Update on Personalities

ZOS_SeanMiller

We appreciate the feedback we’re received so far on our Personalities, and have been reading threads and implementing changes that you will see over the next few updates. While we can’t address every idea or concern, we’d like to share a few upcoming features that we are looking forward to bringing to you.

We’re planning to apply the features called out below not only to new Personalities, but also upgrading some previously-released Personalities where applicable. We won’t be changing base functionality, but instead giving you more control if and when you want it. We also plan to add these retroactively to Personalities you already have; you won’t have to do anything to get these changes.

Emote Control for Mannerisms
We’ve seen requests more control over the unique stances or mannerisms while your character is idle. We’re planning to allow you to control major Personality mannerisms as an emote override. (i.e. – blue colored emotes listed on the Personality tooltips or emotes menu). Many of these will still occur randomly while you are idle, but we want you to be able to have more control over when they play.

Movement Preview
We’ve seen many requests to be able to preview navigation-specific movements when available. If a Personality has a unique style of movement like walking, jogging, running or crouching, we’re working on allowing you to see it in the Crown Store preview window. It’s worth noting that some types of movement are difficult to clearly display through a preview, so not everything will be included.

Future Personalities
As a newer feature, Personalities are constantly evolving. Our goal is to provide opportunities for you to customize your presence in the world, building diversity that allows you to express emotion and attitude, and build a unique persona when not in combat with role playing opportunities.

In general, we look for what types of animation would be most appropriate for the persona we are presenting, and weigh it against the development time and impact on the game and the community at large. As a result, some Personalities have more unique stances and mannerisms, while others have special movements or more emotes.

We’re interested to hear which types of elements you want to see in future Personalities, as well specific personas you would like to see. Let us know in this thread, and help shape the future of development.

Sigtric

@ZOS_SeanMiller sounds like awesome stuff!

Any news on the thief personality? Is it being reworked? It seemed to have disappeared from the crown store abruptly (I don't remember seeing a time limit on it) - will it be back?

Darkstorne

Movement preview sounds great, thanks for doing this!

I love seeing emphasis on role play and allowing us to create more unique characters. Personalities are such a great addition for that reason. Am I still allowed to poke you guys about making furniture interactive? That's still the best thing you could do for role play in this game, and would allow for personalities to have unique sitting animations as well.

As for future personality ideas: Bards! Unique animations for lute/flute/drums/dance

Sigtric

Oh also, for future personality feedback: I'd like to see something "intimidating". Broad shoulders, chest sort of puffed, not unsimilar to the heroic stance but maybe a little more stern/angry looking, but not at the same levels as the angry personality with the clenched fists and head tilted down.

Also some sort of a "dashing" type personality. Think Han Solo, some swagger to the step, body language kind of laid back

Rouven

Mage type personality. Opening a book every once in a while. Playing with fire or ice etc in the palm of your hand for example.

Crazy scientist. Rubbing hands together grinning mad. "Experimenting" with some flasks, holding one up inspecting the liquid in it.

The Gambler. Chewing a tooth pick, playing with dice/cards etc.

ItsGlaive

It would be great to get a roguish type of personality, like I assumed the thief one might have been before release. Something relatively subtle but with a bit of swagger when in idle and moving. Han Solo-esque.

Rouven wrote: »

Mage type personality. Opening a book every once in a while. Playing with fire or ice etc in the palm of your hand for example.

Crazy scientist. Rubbing hands together grinning mad. "Experimenting" with some flasks, holding one up inspecting the liquid in it.

The Gambler. Chewing a tooth pick, playing with dice/cards etc.

Also loving the Gambler suggestion above

petraeus1

Personalities are interesting: they're best used to represent archetypal characters rather than emotions imo, since expressing emotions relies heavily on facial expression (hard to see) and to a limited extent mannerisms and stances - more complex emotional states become really hard to put into Personalities, simplification often leads to exaggeration: my angry Orc has an eternal scowl and is continually clenching his fists and grunting. It's alright, but this avenue is limited.

So I'd to see more archetypal characters related to professions: cooks, knights, merchant, hunters, various types of craftsmen etc. Though I imagine it becomes increasingly hard to distinguish between personalities as more come on the market. The Settlers games come to mind as a possible source of inspiration.

BlackSparrow

Oooh! Seeing this thread was a happy surprise!

