Once again, I’m collecting ideas at GridStream parties for Halloween brainstorming. After two weeks, I’ll curate them into a somewhat ordered list, we’ll put them in some semblance of order, and I’ll put a little more detail into our favorites, with reference images where appropriate. Then I’ll send those off to FC roughly two months before the event, hopefully about the time they’re looking for ideas of new stuff to add. So yeah, it has to start pretty early. I’ve just started that thread again for this Halloween. It probably should have been last week, but hopefully it’s close enough.
Posting the official list on the GSP forums and linking to it from the AO and SWL forums worked well so far, so let’s go with that again. On the GSP forums, I don’t have to worry about dividing the list between AO and SWL, and the post length and editing restrictions are much looser, so I can manage the list better as ideas come in.
If you’re too lazy to make a GSP forum account to post it, go ahead and tack it on here. I should see it and I can just copy it over.
Once I’ve finalized the list, I’ll post the whole thing here too, but separated into AO and SWL posts.
And yes, you can always just post your own suggestion any time you want, but I find that these threads, especially the discussions of them at parties, bring up a lot more ideas and more of them actually get posted in a big pile FC can more easily find. So let’s hear it. What do you want Springhand Jack, Incognito Irusan, or your boogeyman of choice to bring you this year?
For those who don’t follow the GSP forums and aren’t interested in the AO side of the ideas, here’s just the SW-related ideas. Sorry there weren’t more of them this year. We just don’t have enough shows there lately. If you want to see the whole list, they’re at that same link above.
To Michizure and Whomsoever Else may be interested in ideas for Halloween goodies for Secret World Legends,
Here’s GSP’s annual brainstorming contribution of Halloween ideas. They were collected over the course of two weeks of GSP parties, plus whatever was set aside since last year. Not a peep from Facebook, Twitter, or Forums, but we got a pretty good list anyway. GSP DJs, Dancers, and staff helped put them in order so I could fill in extra details on our favorites, but the whole list is here.
[both] bouquet of black roses covered with spiderwebs
Holdable, placeable, or both. Pretty self-explanatory. I’m undecided whether the roses should be withered, which is immediately creepier, or fresh, which would be really suspicious to have that much cobweb on it.
[both] leet mascot costume
Not a leet morph, but a big, bulky costume with a long tail and no arms, like a sports mascot.
It would probably be easier to do the body and head in SWL than in AO, but I suppose the lack of arms and inability to animate without clipping all over would be an issue.
[both] spiderweb teddy
We’ve been asking for this one, or something like it, almost every year for a while now. Teddy, minidress, and bikini have all been suggested, but the basic idea is a skimpy little number made of black or silver strategically interwoven threads, patterned like a spider web. And it has to be skimpy. Like the Korean MMO endgame version of an evil sorceress who feels that naked just isn’t naughty enough. The kind of thing that would never stay within the games’ ratings if it wasn’t all glued in place.
I couldn’t find adequate reference images, so I drew some myself and posted them on the GridStream forums.
black teddy - back view: http://forums.gridstream.org/forums/download/file.php?id=6346&mode=view
The bikini version would be just like the teddy, minus the middle. Not pictured: matching black pumps that come with a black widow ankle tattoo. Yeah, I know it’s cliche, but it’s Halloween.
[both] A raspberry beret and matching “not much more”
Secret World already has a beret, but only in black. The way the colors are named now, this one would be called “purple”, but it could still lean a tint redder and we’d just know what it was. I’d really have a hard time choosing between my bunny ears and a raspberry beret.
As for the “not much more”, the video from the song doesn’t show it. We only have his sly smirk and sultry tone to judge by. And the insinuation of a blue sky and clouds tuxedo. There was a suggestion for a bikini that matches the Mysterious Cloak elsewhere on this list. That would work. Or Miiir straps. Or a low-cut backless negligee.
Or maybe a bodysuit that’s a little bit of purple and a whole lot of sheer, something like https://wickedweasel.com/en-us/product/empress-183-bodysuit?colour=41033
I’m sure you can imagine something Prince would sing about but just barely fits the ratings.
[both] X-ray swimsuit
A skimpy version of the skeleton costume. One-piece would probably work better. A bikini would only have room for a couple inches of rib and a bit of pelvic bone.
