This post is [an entry in the NEXON PEAK Post Challenge].

To Begin: What Is Character Customization?

The Korean term “keoma” is short for “customizing.” According to NAVER’s Korean dictionary, customizing means “making something the way its owner wants” or “making something to order.” In games, customization has a somewhat broader meaning: it can include not just a character’s appearance, but also their personality and stats. For this post, though, I want to focus on appearance. So from here on, I’ll use character customization to mean freely styling your character to look the way you want.





As you probably know, Mabinogi Mobile shares the Mabinogi IP with Mabinogi and Vindictus. Back when I played Mabinogi, part of the fun was customizing my character’s appearance and dressing them however I liked. That same enjoyment is there in Mabinogi Mobile. Both games make customization fun, but if I had to pick one difference between them, it would be body types.

In Mabinogi, you couldn’t choose your character’s body type, but eating a lot made them gain weight, while eating berries helped them lose it. In other words, you could “manage” their build in the game. Mabinogi Mobile takes a different approach: you can “choose” a body type—standard, slim, muscular, or plump. That means body type alone can give your character a different feel.



One Change, a Very Different Impression — Body Type

What shapes our first impression of someone? Their overall build is probably the first thing that stands out. In Mabinogi Mobile, you can choose from 4 body types: standard, slim, muscular, and plump. Here’s the same character with only their body type changed; everything else is identical from head to toe. Each version already gives quite a different impression, doesn’t it? That gives us a starting point for creating a look that feels just right for our own characters.

 This is my first alt, and my favorite character apart from my main. His defining features are an intimidating gaze, dark skin, a tall frame, and facial hair. Beyond those features, I adjust his appearance to match the real person he’s based on. Yes, that would be my spouse, 연호, who lives with me. I generally use Rebirth to update this character as my spouse’s hair grows longer or he gains or loses weight. My alts usually go through Rebirth more frequently than my main, so I make changes whenever I feel like it or the character’s look starts to differ too much from my spouse’s. Just changing his build gives him quite a different feel, doesn’t it?



A Different Overall Look — Skin Tone

Many factors affect which clothing colors suit someone, but I think skin tone probably has the biggest influence. Even with the same features, a different skin tone can completely change the impression someone gives. I tend to prefer darker skin. My own skin is fairly pale, and it gives me quite a bit of trouble. On the other hand, someone with darker skin told me they tend to prefer pale skin. Personal experiences aside, having a range of skin tones to choose from lets you style your character to suit your tastes and the look you’re aiming for.





Curious About Someone’s Personality? Look at Their Eyes.

There’s a saying that you can see someone’s personality in their eyes. Try different eye shapes on your character, and you’ll start to see what that means. Depending on their eyes, they can seem to have a completely different personality: gentle, warm and comforting, temperamental, or confident. That’s quite a range even when the mouth stays fixed in a smile, and changing the mouth opens up even more possibilities. Choosing your character’s eyes and eye color is a surprisingly satisfying part of the process.





So Much Variety from One Feature — Face Shape

You can adjust the face shape, too, with options ranging from sharply defined to oval, angular, round, long, and more. Isn’t it interesting how changing just the face shape creates such a different face and overall impression? At this point, they could pass for different people.





The Highlight of Character Customization — Hairstyles

And now, the part I’ve been waiting for: hairstyles. Hair really does make the biggest difference to a character’s overall look. With everything else held constant, it’s the most noticeable change you can make. If a new hairstyle alone does this much... imagine changing the color too. The transformation is remarkable. Male characters don’t have to stick to short hair, either. Since the real-life 연호 has long hair, I can give the character based on him long hair as well, which makes it all the more fun.





A Magical Switch for the Overall Look — Gender

You can also change your character’s gender in Mabinogi Mobile. The biggest difference is the body’s overall silhouette. Male and female characters have access to the same colors, including skin tones and hair colors. Eye shapes, body tattoos, and similar features work the same way, too. Some hairstyles differ, but more of the designs are shared between the two. This means you can keep the same styling and transform your character simply by changing their gender. I once lost all my old screenshots, so I don’t have any shots of the male version saved. Unfortunately, this low-quality image will have to do instead.



Mabinogi Mobile’s Customization Cheat Code — Age

In Mabinogi Mobile, characters age by one year every Saturday at 6 a.m. From age 10 to 17, their appearance changes a little with each passing year. Watching those changes adds another layer of fun. Younger characters are cute, while older ones have a more mature charm, and I really enjoy both. When I miss that cuteness, I use Rebirth to return to age 10. When I want to wear something a little more stylish, I use Rebirth to become an adult. That’s another part of what makes appearance customization so enjoyable.







So Many Customization Options, but Only One Character

Still, each character can only have one look at a time. I’ve always found that a little disappointing, which led me to another option: alts. While developing my main, I can also enjoy a whole range of character designs through my alts. I change their looks from time to time, too, though less often than my main’s. When I do, I try to give each one a distinct appeal. I get bored quickly if they all look the same, or even too similar, so I vary their body types, skin tones, heights, and dye accents. The photo below commemorates the occasion when all my characters wore the same outfit for the 1st anniversary.





I’m still regularly using Rebirth and styling my characters—all of them. Sometimes I create a look around a concept I want to try, and sometimes I base it on their class. Strangely enough, I find it hard to grow attached to a character unless their look really reflects my personal aesthetic. Here are the characters currently keeping me company, all captured in the same pose.





Getting Invested in Customization Means Getting Attached to Your Characters

I’ve also come across quite a few players cosplaying on my travels around Erinn. Seeing Father 박윤규 from 퇴마록 in Dunbarton a while back really surprised me. There are plenty of others, too, including Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Aladdin, Edward Elric, Mario, and Naruto. Whenever I pass one of them, I can’t help admiring the work they’ve put in. Shown here is the Father 박윤규 I met, with the main promotional image for the 퇴마록 세계편 webtoon on the right. It’s easy to see the appeal of this kind of customization.





It’s hard to grasp just how seriously Mabinogi Mobile takes customization, isn’t it? There’s also a wide variety of clothing designs, and the same outfit can look completely different depending on how you dye it. So here I am, carefully dyeing away again today. It’s the ultimate game for styling your characters. If you love dressing them up and having the freedom to customize, come join us in 모비노기!