Can we maybe not change ARX cosmetics on-the-fly, please?

[Far Beyond Driven]

Thanks. And despite the complaints about complaining or whatnot, I think it's a good change overall to allow people to earn cosmetics in the game. I'm only really taking some issue with the change in implementation and contextual game-play consistency.

Elites a game that makes you do a ton of little things that add to the immersion and yeah if you go the route of its just a video game it instantly undermines many of elites mechanics. Insta clear bounties, insta teleporting, no more long distance travel. Its just a video game after all...

Elite seemed to put simulator first to make you feel like you were a space pilot in the galaxy with all the good and bad that brings.

Its just peeling back another layer off of the immersion onion however minor. When does it end? There has to be a line in the sand somewhere.

I love skins, I love custimization and I love being able to paint and modify your ship without spending real money. But I love elites sim aspect more than instant gratification arcade mini games and this is a small step in that direction is all and there have been plenty.

Instant gratification if not contained by putting effort in front of every little thing like it used to do, where do we end up after taking steps in the opposite direction eventually, is it going to be a destination you want to be in? If you take away all the annoying pains in the asp will it even feel like Elite after a certain threshold?

Im just rambling but I get it wr3nd. I think people acting like your being ridiculous need to think about what kind of game this will be if you start applying the its just a game make everything convienent aspect to it.

 

[Tikanderoga]

Yes, but I'd rather enjoy the game for what it is rather than what I have to pretend it to be. Game doesn't make sense or isn't compelling to play? That's alright, just imagine it is.

You mean like you pretend to be a trader? or pretend to be a bounty hunter?
The game has so many immersion breaking points, at least this one I can welcome. I like to repaint my ship on the fly. When I go mining, I get a new coat every time I empty my cargo hold. Dock, enter hangar, sell goods, spend 3 minutes picking a new paint job, leave station, return because I forgot limpets. And I wish I would pretend the last part.

Really ? I never knew that.

Yeah, they protrude through shields and you can shoot through them.

 

[Vardaugas]

I wonder if the livery button will still be disabled in Outposts without outfitting?
Or will one need to go to the menu to change the livery and decals in that case.

As the livery will take you to the outfitting compartmentalization, I would say you will have to log off to the main menu at these places. Or maybe they are overhauling that, too, and livery will move you to the special new livery section independent of outfitting.

 

[thistle]

Elites a game that makes you do a ton of little things that add to the immersion and yeah if you go the route of its just a video game it instantly undermines many of elites mechanics. Insta clear bounties, insta teleporting, no more long distance travel. Its just a video game after all...

Elite seemed to put simulator first to make you feel like you were a space pilot in the galaxy with all the good and bad that brings.

Its just peeling back another layer off of the immersion onion however minor. When does it end? There has to be a line in the sand somewhere.

I love skins, I love custimization and I love being able to paint and modify your ship without spending real money. But I love elites sim aspect more than instant gratification arcade mini games and this is a small step in that direction is all and there have been plenty.

Instant gratification if not contained by putting effort in front of every little thing like it used to do, where do we end up after taking steps in the opposite direction eventually, is it going to be a destination you want to be in? If you take away all the annoying pains in the asp will it even feel like Elite after a certain threshold?

Im just rambling but I get it wr3nd. I think people acting like your being ridiculous need to think about what kind of game this will be if you start applying the its just a game make everything convienent aspect to it.

But the point is skins aren't gameplay, they don't affect gameplay, otherwise they wouldn't be for sale. So currently you can buy cosmetics but can't use them potentially for months. For no real reason, it doesn't affect your own game or anybody elses.

 

[Far Beyond Driven]

But the point is skins aren't gameplay, they don't affect gameplay, otherwise they wouldn't be for sale. So currently you can buy cosmetics but can't use them potentially for months. For no real reason, it doesn't affect your own game or anybody elses.

Totally agree. It just seems to counter the entire mentality behind Elites design though in the first place. Lots of things have been changed in this direction. It is another step from a simulation / harcore / immershun building direction. More money to be had? More appeal? Bigger audience sure. I get it. I understand. I totally get what wr3nds saying though and its not a ridiculous thing to point out.

