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Kwee’s Image Designer Guide V 3

By Kwee Glitterwing




1. What exactly does an Image Designer do?

2. Skill progression

3. Which species should I choose?

4. Which profession should I choose?

5. Training
6. Practicalities

7. Building your business
8. Image Design Customer FAQ by NJ62 & Kwee

Disclaimer and thanks:


Version 2 of this guide is based on both Kwee’s experiences as a Master Image Designer on Starsider and all of the great information and tips shared by the great community on the official ID forum. I will continue to revise this guide as needed and hope that the Image Designer community will aid me in improving the information within. Please email any corrections, information, or suggestions to kwee@warcry.com.

Big thanks to all of my fellow Image Designers for their insightful and helpful posts on the forum, to all who allowed Kwee to practice her skills on them, to Sabrehawk (Site Manager, SWG.Warcry.com) for doing all of the complex coding work, and the many models who have given so generously of their time so that Kwee could take their picture for the Image Design hairstyle gallery. A warm special thank you to NJ62 for allowing me to include her information-packed and entertaining Image Design Customer FAQ (revised by me to account for development changes). Much of the How-to FAQ is her work as well. And finally a big thank you to Plagvreugd for tracking down most of the ID trainers for section 5.2.



1. What exactly does an Image Designer do?


1.1 Official description

"The Image Designer profession includes skills from the body customization and hairstyling disciplines. A player in this profession can modify various aspects of the way other players look."


1.2 What can be modified?


All facial/cosmetic/physical modifications available at character creation (with the exception of gender and species) as well as:


- Additional ID-only hair/frill/lekku/horn/ridge styles (Bald now available!)
- Expanded color palettes (a Master has access to 256 colors in each palette)
- Stat Migration
- Holo-Emotes


Some fan sites with ID modification images:


Lightstrider Image Designs: Screenshots of ID mods, color palettes, pricing guide, & style ideas by Pani of Flurry

Image Design Stylebook: Screenshots of all ID mods by Karis of Bria

ID Hairstyles at SWG.Warcry.com: Screenshots of ID hairstyles by Kwee of Starsider

Holo-Emotes: Screenshots & Info


Here is a quick rundown of some of the options each species has available to them at character creation:


Human
Nine eyebrow patterns (females), 7 eyebrow patterns (males), 20 hair and eyebrow colors, 4 freckle patterns & a no freckle option, 97 eye shadow and lip colors (females) & a no eye shadow option, 32 eye colors, 48 skin colors, 17 facial hair patterns & a no facial hair option (males)


Rodian
Twenty-four skin colors, 24 frill tip colors (males), 9 frill designs & a no frill option (males), 8 hair designs & a no hair option (females), 20 hair colors (females), Sensor size (unique to species)


Mon Calamari
Twenty-eight skin colors, 28 marking colors, 20 eye colors, 25 patterns & a no pattern option (females), 27 patterns & a no pattern option (males), No chest option for females, Gullet (unique to species)


Bothan
Sixty-four fur colors, 35 eye colors, 64 hair colors (males), 48 hair colors, 64 hair trim colors (females), 8 hairstyles (males), 11 hairstyles (females)


Wookiee
Twenty fur colors (one half of fur), 20 marking colors (2nd half of fur), 28 eye colors, 25 fur patterns, Brow & head size (unique to species), No chest option for females


Twi’lek
Forty skin colors, 40 lekku marking colors, 28 eye colors, 21 lekku marking patterns, 4 lekku arrangements, 20 eyebrow colors, 10 eyebrow patterns, Same makeup and freckle options as Human (females)


Trandoshan
Twenty-five skin colors, 28 eye colors, 4 ridge patterns (females), 5 ridge patterns (males), No chest option for females


Zabrak
Forty-eight skin colors, 20 eye colors, 21 tattoo patterns, 64 tattoo colors, 5 horn colors, 11 horn patterns, 1 horn/hair combo (females), 10 horn patterns (males), Same makeup options as Human (females), No eyebrows



1.3 Is there demand for this profession?


There has certainly been increased demand for the profession since minipublish 8.1, which brought a 256 color palette, a new user interface, a secure payment method, ID salons (tents), and stat migration to the profession. As far as cosmetic/body changes, hairstyles have always been the most popular request, probably due to the fact that most of them are available only through an Image Designer. Most customers will ask for more than one type of change, and the time spent waiting on any given ID timer can be a good time to suggest additional changes. Surprisingly to me, an equal number of males and females seem to seek out Image Designer services, with males being just as picky about small nuances in color, pattern, or style. Body tattoos are often requested but are unfortunately not available in the game. Several factors will affect the success of your business of course: The number of Image Designers on your planet, how zealous you are in your advertising, what time of the day you play, etc. ... ID can certainly be a viable money-making profession.


2. Skill progression


2.1 General overview


To begin Image Designing, you have to be a Novice Entertainer. If you started with a different profession, you will have to find an Entertainer trainer (type /find trainer:entertainer) and give her a 100 credit training charge. Note that you cannot learn Novice skill boxes from your fellow players. Doing any of the abilities granted to Novice Entertainers (such as lip color), will give you Image Designing experience. This is the only type of experience you will ever deal with. If you are of a species that does not have any of the options available at Novice Entertainer, you will only be able to work on others until Image Design II, which grants you eye color. As you gain experience you purchase the Image Design (I - IV) tree skill boxes that lead to Novice Image Designer. Each skill box will require training, and eat up some skill points. At Image Design IV, you earn the title of "Hairstylist". Once you qualify for Novice Image Designer you will have to find an Image Designer trainer. From that point on, unless you are able to find a fellow player to train you, you will have to get all of your training from an Image Designer trainer.


