if you were able to work this out with black armor, why not with other skins?
The system that puts the two extra marine armour types in the game is not designed to handle a plethora of customisations. Explaining why would require a lengthy explanation of how the game loads models and animations. It's just not possible. Also, Steam's DLC system, which authenticates the armours, is not designed for cosmetic customisation. It would be A) Incredibly clunky and Valve would not allow it.
It's simple fact that without a large amount of programming time spent reworking the game's guts, NS2 is not going to be able to support character customisation. That's not to say we don't want it to be able to. It just would be very expensive, and we have to carefully consider where we spend money .
They already can through the Steam workshop! That's the beauty of NS2!
Yep, but people can't customise themselves in a personal manner. E.g. I can't pay to dress myself up as Apone, and have you see me as dressed up as Apone in every server. Dammit, the more I explain why NS2 can't have cosmetic customisation, the more I want it! Haha!
They already can through the Steam workshop! That's the beauty of NS2!
Yep, but people can't customise themselves in a personal manner. E.g. I can't pay to dress myself up as Apone, and have you see me as dressed up as Apone in every server. Dammit, the more I explain why NS2 can't have cosmetic customisation, the more I want it! Haha!
You won't want it once you have to look at everyone's fucking MLP mods.
Turns out I am wrong about to degree to which Steam can help us do customisation - We can at least do the payment system through Steamworks. Thanks for getting me interested in this stuff guys, I'm learning! (Note this is a completely different system to that which grants black/deluxe armour).
Of course that leaves us with actually getting the game to support customisation in its animations/models/textures. Which as I've said above, isn't possible at the moment (Poo.)
It's simple fact that without a large amount of programming time spent reworking the game's guts, NS2 is not going to be able to support character customisation. That's not to say we don't want it to be able to. It just would be very expensive, and we have to carefully consider where we spend money .
Turns out I am wrong about to degree to which Steam can help us do customisation - We can at least do the payment system through Steamworks. Thanks for getting me interested in this stuff guys, I'm learning! (Note this is a completely different system to that which grants black/deluxe armour).
Of course that leaves us with actually getting the game to support customization in its animations/models/textures. Which as I've said above, isn't possible at the moment (Poo.)
Don't beat yourself up over this, I'd rather have gorge tunnels than stupid hats.
GISPBattle GorgeDenmarkJoin Date: 2004-03-20Member: 27460Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Squad Five Gold, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Gold, Subnautica Playtester, Forum staff
edited February 2013
A short term way to raise money would be to auction of signed artwork and stuff. And im sure that the... Dare i say it, that the office gorge wou... nm that, noone could affort that.
Yes, it would be surprisingly low-cost to implement, and would reap pure profit. Complexity of system is dev determined, and can remain as simple as the addition of a single item to the game.
Regardless, there would be back end work, and right now, the priority should be on the game's higher value targets, server performance being the holy grail for me
It's great that you aren't charging for these updates. That being said, I bet if you guys paired "DLC" equivalent updates like Gorgeous with an optional donation page, you'd get a lot more res from players like me.
You could then use the res for more upgrades.
As crazy as this sounds to a lot of people it's very smart and reasonable these days. Other companies in both the gaming industry and other industries have some kind of tip jar system. In fact, if you go and listen to some of the in-game commentary for Valve games (I think the one I'm thinking of is in Portal 2, but I could be mistaken) the very concept of the Mann Store came from numerous e-mail requests to the Gaben for some kind of online tipping or donation system.
So, yeah, before you poo-poo it take the time to think it over a bit. It doesn't even have to be tied to anything else, much less a cosmetics store like what Valve has going on. Why not just bring Constellation back? I know I wouldn't mind seeing a few more blue forum icons. C:
It's great that you aren't charging for these updates. That being said, I bet if you guys paired "DLC" equivalent updates like Gorgeous with an optional donation page, you'd get a lot more res from players like me.
You could then use the res for more upgrades.
As crazy as this sounds to a lot of people it's very smart and reasonable these days. Other companies in both the gaming industry and other industries have some kind of tip jar system. In fact, if you go and listen to some of the in-game commentary for Valve games (I think the one I'm thinking of is in Portal 2, but I could be mistaken) the very concept of the Mann Store came from numerous e-mail requests to the Gaben for some kind of online tipping or donation system.
So, yeah, before you poo-poo it take the time to think it over a bit. It doesn't even have to be tied to anything else, much less a cosmetics store like what Valve has going on. Why not just bring Constellation back? I know I wouldn't mind seeing a few more blue forum icons. C:
I thought the "tip" you gave to Valve was paying $50 for Portal 2.