At some point it changes a vibe of a game all these little steps. I just look much further down the road and try to imagine where our destination ends up.

Ive seen many games go down the road of convenience and mass appeal and lose their soul. Its also good to find middle ground as a company and maximize appeal.

SWG and Wow I feel went down similar roads. Games eventually end up changing vibe. Its a small thing like I said no big deal just another step. Well see where we end up. I just hope its a place I thought we were going.

 

[WR3ND]

I wonder if the livery button will still be disabled in Outposts without outfitting?
Or will one need to go to the menu to change the livery and decals in that case.

If it's made to be on-the-fly anywhere, I imagine stations might not even have the option, instead just using a popup menu to change it.

In that regard, your holo-ship post probably wasn't that far off, though I'd rather they not try to explain it away with in-game hand-waving lore like that. As others have mentioned, it is a game after all.

I don't know. I guess we'll find out.

 

[WR3ND]

Again im quite worried by the fact you consider scrolling and clicking through a menu of skins in the hanger as an important part of gameplay that will be lost by moving it to the menu.

Personally I'd be worried if they were to move actual gameplay mechanics (discovery scanning) for example to a menu or mini-game.

Thankfully that would never happen.

But the point is skins aren't gameplay...

The cosmetics themselves aren't the game-play, but their implementation as applied in the game so far, is a part of it. Needing to get to a station to change them, etc.

I doubt needing to get to a station to change them as part of the game so far was by accident. A reversal of it, to an extent, seems like a reversal of the sort of game Frontier are trying to make and who they're trying to make it for.

For me, getting back from DW2 to apply my DW2 decal and pickup my gold squadron trophy is a compelling aspect of enduring the undertaking of crossing the galaxy. Just that bit of extra wind in my sails. Having it instead be just another inconsequential component of the game is a bit, well, deflating.

 

[Vasious]

If it's made to be on-the-fly anywhere, I imagine stations might not even have the option, instead just using a popup menu to change it.

In that regard, your holo-ship post probably wasn't that far off, though I'd rather they not try to explain it away with in-game lore like that. As others have mentioned, it is a game after all.

I don't know. I guess we'll find out.

Oh the Holo-ship post was more tongue in cheek.
There need not be an in game explanation due to the existing disconnect between livery wear and tear and livery application, where the level of wear and tear is retrained when apply a new livery option.

But am curious if the livery station menu option will be changed from going to outfitting to going to the new menu

 

[DaggerSnake]

I DON'T BELIEVE IT

EVERY FEATURE

EVERY FEATURE

WILL BE COMPLAINED ABOUT

Welcome to the internet...

 

[Quantis Trap]

Give an eva suit and a spray can!

 

[WR3ND]

Give an eva suit and a spray can!

Spray on ship kits and sci-fi magic. Would rather sci-fi magic not try to explain the whole game away. Where does one draw the line for compelling and engaging game-play? Just stating where I'd prefer it to be.

Naturally, YMMV.

Cheers.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

This is a pretty dumb feature, but its optional so there are much more interesting issues to type at imo.

The cruel reality of elite is there are sub optimal features that are not optional, or missing.

Maybe consider it a blessing they didn't enable auto random selection of your ships paint jobs every time you logged in with no option to disable it, or having an option and not having a keybind for it. Or somehow mandated you use a telescope to apply it once selected, and a radio tuning dial to select which one you want.

 

[WR3ND]

Then as others have suggested wait until you return to a station then change your skins to your hearts content.

Out of curiosity what is your opinions on holo-me?

Does changing the contours of your face, lips, eyes in the back of a Cobra break your immersion?

Our ships are rather large, so for me it seems reasonible that we'd have clothing and changing quarters, or at least a changing locker somewhere.

As for appearance, I only change things like hair length and facial hair.

My Commander looks like me, and in general, it's just a means to an end for me.

Is there lore in the game for plastic surgery at stations? I don't know, but there is lore in the game for changing our ships at stations.