Once you are a Novice Image Designer, your Image Designing experience can be applied to any of these four trees: Hairstyling (I - IV), Facial Customizations (I - IV), Body Customizations (I - IV), and Markings Customizations (I - IV). At Body IV you earn the title of "Personal Trainer", at Facial IV "Plastic Surgeon", at Markings IV "Tattoo Artist", and at Hairstyling IV "Expert Hairstylist". When you have filled in all four skill boxes in all four of these trees AND gained 620 apprenticeship points you qualify for Master Image Designer (which a fellow player can train), and may proudly display the title over your head.


2.2 Costs & materials


There are no materials needed to Image Design, however there are monetary, experience, and skill point costs involved just as in any other profession, and eventually apprenticeship points. If a fellow player trains you, it’s polite to tip them (see Training).



Skill boxExperience pointsCredits to trainerSkill pointsPrerequisites
Image Design I1,0001,0002Novice Entertainer
Image Design II5,0002,0003Image Design I
Image Design III10,0003,0004Image Design II
Image Design IV15,0004,0005 Image Design III
Novice Image Designer10,0005,0006Image Design IV
Hair/Body/Mark/Facial I10,0006,0005Novice Image Designer

Hair/Body/Mark/Facial II
20,0007,0004Previous skill box

Hair/Body/Mark/Facial III
30,0008,0003 Previous skill box

Hair/Body/Mark/Facial IV
40,0009,0002Previous skill box
Master Image Designer620 apprenticeship points10,0001ALL



2.3 What-you-can-do-when chart


NOVICE ENTERTAINER

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Hair styles (incl. frills, lekkus, ridges, horns)50100
Head hair color50100
Eyebrow color50100
Lip color50100
Eye shadow on or off50100
Eye shadow color50100
Char creation color palettes
n/a
n/a



IMAGE DESIGN I

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Facial hair color (Human male)50100
Hair trim color (Bothan female)50100



IMAGE DESIGN II


Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Frill tip color (Rodian male)50100
Eye color150300



IMAGE DESIGN III

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Horn color (Zabrak)50100
Additional hair styles50100



IMAGE DESIGN IV

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Freckles50100
Rodian nose color50100
Eyebrow shape50100
Facial hair (Human males)50100
Additional hair styles50100



NOVICE IMAGE DESIGNER

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Stat Migration
n/a
2000
Additional hair styles50100
Fur color (One half of Wookiee fur, Bothan)50100
Lip fullness150300
Cheeks150300
96 color palette
n/a
n/a



HAIRSTYLING I

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Beehive, Brainstorm, Imperial, Rebel holo-emotes50100
Additional hair styles50100
128 color palette
n/a
n/a



HAIRSTYLING II

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Bubbles, Hologlitter, Holonotes, Sparky holo-emotes50100
Additional hair styles50100
160 color palette
n/a
n/a



HAIRSTYLING III

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Bullhorns, Champagne, Technokitty, Phonytail holo-emotes50100
Additional hair styles50100
192 color palette
n/a
n/a



HAIRSTYLING IV

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Butterfly, Blossom, Haunted, Hearts, All holo-emotes50100
Additional hair styles50100
224 color palette
n/a
n/a



FACIAL I

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Chin150300
Mouth width150300
128 color palette
n/a
n/a



FACIAL II

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Nose width150300
Nose protrusion150300
Nose length150300
160 color palette
n/a
n/a



FACIAL III

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Brow (Wookiee)150300
Sensors (Rodian)150300
Eye shape (does angle)150300
Eye size150300
192 color palette
n/a
n/a



FACIAL IV

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Ears150300
Jaw150300
Gullet (Mon Calamari)150300
224 color palette
n/a
n/a



BODY I

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Fur pattern (Wookiee)50100
128 color palette
n/a
n/a



BODY II

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Muscle150300
160 color palette
n/a
n/a



BODY III

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Height150300
192 color palette
n/a
n/a



BODY IV

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Weight150300
224 color palette
n/a
n/a



MARKINGS I

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Tattoo color (Zabrak)50100
128 color palette
n/a
n/a



MARKINGS II

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Spot/stripe color (Mon Calamari)50100
160 color palette
n/a
n/a



MARKINGS III

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Lekku pattern color (Twi’lek)50100
Spot/stripe style (Mon Calamari)50100
192 color palette
n/a
n/a



MARKINGS IV

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Tattoo style (Zabrak)50100
Fur marking color (2nd half of Wookiee fur)50100
224 color palette
n/a
n/a



MASTER IMAGE DESIGNER

Image Design ModificationExperience ID'ing self Experience ID’ing other
Torso (All females but Trandos, Wookies, & Mon Cals)150300
Skin color150300
Head size (Wookie)150300
Age150300
256 color palette
n/a
n/a



3. Which species should I choose?


3.1 Things to consider


It is my firm belief that you should play the species that would be the most fun for you to roleplay. Or if you’re not a roleplayer, the one that seems to fit your style. That said, here are some thoughts to nibble on if you are undecided.


