It's time for a graphics update

Grizzbeorn

With the exception of some glaringly flat up-close textures (leaves on tree branches, tomato crates, melon baskets, etc.), I'm satisfied with how the game looks, for the most part; such that I don't want them screwing with it, given some of their other ideas as to what constitutes "improvement."

Arcturus

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

With the exception of some glaringly flat up-close textures (leaves on tree branches, tomato crates, melon baskets, etc.), I'm satisfied with how the game looks, for the most part; such that I don't want them screwing with it, given some of their other ideas as to what constitutes "improvement."

Imo the world doesn't look bad. What looks bad though, are the old classes' visuals.

fizzylu

I'm at the point where I think the world of ESO looks fine. Newer zones especially look pretty great. I loved the details in High Isle and Galen is great as well, and I don't really think it's necessary for them to go back and redo old zones. If any graphics were to be updated, I would just like to see some old class, world, and guild skill lines get some love with their VFX. I know they have done a few updates here and there, but so many look very blah even still. I've always hated the way restoration staff VFX look (one reason why I avoid playing healer in this game) and Sorcerer pets especially look real bad. They were always eyesores, but they stick out like an extra sore thumb in newer zones and when standing next to characters in new gear set appearances.

martygod12

The textures could really use some improvement. They are very inconsistent and lot of them are very low quality which is very noticable especially in the first person.

Other thing is that ugly and completely ugly fog which is freakin everywhere. I am not saying remove it completely, cause its doing the job in hiding those low quality LODs. but push it back by maybe 25-30% could really do I big difference in visual quality. No reason why everything which is further then some 50meters from you should be covered in fog ...

Last thing I would love to see, is assests around light sources actually correctly making some shadows, thats very immersion breaking, cause right now there are absolutely not shadows around light sources.

Anumaril

I have to agree. The only reason my ESO game doesn't look awful is because I use ReShade and Daybreak. Daybreak is essential for me, and I simply would not play the game without it.

But aside from surface-level graphical changes like that, it could still do with updates. City layouts and architecture are some of the most obvious points that show their age imo. ZOS has gotten a lot better about making cities more "realistic" in that there's small alleyways, narrower streets, etc, rather than huge boulevards and very few houses. ZOS should apply those lessons to the old cities and give them a redesign.

Many years ago ZOS said that they make cities huge and over-sized because they want to give people space to roleplay, but I think they've begun to lean away from that philosophy because it's just not true. (1) People generally don't roleplay in cities since there's so many other people there to interrupt you, and (2) even if you do roleplay in cities, you don't need massive boulevards to do it. Narrower streets and more intimate city designs (like the single player TES games) work just fine, and feel more real as medieval cities.

martygod12

TybaltKaine wrote: »

You have to consider that a major overhaul of graphics would impact members of the user base on lower end systems. ESO is already squeezing every last drop out of players, so to ask them to suddenly have to upgrade a computer, maybe drastically, in a time when graphics cards are wildly overpriced or lose access to their investment because of a non-critical issue like graphics seems a bridge too far.

There are plenty of avenues for the user to take to increase graphical fidelity without impacting the game for everyone else.

Cmon this cant be an issue to argue with anymore ... its a game from a 2014, I have 2080 which is average gpu these days and run it in 2k with everything maxed out and reshade on top of that and never go below 90FPS even in the performance heavy areas.

I get that not everyone can afford a PC upgrade or new PC, but on the other hand you cant expect to play all games forever with some 10-12yrs old PC ...

Game is 9 years old, so worrying someone cant run it should really not be even a topic.

Not to mention that I am sure,that all those "upgrades" would be 99% optional and toggable in the graphics settings.

James-Wayne

All they need to provide is s a 4k textures update (including bump maps) which is opt in to use and the game would look way better on latest machines, the models themselves are fine (increasing detail would just slow things down).

It would be lots of work but provide the biggest overalll change.

kaushad

martygod12 wrote: »

I get that not everyone can afford a PC upgrade or new PC, but on the other hand you cant expect to play all games forever with some 10-12yrs old PC ...