Turns out I am wrong about to degree to which Steam can help us do customisation - We can at least do the payment system through Steamworks. Thanks for getting me interested in this stuff guys, I'm learning! (Note this is a completely different system to that which grants black/deluxe armour).
Of course that leaves us with actually getting the game to support customisation in its animations/models/textures. Which as I've said above, isn't possible at the moment (Poo.)
Another step closer to gorge monocle and top hats. Excellent.
ScardyBobScardyBobJoin Date: 2009-11-25Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
Big issue is that NS2 wasn't designed with this concept in mind, making it likely that there will be many time-eating/money-depleting complications to implement it. Its like trying to put a different engine in a car after its built; totally possible, but likely going to be quite a bit of hassle.
I wonder if we could detect when you've bought NS2 as a gift for someone..then we could do something pretty simple in game, like give your name a "NS2 Evangelist" badge or something
the guys at TWI who made red orchestra and also killing floor, released model packs for their games as dlc more of a way of donating a set amount of money for abit of a reward. The new models were all player models that had no direct effect on gameplay, all players could see the new player models but only those who paid for the model packs could use them. http://store.steampowered.com/app/35429/
worked very well for TWI through steam. basically more marine models and maybe a few alternate gorge models and you would get my money.
i would love a gorge model with a resemblance to the onos, kinda like a little cute onos/gorge.
a gorge with 2 rhino horns
or 1 with a hydra on its back
christmas hats on gorges for the next winter update
I wonder if we could detect when you've bought NS2 as a gift for someone..then we could do something pretty simple in game, like give your name a "NS2 Evangelist" badge or something
I'd say call it "The gift that keeps on giving.", but that has some sort of negative stigma attached to it that I don't quite understand.
Oh god please don't bring out cosmetic crap / unlocks like TF2 did.
It may have made them a lot of money, but ruined the game, for me anyway.
Ruined it for me too. The community turned to complete shit.
You would rather the game stay smaller/niche so that you don't have to deal with people you don't like? o.o
Cosmetic micro-transactions saved TF2, it wasn't doing very well until they went free-to-play. That's when the game really took off.
I love the idea of cosmetic changes, bring it on. I'm sure it will give a lot of people a reason (that they care about) to pay for stuff. That's a win-win.
I second the ART auction! You print it... WE BUY IT!!! I have a connection for a cheap canvas printer that I've used for 200 or so prints for my companies(we let people put their own art in their offices). PM if you want a contact.
I would also love some action figures! Marine figures with the different armors and the Aliens would be GREAT desk items! I have done car models at 1:32 and 1:64 but not figurines. For the 1:32 car stuff it was running about $8 per car in quantities of 2,000. I'd imagine some figurines would be a bit pricer with more paint masks but it could still be a VERY cool product that could bring in some nice res for the cause
-WildCat-Cape Town, South AfricaJoin Date: 2008-07-19Member: 64664Members, Reinforced - Shadow
I will pay $100 to Unknown Worlds right now if they agree to NOT put any further character customizations into NS2.
Hopefully, the Gorgeous update will produce the uptick in revenue required to prove that free content updates are a viable business strategy.
The one thing that I would suggest Unknown Worlds does is add a "Standard to Deluxe Edition Upgrade" to the Steam store. Remember that several thousand gift copies of the Standard Edition were given out to those that pre-ordered early. Many of the people that received those gift copies might now be wishing that they had the Deluxe Edition armor and the other goodies.
AsranielJoin Date: 2002-06-03Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
I think a "Support UWE DLC" would not be a bad idea at all. As long as the cosmetic changes are no bigger than the current 3 armor models we have. They look amazing and i dont think anybody thinks they make the game look bad. So if there are other customizations that stay in the same spirit (like the smilie face on the marine helmet in the fade trailer), that would be totaly fine with me.
But call it what it is. Its a way to make money, to support the game development. Dont label it as something else, i think people appreciate honesty on stuff like that.
Oh god please don't bring out cosmetic crap / unlocks like TF2 did.
It may have made them a lot of money, but ruined the game, for me anyway.
Ruined it for me too. The community turned to complete shit.
Cosmetic micro-transactions saved TF2, it wasn't doing very well until they went free-to-play. That's when the game really took off.
TF2 was insanely popular even before F2P. After F2P it of course exploded.
@SixtyWattMan, the community was crap long before F2P came about, at least in the majority of public servers.
As for the cosmetic items in TF2, I don't particularly care for them. Didn't really ruin the game for me since the game was a bit silly to begin with, hats and nonsense just seems to be a natural next step for such a weird game. I could do without 80% of the new weapons and crap, though. I do like the other 20%, I guess, such as the Atomizer, Dead Ringer, and Gunslinger.
