Disclaimer: I was inspired by the the bug fix of the 6th Parachute Division - 18th Parachute Regiment (Krieghoff FG premium squad) uniforms in Making Enlisted a Better Place 71, after almost 2 years from the date they were introduced. Later is better than ever.
I decided to do a list of suggestions (most of them are minor, because I know the developers are feeling a little bit lazy (this fiasco was enough of an evidence) for the game - I can only hope this is heard/noticed as feedback. Some of the stuff I have already written about so this is kinda a big compilation of previous suggestions from Reddit or the Enlisted Forum. The suggestions are aimed at enriching Enlisted’s infantry and vehicle crew customization.
Huge thanks to @ErikaKalkbrenner for the lists of cosmetic items and everyone else who has commented or read my posts.
- Customization
- Finally fixing/updating of the Heeres-Splittermuster 31 pattern helmet. Since the Making Enlisted a Better Place №25 only the asset of the smock was updated (it’s even visible in the image). Almost 3 years have passed since and nothing has changed, not to mention that even the updated version isn’t a very credible representation.
However event this change doesn’t apply to sniper squads. The normal asset still is:
It appears that this asset is making a comeback (being available to most german squads in Tunisia, Normandy and Berlin). So effectively this change is reverted. However both of the following assets have the updated pattern, which begs the question are they different or just not fixed yet?
- Giving the NKVD the correct peaked cap. An issue not fixed since the event which began almost an year ago. I’m upset about this because Gaijin has already made NKVD assets (which are even labeled as such*) and clearly they could have not make this mistake because they clearly bragged about the famous black leather coats which were specially made for this squad.
Instead they gave them the mechanized forces’ insignia which is very distinct and unmistakable because of the black bandolier. They were aware of that fact because when they showed the soviet APC squads the squads had the same caps which were clearly shown in the screenshots and the trailer for the premium version. The difference between the announcement featuring the premium APCs and the event is almost an year.
*This is the correct NKVD cap:
The interesting thing about this asset is that it’s not only used in “winter” (for Moscow assaulter and APC squads) but it is used in “summer” by one of the most interesting legacy squads in Berlin - the 89th Guards Infantry Division - 273rd Guards Infantry Regiment which is also incorrect because the division, although an elite formation, had no connection to the NKVD.
The same squad also has an NKVD tunic, unavailable to the supposed NKVD squad.
If Gaijin doesn’t want the NKVD cap to be given to more squads they can replace the headwear of Moscow assaulter/APC with two HA alternatives:
1.Border guards variant - some border guards formations where used as frontline units during the war. Notably these formations took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Berlin and the Defense of Brest Fortress (featured in the game as an event).
This variant of the cap requires only a recoloring of the crown to bright green, the band to dark blue and the piping to magenta. The art above is semi-accurately representing the variant.
2.Regular infantry variant - simple, even vanilla. In my opinion it’s more bland but at the same time is sufficient.
This variant is easier to make, because it only requires to recolor the crown to khaki (or any other of the present army uniform color variation). This variant is similar to the pilotka (side cap) because of the same color schemes. This variant is also featured in the game (event) art.
- Adding (3-piece) customization options for the few old event squads which haven’t been updated yet. The only squad with this problem I personally own is the 3rd Infantry Division - 25th Battalion, but the other japanese squad from the same event doesn’t the same issue.
Also for some reason this issue (specifically for this squad) is fixed when the appearance mode is set to Battle of the Bulge which displays the default Commonwealth assaulter squad uniform (so technically the event customization is neglected in this case).
- Either completely standardizing or abolishing the class-based customization. One of the examples is the 26th Infantry Division - 77th Infantry Regiment, which is an assaulter squad.
I don’t know if this is intentional or just a mistake, but this specific TT squad has the default customization set to rifleman (squad). This issue is only fixed when appearance mode is set to Battle of the Bulge (to be fair you could argue that Battle of Moscow has the same impact because the uniforms of the assaulter squads are the same as those for the infantry squad).
- Removing the american pilot uniforms from Commonwealth Squads. The No. 244 Wing RAF - No. 73 Squadron (TT Fighter pilot 1 squad) has only american options when the appearance mode is not set to Battle of Tunisia,
which is surprising, comparing it to No. 18 Group RAF - No. 144 Squadron (TT Assaulter pilot II squad), which also has the Commonwealth options in Battle of the Bulge.
The puzzling thing for me is that Commonwealth air forces participated in every featured Allied campaign, so it doesn’t make sense anymore (after the Merge) to apply american uniforms for every pilot squad in Invasion of Normandy and Pacific War / Burma.