Game is 9 years old, so worrying someone cant run it should really not be even a topic.

Not to mention that I am sure,that all those "upgrades" would be 99% optional and toggable in the graphics settings.

I don't expect to play Baldur's Gate III. I don't even expect to player The Witcher III. I can expect to play old games that I already bought without the developers deciding to "upgrade" them beyond my hardware.

That said, provided it is optional, it's none of my concern.

Mortuus126

The graphics should be absolute last priority after everything else is fixed. Besides, the game looks amazing already, at least on PC.

YstradClud

Mortuus126 wrote: »

Besides, the game looks amazing already, at least on PC.

I posted this screenshot on Twitter before and got no likes, but I think it looks great on an Xbox Series X with a 4K TV as well.

Arcturus

Glad people like their screenshots but taking them in a modern zone (sometimes with reshades and whatnot) and saying the game looks great just ain't fair. Take a screenshot of glenumbra or something with unmodded graphics lol.

Grizzbeorn

Arcturus wrote: »

Glad people like their screenshots but taking them in a modern zone (sometimes with reshades and whatnot) and saying the game looks great just ain't fair. Take a screenshot of glenumbra or something with unmodded graphics lol.

I don't use reshaders and whatnot, but I'll do what you ask.
When the game is back online.

ixthUA

TybaltKaine wrote: »

You have to consider that a major overhaul of graphics would impact members of the user base on lower end systems. ESO is already squeezing every last drop out of players, so to ask them to suddenly have to upgrade a computer, maybe drastically, in a time when graphics cards are wildly overpriced or lose access to their investment because of a non-critical issue like graphics seems a bridge too far.

There are plenty of avenues for the user to take to increase graphical fidelity without impacting the game for everyone else.

ESO mostly uses GPU. Old GPUs like 1060 and 1050 Ti have a limit of how many years they will work. Some break after 5, others after 8 years of use, so upgrade is inevitable.
GPUs like AMD RX 7600 are cheap and powerful, they can run ESO at 4k 60 fps maxed settings.

TybaltKaine

Your cheap is not everyone's cheap.

When you make a decision that has cascading effects, such as tweaking graphics to such a degree that require a component upgrade, you have to take all of the outcomes into consideration.

I run a GT 1030. That's the best I can afford. It goes for ~$100.

Your suggestion costs 3x as much and would require me changing multiple other facets of my system.

If tomorrow ESO decided to implement a change that would require me to purchase a card of that spec, I would flat out be unable to play a game I have poured thousands of hours and at least a thousand dollars into over the course of the last 4 years. My wife would be in the same boat, as we have identical systems.

We had to save up for a year to purchase these systems. We have other expenses outside of gaming to handle, namely our family. Gaming is a low priority on the financial totem pole and gets the bulk of our "Entertainment" budget.

Considering multiple pain points when making decisions leads to better outcomes.

When you start talking about making sweeping changes to a game, you have to consider that everyone isn't going to have the same experience as you, and you need to base your decisions on what works for the greatest number of people.

So, to reinforce my original statement I'll say what I left out due to trying to be diplomatic:

If you don't like how the game looks on your ultra powerful, ultra expensive rig, use a reshade mod. The vast majority of people playing this game are doing it on the best system that they can afford, which is usually just enough to run this one game that they really love.

The game not being pretty enough for you is peak first world problem.

Sarousse42

We need cloaks, hair [snip] physics !

[edited for inappropriate content]

LesserCircle

No thank you! I don't want it to have worse performance on my computer for a game I've been playing for so long-

LesserCircle

martygod12 wrote: »

TybaltKaine wrote: »

You have to consider that a major overhaul of graphics would impact members of the user base on lower end systems. ESO is already squeezing every last drop out of players, so to ask them to suddenly have to upgrade a computer, maybe drastically, in a time when graphics cards are wildly overpriced or lose access to their investment because of a non-critical issue like graphics seems a bridge too far.