Just keep that stuff in TF2 where it belongs. I don't wanna see any of that in NS2 right now. Black armor/Deluxue and perhaps a (free) female model would be just fine as far as I'm concerned. UWE's time is not unlimited. I'm sure everyone here would agree that content patches like Gorgeous is much more appreciated than some customization options.
It's unfortunate that the game wasn't built up around this sort of thing early on, as cosmetic purchases are really the way to go in a multiplayer game when it comes to revenue that doesn't mess up the community too much.
If I were to disregard the overhead work, new animations (taunts, sprints, emotes) could be one way of getting new content with little impact on performance and patch size.
If cosmetic stuff is not going to get in, then you have to constantly be working on PR-campaigns, and I guess that's what the marketing for Gorgeous is all about ('free DLC').
Oh god please don't bring out cosmetic crap / unlocks like TF2 did.
It may have made them a lot of money, but ruined the game, for me anyway.
Ruined it for me too. The community turned to complete shit.
You would rather the game stay smaller/niche so that you don't have to deal with people you don't like? o.o
Cosmetic micro-transactions saved TF2, it wasn't doing very well until they went free-to-play. That's when the game really took off.
I love the idea of cosmetic changes, bring it on. I'm sure it will give a lot of people a reason (that they care about) to pay for stuff. That's a win-win.
To be honest, I would indeed rather have a small but enoyable community than a large but irritating community. Not that I would want to deny UWE any sources of income, and in truth NS2 certainly deserves a large playerbase, but I'm just saying, small can be nice too.
Also, TF2 was a huge hit since it was released with the Orange Box, surpassing the high expectations that were coupled to the long and problematic development period of TF2. With the regular free content updates (new maps, new gamemodes, new weapons) it managed to do very well for years to come. To say it only really took off when it went F2P with micro-transactions and steamworks is just plain silly, no offense. Yes, it has gotten bigger, but it was already a fantastic success for a MP only shooter. It didn't really need the F2P model.
I have pledged some free copies of NS2 to my steam friends. See my Steam profile for details.
I feel guilty that I never donated as a constie back in NS1, though I did put up a server for a number of years. As the Constellation is a thing of the past, this really does seem the best way to support UWE further. Of course, if UWE would like to re-open the constellation (or come up with an updated alternative), I would love to hear about it!
The one thing that I would suggest Unknown Worlds does is add a "Standard to Deluxe Edition Upgrade" to the Steam store. Remember that several thousand gift copies of the Standard Edition were given out to those that pre-ordered early. Many of the people that received those gift copies might now be wishing that they had the Deluxe Edition armor and the other goodies.
I completely agree with this. I bought the standard edition at launch because I didnt know if the game was any good. Not long after I bought it, I returned to the NS2 steam store page and wanted to buy the deluxe edition, yet steam does not allow you to have more than one copy of the game which made me SUPER sad. PLEASE PLEASE let us be able to upgrade(pay extra) to upgrade to the deluxe edition!
Or does anyone know how I can get rid of my standard edition and re-buy a deluxe edition?
Comments
The system that puts the two extra marine armour types in the game is not designed to handle a plethora of customisations. Explaining why would require a lengthy explanation of how the game loads models and animations. It's just not possible. Also, Steam's DLC system, which authenticates the armours, is not designed for cosmetic customisation. It would be A) Incredibly clunky and
It's simple fact that without a large amount of programming time spent reworking the game's guts, NS2 is not going to be able to support character customisation. That's not to say we don't want it to be able to. It just would be very expensive, and we have to carefully consider where we spend money
Steamworks does not provide the backend that would be required to implement cosmetic customisation in NS2.
Yep, but people can't customise themselves in a personal manner. E.g. I can't pay to dress myself up as Apone, and have you see me as dressed up as Apone in every server. Dammit, the more I explain why NS2 can't have cosmetic customisation, the more I want it! Haha!
You won't want it once you have to look at everyone's fucking MLP mods.
Go ahead and make it, then. A server mod with logins, custom skins and payment options.
Of course that leaves us with actually getting the game to support customisation in its animations/models/textures. Which as I've said above, isn't possible at the moment (Poo.)
Obviously if I had the ability, I would. I was actually talking about this:
Don't beat yourself up over this, I'd rather have gorge tunnels than stupid hats.
Regardless, there would be back end work, and right now, the priority should be on the game's higher value targets, server performance being the holy grail for me
As crazy as this sounds to a lot of people it's very smart and reasonable these days. Other companies in both the gaming industry and other industries have some kind of tip jar system. In fact, if you go and listen to some of the in-game commentary for Valve games (I think the one I'm thinking of is in Portal 2, but I could be mistaken) the very concept of the Mann Store came from numerous e-mail requests to the Gaben for some kind of online tipping or donation system.
