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Immersion: Are you playing the same game as me?
SFBryan18
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I've noticed trend in the MMO community. It seems common that MMO players have a lot of stuff all over their screen. By stuff, I don't mean graphics from the game, but UI readouts. chat boxes, health bars, stat percentages, etc.
I personally prefer the opposite. As someone who used almost a hundred mods in Skyrim, I am more interested in immersion. Most of these mods were used to improve immersion. This doesn't mean I don't want to play with you or anyone else, but it does mean that I want my screen to show as little UI as possible.
I also come from playing a lot of PS3 multiplayer games, so a PS3 controller is essential for me. I even have a custom controller scheme for Skyrim on Steam, and have made a custom Xpadder scheme for ESO.
I read a lot of other perspectives about this game, and I often wonder if anyone out there plays the way I do. For me, I have add-ons for immersion and a controller scheme that makes me feel like I am playing an Oblivion-Skyrim hybrid, and it's online. It is amazing.
Take a look at this screenshot:
This is how my game looks in combat. No percentages, very few words cluttering up my screen, just me and the enemy, going at it. I also turn the overhead health bars off for everything except injured allies, and they are lucky because I often want those off too but I need to know when they need healing.
What do you think about immersion? Is it important to you? Does anyone out there play like me?
Edited by SFBryan18 on July 15, 2014 1:00AM I personally prefer the opposite. As someone who used almost a hundred mods in Skyrim, I am more interested in immersion. Most of these mods were used to improve immersion. This doesn't mean I don't want to play with you or anyone else, but it does mean that I want my screen to show as little UI as possible.
I also come from playing a lot of PS3 multiplayer games, so a PS3 controller is essential for me. I even have a custom controller scheme for Skyrim on Steam, and have made a custom Xpadder scheme for ESO.
I read a lot of other perspectives about this game, and I often wonder if anyone out there plays the way I do. For me, I have add-ons for immersion and a controller scheme that makes me feel like I am playing an Oblivion-Skyrim hybrid, and it's online. It is amazing.
Take a look at this screenshot:
This is how my game looks in combat. No percentages, very few words cluttering up my screen, just me and the enemy, going at it. I also turn the overhead health bars off for everything except injured allies, and they are lucky because I often want those off too but I need to know when they need healing.
What do you think about immersion? Is it important to you? Does anyone out there play like me?
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indytims_ESO✭✭✭✭I play with a stock UI for the most part, but it doesn't hinder immersion, at least not for me.
I can see where your minimalist layout would be nice, but I just prefer a bit more info on my screen.7 -
Theosis✭✭✭✭I only have a couple mods myself. In my opinion Mods signify that the game is not good enough in it's natural state.
I don't like their banking system so I "fixed it.
I needed a mini map due to not having the time to find things on my own. {4 year old wants my attention when I try to play at night.}
I needed a bit of assistance on my crafting so I got a mod for that as well.
Nothing else is really in need of a fix.This is were my signature would be if I was allowed one.1 -
Mr.Turtlesworth✭✭✭✭I like the ui. I always play with the chat log open. I come from playing WoW so that's why.I r robot
hear me roar3 -
poodlemasterb16_ESO✭✭✭✭✭I'll take FTC any day. I have this need to know what is going on.
My lead, I have 4 fighters, is a sorc. It seems very reasonable that a being that can call down fire and lightning can have a very good idea about what is happening. As well you can't really have a good understanding of the ... very many ... effects that are ongoing without streaming the numbers. I have made many changes to my setup over time as I understood what I was doing wrong. A major mission of mine: "what am I doing wrong?" Because of this I need to know. NEED!
My fighters are good, my sorcs exceptional. My vampire witch, Master Wizard at level 32. My tough sorc, FG Victor at level 33.
Lyriss being a lazy ass ***.
The weirdness behind the clanfear is the hands from her 'cone' AoE attack. My witch is stage 4. 
Edited by poodlemasterb16_ESO on July 15, 2014 1:35AM2 -
AngryWolf✭✭✭I like minimal stuff on my screen and it's all stock. Only add-ons I have help with crafting etc.1 -
Rhoric✭✭✭✭✭Mine is the same as the OP but I do have chat showing as I'm a guild leader. The only add ons I have are the guild ones and display name.2 -
Looks like my screen
I like to install addons that add to the basics, (Atlas Loot, Weapons while mounted, More Stats on char info screen, and Show Motifs while in inventory)1 -
Curragraigue✭✭✭✭✭
✭I agree with you OP I like a clean look screen with minimal UI.