You get experience for modifying yourself, and while the amount is half that for modifying others, it IS possible to skill up solely in that manner. Unfortunately species that do not wear makeup and/or have no hairstyle option (Mon Cals and Wookiees) will not be able to work on themselves but will be dependent on other players until they reach Image Design II at which point they can modify their own eye color. Of course more difficult doesn’t mean impossible. From a fun perspective, it is a good thing to have many modifiable traits. A Human may arguably be the most versatile race, while Trandoshans have the least that is modifiable.


Stats are another thing to keep in mind. All species have bonuses to one or more of these stats. After minipublish 8.1, you no longer have to worry about running out of mind, so it will not be necessary to devote points to mind, focus, or willpower (unless you need them for something else of course). Nevertheless, I will be leaving the explanations about mind, focus, and willpower (section 3.2) in the guide should they help anyone explain how stats work to a new player. Note that the other two sets of stats interact among themselves in the same way as mind, focus, and willpower. In the tutorial you have the opportunity to "migrate" your stats instantly. To migrate your stats hit ctrl-C to bring up your character stats window and click on "Stat Migration" at the bottom. Roughly 1800 of your stat points will be migrate-able. Keep in mind that most professions or skills you will be picking up will have stats that are important to them and you don’t want to starve any particular one out. Once a player is in the game, their stats will not migrate unless they visit an Image Designer (more on this later). All this said, while species bonuses and traits are something to consider, they should only matter if you are having a tough time deciding between two species that are delicious to you. Species is a huge part of your character’s image, and can never be modified.


3.2 Mind, Focus, & Willpower


"The Mind pool is a measure of your character's alertness, mental resilience and his or her ability to tackle mentally challenging tasks. This score helps determine what mental tasks or assaults a character can endure and how often." - Official site


"Focus is a measure of your character's ability to concentrate. The better your character's Focus, the less likely they are to be distracted and the less mental activities tax them. Focus contributes to your character's Mind statistic." - Official site


Having more or less focus will affect how much mind an action takes. For example, an action might take 58 mind at 0 focus, but only 18 mind at 1098 focus. Once your mind bar (the blue one) runs out, you will have to wait until it regenerates some before being able to do another action that takes mind. At 500 willpower, mind regenerates at a rate of 5 per tick. Geneslicer came up with the following formula for how Willpower affects how fast your Mind regenerates while sitting. Note that he also found that sitting provides a 75% faster regen than standing.
Mind_Sitting_Regen (per second) = WILLPOWER * 13 / 1200


3.3 Species bonuses


SpeciesMind bonusFocus bonusWillpower bonus
Human100100100
Rodian10010050
Mon Calamari300300150
Bothan100*1000
Wookie100150100
Twi’lek10000
Trandoshan00100
Zabrak 0 0 400
* It has been reported that in game this is actually 0, may be a bug.


4. Which profession should I choose?


4.1 Starting profession


While an obvious one is Novice Entertainer, you may prefer a profession that starts you out with a certain profession-specific object. Novice Artisans for example start out with a General Crafting Kit, a Mineral and Flora Surveying Tool, and the only decent female starter outfit. [Little side note: If your plan is to be a tailor you will have to make a Chemical surveying tool using your General Crafting Kit in order to get the fiberplast you need for make newbie clothes] Novice Entertainers are the only starting profession who start out with a slitherhorn. Whichever profession you pick up later will cost you 15 skill points and 100 credits at a starting profession trainer. Note that if you keep your trainer droid through the time you train in any other starter profession, you will be provided with the tools you need to get started.


4.2 Profession combos


Many dancers and musicians are also Image Designers. Not only because they share the same starting profession, but also because of the benefit of being able to change their hairstyle and makeup for performances. Master Entertainers are required to pick up Image Design I - IV to qualify. In beta I played a Dancer-Image Designer which worked out well as I would image design while my action pool regenerated.


Tailoring would be a good one to pick up from both a roleplay and business perspective. You would be able to change a person’s look from head to toe. This is the combination I now have on Kwee and it is great fun for both my customers and I. Another roleplay option might be to become a Medic or Doctor, and say that plastic surgery is your specialty (Facial IV gives you the Plastic Surgeon title). Nose job anyone? At one point Kwee had her salon in the basement of her home…she had no medical license so she had to do her plastic surgery secretly.


5. Training


5.1 Paying an npc to train you



As discussed above, there will be times when you will have to be trained by an npc trainer. When you want to be trained in Novice Entertainer or Novice Image Designer, as well as anytime you are unable to find a fellow player who can train you. When you visit the trainer, bring up the radial and select "Converse". [A shortcut to bring up a radial on a targeted npc or player is to hit your "tilde" key followed by the number next to the option you want.] Once you qualify for a skill box, clicking on "What skills can I learn now" will show you what you have available for training. When you click on the skill you want to learn next, the trainer will tell you what the cost will be and ask you to confirm. Note that npc’s can take money out of your bank so it is not necessary to have cash on hand. Type /find to see a list of starter profession trainers in your area.


5.2 Where are the trainers hiding?


While Entertainer trainers are easy to find, Image Designer trainers are much more wily creatures (there is no /find command for advanced trainers). They usually hide in the backstage area of theaters (always by the back side entrance), and not all cities have theaters (the large cities always do, as well as the occasional Arts haven). Type /find guild:theater to have a waypoint created for you to the nearest theater. Locs to the backstage doors of theaters containing Image Designer trainers (as well as locs to the three trainers not inside a theater) can be found below.