ZOS_SeanMiller wrote: »

Emote Control for Mannerisms
We’ve seen requests more control over the unique stances or mannerisms while your character is idle. We’re planning to allow you to control major Personality mannerisms as an emote override. (i.e. – blue colored emotes listed on the Personality tooltips or emotes menu). Many of these will still occur randomly while you are idle, but we want you to be able to have more control over when they play.

This one, in particular, I'm interested in. I love some aspects of the personalities I have, but not all, so being able to play around with existing personalities has usually been one of my "never-gonna-happen" wishes. I'll be curious to see how robust this tool will be... will it affect more than idle fidgets (like overriding a walk I don't care for)? Will we be able to swap in mannerisms from other personalities? No worries if those aren't in the pipeline... just the presence of this tool will make my RPer heart very happy.

ZOS_GinaBruno

Sigtric wrote: »

@ZOS_SeanMiller sounds like awesome stuff!

Any news on the thief personality? Is it being reworked? It seemed to have disappeared from the crown store abruptly (I don't remember seeing a time limit on it) - will it be back?

This was inadvertently removed last week, but has since been put back. Sorry for the confusion!

Sigtric

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Sigtric wrote: »

@ZOS_SeanMiller sounds like awesome stuff!

Any news on the thief personality? Is it being reworked? It seemed to have disappeared from the crown store abruptly (I don't remember seeing a time limit on it) - will it be back?

This was inadvertently removed last week, but has since been put back. Sorry for the confusion!

@ZOS_GinaBruno Oh cool! I didn't see it. Thanks Gina!

Panda_iMunch

I was thinking about a class based personalty. I'm not sure how that would work, but it would be cool if there was things like:

• DK's occasionally have a walking animation that leaves behind a little footprint that is on fire. Faintly, needs to be subtle.
• Sorcs may play with a ball of lightning in their hands, maybe they throw it and it comes back to them.
• Templars conjure a spear to poke in the ground and lean on it, or just play with it and leave a small hole where the spear was.
• NB's could have their shadows bug them as if their conjured images were playing games on your character.

An adventurer personality would also be pretty neat too!

Rohamad_Ali

This is good news .

Skorol007

This is what we want to see a lot of more from you guys, COMMUNICATION WITH PLAYERS!!

Minalan

Xabien wrote: »

It would be great to get a roguish type of personality, like I assumed the thief one might have been before release. Something relatively subtle but with a bit of swagger when in idle and moving. Han Solo-esque.

Rouven wrote: »

Mage type personality. Opening a book every once in a while. Playing with fire or ice etc in the palm of your hand for example.

Crazy scientist. Rubbing hands together grinning mad. "Experimenting" with some flasks, holding one up inspecting the liquid in it.

The Gambler. Chewing a tooth pick, playing with dice/cards etc.

Also loving the Gambler suggestion above

Ironically, the 'gambler' personality will probably come locked in a crown crate.

Preyfar

Some of my biggest issues are the animations, like the Thief. It doesn't looks sneaky at all, and because it's kind of "slow run" with the character leaning forward so much it looks... a bit awkward. I don't see many people using it (I WANT to use it, but it just doesn't feel sneaky).

Are there plans to rework some of the animations for it? If not, no big deal, I just... the sneaky/thief animation is what I've always wanted for my Khajiit. I'll take my answer off the air.

jeedrzej

"Seductive" personality please!

AcadianPaladin

Thanks for the work and update! My elf is a happy mage and the 'cheerful' personality works fairly well. Would love to buy a 'build your own' personality where you get a dozen or so 'slots' to plug normal emotes into your custom personality that get used randomly during idle.

I'd put in there hands on hips, drink potion (which looks like a goblet of wine), read, whistle, blow kiss, yawn, mage salute and would love to have a couple more like juggle fireballs. . . .

nexxus_ESO

What about a cowardly personality?

Bites nails and looks around nervously
Sees their shadow (or imagines a noise) and jumps up terrified
Hugs self and shivers while looking around with a scared expression
Walks slightly hunched over, looks over shoulder a lot

You have a lot of options you could go with for that one.

menedhyn

New personalities? How about 'moody' (grumpy and bad-tempered)? Or perhaps 'scatterbrain' (a forgetful mage)? Something different and unusual would get my vote. Either way, good to hear about the proposed changes.

