Cosmetics that wouldn't destroy the game balance

dusterduster michigan, US Join Date: 2014-01-19 Member: 193329Members
A f2p system with microtransactions may be hard to integrate

Most source games like tf2 and counter strike are entirely shameless with their hitboxes and make them way off the cosmetics, hopefully if cosmetics do become a thing ns2 won't have this

Something that should be avoided:
http://i.imgur.com/p1dtpw0.png

unfortunately, this also limits our options:
http://i.imgur.com/lGocHaX.jpg

this would mean that you can't have tophat gorges, which is quite a shame. You could however, do some aviator glasses on this gorge and maybe a forward cigar (that only curves slightly from the gorgies mouth) that lights up when you taunt or something.

We could also explore some other options:
http://imgur.com/y4QXQlv

As you can see here on the lerk, there is a point on it's head where that giant oval is, and the hitbox rises slightly above that. It would be easy to fit a tophat onto this lerk or a cowboy hat or something that wouldn't mess up the hitbox anymore than the horn does on the onos

anyway, what do you guys think? Do you think this game has potential for cosmetics?

Comments

  • Laosh'RaLaosh'Ra Join Date: 2011-12-09 Member: 137232Members
    personally, i dislike cosmetics which don't fit the theme as they can ruin the atmosphere. but i'm well aware that a big portion of this community is always up for a good, possibly silly joke :>

    how about a mod which allows the players to customise their character with all kinds of fun/silly stuff: only on the servers running that mod, but all other players can see your customisation choices (which means they have to download it all though). the steam workshop should have a lot to offer and i bet the creators of those models/content would be happy to see it added to some servers.
  • dusterduster michigan, US Join Date: 2014-01-19 Member: 193329Members
    That would probably mitigate all the financial gains possible from going f2p, but it would be a fun mod.
  • current1ycurrent1y Join Date: 2003-12-08 Member: 24150Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester
    edited April 2014
    1F3092FCF05CD5E379C9536AB348A30EE32A4D4D

    Edit: oops missread thread title........ I fail
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Bacillus wrote: »
    Mendasp wrote: »
    So what you're saying is, if I hit the backpack, I should deal damage? Do backpacks have feelings?

    Ever heard of emotional baggage?

    why can't i give this post two awesomes?
  • meatmachinemeatmachine South England Join Date: 2013-01-06 Member: 177858Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited April 2014
    OP seems to assume hitboxes are the reason our fades aren't wearing sombreros. I'm not aware that this is the case?
  • Dictator93Dictator93 Join Date: 2008-12-21 Member: 65833Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    ananchronistic cosmetics really do not work in NS2 and would look horrible. I am all for more things like "shadow" models and marine armors. I love the way they look.

    Specifically, I want to see the LMG mod implemented dammit! :P
  • It's Super Effective!It's Super Effective! Join Date: 2012-08-28 Member: 156625Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited April 2014
    Or view models that only the player who has them can see, like that swanky SMG model @Evil_Ice made. Ultimately it's for the player to enjoy.

    I'm of course referring to this beauty



    Be even cooler if it were a mechanic to change the weapons behavior by changing the rifles "mode"
  • CrispixCrispix Join Date: 2007-01-10 Member: 59543Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
    Or view models that only the player who has them can see, like that swanky SMG model @Evil_Ice made. Ultimately it's for the player to enjoy.

    I'm of course referring to this beauty



    Be even cooler if it were a mechanic to change the weapons behavior by changing the rifles "mode"

    That last animation brought so many happy nostalgic NS1 LMG Tears. This should be used in the standalone combat game....I hope. I still love the NS2 Assault Rifle.
  • ns2isgoodns2isgood Join Date: 2013-04-16 Member: 184847Members
    If they were to implement anything, it should be like reinforcement skins/badges that fit into the style of the game. When you start talking top hats, you're getting a bit silly. That stuff doesn't appeal to me at all.

    I don't want sparkly hats with clouds flying over them, I don't want a silly lime green hat, etc. I personally appreciate the art style of games and what the artists do and feel they're ruined when you do things like TF2. That game had such a nice artistic style that was slowly ruined by stuff like this:

    jTSnGrJm.png
  • It's Super Effective!It's Super Effective! Join Date: 2012-08-28 Member: 156625Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    There was a post talking about people who made content for Planetside 2, Skins, Weapon Models, etc AND GOT PAID depending how many got downloaded, as they are ultimately cosmetic DLC.

    I doubt NS2 will get to that size, but SOE basically allowed PS2 to evolve with the personality of the community and what they wanted with it :) Again it wasn't top hats or anything, it obviously had to go through some kind of screening process, but the gems made it through.
  • NarfwakNarfwak Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5258Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica PT Lead, NS2 Community Developer
    edited April 2014
    There was a post talking about people who made content for Planetside 2, Skins, Weapon Models, etc AND GOT PAID depending how many got downloaded, as they are ultimately cosmetic DLC.

