Character Customisation (YES/NO) - The Definitive Thread

[sampsa]

Originally Posted by Nicholas

Is there any kind of advantage at all to not wearing a helmet? Besides looking different?

Well the German helmet was kinda heavy...

[RedGuardist]

Originally Posted by Reise

And we know how soldiers were always following the rules 100% nonstop all day every day.

Well, in this particular matter the Germans were "100% nonstop all day every day"-guys. Like said, finding combat photos with Germans not wearing helmets are very, very rare indeed. And that´s not anything to wonder about. You see, a whole intact head is much nicer to have, than head smashed by flying debris etc.

Originally Posted by sampsa

Well the German helmet was kinda heavy...

No, it´s not that heavy. I find those helmets to be more on the light side really.

[The_Emperor]

I'm owning a M40 helmet and it weighs 1,6kg. When wearing it, well it doesn't feel like a feather but it's not that heavy actually.

[Reise]

Originally Posted by EvilHobo

More often than not combat photographs show the German soldiers wearing helmets.

Has anyone considered that they might have been told to look proper for the photos beforehand?

Not that they would be cleaning up and such during battle, but they would be aware of someone taking photos of them during the fighting.

[RedGuardist]

Maybe you should just accept, that the Germans loved their helmets...

[sampsa]

Originally Posted by RedGuardist

Maybe you should just accept, that the Germans loved their helmets...

But that's just too boring. Besides wasn't field cap M43 (or something, the one resembling finnish one) the second popular hat in whole army? Okay the year takes it from Stalingrad but surely they had other hats before. And what if they were ambushed and didn't have time to put helmet on?

And while I'm writing, let's give a German players shoulder badge for winning in Grain Elevator 100 times. According the russian document Great War there was badge for units that took Grain Elevator.

[SheepDip]

ambushed in the rear

lol

Who wouldn't wear a helmet during combat?

[Susi]

Well they are not anything like kevlar helmets, there isnt
even any kind of paddings inside.

Bullet goes through them easily, and they are only there
for not letting flying debris to wound your head.

As i dont know if it soften the impact anymore than
chunky furcap.

Onlything is that they maybe cover you from smaller
fragments of grenade.

Example if you google gebirgsjäger, they seem to
wear cap mostly.

Which propaply means that soldiers mainly wear what
they have been ordered to wear.

Originally Posted by Reise

Has anyone considered that they might have been told to look proper for the photos beforehand?

Not that they would be cleaning up and such during battle, but they would be aware of someone taking photos of them during the fighting.

Most of the photos are takeing in real situation and camera man could follow the unit
even long time. So its not like one day when camera man comes with his camera to
take some portrait as camera mens got double purpose, like one general said
"In front of camera there is no cowards"

[RedGuardist]

ambushed in the rear

Well, in that kind of situation helmet hardly helps anyways...

Originally Posted by Susi

Well they are not anything like kevlar helmets, there isnt
even any kind of paddings inside.

I don´t know what do you mean by padding, but there was leather or canvas liners in the helmets. Germans used leather liners. There are no "paddings" in modern helmets either. But sure, helmets of WWII were not as ergonomic as modern helmets are.

Originally Posted by Susi

Bullet goes through them easily, and they are only there
for not letting flying debris to wound your head.

As i dont know if it soften the impact anymore than
chunky furcap.

If you think rocks, gravel, small fragments etc. flying hundreds of meters per second in the air, it´s not a hard decicion between a helmet and a furcap, really.

[sampsa]

Good God, people. I thought that the point was clear. Ambushed off duty behind frontlines...

Let's turn this discussion into the shoulder badge I mentioned. Please.

[The_Emperor]

The Mkb42, well actually there are two weapons having the same name except (H) which is Haenel and (W) Walther. Neither of that weapon made it to Stalingrad when you take belief in this book: "The German Assault Rifle 1935-45". Excellent book, I recommend it for anyone interested in weapons, particularly WWII.

[DraKon2k]

I'd definitely love to see characters customization, as long as it doesn't go overboard(like SS camo in Stalingrad etc)

[fog-carsten_]

What about your Nickname on the Uniform?

[Hausfeld]

Originally Posted by fog-carsten_

What about your Nickname on the Uniform?

Names on your uniform was only practiced by a few countries in WW2 and that was for formal dress. Nowadays last names are common in combat dress, but this was not the case in the 1940s.

