Do you play ESO in first person view, third person, or both?

Danikat

Third person almost always

In most TES games I play mainly in first person, especially for combat, and only occasionally switch to 3rd person. ESO is the opposite - I mainly play in 3rd person (especially for combat) and only switch to first person when I'm trying to get at an awkwardly placed container, placing furnishings or taking a screenshot and don't want my character in it.

For me it's more to do with visibility than immersion. My character is not me, regardless of camera angle. If they were me they'd be about as much use in a fight as your average NPC (if that) and would stay in town where it's safe. At most maybe they'd have a small farm in a quiet part of the world. For me role-playing is more about inventing a character to fill a role in the story than self-insertion and that works whether it's first or third person.

In most TES games I find the 3rd person camera is too close and often in an annoying 'over the shoulder' position so my character takes up too much of the screen and is often in the way of what I'm trying to see, so I use first person for greater visibility. In ESO I can zoom out and position the camera more overhead so the character isn't in the way, and 3rd person allows me to see more of what's to the side, behind and below my character which is often very important.

Grizzbeorn

Third person almost always

Third-person, as exclusively as possible.
I only go into first-person when the camera forces it.

I can't do first-person aspect, willfully; just isn't my jam.

Ragnarok0130

Third person almost always

I played First Person in beta and at launch and then shortly after launch switched to third person. After playing TES games for years it took a bit to get used to but it much better for running group content IMO.

Destai

Third person mostly but some first person too

Once in a while, I'll turn off the HUD and put it in 1st person, makes for a good immersion experience. Did that last weekend and just hunted around Orsinium. Other than those occasions, I'm always 3rd person.

Marronsuisse

About half and half

Two of my characters I currently play almost exclusively solo doing story quests, and I play them in first person. If I end up taking one of them into a dungeon or something I switch to third person though.

I made one character specifically for doing dungeons and group play, etc. and I always play them in third person, even if I'm just running around crafting. They're a wood elf so first person feels weirdly short, anyway.

Kalik_Gold

Third person almost always

Third person almost always!

Ashryn

Third person almost always

I used to love playing in 1st person when it came to games like Skyrim; but now that I am older and frequently get motion sick in 1st, its 3rd person always. Added benefit is that you can fight better with the increased view.

Parasaurolophus

Third person almost always

I strongly believe that "true" TES is played only in the first person, because only the game in the first person provides the same indescribable effect of deep immersion. Playing TES in third person is like playing GTA in first person.
But eso is mmo. At first, I also played eso in first person. However, as soon as I began to master the veteran content, I immediately realized that I needed to change the view to a third person, otherwise, alas, it would not be effective to play.

Browiseth

Third person almost always

Parasaurolophus wrote: »

I strongly believe that "true" TES is played only in the first person, because only the game in the first person provides the same indescribable effect of deep immersion. Playing TES in third person is like playing GTA in first person.
But eso is mmo. At first, I also played eso in first person. However, as soon as I began to master the veteran content, I immediately realized that I needed to change the view to a third person, otherwise, alas, it would not be effective to play.

i think it's pretty interesting you imply a "true" TES experience is a first-person one when third person has been an thing all the way back in TES: Redguard, and has been an option in every ES game that anyone even talks about (so morrowind, oblivion and skyrim)

you can enjoy playing these games a particular way, that's great, but to try and imply there is a "proper" way to play them does a disservice to the games and the choices they provide their players in experiencing the worlds they take place in.

xgoku1

First person mostly but some third person too

I play with First person view while Questing since I feel it is more immersive.

But for any "serious content" I switch to third person because honestly this game's combat design isn't compatible with first person view.

Kiralyn2000

Third person almost always

Danikat wrote: »

For me it's more to do with visibility than immersion. My character is not me, regardless of camera angle.

This. I don't "immersion". I'm a gamer, externally puppeting very fancy action figures around on very fancy gameboards. I'm not "in the world", regardless of the camera.*

So, I pick whichever view works better for the gameplay. In ESO, that's third person. In the single-player TES games, that's first person. /shrug


(* this very much fits with how I've thought about things my whole life. As a kid, I never imagined myself 'in' the books or movies I read/watched. I never imagined myself as my favorite heroes or sports stars. Raiders of the Lost Ark made me think "I want to be an archaeologist" - HA! - not "I want to be Indiana Jones.")

amapola76

About half and half

Third person for combat, first person for nearly everything else.

With limited exceptions: like if I'm moving back and forth quickly between alts for some reason, like swapping out bank items, anniversary crafting, etc., and I need to easily remember which one I'm playing, then I'll stay in third person. But I find my immersion is better with first person. There are also certain actions, like stealing, where I find camera control to be really awkward and difficult in third person.

Mesite

About half and half

I find my fingers messing with the wheel on my mouse all the time, just unintentionally. On the Xbox it depends what I'm doing more but I change when I'm trying to drink a potion, again accidentally.

Mesite

About half and half

I have also heard that the internet connection struggles less in first person

Marginis

Third person mostly but some first person too

First person rarely, but it's definitely a thing when I'm getting immersed or moving furniture in my houses.

