Permanent Visual Effects (Grim Focus, etc.)

disky · June 13

I've searched the forums about this and apparently it's been an ongoing issue for some time. Why does Grim Focus continue to place a permanent red glow on weapons after so long? Clearly it's a bug, but we have threads going back almost a year about this. What gives? Please fix, ZOS.

I would also like to take this opportunity to request the ability to disable ALL skill/weapon/armor-based permanent visual effects, such as the spheres from Ebon Armory. I don't want to see them on my character, ever, nor do I want other players to see them. We have plenty of flashy effects as it is, and the last thing I want is some unnecessary sphere getting in the way of what I'm looking at. These kinds of effects deter me from using gear and abilities that I would otherwise like to use, so please ZOS, I'm begging you. Give us a way to disable this stuff.

davidtk · June 13

disky wrote: »

I've searched the forums about this and apparently it's been an ongoing issue for some time. Why does Grim Focus continue to place a permanent red glow on weapons after so long? Clearly it's a bug, but we have threads going back almost a year about this. What gives? Please fix, ZOS.

Unfortunately you read that when you were browsing the forum, aren't you?.
Here:

Here:

It is working as intended...
Someone invented it, so I'm afraid it won't be easy. It's also bothering me a lot because I can't use my favorite outfits in another color, and the red is really bothering me.

disky · June 13

davidtk wrote: »

disky wrote: »

I've searched the forums about this and apparently it's been an ongoing issue for some time. Why does Grim Focus continue to place a permanent red glow on weapons after so long? Clearly it's a bug, but we have threads going back almost a year about this. What gives? Please fix, ZOS.

Unfortunately you read that when you were browsing the forum, aren't you?.
Here:
Here:
It is working as intended...
Someone invented it, so I'm afraid it won't be easy. It's also bothering me a lot because I can't use my favorite outfits in another color, and the red is really bothering me.

Thanks, I missed these replies. This seems like an odd choice. I don't understand why they would force a player to use these effects, as not everyone wants them. Clearly, as there are multiple threads about this. Permanent effects are yet another level of flash that I personally have no interest in, to the point that it affects my decisions when choosing gear and skills.

And I'd be fine with it if I could turn the visuals off (for everyone, not just me!) but we can't do that. It's not as if that code doesn't exist, you can disable the polymorph effect from the Witches' Festival brew...it wouldn't necessarily be a copy/paste but the idea exists in the game and it should be applicable to personal visual effects as well.

@ZOS_Kevin Hey Kevin, just adding my voice to the choir here, this should be optional.

Shara_Wynn · June 13

Well if it is working as intended (which I don't believe it is, despite what we are being told) can folk at least get some kind of skill styling to allow it to fit in with their individual "look"?

Given how much (real money) folk have forked out to ZOS via the crown store for skins and the like it seems a bit odd to then force a single class, using a single skill, into having to endure a permanent red glow on their weapons.

Maythor · June 13

Yeah, I hate the way it makes the arms packs (that I paid real money for, on top of chapters and ESO+!), look!

disky · June 13

This is my Nightblade. Does he look like the kind of guy who should have bright red glowing weapons at his side? For a start, one of his weapons uses the Gloambound style, and one of the major benefits of using Gloambound is that it's invisible when sheathed, but Grim Focus negates that entire benefit. Also important, he's just not that kind of guy. The idea I have in my head for this character is not a sneaky ne'er-do-well, and I don't play him that way. The red just doesn't suit him. For temporary ability effects I can accept it, but not permanent ones.

I love my characters. I put a lot of time and thought into how they play and how they look. We have such great ability for customization in this game and I credit ZOS for that, but permanent visual effects seem like such a strange and unnecessary misstep. We need a way to turn them off*.

*not from the Crown Store

disky · June 13

Maythor wrote: »

Yeah, I hate the way it makes the arms packs (that I paid real money for, on top of chapters and ESO+!), look!

Yeah, Gloambound in particular, since it's not even supposed to be visible!

disky · June 13

Shara_Wynn wrote: »

Well if it is working as intended (which I don't believe it is, despite what we are being told) can folk at least get some kind of skill styling to allow it to fit in with their individual "look"?

Given how much (real money) folk have forked out to ZOS via the crown store for skins and the like it seems a bit odd to then force a single class, using a single skill, into having to endure a permanent red glow on their weapons.

Absolutely. In the screenshot I just posted there are no less than three Crown Store purchases shown (hairstyle, personality and Gloambound off-hand weapon). I've given a lot of money to ZOS over the years, and so being forced into using an effect seems counter to the point of having paid for all this customization effort.

katanagirl1 · June 14

I totally agree with you guys, but the horse is quite dead at this point.

Metafae · June 14

It's because you used to have to activate this ability and it would last for some time, and while it was active it put a red glow on your weapons as a signal that it is active.

This was then later changed to an always active ability that you never need to turn on anymore, it's just always on, and so naturally, the glow is also always on.

We don't need the original reason for it though, being the signaling that the ability is active.

disky · June 14

Metafae wrote: »

It's because you used to have to activate this ability and it would last for some time, and while it was active it put a red glow on your weapons as a signal that it is active.

This was then later changed to an always active ability that you never need to turn on anymore, it's just always on, and so naturally, the glow is also always on.

We don't need the original reason for it though, being the signaling that the ability is active.

Oh I get that, but here's the thing: there are plenty of "always on" abilities and effects which don't also have a visual component, from gear as well and other abilities. Likewise, plenty of sets have stack mechanics which aren't accompanied by a visual component. There has never been a reason for this. I'm fine with it being permanent as long as we have the option to turn it off. It's a very weird hill for ZOS to die on.

Anifaas · June 14

It is not fair that we have no choice but to glow all the time, we were singled out. Every class should be forced to glow in their own respective colour. Then we would all look like those crown crate mounts all the kids go crazy about.

colossalvoids · June 14

As minor as it seems actually it made me play way less to the point of not much caring anymore and being "detoxed" out of game. It's kinda works as a reminder that even such issues can't be resolved because how stubborn Devs are, leaking into other aspects of the game clearly needing a fix. It's a smaller issue but paired with miriad of others small and huge ones making it look awful at the end.

AlterBlika · June 14

Metafae wrote: »

It's because you used to have to activate this ability and it would last for some time, and while it was active it put a red glow on your weapons as a signal that it is active.

This was then later changed to an always active ability that you never need to turn on anymore, it's just always on, and so naturally, the glow is also always on.

We don't need the original reason for it though, being the signaling that the ability is active.

I think it would be better if they just refreshed skill duration on proccing bow, instead of making it always active. It would be much easier to do also.

disky · June 14

AlterBlika wrote: »

Metafae wrote: »

It's because you used to have to activate this ability and it would last for some time, and while it was active it put a red glow on your weapons as a signal that it is active.

This was then later changed to an always active ability that you never need to turn on anymore, it's just always on, and so naturally, the glow is also always on.

We don't need the original reason for it though, being the signaling that the ability is active.

I think it would be better if they just refreshed skill duration on proccing bow, instead of making it always active. It would be much easier to do also.

They could do it that way, but it does mean that anytime you want the effect to disappear you have to use the ability, which you may not want to do. And it doesn't address the other permanent effects which get on a lot of people's nerves.