Timeless and Heirloom skins should be differentiated more from their Loyal and Woven variants

[SinancoTheBest]

I suppose it's the best time to bring this suggestion up now that a number of people voiced their disapproval of Bottomless Pit skin getting added to the Klei Rewards page.

Over the course of DST's illustrious history, many skins and belongings were released as exclusive items at first and were subsequently made available to wider audiences. These items include, but are not limited to: Guest of Honor, Survivor, Triumphant, Roseate and Costume collections, Cyclum puzzle torch, annual valentines login rewards, various login rewards for seasonal events and update releases, Twitch stream drops and most recently the early access and WeGame preorder exclusives.

In an effort to recognize and differentiate the original owners of these skins, Klei introduced 2 special skin rarities: Heirloom and Timeless.

Main function of Heirloom rarity is to separate the skins and belongings from the five original skin collections that were obtained through weekly drops and could be traded, bought and sold in the Steam marketplace through steam's inventory functions from their weavable variants sold by Klei in-game store and continue to drop from weekly drops. They are also unraveled for a higher amount of spools. 

Timeless skins, on the other hand, are functionally indifferent from their Loyal variants as both rarities share the properties of being untradeable, unweavable. ungiftable, unsellable. They just indicate the strictly limited earlier versions of the same items.

In both cases, the difference in the rarities have no aesthetic or otherwise noticeable effect during gameplay. When one examines another player, heirloom/weavable status of skins aren't distinguished (The items just appear in their Elegant/Spliffy/Classy/Distinguished color in both versions). While I'm not 100% sure the darker green tint of equippable timeless skins can be displayed over their event variants, most timeless skins are unequippable items/structures that have no way of distinguishing themselves from their event variants.

I suggest that a small insignificant aesthetic difference during gameplay should be added to differentiate Timeless and Heirloom skins from their Event and Weavable variants. Its a huge debate whether some items should always be left unobtainable outside of their exclusive owners or eventually be made available- I'm in the view that it's unfair to reserve some items to some people forever but those in the opposing point also have some merit that people who supported the game in those special times can be rewarded for their loyalty as a token of thanks.

Looking to another skin-intensive game, I think inspiration can be taken from Team Fortress 2 where specialized grade items have an occasional glint/sheen to them. Something similar can be done in DST to differentiate the products as a small recognition of their very special quality.

Regardless of how the differentiation is implemented, I believe these special rarities deserve a little more than what they have now. That way, everyone can be satisfied a little- those who weren't able to get the original versions of the skins can obtain new lesser variants of them while the owners of the original items can be recognized by a tiny little glint for their continued support.

[Harrowick]

I feel like any extra effects would just be distracting. It's fine the way it is, in my opinion.

[ralsei]

but why tho

[TheAscension]

I understand you perfectly, as a player with a long experience. I am the owner of these skins as well as you. Yes, I also want to stand out against the background of new players. But let's be honest about all the players. And with regard to new players who simply did not have a chance to get these skins? Why these cosmetic differences?

I would also make publicly available skins of the rarity "proof of purchase", which are available to few people, but for an increased price. It would be fair for everyone.

[Mike23Ua]

Let me try and put this into my own perspective: the (self proclaimed) advocate for all things spooky.

Imagine it’s Hallowed Nights 2022 & Klei releases a new firepit skin with purple flames, tiny skulls and bones as the base and when you fuel it, it screams and a ghostly skull/soul can be seen rising from the flame 

But wait there’s a catch- if you missed getting this skin during Hallowed Nights 2022 as free login it returns again as a paid skin during Hallowed Nights 2023 but a lower rarity value- AND it doesn’t scream when fueled or have the tiny skull/souls rise from its flame.

that’s technically what your setting this up for.

[Mx-Pain]

"A number of ppl voiced their disapproval" ?

Do you guys really feel "special" for having that skin for idk how long time and now that is available for everyone, you guys not ?

I just hope they keep adding free stuff for eveyone. Coolest feature that a game company do this in these days since now everything is  a DLC for $$$.

[Rafi.]

8 minutes ago, Toutan said:

Aren't there more important things to do, honestly? Why do people want to feel so special owning an "original" skin? Where does this bragging obsession come from?

Eh, I don't get it. That's so pointless to me

Don't you have something more important to do than saying nonsense on the forum ? Sometimes the way people interact here is fascinating. There is no bragging here.

Sinanco here just want to have a little something to show that he was here when that skin dropped, or for the bottomless pit, that he was here during the pre-release of the game. There's no evil to that, especially knowing that alot of games do that, and it's an IRL practice too. I wouldn't mind if it was something subtle, such as a little shine spark popping every 8 seconds or so on the structure. That doesn't mean that old skins shouldn't come back on the reward page, just that it would be great to have something a little bit cooler than just a different rarity to say that "Yes, we are here since a long time supporting the game and playing it !".

Some of you might not know about that but during the Gorge, a competition was made and some people got exclusive portraits, gold, silver and bronze portraits, with exclusive profile pictures too. They are exclusive, and I never saw anyone complain about it being a "bragging obsession". Beside the way of getting those items, it's just the same, an exclusive item to show that you were here for that special day.