Unlike with the way ship cosmetics have been implemented so far, it hasn't already been a presumably intentional aspect of game-play.

 

[Riverside]

I think the OP makes a reasonable point.

When I was out for over a year without docking there were one or two occasions where I wished I could change part of the livery, most notably when ship names were added I wanted to be able to name my ship on the fly because I knew it would be months before I would be in a position to be able to do so.

However if being able to change the paint without docking is what it takes to keep some players motivated then fair enough I suppose, their need is greater than the OP's, who as many have said can just not use that feature as with so many other features added over the years.

 

[WR3ND]

I think the OP makes a reasonable point.

When I was out for over a year without docking there were one or two occasions where I wished I could change part of the livery, most notably when ship names were added I wanted to be able to name my ship on the fly because I knew it would be months before I would be in a position to be able to do so.

However if being able to change the paint without docking is what it takes to keep some players motivated then fair enough I suppose, their need is greater than the OP's, who as many have said can just not use that feature as with so many other features added over the years.

I'm not meaning to impose my preferences upon others, mind you. Just giving my feedback on the proposition of the thing. I presume there are others that feel similarly.

I think the implementation of applying ship cosmetics frivolously (overall) takes a bit away from the game for the reasons stated in the OP, rather than adding to it.

Of course, you may have a difference of opinion, and that's fine. Thanks for being more reasonible about it than some others have been in the thread so far.

Cheers.

 

[Vasious]

Is there lore in the game for plastic surgery at stations? I don't know, but there is lore in the game for changing our ships at stations.

EDRPG covers off Make up and cosmetics to fit the latest fashion the norm, especially in the Empire, though whilst the Empire has the Bright hair colours, the makeup is muted, vs the cosmetic art around the eyes and mouth of the Federations, and bright colours of makeup that can be found in Alliance and independent systems
Elite Encounters RPG expands that Body Sculpting very common, though different places have different views, like in the Empire, you want your body sculpting to look "Natural" where as other places, more extreme surgery might be in vogue, or might be out of fashion

So honestly I would be surprised if the luxury cabins of the Saud Kruger ships didn't have such facilities for that fresh new look on arrival

 

[Far Beyond Driven]

Our ships are rather large, so for me it seems reasonible that we'd have clothing and changing quarters, or at least a changing locker somewhere.

As for appearance, I only change things like hair length and facial hair.

My Commander looks like me, and in general, it's just a means to an end for me.

Is there lore in the game for plastic surgery at stations? I don't know, but there is lore in the game for changing our ships at stations.

Unlike with the way ship cosmetics have been implemented so far, it hasn't already been a presumably intentional aspect of game-play.

Proginate yourself! The future is now.

 

[WR3ND]

Proginate yourself! The future is now.

Which future is that? There seem to be some strange universal quantum fluxes going on.

 

[WR3ND]

Imagination works for me. I bring food, water, and probes (geological survey equipment) with me when I go exploring, and I think this makes the experience more compelling. I also refused to scan prediscovered worlds back when pursuing my Elite in Exploration - no road to riches cheatin! Getting credit for planets already discovered and scanned (some hundreds of times like R2R) seems way more "this doesn't make sense" than imagining my repair limpet (never leave the bubble without one) can also paint my ship the way I want it.

My fourth wall separation between the game meta and what I'd prefer it to be is a bit too fragile, I'm afraid. And for whatever "reasons" Frontier seems compelled to stretch it even thinner. Maybe in the hopes of appealing to a wider, more causal market? I'd rather just enjoy the game for what it is and the corresponding game-play that entails. I like contextually earning stuff in the game beyond the arbitrary goals I set for myself. A living, breathing galaxy and all that.

 

[K M Butler]

I'm fine with it. Chameleon paint is a pretty common Sci-fi trope, and less farfetched than much of the games handwave-lore.
Reminds me of when my father bought a Volkswagen Thing (181 outside USA) in the early 70's. Because of the ad campaign, I was repeatedly asked by people to make it change colour!