Nameplates Long Overdue

joshdarovitz

I am not clear on whether or not this has been announced anywhere, or discussed for that matter.

But in every game I have played the ability to identify enemies with Nameplates was one of the most necessary optional features available. The only way to distinguish friend, foe and ally at this point is the color of health bar above their head or the aura around their body (without addons). Nameplates allow you to recognize enemies more clearly, know who and what they are. From my experience nameplates created an easier way to recognize other players. And I realize that some may find it unnecessary but having the option to toggle them off or on solves this problem. I'm not trying to complain or anything I absolutely love this game. However, especially for those who have to run on lower graphics, it is almost impossible to distinguish between who is an enemy in PvP encounters, particularly during Assaults with everyone clustered around. It is impossible to tell who, what or where the enemy is, which means resorting to swinging the sword while spamming abilities hoping to hit something.

Is ZOS planning to include nameplates anytime soon? Is it difficult to integrate this feature into this particular game?

Am I the only one that feels like ZOS should have at least considered the addition of nameplates into the game by now?

Khami

No to name plates, it clutters up the UI.

Sorry if you're unable to notice that the name of player, their Alliance rank, level, and title are there. They're just not above their head like in other games.

The only info the game doesn't give on a character is which guild they are in and being you can be in 5 at once, there is zero need for that.

mutharex

Yep no name plates is by design. You might find some addon for that

kiralia

From what I have heard they had them in beta but removed them. The excuse was something about them spoiling the player immersion in the game...or some rubbish like that.

Personally I would much rather they switched them back on and let players decide for themselves if they wanted to see them, in the same way we do with healthbars.

k9mouse

Khami wrote: »

No to name plates, it clutters up the UI.

Sorry if you're unable to notice that the name of player, their Alliance rank, level, and title are there. They're just not above their head like in other games.

The only info the game doesn't give on a character is which guild they are in and being you can be in 5 at once, there is zero need for that.

What this person said! ^

Digiman

As an option sure. But I don't want to see 700 nameplates with stupid names cluttering my screen.

joshdarovitz

The information on the player is available but for those who have to run on lower graphics settings this information is not an easy way to distinguish enemies, classes or their locations.

How would it clutter the UI if they made it an optional addition? You can simply turn it off if you want more immersion in your experience or rather not have nameplates over heads. A nameplate over someones head bares little difference to health bars over characters heads, which you can also turn off and on. These health bars are also very difficult to see.

Systems that require lower video settings to play the game mean addons are not a viable option for those groups of people. It would slow down the performance of their game. Having the option built into the game means it would run much smoother than an outside program.

So for those who have systems capable of running the game smoothly, but at the cost of lowest video quality, the only response they will ever receive is "sorry you can not see the information available to those who can play smoothly at higher video settings."

Does this not create a disadvantage for a large group of ESO players who play the game on lower video settings but can not afford to buy new computers to clearly see information those on higher video settings can? Now they must sacrifice view distance and the ability to clearly identify players or enemies?

Shaun98ca2

I think because allowing it in the game makes it really non optional. Its extra info that's hard to receive ingame.

Those turning it off are at a disadvantage and the devs really seemed to look at that sorta thing for this game hence the Addon restrictions as well.

Its really hard to explain but simply put options for extra info isn't an option its a must at that point.

rudimentxb14_ESO

The OP suggest that we should have the option to turn it on and off. Just because one person comes here with his firm opinion on not having it because it clutters up his precious UI space. I will state my firm opinion that we need it. As a healer this is *** annoying. I need to see names.

veneficus

No. Nameplates should not be enabled even with an addon unless I have the option to prevent others from seeing my name in a nameplate.

Allowing this would give those who have the option to see names a huge advantage in PvP. Plus with the plethora of inane names out there the last thing I want to see is that garbage running around in my world.

Blackwidow

No to nameplates in PvP.

Yes to the OPTION of nameplates in PvE.

