How do you want your vampire to look?

MornaBaine

So I've had my Type O...er...coffee! I meant coffee! And my morning walk (complete with stares from my fellow walkers at my parasol)...so guess what? That means it's time to talk about vampires again! C'mon, you know you guys live for this, even the haters. Especially the haters!

Today's questions are:
1. If you could have your vampire look, most of the time, any way you wanted, how would they look? Please describe in detail and, if relevant, give your reasons why.

2. If you chose one of the 4 current Stages of vampirism as presented in the game, which one did you choose and why?

Obviously, if you don't play a vampire, your opinion doesn't really matter and these questions aren't for you. Unless, of course, the reason you don't play a vampire is because you really hate the way they look or you really hate their mechanics. If you WOULD play a vampire if things were different, then feel free to chime in!

Discuss!

KenjiJU

A little OT, but I think parasols are a smart idea.. safety > social norms.

Main reason I didn't care to try Vampire is the fugly look. Particularly the veins and black rings around the eyes. Secondary reason being that a bat attack feels cheesy, thematically/aesthetically. Tertiary was the mass of other Vamp players everywhere in game.

Mountain_Dewed

I think there's already, no wait, yeah there's a

BBSooner

Stage 3 is my preferred stage for appearance. On the verge of breaking down and losing control.

As for looks, I'd prefer them to be as widely lore accurate as possible, regardless of stage. So, special circumstances from unique occasions aside, I prefer my vamp to represent the "every vampire" as opposed to the snowflakes.

MornaBaine

BBSooner wrote: »

Stage 3 is my preferred stage for appearance. On the verge of breaking down and losing control.

As for looks, I'd prefer them to be as widely lore accurate as possible, regardless of stage. So, special circumstances from unique occasions aside, I prefer my vamp to represent the "every vampire" as opposed to the snowflakes.

I'm not sure I completely understand. What does an "everyday vampire" look like to you?

BBSooner

MornaBaine wrote: »

BBSooner wrote: »

Stage 3 is my preferred stage for appearance. On the verge of breaking down and losing control.

As for looks, I'd prefer them to be as widely lore accurate as possible, regardless of stage. So, special circumstances from unique occasions aside, I prefer my vamp to represent the "every vampire" as opposed to the snowflakes.

I'm not sure I completely understand. What does an "everyday vampire" look like to you?

I'd say it denotes commonality. The "everyday" vampire within nirn is bleakly pale, monstrous eyes, and when having not fed for awhile has visible - even protruding - veins. They are vampires who, either through acceptance or not, show clear signs of the humanity they've lost in their "deal with the devil".

MornaBaine

I realize I've just answered this question myself in another thread so, ummm, here's that. LOL

In my "perfect world" Stage 1 would be more subtle than it is now. Although at odds with previous TES games, I'd like my vampire to keep her original eye color but I'd be fine with the glowing bit. I'd like the brightness of the white skin dialed down a notch or two. I'd like her original makeup to be left intact. I want the difference to be there...I just want it to be more subtle. And I want it to last a whole lot longer than a mere half hour, which is a blink when you are playing this crazy addictive game! I DO think the Stages should remain, and progress, and actually have MEANINGFUL, NOTICEABLE effects upon mechanics. Stage 2 could actually look like the current Stage 1 and I think that would be awesome because I DO like that look. And this is the point where NPCs on the street should start telling you they don't like the hungry look in your eyes. Stage 3 could look like the current Stage 2, which is OBVIOUSLY non-human (non-mer) and merchants should start randomly refusing to deal with you and guards should start warning you to leave town. Stage 4 could look like either the current Stage 3 or Stage 4 (bonus if you get to somehow choose) because BOTH look truly monstrous and guards start kicking your behind without warning and NO merchants will deal with you. Except maybe for that shady vampire guy out in the woods in a cave somewhere.

In addition I DO hope that with Illusion Spellcrafting we are able to HIDE our vampirism (looking as your character did BEFORE they became a vampire) but that it either operates on a timer (reasonably, at least an hour or 2 with perhaps a small cooldown before you can "apply" it again) or that it "breaks" on Stage 3, certainly on Stage 4, and cannot be reapplied until you are back to Stage 2 at least.

