[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]

Most MMORPGs on the market today offer extensive customization. But whenever I think of “players who take customization the most seriously,”​ one game comes to mind first: Mabinogi.

A few years ago, there was even a running joke that when Milletians left Mabinogi for other games, “the standard of customization in those games went up.”​ I think that says something about just how seriously Mabinogi players take dressing up their characters.

Why is customization in Mabinogi still so beloved when the game is nearly 20 years old? That question prompted me to write this piece.

A distinctive cartoon art style that has endured over the years

For a game made so long ago, I think Mabinogi’s customization is impressively detailed and well-designed. You can change your character’s face, including its shape, eyes, and mouth, as well as their weight, height, and age. That leaves plenty of room to create different characters to suit the look you have in mind.

For me, though, the greatest appeal is being able to dress those characters in all kinds of outfits and express your own sense of style.

Of course, advances in graphics technology have made realistic visuals commonplace in games today. But realism has a drawback: even something slightly off about a clothing texture or the proportions can look quite jarring. To my mind, that inevitably puts some limits on customization.

In contrast, Mabinogi’s simple cartoon style leaves it with fewer of these constraints. Both modern fashions and cute outfit combinations look quite at home in the game.

A game that takes dyeing seriously... (Those shades of black above... all have different color values;)

I suspect “dyeing” is the biggest reason people say that Mabinogi players raise the standard of customization when they move to other games.

The same outfit can feel quite different depending on its color, and Mabinogi puts that choice in players’ hands. After all that time spent dyeing clothes, I sometimes wonder if the players have all become dyeing monsters.

As a blogger, I notice that views on my 시암 dyeing post shoot up whenever the Doki Doki Island event comes around... I suspect those clicks are all coming from Mabinogi’s dyeing monsters.

A steady stream of new outfits + collaborations

A game needs regular updates to keep players coming back. So what keeps the fashion enthusiasts interested? Naturally, you have to sell “new clothes” to give them a reason to stay.

Mabinogi regularly puts kits on sale as part of its updates, introducing clothes we have never seen before. Previously released clothes make a return too, of course, but the new outfits can sell for enormous sums at the Auction House. (They do have to look good to fetch those prices, though.)

From time to time, Mabinogi also features collaborations with anime and manga, which feel like a natural fit for the game. These often include the protagonists’ lovely outfits and striking weapons, so clothes that add the finishing touch to your character’s look can turn up when you least expect them.

Visit the town of Dunbarton in Mabinogi on PC, and you will often see plenty of beautifully styled characters standing around like statues.

That is how seriously so many players take dressing up their characters. If the old version already offers this much, I find myself quietly looking forward to seeing what happens when Eternity arrives.