Do you think the games animations and textures need a graphical update?

FelisCatus

It has become increasingly apparent over the years that the old classes and zones do not hold up to the new zones textures and class animations. This game is a decade old now and it really shows visually.

Adremal

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Well, yes. It's been 10 years. Most MMOs that last at least this undergo an overhaul at some point, though it has aged better than some other titles. In turn those other titles got graphical updates faster. But it's not the most pressing issue, graphics matter to a point, and as I said, ESO didn't age horribly. The animations have always been janky and could really use some love though.

spartaxoxo

Other (Explain)

It could use a facelift to the environment but I'd rather them leave characters alone.

TaSheen

Other (Explain)

Do not mess with my characters. If they want to do environment fine. But I've already been through 2 "upgrades to character models" in other games which RUINED my characters.

If they mess with my girls' looks, I'll never pay them another dime or play this game ever again.

Dragonnord

Neither need a visual update

Game is fine how it is now. Neither the animations, envirnonment or the characters need an overhaul.
 

TaSheen

Other (Explain)

And yes.... I'm aware no one would miss me.

AvalonRanger

Other (Explain)

I'm 3D game graphic designer actually.

I feel that old environment art model of the non DLC area needs upgrade.
10 years changes basis of polygon amount and texturing technique very much.

And personally, I really hate mount horse model from 2014.
That extremely ugly horse model very needs re-sculpt working.

Freelancer_ESO

Other (Explain)

I've got mixed feelings.

On the one hand some of the animations especially those for the heavy attacks really don't feel powerful.

On the other hand, I really don't like many of the new animations as I think many of them are too flashy.

The textures could be a bit better but, I don't see them as being that bad.

AzuraFan

Other (Explain)

A visual update would be nice (not characters, though!), but I'd prefer they focus on new stuff and higher priority (for me) QoL updates.

fizl101

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

No animation changes unless optional. I would still like old jabs and flurry back

Faulgor

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Animations would be nice, but is probably pure fantasy.

A texture upgrade is much more likely, as even running all files through an AI upscaler would improve things a lot. This new texture setting could also easily be entirely optional for those who wish to stick with the oldschool look.

A DX12 upgrade would also be great, though I don't know how feasible.

thorwyn

Neither need a visual update

The game is 10 years old and the graphics and animations are part of the regocnition value of ESO. Let it age gracefully.

Sakiri

Neither need a visual update

No. WoW was wrecked by it. Race/sex specific animations gone, characters look way different. Turned a ton of people off.

They changed jabs here and people stopped playing Templar.

SkaiFaith

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Yesterday I showcased the game to people with some screenshots (Xbox Series X) I took in DLC zones: surprised at how good those looked. BUT, there is a HUGE difference between base game zones and animations and DLC ones.

I would simply like if base game zones would be taken to DLC level and old classes taken to "Arcanist level" visually.

Also, personally I would like higher quality character models and motifs - not just for players but also NPCs.
(I would also add crown Mounts and Pets wandering in the wilds, since their descriptions always talk about where to find them but then you can't really find them there, sad.)

Sarannah

Would love an optional 4k texture pack, but I am scared that if ZOS messes with the old zones they will end up looking much worse than they do now.

All animations seem fine to me, as they fit the class's themes! Nothing should be done here. Just add new classes, new races, new zones, and more character slots to enjoy everything!

Veryamedliel

Does it need one? no.
Would I like one? of course. The prettier the game looks, the better. People are crazy if they expect the game to look like BDO or New World or something afterwards though. That's just not realistic. You'd need an entirely new game engine for that. I'd rather see them fix game issues than graphically overhaul the entire game though.

If one could be done without interfering with the other and there are people sleeping at their desks waiting for something to do, then by all means, go for it. But it's a minor issue IMO.

ArchangelIsraphel

Neither need a visual update

TaSheen wrote: »

Do not mess with my characters. If they want to do environment fine. But I've already been through 2 "upgrades to character models" in other games which RUINED my characters.

If they mess with my girls' looks, I'll never pay them another dime or play this game ever again.

This. This right here. Every "character update" I've ever been through in a game has been abysmal and has felt more like a character downgrade.