This is simple logic.

crislevin

option, yes
mandatory, no

joshdarovitz

rudimentxb14_ESO wrote: »

The OP suggest that we should have the option to turn it on and off. Just because one person comes here with his firm opinion on not having it because it clutters up his precious UI space. I will state my firm opinion that we need it. As a healer this is *** annoying. I need to see names.

I am also taking this from a healer's perspective. I try to always keep my team within view of me, but the only way I know specifically who requires immediate attention is by looking at party. I see their name and their health loss, but don't know who or what I am looking for in my party to heal. Since health bars are so difficult to see I have to use abilities such as Steadfast Ward which puts a bubble on lowest health ally and then I know. Nameplates would make this process much easier.

And having the ability to toggle them on and off gives no more advantage than the health bars they include. You can toggle them off as well, leaving you only with one way to see the enemies health rather than above their head. This creates no change of game advantage or disadvantage. I do not see how taking off the ability to see someone's name, class and alignment would create any sort of advantage for those who don't. I can only see how it would create an optimal way for those who require nameplates to identify other players rather than higher video settings.

ZOS made it clear they do not allow addons that would create an unfair advantage. If there is an addon that can add nameplates then this is their official position. So why not include it into the game?

Shaun98ca2

rudimentxb14_ESO wrote: »

The OP suggest that we should have the option to turn it on and off. Just because one person comes here with his firm opinion on not having it because it clutters up his precious UI space. I will state my firm opinion that we need it. As a healer this is *** annoying. I need to see names.

As a healer I look at floating health bars. Im also a Templar and heal using Breath of life as my only heal on the hot bar.

daneyulebub17_ESO

Optional. Who cares about PVP--make it non-optional there if PVP'ers want, but there's TONS of other options (three monitors, better connection, larger screen, etc. etc.) that players have that give them an advantage over others.

Use it or don't, but don't try to disallow the far greater amount of PVE players who want the option to have it for those silly subjective reasons.

OPTIONAL.

It has been requested over and over and over, and most of the many threads on the subject show overwhelming support for it as a...wait for it...OPTION.

One of the biggest reasons this game feels so anonymous and impersonal is no nameplates. You can't recognize the same player you've seen 5 minutes before, you can't recognize members of your own guild, unless you mouse over them individually. Its insane, inconvenient and annoying. And.. nameplates are done in (to my knowledge) EVERY SINGLE MMO out there as an option.

Except this one. The one that is universally criticized for its lack of social friendly features.

OPTIONAL.

They had it in beta--crudely, but there. They need to tweak it the font, and put it back.

If you don't want the clutter, turn it off but don't try to deny the huge number of people requesting the OPTION.

joshdarovitz

veneficus wrote: »

No. Nameplates should not be enabled even with an addon unless I have the option to prevent others from seeing my name in a nameplate.

Allowing this would give those who have the option to see names a huge advantage in PvP. Plus with the plethora of inane names out there the last thing I want to see is that garbage running around in my world.

Would you emphasize how this would create such a huge advantage over those who choose not to use it? I do not understand this.

You already have this information available on higher video settings, it's simply not in a more convenient location (such as over your head).

Falmer

Definitely would not be on my priority list anywhere. Not having nameplates was an absolute awesome decision on the part of the developer.

In the future, if they want to include it as an option for people that like that cluttered look.. go for it, as long as I am not MADE to see it.

Shaun98ca2

Its actually lend well to combat at times too. I have heard stories of people thinking they saw another player at a treasure chest and ran up to them only to find out it was a npc mob taking them by surprise.

Tandor

I have no problem with the lack of nameplates, it's a good feature in my view.

