Do you agree that optional nameplates, in a similar vein to chat bubbles, would be good for the game

Dominoid

Nameplates were mentioned and later removed from the PTS 1.5.0 patch notes.

http://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/2j5aks/news_nameplates_coming_to_eso/

Aenra

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

probably something similar to the crafting writs, a delay for the best, nothing to be concerned of;

you know, my disagreements about certain aspects aside, i do have to say once more it is impressive how much they have done. It is why i sometimes log in just to bump the positive threads; compared to other AAAs, the ZOS team is fast. Very fast

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Aenra wrote: »

probably something similar to the crafting writs, a delay for the best, nothing to be concerned of;

you know, my disagreements about certain aspects aside, i do have to say once more it is impressive how much they have done. It is why i sometimes log in just to bump the positive threads; compared to other AAAs, the ZOS team is fast. Very fast

Yep, I may have my criticisms but zos has and continues to improve the game at a good clip.

Rescorla_ESO

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Started a thread on this topic yesterday but the OP in this thread is much better plus it has a poll.

Nameplates (with an option to turn them off if you don't want them displayed) need to be reactivated before the game is released to console. ZOS has one shot to make a first impression with the console players and based on the console games I see my son playing on his Xbox, they are used to seeing nameplates in console PVP games.

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Rescorla_ESO wrote: »

Started a thread on this topic yesterday but the OP in this thread is much better plus it has a poll.

Nameplates (with an option to turn them off if you don't want them displayed) need to be reactivated before the game is released to console. ZOS has one shot to make a first impression with the console players and based on the console games I see my son playing on his Xbox, they are used to seeing nameplates in console PVP games.

Thanks for the comment.

LtCrunch

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

There is no reason they shouldn't be an optional toggle just like many other interface options like chat bubbles, healthbars, etc.

Seraphyel

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

God yes!

Plates showing level, class, name, guild, title would be great and are needed.

Darkintellect

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I'm "iffy" on them but leaned slightly towards wanting them included. Look back to Everquest days and how they did it. They gave incremental variances in how you could display the tag.

/Showname all = First Name + Surname + Guild
/Showname 2 = First name + Surname
/Showname 1 = First name
/Showname off = Turned off all names.

That was an era where so much was controlled through console commands in the chat window and I do miss that, especially when seeing who all is in your zone. Then doing a "/tell (insert player name) Hey, want to group up?"

Anyway, as long as it can be toggled off through options and finding the place in settings, no problem there.

Full names on

First names only

All names off

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Darkintellect wrote: »

I'm "iffy" on them but leaned slightly towards wanting them included. Look back to Everquest days and how they did it. They gave incremental variances in how you could display the tag.

/Showname all = First Name + Surname + Guild
/Showname 2 = First name + Surname
/Showname 1 = First name
/Showname off = Turned off all names.

That was an era where so much was controlled through console commands in the chat window and I do miss that, especially when seeing who all is in your zone. Then doing a "/tell (insert player name) Hey, want to group up?"

Anyway, as long as it can be toggled off through options and finding the place in settings, no problem there.

Full names on

First names only

All names off

(sheds a tear)
I was a little young, but I played a Druid... East Commons tunnel was awesome. Still have rarely encountered a zone as iconic as Unrest!

Here's what ESO ones could look like (not my mockup, someone else made it awhile back)
Clickie for full size, or open spoiler: http://i.imgur.com/ZGn7NID.jpg

Provide a simple button on your guild window to "Set Active" to control which of your guilds is shown to other people in the tag or change it. Provide a keybind so you can toggle all nameplates off/on at will (useful in Cyrodiil for example if rushing a keep lord room or similar and the zerg has a million nameplates cluttered up on top of eachother). Add a simple options page in the settings menu to show/hide parts of it (guild tags, player titles, alliance rank icon (just color it the same way the overhead alliance indicators currently work to reduce clutter, and put a number next to it to show your Alliance Rank more clearly), player level/vet rank), or the whole thing.

Tint guildmate tags a light blue or similar, and add a few checkboxes for who to show nameplates for (i.e. "show all", or check boxes to select friendly NPC's, hostile NPC's, your faction's player characters, all player characters, guildmates , enemy player characters, mounts (wouldn't it be cool to show off your mount's name?), pets/critters/vanity pets, etc.), a slider for the size/scale of the entire nameplate (so people can make them the base size they like, same concept as the global UI scale currently), and for enemy player characters, only allow options for their Vet rank/level, Race, Title, guild tag, and Alliance war rank icon/title. For example, an enemy nameplate would be red and say something like:

(47) Dunmer Corporal *22
Pact Hero
<Bunny Slayers>

The asterix would be the alliance rank icon (colored for their alliance, red in this case), and the parentheses would be substituted with the standard level/vet rank icon.

Then make enemy nameplates automatically fade away based on how far away they are from you, vanishing entirely at around the 50-60 meters range. Done deal .

Teiji

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I'd only ever turn them on for role-play events, even then, maybe. Once I recognise everyone's characters then they'll be no need. Great none-the-less though.

Will be a great addition, a great optional addition.

psufan5

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Would be great for the game. I don't know anyone besides those who I know in real life. Only MMO I can honestly say it has been an issue.

Kaizxen

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

As long as I have the option to turn them off, I'm fine with them being implemented.

Grunim

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I just voted now, hadn't seen this poll before.

Nameplates need to be an option for both PC and console players.

Majic

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Knowledge is power.