[[RON]Lucanus]

I don't know if this has been suggested earlier, but I'd like to see squad's or clan's insignia or logo on helmets. Like in this example.

http://cdn2.ioffer.com/img/item/962/...q3pR25INJr.jpg

Squad/clan insignias were used in OFP years ago and I think they are still used in ARMA-games. Seeing the insignia would help to recognize your clanmates and would still suit the spirit of the game.

[fog-carsten_]

Originally Posted by Hausfeld

Names on your uniform was only practiced by a few countries in WW2 and that was for formal dress. Nowadays last names are common in combat dress, but this was not the case in the 1940s.

Hi, thx for the info

[The_Emperor]

Originally Posted by [RON]Lucanus

I don't know if this has been suggested earlier, but I'd like to see squad's or clan's insignia or logo on helmets. Like in this example.

http://cdn2.ioffer.com/img/item/962/...q3pR25INJr.jpg

Squad/clan insignias were used in OFP years ago and I think they are still used in ARMA-games. Seeing the insignia would help to recognize your clanmates and would still suit the spirit of the game.

Are you serious? Did you just compare the Reich's tricolor decal to a clan emblem? Have you imagined that some mad guys might take a yellow rubberduck as their symbol? Do you honestly want to see a rubberduck decal on a German/Russian helmet? Sorry, but I don't think that this suits the game's spirit.

This stuff you just described is way off what I'm talking about when saying character customization. Sorry for being rough but it just doesn't fit

[[RON]Lucanus]

Originally Posted by The_Emperor

Are you serious? Did you just compare the Reich's tricolor decal to a clan emblem? Have you imagined that some mad guys might take a yellow rubberduck as their symbol? Do you honestly want to see a rubberduck decal on a German/Russian helmet? Sorry, but I don't think that this suits the game's spirit.

This stuff you just described is way off what I'm talking about when saying character customization. Sorry for being rough but it just doesn't fit

My purpose was not to compare tricolor decal to clan emblem, but to show an example how a clan/squad insignia could be implemented to game. There can be better ways to do this but this way they would be visible in action.

Of course there's a risk that anyone could use anything in their insignia, especially some unwanted, unappropriate or banned material. But many clans have very beautiful and detailed logos which are only seen in their websites or roladder. The insignia could be presented as a little picture only on the side of helmet or back of it.

As far as I know those decals were often used to tell what division or organization their members belonged. Because players in this game will come from everywhere, these kind of details could represent that these guys with similar insignias are fighting as a team. Maybe I'm silly, maybe it could help other players understand something about those guys' teamwork. For instance, why those guys are moving or fighting in a group. I believe that this kind of solution would be mostly just a cosmetic addition and don't degrade the honor of the uniforms.

These "rubberducks" etc worked very well in OFP and ARMA -games and didn't take anything off the simulation level game type. They were merely little colourful details that visualized those soldiers to fight as squad. Insignias were visible in vehicles, choppers and soldier's sleeves. I don't think these insignias would be too "gamey feature" for this game, if they are not too gamey for detailed ground warfare simulators like OFP and ARMA.

Of course the above mentioned suggestion is not something to consider as a conventional character customization. Please consider this kind of customization as an extra bonus.

Edit: As an addition to above, one solution could also be to add customizable decals. I mean like those hand painted shields, which illustrated the state and province. These shield decals would be adjusted to official colours of clan or squad.

[Susi]

Originally Posted by RedGuardist

There are no "paddings" in modern helmets either.

If you think rocks, gravel, small fragments etc. flying hundreds of meters per second in the air, it´s not a hard decicion between a helmet and a furcap, really.

You forget that furgap got other really important
features, like that it is warm. So example
on photos from finland front finnish troops
seem to favor furcap on winter, even in battle
situations.

[RedGuardist]

Originally Posted by Susi

pics

I stand corrected. Those are very much paddings indeed

Originally Posted by Susi

You forget that furgap got other really important
features, like that it is warm. So example
on photos from finland front finnish troops
seem to favor furcap on winter, even in battle
situations.

You are correct. But there are also other factors than the warmth. A furcap and a helmet can be very unpleasant combination, if the liner is still attached. But when talking about Germans, at that time they did not even had deacent furhats. They used toques, which suit together with helmets perfectly. And about the usage of furhats in the Finnish army, that´s also because the Finnish army could not issue helmets to all front line troops in Winter War and not even later in Continuation war. So the usage of furcaps instead or helmets can exist also because there were no helmets to be used.