Would You Like New/Updated Visual Backdrops for the Character Select Screen?

Left4Daud

I'm a bit late to the party just picking up Morrowind a few days ago. Anyways, I'm playing around with creating a new Dark Elf character and something is sticking out to me. I'm talking about the alliance themed backdrops of the character select screen. I'm thinking how freaking cool it would be if my EP Dunmer had a Stonefalls/Morrowind style backdrop as opposed to the current snowy Bleakrock Isle theme. Not that there is anything wrong with the current backdrop, it is great and fitting for Nords.

But wouldn't it be cool if they updated these visuals and maybe allowed us to pick something different for our characters?

MasterSpatula

Yes

I've never even thought about it, but now that you mention it, it would be neat to see. Maybe there can be three per alliance and they can rotate or something.

It's certainly nothing I care THAT much about, but sure, would be neat. I appreciated what they did with all the old DLC splash screens in this update a lot, so I'm sure something like this would be a nice touch.

Ir0nB34r

Yes

It would be cool if it rotated like the main menu page, where after each major expansion or update we get a new screen to fit the theme.

Ulfgarde

Yes

The light reflections in the character creation screen are overly cinematic. It accentuates certain features, like the jaw and cheekbones. When you play your character for real, the features look less prominent in some cases because of how the light is totally varied across the game, and you end up with a pancake face.

I would like a few environment backgrounds to choose from while you create a character with varied lighting because of this.

Also, sure. Different backgrounds are fine. Would give your characters more... character.

Left4Daud

Yes

Ulfgarde wrote: »

The light reflections in the character creation screen are overly cinematic. It accentuates certain features, like the jaw and cheekbones. When you play your character for real, the features look less prominent in some cases because of how the light is totally varied across the game, and you end up with a pancake face.

Great point! This is something I've wrote about on here before but I'm glad you brought it up. There are huge differences in the lighting between the character creation / appearance change interface, character select screen, and in game environments. The same character can look vastly different when viewed under these different lenses because of this. Obviously you know what I'm talking about but for those who are interested in a recent visual take a look at this thread.

The differences can be quite jarring and it would be nice if there was less disparity regarding character appearance throughout the rendering processes (creation/appearance change vs. character select vs. in-game appearance).

I've actually deleted a few characters that looked fantastic during creation but looked like complete potato faces (mostly Bretons/Nords) when viewed at the character select screen. For me I like my characters to look like the same character regardless of how or where I view them but I understand probably a lot of people don't care about that.

Left4Daud

Yes

This is a rough mock up of what I am talking about. Surely it wouldn't be too much work for the amazing artists at ZOS to come up with something much better!

Presceran_Kendel

Other

I'm not that bothered, tbh. I don't spend much time looking at the character selection screen anyway. Improved light distribution (read: more natural) on the character creation screen would be useful.

Zinaroth

Other

I would like to be able to pick my own backdrop.

Saoirse_Siobhan

Other

I would love it if it would change depending on our characters location.

Turelus

Yes

I would love for it to show what zone you logged out in rather than one set alliance zone.

VDoom1

Yes

What we currently have is absolutely fine, I have no issues with it. But if there was an upgrade I wouldn't mind. Maybe make it race specific. Like for a Nord you see Skyrim as a backdrop. I still dont get why DC characters get like a desert as backdrop. When Stormhaven is the capital and the starter zone is Daggerfall. AD characters get what looks like Auridon as backdrop and that makes sense as it's the starter zone.

ArterionAU

Yes

I like the ones they have now but as other people have said, having a different backdrop depending on your race would be a nice update.

Left4Daud

Yes

VDoom1 wrote: »

What we currently have is absolutely fine, I have no issues with it. But if there was an upgrade I wouldn't mind. Maybe make it race specific. Like for a Nord you see Skyrim as a backdrop. I still dont get why DC characters get like a desert as backdrop. When Stormhaven is the capital and the starter zone is Daggerfall. AD characters get what looks like Auridon as backdrop and that makes sense as it's the starter zone.

