In the zombie MMO H1Z1, there is currently only one player model available in Early Access that everyone has to make do with. That is set to change drastically in the coming months.
There is a mediocre science fiction movie where humans send their consciousness into a robot body to travel long distances. The cheapest model looks like one of the Baldwin brothers, and many in the film look like the actor. What we are getting at is understood by everyone who has played H1Z1. Essentially, there is only one model, and players differ only minimally through weapons, helmets, or shirts.
This was also announced for resource reasons. At the time, it was said by gunsmith Whisenhunt that a new player model would cost the same resources as dozens of weapons. And “a standard model for everyone” was considered acceptable as a stopgap for Early Access. The first months were spent on other things; they initially updated the base model. But now they are focusing on “Customization”. And this is what the blog post from the H1Z1 creators at DGC is about.
How can characters in H1Z1 differ from each other?
Players in H1Z1 initially differ from each other through their equipment: there should be at least six different slots for “wearable items”. In design, they want to orient themselves on outfits that survivors might find in a store and might think: It would be a good idea to have some fabric between my skin and zombie teeth! This includes BMX protective gear, football padding, and even crazier outfits.
Additionally, they are currently working on making equipped weapons recognizable on the character. That will soon find its way into the game.
Customization options in other MMOs as well
And then players should also differ (as in the character creation of other MMOs) through the following:
- Hair
- Head shape
- Facial features (like beard or scars)
- Skin color/tone
- In the future perhaps different body shapes
- and maybe also tattoos
At the beginning, you will be able to choose from various pre-made options.
New models are coming to H1Z1: Second man, first woman
In the coming weeks, there will also be a second male model in addition to the base model “Ivan” (the guy with the angular chin that everyone walks around with). This one looks significantly dreamier.
In March/April, the grill party comes to an end: female characters will be added to H1Z1. And at DGC, they believe in emancipation: so that they do not provide an advantage for power gamers (women are smaller and much harder to hit, that’s why I only play them!), they will simply be the same size as their male counterparts.
More about the zombie fun can be found on our H1Z1 topic page.
