Test Server Feedback

WT was almost dead, no one was doing anything with it and finally someone listened to someone in the forums (and this same thing happened with WOTs when it was in beta, though it was an accident there and they just let it alone for a while).... client side skinning.

The explosion of talented skinners that came out of now where to product outstanding skins and maps for WT the first day it came out was amazing, after that it took off like wildfire, and yes there are some "pink" skins, but the amount of historically accurate, HR outstanding artistic work that is now there would be impossible for a company to do with only internal staff.

If CCP wants to get BPR and ships working fast, this is the way to go - put in a custom skin mod for client side, then open up a forum for skins... allow people to make them, and people will make them and by the bucket full, then you have a huge number of skins in which some can be then allowed I to the game to take care or the issue of hours and work... lets face it, companies are not going to spend time and money to re-skin ships and remake them... it takes far to long and costs to much to do this in any real way..

WT was drab and dying, it's still in beta, it's still ****** up in many ways, but right now it has a pulse because of the skinning mod.

CCP started out the right way with the ships contest, but take it to the logical conclusion:

1. put in the mod, client side only.
2. have a search ready forum for posting skins and downloading them.
3. have a system of review where people can sell there work to CCP for something - plex would be ideal.
4. CCP can then use them since all the models and such are owned by CCP and skin mods would be simply that a mod, not a legal right to them, since ccp eula means that we don't own the skin, but you want to reward the work done... eg plex.

- this gets the work done fast
- it gives the best work
- it gives players a means to earn there account time and helps ccp and the rest of us have a beautiful game.

if you don't know about the WT skins - go here: http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/ and take a look around for a bit - you will see that what comes to the top are some of the most outstanding works that can be cherry-picked for the best use, and it's only Gaijin's lack of willingness to "buy these" that keeps them on the client side... well that and swastikas...


P.S.

+10 on the new opt-in map - very nice indeed.