For the Drip or: A lesson in Cosmetic Systems

[nemy123]

What is for the Drip?
It’s a mod that lets you freely color, combine and attach armor elements from virtually everything in the game.

Why is it so great?
It leverages existing systems to give the user limitless freedom. The targeet audience of 40k loves customizing their stuff. They love recreating certain characters and looks. Hence the desire for customization and why people love the mod.

It allows you to freely combine patterns, materials and elements to live out your perfect little gore-fest of a 40k dream.

It’s the perfect antithesis to the official cosmetic system: restrictive, bland and most of all predatory. But the worst issue: Barely anything meshes well together. Most of the time color tones are off slightly, textures don’t match or the material type is wrong, despite the mesh making a good match.

Why should Fatshark care?
I’m aware that giving players limitless freedom in terms of what they combine with what is against GW’s draconic style, but there’s a simple solution to that:
Give each armor/mesh piece a responding lore related group tag (say: cadian) and define which groups it can’t be combined with.
This isn’t complex work, it’s basically grinding out a few hours of tags and lists. Nothing too complex.

Now the real question here is: How could our greedy fishy friends still make money, since that is all the management seemingly cares about?

Simple: Sell colors, patterns, materials and mesh packs. This is no different from their current lazy approach, but gives players way more freedom in how they combine stuff. It also solves their ever present problem of CONTENT. Add random armor elements as penance rewards.

They have so much ‘unused’ stuff that could be kitbashed to gether that they could combine almost every penance with a reward and still scam us until the end of days with regular sales.

I’m not mad that they’re trying to scam us. I’m just tired of them doing it so poorly. Put some effort into it to make it be somewhat interesting at least. Or you know, decent to use.

Below are some examples of just the past hour I’ve seen on reddit. People create wild and amazing stuff with it.

[Mezmorki]

Yes, absolutely.

I’ve envisioned an inconceivable future where Fatshark retroactively modifies acquired premium cosmetics to provide both the “model” and the “textures/patterns” associated with that cosmetic. So purchasing premium gives you model + texture that you can then mix and match with other gained textures/patterns.

[nemy123]

I think we all kinda both wished and hoped for that to happen. Especially with games like DRG or Warframe showing it’s possible.

Especially Warframe is a prime example of paid cosmetics and Fashiongaming done right.

[Ragnarok101]

Adding this to the Book of Grudges, because as I understand it, For the Drip uses the exact same utilities Fatshark does to make cosmetics. Not implementing it deserves a grudgin’ because it indicates they’re fine being lazy.

[TrueZealot]

@nemy123

I’m aware that giving players limitless freedom in terms of what they combine with what is against GW’s draconic style

It goes against most of business models.

[nemy123]

Read the rest to understand where I was going with it. I already said that it works very well for Warframe and DRG, when applied sensibly, and may be even more profitable.

Warframe is printing money with their system

[TrueZealot]

Granted the mtx shop in helldivers is very player friendly with it’s prices, but Helldivers gives little to no “deeper” customization.

@nemy123

Give each armor/mesh piece a responding lore related group tag (say: cadian) and define which groups it can’t be combined with.

@nemy123

Sell colors, patterns, materials and mesh packs. This is no different from their current lazy approach, but gives players way more freedom in how they customize/combine stuff.

@nemy123

problem of CONTENT.

So content solved, but adding more descriptive lore and tieing a place of origin to a specific piece of armour, I fail to see how that would help with combining stuff especially if Fatshark

@nemy123

define[s] which groups it can’t be combined with.

But lol we really out here throwing shade at a company worrying about their bottom line when we put this much importance and emphasis on premium cosmetics.

@nemy123

Now the real question here is: How could our greedy fishy friends still make money, since that is all the management seemingly cares about?
Simple: Sell colors, patterns, materials and mesh packs.

Just boycott the mfs and use For the Drip mod then.
No seriously though…

[nemy123]

@TrueZealot

Just boycott the mfs and use For the Drip mod then.
No seriously though…

I’m already using it.
FS still needs to understand that there’s also away to make money without being obnoxious greedy and manipulative cnts. And that treating your players well and giving them good things can result in increased profit.

