Whatever happened to this popular OD 370th FG P-38 skin?

[oboe]

The quality of a skin has nothing to do with the determination as to which skin must be swapped out.  It always has to do with usage.  I have to contact all the squad CO's about what skin they are using before I can swap out a skin.

I missed on once and paid dearly for that one.  I will never do that again.

I am sorry to hear that.  To my way of thinking you are far above any squad CO, and they really had no right to give you grief about a skin swap.   Sure they could ask nicely for it to be returned to game but really shouldn't be demanding about it.  

I do fear for the continous improvement of AH if you guys truly turn a blind eye to the quality of a skin when determining swaps.   It does stand to reason that a poor quality skin *should* receive less use, though.      

There has to be a better way to determine skin usage than for you to contact all the squad CO's each time you want to rotate skins.  

I like Plazus' idea for a survey but the survey respondents wouldn't be able to see the skin they are voting on if done in an arena message.

It'd be nice if the Blue and Orange arenas could support different skins - that would effectively double the skin slots, and people could log into the arena that had their preferred skin.

[Larry]

This is just my opinion but I think HTC should limit the number of slots a single skinner can fill on planes like the P51s that have their slots full and then some. It just seems unfair to me that someone would have to wait years for their skin to be rotated in while at the same time another skinner has 3,4,5,and sometimes even 6 slots taken up. Again that's just my opinion.

[oboe]

A wait measured in years really is unacceptable and will discourage many skinners from submitting work, giving the subpar skins even more inertia to remain in game.  I'm sure HTC didn't intend for it to turn out this way.

I would really like to see HTC introduce 3 more '51 models - the 51A, the coffin-canopy '51B, and the early '51D without the tail fillet.   All the other popular planes - 109, 190, Spit, '47, F4U - have multiple versions and the ultra popular Mustang really seems short-changed in this area.   Kind of surprising to see such outstanding work as Fester's 361st '51D LOU IV on the wrong airframe, too.

[Skuzzy]

This is just my opinion but I think HTC should limit the number of slots a single skinner can fill on planes like the P51s that have their slots full and then some. It just seems unfair to me that someone would have to wait years for their skin to be rotated in while at the same time another skinner has 3,4,5,and sometimes even 6 slots taken up. Again that's just my opinion.

I agree with this, to some degree.  However, we do have a few skinners who do magnificent work and are very prolific as well.  I would hate to see those skins lost to a skin which may not be done as well.

A wait measured in years really is unacceptable and will discourage many skinners from submitting work, giving the subpar skins even more inertia to remain in game.  I'm sure HTC didn't intend for it to turn out this way.

I would really like to see HTC introduce 3 more '51 models - the 51A, the coffin-canopy '51B, and the early '51D without the tail fillet.   All the other popular planes - 109, 190, Spit, '47, F4U - have multiple versions and the ultra popular Mustang really seems short-changed in this area.   Kind of surprising to see such outstanding work as Fester's 361st '51D LOU IV on the wrong airframe, too.

If a skin is considered subpar, then why is it some other skinner would not take the reins and do a better version of that skin?  It would instantly be included.  That is how you fix that problem.

My best advice, to any skinner, is not to do a skin for a plane which has no more available slots.  Or take an existing skin and if you want to make it better, then go for it.

Having different skins for different arenas is not going to happen.  This would further coerce squads from moving from one arena to another, when it needs to be done.  It would be a step backwards.

[Larry]

I agree with this, to some degree.  However, we do have a few skinners who do magnificent work and are very prolific as well.  I would hate to see those skins lost to a skin which may not be done as well.

Okay I understand that, but right now out of the 15 P51B slots 8 of them are taken up by two skinners. At the same time there are three 4FG/334FS skins done by three different skinners one of which has three other slots taken up. One skinner has four skins in game right now that look almost identical with the only difference being the squadron markings.

[Skuzzy]

Larry, feel free to point out which skins are near duplicates.  We do endeavor to make sure those do not happen.  I know we have multiple skins from the same squadron/flight, but in the cases I can remember, they do look very different.

Then again, with over 740 skins in the game, I really cannot remember all of them.

[cactuskooler]

Skuzzy, on the subject of duplicates, there are two Fw 190D skins of the same plane done by separate skinners.

