Armor Dyes Review - The Good & The Bad

Phantax

OK.. so we're finally getting armor dying. That's a good thing, anything that add some individuality and more depth to a game is always good and in that I applaud Zenimax.

The Good -

Dying stations are easy enough to find, they are quite clearly labelled on the map-

And once there its easy to see the station itself-


Once at the station just click as you would any crafting station and it opens the window. Here you can see all the colours, locked or available depending on what you have. The options are basic yet intuitive with the uses you'd expect, dye, remove/delete, due all, colour picker-

(unavailable dyes have the little padlock symbol, the ones you can use do not)

Using the station isn't exactly difficult, each armor piece (head, shoulders, chest, hands, legs, feet, belt) all have 3 slots and you can add any colour to that slot, changing that pieces appearance. Just click on the colour/dye you wish to use and choose which piece and slot you want to apply that colour to.


You will see a visual representation of your choice allowing you to decide if you like it or not. Don't worry if you don't, removing the colour is just as easy as applying it.

Add various colours if you wish (21 slots available) and all could have a different colour if you wanted or are colour blind...lol

The Bad -

Unfortunately acquiring dyes is as I hoped it wouldn't be. It's entirely achievement based. That is they are unlocked by accomplishing certain achieves, not purchasable with achievement points.
This is going to heavily restrict which dyes are available to a lot of players because a lot of the dyes (especially the rarer ones) seem to be PvP or Craglorn based achievements ! So if you're not into PvP or not obsessed with Craglorn you won't be opening these dyes in your dyes window.

The other point is you never physically own a dye. (as far as I can tell) you get the achievement and the dye is unlocked. This means there will be no trading in dyes !
In itself this is double edged blessing. OK we aren't going to get the usual idiots spamming chat trying to sell white or black dyes (usually the most popular)for a small fortune, but neither are we going to have the ability to get those dyes we long to have but don't have the achieves for.


All-in-all I like the dying system, I'm glad Zenimax added it to the game. Its going to add some diversity and individuality to players/characters and that is always a good thing.
I don't like how Zenimax have implemented the way dyes are obtained, with this I think they have missed their mark ! Hopefully we'll get some kind of work-around before the release of update 3.

Rapscallion74

Phantax wrote: »

Unfortunately acquiring dyes is as I hoped it wouldn't be. It's entirely achievement based.

Meh, that totally kills it for me. Guess I am running around with default colours :-(

Oberon

Also, you can't preview a dye that is not unlocked.

This was brought up in another thread and is a really good idea--let us preview all of the dyes, not just the ones we have unlocked. Grey out the "save" button so that you cannot actually apply the dyes to your armor if any of the ones you've selected are not unlocked.

This would let us preview everything, allowing the player to decide which achievements (dye unlocks) he really wants to go after.

NetViperX

I think the achievment part sucks but hopefully there will be more than one source for colors like black so if you aren't into PvP, there will be some other achievment that also unlocks that color without PvP.

That being said the dye interface looks to be the best I have ever seen. The huge number of colors is totally outstanding, and the fact you can color the cloth, metal, and trim is spectacular. This is just what I was hoping for, a way to dye my Imperial armor to look like real Roman stuff; Red cloth, silver metal, and gold trim.

Excellent!!

Phantax

NetViperX wrote: »

I think the achievment part sucks but hopefully there will be more than one source for colors like black so if you aren't into PvP, there will be some other achievment that also unlocks that color without PvP.

That being said the dye interface looks to be the best I have ever seen. The huge number of colors is totally outstanding, and the fact you can color the cloth, metal, and trim is spectacular. This is just what I was hoping for, a way to dye my Imperial armor to look like real Roman stuff; Red cloth, silver metal, and gold trim.

Excellent!!

Their are different shades in each rarity group, I'm guessing the common black will look more greyish, while the rare is a deep black !

