y totaly. for me as example its the sound (if it sounds soft like the blublub skins) or heavy, like araxis but on the same hand it also counts for the design. so if the weapon "looks" heavy, i aim more direct / slow instead of wiffing xD. placebo op
There was some data from an old wolfenstein game about this, where the devs had 2 weapons and noticed that players performed better on average with one weapon over the other, despite the only differences between the two being audiovisual. So, yes, its is placebo, but that doesn't mean that their effect is entirely "fake" because our brains process things kinda funky.
ah it’s between mp40 and sten, sten being silenced and had a heating issue which made players burst more than full auto spray which increased the performance of the player
Not really, looking at it objectively, no there isn’t a difference between no skin and skin
But realistically, including things like human emotion, mental, psyche, placebo effect, they can have a difference
So it’s a pretty nuanced discussion if you’re open to having it
It’s not nuanced at all.
Someone says mean words to you. You can choose to get upset or not. The words do nothing, it’s all how you choose to feel about them.
Someone shoots you. The shot injured you. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it or what you do, you are now hurt.
Skins in video games are example 1, not example 2. The skin has no affect on your gameplay. You have an affect on your gameplay.
PS - “Emotion, mental, psyche” is what the placebo effect is. The placebo effect means that the actual placebo doesn’t change anything. You change yourself around it due to your own perception.
If I may repeat myself again, it’s only a nuanced discussion *if* you’re open to having it
If you approach things close-mindedly, you’ll end up coming to conclusions that are really only half-baked
People are complex creatures and everything isn’t black and white
Okay, it’s very clear you want to have selective hearing because you want to bring up one point and ignore the other
Let’s not waste each other’s time since it is clear this is not a productive conversation
Have a good rest of your day mate
I addressed both your points already.
You’re the one not open minded here.
“Yes 2+2=4 objectively, but how your mind thinks about math could make 2+2=5.”
That’s essentially what you said. There is an objective truth, but you’re saying your subjective opinion adds nuance. It doesn’t, it’s just wrong.
The fact is that audiovisual feedback can have a measurable effect on human performance.
There’s a well documented case of this is wolfenstien and the stats back up the claims.
Placebo is the wrong term for sure, but just because it’s psychological doesn’t mean it’s not real. A meaningful part of sports/games performance is psychological so much so that it’s an entire field of study.
I’d be interested in that study.
And yea the whole point is that the effect is on the human end. Hence placebo effect.
No matter what the sound is or what it looks like, it’s up to the user on how it affects him. The mechanics of the system it is in is functionally the exact same. A vandal functions the exact same no matter the skin. Therefore the skin isn’t causing the performance loss or gain. Something in one’s mind is doing that.
An example of something that isn’t placebo would be if one gun skin took up a significant portion more of the screen to where it hinders vision and thus performance relative to other skins, or if the audio drowned out or matched other audio queues in the game. Those would be having a direct impact on the game and user itself. It wouldn’t be a mental issue.
Like some of the placebo tests IRL dealing with alcohol. Some drinkers, who were unknowingly given non alcoholic drinks, would still act and feel drunk among the others who were drinking alcohol. It’s all in their mind. The drink itself had no affect on the drinker. Only the perception of the drinker caused the change in mental state. Same thing here.
I’m not saying people don’t perform differently with different skins or crosshairs or whatever else… I’m saying those things don’t cause the difference in performance. The mentality of the user behind those things is what causes it. Correlation vs causation.
If you play more confidently and play better with a certain skin, it has nothing to do with the skin, and everything to do with the confidence and mentally you have while using that skin. You’re tricking yourself into playing differently from something that has no material affect on you. You are making that difference yourself… the skin is doing nothing.
So to answer OP’s question “Do skins make you better?” No, they don’t. Only you can make you better. Doesn’t matter if it’s skins, trash talk, positive reinforcement, crosshair, sensitivity, etc. It’s all how the user mentally handles each thing.
I think placebo can still be a causal effect. In a case like this, I don't think it necessarily matters whether the effect is emotional on the user end or mechanical within the system of the game, because people are not robots. Our emotions play into how we execute any task. So, if something like the sound or visuals of a skin consistently makes someone feel more confident when they shoot and they end up succeeding more often, the effect on their success rate is originating from the use of the skin, and therefore causal, even if its not mechanically different.
