A Preponderance of Hats


I've been putting hats on Eve Avatars since the Summer of Incarna, shortly after I started my Twitter account and joined #tweetfleet. I've lost count but we are probably talking around 400 or so hats, give or take. Early on it started as simply a lark, a joke even, a protest aimed at mocking the monocle and the idea of over-priced real world monied items in the store. But since those heady days it has slowly and surely evolved into an expression of individualism.

I joke around a lot. I tend to not take things seriously. But after years of plopping hats on top of avatars even I must start to admit - the idea has merit. It is hard now, against the overwhelming preponderance of evidence, to understand why some form of hat is not more widely available in the character creator. Let's face facts here and admit to ourselves that Eve needs hats.

I viewed the subject of hats as a test, a litmus-test, that pushed the envelope of creativity. I use it when I interview potential CSM members, to see where their head is on the subject. Not because I actually wanted hats in Eve, but because I wanted to know how they think. This was before. Once I recently started collecting these hats into a single location on my hard drive, in an effort to preserve them, did it really start to dawn on me. A change in my own attitude towards headwear.

Perhaps it was the recent implementation of Ship Skins? Maybe that is what has pushed things over the edge? If we can have customized on-the-fly ship skins, then why not hats?

And while I am well aware that many of these hats would not be appropriate in the context of in-game Eve - I challenge you to tell me they all wouldn't? Just look at that guy in the upper left corner? That is an Eve hat. The yellow woman? Eve hat. The orange woman across from her? Eve hat. And so many more examples.

Most importantly, from a supplier's perspective, people want hats. In fact, I believe they'd go nuts for them. Our avatars are the only true expression of ourselves in-game. It is about time we got the chance to decorate our heads.

This is getting real. And Eve is real. Isn't it?



Comments

I will go further and claim they are all appropriate. In a game set in the distant future where the naming convention is wide open to the point that anything besides "Hitler" and straight up profanity is okay, who can possibly make the claim that any hat, from baseball cap to officer's cover to frilly Easter bonnet, is somehow out of bounds? I'm sorry A Ferocious Spork (an actual EVE name I just looked up on EVE Who), but a Tam o'shanter is totally out of character!

If I want an Alpine hat with a little feather in it, who dares tell me I'm wrong?
Rixx Javix said…
I'm all for freedom of expression and I understand what you are saying, but you also know we'd have to have some limitations simply based on the tendencies of our community... which are not always the best.
... .... /mumbles "whattaincrediblewasteoftime..."
Angry Onions said…
From what I recall, the issue with hats was the interaction with hairstyles. It already is a mess how hairstyles interact with the shoulders, and hats would make it way, way worse.

Also provided how the latest expansions/releases/mixed fruits thingies have seen zero new clothes, and how there was only 2 developers working on clothing, I think CCP forgot about clothes and has its hands full with ship skins.
Rixx Javix said…
They used to say that to Galileo
No... they said he was a 'heretic' and 'wrong' as everyone knew God set the Sun, Stars and all the Heavens to orbit the Earth... time proved him right. So far, time has not proven to be your ally in this Quest for Hats... you might as well ask for Tabards and Guild Logos for our ships ... sheesh.

But you can take solace in the fact that as 'hats' are not a module or a game mechanic, they therefore neither add or detract to (IE have '0' affect on) actual gameplay in EVE...

However as they ARE a subjective dress-up 'item'... my subjective personal opinion, which can neither be proved right or wrong is...

(doublefacepalm) /mumbles... "WhattaincrediblewasteofDEVtimeandMYsubscriptionmoney..."
Anonymous said…
I love you and your blog Tur, but god your are a curmudgeon :P I would rather a decent set of tattoos for my head. and arms...and maybe a sidearm?
LOL... I guess I do come off that way... please understand that is not my 'intent'... I just feel strongly about the things I feel strongly about 'tis all,.. as does Rixx, Bob bless 'im... =]

I have been told lately though that I IRL I do not come across as I do on my blog and in comments... I feel free'er here to voice my opinion I guess... less internal 'filtering' than IRL face to face as twere... Mebbe it's a bit of the old internet courage? like 'liquid courage' only electronic? Take one passionate EVE player, add Internet anonymity, get instant curmudgeon!

Gods I do hope all of you... Rixx and Sugar and Nosy and Kirith, et al... I pray you all know I LOVE that we disagree... how BORING if everyone was always right and we all agreed with each other all the time... kumbaya yuch. =P

Oooooooh sidearms!!!!!!! Yes!
Druur Monakh said…
I don't know who said it (I forgot to bookmark the post), but a good deal of the interest into character and ship customizations (and in extension, twitter hats), is that it is aimed at ourselves. It makes us unique in a game of otherwise uniform space pixels. The other players may not see or care about our special accoutrements, but that doesn't matter: it is sufficient that we ourselves know.

And for some, it even adds an additional element of fun and corps d'esprit to the game (see: http://i.imgur.com/CCiPAtr.png ).
Druur Monakh said…
You know, Tura, the same could be said of sub-capital ship models. I have a hard time remembering an engagement where any ship wasn't much more than a little colored square on my screen.

The way EVE plays out, sub-cap ship models are purely cosmetic as well.
Rixx Javix said…
Deep breaths Tur, deep breaths. Heck, I don't even want everyone to agree with me. Sometimes I'll even just make things up so that they don't, just so I can hear the other side of the argument. As or Dev time, yes I'd also prefer they work on "important" things. I've also argued (rather intelligently I think) that maybe some things, like hats, could be developed by 3rd parties devs perhaps?

Either way, this is what makes the universe go 'round.
Anonymous said…
Hey Tur it's me. Tig, again. I was only kidding. Your curmudgeonly ways amuse me.
Guillome Renard said…
Your hats have also been a sign of membership in the #tweetfleet community. You've become part of our cultural lore (as you deserve) and helped give the EVE twitter community, in general, a decidedly non-generic feel to it.
Mynxee said…
Personally I think cap ships are a waste of time, since I don't fly them. :P

(You know I'm only poking a little fun at you, Tura!)

I love the idea of hats. Everyone knows a nice outfit is incomplete without a hat. Even if only a half dozen styles were available, I bet they'd sell like crazy if priced right (and by "right" I mean, not in the realm of ridiculously costly) in the NES.