A texture upgrade to the older zones wouldn't go amiss but complete changes? No thank you.

MorganaBlue

Both animations and textures need a visual update

yes, to both. the game is old, looks old, and is not ageing well at all. Even the graphics and textures of the newer zones look old.

TybaltKaine

Neither need a visual update

Just leave it alone. The obsession with modernizing every game ruins the core aesthetic.

Fata1moose

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Game absolutely needs an upgrade and they shouldn’t be afraid to do it just because some don’t want change.

Vanilla zones need to be brought up to chapter quality and areas from mainline games such as Rift and Eastmarch need continuity improvements. I’d also like forested areas to be denser and not fields with trees.

The bow light and heavy attacks are among the worst animations in the game from the dinky light attacks to the comically weak arc on the arrow. An example where there’s nowhere to go but up.

Also audio overhaul would be welcomed, everything sounds like a gust of wind (whoosh) and some variety would be nice.

GooGa592

Neither need a visual update

Other than desperately needing to revert the animation change to jabs I think animations and textures are fine. I'm also not at all impressed with the crazy mount animations and sounds with most of the newer mounts.

Vrienda

Neither need a visual update

No. I'd rather the game remain accessible to underpowered systems like my laptop. Graphics and animation quality are more than good enough.

Serpari

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Copying my comment from another thread with a similar topic:

CC desperately needs a QoL update. If anything needs to get better textures and meshes first, it's our characters. Better lighting in the CC too, I'd like the ability to change backgrounds so I can see my character's eye color, skin tone and hair color contrasted against different light spaces. Say, a background in dreary High Rock (cool lighting), another in sunny Hew's Bane (warn lighting), another in neutral Cyrodiil (neutral lighting), and one in a more fantasy location like Coldharbour and/or the Deadlands.

I'd also like the ability to give Altmer black hair, Imperials silver-white hair, etcetera. I think the arbitrary locks for hair color make little sense when we have about 20 colors to pick from, which is so few, while FFXIV has like over 50. You can limit the palette to keep it lore compliant, but IMHO there's nothing lore breaking with a black-haired Altmer (Leythen is right there) or a silver-white haired Imperial (they get old too, look at the Prophet, who uses a hair color inaccessible to us players, just like Bastian Hallix's red), I've never understood why we're prevented from making those choices.

Some assets are just bad. There's a bunch of body markings that give you an egregious neck seam (Spider Daedra Chest Paint), one costume has a floating black triangle around the clavicle area that wasn't properly erased from the diffuse (Glenmoril Witch Robes), some are just low quality (Thief Starskin). I have found so many poor quality assets like this, yet ZOS wants me to pay for these things.

Vampire and werewolf need a visual upgrade, at least. It's sad to know there's already a higher quality texture and mesh for werewolf we don't have access too. Vampire looks bad at various stages, some eyes were clearly made with men, not mer, in mind—it makes them look off because their irises and pupils are too small for their eyeballs when mer have bigger eyes (irises and pupils included) in comparison to men. In stage 3 and 4 I don't look undead, I look like I have a skin condition that desiccates my character because the textures are so pixelated.

We can up the quality of character visuals without making it too hard on system resources. I know this because I've done character asset work both as a hobbyist (I mod Skyrim and FFXIV) and a professional. I don't mind paying for cosmetics (fashion is the end game, after all), but not when they're this low quality. There's furniture in this game that's higher quality than our characters' assets, and there's just as much furniture in the world as the amount of PCs running around, so the argument based on 'taking up too many of our computer's resources' is kind of moot.

Increased loading times should be a non-issue with proper optimization. I'm not asking for 1GB 4K textures, I'm asking for better quality than the mid 2000s stuff we got at the moment.

An idea I've had is allow players to change features about their characters up to an hour after character creation. Not race change, not gender change, not Alliance or Class change, just basic appearance tweaks like skin, eye, hair color and face/body sliders. The amount of Appearance Change Tokens I've burned because my character's skin tone look fine in the Balfiera cell, but then awful in the overworld are too damn many. As a matter of fact, why does the CC start us now in such a dark location with terrible lighting? It's awful for character creation purposes.

