History Main / WhatDoYouMeanItsNotCosmetic

It looks like a CosmeticAward, it's awarded like a CosmeticAward, it gives points like a CosmeticAward, except it is not cosmetic, it actually does something to affect gameplay.

Usually such achievements do not influence gameplay immediately and per se, but instead [[UnlockableContent unlock content]] for later use.

See also BraggingRightsReward, AndYourRewardIsClothes.
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!!Examples:
* ''BloodlineChampions'' has achievements that give Blood Coins, the main in-game resource, that can be later used to unlock characters. Grinding the easiest ones is usually recommended for new players.
* Kongregate's main feature is an API that allows you get achievements for pre-existing flash games. Achievements are regularly selected for challenges that, if completed, give you a card for Kongai, the site's iconic CCG.
** After they merged with GameStop, this was intensified-- now a random achievement each day gives you points for the customer loyalty program.
* Both of the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' games features a selection of Achievements (and later Trophies) with immediate and potent effects, such as increased XP-gain, boosted powers, access to new abilities, or any number of other benefits.
* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', there are challenges a player can do which are usually skill or weapon-based(kill enemies X times with a particular weapon, use a certain item x times, etc.). When these challenges are completed, you'll actually get minor perks.
** And most of the PS3 / 360 / {{Steam}} achievements are tied to either the above challenges or major quests, so when you hear that [[CosmeticAward bleep,]] you're probably getting a big pile of ExperiencePoints, too.
* ''VideoGame/{{World of Warcraft}}'''s achievement-gained mounts can qualify as this, as it means you don't have to buy a fast mount if you haven't already, and the +310% speed ones mean you don't have to buy the last flying rank. The guild achievements also provide numerous perks, such as +EXP items to give to alts, or groupwide buff items. None of them are necessary to maximize your abilities in combat, but they can save time on many types of grinding.
* When ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' first released alternative weapons, the only way to get them was to complete various achievements for the class in question to unlock them (you can still do so, but since the items now {{Randomly Drop|s}} and you can now trade, [[ItemCrafting craft]], or [[BribingYourWayToVictory just buy]] them it's somewhat redundant).
** Some of the hats ''Team Fortress 2'' is known for used to be part of sets with other items, which when completed gave you stat boosts. The trope was subverted when these boosts were removed and the hats were [[{{Nerf}} nerfed]] to be truly cosmetic-only.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Freespace}}'' completing secondary objectives and such not only awards you with points and medals, but also sometimes gives bonus ships.
** Completing secondary and bonus objectives sometimes give some sort of advantage in the following mission (for example, the ship you are ordered to escort might start with less damage).
* A very subtle example is found in the ''WorldInConflict'' multiplayer mode. As you ramp up your scores, you will soon receive a RankUp or ten. While your fancy online rank insignia are pretty much useless in ''hard'' gameplay terms, they give you an unexpected but significant "soft" bonus in the extremely teamwork-oriented online mode of the game: on public servers, random players are much more inclined to follow a [[ColonelBadass Colonel]] or [[FourStarBadass General]]'s orders, giving your side a higher degree of coordination and team play which translates into a significant advantage over a largely disorganized opponent.
** ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has alternate champion models that can be unlocked for real cash. While having no impact on gameplay (except for a certain Annie skin that makes the "[[OhCrap stun ready]]" particle [[FakeDifficulty hard to see]]), when you are on a team with zero skinned characters and the enemy team has three or four, you pretty much assume you will lose.
*** There's also the -1 damage to Leona's Sunlight spell that all skins with sunglasses provide.
* ''VideoGame/GotchaForce'' features palette swaps of various [[PlayerMooks borgs.]] [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority Being toys and all,]] different colors give different stats.Gold and Silver borgs in particular.