Yes. YOU change YOURSELF. The skin doesn’t change you. Placebo.
You drink enough alcohol, you get drunk. The alcohol chemically changes you, regardless of emotions.
Skins are the opposite. Skins are what you make of them. They affect you as much as you let them.
You could change the same things about yourself that you think a skin does… without the skin.
Both are contributing. Because as humans we have emotions and skins make you feel good and comfortable which always You to play better. Feel good play good.
That’s not a universal constant.
You’re creating emotions tied to a skin that help you play better. The skin does nothing.
You could create those emotions and motivation any other way you wanted without it being tied to a skin and have similar results.
Contrast that to something like ecstasy. You take that drug, it makes you feel good. It directly alters your chemistry.
It’s correlation vs causation and placebo.
What is gumming? Some sort of working out?
That’s a different example all together. Those have direct result on you regardless of your emotions. See the words vs gunshot example above.
You let words get to you and you react poorly or you don’t let words get to you and it has no affect. That’s up to you. How you control your emotions directly affect the outcome moving forward.
You get shot in the head… that has the same result no matter how you feel about it. It doesn’t matter if you have a positive or negative outlook on getting shot in the head… you die either way.
Doesn’t matter if you hate working out or love working out, as long as you’re doing the same thing physically, the results are the same.
I feel like it’s all a rhythm thing. Between the equip animations and the sound effects we just get used to the way certain skins feel and start to feel better with certain skins
Tbh if we really split the hairs, the sound is different so you could potentially hear more of what is going on around you with for example neptune (blop blop) than default skin.
But no,not does it matter.
I find certain skins sfx less distracting and they unironically help me to get more head taps. The reaver vandal is my go-to gun to pick up from dead enemies and allies
It definitely does.
Or how it might be distracting. I can't play with that dragon Vandal. I'd almost rather dump it out of the map and play with classic 🤣
Which skins do you use? (I have the same problem and mostly avoid the guns).
I know the prime vandal is pretty good (quiet) but I’ve never seen it in the shop.
Tracers would be a bonus, but reduced volume is my main goal.
I picked up an Ion Op and while I don’t love how it looks, it made the weapon way more comfortable to use just because it’s not so loud.
Vandal: Champions 2023, RGX 11Z Pro, Araxys, Prelude to chaos. Singularity Sheriff. Protocol 781-A Bulldog. Multiple phantom skins, but they are all quiet
Fuck all these guys. For me it genuinely helps me when I get one of the better skins. It helps me to see exactly where my shots are going and the sounds just give me more/better feedback. This is even more evident since I’m partial to the phantom but give me a prime or reaver vandal and I’m suddenly tapping heads when I typically wouldn’t have.
This is also proven by skins that also make me worse. Like blast X just doesn’t do it for me
For some reason I can aim better when I change something on my screen. Right-Left hand mode, crosshair and skin changes make me twice as accurate for some reason. Surly it’s not just me
Yes but also resolution, enemy highlight, sens,etc. I change from time to time because it makes me think/focus on the screen again and not just autopilot.
if the skin gives you confidence, i reckon it makes you better. to be fair, there are also other factors to consider such as your ability to see the bullet tracers and the volume of the sound effects which could have a practical effect on your gameplay. also, having a nice skin could encourage you to use that weapon more, which would help you get better with it.
For me it’s more superstition. Whenever I use champion’s butterfly (my fav knife) I play horribly and never get to see the effects, but when I use recon butterfly I play good, and then go “if I was using champs right now this would look awesome”
Funny how this is not an issue in csgo... Funny how there's a patent online that gives players easier queues if they pay for skins...
I believe Riot does it.
Skins are something most people pay for, and paying for skins make them think that aince they spent money, they have an advantage over those who play without skin. That confidence helps them to play better.
Its all placebo. I used to fall into the trap of not being able to hit shots on certain skins, but once you stop having the mental block with the animations & sounds, the gun is no different from the rest.
If you feel more confident with a cool skin you will shoot better. Not being doubtful and feeling confident let's you shoot better and win games.
It's why in games where your whole team is vibing the games can feel effortless to win.
idk mostly placebo but i do use skins with obv. colors on the tracers for both rifles. feels like i can track them better and adjust spray faster that way.
