From my experience, I play as an Android. And I have to change my character's head to the default first choice for any of the NPC skins to work.
If I don't, I go back to the lobby, but I can't see myself or anyone else, and I cant move.
Otherwise, it works fine for me. And I've done all the way through 15.
Though they're all the same after 11 I think, lol.