TL;DR: Bring the CC quality up to par with other MMOs currently on the market.

fizzylu

Other (Explain)

I just want them to stop designing animations that make weapons disappear and change the old abilities that do this. It bothers me so much. Other than that and the terrible physics, I think ESO looks pretty solid and I don't understand people who constantly want MMOs to have single-player game level graphics.

BretonMage

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

I think the older base game outfits and furnishings need to be updated a little. I don't see anything wrong with animations. I guess they could be improved, but we may not like the outcome, so it's probably better to leave them alone.

Kendaric

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

The terrain textures (and models) could use an upgrade, but keep away from animations unless the purpose is to make them more realistic.

p_tsakirisb16_ESO

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

FelisCatus wrote: »

It has become increasingly apparent over the years that the old classes and zones do not hold up to the new zones textures and class animations. This game is a decade old now and it really shows visually.

To those asking for new animations, may I point at you to Jabs & Flurry?
Flurry especially new animation is awful. TRULY AWFUL. The old animation was far better by miles.

Don't ask to fix what is not broken folks.

CenturionExplorer

Only animations need a visual update

It has needed update since it was released in my opinion, or well animations.
Especially animations for staff, light and heavy attacks are god awful and have always been.

Would have loved to see something akin to Dragon Age Inquisitions animations.

Kendaric

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

p_tsakirisb16_ESO wrote: »

To those asking for new animations, may I point at you to Jabs & Flurry?
Flurry especially new animation is awful. TRULY AWFUL. The old animation was far better by miles.

Don't ask to fix what is not broken folks.

What... you don't like flailing around with two daggers and having your character look totally inept?

aspergalas4

Both animations and textures need a visual update

Would be great if in future we could choose amongst a selection of animations for combat similar to how personalities work. In so far as we can select a "stance" our character uses when using two hand axe or dual wielding for example and changes how we swing it, heavy attack etc.

We have personalities, the devs are adding customised actions over time with different themes (more please) so it seems like a good next step in further helping us customise our characters (especially with skill styling being a feature of the next chapter). Good opportunity for nostalgia sales also if say the Skyrim two-hand axe/warhammer animations were added as a combat "stance". I never liked how we hold a two handed top heavy weapon like battleaxe or warhammer like we do the two handed swords.

As for textures I'd argue the vanilla zones could do with some minor updates to rock faces, terrain and buildings to bring them more up to par with newer releases. But most of the updating needs to focus on remodelling these assets which is not the topic at hand here.

As for gear textures the first 40 or so motifs would all do well to have at the very least a texture resolution upgrade, with the first 15-20 also needing some remodelling to bring them up to speed with the newer motif releases in quality. People make the argument they don't want these changed because they use them in their outfits now but this can be accommodated by simply adding the updated motifs to the game, and putting all the older versions in a new "legacy" tab in the outfit station. Which then allows ZOS to update more motifs over time and keep the original lower quality versions as an option for players if they so choose (they should re add the original Redguard and Orc motifs to this legacy tab). With the updated ones being used in the overland and improving the overall visuals of the game.

The way dyes work also needs to be changed so base colour is separated from finish. So we can have any colour currently available in matte, shiny, gloss, high gloss (and iridescent for the current dyes that have these properties) etc.
This relates to textures as it's the texture on outfit styles/motifs that affect how the colour and gloss is applied in many cases.

Anumaril

Only textures need a visual update and not animations

Textures absolutely 100% need a visual update. We've already reached the point where it's just jarring to see some old zones with their simple city designs, comparatively low-res textures, or low-detail assets. This is mostly obviously the case with Riften, which looks virtually nothing like it should, yet many years later we got Solitude which looks amazing in its design, and very close to what it looked like in TESV: Skyrim.

It's clear that the graphical possibilities in the game have improved, and so the quality of assets have also improved. It's better to go back and bring things up-to-date than to leave them as they are, which looks ever-increasingly out of place.

As for animations, I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. From my perspective I've not seen anything about animations that feel very dated (i.e., casting animations, running animations, etc). But if they can be improved in some way, then why not.