I'm not using any mods. I'm planning on transferring over to PS4 so I don't want to get hooked on mods before transferring over.
Not currently using a controller but I can't wait to play it using one when it releases on console or if we get controls beforehand from ZOS, hint hint @ZOS_GinaBruno pretty please with sugar on top.PUG Life - the true test of your skill
18 characters, 17 max level, at least 1 Stam and 1 Mag of every class, 1 of every race and 1200+ CP
Tanked to Undaunted 9+ Mag and Stam of every class using Group Finder for 90+% of the Vet Dungeon runs2 -
danno8✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭I like minimalist too, if possible. But when you have skills that require you to know when your enemy is at 20% health, or when a buff is gone (the animation for my buffs for healing skills have suddenly stopped working) or any of a number of things then you may need mods as the game does not provide enough information for the skills it offers you.
Trying to create an organic experience that only requires visual cues and few numbers on screen is an admirable goal, but it seems to often clash with the realities of mmo combat.
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NakedSnake✭✭✭This is like driving my car without a speedometer. Im not one of those people who fills the screen with boxes and floating numbers but no information is like flying blind, I just cant do it."Brilliant! Why is it that the people with the most ridiculous ideas are always the ones who are most certain of them?"3 -
SFBryan18✭✭✭✭✭
✭NakedSnake wrote: »This is like driving my car without a speedometer. Im not one of those people who fills the screen with boxes and floating numbers but no information is like flying blind, I just cant do it.
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.Edited by SFBryan18 on July 15, 2014 2:21AM5 -
SirAndy✭✭✭✭✭
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I drive my car by sound. My speedo was broken for over a year and i only fixed it because i got a cable for free.NakedSnake wrote: »This is like driving my car without a speedometer.
Of course it doesn't hurt that the car is mid-engine without any significant sound deadening and you can hear each and every RPM blaring at you from behind.
Funny (and true) story, got pulled over doing 92 in a 70 and the cop asked me if i knew how fast i was going.
I said "Yes, 4200 RPM, that's about 90mph". The look on his face was priceless.
PS: My point being, i don't need floating numbers in my face all the time. Neither when i drive a car nor when i play a game.
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Audigy✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭I don't use any UI addons, even at WOW I was the person with only CT Raid and this as a Raid Leader
To me those addons are just little tools that some people need to play properly. Its a lot about how good someone actually is, I never used DBM either - counting to 12 is what I learned in school
I would assume that most "older" gamers tend to play without UI modifications - we just grew up with that minimalistic and handmade environment.
Anyone remember having a stop watch next to your PC? I do and so do I the rage if someone accidently pushed it while I made myself a Sandwich ...
That said, there is something I like a lot in MMOs. Its addons that enhance the graphics, but those don't belong to the UI so they don't count I guess
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ozgod22_eso✭✭✭
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
I guess when you get to Trials or encounters where you have boss enrage timers to beat as a team, being able to quantify your output becomes more important than when you are just happily questing around by yourself. Numbers are really only important for progression fights. It's hard to keep immersed when you are trying 10+ attempts on a progression boss you haven't killed and you need to deconstruct every wipe to find out why. It's the "science vs immersion" debate again.Edited by ozgod22_eso on July 15, 2014 2:22AM2 -
poodlemasterb16_ESO✭✭✭✭✭The stock setup is actually a bit more intrusive than mine. One could quibble about the top bar, but otherwise my setup is less screen and not as obvious as the stock setup.1
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SFBryan18✭✭✭✭✭
✭ozgod22_eso wrote: »
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
I guess when you get to Trials or encounters where you have boss enrage timers to beat as a team, being able to quantify your output becomes more important than when you are just happily questing around by yourself. Numbers are really only important for progression fights. It's hard to keep immersed when you are trying 10+ attempts on a progression boss you haven't killed and you need to deconstruct every wipe to find out why. It's the "science vs immersion" debate again.
