Suggestion: Display Helmet in Combat/ Sneak

Jamaroo172

Greetings,

This is a quick suggestion to discuss the possibility of adding a new cosmetic feature that allows the display of helmet styles during combat and hiding them outside of combat.

Currently there are only two options for cosmetic helmets, either hiding them to show off a character's face, or displaying them which can hide a character's face. In order to change between the two states currently, players have to visit a menu then select an option desired.

This suggestion is to add a new feature that automatically toggles between the two states when in and out of combat. When out of combat, the helmet is removed displaying characters in a more social state, when in combat, the helmet is displayed as though ready to absorb incoming blows (although this is purely cosmetic as stats are applied irrespective of being displayed or not).

In either case, a quick, interruptible animation is displayed by gesturing to put a helmet on/off to make this feature more complete. it is essential that the animation be interruptible to allow quick engaging in combat as per normal. The helmet will appear or disappear regardless of animation, this only serves to 'soften' the visual of the helmet appearing/ disappearing.

This should allow for a bit more immersion in regards to how your character interreacts with the environment, and will also allow players who wish to display helmets they have earned but also wish to show their character's face get the best value out of both aspects.

To expand further, this same concept could be done for sneaking as well, to provide a more 'anonymous' feel (especially paired with Hoods and masks) for players who partake in crime aspects of the game or those wishing for a more thematic transition between the two states.

This feature could be added as a free update or an event item (like the recent 'hide shoulders' option) to allow full access for all players to enjoy.

Have a wonderful day!

TaSheen

Well, I'd not want it as an auto thing, because I despise helmets. If it came as a toggle, fine (so if you could opt in for "Toggle helmet on in combat" through a checkbox in Settings) - but since this is a world of magic, it means my characters can be helmeted but not have to have ugly metal over their faces. And ditto for sneak.

Jamaroo172

TaSheen wrote: »

Well, I'd not want it as an auto thing, because I despise helmets. If it came as a toggle, fine (so if you could opt in for "Toggle helmet on in combat" through a checkbox in Settings) - but since this is a world of magic, it means my characters can be helmeted but not have to have ugly metal over their faces. And ditto for sneak.

This was more of what I was trying to suggest, all current features still remain, just another option is added alongside 'hide your helm' to expand on the cosmetic options available. I think you clarified that a bit better though tbh haha!

TaSheen

Ah, well then! I didn't mind read very well did I?

Yeah, optional is always best, no matter what's under discussion.

Soarora

In theory this is cool but in practice I could see it not being any better than just toggling it yourself. You go into combat after engaging in battle, you should be putting on your helmet before engagement. Also, PvP and PvE content has stretches of not being in combat. So like… in a dungeon you’d constantly be putting your helmet on and taking it off. I just sometimes put on my helmet at the beginning of the dungeon and take it off afterwards.

Muizer

TaSheen wrote: »

Well, I'd not want it as an auto thing, because I despise helmets. If it came as a toggle, fine (so if you could opt in for "Toggle helmet on in combat" through a checkbox in Settings) - but since this is a world of magic, it means my characters can be helmeted but not have to have ugly metal over their faces. And ditto for sneak.

Personally I don't like the ever progressing divergence between what players are wearing and what they appear to wear. Or at least, I would like to be able to opt out of this. I'd petition for a toggle to see the gear people are actually wearing. No costumes or hidden helmets and shoulders or daggers that are actually swords and great swords that are actually battle axes.

Ultimately, there's no escaping that whatever provides character stats must be 'real'. A hidden helmet is still a helmet. Heavy armour concealed by a a wedding dress is still heavy armour. And in a world of magic, there's no reason why what can be concealed and hidden with magic could not be revealed with magic also. I'd like my 'vanilla' experience back please

TaSheen

Each to her own. I don't see the appeal to "knowing" - unless you're speaking specifically to pvp.

I don't pvp. I want my girls to look like I want them (I don't btw ever use heavy armor) - when I use the outfit system, it's to give light or medium users a different "better more attractive" look in the same armor class. I use a lot of costumes because there are so many attractive looks in the costumes.

As long as I'm running solo in this game (as I do 100& of the time) I don't want someone forcing my characters to show the ugly armor looks of so much of the gear in this game.

Muizer

TaSheen wrote: »

Each to her own. I don't see the appeal to "knowing" - unless you're speaking specifically to pvp.

I don't pvp. I want my girls to look like I want them (I don't btw ever use heavy armor) - when I use the outfit system, it's to give light or medium users a different "better more attractive" look in the same armor class. I use a lot of costumes because there are so many attractive looks in the costumes.

As long as I'm running solo in this game (as I do 100& of the time) I don't want someone forcing my characters to show the ugly armor looks of so much of the gear in this game.

I don't mind changing the style or dying of gear or anything like that.For me it is about the complete disconnect between what characters looks like and what they're capable of (stats wise). Someone wearing a servants costume tanking an end boss, for instance. IMHO that goes beyond a personal sense of aesthetics, it's making a mockery of the game. If some players don't mind that's fine, but I think it should be possible to opt out of having the worst of such incongruities inflicted upon ourselves.

Bat

You can add Hide Your Helm to your quickwheel, I think that's enough to satiate your wishes, I have it on my quickwheel and it's easy enough to toggle to it should I want to. Besides that, no one really cares about our fashion sense when we're grouped for content, so whether or not our character has a helmet on is probably the last thing on people's minds in those situations where you suggested this would make a difference to the immersion of you and others who you play with.

