[News] Customization: The Deep Dive

NCSOFT | One of the best things about WildStar is how players are able to truly carve their own experiences in Nexus, and a big part of that is the wealth of customization options available. From bad-ass housing décor to truly unique costume pieces, WildStar has always been about enabling you be the version of you that you really want to be - or at least dress that way.
Now those customization options are about to be expanded in ways you’ve never seen - the new INVASION: Nexus update brings some MAJOR additions to customization that will give you whole new ways to make your character unique. Let’s dive in!

Place Your Pets!

The first new customization option is one that players have been asking about for quite some time:  companion pets!

Yes, very soon you’ll be able to summon your very own pet rowsdower! And if rowsdowers aren’t your thing (you monster) don’t worry; we have plenty of other varieties of personalized pals for you!

In INVASION: Nexus, we’re bringing in 54 companion pets for you to collect. The pets themselves can be obtained by participating in a variety of content throughout  WildStar. You could earn them from shiphands, some dungeons feature companion pets as drops, various types of vendors outright sell them, or they could even just appear as loot from random enemies.

Once obtained, you can summon your pets whenever you like. You can learn to summon as many pets as you find, but you can only have one pet summoned at a time. Keep in mind that these companion pets are purely cosmetic in nature and provide no stat-based benefits, nor will they fight for you - though there's clearly a serious intimidation factor when you roll up with a vicious celery sproutling at your side.

We are super-excited about pets, and we think you will be too. And you’re probably wondering: Joe, do YOU have a favorite pet? For me, I’d say it’s a toss-up between the Lopp Deputy and the Carrot Sproutling. I expect Scorchwing’s Hatchling and Bumblebuzz to each be quite popular too, and wait until you meet Dynamo!

The Player, the Look, and the Holo-Wardrobe

In addition to companion pets, we’ll also be introducing the new Holo-Wardrobe system = an upgraded version of the costume system. Finally, players will no longer need to visit the Stylist in order to modify their costumes.

The Character Chop Shop already allows you to change your hair and general appearance in-game. So what does the Holo-Wardrobe mean to you? It's all about the threads.

First, you’ll no longer store physical items in costume slots - any items currently equipped in costume slots are going to be mailed back to the owner. The player also gets the ability to save item appearances to an account-wide list of available appearances.  In the new Holo-Wardrobe, when you edit a costume and click on helmets, for example, you’ll see a list of helmet pieces that you’ve unlocked and you can filter through item appearances by name. You may also use the same costume piece in multiple costumes, and dye it differentlyfor each unique look. Go style-crazy!

With the Holo-Wardrobe system you’ll have account-bound costume appearances, the ability to setup your costumes anytime you like, a revised dye selection window, and you’ll be able to compare costume displays against what you have already unlocked. Yep, it's time to send those old Protostar Appearance Modificators back to the clone recycling facility!

INVASION: Customization

Both companion pets and the Holo-Wardrobe were created as a direct result to player feedback and requests. We’re always listening, and we heard loud and clear when you asked for pets and more flexibility when it came to player costumes. We had a great time creating these new systems, and can’t wait to hear how you like them once you’ve tried them out.

So what’s next for customization? Well, player housing hasn’t received any crazy new features in a couple of months. What do you say we change that next?

Thanks for your input and support. I'll see you on Nexus!