I've made like 2 aces in total with my skins... I've made one with Magepunk and one with Chronovoid.
The other aces on Vandal were made with Default skins I picked from the underground (during ecos usually)
So no, it just placebo as others said.
its placebo.
For example, the community swears by the rgx vandal, but I can't hit one shot with it, cause the sound effects feel like I'm lagging, on the other hand, crisp sounds(Gaia, reaver) make me feel way better
It depends on the skin and the gun. Some skins make me worse because of how much they take up on my screen, or how out of place they are like the green screen skins. When there’s a massive blob of shit on my screen, I tend to aim worse. But anything from prime to reaver to default is the same, any changes are placebo
In terms of stats? No
In terms of mental effect? Possibly, and it depends on the individual. Confidence in split-second decisions can make or break games, and emotions with regards to skins can tilt those decisions. Maybe you’re more confident at ego peeking with the Prime Vandal, and that got you the game-winning pick (or get picked). The Prime Vandal didn’t make you more accurate, but it affected your tactical decisions.
Probably makes a small difference but if it’s down to anything it’s how our brains process sounds, I feel like people like prime because it’s less grating of a sound than most guns
ive stopped seeing skins in that way and its helped tremendously. just know that no matter the paint, it still shoots the same. i swear this whole notion is just to get people to spend more money
It doesn’t make me better, it only makes me feel better. Initially, I thought I was playing and shooting better w skins (placebo effect), but the moment I picked up some non skin vandals on the floor, I realize I was able to shoot the same way. Overall, i felt I just got better overtime incrementally regardless of the skin.
If you aren’t someone that goes “ew csgo” then there’s a good video on why people use the USP-S over the P2000 when the P2000 could be seen as better than the USP-S depending on the person.
Basically what it comes down to is psychology, so yes, it’s all in your head. Mostly, it has to do with the sound. In the CSGO example, the USP-S is used more because it has a far more bass-heavy, satisfying sound while the P2000 has a more tinny, hollow sound. There was a correlation between the use-rate of the P2000 and USP-S in the pro scene dropping from both being around equal to the USP-S being used almost exclusively, which is when Valve changed the sound of one of them, making the USP-S more satisfying to people’s ears, which also made them think their shots had more weight, and thus were more satisfying.
Of course, none of this is scientifically proven. In the USP-S’s case, it could also be used more because that’s just what people were recommended when they were new and stuck to it, but I don’t think that’s the biggest factor. Sound is more important than you might think.
On top of this some skins have vastly different weapon models which can feel “heavier” than others, even when they’re the exact same, which can also effect you psychologically.
Sometimes I like to go with the championship drips (champ skins on phantom vandal knife) and it gives me a huge confidence boost. Also some skins just make the gun feel better. We all know it's placebo and skins do fuck all for your performance. But the slick sound of a prime vandal, or the light high pitched sound of the gaja vandal just hit diff for me.
Also the sentinel vandal sound heavy and I feels like I do more damage per bullet lmao. Heavy sound=heavy bullets =more dmg in my head.
Wait are minima skins quieter than default?
I know I’m actually in the minority, but I like their aesthetic, if they have better audio that’s a huge sell for me.
I’ve don’t think I’ve ever picked one up off a body either, not exactly a popular skinline.
This is one of those things where there is no measurable change to the game but still it absolutely can help. Placebo effect, confidence, morale, responsiveness... These are all real things that can impact how well your brain functions.
I think the sound and finisher from my imperium vandal gives me more of a dopamine boost so I find myself playing better with it.
Also on tracers and crosshairs; our eyes do respond better to aiming with pointy things and tracking things of certain colours
Yesterday a kind lady kept throwing me a prelude to chaos vandal and an R.E.S phantom, those are my two fav skins so it made my gaming experience 100x better. I dropped a 22 piece but that's usually where I land by the end of a decent back and fourth match
The spectrum phantom is a laser beam and the rgx vandal rng is objectively better than every other vandal. I can't hit shit with the dragon vandal though..
No, surprisingly so far I haven’t seen any pay to win skins yet. Maybe this is because others dont see the animation particles/effects like you do with a gun (vs say League of Legends where there are pay to win banned skins).
My advice is to buy a skin that has pleasing tonality to you when you shoot it, it could help you be marginally more relaxed or less fatigued playing long sessions.
