Usually when I play an rpg customization is part of the adventure whether it be weapons or clothes.
Well now, lemme see...which RPGs I love let me change how the character looks? (Aside from changing when buying new armor, and that's only more recent games.)
Chrono Trigger lets you change names, but that's it.
Valkyrie Profile doesn't let you change anything, even names.
Secret of Mana? Any of the Wild ARMs games? Alundra? FF4-5-6-7-8? Star Ocean 2? Odin Sphere? Radiata Stories? Legend of Legaia? Ocarina of Time? Grandia? Lunar? Ys? Phantasy Star?
(Any of the Metroids?)
Hmmm.........nope.
MMORPG, sure, you have to differentiate yourself from the thousands of other dark elves. Regular ol' RPG? Can't say I see it as a "central thing", myself.
To be clear: I'm in favor of, and HAPPY about, doing palette variations for enemies and for player characters with different gear. I am much less concerned about doing variations of player characters for the heck of it.
and the amount of work you would have to do.
This is also non-trivial, and not something that can be glossed over with tiny text. >:^|
It's not like I don't like the way they look
Then you'd be happy to play as them without being able to change that, wouldn't you?
L0 is always going to have cool well designed characters but that doesn't mean they can't be pushed further.
Don't push ME much further. :^)
What if we don't like masks? Or we only offer customization options you hate? :^P