Friday Feature – Putting on Appearances

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Beginning in Game Update 6, players will be able to customize their appearances like never before! The Appearance window is a new UI system that allows a player to equip a second set of armor, clothes, and jewelry as visible items that will not affect your character's stats. You can create a look unique to your character without having to worry about being ineffective in combat, crafting, or any other game style you enjoy. Stand out from the crowd with the new Appearance window!

A Character in Normal Armor

Using the Appearance Window

The Appearance feature is very simple and easy to use, but also very powerful. All characters now have an Appearance Inventory. This inventory mimics the normal slots on your character where worn items would go. Just like how your character has a shoulder slot, the Appearance Inventory has a shoulder slot as well.

By using the "Equip Appearance" option from the radial menu on an item, or simply dragging an item onto the character in the Appearance window, you can move items into your appearance inventory.

Equip Appearance Radial Menu

Once an item is in your appearance inventory, the system automatically checks to see if you have an item normally equipped in that slot on your character. If so, the original armor or clothing is hidden and the new appearance item is displayed on your character instead.

If you don't like the look you are seeing, drag that item from the Appearance window's character back to your inventory, and it is instantly unequipped.

The only items allowed to be equipped as appearance items are clothing, armor, and jewelry. Appearance items cannot be containers, meaning that any item that holds other items (such as certain bandoliers and backpacks) are not allowed in the Appearance window.

The Result

Remember that appearance items have absolutely no effect (positive or negative) on your character's stats and skills. They are simple for looks only, so don't worry about using clothing instead of armor for your appearance items. Try different looks to see what you like best!

The Appearance Window

To help facilitate the understanding of slots and how to equip and unequip items in general, a character known as the "paper doll" in the Appearance window shows exactly what items are in which slots.

Appearance Paper Doll

By dragging and dropping items from your inventory to the character in the Appearance window, those items are instantly equipped as appearance items (assuming the slot isn't currently occupied by another appearance item). Items that take up multiple slots, like cloaks and robes, appear in multiple slots on the character.

If you drag an object over the Appearance window, the slots required by that item will be displayed in one of three colors: green if there is no conflict, yellow if you already have an item in that slot and that item will automatically be removed for you if you try to equip the dragged object, or red if you already have an item equipped to that slot and the item will NOT be automatically removed for you. Items that are highlighted in red must be removed before you can equip an item in those slots.

If you drop the item into the Appearance window when one or more slots is already used, the system will tell you exactly what items are preventing you from equipping that item. Until you remove those items, you will not be able to equip that particular item into the Appearance Inventory.

The Appearance window isn't strictly for equipping appearance items. By checking the checkbox named "Show Equipped Items", you can see what "normal" items you currently have equipped on your character. By dragging and dropping those items to and from your inventory, you can equip and unequip those items as well. So the Appearance window not only helps you manage appearance items, but normal equipped items as well.

Appearance Window Showing Normal Items

The Examine Window

With the extensive amount of customization that the Appearance window offers, players who rely on the visual information of a target's armor are not left out in the cold with this update. The Examine window now has a checkbox option whenever you view another player. This option will show you the true armor that a player is wearing by hiding all their appearance items in that window. They will, however, still appear with all their appearance items in the world.

An option to turn this behavior on by default is also available so you don't have to constantly examine someone and check that box.

Examine Window



Examine with the "Hide Appearance Items" Option

The Appearance window is a great new addition to Star Wars Galaxies and we can't wait to see all the outfits people come up with. Hit up your local tailor and armorsmith for some new colorful pieces of armor and clothing, and get ready to truly customize your character in Game Update 6!