So, yeah, before you poo-poo it take the time to think it over a bit. It doesn't even have to be tied to anything else, much less a cosmetics store like what Valve has going on. Why not just bring Constellation back? I know I wouldn't mind seeing a few more blue forum icons. C:
I thought the "tip" you gave to Valve was paying $50 for Portal 2.
Another step closer to gorge monocle and top hats. Excellent.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/35429/
worked very well for TWI through steam. basically more marine models and maybe a few alternate gorge models and you would get my money.
i would love a gorge model with a resemblance to the onos, kinda like a little cute onos/gorge.
a gorge with 2 rhino horns
or 1 with a hydra on its back
christmas hats on gorges for the next winter update
>.>
It may have made them a lot of money, but ruined the game, for me anyway.
Ruined it for me too. The community turned to complete shit.
You would rather the game stay smaller/niche so that you don't have to deal with people you don't like? o.o
Cosmetic micro-transactions saved TF2, it wasn't doing very well until they went free-to-play. That's when the game really took off.
I love the idea of cosmetic changes, bring it on. I'm sure it will give a lot of people a reason (that they care about) to pay for stuff. That's a win-win.
I would also love some action figures! Marine figures with the different armors and the Aliens would be GREAT desk items! I have done car models at 1:32 and 1:64 but not figurines. For the 1:32 car stuff it was running about $8 per car in quantities of 2,000. I'd imagine some figurines would be a bit pricer with more paint masks but it could still be a VERY cool product that could bring in some nice res for the cause
Hopefully, the Gorgeous update will produce the uptick in revenue required to prove that free content updates are a viable business strategy.
The one thing that I would suggest Unknown Worlds does is add a "Standard to Deluxe Edition Upgrade" to the Steam store. Remember that several thousand gift copies of the Standard Edition were given out to those that pre-ordered early. Many of the people that received those gift copies might now be wishing that they had the Deluxe Edition armor and the other goodies.
But call it what it is. Its a way to make money, to support the game development. Dont label it as something else, i think people appreciate honesty on stuff like that.
TF2 was insanely popular even before F2P. After F2P it of course exploded.
@SixtyWattMan, the community was crap long before F2P came about, at least in the majority of public servers.
As for the cosmetic items in TF2, I don't particularly care for them. Didn't really ruin the game for me since the game was a bit silly to begin with, hats and nonsense just seems to be a natural next step for such a weird game. I could do without 80% of the new weapons and crap, though. I do like the other 20%, I guess, such as the Atomizer, Dead Ringer, and Gunslinger.
Just keep that stuff in TF2 where it belongs. I don't wanna see any of that in NS2 right now. Black armor/Deluxue and perhaps a (free) female model would be just fine as far as I'm concerned. UWE's time is not unlimited. I'm sure everyone here would agree that content patches like Gorgeous is much more appreciated than some customization options.
If I were to disregard the overhead work, new animations (taunts, sprints, emotes) could be one way of getting new content with little impact on performance and patch size.
If cosmetic stuff is not going to get in, then you have to constantly be working on PR-campaigns, and I guess that's what the marketing for Gorgeous is all about ('free DLC').
To be honest, I would indeed rather have a small but enoyable community than a large but irritating community. Not that I would want to deny UWE any sources of income, and in truth NS2 certainly deserves a large playerbase, but I'm just saying, small can be nice too.
Also, TF2 was a huge hit since it was released with the Orange Box, surpassing the high expectations that were coupled to the long and problematic development period of TF2. With the regular free content updates (new maps, new gamemodes, new weapons) it managed to do very well for years to come. To say it only really took off when it went F2P with micro-transactions and steamworks is just plain silly, no offense. Yes, it has gotten bigger, but it was already a fantastic success for a MP only shooter. It didn't really need the F2P model.
I feel guilty that I never donated as a constie back in NS1, though I did put up a server for a number of years. As the Constellation is a thing of the past, this really does seem the best way to support UWE further. Of course, if UWE would like to re-open the constellation (or come up with an updated alternative), I would love to hear about it!
I completely agree with this. I bought the standard edition at launch because I didnt know if the game was any good. Not long after I bought it, I returned to the NS2 steam store page and wanted to buy the deluxe edition, yet steam does not allow you to have more than one copy of the game which made me SUPER sad. PLEASE PLEASE let us be able to upgrade(pay extra) to upgrade to the deluxe edition!
Or does anyone know how I can get rid of my standard edition and re-buy a deluxe edition?