Gedalya

I'll just leave this here...

MornaBaine

Gedalya wrote: »

I'll just leave this here...

For Stage 3 or 4 I would be TOTALLY THRILLED with this look! LOL

Lazrael

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

phreatophile

Gedalya wrote: »

I'll just leave this here...

Oh, heck ya. In stage 4.

"Maggots Michael, you're eating maggots."

qiyamatawilrwb17_ESO

less varicose veins on the face. and tattoos that stay black.
eyes that go red once fed.

MornaBaine

Lazrael wrote: »

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

I keep seeing people say that about vamps "needing" to be detectable in PvP but my question is... WHY? Why do they need to be MORE detecable than any other foe on the field? My own feeling is that "Get the healer!" is still Job One!

Lunerdog

MornaBaine wrote: »

Lazrael wrote: »

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

I keep seeing people say that about vamps "needing" to be detectable in PvP but my question is... WHY? Why do they need to be MORE detecable than any other foe on the field? My own feeling is that "Get the healer!" is still Job One!

I'm quite happy with the way both my vamps look, they were created specifically to become vamps and thankfully the choices I made in character creation paid off when they got bitten and did their vamp quests.

Not sure about this lighting them up like a Christmas tree nonsense though, don't see the need for it.

If somebody takes someone on and gets an arsewhupping then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, move on and don't be a crybaby nerf wanting hypocrite.

And the term hypocrite is pertinent because if the fight had gone the other way the nerf wanting crybaby would have had a smug grin wrapped all around his face.

Moonshadow66

I would love to play as a vampire, but I don't because of the looks, yes.

Lazrael

MornaBaine wrote: »

Lazrael wrote: »

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

I keep seeing people say that about vamps "needing" to be detectable in PvP but my question is... WHY? Why do they need to be MORE detecable than any other foe on the field? My own feeling is that "Get the healer!" is still Job One!

Well to be fair, I'm really not a pvp-er. But that's what I hear from pvp-ers and I'm not going to give my two cents regarding something about which I know nothing. All I know is I miss my character's blue eyes, so I would love to have that back. Other than that I think the vamp look is pretty fitting.

KenjiJU

Gedalya wrote: »

I'll just leave this here...

Adam Savage in full makeup?

MornaBaine

KenjiJU wrote: »

A little OT, but I think parasols are a smart idea.. safety > social norms.

Main reason I didn't care to try Vampire is the fugly look. Particularly the veins and black rings around the eyes. Secondary reason being that a bat attack feels cheesy, thematically/aesthetically. Tertiary was the mass of other Vamp players everywhere in game.

Since the whole premise of our guild is based around a family of vampires we had to just suck it up (bad pun intended) but we HAD this original premise because of THIS:

From the Oblivion Lorebook, Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum
In this book a Cyrodiilic vampire discusses "their rivals" and writes the following:
"On Our Rivals:

Most barbaric tribes think themselves powerful by the gift of Bal's blood alone, and squander the gift. There are those, however,who show signs of enlightenments, and earn our attention - those such as Glenmoril Wyrd, who live within the walls of Breton cities, or the Whet-Fang sodality of Black Marsh, who use magicka to keep captives catatonic and harvest from them the red nectar. These foes may one day threaten to impugn our sovereignty within the boundaries of Cyrodiil, thus compelling our vigilance. Should any encroach upon our dominion, our wrath must be swift and total."

Now exactly HOW do the Glenmoril Wyrd "live within the walls of Breton cities" one is forced to wonder? The only truly logical answer is that they are able to hide their nature, whether through "natural" or magical means.

That ZoS made the decision to disregard all this previous lore and simply do not have ANY of the various vampire strains in the game EXCEPT the one they made up out of whole cloth and then explain it away as "it's a different era" is...well... it's just sloppy and rather lame. That they decided to make vampires have to constantly and continuously feed in order just to not look COMPLETELY freakish also flies in the face of the expectations raised by all previous games. That they went out of their way to make sure they would look hideous MOST of the time as well makes even less sense, from a lore perspective OR any sense of having considered player satisfaction.

