If only there were some tangible link between what something looks like and what it is, without a outside-gamemode link as to why you're dressed the way you are.
Like, imagine there were some way to pick exactly what you were equipped with, and that piece of clothing/armour/weapon had its own stat-block AND visual flair, tied together in a logical, unforgettable way. Maybe give you the option to choose what those things might be when you join a match, or maybe even when you spawn in. And it would be consistent across all server and/or gamemodes. Hell, the mods could even have their own list of equipped thingies that each character or class had to choose from that they could use.
And what if it was all contained on a per-match or server basis, so you didn't have to worry about whether somebody had played X long or done X thing over the past few weeks or months or years to look the way they do in some ethereal unconnected to your game way. Why are they wearing that cool hat over there? Oh, probably because they picked it out of the equipment list. Why does it look so cool? It just does. Why is it such a lame hat? Well, because it is, but you can pick a different one if you like. What if the hat you like has really bad stats? Well, you can choose to wear it anyway! Crush your enemies with style *and* a slight handicap, won't that give you something to brag about.
Or I guess we could have a cosmetic list of items unconnected to the current match, without a unique stat-block and worry about progression over long periods, custom servers, non-custom servers, matchmaking, mods, and all that good jazz.
Like, imagine there were some way to pick exactly what you were equipped with, and that piece of clothing/armour/weapon had its own stat-block AND visual flair, tied together in a logical, unforgettable way. Maybe give you the option to choose what those things might be when you join a match, or maybe even when you spawn in. And it would be consistent across all server and/or gamemodes. Hell, the mods could even have their own list of equipped thingies that each character or class had to choose from that they could use.
And what if it was all contained on a per-match or server basis, so you didn't have to worry about whether somebody had played X long or done X thing over the past few weeks or months or years to look the way they do in some ethereal unconnected to your game way. Why are they wearing that cool hat over there? Oh, probably because they picked it out of the equipment list. Why does it look so cool? It just does. Why is it such a lame hat? Well, because it is, but you can pick a different one if you like. What if the hat you like has really bad stats? Well, you can choose to wear it anyway! Crush your enemies with style *and* a slight handicap, won't that give you something to brag about.
Or I guess we could have a cosmetic list of items unconnected to the current match, without a unique stat-block and worry about progression over long periods, custom servers, non-custom servers, matchmaking, mods, and all that good jazz.