Rules for deciding custom content

[SnatoWhato]

I've been customizing my Project M in the past few days and find it so amusing. I love how it just makes the game feel so fresh! My friends are saying its almost as if Smash Bros 4 is already out. lol Let me get to the point of this thread. I have a few rules I go by when deciding on alternate "characters" (I don't bother with movesets, YET. I just change the skin.) The rules are as follows:

1: I have to like the character.
2: The character has to be from a game on any Nintendo platform.
3. The character's series has to have started as a video game.
4: The character MUST look good with the original character's moveset. (Example: Let's say there is a Shiki(TWEWY) skin that goes over Peach. Even though I like Shiki, she doesn't float, throw turnips or have Toad. So I will pass on that character.)
5. When choosing alternate outfits, it has to reference a game the character has been in before.
6. Sometimes, if the outfit doesn't reference any particular game, if I REALLY like it. I will make the exception and use it. Alot of them are really cool. lol

When it comes to stages and music, I'm pretty liberal. I'll add whatever, as long as I like it.

So do you guys have any specific rules when choosing your customized content? Or do you just add whatever you like? What are your favorite hacks you've come across?

 

[hotdogturtle]

I don't use any characters that are supposed to resemble other characters. In my experience (over 4.5 years of following Brawl modding) they universally look bad, no exceptions. I only use character textures that recolor their existing clothes without changing anything.

I have incredibly high standards of quality for custom stages, so I only use a few of them. I don't even use most of my own textures that I make because they're not good enough for me.

 

[Paradoxium]

I use mostly recolors, most off of brawlvaults, although I do use I few of my own textures.
When it come to music I have nearly replaced all of my songs. About half of the songs I use are dubstep, which have been modified to have longer base drops it's pretty badass battling during a base drop lol

 

[leelue]

How is there not an option for
"I only include stuff that is seamless. Or has top hats"

 

[Wrestlemania]

When my group plays we only use skins when we are goofing around/ playing free for all. If we are taking things seriously we don't use any skins. Well maybe Dr. Marios...

 

[Shadic]

How is there not an option for
"I only include stuff that is seamless. Or has top hats"

You can get seamless top hats.

On-topic, I only have a few custom things:
Fox/Falco/Link outfits that make them look like Melee/Upgraded OOT (For Link). Custom music (fits with the stage), and Japanese voices for a bunch of characters - Fox, Falco, Wolf, Pit, and Ike.

 

[leelue]

By seamless I meant stuff that looks like it could have come with the game.

 

[Shadic]

 

[leelue]

Aw
*Patpat*

 

[Mithost]

My general hack decisions have to go through a bit of a checklist. I'll generally allow most texture only things like Project Maritime/Mars/Minty or advancements like Awakening Marth or Skyward Sword Link, but here is what I judge questionable ones by.

-Is it professional? (no jaggies, PS1 style polygons, or bad textures)
-Does it change anything important? (Marth/Ike's sword size, Lack of DDD's Hammer, Bones)
-Does it distract players? (This one has a few exceptions, where my friends have just agreed to use it because we all like it)
-Can I find CSPs for it?

If you don't understand exactly what I'm looking for, here is a list of what I WONT add.

http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=21851
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=31058
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=31286

These are some of those "exceptions", where they fail in one regard, but pass in the others enough to be used sparingly.

http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=28380
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=14701

 

[Kink-Link5]

Music:

Tier 1: Non-remix from the series present in the game series presented in the stage (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7o78oSSZgk on Rumble Falls)
Tier 2: Remix from the series present in the game series presented in the stage (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q-XDGhMYZk on Green Hill Zone)
Tier 3: Non-remix from a series represented in Smash in general (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqKrsO5MiCM on Castle Dracula)
Tier 4: Remix from a series represented in Smash in general (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZEB2D6wq4 on Final Destination)
Tier 5: Non-remix from a company represented in Smash, IE: general Nintendo, Sega, and Konami music (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYiJQc4Ro-4 on Wario Ware)
Tier 6: Remix from a company represented (No examples at the moment)
Tier 7: Non-remix third party game music (eg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqfGmG1XsIg on SSE: Jungle)
Tier 8: Remix third party game music (Only current example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtF6dxIAgJc (same link as in my sig as of this post, and currently the only touhou music in my Brawl))
Tier 9: Non-game music (Only current example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZEB2D6wq4 as one of the menu themes)


Characters:

If it is a model hack of any sort, it must not alter the bones (Obviously)
It must also still be of the character, not turning the character into another
PREFERABLY, it is just a texture hack that is visually appealing

Examples of character hacks I use-
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=29136
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=30821 (Alongside a custom White/Gold one I made as a parallel to the one in PM)
http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=29711


I'll only do stage hacks to replace the super terrible stages with less terrible ones.

eg http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=17541 over Rainbow Cruise

 

[hotdogturtle]

http://forums.kc-mm.com/Gallery/BrawlView.php?Number=29136

I use the original one of this. I quite like it despite my general dislike of the biker Wario design. In fact, out of all my Wario textures, this is the only one that isn't his classic outfit.

 

[Kink-Link5]

Long story short, everyone should use Adventure Wario because it is awesome.

 

[traffic.]

voting thread be renamed "Autism the thread" *drops mic walkout*

 

[leelue]

ahhahahahahaha

Except that rejecting shadow textures on every character including sonic is mentally sound

 

[Shun_one]

I basically just use texture swaps.

At least, I did until I embarked on an ambitious project to give Brawl's character textures some life so nearly all of my textures are custom made by myself.

 

[Vashimus]

Shun_one's alive?

 

[Arcalyth]

1. Must be tournament-legal (no vertex hacks or anything else that isn't wifi-safe)
2. Must be aesthetically pleasing (standard of quality)
3. Must look professional (SSP/CSP, info.pac, etc are all updated properly, also to make P:M/PMBR look good, I want to attract people to the game and not make it look like just a hack)
4. Must be canon. (I'll accept things like Shadow over Sonic because they're pretty much the same character... but not stuff like Cloud over Ike, even if it was just a texture)

For music, I personally try to keep the music on my setup from games that I've personally played myself. Just my own personal preference. I also do my best to make the music fit the aesthetic of the stage.