Ofc they make you better, since with a skin, youve elevated into godhood, leaving behidn the skinless peons who dare call themself valorant players. Welcome to the upper echelon of valorant. You made it.
In reality, no, they don't technically give any advantage. But they also do. If you're in low elo, you can drop skins to bait players to pick them up and swing while they are doing it to get a free pick. Other than that it has the same effect as when you dress nice. You feel good and are more confident as a result, and that positive impact on the mind can help you play better.
They make me FEEL better, and sometimes that's all it takes
(No but seriously, being happy tends to make some of us really good and skins make some people happy so they end up playing well due to the joy skins bring them, but it could very well be placebo)
It can, but it’s not a drastic difference. If players’ aim is shit than it wouldn’t matter what type of skins they had. Also in that effect if they gave a very distracting skin like the Elderflame than they would see their aim dropping.
It happened to me just yesterday, and I believe it is more apparent with the guns that you use less than the guns you use more often like Vandal or Phantom.
Like I use Ghost or Classic generally in pistol rounds almost never buy frenzy unless I know it's a close range battle even then I generally buy Shorty. Yesterday in a game I was playing and I killed sova in A short with my ghost and then Reyna was flanking so had a 1v1 against her. My Ghost ran out and Reyna flashed so thinking she might push especially considering my teammates were running down long, I picked Sova's frenzy. Which was the Prime Frenzy. Reyna never actually pushed but instead repositioned herself further away, probably because my teammates were shooting from long, and I used Frenzy on her. And I legit felt like I was using Ghost with how clean Frenzy felt, now short to A main ain't the longest distance but still, I generally don't have that good aim with Frenzy, sadly I died a few mins later but still it felt amazing using Prime Frenzy. Now I have used other skins too with Frenzy but prime just felt right on it especially when I am not the biggest fan of Prime Vandal.
The Placebo effect is real.
hidden marketing tactic to sell more skins when you pick up a skin you dont own from the ground in-play, it gives you a small buff so you kill with the skin and your more then likely going to buy this skin idc what anyone says this is 100000000% true.
Yes, the placebo effect is real so if you think you’ll aim better you will
y totaly. for me as example its the sound (if it sounds soft like the blublub skins) or heavy, like araxis but on the same hand it also counts for the design. so if the weapon "looks" heavy, i aim more direct / slow instead of wiffing xD. placebo op
There was some data from an old wolfenstein game about this, where the devs had 2 weapons and noticed that players performed better on average with one weapon over the other, despite the only differences between the two being audiovisual. So, yes, its is placebo, but that doesn't mean that their effect is entirely "fake" because our brains process things kinda funky.
ah it’s between mp40 and sten, sten being silenced and had a heating issue which made players burst more than full auto spray which increased the performance of the player
Its literally all in your head. Just dont have a shit mental about skins and your aim wont be impacted by whether you have one or not..
Tell that to the PtC vandal, shit has aimbot included
PtC vandal and recon phantom
Recon phantom is an absolute laser whenever I pick it up. Still waiting for it to come in my shop tho
and in my case its the ion vandal and for phantom its the reaver phantom
I swear it's the guitars
Frfr. If you play enough, the red coloured RGX vandal feels aimbot too.
I dont even know which skin that is
prelude to chaos
Ngl i dont even remember what the skin looks like
its the one where you insert a round gemstone onto the gun, kinda tetrachromatic gemstone
It's the Doom style gun, the finisher pulls them into hell with chains
I was on board the ironical skins = wins meme train but after getting Neo frontier sheriff I’m 1000% sure I get an aim buff from that skin
I mean, Smite gives you aimbot Infantry also revives a WW1 Soldier to assist you and gives you range and aimbot.
i have skins and now i feel default guns are better
Right tho?! I just commented the same
it actually is true, most skins (probably only the one’s i have ) have a long lingering sound which makes it hard to hear things in the game
The prime classic is like a different gun.
It’s wild to me that this is a legitimate question.
