to me if I hadn't stumbled upon the enormous wealth of mainstream skins that I did, and got to watch it grow. I definately like to see them.

Basically what I am saying in my round about way (as I'm apt to do) is that I love all content. I don't use all content but I love to see it or listen to it or even just to know that somebody was excited enough to make it. FX, sounds, skins, meshs, mods. Original or mainstream or underground or fringe. I'm the guy who skinned John Doe the Generic Man (who I should get around to updating one of these days)! I friggin' love it all!

[style]

That's pretty much the reason I've stayed away from originals. I think Canadian Shield and my C-6 avatar are my only original releases (other than the community avatar redesigns and skinning challenges I use to do). I have skinned original characters...but I doubt that I'll ever show or release them. Come to think of it...one of my very first few skins....many years ago now...was one of my originals!

Hey don't forget Vincent London! We both can take credit for him! :thumbup:

[daglob]

I think the only two orignal characters I've released are my avatar and his evil twin Boogeyman. I've done original skins, but haven't released any of them. Most are related to the Champions game I run, and not all of them are my characters. I try not to do skins that have already been done because, well, they have already been done. I've always had an interest in obscure, forgotten, or off the wall characters (The Glob is an homage to Plastic Man), so I generally release those. I have a lot of mainstream stuff (and quite a few kitbashes) that I'll never release, just because someone else has done another, probably better, version.

[DrMike2000]

Yeah, be original.

I know I'm necroposting almost, Ive been away from these boards, but I had to talk about this.
Ask yourself this...

What if Irrational Games had sought out licensing from Marvel, and Freedom Force had actually been a 60's Avengers game? Would it have made the game better?
It might have sold better, who knows, but consider your own experience in playing FF the first time. Compare it with playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance perhaps. I'm assuming if you're still here you have some passing knowledge of comics and superheroes in general.

Seeing spider-man in a game gives you a grade A fan-gasm. You go "Hey its Spidey!", perhaps get a warm glow as you remember reading comics, watching cartoons or TV shows about him, maybe playing in the park as a kid with a red and blue coat on. And thats about it. After that you may well start to focus on inconsistencies, like how he doesnt swing properly, or you cant pull buildings down like he did on Venom that time...

Compare with seeing The Ant. This gives you a grade B fan-gasm, a superior experience in my mind. He's a nerd, hes never had a girlfriend, he has undignified insect powers, in this case that make him scuttle through the earth like a worm.. Part of your brain goes: "Hey! Its Spidey! Only different..." Only this time you've had to work for it, using the parts of your brain that solve crossword puzzles and such.

And the Ant's a pretty basic one. More sideways less obvious characters like Law and Order set off images of Thor, Valkyrie, Cloak And Dagger, Daredevil, Starhawk all at once. And this to me is way more satisfying.

In comics its the same.
Im a huge fan of Alan Moore's 1963, of the Squadron Supreme, Mark Millar's "Americans" run in the Authority for this very reason.
One of my favourite throwaway characters appeared in "Here Comes Tomorrow" arc of Morrison's X-Men: Smith the Maker. A sort of amalgam of Thor and Forge who spoke in thee's and thou's and carried a hammer. He lived for about 3 panels maybe, but he's still in my head right now.

Go make stuff like that.

[Outcast]

Well. For me, what made me really get this game was the idea of creating my very own characters. That's what was said in the box. So that was what i had in mind. I didn't even imagine making marvel or dc characters was possible for this game. Not until i surfed the internet and saw all these "goodies" were available for download. I downloaded even original character skins to add some variety in the generic heroes that were available in the game. (Yeah, since i didn't know how to begin skinning at that time, it was an easy way or lazy way of creating more original characters for me. :blush: Hehe.)

I have some original characters i really want to skin. But i have been putting them aside. Still need some work on the stories, costume design and their actual powers. I can't make up my mind sometimes. :P Hopefully, i'll be able to actually make a good skin for them.  :rolleyes:

[Cyber Burn]

   I don't know that a 60's Avengers game would have been better than FF. I also agree that reimagined and redefined mainstream characters bring a refreshing feeling to not only this game, but to comics in general.
   I have tried to collect original characters when I can, and agree that hero files and backstories are an added bonus, making these characters more playable. I have tried to create my own characters, and I have also tried to reimagine mainstream characters, and have failed miserably at both.
   I hope the community as a whole appreciates the amount of hard work, creativity, and love that goes into developing one's own characters. It's really difficult, and personally, I really appreciate those who preview and share their own stuff.
   That's all for my monthly check - in. Till next time.
   

[The Nemesis]

I mostly play with mainstream characters and mix in some originals when I want to add some variety. Considering the freedom that this game + FFX gives it's only logical we'd want to play out many of the scenarios we've actually read in comic books for years,  and  inspite many skinners and modellers being aware of that and satisfying that demand this thread for some reason seems to take a mostly negative view on that. I believe Freedom Force is the best game for mixing heroes and IMO it's extensive modding capablitites (+the skilled artists in this community) means that it gives the most authentic recreation of these heroes. There's little wrong with satisfying that need.