CityPlanetLocation
KaadaraIreipi Lolooj5379 6799
Deeja’s PeakNaboo- 4874 -1500
KerenNaboo1718 2486
TheedNaboo-5825 4233
KaadaraNaboo5379 6799
Mos EisleyTatooine3228 -4751
Mos EnthaTatooine1479 3323
CoronetCorellia-178 -4202
Doaba GuerfellCorellia3469 5542
Tyrena ACorellia-5642 -2656
Tyrena B*Corellia-5514 -2637
DearicTalus510 -3094
Nashal*Talus4346 5054
NarmleRori-5057 -2281
Restuss ARori5494 5560
Restuss B*Rori5255 5850
*These trainers are standing outside, not inside a theater.


5.3 Tipping a fellow player to train you


First you have to find someone raising Image Design skills. Cantinas (type /find cantina) are a good place to look as they are teeming with Entertainers, and of course Image Design Salons (type /find salon). One good resource is the thread stickied at the top of the official SWG ID Forum that lists several Image Designers by galaxy. Note that they signed up for the list to advertise their business so don’t assume they will be willing to train you. Another option is to hit "J" and do a search for Novice Image Designers in your area. As a last resort, running through the streets shouting for training might work (some ID’ers will not have their titles turned on), though don’t overdo it or you will make a nuisance of yourself. It is polite to /tip someone that trains you, especially if they purchased the skill themselves. I personally don’t charge for training partly because I did not buy any of my skill boxes, but also partly because the person that trained everyone in my area refused to let us compensate her for her NPC training expenses. To avoid any awkwardness it is probably best to ask your trainer what amount of tip would be appropriate. They may tell you that they didn’t pay for any of their skills and don’t expect you to either, but will nevertheless appreciate the thought. And if they DID pay for all of their skills, they will appreciate the tip. Don’t assume that apprenticeship points are payment enough, many people have maxxed out characters and don’t need any more apprenticeship points. How much to tip? I’ve heard recommendations anywhere from 200 credits to one half of the price of the skill box.


5.4 How am I ever going to get 620 apprenticeship points?!?


Aside from the Novice skill boxes, you can train any fellow player that qualifies in a skill you have learned (whether you were trained by an npc or player). If you have a friend that is also Image Designing, you can take turns paying for training from an npc and teaching each other to both save costs and earn apprenticeship points. You receive a certain number of apprenticeship points every time you teach a fellow player a skill. Keep an eye out for people asking for someone to train them. A good strategy would be to learn a few highly marketable skill such as Surveying I, Dancing I, or Pistol I to have ready for the many times they will be requested by new players. Given the fact that Image Designers will probably be few and far between, you may not have all of the training opportunities you need within the profession. So basically anytime you see someone asking for training in something you can provide, jump on the opportunity. Note that training others in language skills does not provide apprenticeship points.


6. Practicalities


6.1 How-to FAQ


Q: What's this I hear about timers?

A: ID sessions are now accompanied by a timer that must finish its countdown before a change can go through. For cosmetic changes, the timer is 2 minutes (or 1 minute in an ID Tent); for body changes, the timer is 5 minutes (2 1/2 minutes in an ID Tent); for stat migrations the timer is 10 minutes. Master ID's have reduced cosmetic and body timers as a perk. A Master ID working inside an ID Tent has no timers at all, while one working outside of an ID Tent has a 1 minute timer for cosmetic changes and a 2 ½ minute timer for body changes. Master ID's still have a 10 minute timer for stat migrations. Note that timers do not stack, but instead the highest timer is applied, so if you are getting a stat migration and lip color, the timer will be set at 10 minutes.


Q: What are the ID Salons (Tents) for?

The ID Salons halve the cosmetic and body timers so that cosmetic changes take 1 minute and body changes take 2 1/2 minutes. Master ID's have no cosmetic/body timers in Salons, and have halved cosmetic/body timers outside of Salons. No timer bonus exists for Stat Migration, which is the only ID ability that must be done in an ID Salon.


Q: How does Stat Migration work?

A: The customer MUST set their stats themselves (ctrl-C). This may happen before or during the ID session. Their stats will not move unless they see an ID, and it must happen in an ID Salon (tent). Select the stat migration option and a 10 minute timer will begin counting down. The stats move instantly when the player accepts.


Q: How do Holo-Emotes work?

A: There are 16 Holo-Emotes. An Expert Hairstylist has access to all of them. Whether you give "one" or "all" there will be 20 charges. Type "/holo help" in game for instructions on use. Holo-Emotes can be set off every 30 or 60 seconds, and were described by our dev as tiny generators implanted subdermally in the scalp or weaved into hair that need time to recharge between uses. An informative site on Holo-Emotes (which includes screenshots) can be found here.


Q: Where are the ID Salons (Tents) located?

A: You can type "/find salon" in one of the following five cities to have a waypoint created for you.
- Theed -5130 4260 (next to the Cantina, visible from Starport area)
- Moenia 4790 -4730 (visible from the Starport and Cantina)
- Bestine -1440 -3700 (back behind the Cantina)
- Coronet -360 -4690 (near the Cantina and Shuttleport B)
- Vreni Island -5150 -6370 (next to the Cantina)


Q: Are the ID Salons (Tents) player city placeable/architect craftable?