And yes, Batswarm is entirely cheesy. it should have been an exclusive vampire emote, not an Ultimate!

clayandaudrey_ESO

MornaBaine wrote: »

KenjiJU wrote: »

Now exactly HOW do the Glenmoril Wyrd "live within the walls of Breton cities" one is forced to wonder? The only truly logical answer is that they are able to hide their nature, whether through "natural" or magical means.

This is assumption on your part.

MornaBaine

clayandaudrey_ESO wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

KenjiJU wrote: »

Now exactly HOW do the Glenmoril Wyrd "live within the walls of Breton cities" one is forced to wonder? The only truly logical answer is that they are able to hide their nature, whether through "natural" or magical means.

This is assumption on your part.

Of course it is. As is ANY other explanation for how they do it. Because we don't KNOW how they do it. So all we can do is consider the situation and see what seems most likely/reasonable/logical as the explanation. Being able to blend IS that explanation.

phreatophile

Gedalya wrote: »

I'll just leave this here...

Loved Lost Boys. Keifer Sutherland as a Vampire. WWKSD?

Since we're posting pictures.

[img][/img]

A better ending to that twadle that shall not be named.

MornaBaine

Heh. One of my favorite pics EVAR! ^^

Vizier

MornaBaine wrote: »

Lazrael wrote: »

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

I keep seeing people say that about vamps "needing" to be detectable in PvP but my question is... WHY? Why do they need to be MORE detecable than any other foe on the field? My own feeling is that "Get the healer!" is still Job One!

Because they are more powerful than your average bear. See it's like this...

You know how (maybe you don't so I'll explain..no sarcasm here) a guy, man male human has female radar. They just "know" there is a woman right there. That movement in the corner of their eye..woman. If it's not a woman they don't even bat an eye. If it is, they take note and look if they are your average horn dog guy. Trust me...they all look. Some more obvious or subtle then others but they all take note. Now what is it that makes guys "know?" We know. We pick up on the nuance of movement, gate, speed, bounce then sound and of course smell.

All that said in a video game those types of nuances a vampire hunter or survivor might pick up on are not present. All characters move the same. They have the same builds, same run, same walk same jump, same sneak, same attacks, same speed same sounds and no smell. The vampire class is more powerful overall (as evidenced by why so many choose to be one. I'm confident in my assertion that if Vamp class was weak there would be FAR fewer of them) and since it is more powerful those nuances I spoke of that vampire hunters and others intent on surviving day to day would notice are simulated through the exaggeration of physical characteristics and thus evening the playing field.

That is why it is important. Balance Grasshoppa.

The day may come as suggested in 1.5 where vamps will be readily apparent through passive abilities. If so then I would say appearance of vampires in general wouldn't matter other than as a creative prerogative of TES and ZoS.

phreatophile

MornaBaine wrote: »

Heh. One of my favorite pics EVAR! ^^

Gotta love Blade.

And I know Mr. Snipes and Mr. Kristopherson weren't crazy about the last Blade film, but Parker Posey as a Vampire cracked me up.

phreatophile

MornaBaine wrote: »

Heh. One of my favorite pics EVAR! ^^

Then there's this. I cropped the worst of it out. Hope I'm within the rules.

[img][/img]

WraithAzraiel

I want my Stage 1 to look like my character did at it's creation. All the other stages can stay how they are, I don't mind them.

IN FACT it would be really cool if stage 4 was MORE monstrous.

I'd also like for the timer for Stage 1 to be a bit longer. At least an hour.

MornaBaine

Vizier wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Lazrael wrote: »

I honestly would just like my original ice blue eyes back. I'm not a fan of the red eyes. Other than that, I'm okay with the look. I get that vamps need to be detectable for pvp, but I miss my old eye. Wishful thinking I'm sure...

