Will we still be able to identify the enemy with skins and camo?

Sturmhardt · 2012-11-18, 05:10 AM

Hey guys,

I just found this video of a TR Max with a rather bright brown camo skin and got a little bit concerned about identifying him as an enemy:

Notice how there is nearly no red color left in the skin, just black and the camo. You only see the fine red lines if you get really really close. The only thing telling me it's an enemy is the shape.
If everybody runs around in camo like that it's gonna be really hard to identify the enemy - at least for me.

Any thoughts on that?

Good thing we tested these things during beta

Timealude · 2012-11-18, 05:21 AM

Me personally being a sniper, I always spot before I shoot just in case there's that off chance its a friendly. If you pay close attention though and don't tunnel vision then It shouldn't be hard to recognize by shape.

Raka Maru · 2012-11-18, 05:22 AM

I think this is an old video??? The factions have more faction colors now which IMO make the camo look dumb, but I'm military so that's how I think.

I watched the FNOPs and the models looked more factiony when PurrfectStorm and Jimmy showed the models in the shop.

DirtyBird · 2012-11-18, 05:48 AM

Some of my best long range head shots were on team mates.
With characters popping in and out at random I always fired first and sent apologies later.

Some times no amount of mashing that Q key seemed to worked.

ringring · 2012-11-18, 05:57 AM

In that instance I don't think ther's a problem because the shape is pretty distinctive. The same for NC and VS maxes too.

But I do wonder about grunts. I shoot enough friendlies as it is.

derito · 2012-11-18, 06:09 AM

I believe this skin was used by devs so it may not even be for sale.

Piper · 2012-11-18, 06:13 AM

Who doesn't run about sphamming their Q key like they're a rat with the pleasure-center of their brain wired up?

My IFF was pretty awful at the start of beta, improved vastly by the end, probably have to go through a similar process again with skins. But the shapes I believe will be enough to IFF regardless of camo'.

Ghoest9 · 2012-11-18, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by elfailo

ForgeLight's color grading is so extreme that everything ends up having the same color anyway, so who cares?

I cant be the only one who uses the low graphics setting just to get better color grading.

Buggsy · 2012-11-18, 07:15 AM

I've shot friendly infantry in the back cause they didn't have a blue triangle, it's hard enough to tell which are friendly infantry. If you don't mind being shot in the back by friendlies, sure get camo for your infantry/sunderer/lightening/liberator

Sturmhardt · 2012-11-18, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by elfailo

ForgeLight's color grading is so extreme that everything ends up having the same color anyway, so who cares?

Agreed, it's terrible. I would really like to tone that down, just like the bloom. Waypoints or facilitys are practically blinding me from 1000 meters away, it's ridicolous.

Originally Posted by ringring

In that instance I don't think ther's a problem because the shape is pretty distinctive. The same for NC and VS maxes too.

But I do wonder about grunts. I shoot enough friendlies as it is.

Yup, I was not only talking about Maxes, right now they are pretty good to spot, but the grunts look very much the same as is without the skins, so it's just gonna get worse.

Originally Posted by Raka Maru

I think this is an old video??? The factions have more faction colors now which IMO make the camo look dumb, but I'm military so that's how I think.

I watched the FNOPs and the models looked more factiony when PurrfectStorm and Jimmy showed the models in the shop.

Cool, didn't watch that, do you have a link? I couldnt find it on youtube...

WNxThentar · 2012-11-18, 07:34 AM

I'm really disappointed that they didn't test the impact of skins out on game play. Now at launch you'll get people buying this stuff then SOE might be in the position that they need to change or remove a skin and what...credit people who bought it? I guess that would be the best option.

Raka Maru · 2012-11-18, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Sturmhardt

Cool, didn't watch that, do you have a link? I couldnt find it on youtube...

Was trying to find the exact time when Luperza was showing the camo in the cash shop but adobe doesn't play on my ipad. It is not on youtube but on twitch.tv and can't get on my rig till tomorrow, but here is the link.

http://www.twitch.tv/planetside2/videos

bullet · 2012-11-18, 09:11 AM

QQQQQQQQ*Enemy Spotted*QQQQQQQ*Enemy Spotted*QQQQQQQQQQQQQ*Enemy heavy armor in the area*QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ*I broke my Q button*

*I could use your help!*

Ghoest9 · 2012-11-18, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by elfailo

Low is still terrible. You used to be able to turn it off completely by hacking an xml file, but they encrypted that data in some other file and now you're forced to accept bad visibility.

Im not saying it couldnt be better.
But low is MUCH better than high.

Knocky · 2012-11-18, 09:35 AM

Well look at it this way....if you are leading the charge you will not have to worry about shooting friendlies.

And frankly we are shot in the back so much by "friendlies" even when it is obvious we are supposedly on the same team that camo will not make a significant difference.

However, camo can make a great difference if you don't join the zerg and instead are using your head to flank the enemy.