A: Not at this time, but we are told they will be one day.


Q: What can Master ID’s do that non-Masters cannot?

A: Not much actually. Chances are good that a skilled Novice ID will be able to help you with what you need. What is found exclusively in the MID skill box: skin color, head size, torso (women), age, 32 exclusive colors in each palette.


Q: What are the bugs?

A: Here are a couple that have been documented, and are still not resolved:
1. "You are already in the process of an ID action" bug - when one of you goes LD during a session, the ID may not be able to design you (or anyone else) until they relog.
2. The UI does not always show the outfit the person being ID'd is wearing, but instead something you were wearing earlier. This is especially problematic when it is a helmet and the player wants work done on their head. A relog should fix this, have the player /sit then /logout and come right back.


Q: Can I give Wookiees a fro, or remove Zabrak horns?

A: These cross species hairstyles were only doable via an exploit that has since been disabled. Occasionally you still see people running around with hairstyles they should not have because those species who are not meant to have hair cannot be fixed.


Q: I can’t image design myself or my friend. It’s broken!

A: Is your friend a Wookiee or a Mon Cal? If so, you’re out of luck for now. They have no features changeable until ID2 in the entertainer tree, when you get eye color.


Q: I am getting the message "You are already in the process of an Image Design"

A: The most common way to end up in this fix is for your customer to go linkdead in the middle of an ID session. Relogging should fix it.


6.2 Commands & macros


To ID a fellow player, target them and type "/im". To ID yourself clear any target you might have by hitting "Escape" and then type "/im (or alternatively you can select yourself by hitting ctrl-1 or typing /target self).


You can set /im (and /target self) up as a macro. I like to put my /im macro as hotkey 4 on my first hotkey bar so that I can hit it with my index finger. [Note that you can get twice as many hotkeys by dragging down on one of the little numbers under a hotkey. Shift-# accesses the second row.] First hit your semi colon to bring up the macro window. Then select "macro", followed by "new macro". Type in whatever you want to call your macro and pick a little picture that will depict it. I like the one that is a little face with punky hair sticking straight up. In the text part type "/im". Done. Now using your mouse drag the little macro icon up to the desired hotkey spot. There is a second way to ID a fellow player. Target them and bring up a radial, then select "Image Design". You’re ready to go! You can also use more advanced macros to make the learning process easier on your wrist, though note that recursive macros (those that loop) may be removed in the near future.


Some examples shared by ID’s:


KeyTokikoMima's Self-ID macro with alarm:


/sit;
/image self;
/pause 27;
/stand;
/alarmAddin 0 2 Next ID ready!;
/pause 125;
/ui action defaultButton;
/macro ImageSelfDesign;


Syzygy_Gorath’s ID’ing-someone-else macros (used by a friend or second account you are ID’ing):


There are issues with the macro on the image designer side—I tried it and it kept losing focus on the ID window, making the defaultButton not commit the change, but for the victim side I ran two macros:


----- Start Macro AcceptOffer -----
/ui action defaultButton;
/pause 0.5;
/macro AcceptOffer
----- End Macro AcceptOffer -----


----- Start Macro AntiIdle -----
/sit;
/pause 600;
/stand;
/macro AntiIdle
----- End Macro AntiIdle -----


I ran both of these on my alt account and only had to worry about keeping my ID account going while grinding. In theory, the following should work for the ID side, but you can't chat while using it as that shifts the focus from the ID window to the chat window, making the defaultbutton go to the wrong place:


----- Start Macro OfferDesign -----
/target [self|victim];
/image;
/pause [63|153];
/ui action defaultButton;
/stand;
/pause 1;
/sit;
/macro OfferDesign
----- End Macro OfferDesign -----


Change the first line to be either /target self or /target Victim'sName depending on if you're self-grinding or have an accepter, and the third line to be either /pause 63 or /pause 153 depending on whether you're doing cosmetic or physical changes.


6.3 User Interface


User Interface – Image Designer side


Your User Interface has a large projection of the person being ID’d (who may be yourself) on the left hand side, the various modifications available to you on the right hand side (those not available yet are grayed out), and various options and displays at the bottom. A second tab (labeled "Advanced") allows you to access a second page for selecting Stat Migration or Holo-emotes (either one type or all of them). Clicking on the "Customizations" tab will bring you back to the main front page of the User Interface.


When you select modifications where it would be useful to be zoomed in on the person’s face, the User Interface will automatically do so. There are three types of modifications on the front page: hairstyles, palettes, and sliders. Note that sliders do not have numbers as they did on the old User Interface, hopefully we will get them back one day. If you are working on a customer, they will see changes update on their User Interface almost instantly, so it is possible to scroll slowly through various options and have them let you know when they see something they might want to see again later. "Time Until Commitable" lets you know how much time is left on the timer before you can hit "Commit". If you know you are going to have a long timer (such as for a stat migration or body modification), you will want to select the modification triggering it as soon as possible so the timer can start its countdown.


"Required payment" is where you type how much you’d like to be paid for your work. You can do this at any time before hitting accept. You can leave this blank if you want a tip. Customers will not be able to offer less than your required amount. Note that funds can be withdrawn automatically from their bank by the User Interface should they not have enough money on hand. Once you are happy with the amount in the "Offered Credits" box (and the timer has run through, it will say "Ready" instead of a time), hit "Accept". Of course if you are working on yourself, there is no need to mess with the payment boxes. Should you need them there are two other options available aside from "Accept". "Cancel" will end the entire session. "Revert" will undo any and all changes you have made.