Firestar_

Hey, this looks awesome! And as much as I don't like PVP, I do appreciate that it is achievement based. It gives me something to look forward to when I am well and truly done and there is a good reward for something I'm not keen on doing.
Who knows? By being forced in to something, I might discover that I actually enjoy it. And if I don't, then the goal simply is not worth it and I need to find something else to do.

Slurg

Rapscallion74 wrote: »

Phantax wrote: »

Unfortunately acquiring dyes is as I hoped it wouldn't be. It's entirely achievement based.

Meh, that totally kills it for me. Guess I am running around with default colours :-(

There's a thread on PTS forum with the different achievements- some of them are so basic it'll be hard not to get them. So everyone will have access to some colors.

I agree with other posters it would be nice to see previews of locked colors to determine if I want to put in extra efforts for those colors.

Evergnar

Thx for the great breakdown @Phantax.

The preview is great (should have previews for everything crafting related).
Don't like the colors tied to achievements either.

If you could get the same color in PvE, PvP, or Craglorn I wouldn't mind so much. Players shouldn't be penalized for their play style, no matter what it is.

liquid_wolf

As a person that loves achievements, and hunting them down... I am very happy to see I'm going to be actually getting something for them.

As a person who has participated in much PvP and even obtained emperor... I am very happy to see dyes are going to be rewarded for my time in there.

As a person who is still working towards Craglorn, I am very upset to see that dyes are being kept from me simply because I didn't rush the game and PvE all the time. ZOS needs to fix this ASAP or the world will end.

All kidding aside, I do like how thier system is being implemented. I too had hoped the dyes would be physical items, but I can look over that for the time being if we can simply get them in the game. I like achievements, so don't have any particular grudge against this method at this point.

Aett_Thorn

I do wish that unlocking the dyes was more of a personal choice related to achievement points (5 buys you a "common" color dye, 10 for an "uncommon", 15 for a "rare" [or however many point it would need]). Mostly just because I might really want a few colors, but might not be able to unlock certain greens until level 45 or something like that because that's when you can get the achievement.

However, it does at least look like all of the colors are represented at each level, and you just get "deeper" colors the rarer they are.

Phantax

Evergnar wrote: »

If you could get the same color in PvE, PvP, or Craglorn I wouldn't mind so much. Players shouldn't be penalized for their play style, no matter what it is.

Not a bad idea. Having maybe 2 or 3 different achievements that unlock certain dyes would definitely help !

+1

Audigy

Rapscallion74 wrote: »

Phantax wrote: »

Unfortunately acquiring dyes is as I hoped it wouldn't be. It's entirely achievement based.

Meh, that totally kills it for me. Guess I am running around with default colours :-(

You don't need to. Most of the Dye´s are available for everyone. As example, doing stuff for the mages or fighters guild, finishing a territory, reaching Level 10, fishing, becoming a legendary blacksmith etc.

Some are based on dungeons and pvp as well, I believe one says that you must kill 1000 bosses for a pink one.

They are spread into three categories as you can see in the screenshots above.

Common, Uncommon and Rare.

Common should be available for everyone, uncommon for achievement hunters and those with more than one Char and Rare for the more hardcore based faction of gamers.

If you check the screenshot above, you will see that common has a lot of colors in it and quite often the difference between common and uncommon is more in the detail than the actual color.

For example,

a green at uncommon is more shiny, more "precious" than a green at common.

Firestar_

Aett_Thorn wrote: »

However, it does at least look like all of the colors are represented at each level, and you just get "deeper" colors the rarer they are.

That's what I'm seeing too. Everyone gets access to all colors, this just seems to be more of a "what specific shade do you want?" Want pink? Fine. There's a common pink, an uncommon pink and a rare pink. They're all still the color you wanted, just slightly different shades.

Mud_Puppy

Dyes should be hard to unlock in my opinion. If everyone had the same access it would feel very mundane.

Phantax

Audigy wrote: »

Some are based on dungeons and pvp as well, I believe one says that you must kill 1000 bosses for a pink one.