Tryxus

Jester

Idles
- Randomly performing as a mime, pretending there are invisible walls
- Pointing and laughing at passersby
- A big cheerful jump

Animations
- Walking animation: gleefully hopping around
- Jumping animation: a somersault

Emotes
- /swallowsword
- /juggleknives
- /playdead
- /dancejester
- /flute

I was thinking that maybe there could be unique emotes that can only be used when a certain personality is equipped. So in this case /swallowsword, /juggleknives and /dancejester are unique to this personality

TheShadowScout

Rouven wrote: »

Mage type personality. Opening a book every once in a while. Playing with fire or ice etc in the palm of your hand for example.

Crazy scientist. Rubbing hands together grinning mad. "Experimenting" with some flasks, holding one up inspecting the liquid in it.

The Gambler. Chewing a tooth pick, playing with dice/cards etc.

Sounds good. I'd buy those for a bag full of crowns! Okay, so maybe there are no scientists on Tamriel ever since the dwemer went poof, but there are certainly alchemists!

I would also like to see stuff like...

Khajiit clichee pesonality - with extra catlike behavoir, for those who want to express their inner feline nature extra strongly.

Nervous personality - always looking around, twitchy, wringing hands, fearful, etc. More frightened then the purposeful thief personality.

Seducer personality - flirty and feminine, stances and moves full of promises of things not shown in the game (Yes, I know, a disapponted whine now ran through the rooms of half the people who read this)... maybe refit to all dark seducers?

Innocent personality - for those who want to milk the cute and harmless kid shtick. Hey, I hear some vampires find it easier to lure their victims to them instead of sneaking after 'em... (and yes, that -was- a reference to a certain NPC in a different TES game)

Feral personality - and I don't mean Khajiit, that's above, I mean wildman, enkidu, tarzan, mougli, neanderthals, the librarian at the unseen library (though he does not really count on account of... having become an ape), etc. For those so one with nature they half forgot how to be civilized.

Injured personality - "painfully holding your wounds" stance, limping walk, occasional bleeding... useful for roleplayers.

Zombie personality - why only go for polymorphs and not walk the (shambling) walk as well?

Showman personality - grand gestures, flourishes and other stuff that may be more at home on a stage or in a circus then in a dungeon... think "Gilderoy Lockheart"...

Hunter/Tracker personality - always checking the ground for tracks when standing idle, sniffing that broken branch they just picked off the next bush, half-sneaking walk as to not spook the prey, stuff like that for those who are on the "ranger" trip...

Madman personality - for those who looked too deep into Sheogoraths cheese cabinet, and found his cheese collection looking back at them...

Elder personality - for those who want to show off their extra wisdom with bent back and shaking knees. Occasional plumbing malfunctions not included, thank the divines!

Saint personality - floating instead of walking, mystic gestures and occasional ritual blessins dispensed, etc. Possibly including halo.

Monk personality - walking with bowed head, pious stances, quiet prayer ("Pie Iesu domine, dona eis requiem"? No, wait... different world... ), etc. Can be refitted to a lot of robed brethren all around tamriel...

Watchman personality - threatening stances with arms crossed, suspiscious glances looking for criminal scum and stolen sweetrolls to confiscate, occasional polishing of an (possibly expired) city guard badge... no leaning against magic shields in mid-air though, that is true city guards priviledge!

Strongman personality - body builder poses, showing off your biceps to all the world, and those deltoids, and those pecs... may or may not include a "Do you even lift, bro?" battlecry or attempts to rip off your chest armor... (and then count the days until someone figures it out, makes an earthen heart DK for it, named "Alex Louis Armstrong" )

Abeille

This is absolutely fantastic!

Personalities are one of my favourite customization aspects in this game, and whoever had the idea to include them definitely deserves some free cupcakes. I did a lot of gushing over the assassin personality when it was introduced with the DB, it was an unexpected and very welcome addition.

Something I would like to see if you guys introduce a "noble lady" type of personality (like the Duchess one that was datamined a while ago) is sidesaddle riding, if it is possible.

fwr.phoenixub17_ESO

I'll repost my ideas from a similar thread:

fwr.phoenixub17_ESO wrote: »

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

We always enjoy hearing your ideas about new personalities you'd like added to the game. If you're looking for something that would be, say...a "pious" personality or a "demure" personality, let us know what sorts of emotes you'd envision that personality using!