User Interface – Customer side


The customer User Interface has two large pictures of the player displayed at the top as well as some information displays to the right and options at the bottom. Above the two pictures (which show before and after shots of the customer) is the name of the ID’er working on them.


The display information includes: "Time Until Commitable" which shows the timer counting down and then "Ready" when the timer has run through (though the session may of course go past that time); "Accepted by Designer" which tells you via yes or no whether the ID has hit "Accept" on their side; "Required Payment" which shows what the ID has entered (or not entered) on their side; "Migrate Stats" which lets the customer know via a yes or no if the ID is providing the service; and "Purchased Holo-Emotes" which lets the customer know whether or not Holo-emotes are being sold to them, and if so which (either one or all). Options for the customer to tinker with include: "View Body" or "View Face" which allows them to zoom in or out; "Offered Credits" where they enter the amount they are paying for the ID work; and "Reject" or "Accept" once the ID has accepted the payment and changes on their side.


6.4 Efficient skilling


If you want to become "useful" quickly, do hair first, both because hairstyle requests are frequent and Holo-emotes are granted in that line. Any Tier 4 box, Hair or otherwise will grant you all of the colors in the various palettes, minus the Master Image Designer colors. After Hair, opinions differ on whether Face, Body or Markings are the most requested. To skill the fastest you will want to work on eye color as soon as you hit Image Design II (for 150 or 300 exp pts) and then Stat Migration as soon as you hit Novice Image Designer (for 2000 exp pts). Ormacheck (the exp bonus food available from Chefs) works for ID. The bonus percentage to exp ranges from 3% to 6% so try to find high quality stuff.


7. Building your business


7.1 How do I find victims ... err paying customers?


The best place to hook up with customers now is an ID Salon (Tent) as customers will often poke their heads in there to see if an ID is available. If things are slow you may want to do an occasional /shout (but don’t be annoying in your frequency) announcing that you are taking ID customers at the Salon and for players to type "/find salon" to get to you. If there are other Image Designers in the Salon, you should ask if they are ok with you doing this. Be sure to share customers as they arrive. Be particularly sensitive to those with less skill than you. Customers will often avoid less skilled Image Designers who are nevertheless capable of helping them.


7.2 Advertising


The best form of advertising is to have the Novice/Master Image Designer tag over your head as soon as you qualify for it. People will then stop you as you run around doing your daily thing and ask for modifications. To get a title you qualify for over your head, hit "J" to bring up the character information window and select it from the scroll bar. Word of mouth is a great way to advertise. Ask people to put you on their friends list and recommend you to others. Join a Player Association with a big player base. Post on your galaxy forum. Ask to be added to the ID list on the official SWG ID Forum. Get your name out there.


Have an artisan craft an item for you to be used for advertising purposes. Kwee is also a Tailor and in the past I have made two or three items labeled "Visit Kweestyle* Boutique" or "Looking for a makeover/haircut?" to put on the bazaar. In the description I explain that the item is an ad and have information about my ID prices, location, and modifications. Place your ads at 6000 credits to dissuade people from buying them. They will eventually probably get bought anyway but resist the temptation to use an ugly item, you want the item you use for your advertisement to scream style (the good kind). I have my ID info and prices typed up in a macro (and also as my biography in game, I can then ask potential customers to /examine me). I then copy the text out of the appropriate macro when needed and paste it into the ad item’s description. In order to use cut, copy, and paste in the game you have to assign keys to them. You can do this under Options – Miscellaneous – Keymap. You can also paste anything you copied or cut from a text editor (such as Notepad) on your computer (you can alt-tab out of the game if necessary). In the past I’ve occasionally used a vendor in my Tailor Boutique to advertise ID mods and prices (in the same way as on the bazaar, but with multiple items providing detail about the different types of modifications available).


Look the part - buy classy clothes and flashy colors. Invest in a good collection of jewelry. Change your look often. If you have hair, switch between hairstyles available only to highly skilled Image Designers. You don’t have to change your face or body shape to show off what you can do, hairstyle, hair color, eyebrow style, tattoo patterns, eye colors, and makeup colors can make remarkable differences in your appearance.


7.3 Designing a price scheme


Some image designers set fixed prices, and others do not. Price systems might be set up based on complexity of the change or time spent on the ID session. Pani’s Lighstrider Image Designs site has an excellent pricing guide. You can ID on the fly or you can make a salon environment in your home. You can take appointments in advance, or do it on a first-come first-served basis. There is no right way to do it, so find what makes you comfortable. Note that it is considered impolite to not charge for services while working in an ID Salon. If there are other ID’s in the Salon, they may find themselves with no customers as players form a line in front of you. Even if you are alone in the Salon, customers will not be happy about paying for ID services in the future when they visit an ID who expects payment or a tip. Remember that some players rely solely on ID to pay for their players’ expenses, and some have even had to deal with verbal harassment from players who have received services for free in the past. A common complaint from customers is that ID does not take resources and therefore we have no expenses associated with it. Remind them that time is the most precious resource and that your time is to be respected.


