MMORPG.com has published a new article on CCP Games' Ambulation Project for EVE Online. The upcoming addition to the game will allow players to create physical avatars for their characters and use them to explore new space station environments. Eventually players will be able to participate in a variety of activities including gambling and hiring NPCs to staff player run offices.

Characters start with their bloodline which determines a basic skull structure. After that, players have a few options to edit their skulls, but within realistic guidelines, so no cone-heads or hammerhead eyes. There are several body type sliders, which seem to be becoming a standard for the next generation of MMOs, having one slider for muscle tone and mass, which works in combination with a slider for heavy or thin characters. So players can have a thin but well toned avatar, or an obese character who could be strong and fit under the extra weight, or have no muscles at all from sitting in a pod and eating all day. The cool part about the body types is that they are on sliders, no pre set increments, and the body you choose will effect the animations of your character. The thin, toned guy will have a little more bounce in his step to show his agility, the heavy muscled avatar will carry his weight around like he¡¯s big and strong, and the fat guy will be a little more ponderous in his motion. Body fat content and fitness will also alter the shape of a character¡¯s face by adding more or less flesh onto the existing skull.

Facial features will also be very detailed. Complexion will be more than just the character¡¯s skin color, but will include freckles and varicose veins. There will also be many options in terms of facial details like scars, tattoos, wrinkles, freckles, and the like, which can all be placed on the same face; no need to chose between a scar on one cheek or the other, you can have both and freckles too. You will be able to alter the intensity of all of these features as well. Maybe a scar is fresh and still red, maybe your scar is old and faded. Normally in games there is a limit to the number of morph targets and customization because too many of these details can slow down the game, but in EVE¡¯s Ambulation avatars have an unlimited number of morph targets, which drastically increases customization options, with no limit to the number of textures that can be placed on the face.

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