LE3 Prologue Outfit Customization


How does it work?

The mod opens the "locker" character customization menu after you exit character creation. This allows you to select a casual outfit, which will be your Shepard's outfit during the prologue on Earth and beyond (until you choose to change it again).

Additionally, you can use the same menu to customize armor for Mars (this was not a planned feature of the mod, but hey, the armor sliders are right there, why not use them!).


What are the options?

All casual outfits present in the base game are selectable for the prologue. If you do not actively choose an outfit, the game will default to the crew uniform.

Any casual outfits added by mods will be selectable, as long as they get added straight into Shepard's locker. Outfits that have to be purchased first will not be available. Same goes for armor. Some mods let you choose whether an outfit is unlocked automatically or bought from a store, so make sure to install the auto unlock version. 

LE3 Prologue Outfit Customization is compatiable with DropTheSquid's Appearance Modification Menu: if you have it installed, you can access the AMM from the customization screen via the Customize Face button, and make use of all the options it offers, such as custom hairstyles or Illusive Man eyes. See AMM's description for a complete list of features and recommended mods!


This mod by itself only allows you to choose one of the six casual outfits found in the base game. If you want completely new outfits, you'll have to download them from other modders. Any mod that adds outfits straight into Shep's locker should work! 

Links to the specific mods I used for screenshots can be found below. 


Outfit mods used in screenshots:
Zeb's Casual Outfits (MELE3)
PAWS Science Uniform Edits
Leather Jacket for Femshep
Casino Dress Replacers (LE3)

Hairstyle mods used in screenshots: (applied via Appearance Modification Menu)
Morning's Hairstyles for FemShep LE3 (Symphony and Your Nature)
Another Femshep Hairpack ME3LE (Stardust)
Some More Femshep Hairstyles (LE3) (Chloe)


Compatibility

Patches are available for:

• LE3 Community Patch
• LE3 Opening Remaster
• Expanded Galaxy Mod (LE)
• Harbinger Overhaul Mod
• Reduced Plot Armor
  

Project Variety (LE3) includes the same feature; if you use Project Variety, you do not need this mod.

Currently not compatible with Skippable Intro; due to its higher mount number I cannot make a patch.

LE3 Community Patch makes Shepard's weapons visible during the Earth to Mars transition, unfortunately with less bulky casual outfits this makes the Avenger on Shepard's back float rather awkwardly (see Images tab for screenshot). I have included an optional file which hides the weapons. It can be installed by checking the "No Normandy Weapons" option during installation.


Installation
Download either with ME3Tweaks Mod Manager, or manually and drop the .7z file into the Mod Manager. Click "Import", then find the mod in your library and click "Apply". If you use any of the mods that require compatibility patches, make sure those mods are installed first. The patches will be selected automatically. If you wish, you can also apply the "No Normandy Weapons" option described above. Install before .mem texture mods!


Uninstallation
Open ME3Tweaks Mod Manager, click Manage Target, and either "Disable" or "Delete" the mod.


Known issues:

• Not exactly a bug, but the chosen outfit will not get dirty after the courtroom explosion - this effect is done by swapping the clean default outfit texture for a dirty one, and naturally no other outfit has a dirty version of its texture available. Since I removed the whole texture swap from the sequence, it will not happen even for the default outfit.
• If you reload the very first autosave (the one made right after exiting character creation), sometimes music from the opening cinematic starts playing while in the customization menu. This also happens after playing through the Genesis 2 comic.
  

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to the ME3Tweaks Team for the modding tools, LE3 Community Patch Team for open patch permissions, Kinkojiro for EGM patch permission, Tydeous for Harbinger Overhaul patch permission, and Melllin for LE3 Opening Remaster patch permission. Additional thanks to authors of appearance mods mentioned above!