7.4 Professional etiquette


Building a good reputation is important. Aside from being courteous and friendly in your interactions with others, it will be to your benefit to make sure that your customers have a thorough understanding of what the Image Design process will involve (assuming they are unfamiliar with it). First make sure that you can give them what they currently have back (you may not have their hairstyle or colors available to you). If you can’t, tell them upfront. They may still want a change, and will appreciate your honesty. Explain that they will be able to preview all changes, and that you will not be able to commit any changes without their hitting accept. Lastly assure them that you will stick with them until they get something they are happy with. Ooo and aah over their improved appearance. As an advertising bonus, explain what you are going to do and admire the changes in a roleplay fashion using says. That way those around may be drawn to watch the changes taking place, or be tempted to use your services as well.


7.5 Opening your own beauty salon, spa, gym, or clinic


You could buy a small house and call it your beauty salon, or use a room in a larger house. If you learn the skill "Business I: Hiring" you can have a door charge for anyone that enters your business to help cover maintenance costs (currently 15 credits per real life hour for a small house). The Hiring tree of Novice Merchant allows you to hire more and more interesting types of vendors, and at Hiring IV you can dress your vendors up with clothes you drag onto them. Advertising II allows you to have your vendor bark a customizable message when someone approaches them, and at Advertising III you can register your vendor on the planetary and regional maps. Unfortunately the planetary map does not allow people to search for beauty salons so Kwee registers her ID vendor (when she has one) under "Clothing". It is a good idea to have your vendor’s name make it obvious what it sells/does. Noone knows what vendor Bob sells, but vendor "So and so’s Beauty Salon" or "Email so and so for Image Design" might lure customers your way.


Another idea would be to turn your house into a player run "cantina" where people could come in to have their battle fatigue healed by dancers or musicians (who you could pay a salary to) or just to be entertained while modifications are done to them by you and other Image Designers. You could also set up in a player association hall, a side room in your local cantina, or in a scenic or oft-travelled outdoor location. With the title of "Personal Trainer", you could roleplay that your business is a gym. If you are also a medic, you could run a plastic surgery business. If you want people to know where to find you, consider keeping hours during your regular playtime, though I suspect this may begin to feel like work!


Kwee operates her ID business as a catch-me-when-you-can. She has in the past had a vendor called "Kwee’s Beauty Salon Receptionist" standing in the salon with dress slippers for sale. The dress slippers are called "Read Me", "Hairstyling", "Tattooing", Body Makeovers", and "Face Makeovers" and list prices and customizations available. Kwee’s prices range from 5k-10k for cosmetic/body changes and 30k for stat migrations, with discounts for Entertainers and frequent customers. Her salon has three reclining chairs arranged in a row to give the place a hair salon look. White master architect furniture gives it a crisp, clinical feel.


7.6 Roleplay events


Add to your community and advertise your business by hosting or co-hosting roleplay events. Team up with a tailor and put on a local fashion show, providing a different look for every outfit. Hire dancers to show off your latest hairstyles. Organize festivals where you will be behind the scenes fixing dancers and musicians up for their performances. The possibilities are endless, have fun!!!


8. ID Customer FAQ by NJ62 & Kwee


Q: What can an Image Designer do?
A: All facial/cosmetic/physical modifications available at character creation as well as:
- Additional ID-only hair/frill/lekku/horn/ridge styles (Bald now available!)
- Expanded color palettes (a Master has access to 256 colors in each palette)
- Stat Migration
- Holo-Emotes


Q: How do I find an Image Designer?
A: ID Salons (Tents) are good places to start (waypoints below). If you don't have any luck in the Bestine, Theed, or Coronet tents, a wise next step is to check out the thread stickied at the top of the official SWG ID forum called "Looking for an Image Designer?" or some such. Add the ID's in your galaxy to your friend's list.


Q: What's this I hear about timers?
A: ID sessions are now accompanied by a timer that must finish its countdown before a change can go through. For cosmetic changes, the timer is 2 minutes (or 1 minute in an ID Tent); for body changes, the timer is 5 minutes (2 1/2 minutes in an ID Tent); for stat migrations the timer is 10 minutes. Master ID's have reduced cosmetic and body timers as a perk. A Master ID working inside an ID Tent has no timers at all, while one working outside of an ID Tent has a 1 minute timer for cosmetic changes and a 2 ½ minute timer for body changes. Master ID's still have a 10 minute timer for stat migrations. Note that timers do not stack, but instead the highest timer is applied, so if you are getting a stat migration and lip color, the timer will be set at 10 minutes.


Q: What are the ID Tents for?
The ID Tents halve the cosmetic and body timers so that cosmetic changes take 1 minute and body changes take 2 1/2 minutes. No timer bonus exists for Stat Migration, which is the only ID ability that must be done in an ID Tent. As of Pub 9, Master ID's will have no timers in Tents (and halved timers outside of Tents).


Q: How does Stat Migration work?
A: You must set your stats yourself (ctrl-O), and you may do this before or during the ID session. Your stats will not move unless you see an ID. The ID will have to be grouped with you, and you must both be standing inside an ID Tent. The ID will select the stat migration option and a 10 minute timer will begin counting down. After 10 minutes (you will see the timer on your interface), and assuming you have paid for the service, the ID will offer the change to you and your stats will move instantly when you accept.


Q: How do Holo-Emotes work?
A: There are 16 Holo-Emotes. An Expert Hairstylist has access to all of them. Whether you are given "one" or "all" there will be 20 charges. Type "/holo help" in game for instructions on use. Holo-Emotes can be set off every 30 or 60 seconds, and were described by our dev as tiny generators implanted subdermally in the scalp or weaved into hair that need time to recharge between uses. An informative site on Holo-Emotes (which includes screenshots) can be found here.


