Hello there!
I would like to summarize all the issues and problems that I faced in customization. Since the merge is behind, this article should be useful for devs in the future to fine-tune the customization.
1. Unneeded links
Under links, I mean connections between different campaigns in terms of customization assets. IDK, is it a bug or feature, but if you wear a non-default asset in one campaign, it will be used in all campaigns where it’s available for purchase.
Sometimes it leads to good results when you apply an all-weather jacket or pair of pants.
For example, I’ve dressed my British assaulters into SAS (with a smock and brown beret) for Normandy, and they keep their outfits not only in Normandy but in all other campaigns because this stuff is available everywhere.
It solves the issue when you have to dress your soldier for different campaigns (up to six times).
But what if I dressed them in some unique uniform, like the desert one, and didn’t give them unique outfits in other campaigns? Yes, they will use it everywhere, from Tunisia to Ardennes!
I’ve already saw a report, that US soldiers in Ardennes using applied customization from Normandy (without gloves and
scarf)
Solutions:
A. Just clean up the existing customization sets and make them more specific based on weather. IOW no bright yellow desert uniform for Brits in Europe, Ardennes, etc. Same goes for others as well.
B. Redo the customization and stick not to the campaigns but to the weather conditions. Personally, I see these categories:
- Summer
- Winter
- Desert
- Some unique categories for some specific types of squads (like paratroopers, etc.)
2. You have to apply customization for each soldier up to six times.
It’s annoying in the same way as progression before merge (hello, MP 40). Taking British assaulters again as example, if not taking into account the bug (or feature) with links, you have to spend up to 84 (I’ve calculated the helmet, jacket, and pants as 4/8/2 and applied multiplier to 6) tickets for ONE soldier to make him look proper for all campaigns.
Not speaking, some campaigns share the same assets for customization at 90–100%, and you have to apply the same assets several times. If not the thing mentioned above, which sometimes negates effect, I would say that it’s one of the biggest problems. Just because you can’t earn a lot of tickets, you have to wait for BP or events.
Solutions:
A. Allow to apply the same outfit for several campaigns by sticking the used asset not to the campaign but to the soldier. Like if you dress a guy into SAS in Normandy, you have a button that says, “Use it in other campaigns if available.”
B. See option B above. It will auto-solve this one as well.
C. Add some option to earn customization tickets on an ongoing basis, or reduce the price of assets.
3. Not optimal usage of customization assets in old pre-Stalingrad campaigns.
Moscow is a good example here. It’s having the same weather conditions as Stalingrad in the game, but the number of available assets is much smaller, and there are no unique ones.
Why not just take a set from Stalingrad for both factions? Not sure about Tunisia and Normandy since they require creating new assets, or see number 7
Solutions:
A. Replace the Moscow customization set with Stalingrad.
B. Standardize the customization for the US in Normandy, Tunisia, and the Pacific and give more alternative variants of the same assets, like in Stalingrad.
C. Give for Germans in Normandy and Berling more alternative options with available assets, like in Stalingrad.
4. Unique design not applied outside the original campaign
There are plenty of squads with some unique looks, and I am not speaking about premium or event ones. German mortar squad and US sniper squad from Normandy, Berlin German lmg and flamethrower squads and some others have unique outfits in the original campaigns. But for other campaigns, they get generic outfits.
Before the merge, I wanted to have all German fallschirmjager squads setup; for that purpose, I specifically researched squads with fallschirmjager outfits (mortar team in Normandy, LMG squad in Berlin), but the problem is that there is no campaign where all German “fallschirmjager” squads will carry their unique outfits all together.
Solution: These squads should have unique customization sets based on their nature. And their default outfit for all campaigns should also be redone to keep them unique. It mostly related to the squads, which got outfits reshuffled because these regiments were paratroopers.
5. Premium squads completely ignores the weather conditions
On the fourth test, they got their uniforms merged for all campaigns. It’s kinda ok for US squads (until Ardennes), but for Germans, it’s definitely a wrong decision. For example, my squad with MP 40/1 is not using the DAK uniform in Africa and is not wearing the warm uniform in Stalingrad because their customization sticks to the Berlin set for all campaigns.
Solution: Just keep the default customization set only for campaigns with the same weather. For others, use the proper set from other campaigns.
6. Lack of connection between uniforms and equipment
An old issue is that ammopacks do not match the weapon you are using. Not a big problem for Stalingrad, but a huge problem for other campaigns, especially for Normandy and Berlin, where almost all German uniforms come with STG 44 ammopacks and Soviet/US ones come with rifle ammopacks.
Solution:
A. Do not remove ammopacks from customization assets but link them to weapons you use.
B. Make ammopacks have a separate slot in customization.
C. Force buyable ammopacks to mimic the proper ones depending on weapons and overwrite the ammopack from customozation assets
7. Existance of unused assets
A lot of them were used for screenshots, articles on devblogs, and announcements, but you can’t apply them to your soldiers.
Solutions: I would recommend watching Erika’s thread, where all assets are listed.
8. Lack of customization for some squads
Some squads simply don’t have any customization options except the face; others have only a helmet, jacket, etc. Like event paratroopers from Normandy. British paratroopers use the default set for helmets and can only change the jacket. The German squad could use default helmets and jackets (some of them even removed the parachute lol) in the past, but after reporting their customization wasn’t fixed, it was simply removed. Or Pacific US paratroopers, they don’t mimic to the army paratroopers outside the pacific, and you don’t have option to do that. Big thanks to the AdRock2621
Solutions: Should be created a customization se, depends on squads. Combinins number 4 and number 5 should do the job. I don’t see any lack of assets, except maybe italian paratroopers.