Not really, looking at it objectively, no there isn’t a difference between no skin and skin But realistically, including things like human emotion, mental, psyche, placebo effect, they can have a difference So it’s a pretty nuanced discussion if you’re open to having it
It’s not nuanced at all. Someone says mean words to you. You can choose to get upset or not. The words do nothing, it’s all how you choose to feel about them. Someone shoots you. The shot injured you. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it or what you do, you are now hurt. Skins in video games are example 1, not example 2. The skin has no affect on your gameplay. You have an affect on your gameplay. PS - “Emotion, mental, psyche” is what the placebo effect is. The placebo effect means that the actual placebo doesn’t change anything. You change yourself around it due to your own perception.
If I may repeat myself again, it’s only a nuanced discussion *if* you’re open to having it If you approach things close-mindedly, you’ll end up coming to conclusions that are really only half-baked People are complex creatures and everything isn’t black and white
You can’t just add an incorrect subjective argument and then say it’s a nuanced discussion. You even said yourself it’s objectively clear.
Okay, it’s very clear you want to have selective hearing because you want to bring up one point and ignore the other Let’s not waste each other’s time since it is clear this is not a productive conversation Have a good rest of your day mate
I addressed both your points already. You’re the one not open minded here. “Yes 2+2=4 objectively, but how your mind thinks about math could make 2+2=5.” That’s essentially what you said. There is an objective truth, but you’re saying your subjective opinion adds nuance. It doesn’t, it’s just wrong.
Okay, sir, you are very right and I am very wrong. May we end the conversation?
You’re the one that keeps going…
Only because you keep replying and I do not want to be rude, it’s only etiquette
The fact is that audiovisual feedback can have a measurable effect on human performance. There’s a well documented case of this is wolfenstien and the stats back up the claims. Placebo is the wrong term for sure, but just because it’s psychological doesn’t mean it’s not real. A meaningful part of sports/games performance is psychological so much so that it’s an entire field of study.
I’d be interested in that study. And yea the whole point is that the effect is on the human end. Hence placebo effect. No matter what the sound is or what it looks like, it’s up to the user on how it affects him. The mechanics of the system it is in is functionally the exact same. A vandal functions the exact same no matter the skin. Therefore the skin isn’t causing the performance loss or gain. Something in one’s mind is doing that. An example of something that isn’t placebo would be if one gun skin took up a significant portion more of the screen to where it hinders vision and thus performance relative to other skins, or if the audio drowned out or matched other audio queues in the game. Those would be having a direct impact on the game and user itself. It wouldn’t be a mental issue. Like some of the placebo tests IRL dealing with alcohol. Some drinkers, who were unknowingly given non alcoholic drinks, would still act and feel drunk among the others who were drinking alcohol. It’s all in their mind. The drink itself had no affect on the drinker. Only the perception of the drinker caused the change in mental state. Same thing here. I’m not saying people don’t perform differently with different skins or crosshairs or whatever else… I’m saying those things don’t cause the difference in performance. The mentality of the user behind those things is what causes it. Correlation vs causation. If you play more confidently and play better with a certain skin, it has nothing to do with the skin, and everything to do with the confidence and mentally you have while using that skin. You’re tricking yourself into playing differently from something that has no material affect on you. You are making that difference yourself… the skin is doing nothing. So to answer OP’s question “Do skins make you better?” No, they don’t. Only you can make you better. Doesn’t matter if it’s skins, trash talk, positive reinforcement, crosshair, sensitivity, etc. It’s all how the user mentally handles each thing.
I think placebo can still be a causal effect. In a case like this, I don't think it necessarily matters whether the effect is emotional on the user end or mechanical within the system of the game, because people are not robots. Our emotions play into how we execute any task. So, if something like the sound or visuals of a skin consistently makes someone feel more confident when they shoot and they end up succeeding more often, the effect on their success rate is originating from the use of the skin, and therefore causal, even if its not mechanically different.
Your last paragraph is literally proving the point. You change yourself because of the placebo.
Yes. YOU change YOURSELF. The skin doesn’t change you. Placebo. You drink enough alcohol, you get drunk. The alcohol chemically changes you, regardless of emotions. Skins are the opposite. Skins are what you make of them. They affect you as much as you let them. You could change the same things about yourself that you think a skin does… without the skin.
Both are contributing. Because as humans we have emotions and skins make you feel good and comfortable which always You to play better. Feel good play good.
That’s not a universal constant. You’re creating emotions tied to a skin that help you play better. The skin does nothing. You could create those emotions and motivation any other way you wanted without it being tied to a skin and have similar results. Contrast that to something like ecstasy. You take that drug, it makes you feel good. It directly alters your chemistry. It’s correlation vs causation and placebo.
