Character Appearance Mod: Starbound Change

Changing a character's appearance in post-creation is notoriously tricky because the game lacks a built-in "magic mirror" or barber system. While there isn't one definitive "perfect" mod that handles this seamlessly within the UI like other modern RPGs, several community-driven solutions exist—ranging from in-game editors to external save manipulation. Notable Appearance & Customization Mods

StarExtensions: This is widely considered the most modern and "cleanest" solution. It is a client-side extension (found on GitHub rather than Steam) that adds an in-game character editor.

Usage: Once installed, players can type /editor open in the chat to access a customization menu.

Pro Tip: It is recommended to unequip cosmetic items before using it to avoid visual glitches or resets.

Cutebound / Make the Universe a Cuter Place: One of the most popular aesthetic mods, it completely overhauls the default character sprites (faces, bodies, and hair) into a more stylized, anime-inspired look.

Impact: It doesn't give you a menu to change your hair on the fly, but it replaces the global appearance of existing races. starbound change character appearance mod

Colorbound: This mod significantly expands the color palette available during character creation and can sometimes be used in conjunction with save editing to access colors that weren't originally available.

Simple Extended Character Creation 2.0: While primarily for starting new characters with modded races, it is essential if you want to swap your current character to a custom race using external tools, as it ensures the UI can handle the additional race slots. Alternative: External Tools & Manual Methods

If you don't want to rely on mods that might break with game updates, the community often uses these manual methods:

Starcheat: A powerful third-party character save editor. It allows you to open your .player file and manually change values for your hair, skin color, and even your race ID.

Warning: Always back up your save before using this, as it is a third-party application. change to a vanilla hairstyle

The "New Character" File Swap: A common workaround is to create a new character with your desired appearance, then use a text editor like Notepad++ to copy the specific appearance data chunks from the new character's .player file into your old one.

In-Game Commands: Players using OpenStarbound (another popular engine extension) can use commands like /run player.setSpecies("race_id") to change their character's race instantly.

2. Appearance (A Simple Mirror)

A lighter alternative to the above is Appearance (A Simple Mirror). Instead of a craftable item, this mod places a mirror object in the game world (you can also spawn it via admin commands). Interacting with the mirror opens the character customization UI.

It’s less intrusive, feels more immersive (you actually "look in a mirror" to change), but lacks the race-change functionality of Silverfeelin’s version.

The Nuclear Option: Direct JSON Editing (For Tech-Savvy Spacers)

If you refuse to use mods or play on a vanilla-only server, you can edit your character file manually. "I changed my race

How to do it:

1. Navigate to Starbound/storage/player/
2. Find your character file (it looks like 1234567890.player).
3. Open it in a JSON editor (or Notepad++).
4. Find the "identity" block. Inside, you’ll see "hairType", "hairColours", "eyeType", etc.

Warning: This is extremely fragile. One wrong comma or missing bracket can corrupt your save. Also, changing your race this way will break your ship layout 90% of the time.

Recommendation for Most Players

Use Appearance Gun (Steam Workshop ID 729426699). It’s safe, reversible, and takes 30 seconds.

How to Install (Steam Workshop vs. Manual)

1. Steam Workshop (Easiest): Subscribe to the mod. Launch Starbound. At the main menu, click "Options" > "Mods" and ensure the mod is toggled ON.
2. Manual (Chucklefish Forums): Download the .pak file. Drop it into Starbound/mods/ folder. Restart the game.

Pro tip: Backup your storage/player/ folder before installing any save-editing mods. You probably won't break anything, but space is cruel.

3. Prototype (Day 8–14)

• Objective: Produce minimal working prototype to change appearance.
• Implementation steps:
  • Created an item (Appearance Mirror) with an on-use script that opens a simple UI.
  • Wrote Lua script to read/write player species and appearance JSON fields (hair, color, facial features).
  • Implemented a minimal UI JSON with pickers for hairstyle and color swatches.
  • Used player.setSpecParameter/player.species APIs (or equivalent) to apply changes at runtime.
• Decisions:
  • Start with a small subset of editable attributes (hair, hairColor, primary/secondary color) to validate workflow.
• Artifacts:
  • Prototype mod folder, short demo video/gif of changing hair/color.
• Outcomes:
  • Verified runtime application of appearance changes and preservation across respawn.

Common Pitfalls & Solutions

• "I changed my race, but my techs are gone."
  Solution: Un-equip and re-equip your techs from the S.A.I.L. console. The game retains the tech license, but the visual slot resets.

• "My hair is floating two inches above my head."
  Solution: This happens when a hairstyle mod is removed but the character retains the hairstyle ID. Reinstall the mod, change to a vanilla hairstyle, then uninstall.

• "The Appearance mirror won't let me change my eye color on multiplayer servers."
  Solution: Server admins need to install the mod on the server side, too. Most public servers do not allow these mods for anti-cheat reasons.