Originally Posted by LostAlgorithm
Would the majority of players who like customizations really be up in arms over the fact that not everyone can see their skin? Especially when they paid for the capability to not have to? It just strikes me as a very selfish outlook to have considering.
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It's not so much that players would be up in arms over it, its just why should I buy something that is supposed to make me unique when other players can just force me to look like everyone else? I am more likely to by something for myself that makes me look good to other players, which could be something like an outfit patch to make me look more like my mates, or a set of gleaming golden armor which announces to everyone my great skill in game, or even a mercenary/covert ops skin to let people know that I am a loner and like a solitary play style.
If players have the option of shutting this down, especially veterans who control most outfits and squads, then why should I buy something to have them treat me differently when it could just be ignored by these people?
Yes, it is a selfish way of looking at it, but that's just how the cookie crumbles in the F2P and cosmetic sales in any game.
Originally Posted by LostAlgorithm
And having things around like Santa holiday hats and the like is exactly what I'm trying to avoid for myself. I don't need seasonal tweaks and fun hats to remind me that I'm playing a game. If I wanted to play a game that doesn't take itself fairly seriously and where people run around looking like clowns, I'd go play Team Fortress 2 or Arkham City Impostors.
Now, I can understand that that perhaps isn't a fair comparison as they are very different games than Planetside. That is why I'm pushing for a compromise that would allow both of us to experience the game in the way we'd like.
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While it is a compromise it doesn't make sense in the F2P market, and it has a downside for everyone but veterans. For every player that wants the game to be serious business, there is another that couldn't give a fuck and just wants to have fun. As a developer you want to offer solutions that appeal to both, rather than exclusively to one, so that both crowds are potential sales. Our only hope, as players, is that the developers implementing skins see this and don't do things to alienate either audience.
Tribes: Ascend has done a wonderful job so far in implementing skins that fit well within the universe. I've played many games where I have seen players with the new skins as well so they are being bought. However, if they are bought enough to justify their creation is still a question.
But, we as players should keep an open mind since the PS universe isn't exactly fleshed out very well, and saying "X doesn't make sense in the game! It breaks my immersion!" doesn't make much sense, especially in the sci-fi context. For all we know, PS soldiers celebrate Christmas and Halloween every other week or worship entities like ice cream trucks as god's and like to paint their sunderers in homage.