Paranoid personality, someone who constantly looks around, startles and shivers, walks hunched a bit. Fitting for some vampires.

Imga personality, someone who does what imgakin monkey does. Maybe with sounds.

Levitating personality? (Sounds risky) They fly just a few inches above than ground (only when idle), sitchair (maybe others, too) animation looks like Vivec's pose.

Heroic personality. Stoic pose, confident steps.

Poet personality. Doing notes in a notebook, waves his/her hand in the air, scratches his chin, listens to himself and to birds, looks up the sky, giggles sometimes quietly.

Wounded personality. Flinches, drags his leg, holds his side with an arm, looking sometimes if there is blood on his hand.

LMar

The Mage Personality please! You can see some mages around the world esp in Eyevea. We have all lusted after that floating ritual bit. Can we have that as an emote? Or other types of animations they do which bring forth circles of light on the floor. Stuff like that. Perhaps not too over the top however

Tyrrean

I'd love a soldier personality. Something more martial than the commander one. Something fitting for potentially both soldiers, and the sort of martial nobility we see about. Perhaps a change to salute, marching walk, quick march run, different idle, etc.

AdamBourke

Firstly... THIS is the kind of communication people are wanting! Thank you for this.

Secondly, I agree with someone above (@Tryxus?) who said that it would be good if there were emotes for personalities that didn't necessarily replace the existing emotes - a signature emote, as it were. I'd be fine with just one signature emote, and the rest changing existing emotes. It could be triggered with either /signature, /personality, or ,e.g. /assassin

The personailities I would like to see would be, as mentioned above:

WOUNDED

NERVOUS

SEDUCTIVE

MAGE (With the ritual hover no-timeout emote, paying special attention to the khajit and argonian tail physics here!))

I wouldn't buy all of these - probably just mage and seductive - but i would like to see them around. It would be good if they affected the run animation particularly, as that's the main thing people do xD.

Ralen

Some basic walk animation but very usefull for roleplay !

Tied - very cool to escort a tied man to his gaol

Torch - Like I said, the really basic but essentiel personnality to explore cavern and dwemer ruins !

Flag - why not an alliance flag to exhibit on the battlefield !


Thanks ZoS to hear this simple request

Phica_Lovic

Rouven wrote: »

Mage type personality. Opening a book every once in a while. Playing with fire or ice etc in the palm of your hand for example.

Crazy scientist. Rubbing hands together grinning mad. "Experimenting" with some flasks, holding one up inspecting the liquid in it.

The Gambler. Chewing a tooth pick, playing with dice/cards etc.

The Mage!

Sotha_Sil

I'd love to see too a monk/priest type of personality as it has already been suggested with a meditation/levitation stance like Vivec in Morrowind game.

ShadowHvo

Greetings Gina!

Something that would be really cool, is if you allow us to select individual traits from the personalities themselves. (I am uncertain if this is what you meant with more emote control!)

What I personally miss about control, is to selectively choose which elements of a personality I would like to display, for example:

Assassin personality has:
1. Walk Animation: One hand on hip/weapon, head slightly tilted, very intimidating walk.
2. Intimidating idle stance with a hand on the blade and looking sharply forward.
3. Random Knife Juggle, can occour while idle or walking.
4. Run Animation: Live out your inner INSERT RANDOM ANIME NINJA CHARACTER NAME.
5. Change to the following emotes:
- /eat3
- /greet
- /leanback
- /leanside

All of these actually alters a whole lot about the character, and while I myself play a Dark Brotherhood character as my main, I would love to use it. And don't be fooled here, I say -would- because I currently don't, and that is because of annoying knife juggle that occours at random, and the... ninja anime running animation.

What I personally would absolutely love, is if you allow us to mix and match the personalities as we ourselves desire. Don't like that ninja anime running animation? Switch it out for the standard running animation! If you give us, the players, the control to choose each specific element of a personality, it would make it much easier for us the players to actually make the personalities more appealing and satisfying to our persona in Tamriel.

You could even go a step beyond that, and allow us to mix and match the different options from different personalities. So when you buy a personality, you buy the whole package of that certain style, and then you can choose whichever run, walk, crouch, idle and random animation which should, or should not occour. The same could be done for emote replacements too.

Kolache

- /skooma