Recognizable but unrecognizable infantry

[Drifter]

While I am a newer player and can be simply told "Git gud kid" I feel like in the grand scheme some units are hard to recognize and plan around while being recognizable in the worst way.

This is a dark and drab game. There is nothing wrong with that, it adds a tone and emotion to the game which for a game like this is really important but at times it feels to dark to tell units apart. While mechs and tanks it is obvious because of their size, like no ♥♥♥♥ the mech with 8 guns in its square shoulders with its tiny head is different than the more smooth and round mechs carrying AKs with a skirt.

For infantry, however, they aren't big. If they aren't the same size as you they are only a head taller. They all have similar body types and helmet shapes and the only reason I can tell what a Eurasian infantry is different than a Europan is because the one with big shoulders and the chick. That isn't very good. If we made all the soldiers in all the armies a 5'10 rifleman in a nice clean uniform they would all look the same. I feel like currently there isn't enough distinction in the units to make the factions unique. I don't recognize the units being different because they have unique uniforms but because I know that one has a chick and a guy with giant shoulders, which is ridiculous on a human being's body.

Now you may ask "You just stated that difference between units why are you complaining?" and its because I know how talented these devs are. Do me a favor and look up two images for me so its fresh in your head and look up the WW2 german and US armys. I want you to note the color of the uniforms, the helmet shapes, the equipment on their chest and belts, etc etc. Now I want you to imagine them as silhouettes and you might be able to tell the difference between the helmets and maybe how tall the boots are and how the webbing goes, have them fight each other in large groups and mix together and you might have a harder time telling the difference and what dosen't help is the move somewhat the same.. Now imagine you can tell the difference because one has giant shoulders the size of your torso and ones a chick. You can understand why, to me at least, I think thats really bad for the game.

In a game where choosing your fights is important, gauging when to move by two enemy forces clashing and focusing on each other. Having them look similar under these darker and drab conditions where the color of their uniforms is hard to tell and their silhouette can blend in with the environment because of the shadows sucks, but me being able to tell the difference not because of good design but because you gave one faction giant ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shoulders and the only female NPC outside of specific circumstances? That sucks. That's why I love the cyborg zombies because, while they are the same size as most infantry, they walk and move in a distinct way with their own shape compared to all the other units.

For me, this isn't an issue that should be worked on, at least not yet. There are so many game mechanics that players have issues (Start a topic about water death and see the arguments that happen.) with and content that needs to be added that simply gives the sides more distinct looks when I can recognize them by being a woman and having large shoulders can take a long while before they even remodel a unit. However, knowing how talented the devs are and how much of an interesting aesthetic and lore they gave this world? I want to recognize the units not because I can recognize the difference between McShoulders and McShoulderless but because I can at a glance recognize the uniform and equipment of the Europans, Eurasians, and Euruskans.

TL;DR I can tell the difference between the mechs due to their size allowing more detail and style allowing them to represent the aesthetic of their respective factions but for their infantry units they all look the same and I can recognize them not because of their unique aesthetic of the faction but because one has gaint shoulderpads the size of my torso and the other dosen't.

I made this mainly to just see more interesting discussions rather than people going over and over arguing about water.

Also hopefully they make rifles not IRL weapons but are more unique to the world but again like the unit identification it can happen a lot later.

[beonow]

This is what the Z button is for. It will help you identify what is what. Some have complained that it makes things too easy.

[CounterInk]

Euruskans (not Eurasians, they have cyborgs) generally have more heavily armoured looking infantry, with a large gas mask like helmet. Europans have more lightly armoured infantry with rounded helmets, except for GRINN who have tall, 'bucket'-shaped helmets, and EOD which, at least to me, look like they wear off-colour space suits.

[Lord-Captain Mikorius]

After awhile, i quickly started recognizing most troops at a glance. The only ones that sometimes take a moment for me to tell apart would be Euruskan troopers and some Europan troopers (regulars and elites). Over time you will get accustomed to them.

[Crystal meth enthusiast]

It's because you new and don't use scanner all the time. They all different with exception of some who share model but with different name.

Like "Elite infantry" sometime use models of Light soldiers when accompany Exopilot on foot. They delete me in seconds.
Europan Assassin/Officer it's quest dudes. But it's normal soldiers.

The only one that hard to tell is Euruska Officer, he has 1 shoulder-pad a lot bigger and has grenade launcher, but it's easier to spot Grenade launcher than shoulder-pad.

And Euruska Commader is currently a "placeholder". There is a concept-art for it, but currently it's "Rider" - a black hazmat guy. Who supposed to ride something in future.

[keldn]

Originally posted by beonow:

This is what the Z button is for. It will help you identify what is what. Some have complained that it makes things too easy.

It works not really intuitively. I've learned how to make it work at 60th hour of playing when I already could say who is who just by listening to radio chatter.
Because you need to wait until square aim marker appears on the target and only after that identify it with pressing Z. Pressing Z before makes nothing.

[beonow]

Thanks, I'd been spamming it like a madman.

[chaosguy]

Originally posted by beonow:

This is what the Z button is for. It will help you identify what is what. Some have complained that it makes things too easy.

This.

[Marmarmar34]

Unit uniformality is out the window. You basically have to rely on the scanner in order to figure out who is on what side. Honestly, it feels like they didn't bother refine their initial designs in order for each faction to have a unique look.

[beonow]

I really like the drab colour palette of the units because it's realistic but some small decals would be nice. Maybe the occasional standard bearer before your global XP gets too high.

A scope helps and you really should be able to place one on the stock weapons.

[Marmarmar34]

Originally posted by Makszi:

Guess what? It's often difficult to tell friend from foe in a warzone ...

Said from someone that's never been in any branch of the military or studied any of the world wars.