[klem]

The Swastika.

I'm not at all sure I want to dip my toe in but here's my one-off.

Let's just be practical about this.

1. It is deeply offensive to many people and will continue to be so for many years.
2. It's use in various ways is banned in many countries.
3. Oleg, possibly for these reasons alone and possibly others too has decided it will not be available in SoW.
4. The ability for users to add their own skins means they can add it if they wish to and use it in their own homes.
5. On-line servers can decide whether they will allow it through skin downloads and warn/kick/ban if they wish.
6. On-line server operators may run into legal difficulties if they allow it's use.

In practice, our own opinions don't really account for much in the real and practical world of whether it will/should be allowed. Laws are Laws.

Where it is used and permitted in on-line servers be aware that it may be causing offence to other players as much as if you were hurling racist abuse (as they may see it) through the Chat bar although they do have the choice of not using that server. If SoW ever goes to a MMOG I doubt very much if it will be allowed on a large Host server because of it's global nature.

I'm not saying "I'm right" but I really don't see what else there is to the debate. Anything else is simply a matter of personal preference.

I suppose I should declare my own position. I have a very clear knowledge of what was done 'under the Nazi use of the Swastika'. I found those things deeply offensive. Curiously I have discovered that I am not actually offended by it's appearance in IL-2. I suppose that's because I am able to separate 'game' from 'history' and do not assume that the virtual pilot is a Neo Nazi. I am conscious of the offence it causes others and it does gives me a strange feeling to see it but I personally am not bothered if it is available or not and, in deference to those it offends, I don't think it should be permitted without being declared on the server.