Well, when I get there, hopefully I can win with shear skill, and not need to calculate everything in advance. Difficulty is part of immersion. I would not want to play a game where I could calculate every attack in advance for victory. That's not skill, it's a predetermined outcome.Edited by SFBryan18 on July 15, 2014 2:31AM3 -
badmojo✭✭✭✭✭
✭I wish there were separate settings for Cyrodiil and PvE areas because I have to admit that I play with the health bars always on. Originally I had a very minimal UI setup, but after I started to PVP I found it way easier to read the situation with them always on.[DC/NA]1 -
Audigy✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭ozgod22_eso wrote: »
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
I guess when you get to Trials or encounters where you have boss enrage timers to beat as a team, being able to quantify your output becomes more important than when you are just happily questing around by yourself. Numbers are really only important for progression fights. It's hard to keep immersed when you are trying 10+ attempts on a progression boss you haven't killed and you need to deconstruct every wipe to find out why. It's the "science vs immersion" debate again.
Well, when I get there, hopefully I can win with shear skill, and not need to calculate everything in advance. Difficulty is part of immersion. I would not want to play a game where I could calculate every attack in advance for victory. That's not skill, it's a predetermined outcome.
You will always have people that need addons to calculate what happens. When I was leading our raids and new members came and I told them not to use Boss mods, they thought I am a fool.
But guess what, we still killed bosses faster than most other guilds.
Reason?
I noticed that people stop being human if they listen purely to their addons. They wont notice if something needs their attention unless the mod tells them to move, click or cast. This slows down progress and it makes people lazy.
The actual awareness of what is happening is worth a lot more than a pre written script that is unable to react to specific circumstances.
Even in the army you are told to rely on your senses and not your "high tech". A compass can break, a weapon be jammed and your colonel dead. (sorry if that sounds too patriotic now)
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Maximis_ESO✭✭✭✭I've noticed trend in the MMO community. It seems common that MMO players have a lot of stuff all over their screen. By stuff, I don't mean graphics from the game, but UI readouts. chat boxes, health bars, stat percentages, etc.
I personally prefer the opposite. As someone who used almost a hundred mods in Skyrim, I am more interested in immersion. Most of these mods were used to improve immersion. This doesn't mean I don't want to play with you or anyone else, but it does mean that I want my screen to show as little UI as possible.
I also come from playing a lot of PS3 multiplayer games, so a PS3 controller is essential for me. I even have a custom controller scheme for Skyrim on Steam, and have made a custom Xpadder scheme for ESO.
I read a lot of other perspectives about this game, and I often wonder if anyone out there plays the way I do. For me, I have add-ons for immersion and a controller scheme that makes me feel like I am playing an Oblivion-Skyrim hybrid, and it's online. It is amazing.
Take a look at this screenshot:
This is how my game looks in combat. No percentages, very few words cluttering up my screen, just me and the enemy, going at it. I also turn the overhead health bars off for everything except injured allies, and they are lucky because I often want those off too but I need to know when they need healing.
What do you think about immersion? Is it important to you? Does anyone out there play like me?
immersion by definition is your complete involvement in an activity. Do I play like you? No I have some more UI elements and I really enjoy them.... I still feel very much involved and completely immersed in the world.
For some strange reason people think that immersion means as little UI as possible..... not the case.5 -
danno8✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Even in the army you are told to rely on your senses and not your "high tech". A compass can break, a weapon be jammed and your colonel dead. (sorry if that sounds too patriotic now)
-Luke, you switched off your targeting computer! What's wrong?
-Nothing, I'm all right.
I guess both tech and "feelings" have their place.
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SFBryan18✭✭✭✭✭
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It is the case for me. A screen covered with UI makes the world look artificial.Maximis_ESO wrote: »For some strange reason people think that immersion means as little UI as possible..... not the case.danno816_ESO wrote: »Even in the army you are told to rely on your senses and not your "high tech". A compass can break, a weapon be jammed and your colonel dead. (sorry if that sounds too patriotic now)
-Luke, you switched off your targeting computer! What's wrong?
-Nothing, I'm all right.
I guess both tech and "feelings" have their place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEuA5Y_Cc88 Edited by SFBryan18 on July 15, 2014 3:18AM2 -
NakedSnake✭✭✭NakedSnake wrote: »This is like driving my car without a speedometer. Im not one of those people who fills the screen with boxes and floating numbers but no information is like flying blind, I just cant do it.