- Reducing the amount of Waffen SS camouflage or adding more Heer/Luftwaffe patterns (the 2nd is preferable). The game has an abundance of SS content but at the same time refers to most SS divisions as “Grenadier” or “Panzergrenadier” as some bizarre form of censorship (which I am against). Like why would you add so much content associated with the Waffen-SS, but at the same time not recognizing/censoring them???
It’s strange that the only event SS squad - Panzer Brigade 150 - 600th Parachute Battalion has most of the non-SS patterns - 2 (Luftwaffen-Splittermuster 41, with two versions - one darkened and one with only two colors), 3 (Wehrmacht Sumpfmuster 43, which has two variations - an overall green and an overall tan version (featured in the image), both** also available to the 6th Parachute Division - 18th Parachute Regiment (Krieghoff FG premium squad) (including 2)).
**The premium paratrooper squad has the Wehrmacht Sumpfmuster 44 (5), which is distinguished by it’s softer edges compared to the 43 variant (3).
The 32nd Grenadier Division - 88th Grenadier Regiment (STG 45 (M) premium squad) - another SS squad which has 6 (Leibermuster). To be fair this pattern could have been issued to Waffen-SS units (although there isn’t a single image confirming that), but it was still used mainly by the Heer.
Number 4 (Telo Mimetico) is only available to the 185th Paratroopers Division “Folgore” - 2nd Paratroopers regiment (event italian paratrooper squad), but this squad also has a brighter version of the same pattern which wasn’t manufactured until the 60s.
(1940s version)
(1960s version)
Another thing related to Waffen-SS units are almost all greatcoat assets:
(And all german medic greatcoats)
This is a problem. because it gives lesser variation and is a wrong representation - displaying most german squads as having SS insignia in Rzhev/Stalingrad/Bulge.
DISCLAIMER: The next suggestion could be controversial, so you can skip it. The whole topic is about the picky censorship by Darkflow and Gaijin, making it an HA mess.
- On the topic of censorship, Enlisted has featured Swastikas in the game a few ways - the earliest was the “Battle of Berlin / Enlisted” trailer for a second public test and the introduction of the Battle of Berlin campaign. From what I know the second time was the introduction of the “Guerilla Warfare” update with the arrival of the Ramcke Parachute Brigade - 2nd Parachute Regiment (premium Beretta M38 german paratrooper squad). To be more precise when the squad was airdropped and landed they would change their headgear to this "Hermann Meyer" officer peaked cap:
However some time after the update it was removed from the squad and this asset is currently unavailable. I’m a little bit puzzled because this could be censored (like they censored the Luftwaffe M43 field cap)
and added again, also most of the images of this cap are of personnel, serving in the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division “Hermann Goring” which is featured in the game but didn’t have option to equip it.
A more obscure thing would be to mention the “dark” helmets strongly associated with inter-war and early-war Allgemeine SS parade/ceremonial uniforms - even if the SS runes aren’t present - they are still iconic, fitting with the black uniforms.
So, let’s get into the censorship part itself - many games in the early 2000s used Swastika imagery, but then stopped - this is mainly because of promotion - some people are offended by these hate symbols and can be turned away. From the legal standpoint - Swastikas could be used in video games (except in Germany) if:
1.The media doesn’t idealize national-socialist ideology and values.
2.Is used in a “form of art” (until recently video games weren’t considered legally a form of art) or educationally (which video games could be theoretically viewed as) or even in entertainment - I don’t think people were upset when they used Swastikas in “Inglorious Basterds” (well, on second thought people don’t expect censorship from Quentin Tarantino) or “Jojo Rabbit” - and both of these movies are classified as dark comedies - not serious documentaries.
This is why modern games like Sniper Elite: Resistance and Wolfenstein: Youngblood feature Swastikas (both games were released to the public after Enlisted).
My main source was a Quora rant and a brief look through Steam, so you have the right to debate my findings.
There are few ways of implementing such a feature:
1.Don’t implement it at all.
2.Remain censoring all Swastikas with either normal crosses or “Balkenkreuz”/beam cross/bar cross.
3.Introduce such imagery (but with options to censor it - in some regions it would be automatically set to true (so they can’t be sued), but in all others this option could be changed).
Other symbols also are inconsistent when it comes to censorship, such as the “Totenkoph”, although technically a nazi symbol, it was used from the 18th century by a wide array of countries and organizations. Same with all of the SS runes (loosely based on runic alphabets, genuinely pseudo-runes), also I guess none have noticed that the “Odal-Rune”
,“Wolfsangel (squat)”
and “Hakenkreuz”/Swastika adjacent are present in-game. And I’m saying this because I have seen members of the community being really offended by way smaller things.
Honestly why does Gaijin even bother with creatively censoring? This is one of the earliest squads in the game. I’m fine with Swastikas in-game looking like that.