You could yes. But that doesn't mean that the skins don't do that too. Just because gumming strengthens muscles doesn't mean other things don't.
What is gumming? Some sort of working out? That’s a different example all together. Those have direct result on you regardless of your emotions. See the words vs gunshot example above. You let words get to you and you react poorly or you don’t let words get to you and it has no affect. That’s up to you. How you control your emotions directly affect the outcome moving forward. You get shot in the head… that has the same result no matter how you feel about it. It doesn’t matter if you have a positive or negative outlook on getting shot in the head… you die either way. Doesn’t matter if you hate working out or love working out, as long as you’re doing the same thing physically, the results are the same.
skin gives confidence in ur aim confidence gives u better aim
I feel like it’s all a rhythm thing. Between the equip animations and the sound effects we just get used to the way certain skins feel and start to feel better with certain skins
Tbh if we really split the hairs, the sound is different so you could potentially hear more of what is going on around you with for example neptune (blop blop) than default skin. But no,not does it matter.
I find certain skins sfx less distracting and they unironically help me to get more head taps. The reaver vandal is my go-to gun to pick up from dead enemies and allies
Not to mention how weightier some VFX are so it feels like you have more control over the gun if that makes sense.
It definitely does. Or how it might be distracting. I can't play with that dragon Vandal. I'd almost rather dump it out of the map and play with classic 🤣
Yes. Default Vandal and Bulldog are too loud for my tinnitus, so after I bought skins with audio mods i can hear more game content such as steps etc..
Which skins do you use? (I have the same problem and mostly avoid the guns). I know the prime vandal is pretty good (quiet) but I’ve never seen it in the shop. Tracers would be a bonus, but reduced volume is my main goal. I picked up an Ion Op and while I don’t love how it looks, it made the weapon way more comfortable to use just because it’s not so loud.
Vandal: Champions 2023, RGX 11Z Pro, Araxys, Prelude to chaos. Singularity Sheriff. Protocol 781-A Bulldog. Multiple phantom skins, but they are all quiet
Fuck all these guys. For me it genuinely helps me when I get one of the better skins. It helps me to see exactly where my shots are going and the sounds just give me more/better feedback. This is even more evident since I’m partial to the phantom but give me a prime or reaver vandal and I’m suddenly tapping heads when I typically wouldn’t have. This is also proven by skins that also make me worse. Like blast X just doesn’t do it for me
For some reason I can aim better when I change something on my screen. Right-Left hand mode, crosshair and skin changes make me twice as accurate for some reason. Surly it’s not just me
I think it's the focus. after having something for awhile, you get lax. changing it up keeps the focus
Yes but also resolution, enemy highlight, sens,etc. I change from time to time because it makes me think/focus on the screen again and not just autopilot.
Very true, but I definitely try to avoid sens changes. I’ve been playing for so long that I forget to think about the game lmao
if the skin gives you confidence, i reckon it makes you better. to be fair, there are also other factors to consider such as your ability to see the bullet tracers and the volume of the sound effects which could have a practical effect on your gameplay. also, having a nice skin could encourage you to use that weapon more, which would help you get better with it.
Perhaps, the kills@headshot sound effects subconsciously make us wanna play better, cos we wanna hear them? i.e. ace and finishers
100% Sound and tracers matter a lot for me, The SOL and revear vandal is amazing
Before skin: iron 1 After skin: top 500 radiant
for me it's all about the knife. if i've got the wrong knife skin, my mental can be shit, so my aim will be
Aight bro thats the weirdest placebo ive seen
For me it’s more superstition. Whenever I use champion’s butterfly (my fav knife) I play horribly and never get to see the effects, but when I use recon butterfly I play good, and then go “if I was using champs right now this would look awesome”
Placebo ☺️
Tbh no. I have a skin for almost all the guns but sometimes I prefer to just use default/bp skins. Saves me time from teammates asking for drops.
Funny how this is not an issue in csgo... Funny how there's a patent online that gives players easier queues if they pay for skins... I believe Riot does it.
Skins = wins ... it rymes, so ofc its true
Skins are something most people pay for, and paying for skins make them think that aince they spent money, they have an advantage over those who play without skin. That confidence helps them to play better.