TaSheen

I just have a disconnect with "immersion" in mmos. The most immersion I have here is lore-friendly names on all my characters, and not using "outré" or "way out there" gear/costume looks.

WiseSky

There is an Addon Called Cowl, that lets you Keybind it to Toggle off and on

ArchangelIsraphel

Muizer wrote: »

TaSheen wrote: »

Each to her own. I don't see the appeal to "knowing" - unless you're speaking specifically to pvp.

I don't pvp. I want my girls to look like I want them (I don't btw ever use heavy armor) - when I use the outfit system, it's to give light or medium users a different "better more attractive" look in the same armor class. I use a lot of costumes because there are so many attractive looks in the costumes.

As long as I'm running solo in this game (as I do 100& of the time) I don't want someone forcing my characters to show the ugly armor looks of so much of the gear in this game.

I don't mind changing the style or dying of gear or anything like that.For me it is about the complete disconnect between what characters looks like and what they're capable of (stats wise). Someone wearing a servants costume tanking an end boss, for instance. IMHO that goes beyond a personal sense of aesthetics, it's making a mockery of the game. If some players don't mind that's fine, but I think it should be possible to opt out of having the worst of such incongruities inflicted upon ourselves.

I'm afraid what you're requesting is completely mitigated by the fact that a player can craft any piece of gear to look like whatever they want. You could hide the outfit slot or costume all you want, and at the end of the day, I can still craft heavy armor to look like a robe if I so choose due to the fact that ESO's motifs aren't stereotyped. There are heavy styles that look more like robes. IMO that's a great thing.

Personally I'm glad that the antiquated concept of one's capabilities being bound to one's appearance has been done away with. In a fantasy game, in a fantasy world that doesn't exist, I think suspension of disbelief is nessicary rather than binding others to a concept of realism that doesn't apply to the world.

I also just don't think other people's gear is anyone else's business anyway. It's an mmo. You don't get to pick how other people design their characters and appearance, and I don't believe you need to know what they're wearing unless you need to do a gear check for difficult content. In which case, seeing the Motif it's been crafted in honestly tells you nothing about the person's capabilities, because wearing heavy armor, and visually seeing heavy armor, doesn't tell you if it's GOOD armor, what quality it is, ext.

---

As to the OP's suggestion- cool idea! As long as it's optional, and toggleable, that sounds great.

Muizer

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I'm afraid what you're requesting is completely mitigated by the fact that a player can craft any piece of gear to look like whatever they want. You could hide the outfit slot or costume all you want, and at the end of the day, I can still craft heavy armor to look like a robe if I so choose due to the fact that ESO's motifs aren't stereotyped. There are heavy styles that look more like robes. IMO that's a great thing.

Personally I'm glad that the antiquated concept of one's capabilities being bound to one's appearance has been done away with. In a fantasy game, in a fantasy world that doesn't exist, I think suspension of disbelief is nessicary rather than binding others to a concept of realism that doesn't apply to the world.

I also just don't think other people's gear is anyone else's business anyway. It's an mmo. You don't get to pick how other people design their characters and appearance, and I don't believe you need to know what they're wearing unless you need to do a gear check for difficult content. In which case, seeing the Motif it's been crafted in honestly tells you nothing about the person's capabilities, because wearing heavy armor, and visually seeing heavy armor, doesn't tell you if it's GOOD armor, what quality it is, ext.

---

As to the OP's suggestion- cool idea! As long as it's optional, and toggleable, that sounds great.

This argument comes down to saying that everything ZOS adds to the game fits the game world, because the very fact that they added it makes it so. Might as well close the forum right now eh?

Holycannoli

Muizer wrote: »

TaSheen wrote: »

Well, I'd not want it as an auto thing, because I despise helmets. If it came as a toggle, fine (so if you could opt in for "Toggle helmet on in combat" through a checkbox in Settings) - but since this is a world of magic, it means my characters can be helmeted but not have to have ugly metal over their faces. And ditto for sneak.

Personally I don't like the ever progressing divergence between what players are wearing and what they appear to wear. Or at least, I would like to be able to opt out of this. I'd petition for a toggle to see the gear people are actually wearing. No costumes or hidden helmets and shoulders or daggers that are actually swords and great swords that are actually battle axes.

Ultimately, there's no escaping that whatever provides character stats must be 'real'. A hidden helmet is still a helmet. Heavy armour concealed by a a wedding dress is still heavy armour. And in a world of magic, there's no reason why what can be concealed and hidden with magic could not be revealed with magic also. I'd like my 'vanilla' experience back please

I actually agree. If someone is wearing heavy armor how they can walk around looking like they're wearing light pirate clothes? Or if they're wearing light robes they can look like they're wearing imperial heavy armor?

It hinders PvP for me too. Used to be in old MMORPGs like DAOC, Shadowbane and Everquest you'd look for the robe-wearers or medium armor first as they were probably the healers or mezzers and squishy. You couldn't disguise what gear you were wearing unless it was some kind of spell designed to do that. That enemy in plate armor? They're not going to mez you, they're a melee and will take some time to kill. That robe-wearer? They can die easily and you better make sure it happens quickly because they will mess you up if you don't.

It's still in my brain to look for those visual cues. Not icons next to a name showing their class but their gear.

I guess maybe because ESO doesn't have traditional classes with traditional roles it doesn't matter as much. There is no healer class that can't wear heavy armor and doesn't do much damage, mage class that can't wear anything but robes and is squishy, tank class that won't be wearing robes etc.