* Konami Man, Twin Bee and Vic Viper in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'' are gotten as rewards from beating the game on Hard difficulty with a level cap of 1, 25 and 50, respectively: their description only reads "5000 points", but each of them also gives a permanent 50 point bonus to STR, INT and LCK, respectively.
* Collecting Marks Of The Gods in ''VideoGame/{{Outland}}'' mainly unlocks some concept art for the game, but they also give you the ability to cling to walls longer, mark all treasure urns on your map and double the strenght of your melee attacks if you collect enough of them.
* LittleBigPlanet has collectible stickers, which need to be pasted on cardboard object in the levels to activate events. Although mostly it's for MORE cosmetics, as player made levels often don't use stickers to activate shortcuts often, and many of the good ones don't include stickers at all, but developer made levels are the only ones that have new cosmetics.
* In ''Videogame/IMissTheSunrise'', merits will grant slight bonuses to the [[RelationshipValues Personal and Battle Trust]] ([[GameplayAndStoryIntegration which affect damage and accuracy]]) of all allies, including ones not recruited yet.
* Many {{MMORPG}}s nowadays attach small stat bonuses to their Titles. Developers occasionally get carried away.
** A special mention goes out to {{Vindictus}}, whose titles grant stat boosts whether they have been equipped or not. It might be worth going around and kicking 100 gnolls to death, if it will give you +1 STR.
* Each ship in ''FTLFasterThanLight'' has a set of 3 achievements unique to it. Completing 2 of these 3 achievements unlocks a new layout of that ship, which usually feature new initial weapon loadouts, crew rosters, and floor plans.
* Some of the badges {{Pirate101}} serve as flags that signal for a reward ranging from a companion to become available in the crown shop, a housing item, or a pet.
* Some achievements in ''StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' award small amounts of Cartel Coins (currency otherwise bought only with real money). Maxing companion affection or reaching lvl 50 with a human character awards small stat bonuses to all characters.
* The achievement system in ''VideoGame/CookieClicker'' initially comes off as being a mere BraggingRightsReward. However, unlocking achievements[[note]]exception: Shadow Achievements[[/note]] also increases one's "Milk" percentage, and the Kitten upgrades (helpers, workers, and engineers) increase one's [=CpS=] based on the amount of Milk the player has.
* ''Franchise/StarOcean'' series:
** Battle Trophies in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' appear to be for show, but acquiring enough of them unlocks various [[AndYourRewardIsClothes costume changes]] for the player characters, as well as the harder difficulty settings ([[IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels Universe and 4D]])
** Taken one step farther in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheLastHope'', where acquiring enough of a character's battle trophies is required to increase that character's [[{{Cap}} level cap]] from 200 to 255.
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands2}}'' has a laundry list of minor challenges of the "kill 10/100/1000 enemies with a pistol" variety that look like purely cosmetic achievements, but unlock "badass points" that can be cashed in for small bonuses that apply to all your characters.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'', there are "Battle Hero" achievements for excellent performance in a battle (killing at least 6 tanks, dealing very large amounts of damage, assisting in killing tanks through damage or spotting, etc). While these are purely cosmetic if you win, earning such an achievement in a loss results in a "Courageous Resistance" bonus that effectively gives you a winning payout.
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* Konami Man, Twin Bee and Vic Viper in CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin are gotten as rewards from beating the game on Hard difficulty with a level cap of 1, 25 and 50, respectively: their description only reads "5000 points", but each of them also gives a permanent 50 point bonus to STR, INT and LCK, respectively.

* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' has a laundry list of minor challenges of the "kill 10/100/1000 enemies with a pistol" variety that look like purely cosmetic achievements, but unlock "badass points" that can be cashed in for small bonuses that apply to all your characters.

** Some of the hats ''Team Fortress 2'' is known for are part of sets with other items, which when completed give you stat boosts.

** Battle Trophies in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' appear to be for show, but acquiring enough of them unlocks various [[AndYourRewardIsClothes costume changes]] for the player characters, as well as the harder difficulty settings ([IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels Universe and 4D]])

* The achievement system in ''VideoGame/CookieClicker'' initially comes off as being a mere BraggingRightsReward. However, unlocking achievements[[note]]exception: Shadow Achievements[[/note]] also increases one's "Milk" percentage, and the Kitten upgrades (helpers, workers, and engineers) increase one's CpS based on the amount of Milk the player has.

* Both of the ''MassEffect'' games features a selection of Achievements (and later Trophies) with immediate and potent effects, such as increased XP-gain, boosted powers, access to new abilities, or any number of other benefits.

** Some of the hats TeamFortress2 is known for are part of sets with other items, which when completed give you stat boosts.

** Hey, do you remember those {{Nice Hat}}s? Well some of them fit with sets, and some of those sets, once completed, give you stat boosts.

* When ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' first released alternative weapons, the only way to get them was to complete various achievements for the class in question to unlock them (you can still do so, but since the items now RandomlyDrops and you can now trade, [[ItemCrafting craft]], or [[BribingYourWayToVictory just buy]] them it's somewhat redundant).

* LittleBigPlanet has collectible stickers, which need to be pasted on cardboard object in the levels to activate events.

* ''VideoGame/{{World of Warcraft}}'''s achievement-gained mounts can qualify as this, as they prevent you from having to buy a fast mount if you haven't already, and the +310% speed ones prevent you from having to buy the last flying rank. The guild achievements also provide numerous perks, such as +EXP items to give to alts, or groupwide buff items. None of them are necessary to maximize your abilities in combat, but they can save time on many types of grinding.

* ''{{World of Warcraft}}'''s achievement-gained mounts can qualify as this, as they prevent you from having to buy a fast mount if you haven't already, and the +310% speed ones prevent you from having to buy the last flying rank. The guild achievements also provide numerous perks, such as +EXP items to give to alts, or groupwide buff items. None of them are necessary to maximize your abilities in combat, but they can save time on many types of grinding.

* In ''{{Freespace}}'' completing secondary objectives and such not only awards you with points and medals, but also sometimes gives bonus ships.

** ''LeagueOfLegends'' has alternate champion models that can be unlocked for real cash. While having no impact on gameplay (except for a certain Annie skin that makes the "[[OhCrap stun ready]]" particle [[FakeDifficulty hard to see]]), when you are on a team with zero skinned characters and the enemy team has three or four, you pretty much assume you will lose.
* GotchaForce features palette swaps of various [[PlayerMooks borgs.]] [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority Being toys and all,]] different colors give different stats.Gold and Silver borgs in particular.

* ''{{World of Warcraft}}'''s achievement-gained mounts can qualify as this, as they prevent you from having to buy a fast mount if you haven't already, and the +310% speed ones prevent you from having to buy the last flying rank. The guild achievements also provide numerous perks, such as +EXP items to give to alts or convenient groupwide buff items.

* In ''IMissTheSunrise'', merits will grant slight bonuses to the [[RelationshipValues Personal and Battle Trust]] ([[GameplayAndStoryIntegration which affect damage and accuracy]]) of all allies, including ones not obtained yet.

* In ''FalloutNewVegas'', there are challenges a player can do which are usually skill or weapon-based(kill enemies X times with a particular weapon, use a certain item x times, etc.). When these challenges are completed, you'll actually get minor perks.

* When ''TeamFortress2'' first released alternative weapons, the only way to get them was to complete various achievements for the class in question to unlock them (you can still do so, but since the items now RandomlyDrops and you can now trade, [[ItemCrafting craft]], or [[BribingYourWayToVictory just buy]] them it's somewhat redundant).

** Hey, do you remember those {{NiceHat}}s? Well some of them fit with sets, and some of those sets, once completed, give you stat boosts.

* Collecting Marks Of The Gods in {{Outland}} mainly unlocks some concept art for the game, but they also give you the ability to cling to walls longer, mark all treasure urns on your map and double the strenght of your melee attacks if you collect enough of them.