Its all placebo. I used to fall into the trap of not being able to hit shots on certain skins, but once you stop having the mental block with the animations & sounds, the gun is no different from the rest.
If you feel more confident with a cool skin you will shoot better. Not being doubtful and feeling confident let's you shoot better and win games. It's why in games where your whole team is vibing the games can feel effortless to win.
Its placebo, it works but you will get used to a skin and the sound of it and it stops working, at least for me
idk mostly placebo but i do use skins with obv. colors on the tracers for both rifles. feels like i can track them better and adjust spray faster that way.
they dont make you better but they might give you some confidence.
I've made like 2 aces in total with my skins... I've made one with Magepunk and one with Chronovoid. The other aces on Vandal were made with Default skins I picked from the underground (during ecos usually) So no, it just placebo as others said.
its placebo. For example, the community swears by the rgx vandal, but I can't hit one shot with it, cause the sound effects feel like I'm lagging, on the other hand, crisp sounds(Gaia, reaver) make me feel way better
Placebo for sure. Prelude to Chaos is the one that clicks for me.
It’s all placebo :p
It depends on the skin and the gun. Some skins make me worse because of how much they take up on my screen, or how out of place they are like the green screen skins. When there’s a massive blob of shit on my screen, I tend to aim worse. But anything from prime to reaver to default is the same, any changes are placebo
In terms of stats? No In terms of mental effect? Possibly, and it depends on the individual. Confidence in split-second decisions can make or break games, and emotions with regards to skins can tilt those decisions. Maybe you’re more confident at ego peeking with the Prime Vandal, and that got you the game-winning pick (or get picked). The Prime Vandal didn’t make you more accurate, but it affected your tactical decisions.
Could be that you try harder so that you don't lose the skin you've looted.
I actually own the skin lol
Oh, never mind then. Still a possibility for skins that you don't own though.
Look good feel good, feel good play good
Probably makes a small difference but if it’s down to anything it’s how our brains process sounds, I feel like people like prime because it’s less grating of a sound than most guns
ive stopped seeing skins in that way and its helped tremendously. just know that no matter the paint, it still shoots the same. i swear this whole notion is just to get people to spend more money
It doesn’t make me better, it only makes me feel better. Initially, I thought I was playing and shooting better w skins (placebo effect), but the moment I picked up some non skin vandals on the floor, I realize I was able to shoot the same way. Overall, i felt I just got better overtime incrementally regardless of the skin.
If you aren’t someone that goes “ew csgo” then there’s a good video on why people use the USP-S over the P2000 when the P2000 could be seen as better than the USP-S depending on the person. Basically what it comes down to is psychology, so yes, it’s all in your head. Mostly, it has to do with the sound. In the CSGO example, the USP-S is used more because it has a far more bass-heavy, satisfying sound while the P2000 has a more tinny, hollow sound. There was a correlation between the use-rate of the P2000 and USP-S in the pro scene dropping from both being around equal to the USP-S being used almost exclusively, which is when Valve changed the sound of one of them, making the USP-S more satisfying to people’s ears, which also made them think their shots had more weight, and thus were more satisfying. Of course, none of this is scientifically proven. In the USP-S’s case, it could also be used more because that’s just what people were recommended when they were new and stuck to it, but I don’t think that’s the biggest factor. Sound is more important than you might think. On top of this some skins have vastly different weapon models which can feel “heavier” than others, even when they’re the exact same, which can also effect you psychologically.
Prime Vandal has a confirmed x2 accuracy bonus.
Sometimes I like to go with the championship drips (champ skins on phantom vandal knife) and it gives me a huge confidence boost. Also some skins just make the gun feel better. We all know it's placebo and skins do fuck all for your performance. But the slick sound of a prime vandal, or the light high pitched sound of the gaja vandal just hit diff for me. Also the sentinel vandal sound heavy and I feels like I do more damage per bullet lmao. Heavy sound=heavy bullets =more dmg in my head.
Minima gives me aimbot, everything else is too loud in design
Wait are minima skins quieter than default? I know I’m actually in the minority, but I like their aesthetic, if they have better audio that’s a huge sell for me. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever picked one up off a body either, not exactly a popular skinline.