[loopuleasa]

1 hour ago, ralsei said:

but why tho

signaling

that's why NFTs got invented, so you can signal status and that item never changes

[jan Mele]

I think something tied to a player (like profile icons) would be better

Visual effects may be undesirable to some people. Nickolai proposed that there should be special text when hovering above a timeless item

[Blunty_x]

It's crazy, people crying over the bottomless pit while scooping up the stone kiln and not saying ****. Stop being gatekeepers, it's just a skin, me personally I play alone 90% of the time with a PW on my megabases so the only person who sees my skins is me. This is just one giant circle jerk

[TornadoCapped]

maybe to be more unintrusive but still show it off, hovering over a timeless skin would display it's text in timeless green, similar to how wet objects display as blue?

[Mangrove]

2 minutes ago, TornadoCapped said:

maybe to be more unintrusive but still show it off, hovering over a timeless skin would display it's text in timeless green, similar to how wet objects display as blue?

What color would a wet timeless object be?

[SinancoTheBest]

2 minutes ago, Blunty_x said:

It's crazy, people crying over the bottomless pit while scooping up the stone kiln and not saying ****. Stop being gatekeepers, it's just a skin, me personally I play alone 90% of the time with a PW on my megabases so the only person who sees my skins is me. This is just one giant circle jerk

Well, perhaps try not judging people's experiences based on yours? DST is first and foremost designed as social, multiplayer game, hence the name TOGETHER. You're free to play it solo and enjoy it but the social implications of any change matters a ton. If they didn't, skin sales wouldn't be so influential in the current state of gaming. DST itself runs on and funds itself mainly through skin sales, not trough its low price, not with a battle pass and certainly not trough charitable donations.

Thus is it too deplorable to ask for just a little visible product differentiation between different skin rarities? Fundementally same differentiation principle between common-elegant drops makes up the bulk of the funding of the game.

[Waoling]

6 minutes ago, Blunty_x said:

It's crazy, people crying over the bottomless pit while scooping up the stone kiln and not saying ****. Stop being gatekeepers, it's just a skin, me personally I play alone 90% of the time with a PW on my megabases so the only person who sees my skins is me. This is just one giant circle jerk

Oh so hero of you.

[TornadoCapped]

1 minute ago, Mangrove said:

What color would a wet timeless object be?

I mean, I don't see a reason why it can't just turn back to blue. firepits aren't *usually* wet outside of springtime or the occasional rain, so I think it's fine to turn the color back to blue. alternatively, maybe the font could be changed and display as white/blue regularly (similar to wormwood and his different font,) but that might be a bit much, dunno

[SinancoTheBest]

6 minutes ago, Mangrove said:

What color would a wet timeless object be?

Teal intensifies

[Blunty_x]

1 minute ago, SinancoTheBest said:

Well, perhaps try not judging people's experiences based on yours? DST is first and foremost designed as social, multiplayer game, hence the name TOGETHER. You're free to play it solo and enjoy it but the social implications of any change matters a ton. If they didn't, skin sales wouldn't be so influential in the current state of gaming. DST itself runs on and funds itself mainly through skin sales, not trough its low price, not with a battle pass and certainly not trough charitable donations.

Thus is it too deplorable to ask for just a little visible product differentiation between different skin rarities? Fundementally same differentiation principle between common-elegant drops makes up the bulk of the funding of the game.

I agree with the game surviving on the funds gotten from the sale of skins of which I've bought many too many probably. That being said, I don't think it's deplorable to want a cosmetic difference again idc, it makes no difference to me whether I had the skin before or after, whether the lettering is green, red, purple whatever. But If you want the difference only so you can feel special then I rather they keep it the same for everyone. 

11 minutes ago, Waoling said:

Oh so hero of you.

Thats not very cash money of you. 

[Random Guy000]

12 minutes ago, SinancoTheBest said:

DST itself runs on and funds itself mainly through skin sales, not trough its low price, not with a battle pass and certainly not trough charitable donations.

I might not understand your comment correctly, but what loyal/timeless skins can be bought with real cash and bring Klei profit?

[Waoling]

2 minutes ago, Blunty_x said:

Thats not very cash money of you. 

Isn't that a bit old school?

[jan Mele]

3 minutes ago, Random Guy000 said:

I might not understand your comment correctly, but what loyal/timeless skins can be bought with real cash and bring Klei profit?

It's about skins being important to people, not about profit

[-Nick-]

Im going to just copy what i said earlier.

Klei could make the the original Skins have a colored text when you hover your mouse over them. It's a small detail, but i think it would be enough to distinguish the two without changing too much.

[Blunty_x]

3 minutes ago, jan Mele said:

It's about skins being important to people, not about profit

So why bring up profit? If skins are important, then you should be applauding klei for making it available to anyone for free vs sitting in a corner seething 

10 minutes ago, Waoling said:

Isn't that a bit old school?

OK boomer. 

[Waoling]

 

2 minutes ago, Blunty_x said:

OK boomer. 

I think that trend die off in 2020.

[Blunty_x]

3 minutes ago, Waoling said:

I think that trend die in 2020.

Thanks Waoling for making me feel this:

[Maxposting]

i'm still butthurt since June 2016, when i missed the bottomless firepit due to no money back then

This thread is getting spicy to be honest.