Q: Where are the ID Salons (Tents) located?
A: You can type "/find salon" in one of the following five cities to have a waypoint created for you.
- Theed -5130 4260 (next to the Cantina, visible from Starport area)
- Moenia 4790 -4730 (visible from the Starport and Cantina)
- Bestine -1440 -3700 (back behind the Cantina)
- Coronet -360 -4690 (near the Cantina and Shuttleport B)
- Vreni Island -5150 -6370 (next to the Cantina)


Q: Can you change my gender or species?
A: These changes have been vetoed by Lucas Arts. Do not expect them in the future.... ever.


Q: Oo ooo, then can you make me superhumanly tall? What about an extremely large chest?
A: We can do everything available at character creation within regular character creation species limits. This means that if you’ve maxed out your height, we can’t make you taller.


Q: Can I have hair even though I’m a Twi’lek? Horns for my Human? Lekku for my Mon Cal?
A: That was an exploit that is no longer possible.


Q: What can Master ID’s do that non-Masters cannot?
A: Not much actually. Chances are good that a skilled Novice ID will be able to help you with what you need. What is found exclusively in the MID skill box: skin color, head size, torso (women), age, 32 extra colors in each palette.


Q: Where can I get more information about ID or find pictures of hairstyles, colors, holo-emotes, etc?
A: You can find links to ID websites in section 1 of this guide.


Q: Can I see changes before I accept? Can I be changed back if I don't like it?
A: Yes, you will be able to see a Before and After image of yourself. The After image updates in real time as the ID shows you potential changes. You have an option to zoom in on your face. The new ID user interface allows for multiple changes to happen in one session (before only 1 change could be made at a time). What an ID can do, an ID can undo, with two exceptions. ID’s without Expert Hairstylist (Hair IV) do not have access to all of the hairstyles, so if you think there’s a chance you might change your mind after accepting a new do, be sure to ask if your ID has your hairstyle as an option. Also, some colors are only available at higher skill boxes or Master. Within an actual session the ID has a "revert all" button he/she can hit if you want to start the whole process from scratch (individual changes can only be reverted by hand) but consider the time you would both lose should you choose to do so..


Q: Why am I smiling like a dork?
A: It’s mood – do /mood none. Either that or you're in the cantina listening to music/watching dancers. Do /stopwatch or /stoplisten and you'll get rid of the funny face (and will stop listening or watching).


Q: How does ID xp work?
A: A (non-Master) ID gains experience by making a change to your character, giving you a holo-emote(s), or migrating your stats. The exp does not stack, so it would be kind to suggest an ID break up a long session into a few parts so that they can get exp for more than one change.


Q: What are the bugs?
A: Here are a couple that have been documented, and are still not resolved:
1. "You are already in the process of an ID action" bug - when one of you goes LD during a session, the ID may not be able to design you (or anyone else) until they relog.
2. The UI does not always show the outfit you are wearing, but instead something you were wearing earlier. Try a relog.


Q: Can someone practice image design on me without changing anything?
A: A change must be made for an ID to get experience (though stat migration is an exception, you can "migrate stats" without actually moving any stats and still get experience). Many IDs like to practice using eye color, which has minimal impact on your overall appearance and is easily restored.


Q: What should I expect to pay?
A: Some image designers set fixed prices, and others do not. It should be asked up front. Price systems might be set up based on complexity of the change (higher skill required = more expensive) or time spent on the ID session. If your ID works off of tips, consider this question: if someone spent a half hour doing a custom tailoring order for you, or made you a gun upon request, wouldn’t you tip him for the personalized effort? A Pricing Guide can be found at Pani’s Lightstrider Image Designs site.


Q: Why am I being charged if ID doesn’t cost resources?
A: ID takes the valuable resource of time - think of it as on par with requesting a long and complicated custom order from a crafter. Some of us have paid for our training. We have to buy clothes so we can look nice for our profession. We have houses. We spent time getting ID xp, time that we could have spent farming Baz Nitch lairs back in the day. When we ID YOU we are spending time we could have spent doing missions, crafting, or any other lucrative endeavor. We spent points on ID that you chose to spend on skills that help you take better missions, or craft better items. We are providing you a service. Pay up!


Q: I get ID’d all the time and don’t pay for it. Why should I start now?
A: You will have no choice. We now have a secure payment window built into our user interface. The ID’er will enter the amount they wish to be paid, and if you do not match or exceed the amount you will not be able to accept the changes. Some ID’ers work for tips and may enter a minimum tip amount or leave it set to zero and give you the option to show your generosity. If they’re not happy with your tip (for example they work with you for 20 minutes and you tip them 10 credits) they have the option of canceling the session.


Q: Oops I just realized I left my money in the bank, now what?
A: The secure payment window will pull money from your bank if you do not have enough on hand. Don’t fret!


Q: What is general etiquette for an image design session?
A: · DO: be polite to your image designer, and don't forget to say thank you!
· DO: make an appointment – that will ensure you don’t have to wait (try an email first, they may be busy)
· DON’T: expect the ID to come to you (though you would of course have to meet at an ID Tent for a stat migration).
· DON'T: attempt to barter on the price after the ID session has begun


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