There are plenty of avenues for the user to take to increase graphical fidelity without impacting the game for everyone else.

Cmon this cant be an issue to argue with anymore ... its a game from a 2014, I have 2080 which is average gpu these days and run it in 2k with everything maxed out and reshade on top of that and never go below 90FPS even in the performance heavy areas.

I get that not everyone can afford a PC upgrade or new PC, but on the other hand you cant expect to play all games forever with some 10-12yrs old PC ...

Game is 9 years old, so worrying someone cant run it should really not be even a topic.

Not to mention that I am sure,that all those "upgrades" would be 99% optional and toggable in the graphics settings.

2080 average GPU lol

bruta

devs talked about upgrading to directx 12, I hope they haven't abandoned the idea

licenturion

TybaltKaine wrote: »

a game I have poured thousands of hours and at least a thousand dollars into over the course of the last 4 years.

I am not attacking you, but I wonder why you and your wife spend thousand of dollar into the game but your graphics card is 99 dollar hardware.

Also I don't think most people don't want a total engine revamp but just some updated rock, plants and building assets in the base zones. If zones like Vvardenfell, Gold Coast or every other DLC expansion work on your PC, these upgrades won't affect your performance either.

TybaltKaine

licenturion wrote: »

TybaltKaine wrote: »

a game I have poured thousands of hours and at least a thousand dollars into over the course of the last 4 years.

I am not attacking you, but I wonder why you and your wife spend thousand of dollar into the game but your graphics card is 99 dollar hardware.

Also I don't think most people don't want a total engine revamp but just some updated rock, plants and building assets in the base zones. If zones like Vvardenfell, Gold Coast or every other DLC expansion work on your PC, these upgrades won't affect your performance either.

I said a thousand over the course of 4 years. We only play this game, it is our entertainment. We spent $500 on each computer 4 years ago.

ESO+ yearly for both is $300. So we've actually gone over a thousand when you add in new chapters.

EDIT: This is the only game we want to play. So we purpose built these computers to be able to do everything else we need them to do to run a household but also be able to support playing this one game at decent settings. Changing the graphics card would mean building a whole new system from the ground up.

Beyond all that, my post was meant to be an exemplar of one circumstance outside the "massive gaming computer" trope that everyone seems to think is what is used across the board.

There are people who I am sure have bargain basement systems even worse than mine who love playing this game. Saying that they shouldn't be allowed to play unless they spend more on a system is hubris and elitism.

N3CR01

ixthUA wrote: »

TybaltKaine wrote: »

You have to consider that a major overhaul of graphics would impact members of the user base on lower end systems. ESO is already squeezing every last drop out of players, so to ask them to suddenly have to upgrade a computer, maybe drastically, in a time when graphics cards are wildly overpriced or lose access to their investment because of a non-critical issue like graphics seems a bridge too far.

There are plenty of avenues for the user to take to increase graphical fidelity without impacting the game for everyone else.

ESO mostly uses GPU. Old GPUs like 1060 and 1050 Ti have a limit of how many years they will work. Some break after 5, others after 8 years of use, so upgrade is inevitable.
GPUs like AMD RX 7600 are cheap and powerful, they can run ESO at 4k 60 fps maxed settings.

Actually, ESO, like most MMO's is mostly CPU bound, not GPU bound.
Also, I doubt you'll get 60fps @ 4k on a 7600 when its a 1080p card.

licenturion

TybaltKaine wrote: »

I said a thousand over the course of 4 years. We only play this game, it is our entertainment. We spent $500 on each computer 4 years ago.

...
EDIT: This is the only game we want to play. So we purpose built these computers to be able to do everything else we need them to do to run a household but also be able to support playing this one game at decent settings. Changing the graphics card would mean building a whole new system from the ground up.
...

Thanks for clarifying. Makes sense if you only want to play one game.

I have a dedicated gaming PC at home but the only thing I want upgraded in ESO is the rocks, trees and building textures in the base zones so that they are like all the other expansion and DLC zones. Since you say you can already play all the chapters shows that this would not have any performance hit. I don't want raytracing or volumetric fog etc.