Oh great, hundreds of pink 'My Little Pony' lovers all claiming to be baddass because they slayed a few bosses....lol

Kulthax

Dyes should be purchasable with your Achievement points. I should not be forced to play or participate in something just to get a different shade of dye.

Lord_Draevan

As long as I have a basic red and black dye, I'll be happy dyeing my armor in the official Pact colors, black trim on a red base

Phantax

WARNING !

Any tanks I see looking like this...


I WILL NOT HEAL YOU ! ! !

Audigy

Phantax wrote: »

Audigy wrote: »

Some are based on dungeons and pvp as well, I believe one says that you must kill 1000 bosses for a pink one.

Oh great, hundreds of pink 'My Little Pony' lovers all claiming to be baddass because they slayed a few bosses....lol

I did only fly through the achievements, but some are quite funny indeed based on what you get and what you must do

starlizard70ub17_ESO

Having the dyes unlocked by achievements is alittle annoying but I don't see any better way of doing it. We certainly don't need a wave of "dye for sale" spammers in chat. And it will give people reasons to go back and complete missed quests/dolmans/world bosses for the dye unlocks. Over all I believe the good outweighs the bad with the dye process.

Firestar_

I have to say, that if its a particularly difficult achievement those "pink warriors" might become some of the most respected in the game. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but it sure will be interesting to see what the "real rare" colors are and how easy/difficult it is to spot them.

Talketzanto

The unlockable dyes should be "faction based" to fit the faction they are in......

Audigy

Firestar_ wrote: »

I have to say, that if its a particularly difficult achievement those "pink warriors" might become some of the most respected in the game. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but it sure will be interesting to see what the "real rare" colors are and how easy/difficult it is to spot them.

Rubin red is emperor, guess this will be the rarest

Besides that, looting specific items also unlock colors. Blue items = blue, artifacts = looter pink etc.

Zorrashi

Ever since I heard of the dye system being tied to the achievement system, I have been going back to get those achievements. Mainly sky shards and dungeon delves.

babylon

http://youtu.be/lHzoss5IQpM

Mr.Turtlesworth

As long as I have black, red, purple, and grey, I'll be fine.

Phantax

Mr.Turtlesworth wrote: »

As long as I have black, red, purple, and grey, I'll be fine.

I already know which 2 colours I need, not telling you lot though... you'll have to wait till August...lol

Maleficus

Better have hot pink that is all I am screaming!

daneyulebub17_ESO

The more I consider it being locked to achievements, the more I approve. It will encourage people to play more deeply, and you can see, at a glance, the serious players by their colors.

That said--the truth of the matter is in any game I've played, you need with maybe 10-25 colors to cover all the basic shades. Then you will just be collecting subtle variations that really won't be very noticeable at all. "Dark Green" vs "Forest Green" vs "Ranger Green" etc. etc.

Might be fun to collect 'em, but nobody is likely to see you and say, "Woah, dude---your armor is sky blue! Man, mine is just turquoise!"

pitdemon_ESO

Phantax wrote: »

Evergnar wrote: »

If you could get the same color in PvE, PvP, or Craglorn I wouldn't mind so much. Players shouldn't be penalized for their play style, no matter what it is.

Not a bad idea. Having maybe 2 or 3 different achievements that unlock certain dyes would definitely help !

+1

Here's a list of the achievements in-game. (Be sure to check out all 5 pages of them)

http://www.tesoelite.com/2014/03/elder-scrolls-online-full-achievements-list/5/
I don't see how there could be anywhere near that many colors to choose from

GnatB

Achievements (and trophies) are a horribly silly/stupid idea ever since they first appeared (as far as I'm aware) on the 360. Anything based on them simply compounds the inanity.

I don't need an achievement to get me to do something I want to do. And I'm not going to go do something I don't want to do just to get points (or dye) I can brag to my friends about (or something)