Outfit Signature

Mr DeCastellac · 2012-05-27, 06:39 PM

Just a quick idea for Planetside 2, let me know what you guys think.

I was super excited for Brink before it came out, as it promised to be "Mirror's Edge with multiplayer". When it came out, though it did have some free running, I was somewhat disappointed. But one thing I loved was that since the game was so filled with customization options, a lot of clans started having "signatures", where everyone in that clan would wear, for example, an orange beret. Other people might wear an orange beret, but for the most part, when you saw an orange beret, you would recognize that clan.

I thought it would be neat if SOE took that idea and turned it into a feature in the game. An outfit could select from a huge selection of subtle designs (not zebra stripe vehicles) and colors, and lock it in as their signature, where no other outfit could take it.

For example, if I formed an outfit, I might take a look at the available signatures (it might show only the colors that haven't been taken for each design, and when all are taken, it wouldn't show the design). Say I want my outfit to have a purple stripe along the middle of our vehicles. If it wasn't taken, I could lock it in as my signature, then when anyone in the outfit spawns a vehicle, it would always have a purple stripe.

It would act kind of like the outfit logos in the first game, except no two outfits would have the same one.

No other outfit would be able to make their signature a purple stripe down the middle after that, so whenever you saw a tank with a purple stripe you would know it was from "DeCastellac's Soldiers" or whatever.

The only downside I could see would be the resources required to come up with the different designs. However, in the first Planetside, there weren't a ton of outfits for each server in each empire, so assuming you have 10 colors or so on each design, you might only need 10-20 designs.

I'm also assuming they're going to make it somewhat difficult to make an outfit, unlike World of Warcraft, where there is a zillion guilds on each server.
That, or they could make it cost like $5-10 on the microtransaction shop, to discourage people from just making a 5-man outfit and using up the signatures.

So... what do you guys think? Yea? Nay?

SpcFarlen · 2012-05-27, 06:52 PM

I would actually like a system for Outfits to be recognized within the faction like that. Though to stop small Outfits from just taking them over, just reserve the ability till the outfit gain X members. So its a way to show you are in a large outfit.

Zekeen · 2012-05-27, 07:25 PM

Could always do it like City of Heroes had.

When you joined a super group in that game, they let you change the colors of your costume to the colors of your group. You could enter supergroup mode and change the color scheme at any time. So all the sudden, I could go from normal colors, to my groups color of red and black.

Imagine if we could all be normal when soloing, but our outfit calls us up, and we all change into red and black tiger paint so we look like a grouped unit! But when we all split up from the objectives, you can go back to your normal personal colors, camo, and look.

Pyreal · 2012-05-27, 08:48 PM

You mean something similar to this?

http://www.planetside-universe.com/s...ad.php?t=41540

Mr DeCastellac · 2012-05-27, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Pyreal

You mean something similar to this?

http://www.planetside-universe.com/s...ad.php?t=41540

Lol, actually yeah, I glimpsed at it for a sec and that's what reminded me of Brink's thing. Your idea is great, but it would be a bit easier to make simple little designs than full on camo, plus you could vary the color more than a camouflage. Maybe we could do a three-way idea combination with SpcFarlen. A 200 player outfit might get a design, and a 500 player outfit might get a full on camouflage?

Pyreal · 2012-05-27, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Mr DeCastellac

Lol, actually yeah, I glimpsed at it for a sec and that's what reminded me of Brink's thing. Your idea is great, but it would be a bit easier to make simple little designs than full on camo, plus you could vary the color more than a camouflage. Maybe we could do a three-way idea combination with SpcFarlen. A 200 player outfit might get a design, and a 500 player outfit might get a full on camouflage?

Could certainly work. It would be an incentive for the Outfit to be outstanding.

Sledgecrushr · 2012-05-28, 09:44 AM

To start an outfit in PS2 should cost a hundred bucks in the cash shop. After that there should be a section to fully customize your outfit, and then individuals can go to the cash shop and pay for the outfit uniform. This will make outfits kind of elite, just because not everyone is going to drop a hundred bucks to start one.

KiddParK · 2012-05-28, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Sledgecrushr

To start an outfit in PS2 should cost a hundred bucks in the cash shop. After that there should be a section to fully customize your outfit, and then individuals can go to the cash shop and pay for the outfit uniform. This will make outfits kind of elite, just because not everyone is going to drop a hundred bucks to start one.

well it would show that the outfits are quite serious about what they intend to do, that's for sure. I'm trying to figure out how i can get everyone in mine to wear the same tags and not make everyone pay for them individually. If you pay to make an outfit, then part of the payment is everyone in your outfit get's the tag, i might be on board for that.

kp

Algo · 2012-05-28, 11:51 AM

Paying to create an outfit is insanity. Paying for outfit bling is more than acceptable.

haggle · 2012-05-28, 12:15 PM

If outfits are going to be tied to station cash in any way there has to be a free-to-create / pay-to-fully-operate kind of model if you want the majority of players to take outfits seriously.

-Paying to create an outfit will be seen as gimmicky. The team has any number of more intelligent (and yes, I'll say it, sly) ways of incorporating the use of station cash in runnng an outfit than to simply make players pay to make one.

-Outfit 'signatures' are a fantastic idea, but implementation has to be done right to prevent every outfit from taking up one of these 'signatures' regardless of their size, activity, effectiveness, etc.

Maybe a certain amount of outfit points have to be accumulated by an outfit before they can unlock the option of paying to give their outfit a signature look?

Snipefrag · 2012-05-28, 12:30 PM

They will have to do something like this, people will expect it. Each player shouldn't have to fork out for their outfits chosen color scheme, its should be readily available to put on whenever their is an outfit night or squad/platoon running. Otherwise half the outfit wont buy it so the whole 'here's a way of distinguishing us from everyone else' will be lost. Maybe it should cost a small amount of something, whether outfit resources, maybe outfit points/rank related?

So at a certain outfit rank you can specify a general colour scheme for your regular grunt gear, next rank up you get to do ground vehicles.. Above that air. Maybe the option to buy specific skins for your outfit, but i don't really like that idea. As an outfit leader it shouldn't be down to you to foot the cash for these things, a good point of discussion this. Will check back in on it later, gotta shoot.

Bittermen · 2012-05-28, 12:36 PM

I think it's just going to be up to the individual player at least.

If it is at an outfit level than either emblem on vehicles and soldiers or colors that any other outfit could potentially have.

Restricting others from taking camouflage isn't going to happen imo.

Sturmhardt · 2012-05-28, 12:53 PM

Oh man... so many bad ideas in this thread :/

Forming an outfit for hundreds of Dollars? Restricting certain patterns to a specific outfit so nobody else can use it? Oh man...

There will definitely be a way for outfits to share a pattern or a signature or whatever, this is expected and SOE surely knows what to do about that, dont you worry. I am very sure and glad that it wont be through such unsocial-elitist-ideas mentioned above.

Redshift · 2012-05-28, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Mr DeCastellac

A 200 player outfit might get a design, and a 500 player outfit might get a full on camouflage?

And what about the good outfits?

Kaw · 2012-05-28, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Bittermen

I think it's just going to be up to the individual player at least.

If it is at an outfit level than either emblem on vehicles and soldiers or colors that any other outfit could potentially have.

Restricting others from taking camouflage isn't going to happen imo.

I agree. Blocking others from purchasing things in the store shouldn't and wont happen. I think that expecting the SOE artists to spend hours working on skins and then to only sell each skin to a handful of players is ridiculous. Making it possible for outfits to make a skin available for all of its members could be a cool idea as long as the skin is still available for everyone else.