Need to improve facial models of characters in-game

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

I am a long-time die hard player and fan of ESO. I love the devs and the community. I've spent many thousands of dollars on this game (something I'm not too proud of but shows I am very much invested in this game). I finished Gold Road's main storyline and after seeing Ithelia and just a little while ago the Impresario for the Seal of Zenithar event, I was reminded once more that maybe there needs to be some improvement made to the facial models used on the characters and NPCs. I mean they don't all have to look drop dead gorgeous, but at least they should not look 'weird' or 'off'. Maybe it's the eyes they have, sometimes they look crazy during the dialogue scenes (I know it's an old problem). I think the game will have even more years of life left if they improved or even overhauled the characters' facial models. It's an escapist fantasy, so why can't the heroes and villains look great while strutting their powers across Tamriel?

vsrs_au · June 21

The thread re: Ithelia's face seems to have a lot of posters saying it's not an improvement on the game's face models, but the reverse.
Also, there's the issue of face model updates affecting players' characters, which is probably the main reason why these face models will never be updated.

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

Ithelia's facial model looks so different from the cgi cutscenes that it was jarring. Her facial model needs improvement, if not the players' own characters.

TaSheen · June 21

I will repeat what I say every time this comes up: I left two games and have never been back when they "updated" my girls' character models (most notably their faces) and they didn't look like my characters that I'd put years into playing. No, they were NOT improved.

If that happens here - it will be like the last two times: I will leave, quit paying 4 annual subs, and never come back. Yes yes - no one will care.....

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

They don't need to change player's character's appearance. Just specific key characters in the game like Ithelia or the Impresario. Even some of the companions faces can be improved.

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

I just realized that on the 'Ithelia looks so weird' thread dev Kevin said they will work on improving Ithelia's appearance. That's a great start. I hope some of the other NPC and companion faces get improved over time!

Syldras · June 21

IgnisDrakkon wrote: »

I just realized that on the 'Ithelia looks so weird' thread dev Kevin said they will work on improving Ithelia's appearance. That's a great start. I hope some of the other NPC and companion faces get improved over time!

They're changing it because there were many complaints that it doesn't fit ESO's usual art style. So if at all, they will make it look more like the older faces, not the other way round.

In general, it's the style inconsistency that bothers most people. "Improving" some character models while keeping others would contribute even more to this problem.

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

Let's be honest... Ithelia's current look is awful, and whether they go back to older faces or newer ones, it can't be worse than the current face of Ithelia.

Danikat · June 21

I haven't seen Ithelia in-game yet, but I agree they should do something about the number of NPCs who have huge eyes in cut scenes. I'm pretty sure it's unintended (they look like someone massively over-acting being surprised, and it's usually not an appropriate expression for what they're saying) and it wouldn't mean changing their appearence or how character models look generally, just how they're animated when speaking.

Bradyfjord · June 21

With all due respect, because the 'acting' in the game definitely isn't perfect, but I'd rather get some new combat animations and/or abilities. I know, I'm being greedy, but it's what I'd rather have than better facial animations.

Nathrai · June 21

Don't you DARE touch my characters' faces! They are very deliberately created to look like they do.

There's a few things that could be improved without touching existing faces (better rigging, better animation, ADDITIONAL facial textures, ADDITIONAL sliders or values, ADDITIONAL colours), but making sure that current characters stay the same turns every potential improvement into a balancing act.

All in all, faces in ESO have aged quite well, with a lot more versatily and quality than other MMOs.

Other than some animations doing funny stuff with the eyes, the only drawback of ESOs faces is that you can't do enough with the sliders. A Nord will always look like "the Nord", female Altmer all look like carbon copies of each other and creating a Breton that doesn't look like a character out of a cartoon is a complex and highly demanding art form.

But changing this system without messing up existing characters would be it's very own challenge, so I wouldn't hold my breath we'll ever see this done.

And, like others have mentioned before: The problem with Ithelia seems to be that she is NOT based on the usual models and thus doesn't fit in. Overhauling character faces would just spread this problem to all of our characters instead.

Stafford197 · June 21

TaSheen wrote: »

I will repeat what I say every time this comes up: I left two games and have never been back when they "updated" my girls' character models (most notably their faces) and they didn't look like my characters that I'd put years into playing. No, they were NOT improved.

If that happens here - it will be like the last two times: I will leave, quit paying 4 annual subs, and never come back. Yes yes - no one will care.....

Exactly this. It’s important to realize what we’re dealing with here.

Sure some game development studios can unequivocally improve their game, but this is not the case for all of them. Do we really have faith in ZOS as they currently are, to overhaul facial models on ESO in a sufficient manner to please everyone? Especially when you consider that we have a recent example of a new facial model….. aka Ithelia? No thank you.

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

There's enough of feedback that they are actually working on improving Ithelia's face. So those that want better looking characters are the majority.

TaSheen · June 21

A majority of players don't post on this forum....

I don't care if they screw around with (or screw up) NPC faces, as long as that doesn't extend to my characters.

valenwood_vegan · June 21

New *options* for character creation would be awesome. Touching up NPC's would be fine I guess? Changing any features of my existing characters would be an absolute no go.

IgnisDrakkon · June 21

Dev Kevin said as much they are working on improving Ithelia's look due to a lot of feedback.