Options are good.

danno8

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Have chat bubbles ruined the game yet, like some people thought they would? Of course not. I would bet those who were opposed to chat bubbles have no idea they are even available since they are off by default.

Same thing should happen with nameplates.

Gidorick

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I wouldn't use them but we should still have the option.

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

danno816_ESO wrote: »

Have chat bubbles ruined the game yet, like some people thought they would? Of course not. I would bet those who were opposed to chat bubbles have no idea they are even available since they are off by default.

Same thing should happen with nameplates.

A very salient point, indeed.

Smiteye

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

danno816_ESO wrote: »

Have chat bubbles ruined the game yet, like some people thought they would? Of course not. I would bet those who were opposed to chat bubbles have no idea they are even available since they are off by default.

Same thing should happen with nameplates.

So true. I wish they would add them already!

Jaxsun

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Audigy wrote: »

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

So we have chat bubbles coming in:

(image taken from reddit)


I have an honest question here. A lot of the opposition to nameplates were that they would "add too much UI clutter". If we have chat bubbles as optional components, why should we not have nameplates optionally as well?

The benefits of chat bubbles, for example are numerous, assuming they are optional and not forced (which many people do NOT like them and thus they need to be optional):

-For rp'ers they can chat without having to look down at the chatbox as often. (Without nameplates though, they can't tell who is actually talking.)
-For pve, you can quickly see someone calling out in /say while roaming around and notice other players more easily.
-For pvp, you can see /yell's immediately and keep your eyes on the action.

Nameplates, optionally, would provide numerous benefits as well as ones that tie into chat bubbles:
-For rp'ers, you could tell who is chatting via bubbles.
-For pve, you can see where each person is readily without having to guess or try to quickly hover over around the action to tell who's who. You can easily call out to go to "Some guy" and people can quickly tell where to go rather than ask in voice as a response "where is he??".
-For PVP, it makes organization much more convenient and lets directions be called out such as "you two split off with Awesomeguy" and they would be able to see where Awesomeguy is easily as he moved off to the left and follow.
-Nameplates also provide name recognition while out in the world in ANY game activity be it questing, pve, pvp, raiding, or around town, and add to the online living world feel of the game since you will recognize people much in the same way you do in real life and it improves socialization and helps make connections. Think about how many times you've heard someone say, in response in a thread about quitting another game, "Well, I have a lot of friends that I talk with there". Other than your friends list or guildmates (and even them, because you don't see their character names in chat), how many people can you honestly say you recognize in ESO when walking around and running into them in the world?

---

In short, the poll question: Would you support the addition of optional nameplates for the reasons stated above, to go in with chat bubbles? Obviously they could and should be able to be toggled off full-time for those who don't want or like them. Obviously they would function like chevrons do in the alliance war (faction markers) and fade with distance and hide when an enemy is sneaking.

Here's a mock-up by a fan on reddit as to how clean they could look, providing titles with meaning, guild recognition and pride, and everything else talked about earlier:



Thanks to Lfehova on reddit for the mockup, and here is his original post awhile back including that picture: "ZeniMax, here's a quick mockup demonstrating how (optional) nameplates would promote guild/player awareness"
http://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/273wou/zenimax_heres_a_quick_mockup_demonstrating_how/

Thanks for reading, everyone.

I must admit the pic with those nameplates looks horrible to me. Not because of the quality or anything but because of the stuff that just doesn't belong in a living and realistic MMO world.

I don't even use health bars as I find them horrible and disturbing

The issue with Chat bubbles and nameplates is that they wont be optional but mandatory same like with Addons. People will demand that you use them just like they demand that you use TS, DPS meter or any other stuff that kills MMO atmosphere.

Why would you continue to play with people that act that way?

Rammi

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

love the idea and have no clue why anyone thinks this would be an issue.

chat bubbles enhanced the game for some and most did not even notice they got added.

Jaxsun

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Rammi wrote: »

love the idea and have no clue why anyone thinks this would be an issue.

chat bubbles enhanced the game for some and most did not even notice they got added.

It's not a real issue, the detractors don't know what they're talking about.

SRIBES

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I want nameplates but no NPC nameplates and have them optional. If there is NPC nameplates have the ability to turn them off.

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

@Jaxsun raises a great point. If you don't enjoy playing with x, why try to force your way upon people who do? You can form your own groups with people of a more similar playstyle since this is an online game.

Anoteros

Nameplates NEED to be in game with a toggle on or off for those who don't want them and/or don't understand their importance.
I NEED to know who i'm running past, who i'm talking to, who is what.

Greevir

As long as the option exists to use the current ones, sure. I don't need to know your name, I don't care about what guilds you're in. As long as I still have the healthbar above enemy units, do whatever the hell you want with nameplates.

Attorneyatlawl

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

Anoteros wrote: »

Nameplates NEED to be in game with a toggle on or off for those who don't want them and/or don't understand their importance.
I NEED to know who i'm running past, who i'm talking to, who is what.

I view them at the same level of importance you do, myself...

Greevir wrote: »

As long as the option exists to use the current ones, sure. I don't need to know your name, I don't care about what guilds you're in. As long as I still have the healthbar above enemy units, do whatever the hell you want with nameplates.

...but for those who just don't want them, options for the win .

danno8

Yes - Even if I don't like them, I can just turn them off anyway.

I'd like nameplates also.

Ideally an on/off option with the sub-option of "Turn off in Combat", as in some games (like GW2 comes to mind) the nameplates are a huge mess when you start to get a lot of people on screen at once.

For instance: