This is just really a technical limitation of our avatar system. The more "layers" we add, the further processing every time one of them is loaded. That means that we have to increase either caching time (so it takes longer to see changes) or servers used primarily to build avatar images.

Beyond that, separating everything into a draggable layer is really difficult, and would make things a lot more complicated than we'd like.

And even beyond that, these are all "hexes" that replace the base of the avatar. We cannot start adding additional layers based on what hex you have (would it replace the hair layer? add an additional hair layer?) without rewriting a huge chunk of the system.

The "you're a zombie deal with it" quote is from people asking for it to be a layer so they could just layer the base over top of it, which I've said will never happen because it is your base, like the zapper skins.

So - it's unlikely this will happen.

And the final point is, very few users have these bases. Very few users keep zombie / zapper skins, and it's possible that is because of these limitations but it's unlikely.

We'd be rewriting massive chunks of the avatar system (different than the wardrobe. I haven't touched the avatar system code the entire time I've been rewriting the wardrobe) for the benefit of very few users.

Yeah, unfortunately right now the "face" things (eyes / nose / lips / etc) aren't even considered a layer because they aren't movable. The avatar system loads your base (or hex) and then loads those, and then puts the items in the order that you've specified.

It'd take a lot of reworking to turn those things into actual layers (especially because they aren't "together" - they are all separate just make up what we call the base) and then make it so that users can move all of those things around.

Maybe someday, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Yeah, but then that has to be saved in a way that the avatar system saves all of those things together in that order. Right now the avatar system is only built to move around / layer clothing and the hair layer. Adding additional stuff to that process is a lot of coding. I wish it were as simple as "just use what the wardrobe does" but it isn't :(

They're back in the beta wardrobe :) I've gotta find the stupid XML file that loads the hexes in the old wardrobe, and add a userid to the end of it :)