make my spy different than all others

[Tinweasele]

eh its a simple file broadcast on startup *shrug*.  would have to have limits on it so you dont end up with virus' / huge files flying across but yeah should be easy enough.

[Overstatement]

Networking is a gray area for me too. But like all things programming, it always harder than you think it is. I think for the most part, it is a game design issue. Do you want custom skins that download? Can someone else steal a spot from else who is downloading a skin? If not, don't the guys in lobby have to wait until the download is complete before game starts (which could be a long time)? If so, won't faster downloaders always get to play first and slower downloaders will be screwed out of playing on custom skined servers (which could be the majority of servers for all we know)? How will you stop people from using high resolution skins? Would making an all black merc skin give him a stealth advantage? What about polka dot spies, do you really want to see that?

[goodkebab]

^^ this is where as developers we have to make a call on possible exploits.

[Tinweasele]

my personal thought was mostly using premade skins and allow customizable emblems and such,  perhaps in the game loby as well.  like the size of an internet avatar.  downloaded on game join.

[Overstatement]

Oh, I see. Kind of like what they did on the best RTS ever made? HOMEWORLD2! :P

Edit: It is still 90% a design issue and 10% programming issue.

[goodkebab]

if it REALLY is so simple, then there is little reason not to add it I guess. 

[Jordan]

There is always a chance that the user could change the skins of the opposite team to a color that is brightly lit. It would be a dead giveaway to the player who replaced it. I am sure there is some way to stop this from happening.

[Tinweasele]

we wouldnt put the skins out there for anyone to edit, just an import for a small jpg patch on the shoulder.  putting the skins public would just be retarted on our part:-P.