It's late and I'm not sure I understand everything in how .pk3s and files are dealt, but:
- I thought the best option you had was to CREATE some .pk3 with the skins you want to replace. You'd then be able to use them on unpure servers.
- Purpose of a pure server is to have identical files used for client and server, so you shouldn't ever be able to bypass that. If you modify your main pk3 files: you'll be ejected. If you add custom .pk3s: they won't be loaded.
If I seperated each model as their own pk3, i'll easily run into the pk3 loading limits too soon for those with lots of addons.
You can make an override "z" pk3 with broken icon or skin files to disable skins.
Thankfully I wasn't rejected from any pure servers so far, after all its only a skin pk3. Seems the server "intelligence" is smart enough to different skin pk3s from other important pk3s (e.g. pak0.pk3).
The workaround you both suggest would only work on unpure servers, on pure servers I would still see the neko skin.
So I think I will just stick to my workaround.
But thanks anyways. :-)