Another thing worth mentioning would be that national-socialists really liked to borrow symbols like the fascists. The Swastika (which was borrowed from India and mirrored, it’s origin being from the Bronze age), Totenkopf (which was used from the start of the 18th century), Iron Cross (featured in-game and which was used from the 19th century) and even Reichsadler/Parteiadler (which was used from the 9th century). Claiming these symbols are nazi is like claiming someone’s copied homework’s contents should be associated more with the person who copied it and not the author.
DISCLAIMER: This suggestion is more technical and requires a major effort. I just wanted to share it as an idea.
- Making a coherent uniform color system. By that I mean the uniforms and pants in the game that have incredible variation (but the same asset) to have a system in which you select the color instead of the tunic presets. This could be enhanced by making a system which selects your ammunition pouches on the basis of what weapon you have equipped - and other gear such as binoculars and pistol holsters.
So, to give an example: You have equipped the M43 Gymnastyorka, you select the reddish brown color and you get this:
But then you decide that you want the pilotka cap in the same color and you get it. I think the most coherent thing would be to display and change the color using the camouflage_override function. I don’t know the limitations, but I think this approach (being already in the game) is the best. Some assets would have entirely different colors and even camouflage patterns, working similarly to the vehicle customization system. This would also allow to portray changeable pins and insignia - for example a Guards Badge, an Iron Cross/Red Star (for unique/BP soldiers) and ranks reminiscent of the early days of Normandy.
For the weapon pouches it would work like this:
From a Mosin Nagant you change your weapon to a PPS, so
would turn into
You could also portray the change from a small ammo pouch to a big ammo pouch, by increasing the number of pouches instead of changing the asset.
The same approach could be done for other gear:
-Equipping a TT pistol shows
-Equipping a flask shows
-Equipping binoculars shows
-Equipping a medkit shows
-Equipping an axe shows
This approach could really be interesting - being able to identify an enemy’s equipment just by looking. Taking the vehicle approach could also help to arrange all of the gear on the webbing - in front_belt, side_belt and rear_belt. It would need a lot of work, also the creation of a lot of new assets, but I think this approach is more accurate, more detailed, more customizable and more interesting.
- Adding a green buckled version of the SSh-40. The helmet has surprisingly 4 variations in warmer climates, but none of them are buckled, considering that it was rarely worn unbuckled. The only buckled version is appliable in colder climates - so, the asset only requires a recoloring. This has been a problem from the start of the customization system - around 3 years also.
It’s strange, considering that the unbuckled variant is also available to soviet paratroopers, considering that during an airborne deployment it would realistically just fall off (like the fur caps of the premium 4th Airborne Corps - 214th Airborne Brigade paratrooper squad).
- Fixing the Platanenmuster (Waffen-SS Plane Tree) pattern tunic.
This asset is currently broken and is displayed as the Erbsenmuster/Pea dot pattern tunic (below). This has been an issue since the merge.
This issue is fixed by placing this:
over the entities.blk. The problem is that that this asset is no longer HA (in Tunisia, Rzhev and Stalingrad since the Platanenmuster/Plane Tee was manufactured since 1936 and the Erbsenmuster/Pea dot was introduced in 1944), provides fewer choices and makes the pants of the same pattern mismatched,
while also not having a helmet cover variation. This is a Erbsenmuster/Pea dot competitor, since the pattern has also an autumn variation of the tunic and pants.
I hate that the Erbsenmuster/Pea dot recieves special treatment (by being one of the few camouflage patterns that have a complete set (tunic, helmet and pants) even though currently it’s only HA in 3 campaigns (Normandy, Bulge and Berlin), while only providing actual camouflage in Normandy.
- Modifying the customization options present in every campaign. By that I mean the inappropriate items which can be purchased and worn in every campaign by most squads.
Examples:
(Random winter cap)
(Second random winter cap)
(Fictional camouflage*** pattern helmet cover. This example is interesting, because from what I could gather this (pattern) originates from the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division “Hermann Goring” - 1st Grenadier Regiment “Hermann Goring” (premium german biker squad, seen below).
A little bit of research and it turns out this is most likely a replacement for the real Eichenlaubmuster (Waffen-SS Oak Leaf) pattern - because SS patterns were issued to elite formations (like the mentioned Fallschirm-Panzer division and the Brandenburgers). This pattern was used from 1941, which makes it perfect for Enlisted - it’s HA and has two variations (for spring and autumn) - a second better and more accurate competitor with the Erbsenmuster/Pea dot pattern. From a gameplay perspective the fictional pattern provides actual camouflague only in Tunisisa, Normandy and Berlin)
***After further research I think this could be just the summer version of Rauchtarnmuster/Blurred edge pattern. However I’m not sure, because I couldn’t find any source detailing the specific Waffen-SS pattern issued to the division. The pattern was issued from 1942, making it accurate in Tunisia, while having variants for every season.