[JanZamoysky]

I honestly wouldn’t mind if Darktide had a solid cosmetic system such as in Guild Wars 2. There is a reason why that game was called Fashion Wars. That would require Fatshark to reconsider their pricing model and how their shop operates at its core.

[Ryshek]

Listen bro, make a video of how you created these so that everyone can see what’s being held back

[TrueZealot]

Yeah not being vindictive against you.
If Fatshark doesnt really voice changes much, then we should also not voice gripes about lesser problems like the premium shop (trying to give suggestions) and instead act on it by boycotting the heck out of the premium shop like they would act by just releasing updates. Type sh!t.
At the end of the day, so long as the current business model even kind of works, it aint gonna change.
Just 2 cents.

[nemy123]

Oh I fully agree with you. Anyone can check my release time post history to see me yapping up a storm about cosmetic boycotts.
There’s honestly very little left to say about the important topics like crafting, map selection or the mourningstar. Most of what had to be said about them was already said and has its own thread.
I simply wanted to add cosmetics to the list because I don’t want FS to think that it is in any shape or form acceptable in its current state lol

[TrueZealot]

@nemy123

I simply wanted to add cosmetics to the list because I don’t want FS to think that it is in any shape or form acceptable in its current state lol

Ye most things about Darktide apart from sound/physics design (like how a bolter feels in game, donno if physics design is the correct term) and voice acting, are majorly lacking. N they know n working on it. Problem in this situation is that if even a small percentage keeps buying premium stuff, no use fixing what isnt broken in their eyes.

@nemy123

There’s honestly very little left to say about the important topics like crafting, map selection or the mourningstar. Most of what had to be said about them was already said and has its own thread.

Ye so lets just wait for the end of June update before we pile on more problems on their table to solve. Wont even know if end of June would appease us long enough to wait for the crafting rework.

[nemy123]

@TrueZealot

Ye so lets just wait for the end of June update before we pile on more problems on their table to solve. Wont even know if end of June would appease us long enough to wait for the crafting rework.

You excpect them to actually deliver the crafting/itemization update end of june? My man’s high on hopium

@TrueZealot

Problem in this situation is that if even a small percentage keeps buying premium stuff, no use fixing what isnt broken in their eyes.

Yeah. I know it’s a lost cause. There’s also that die hard group of paypiggies that just can’t stop sadly.

[TrueZealot]

@nemy123

You excpect them to actually deliver the crafting/itemization update end of june? My man’s high on hopium

Not at all. I couldnt care less actually. But no, I do not think that they’ll bring it at the end of June as others want it to be ; and I do want Fatshark to take all the time in the world for that.

@nemy123

Yeah. I know it’s a lost cause. There’s also that die hard group of paypiggies that just can’t stop sadly.

It’s always the paypigs who ruin sh!t in any scenario.
Even during extended family dinners.

[TrueZealot]

@TrueZealot

Wont even know if end of June would appease us long enough to wait for the crafting rework.

This does not mean what you think it means.

[JustDandy]

Howdy! Just to straighten this out, they pulled these from Reddit. I made the Veteran atom-punk inspired cowboy.

For The Drip is real easy to use soon as you understand how groups function. Join me and others in the Darktide Modder’s Discord if you want more information.

[Ryshek]

I think you’re missing the point.

We’re trying to get fat shark to implement for the drip as part of the game.

Players don’t know what you can do with it. Which is why there needs to be video creation showcases.

[JustDandy]

Nah, ain’t no way that’s happening, buddy. As I’m aware, Fatshark needs to have its cosmetics approved by Games Workshop before they can offer them in the shop. Ain’t no way they’d be permitted to sell assets and textures to the player base for them to create their own skins.

[Ragnarok101]

@JustDandy

Ain’t no way they’d be permitted to sell assets and textures to the player base for them to create their own skins.

points at Dawn of War’s skin texture system