    I doubt NS2 will get to that size, but SOE basically allowed PS2 to evolve with the personality of the community and what they wanted with it :) Again it wasn't top hats or anything, it obviously had to go through some kind of screening process, but the gems made it through.
    PS2 is basically doing what TF2 pioneered. All of the large updates with hats and guns and stuff have had community contributions long before there was the workshop system to streamline the process of selecting which creators and creations would get a chance to be discovered, crafted, sold and traded in the game. Now that there is the workshop system there's a dramatic spike in how much stuff is available and most (if not all) of the stuff that gets added these days is made by community members rather than anyone at Valve. If anything Valve's original vision for facilitating player created content empowers the players much more because of the focus on a user marketplace and economy and not just as a profit partner with SOE when their particular skin is sold to a subscriber. TL;DR - it's not really anything new, it's just surprising that so few companies have followed Valve's example (credit to SOE for doing it to the extent that they have!).

    Personally I don't see why NS2 can't use a similar model as the developer still has final editorial control over what stuff makes the cut and what does not; the workshop votes just act as a filter so that the coolest stuff is on the first page or two. Most of the stuff available for NS2 on the workshop is pretty silly and doesn't fit the art style of the game well, but some of it does. It's also worth noting that since no incentive for creating content that conforms to a certain standard yet exists it should come as no surprise that most artists only make content that they themselves find interesting or want to see and then share on the workshop. With some basic artistic guidelines and the possibility of getting a share of revenue if their creation is selected I can see a lot more artists specifically tailoring their designs in the hopes that UWE would pick their skin or model or whatever over others.

    I'm personally not all that concerned about certain camo skins being advantageous over others (shadow skulk already pushes that pretty far), so I don't even see the need to restrict it to first person weapon skins. I can see why some people do, though, particularly for competitive play - but competitive play usually has a vastly different set of rules already, so if they really have to enforce this kind of thing then there's no reason why we can't leave that to leagues to decide for themselves.

    As a final note it's worth pointing out the degree to which NS2 is and always has been heavily community supported. Many of the official maps were originally community creations; community members have submitted loads of patches and fixes to the game thanks to it being open source in LUA; Constellation, early pre-orders and Reinforced speak for themselves. Community created cosmetic content just fits the theme in my view.
  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    How many times does this have to be brought up? This is like what, the 4th thread on f2p?

    And the general answer is the same, No.
  • LocklearLocklear [nexzil]kerrigan Join Date: 2012-05-01 Member: 151403Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, WC 2013 - Shadow
    coolitic wrote: »
    How many times does this have to be brought up? This is like what, the 4th thread on f2p?

    And the general answer is the same, No.

    Lol, times change and the game is no longer making much revenue from direct sales I would assume. Going the TF2 route and re-releasing as F2P could be a great option for NS2.

    Don't be so narrow minded.

  • It's Super Effective!It's Super Effective! Join Date: 2012-08-28 Member: 156625Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited April 2014
    I have no opinion about it being F2P or not, ultimately none of us other than UWE can make that decision. I'm sure people will chose their side of the fence and leave NS2 / Nurture growth, as can be expected of such a large decision.

    That topic aside, I'm all about keeping NS2 at least looking new and fresh if growth has stopped.

    Also the reason why I bought up PS2 instead of TF2, is that the hats and items had stats associated with them which changed gameplay (which is also why I stopped playing it well before it became F2P). If I wanted to play a class the best way that fits my play style, I would have to buy or get certain items, and I find it stupid to have to "farm" for materials in a non-rpg game.

    While I'm fully aware TF2 had done this WAY before PS2, last I checked they were only cosmetic, and weren't ridiculous like what we see in TF2. Granted things like Piss Jars and Top Hats is acceptable in TF2, that would steer me away from NS2 all the same, which is my primary concern.

    As per the topic title, we're not talking about F2P. I couldn't care less if someone wanted to make a steam-punk gorge model for that player to enjoy, just so long as it's client side or at the very least if they want to make it server side then I have the choice to shy away from that server. (I feel like a religious extremist :s )

    I'm ok with all of what may concern some NS2 players, just as long as I have the option to play in a non-immersion breaking server (and I'm sure there will be plenty) with custom models that do fit in line with the NS2 world are welcome in my book.

    But if I log in and see this whole custom model thing go way out of proportion simply for generating revenue, that would mark the final day for me. :(
  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    edited April 2014
    Locklear wrote: »
    coolitic wrote: »
    How many times does this have to be brought up? This is like what, the 4th thread on f2p?

    And the general answer is the same, No.