All the post launch zones look already great and MMO's should not be graphical powerhouses because it would hamper the in-game population.

Razzledazzle_dar

Personally I don't understand the need for every game people play to have the latest graphics. I've been playing since launch and the graphics that ESO has are familiar, and they have charm...and yes I'm talking about all zones including base game. I don't think ESO ever looked bad nor does it now. I think it's just a trap too many people fall into thinking we need to compare it to other games. ESO is ESO, let it be ESO...if you want the graphics of some other MMO, you can play that other MMO. "But I enjoy ESO gameplay better, don't tell me to go play another MMO"...well, you have to take the good with the bad in any game, and I personally as I mentioned don't even consider the graphics of ESO to be "the bad"

I'm rambling and not making much sense. This is just my opinion. I don't want to fight, and I'm likely to not sway anyone else with what I just said so take it with a grain of salt.

Grizzbeorn

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

Arcturus wrote: »

Glad people like their screenshots but taking them in a modern zone (sometimes with reshades and whatnot) and saying the game looks great just ain't fair. Take a screenshot of glenumbra or something with unmodded graphics lol.

I don't use reshaders and whatnot, but I'll do what you ask.
When the game is back online.

Here is Glenumbra...

Ragnarok0130

No it's definitely not time for a graphics update OP. If you want a good looking game get a better PC. I do 12 man trial content and the current graphics package creates frame drops so I shudder to think how a heavier graphics package would affect group content in dungeons, trials, or cyrodiil. This is an MMO so tradeoffs have to be made for performance reasons. And what about the people playing on last gen consoles or older PC that meet the minimum requirements? Are you going to tell them that they can't play the game they purchased?

OleandersOne

Sarousse42 wrote: »

We need cloaks, hair [snip] physics !

No thanks. [snip]

[edited for inappropriate content & to remove quote]

TaSheen

OleandersOne wrote: »

Sarousse42 wrote: »

We need cloaks, hair [snip] physics !

No thanks. [snip]

Quite.

[edited to remove quote]

Aka_

I feel cringe for plugging my own post, but this is what is achievable on PC, at least (with mods and my custom reshade). I think they should consider certain aspects of the game to be improved, like trees that are animated to bring more life to scenes being an option, but overall the game is also meant to allow the most amount of people with various levels of powerful (or not so powerful) computers to play. Upgrades can sometimes be just as limiting as they are enhancing.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/640272/the-beauty-of-tamriel#latest

Arcturus

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

Arcturus wrote: »

Glad people like their screenshots but taking them in a modern zone (sometimes with reshades and whatnot) and saying the game looks great just ain't fair. Take a screenshot of glenumbra or something with unmodded graphics lol.

I don't use reshaders and whatnot, but I'll do what you ask.
When the game is back online.

Here is Glenumbra...

Looks bad to me.

Not that they will change it ever but the difference between new and old zones really bothers the eye.
Same issue with an arcanist standing next to a sorcerer.

licenturion

The problem is that the vegetation and rock assets of the base game are very very outdated and ugly compared with all the stuff they released from the day after post launch.

It would be nice if they cleaned up those zones and gave rocks, vegetations and building textures an upgrade.

People usually come with greatly posed shots with the right blurs, most ideal lighting and weather situation to prove how amazing it all looks but that is basically not true.

These are screenshots in 4K with all settings turned to the max and no filters, no reshade or other fiddling with visual addons.

*Right Click, open in new tab for full 4K resolution*

Base game zone released in April 2014 (Glenumbra)



Craglon DLC zone released in May 2014


Time difference: 1 month

Since then, every DLC/Chapter zone looked miles better, and it is simply very lazy they don't do the most basic overhaul. I am not looking for raytracing, volumetric fog or new animations.

Updating this would have zero impact on performance since they use these new assets for years now.

If they want to do quality of life update or anniversary thing now that content is very very sparse this year, this would be a nice bonus. Basically every MMO out there cleaned up their launch assets.