Public Portrait Database?

[AwesomeSparklySquirrel]

I've personally no interest in custom portraits myself. What bothers me most about custom portraits is the lack of consistency in style and quality.

[Dynamics]

I just thought I'd represent the nay-sayers, here 
Interactive avatar > static portrait (remember how we dreamt about this all through NwN1?)

Player changeable bio is good, though.

This, but with the mention of half-elves I think we come to an important point... can we get some heads that don't make our characters look like deformed swamp men? Or some decent facial hair? Again, not if it pushes back release... but Please? I never figured out why so many heads in nwn2 look so... lumpy would be the best word for it.

We've expanded the elves and half-elves to include the drow/half-drow faces, as they actually look pretty decent. Nothing for facial hair though, sorry 

[Terimos]

I've personally no interest in custom portraits myself. What bothers me most about custom portraits is the lack of consistency in style and quality.

I have to agree with this here. It's a bit disorienting to go from a high fantasy, hand drawn portrait to a screen capture of Conan.

[ZaoGao]

Agreed. Back in NWN1 I was horrified to discover that the slick guy in a cool coat that I was using for my character's portrait was actually the main character from silly game I discovered much later called Devil May Cry. Never again.

[RSO]

I can attest to the built-in custom portrait system causing lag. I very distinctly recall doing an informal test with LetsBoogeyDown at one point. I found that my framerate would stutter (freezing for a third of a second, each second) whenever a Summon Monster or Familiar was in the party, and so I formed a party and had her toggle portrait on and off to see if that was the cause.

It was. Disabling the portrait or breaking party immediately returned me to normal, smooth animations. Re-enabling it or rejoining party immediately caused stuttering and jerkiness.

This happened regardless of whether or not she used an image file I actually had.

This may have had something to do with my particular video card or operating system or processor or resolution or something, as it doesn't seem to affect everyone, but for those of us that it does affect, please please use the default ugly renders. (Also, familiars and summoned monsters need to get their portraits stripped, if that can be done).

...

As for that add-on custom portrait that doesn't use the default portrait system? It's certainly worth a shot. If the portrait only pops up on inspection, there shouldn't be any issue at all - and if there is, I can just not inspect people.

[ColoredPencils]

I've personally no interest in custom portraits myself. What bothers me most about custom portraits is the lack of consistency in style and quality.

Though I would love custom portraits to be an option, I do agree with this. It would bother me seeing a great quality, wonderful picture on one person... and then some silly big-eyed anime cat-girl on another.

[Ash87]

We've expanded the elves and half-elves to include the drow/half-drow faces, as they actually look pretty decent. Nothing for facial hair though, sorry 

NUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuueh... Well okay then =). Honestly I'm not too surprised about the facial hair not being workable. It is a shame they bound a single style to each head, often makes head choice rather selective; as if you want a beard, your head choice limited to options that  do not leave your PC looking like a victim of severe cranial trauma. But hell, Neverwinter Nights 3 is reported to be on it's way towards out, maybe we'll finally get full facial customization al la' Oblivion this time around... and maybe if I go pick up a pebble from my yard it will be a 35 carat diamond (Cynicism directed solely at video game development companies btw, most assuredly not towards DoH, since that sounds a tad bit more bitter than I intended it to)

Cheers to the quick responses and I'm looking forward to seeing it all IG soon.

[Icedwind]

I've personally no interest in custom portraits myself. What bothers me most about custom portraits is the lack of consistency in style and quality.

Though I would love custom portraits to be an option, I do agree with this. It would bother me seeing a great quality, wonderful picture on one person... and then some silly big-eyed anime cat-girl on another.

If you're willing to draw everyone's custom portrait, then it will be fine. Consistency and quality all in one.

[MM]

The community does have talented artists.

Besides.. aren't profile pictures controlled in a fashion similar to Kreml? Someone collects them for all to download. Not every anime picture has to be approved.