Yeah I agree the covenant background always felt a little off to me. I think they are supposed to match the tutorial islands and AD is the oddball. DC background looks like Stros M'kai, EP background looks like Bleakrock Isle. It's just that the AD background doesn't look like Khenarthi's. AD is also the oddball starting faction with one tutorial area in Khenarthi's Roost. EP have Bleakrock / Bal Foyen, and then DC get Stros M'kai / Betnikh so maybe it's intentional?

Some interesting suggestions by other people. @Zinaroth how would you like to pick your own backdrop? Are you talking about the developers providing a few choices for you to pick from? Or are you talking about using an in game screenshot or something like that?

@TheWhiteDarkness and @Turelus I didn't think of this, that is also a cool suggestion. However if I had to choose between character select backdrops matching zone OR matching the character race I would personally prefer the latter. But obviously it would be cool if we could have both! Nothing wrong with more options except that it's more work for ZOS.

Rex-Umbra

Yes

Have one for each race at least.

curlyqloub14_ESO

No

If everything else in the game was working perfectly, classes were balanced, lag was gone, etc etc...

then sure update the background images. Until then, there are about a zillion other things that are more important than this.

Feric51

Yes

I think it would be awesome to be able to take a 5-10 second animated screenshot from anywhere in the game that would be specific to each character. (Animated in case there is flowing water, lava, or butterflies, etc. in the background).

There are several awesome "striking locales" and other cool vantage points that would make awesome backdrops, and this would also allow you to screen shot a bunch of guild mates standing next to Molag Bal's corpse or something.

Just an idea...

TheShadowScout

Yes

I defintiely would prefer them to be -racial- themed backgrounds. You know... not one "Pact" background, but a "Dunmer" and a "Nord, And a "Argonian" background, each with the pact flag...

Even better would be if there were various racial backgrounds, one per class... a dunmer DK with a volcanic stonefalls background, a dunmer sorceror with shad astule background, a dunmer templar with a triunal temple background (possibly vivec city), a dunmer nightblade with a "balmorra streets" background, a dunmer warden with a "ashlander camp" background... stuff like that!

And if one makes a cross-alliance character, or imperial... well, then they get the race background, but with a different alliance flag.

SturgeHammer

Yes

I think there should be one for the house you have selected as your primary residence (with all the furniture if possible).

Takes-No-Prisoner

Yes

Would be neato to see the background be of the area you last left off in. So if I was in Cyrodiil, there would be a back drop for it behind my toon. If I was in my house last time, it should show a pic of my toon outside/inside the house. That'd be neat.

Dark_Lord_Kuro

Yes

It would be nice to have a differrent one for whatever zone your character was when you disconected
The current one coud be used for auridon bleackrock (or eastmarch) and alik'r (or
Stros M'Kai)

EvilCroc

Yes

Character selection screen needs complete overhaul.
And option to change order of characters.

Left4Daud

Yes

EvilCroc wrote: »

option to change order of characters.

Yes! Would love this functionality as well.

MakoFore

they should reflect the achievements of each player.
so a flawless conquerer emperor with dromatha destroyer would have be in a throne room surrounded by heads, etc. that would be cool to see. its important in mmos to continually incentivise achievement in games like this- thats why people progress and do ***- its why we get up in the morning to work at a harder job than we d like- to buy *** we dont need so we can show it off to people we dont know. a good MMO gets that and exploits that element in our nature.

Path

Other

Don't care. Loading screens are when I let the dogs out, grab some tea and pee.

Xoelarasizerer

Yes

Some ideas totally unfounded in how realistically tangible they could be to program in:

1. A Selection of backdrops for each character to select between based on preference.

2. A Backdrop made for every single zone (dungeons and interiors just use zone backdrop they are located in) that will be used based on where that character was logged out in.

3. Further complicating Housing (and undoubtedly complicated code of how loading player's personally customised homes works) by having an option to set a "main house" for each character, the "main house" somehow serving as the backdrop.

4. Add Weapon Dyes in, instead (hi my name is Bias )