And just by a quirk of fate, I have a Fw 190D skin that would be happy to fill an empty slot.

[Larry]

My JG6 and JG26 skins on the dora are outdated and poorly done. Removing those two to free slots up or replacing them would be nice.

[oboe]

I agree with this, to some degree.  However, we do have a few skinners who do magnificent work and are very prolific as well.  I would hate to see those skins lost to a skin which may not be done as well.

I hope that is the gist of what we are saying - that HTC would not want a magnificent skin to sit out while lower quality skins remain in the game.    (Not to imply I think I'm capable of magnificence)

If a skin is considered subpar, then why is it some other skinner would not take the reins and do a better version of that skin?  It would instantly be included.  That is how you fix that problem.

That strikes me as a sort of a cutthroat tactic.   I'd prefer to just do my best on a skin and leave the decision to HTC - redoing an existing skin which is not my own seems like an affront to a skinner who I'm sure made his best effort.   I'd like to keep the skinning community friendly and helpful to each other, rather than being out to one-up each other's skins.   Also, I lot of the skins I'd like to see replaced I find to just be not very interesting skins.  There are just too many great-looking possible skins out there - and I'd much prefer a dynamic, evolving skin-set to a static one, if it's within HTC's ability to maintain one with reasonable effort.  

[oboe]

The quality of a skin has nothing to do with the determination as to which skin must be swapped out.  It always has to do with usage.  I have to contact all the squad CO's about what skin they are using before I can swap out a skin.

I missed on once and paid dearly for that one.  I will never do that again.

Any chance of creating a permanent thread in the Skins or Squadrons forums, where COs who have settled on a squad skin 'register' them, so you don't have to contact all the COs each time you consider swapping out a skin?

[StokesAk]

Any chance of creating a permanent thread in the Skins or Squadrons forums, where COs who have settled on a squad skin 'register' them, so you don't have to contact all the COs each time you consider swapping out a skin?

Great Idea!

Also, I know that most if not all the A6M5b, A6M2, N1K-2J and Ki-61 skins are made by one person, and some look almost identical.

[lyric1]

Great Idea!

Also, I know that most if not all the A6M5b, A6M2, N1K-2J and Ki-61 skins are made by one person, and some look almost identical.

Your right but in all fairness who else has taken the time to skin any of the planes you have listed? Granted nearly all of those listed are old skins & people are waiting for updates to redo the new skins with the exception of the NIK2-J. Take a look at the NIK2-J outside of the default skin no one else but Busa01 has stepped up to do another skin of this plane. Or for that matter the B25H only Greebo has done any of those out side of the default & I know he could easily fill that entire roster just with examples I have given him,but he wont because he thinks it would be wrong for him to do so.

So where is the problem? I would say there is not one. People of different nations simply will do their country of origin first for the most part so Busa01 of course filled nearly all the Japanese positions. BE THANKFUL HE DID otherwise the Japanese skins would be very thin. The new Mosquito MK-XVI will be no different just as the MK-VI before it. How so? Well the Commonwealth skinners will fill the spots with Australian, English, Canadian,New Zealand skins & since the XVI has some American choices this time I am sure the US skinners will jump all over those options.

Where as no US skinners have done any of the MK-VI Mosquito to date simply because there is no USA skins to be had of that variant & their interest is just not peeked.
So long story short I would not worry to much about one skinner filling up all the postions of one aircraft type if some one else came along & did one I am sure it would get in the roster.

Here you go if any one wants to do this Zero be my guest.



http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/2666.html

[Fencer51]

To be fair, the N1K2 was filled up immediately after it was put out by Busa.  The next skin update filled it up. 

With the lack of rotation no one is going to do a skin and have it set.  I know I had plans to do a couple but since I didn't get it done before he submitted his.

I have plans to do Zeros when they get remodeled, but the same thing will probably happen.

[Little Dragon]

There are quite a lot of skins on certain models of planes that almost look exactly alike...maybe weed these out and open up the slots for new creative skins.   

[Skuzzy]

The Japanese planes have very few skins available, and that is why we were more forgiving abd allowed similar skins into the game.  If someone did a really different skin, it would find its way into the game instantly as I have no qualms about dropping a skins which is identical save for the serial number on the plane.