(Secon fictional camouflage pattern helmet cover. Looks vaguely similar to the first. It originates from the 2nd Panzer Division - 4th Panzergrenadier Regiment (premium german MG 42 early squad).
Nothing else to note. Really, this pattern doesn’t come close to any real one - neither from the shapes nor from the color-scheme.)
(Fictional/edited splinter pattern pants - this is most likely a saturated version of the Heeres-Splittermuster 31, but with the darker lines missing. The problem with this is that the only non-premium tunic with the same pattern is only available to Tunisia medics,
while having no headgear. The premium (regular) tunic is only available to the 18th Panzergrenadier Division - 51st Grenadier regiment, seen below.)
(A more faithful representation of the Erbsenmuster/Pea dot pattern in the form of pants. It’s similar to the item above, by having a non-premium tunic counterpart only available to the medic squad:
,while the regular infantry version being available only to the 1st Panzer Division - 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment,
a squad that has the rare opportunity to be equipped foliage, even though in reality it was a popular tactic, mainly because it was cheap and proved to be effective camouflage. This was used by all sides during the conflict, a fact rarely represented in the game, reserved only to premium (or elite) formations, which in reality could be equipped with the pattern uniforms and helmet cover.)
(Khaki Brodie helmet - has a limited camouflage potential in Tunisia and in winter maps the white version is preferable.)
(Bush jacket - it’s khaki color has the same usefulness as the khaki Brodie. The setback is that this doesn’t have a white version for winter maps.)
- Adding flight helmets with oxygen masks to every pilot squad. It’s simple (although currently there are only two versions - for the premium jet squads).
On that note abolishing/strongly restricting 3-piece customization. Currently all of the american/commonwealth tankers along with every faction’s pilots and the entirety of the Japan’s customization options rely on a 3-piece method of customizing - face, headwear and one-piece uniform. I get that some flight and tanker suits are made as one-piece, but considering that german and soviet tankers have mixed options (both one and two-piece uniform options) I don’t see the problem - pilots often wore vests and leather overalls on their regular uniform so it’s both more detailed/customizable and HA.
Also only japanese and commonwealth pilots have flight helmets with goggles on, which is very peculiar considering that some plane cockpits are open, like those of the Hs 123 A-1, I-153 M62 and A5M4, while most attacker aircraft have open turrets in the back.
- Making guerillas look like guerillas.
For some reason Enlisted portray guerillas as a formal part of the army - having most of the regular army equipment. This misses the whole point of guerillas - as militias working in the enemy’s rear with improvised equipment. Guerillas in-game should look as civilians - the whole point is not to raise suspicion and blend in, or at least that’s how it works in reality. In Enlisted guerillas work more as a blend of commandos and shock troops. I would really like if Enlisted chose a lane.
So, if we want them to look like real guerillas we should give them more than a newsboy cap(which the japanese don’t get). However once again credible and good-looking customization is reserved to premium or event squads. The pre-order bundle: “Guerrilla Warfare” contains items that should be given to all guerillas. Guerilla squads shouldn’t distinguish from each other. Items which would fit all guerillas are:
All fedoras.
All customization belonging to the “Red October” detachment.
All customization (without the armbands) belonging to the 561st Volksgrenadier division.
All customization (without the armbands) belonging to the French Resistance.
These are all solid looking options which deserve to be available to all guerillas. If you think they wouldn’t fit in the Pacific then just use the numerous plain shirt assets
and throw in an asian conical hat.
- Adding german decals on every Stalhelm. The only item in-game who has the german helmet decals is the german tropical cap, currently available only to italian squads:
On the asset the only clearly visible decal is the imperial national.
I find the decals fine because they fit in general with the time settings, while not specifying whether the helmet belongs to the Heer or the Waffen-SS, because it’s not clearly visible. This is a clever attempt at censoring (if it was intentional).
- Adding the officer side cap for Commonwealth forces.
- Adding the more correct greatcoats to soviet engineer squads:
On this image both the insignia and lining are correct (in the other images of soviet engineer squads from Moscow and Stalingrad the lining is red (for infantry)). These greatcoats currently aren’t in the game in any form.
As a whole Enlisted has quite an inconsistent appearance detailing and censoring. Premium and event squads have a tendency to have better detailed and more HA uniforms, which is a shame when you don’t own them. There are many strange things, revolving around the customization and I doubt that it would be all complete and coherent before version 1.0.0.000. For me this is a big part of the game (although relatively minor to most of the community) and I feel that it should be perfected. I’m not saying that the balancing, updates, events and all other mechanics/content are less important. I decided this would be the first part, because it’s the closest to me (which is understandable for the HA enthusiast I still am).
