loosens shoulders and relaxes
Let me start by saying the DLC looks great. Much thx to the team for bringing out quality 3D assets.
I’d like to start by adding a bit of a primer on what I think would be fair cosmetics, then go into details about the pitfalls that some of the armor’s bonus stats could lead to, and advise on how to bring good balance to that.
Origin of cosmetic
1595–1605; < Greek kosmētikós relating to adornment, equivalent to kosmēt(ós) adorned, arranged (verbid of kosmeîn, derivative of kósmos order, arrangement) + -ikos -ic
cosmetic
kɒzˈmɛtɪk
adjective
relating to treatment intended to restore or improve a person’s appearance.
“cosmetic surgery”
synonyms: beautifying, improving, non-medical; More
affecting only the appearance of something rather than its substance.
“the reform package was merely a cosmetic exercise”
synonyms: superficial, surface, skin-deep, outward, exterior, external
“alterations to the original building have been largely cosmetic”
Cosmetics in the context of video games are mostly skins or “wardrobe” overlays ala adornments without affecting the stats.
In the context of Conan Exiles; considering it has an item based stat system without skins or appearance slots, a base item for every cosmetic needs to be established in order to prevent the cosmetic itself turning into an item in it’s own right.
An example of this would be the Khitan heavy armor, which is the only cold resist gear with encumbrance.
If Khitan heavy armor is to be cosmetic, it needs to have an established base-game counterpart to be based off of.
When advertising something to be equal to star metal (even when using the word “comparable”), all Khitan weaponry needs to be the exact carbon copy of each and every star metal weapon, with the exception being it’s appearance. Only then, can it pass as a “cosmetic”. Cosmetics aren’t compatible with the word “comparable”, because any divergence spawns a new item in it’s own right.
In order to avoid future controversy, I suggest using different phrasing when describing these:
Correct phrasing would be: “These are star metal tier cosmetics.” “These are tier 3 building cosmetics”.
“DLC Armor are star metal tier cosmetics.”
Now for the little details:
The paper lanterns and Khitai style lanterns require less/easier mats than their luminosity counterparts. A base needs to be established if these are to be true cosmetics.
The fine line of balancing a cosmetic DLC boils down to: No double standards.
Thank you for your time and effort. Please feel free to add to or correct any statement I’ve made. I welcome feedback. Together we can forge a perfect solution 