I keep seeing people say that about vamps "needing" to be detectable in PvP but my question is... WHY? Why do they need to be MORE detecable than any other foe on the field? My own feeling is that "Get the healer!" is still Job One!

Because they are more powerful than your average bear. See it's like this...

You know how (maybe you don't so I'll explain..no sarcasm here) a guy, man male human has female radar. They just "know" there is a woman right there. That movement in the corner of their eye..woman. If it's not a woman they don't even bat an eye. If it is, they take note and look if they are your average horn dog guy. Trust me...they all look. Some more obvious or subtle then others but they all take note. Now what is it that makes guys "know?" We know. We pick up on the nuance of movement, gate, speed, bounce then sound and of course smell.

All that said in a video game those types of nuances a vampire hunter or survivor might pick up on are not present. All characters move the same. They have the same builds, same run, same walk same jump, same sneak, same attacks, same speed same sounds and no smell. The vampire class is more powerful overall (as evidenced by why so many choose to be one. I'm confident in my assertion that if Vamp class was weak there would be FAR fewer of them) and since it is more powerful those nuances I spoke of that vampire hunters and others intent on surviving day to day would notice are simulated through the exaggeration of physical characteristics and thus evening the playing field.

That is why it is important. Balance Grasshoppa.

The day may come as suggested in 1.5 where vamps will be readily apparent through passive abilities. If so then I would say appearance of vampires in general wouldn't matter other than as a creative prerogative of TES and ZoS.

To a certain degree I can buy this. After all, as a woman I am aware of any strange man coming within range of me and I instantly assess him for potential threat. Welcome to the primary difference between boys and girls Grasshoppa.

But in an MMO how do you GENERALLY know what class (and any other variable that affects abilities) a foe is? You find out by watching what they do. You see that Aedric spear you know you are facing a Templar. You see those crazy dragon wings, hey you know you're fighting a DK. That crazy gout of blood and the enemy going limp? Um, yeah, probably a vampire. It is not actually more important for you to know who the vampire is over say, knowing who the enemy team's healer is. And if it IS that's because ZoS screwed up and THAT is what they need to fix.

I am cool with a "monster hunter" skill line that let's you highlight vamps and werewolves. Because it's not something every single player has, like that stupid add-on. The players that do have it had to make a conscious choice to take it and sacrifice something else in order to use it. And that is as it should be.

Next argument, please.

phreatophile

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

I want my Stage 1 to look like my character did at it's creation. All the other stages can stay how they are, I don't mind them.

IN FACT it would be really cool if stage 4 was MORE monstrous.

I'd also like for the timer for Stage 1 to be a bit longer. At least an hour.

I'm behind this 100%. That is the perfect middle ground. If you want ugly, you got it, don't feed. I'd even go with the freaky bat-like nose of the some of the Volkihar Vampires at stage 4. If you want to look mortal, go eat somebody.

MornaBaine

As this video (at 1:40) of the vampire quest shows, Lamae Bal, looking completely MORTAL by the way, says the following:
"Your kin live among the mortals. They may be wearing rags or crowns. They may hide within or rise above the masses. Find them. They await."

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KRQepUQ0OTU

If THAT does not indicate that vampires SHOULD and were INTENDED to be able to pass as mortals, I don't know what does.

Darkeus

like kain or raziel vamp version.

MornaBaine

phreatophile wrote: »

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

I want my Stage 1 to look like my character did at it's creation. All the other stages can stay how they are, I don't mind them.

IN FACT it would be really cool if stage 4 was MORE monstrous.

I'd also like for the timer for Stage 1 to be a bit longer. At least an hour.

I'm behind this 100%. That is the perfect middle ground. If you want ugly, you got it, don't feed. I'd even go with the freaky bat-like nose of the some of the Volkihar Vampires at stage 4. If you want to look mortal, go eat somebody.

I would totally love for the game to play "got yer nose!" at Stage 4! LOL As roleplayers, we NEED the monstrous stages for storyteling purposes. I'm not quite sure why there seem to be some folks out there trying to convince everyone that we're trying to do away with them.