[both] Dreamcatcher bikini
The first image that came to mind was mostly just string with a couple circular frames and a feather or two. On the bottom, a matching beaded leather thong belt with a few feathers hanging from it and a tiny breechcloth.
But maybe that’s a little too culturally insensitive. There was some backlash about cultural appropriation along those same lines not long ago. I’m not an expert on those cultures or where the politically correct line is. Crocheted string bikinis with a vaguely dreamcatcher-shaped pattern on the chest are still plentiful on Etsy, though. I suppose something vaguely reminiscent must be safer than stealing stylistic elements.
How about crocheted halter bikini top with diamond spiral cups, like a dreamcatcher, in earth tones, with an opaque sunburst in each center, and a tan thong with beads and tassels in matching colors on the side ties? No feathers. Feathers are no good for swimwear anyway. That ought to vaguely convey the style without actually mimicing any traditional dress that I know of.
I can’t find any reference images of exactly what I’m describing, and I don’t really have time to draw it and send this in in time, but hopefully one of your artist types has an idea what I mean or has their own suitable ideas.
[edit] I found an example 11 days later, of course. Not the coloring I had in mind, but this shape / pattern. https://www.instagram.com/p/CEMabsYnnP4 [/edit]
[both] bikini that matches the inside of AO’s Mysterious Cloak
TSW and SWL have bikini tops, but the matching “bikini shorts” are from Betty Page’s era, and most of hers were way skimpier than that. Not that there’s anything wrong with retro bikinis, but while the basic triangle tops are classic and timeless, the shorts with ruffles are cute, but old-fashioned.
SWL just needs bikini bottoms more like the ones in AO, but all the same colors as the bikini tops they already have.
Or better yet, a slightly richer, more saturated raspberry purple. SWL doesn’t have that Mysterious Cloak, but we could use something to go with that raspberry beret (above).
[both] haunted rags bikini
Ragged black cloth cups with a couple holes, held up by dark brown straps that go silver at the shoulders, so it looks like crossed scythes from certain angles. Tattered cheeky bottoms, like the “bikini shorts” with the ruffle torn off and the edges all tattered.
[both] Whompah Technician and Spaceship Janitor uniforms from NotAtAllSuspicious, Co.
There was a whompah technician back in the old ICC Shuttleport, a.k.a. “Newbie Island,” but he didn’t have much of a uniform. Funny costumes should be more identifiable than that without having to read the label. I’m thinking this is more a reference to some unnamed series of old adventure games than anything canonical for AO or TSW, anyway. Some local equivalent of such a parody. Kind of like the Captain Anarchy uniform, but for someone who’s totally not a hero, nor a villain, nor an anti-hero, not even a street urchin. A zero. Absolutely necessary for the world to work, but never even noticed by anyone in the story.
There aren’t any whompahs to service in SWL anyway, so obviously that would be a cosplay from some obscure old fandom, right?
[both] Cowbell of Antidote
Hammer weapon with a chance to proc a DoT removal on your team.
[both] serrated herring for cutting down large trees to make a nice path between the shrubberies
[both] crime scene tape / police evidence bikinis
[both] werewolf paw mittens, head mask
[SW] a text adventure version of Conan Chop Chop for the text game terminals in Seoul
[both] crime scene tape / police evidence bikinis
[both] flamenco dresses
[both] spice pumpkins
(that spice has to come from somewhere, right?)
[both] TAFKAP costume
purple assless chaps, wetlook thong, platform shoes and ruffle shirt open down to the belt
[both] pumpkin spice latte
(should be available starting at the anniversary, then maybe back it up to Valentine’s day, then Christmas…)
[both] dusty demon chair vehicle
[both] pumpkin, apple, and pumpkin with apple cookies
[both] holdable hourglass item that matches the Scythe of the Harvester
usable, like a Time/Space Enhanced Notum Crystal or Elemental Focus weapon
[both] an even bigger coffee mug
like the size of the New Year’s Crunk Goblet, with “DON’T SLEEP” on the side, in big, jittery letters
[SW] pumpkin shaped boots
Thanks again for reading and letting us participate in the making of festivities, and thanks for continuing to bring more festivites to our favorite worlds. I hope you found something useful, interesting, or at least amusing here and we’re all looking forward to seeing whatever our old pumpkin friend brings!