TieFighter

forget about nameplates- we dont need them on players in pvp or pve and neither do you, on players OR npc's
in pvp the alliance colors are clear and present so you know if its friend or foe and the health doesn't need to be in your face, just beat them till they dont move anymore.
pve? really? this is the least place we *need* nameplates. if youre a templar like i am now(hence my sig) there are awesome add-ons that display the grp's health bars(any direct heal or HoT will auto heal lowest health) and there are add-ons to display buff timers.
but eso implementing this as a norm is unnecessary and unwanted

xaraan

I've had no issues identifying enemies in the game and no desire to see more crap on the screen. But that's just me, I guess if it's an optional thing they add, I don't care, but I'd rather than work on a million other more important things.

veneficus

joshdarovitz wrote: »

Would you emphasize how this would create such a huge advantage over those who choose not to use it? I do not understand this.

Sure. Currently in PvP a character can hide behind a tree or rock and not be seen. Nameplates add another layer of visibility in that often the nameplate extends far beyond the character avatar. I've seen this in other games, like LOTRO monster play, where a character was trying to hide behind a tree but I could see their nameplate. Without the nameplate being visible the character might have been able to remain undetected.

Also nameplates allow players in PvP environments to more easily identify another player. This can be a bad thing in that some players feel the need to try and pick on another character for whatever reason. Nameplates make this behavior that much easier.

Finally while this is an MMO this is also an Elder Scrolls game. No Elder Scrolls game has ever had floating billboards over every character's head. That mechanic kills immersion and is needlessly unsightly. With regards to healing most healing does not require you to target a person and if it does the group interface shows you the members and their health bars which is more than enough UI clutter to get the job done.

tordr86b16_ESO

mutharex wrote: »

Yep no name plates is by design. You might find some addon for that

it is not possible because they have disabled it in the api.

Islyn

joshdarovitz wrote: »

However, especially for those who have to run on lower graphics, it is almost impossible to distinguish between who is an enemy in PvP encounters

Red Bar or Blue bar. Easy.

Also you don't damage your allies, so swing that sword like a boss(mer).

joshdarovitz

TieFighter wrote: »

forget about nameplates- we dont need them on players in pvp or pve and neither do you, on players OR npc's
in pvp the alliance colors are clear and present so you know if its friend or foe and the health doesn't need to be in your face, just beat them till they dont move anymore.
pve? really? this is the least place we *need* nameplates. if youre a templar like i am now(hence my sig) there are awesome add-ons that display the grp's health bars(any direct heal or HoT will auto heal lowest health) and there are add-ons to display buff timers.
but eso implementing this as a norm is unnecessary and unwanted

To those with systems that can run higher video quality settings then I am sure this is valid. But I am sorry to disagree. Running on lower video settings, to run the game smoothly, means that enemies/players are not very clear or present at all, even with health bars. I want to be able to see who they are, what their alliance is, what class they are so I can respond accordingly. At the moment I have no option to do this optimally.

In PvE I would like to see the names of enemy npc's to identify who, what and where they are. As well as those on my team. Nameplates would be an optimal solution to this as well

Addons are out of the question for systems that already require you to lower graphic settings in order to run the game smoothly.

tordr86b16_ESO

Yes to nameplates, yes to chat bubbles. They are trying to cater to elder scrolls fans, I get it. But this is also an mmorpg, denying us these two simple features is simply ridicouless. So long these two features are OPTIONAL then what could possibly turn TES fans away from the game? Just because it's simply available ? how arrogant.

daneyulebub17_ESO

Finally while this is an MMO this is also an Elder Scrolls game. No Elder Scrolls game has ever had floating billboards over every character's head.

Finally while this is an Elder Scrolls game this is also an MMO. No MMO game has ever NOT had floating billboards over every character's head. (as an Option).

There--fixed it for you.

veneficus

daneyulebub17_ESO wrote: »

Finally while this is an Elder Scrolls game this is also an MMO. No MMO game has ever NOT had floating billboards over every character's head. (as an Option).There--fixed it for you.

Wrong. There have been MMOs without 'floating billboards' over the heads of characters. Ultima Online for instance. And just because something is done by the 'cookie cutter' MMOs of late doesn't mean it is a good trend or one that should be followed by every game released ever after.

