Character Customization & Crate System#3526

𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦
Character customization was not part of Flicker from the beginning. Now that the feature has been established for some time, I believe it is worth taking a closer look at its current limitations and identifying opportunities to improve it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦
Hair, T-Shirts, Pants and Overalls can be purchased directly from the Shop using Coins. Coins can be earned by winning rounds, redeeming codes or purchasing them with Robux. Accessories and Faces are differently handled, they are locked behind crates of various rarities. The main issue is that players cannot directly obtain a specific item they want. They may spend large amounts of Coins, or even Robux, in order to obtain their desired item or repeatedly receive items they already own or do not want. While crates can be effective for monetization, relying heavily on luck can eventually frustrate players and discourage them from engaging with customization.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬
Our current crate-based system may have limited long-term monetization potential, as players could lose motivation to open crates after repeatedly failing to obtain their desired items. While randomness can create excitement, relying too heavily on luck may eventually lead to frustration and reduce player engagement. Duplicate items can further contribute to this issue, particularly when they provide no meaningful value. The system also offers limited player agency, as players have few opportunities to work directly toward a specific appearance. A system that allows players to make meaningful progress toward their desired look could therefore improve overall player satisfaction and engagement.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

1. Add Crate Items to the Shop
   If Hair, T-Shirts, Pants, and Overalls can be purchased directly, why not Accessories and Faces? These could be significantly more expensive in the Shop than their expected crate cost, giving players a choice:
   Crates → Cheaper, but luck-based
   Shop → More expensive, but guaranteed
   This would keep crates appealing while giving players a guaranteed way to work toward a specific item. It would also give players a reason to continue earning Coins, since they could always save toward something they actually want.

2. Improve the Duplicate System
   Receiving duplicates is another major issue. If a player already owns an accessory or face and receives it again, the purchase can feel pointless. Possible solutions include:
   — Duplicate protection: Increase the chance of receiving items the player does not own, potentially reducing owned items to 0% until the collection is completed.
   — Duplicate conversion: Allow duplicates to be exchanged for a certain amount of Coins.
   — Item merging: Allow duplicates to be combined into a new item, potentially with a higher rarity.
   The goal should be for every crate opening to provide some form of progress. Even if a player does not receive their desired item, they should still get something useful from the purchase.

3. Introduce Trading
   A player-to-player trading system could give unwanted items more value.
   Trading would need restrictions to prevent scams and abuse.
   For example: Items could only be traded for items of the same rarity.
   Multiple lower-rarity items could potentially be traded for one higher-rarity item. Trading could require a certain player level, playtime, or another requirement. Trading would make duplicates useful instead of leaving them unused. Players could trade items they do not want for ones they actually need, giving them another way to work toward their desired appearance without relying entirely on luck.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥
My intention is not to remove crates or eliminate their monetization potential. Instead, I believe players should have more control while crates remain desirable. Ideally, there would be three ways to obtain Accessories and Faces:
Crates → Cheaper, luck-based, potentially rewarding
Shop → More expensive, but guaranteed
Trading → Player-driven way to obtain desired items
Each option would have a different advantage. By refining the customization system, we could make it feel more meaningful and rewarding for players while also creating a stronger foundation for long-term monetization. The goal would be to strike a balance where customization feels valuable and engaging without compromising the player experience, ultimately turning it into both a more compelling feature and a more sustainable source of revenue.

Thank you for reading, feel free to build upon or expand these suggestions!