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
Yes well unfortunately a video game cant be a substitute for the experience of actual combat. Human senses are quite useful in real life but since your character doesn't actually have any situational or sensory awareness we need health bars and numbers to compensate, otherwise you are in fact fighting deaf dumb and blind. Try doing that in real life Bruce."Brilliant! Why is it that the people with the most ridiculous ideas are always the ones who are most certain of them?"2 -
SFBryan18✭✭✭✭✭
✭NakedSnake wrote: »NakedSnake wrote: »This is like driving my car without a speedometer. Im not one of those people who fills the screen with boxes and floating numbers but no information is like flying blind, I just cant do it.
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
Yes well unfortunately a video game cant be a substitute for the experience of actual combat. Human senses are quite useful in real life but since your character doesn't actually have any situational or sensory awareness we need health bars and numbers to compensate, otherwise you are in fact fighting deaf dumb and blind. Try doing that in real life Bruce.
But I'm not fighting deaf, dumb, and blind. I can see, I can hear, and as far as feeling, the health bar gives enough of an idea, plus any effects that cause the character to become disoriented or unresponsive. You are over exaggerating the need for numbers.Edited by SFBryan18 on July 15, 2014 3:58AM2 -
Laura✭✭✭✭✭
✭it isn't as big of a deal to me as it is to you, but when I'm soloing and just messing about I turn all my addons off and go into first person and just explore. I find it very relaxing and fun great way to gather mats without getting bored.
I think the candy colored power rangers will be breaking immersion in there hot pink heavy armor when the patch comes out way more than a minimap or scrolling text would though.Edited by Laura on July 15, 2014 3:59AM1 -
Blackwidow✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭What do you think about immersion? Is it important to you? Does anyone out there play like me?
You seem to imply that people who don't play like you don't care about immersion.
Immersion is different for everyone.
I think no underwater swimming is immersion breaking.
I think 8 characters all sharing the same bank is immersion breaking.
I think those same characters who share a bank can not mail to each other is immersion breaking.
I think being in one part of the water that is perfectly safe, but if I move 1 inch I can be killed by very patient slaughterfish, is immersion breaking.
I think no dueling is immersion breaking.
I think the GUI that helps you play the game the way you like it is going to be tool that gives you the best immersion. So, for some it is a completely clear screen. For other is a cluster of bars and buttons all over the place.
That is why options for everybody is usually the best way to go.
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NakedSnake✭✭✭NakedSnake wrote: »NakedSnake wrote: »This is like driving my car without a speedometer. Im not one of those people who fills the screen with boxes and floating numbers but no information is like flying blind, I just cant do it.
My character isn't driving though, he's fighting. Have you ever taken any form of martial arts? There aren't any health bars. And though you might have an idea of how much more you and your opponent can take, you do not have a percentage.
Yes well unfortunately a video game cant be a substitute for the experience of actual combat. Human senses are quite useful in real life but since your character doesn't actually have any situational or sensory awareness we need health bars and numbers to compensate, otherwise you are in fact fighting deaf dumb and blind. Try doing that in real life Bruce.
But I'm not fighting deaf, dumb, and blind. I can see, I can hear, and as far as feeling, the health bar gives enough of an idea, plus any effects that cause the character to become unresponsive. You are over exaggerating the need for numbers.
No you are exaggerating your need for immersion. The fact that you use the life bars, compass and action bar prove that immersion does not actually mean anything to you. You still require the information to play and the only difference between you and someone with a packed screen is the personal quest for knowledge.
Unless you play with your UI hidden you shouldn't even mention the word immersion."Brilliant! Why is it that the people with the most ridiculous ideas are always the ones who are most certain of them?"5 -
Lunerdog✭✭✭✭✭I'm with the OP on this, I can't stand clutter on the screen as it just detracts from the immersion for me, hell I don't even like icons on the desktop 2 -
someuser✭✭✭✭I tried the default UI and really was left dissatisfied with the whole "experience". Seemed too much like a console game (nothing wrong with console games, just prefer the more information packed PC MMO UIs).
This is some of what my UI looks:
Edited by someuser on July 15, 2014 4:11AMTo make ESO look and feel like a PC MMO check out the following:
PhinixUI addon-powered interface for ESO1 -
Blackwidow✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Blackwidow wrote: »
I did not imply that. You misread what I wrote.
I just said it seemed that way. Was not sure. However, you did get the point of my post I guess.
When you ask if anyone plays like you and you ask if immersion is important to you in the same paragraph, it can seem that way, is all I meant.
If you are simply asking if immersion is important to other players, I would bet 99.9% would say yes, in their own way.Edited by Blackwidow on July 15, 2014 4:12AM3