Zxaxz

kiralia wrote: »

From what I have heard they had them in beta but removed them. The excuse was something about them spoiling the player immersion in the game...or some rubbish like that.

Personally I would much rather they switched them back on and let players decide for themselves if they wanted to see them, in the same way we do with healthbars.

ROFL, IMMERSION - We have to log in and out between 4+ accounts to work our bag inventory, we shoot lightning out of our arses, and flames from our mouths and they site IMMERSION; The server can not handle the added stress of adding names to your character on the screen; Hence they are no names, this IMMERSION, BS, LIE, is like losing E-Mails from your Hard Drive (Not even credible) .. just FKN ROFL.

joshdarovitz

veneficus wrote: »

joshdarovitz wrote: »

Would you emphasize how this would create such a huge advantage over those who choose not to use it? I do not understand this.

Sure. Currently in PvP a character can hide behind a tree or rock and not be seen. Nameplates add another layer of visibility in that often the nameplate extends far beyond the character avatar. I've seen this in other games, like LOTRO monster play, where a character was trying to hide behind a tree but I could see their nameplate. Without the nameplate being visible the character might have been able to remain undetected.

Also nameplates allow players in PvP environments to more easily identify another player. This can be a bad thing in that some players feel the need to try and pick on another character for whatever reason. Nameplates make this behavior that much easier.

Finally while this is an MMO this is also an Elder Scrolls game. No Elder Scrolls game has ever had floating billboards over every character's head. That mechanic kills immersion and is needlessly unsightly. With regards to healing most healing does not require you to target a person and if it does the group interface shows you the members and their health bars which is more than enough UI clutter to get the job done.

All very valid points and I appreciate the constructive response to my concern. Thank you very much.

I have little concern over the ability to hide from enemies behind a tree or rock. I do not feel the need to address this as a deciding factor between using nameplates as an advantage.

In PvP competition is always part of the game and this inevitably creates frustration. Knowing who killed you may yes allow him to focus on you. But with how massive PvP is in this game, it makes it more difficult than other games for one player to simply camp you over and over again. And one day you may reach the experience needed to come back for your revenge on such a player, seeking him out during combat. This would not be possible without being able to identify enemy players unless you plan to hover over all of them in order to determine who they are.

There are lot's of differences between this ESO game and previous ones in terms of immersion. Having a health bar over a player's head for example is the exact same thing as having a nameplate hover over someone's head in terms of immersion (not the information available, only the immersion it creates by having something hover over someone's head). But that's why it is optional.

Healing the information available is more than enough to get the job done but does not mean we are doing so optimally. Knowing where a specific person is when things get hairy without resorting to looking at the party menu in the top left of the screen means allowing more focus on boss mechanics, healing rotation and specific target support. Some mechanics can be disorienting when you are unable to see where exactly the person who is in danger currently is. For example, take off the floating health bars and try to tell me healing is not at all any more difficult than it was. This is what those with lower graphics have to tolerate, meaning they will never heal as well as those who afford computers running better video settings.

It is just my own personal opinion of course. My arguments are no more valid than anyone else here and I appreciate everyone's input. This was a much more popular subject than I expected. Simply though, I personally feel that this game can never be completely balanced if you do not give those less fortunate the opportunity to quickly distinguish information such as names and classes, as well as who is friend or foe. Even if they are capable of running the game very smoothly on the lowest video settings the ZOS provides in the game. It seems at the cost of not being able to access this information.

NewBlacksmurf

This is really not the cookie cutter MMO that many are hoping this to become. Its suppose to look like you're playing TES. It should not look in any way like you're playing an online game.

Thats the point, there are add-ons that may allow you to customize your experience to mimic a typical MMO but I'd even like them to remove the General chat (I cut mine off)

As its not realistic to be able to talk to people all over a zone vs. face to face and /s communication or /p when it makes sense.

/g1 and /g2 have those purposes

*Just a different opinion of the experience I'm looking for which is why I made the purchase and left other MMO's