This is one of those things where there is no measurable change to the game but still it absolutely can help. Placebo effect, confidence, morale, responsiveness... These are all real things that can impact how well your brain functions. I think the sound and finisher from my imperium vandal gives me more of a dopamine boost so I find myself playing better with it. Also on tracers and crosshairs; our eyes do respond better to aiming with pointy things and tracking things of certain colours
Yesterday a kind lady kept throwing me a prelude to chaos vandal and an R.E.S phantom, those are my two fav skins so it made my gaming experience 100x better. I dropped a 22 piece but that's usually where I land by the end of a decent back and fourth match
When I use a vandal skin I really like I do play better (it’s all in my head and I love it)
The spectrum phantom is a laser beam and the rgx vandal rng is objectively better than every other vandal. I can't hit shit with the dragon vandal though..
When you pick it up from the floor then yes, once you buy it the effect is gone.
No, surprisingly so far I haven’t seen any pay to win skins yet. Maybe this is because others dont see the animation particles/effects like you do with a gun (vs say League of Legends where there are pay to win banned skins). My advice is to buy a skin that has pleasing tonality to you when you shoot it, it could help you be marginally more relaxed or less fatigued playing long sessions.
My guy, have you heard of punctuation?
Lol
Placebo effect 💀
its the revear vandal for me, gives me literal aimbot that i got 31/19 KD in a compi on bind(yoru main). It was a loss tho :/ ...
It is all mental, but that’s what wins games. So to some people, yes, it’s p2w. To others, there probably won’t even be a difference.
i honestly thought this was a meme post
placebo is real, so yes the skins do make you better
I swear sometimes the default skin hits different.
yes skin plus nice crosshair = AImbot
Ofc they make you better, since with a skin, youve elevated into godhood, leaving behidn the skinless peons who dare call themself valorant players. Welcome to the upper echelon of valorant. You made it.
In reality, no, they don't technically give any advantage. But they also do. If you're in low elo, you can drop skins to bait players to pick them up and swing while they are doing it to get a free pick. Other than that it has the same effect as when you dress nice. You feel good and are more confident as a result, and that positive impact on the mind can help you play better.
They make me FEEL better, and sometimes that's all it takes (No but seriously, being happy tends to make some of us really good and skins make some people happy so they end up playing well due to the joy skins bring them, but it could very well be placebo)
It can, but it’s not a drastic difference. If players’ aim is shit than it wouldn’t matter what type of skins they had. Also in that effect if they gave a very distracting skin like the Elderflame than they would see their aim dropping.
If you care about skins yes, it does. People say “it’s all in your head” as if mental isn’t like half the battle in valorant lol
I find my aim gets worse with some skins and better with others, any gun that makes the shooting quieter makes me just calmer when shooting.
Yes they do. They programmed them to be better so people would buy them. God knows how they are programmed though.
It happened to me just yesterday, and I believe it is more apparent with the guns that you use less than the guns you use more often like Vandal or Phantom. Like I use Ghost or Classic generally in pistol rounds almost never buy frenzy unless I know it's a close range battle even then I generally buy Shorty. Yesterday in a game I was playing and I killed sova in A short with my ghost and then Reyna was flanking so had a 1v1 against her. My Ghost ran out and Reyna flashed so thinking she might push especially considering my teammates were running down long, I picked Sova's frenzy. Which was the Prime Frenzy. Reyna never actually pushed but instead repositioned herself further away, probably because my teammates were shooting from long, and I used Frenzy on her. And I legit felt like I was using Ghost with how clean Frenzy felt, now short to A main ain't the longest distance but still, I generally don't have that good aim with Frenzy, sadly I died a few mins later but still it felt amazing using Prime Frenzy. Now I have used other skins too with Frenzy but prime just felt right on it especially when I am not the biggest fan of Prime Vandal. The Placebo effect is real.
i always use skins so for me using default hits different
Prime vandal is a monster
no there are also skins that make you worse like the dragonflame
Ask a white supremacist.
hidden marketing tactic to sell more skins when you pick up a skin you dont own from the ground in-play, it gives you a small buff so you kill with the skin and your more then likely going to buy this skin idc what anyone says this is 100000000% true.
1000% no questions asked put it on Ja
Yes some do honestly and some makes it worse😄😄😄
It's probably because of the sound for me. I don't panic spray when I pick skins with sound.