Close third person most of the time. Good for general adventuring, still pretty immersive, plus I get to see my outfit I put time into from over the shoulder.

Far third person when I need to do a dungeon, trial, or PVP. There are too many effects in the game that can make combat way too much from too close a perspective.

Tenthirty2

Third person mostly but some first person too

Almost always in 3rd.
Times I do use 1st is housing obvs, but even out of build mode if I'm trying to decide on placement or want to scale or look at an area to get ideas it's just easier in 1st for some reason.

1st is also excellent when looting lots of varied things, diff sizes, piles of coins etc. Some of them are too hard to get onto the reticle in 3rd person.

And for screen shots of the environment, 1st person.

M_Volsung

About half and half

I change it up depending on what I'm doing at the time.

DukeCybran

Third person almost always

You may catch some eyes problem when grouping with a Templar.

Oreyn_Bearclaw

Third person almost always

I have played all ES titles until ESO in first person. It is certainly more immersive. I played ESO in first person for the better part of a year.

Then I learned to play. LOL

Lets face it, combat in other ES titles is an afterthought. Its absurdly easy. Combat in ESO is a completely different ballgame, and it's clearly designed with 3rd Person view in mind. Not playing in 3rd person when in combat in ESO is just putting yourself at a massive and unintended disadvantage.

If you are new to ESO or ever want to be competitive in any type of endgame, heck, even if you just want to join a vet group finder, stop the first person nonsense immediately when in combat . If you just want to quest or RP under a bridge in Riften in first person, knock yourself out.

SeaGtGruff

Third person almost always

For the most part, I play in third-person view with the zoom scrolled out as far as it will go. I only switch to first-person view if there's something I need or want to get a closer look at.

Michae

Third person almost always

I only go first person when I want to look at something specific in the enviroment. All the levels are clearly designed with third person in mind, with their high ceilings and spacious corridors. Also you need to have spatial awareness that first person doesn't provide and most skills are harder to aim/use in first person.

PS. One more thing, I do use first person when placing furniture in housing.

Sjestenka

Third person mostly but some first person too

Switching to first person only if i wanna admire the view or take a closer look at something like an animal or clutter

Carcamongus

Third person almost always

I occasionally turn to first person if I need a closer view of something (possibly illegal) I want to grab.
For a radical experience, perform the grappling in Unhallowed Grave in first person. Try it, what could possibly go wrong?

Grianasteri

Third person almost always

Pleasantly surprised to see that the majority, like me, seem to play in 3rd person mostly.

I had for some reason always thought I was a bit strange in doing so! So many folks I would speak with said they play mostly in 1st person and in combat almost always 1st person.


Now, the crucial question is.. does anyone know what happened to 2nd person?

Oreyn_Bearclaw

Third person almost always

Grianasteri wrote: »

Pleasantly surprised to see that the majority, like me, seem to play in 3rd person mostly.

I had for some reason always thought I was a bit strange in doing so! So many folks I would speak with said they play mostly in 1st person and in combat almost always 1st person.


Now, the crucial question is.. does anyone know what happened to 2nd person?

2nd Person is when you hop into Cyrodiil late on a Friday night after several adult beverages, and magically, there are two players on your screen.

whitecrow

Third person almost always

3rd person always. 1st person is crippling and anyway, I like to see my character.

Iselin

Third person almost always

Full disclosure:

I made this poll mostly in response to a post in another thread where I said I spend some time in character creation making sure that my characters' derrieres are attractive that someone responded to with:

"This butt discussion is just too funny! It doesn't matter to me at all since I only play in 1st person view anyway, so why bother with a body part I never see myself (actually like in real life)? "

That got me curious about how common it is in ESO to not see your own character often or ever. I think you all have answered that question

Oreyn_Bearclaw

Third person almost always

For fun, this was my buddy D'Enoht healing The Twins (AKA the Friendship Destroyers) in first person about 5 years ago. D was one of the better healers in all of Tamriel way back in the day. We were one of the first to clear VMOL HM, and it was a lot of late nights. Every now and then he would whisper me saying that he did that pull in first person. Haha.

I wasn't in this particular group, but looks like @paulsimonps was tanking/raid leading this one. Wonder if he knew what shenanigans D was up to at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKL_3BJG51k

D said in the comments that the color swaps required him to look down at his feet. I definitely would have blown up a few of my friends if I tried this. LOL

WiseSky

Third person mostly but some first person too

Depending if I am questing I am in FPV if not it's 3rd person

Cadbury

Third person almost always

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Danikat wrote: »

For me it's more to do with visibility than immersion. My character is not me, regardless of camera angle.

This. I don't "immersion". I'm a gamer, externally puppeting very fancy action figures around on very fancy gameboards. I'm not "in the world", regardless of the camera.*

So, I pick whichever view works better for the gameplay. In ESO, that's third person. In the single-player TES games, that's first person. /shrug


(* this very much fits with how I've thought about things my whole life. As a kid, I never imagined myself 'in' the books or movies I read/watched. I never imagined myself as my favorite heroes or sports stars. Raiders of the Lost Ark made me think "I want to be an archaeologist" - HA! - not "I want to be Indiana Jones.")