    Lol, times change and the game is no longer making much revenue from direct sales I would assume. Going the TF2 route and re-releasing as F2P could be a great option for NS2.

    Don't be so narrow minded.

    I'm just saying this has been discussed to death and that the majority say no.

    I think there were multiple reasons stated in previous thread, but I don't want to make a list.
  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    edited April 2014
    ns2isgood wrote: »
    If they were to implement anyth...
    1:56-1:59
  • dusterduster michigan, US Join Date: 2014-01-19 Member: 193329Members
    Bacillus wrote: »
    Mendasp wrote: »
    So what you're saying is, if I hit the backpack, I should deal damage? Do backpacks have feelings?

    Ever heard of emotional baggage?
    This is what counter strike players say when they try to imply that they aim based something other than positioning and pixel hugging in the basic vicinity of the head.
  • Dictator93Dictator93 Join Date: 2008-12-21 Member: 65833Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Or view models that only the player who has them can see, like that swanky SMG model @Evil_Ice made. Ultimately it's for the player to enjoy.

    I'm of course referring to this beauty



    Be even cooler if it were a mechanic to change the weapons behavior by changing the rifles "mode"

    I still have no idea why this isnt in game. I really love the work and animations done for the LMG.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Dictator93 wrote: »
    Or view models that only the player who has them can see, like that swanky SMG model @Evil_Ice made. Ultimately it's for the player to enjoy.

    I'm of course referring to this beauty



    Be even cooler if it were a mechanic to change the weapons behavior by changing the rifles "mode"

    I still have no idea why this isnt in game. I really love the work and animations done for the LMG.

    Maybe it will be in combat...
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    I can't understand why when a player talks about adding player customisation, every instantly assume free2play. Why does it have to be that way? As a company, it is within your right to charge for the game yourself, and a bit of royalty of players who and content to the game.

    What people fail to see is how powerful the attraction of customisation is. For some people, the customisation is what draws them to the game. Both the chance to make and use selected works to create the game you want, is the game they are playing.

    Garry's Mod took the concept of customisation to another level, and that went from F2P to a charging model!! TF2 subsequently then took it a huge leap further, but the concept of having customisation is not solely the domain of F2P. You can still keep a small barrier to entry, and thus direct fund, as well as making money off community contributions.

    The attraction is in modifiability. That in itself is a game that people love to play. It's why half-life was so successful in the beginning. Customisation is heading towards a future where you will be able to download an engine and build the game you want from custom content in a workshop-like. Hell, maybe one day there won't even be game designers, just people building content. I don't know if that is exciting or a nightmare??

  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    I can't understand why when a player talks about adding player customisation, every instantly assume free2play. Why does it have to be that way? As a company, it is within your right to charge for the game yourself, and a bit of royalty of players who and content to the game.

    What people fail to see is how powerful the attraction of customisation is. For some people, the customisation is what draws them to the game. Both the chance to make and use selected works to create the game you want, is the game they are playing.

    Garry's Mod took the concept of customisation to another level, and that went from F2P to a charging model!! TF2 subsequently then took it a huge leap further, but the concept of having customisation is not solely the domain of F2P. You can still keep a small barrier to entry, and thus direct fund, as well as making money off community contributions.

    The attraction is in modifiability. That in itself is a game that people love to play. It's why half-life was so successful in the beginning. Customisation is heading towards a future where you will be able to download an engine and build the game you want from custom content in a workshop-like. Hell, maybe one day there won't even be game designers, just people building content. I don't know if that is exciting or a nightmare??

    Nightmare. If everyone is building content, there is no one left to play it.

    Or there is too much to play it.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    Or everyone is playing their own unique game, completely independent of everyone else, wearing VR headsets ignoring the people in the room next to you who are playing their own game.. HAHA, I should write a book, 1984'esque on that theme, it would be a surefire winner.. maybe a game first, then a book, in a largely underdone twist on a theme..
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    Or everyone is playing their own unique game, completely independent of everyone else, wearing VR headsets ignoring the people in the room next to you who are playing their own game.. HAHA, I should write a book, 1984'esque on that theme, it would be a surefire winner.. maybe a game first, then a book, in a largely underdone twist on a theme..

    I don't think playing your own game would be fun; if you already know how the game works you can hardly enjoy it as a new experience.
  • cooliticcoolitic Right behind you Join Date: 2013-04-02 Member: 184609Members
    Soul_Rider wrote: »
    I can't understand w...

    That's not why assumed f2p. The main post specifically mentions f2p =P
  • OnosFactoryOnosFactory New Zealand Join Date: 2008-07-16 Member: 64637Members
    "Something that should be avoided:" <- I know a guy who took a shotgun blast in the backpack, pellets mostly got tangled in his billy (ie: cooking pot) and sleeping bag, etc, interesting guy, he was a rifleman with a philosophy degree.
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