What Does "Immersion" Mean to You?

MornaBaine · October 2014

We hear a lot about "immersion" in ESO, especially when comparing it to its forerunners, the single player ES games. But what exactly IS "immersion" to you, as a player? And how important is it to you? Does ESO have a good level of "immersion?" Why or why not? What would make it MORE immersive to you and do you feel more immersion is what ZoS should be striving for? In other words, let's talk about "immersion!"

someuser · October 2014

I think in general, immersion means being able to see yourself in your avatar's world... atleast to some extent.

To me, immersion is being able to see ESO in a way similar to a good book, but with graphics

I'm not looking to be bogged down in the type of realism that wastes my entertainment time (I'm NOT a fan of the minimalist UI approach and I find many add-ons to be essential for my game experience as) but I do want as much freedom as possible when it comes to the game world. I want to be able to interact with my game world on multiple levels... Including non-linear dialog options and quests, a versatile combat system, a well designed economy that allows for more than just buying and selling basic goods (think EvE economy), and FUN grouping mechanics. For me, as a players, that allows me to lose myself in my own little world.

ESO does have a lot of great immersive attributes... Fantastic graphics (for an MMO), lots of character customization, lots of PvE quests (and phasing which is both good and bad), and the devs really seem dedicated to see this game continue to grow and improve. However, grouping in ESO is sub par, the group tool is worthless, too many PvE quests suffer from very similar story structures and themes, the economy is too basic and limited, and the combat system is currently very unbalanced (though the CS is suppose to fix this).

Long story short, I think is ESO continues on its current track with content releases as well as listening and caring about their customer's feedback, I think ESO could be one of the most immersive games ever made.... Only time will really tell.

superfluke · October 2014

I don't RP or get too involved in the story, so immersion to me is more of a gameplay issue. If I have to keep doing /reloadui or using a logout for some problem or another I guess that breaks immersion for me. My best play sessions are when I look up at the clock with a crick in my neck and aching fingers and realize three hours have gone by.

Vizier · October 2014

For me Immersion is when the real world is blocked out or things that would remind me of the real world are blocked out. For all intense and purposes a game is entertainment. An escape. Or both. Those things that pull my concentration from the game or distract me in a way that I'm conscious of the game break immersion.

For instance, hearing the same NPC repeat the same sentence over and over while I'm standing nearby for a couple minutes breaks immersion, but if I only heard it once or rarely when standing in the same location for a short time I would take no note of it and therefor continue to be immersed in the game.

Or... terrible pathing that makes NPC's collide with other objects would pull me from the game. Or voice overs that would say unrealistic things or animation that would make the character, NPC or Creatures move in an unrealistic manner that would 'pull' me from the game. An example of this might be how in previous TES titles a character holding a drawn sword or shield would swing their arms exactly the same as if they were walking with nothing in their hands. Oh and invisible walls. Invisible walls break immersion for me in a big way. Pull me right out of the game.

Immersion is when I'm able for a time to tune out everything and just "be" in the game. For some having no HUD. Some can tune out the HUD and see "through" it so to speak while for others it's a distraction.

For me an Immersive state requires decent graphics and animations with realistic sounds, effects, dialog and good writing. It must also be polished with few mistakes that distract from the product.

Very interesting question. After exploring this question It's definitely difficult to answer. It's one of those things difficult to put to words but you know it when you see it or in this case experience it. :-)

c0rp · October 2014

Immersion is NOT BEING NOTIFIED every time one of the 2500 people I'm guilded with finishes a dungeon.

Stx · October 2014

Immersion to me is when I log in and actually feel like I am adventuring through Tamriel.

This game has more immersion than your average MMO, but it is still no where near as immersive as the single player games. I think they should put effort into making the world more immersive, but I am probably a minority there.

badmojo · October 2014

For me immersion is when I stop looking at a virtual world as a game environment. The connection between player and virtual world must be forgotten and become second nature. Things in the virtual world need to reflect what the player already expects, for example learning to walk again ruins immersion, as does having items in the world which do not allow interaction. The player should never find something to remind them it's a video game and not real.

I feel like ESO created an immersive enough virtual world for us to explore, but it all goes out the window in favor of being an accessible game. A few examples of this are the quest markers above NPCs heads, the quest markers on the map, floating health bars & glowing enemies. Wayshrines, travel to player, banks in every city, horses that disappear, can't swim & never die.

I still like ESO as a game, but I feel like there is a lot of potential immersion that I enjoyed in past Elder Scrolls games which was lost due to making this game accessible & appealing to regular MMO & video game players.

Nox_Aeterna · October 2014

Immersion to me comes from playing in first person and feeling like you are in the place of the character.

To me in ESO this doesnt matter at all , i only play this game in third person , to do so in first person would be a huge handicap to have on a MMO , even more because in ESO almost all fights are against many enemies while in the other TES games it was usually one enemy or two at a time.

I would say they should stop making so many calls based on immersion that makes their UI a piece of crap that is completely depends on ADDONs the community create to be viable. They should atleast put some effort to implement some of those basic features ... but i guess they will just leave it to the modders until they stop to support said ADDONs and the whole thing fall down.

Cazic · October 2014

To me, immersion is when you can look at the world within a game as if it's of more than a game. It's a place - a destination you know you'll want to revisit. Both the environment, and inhabitants of it, have memorable characteristics that draw you in.

I think ESO achieves immersion on the right levels, while sacrificing a bit so it can be a MMO. Nothing wrong with that

ers101284b14_ESO · October 2014

It's when I get my 3 month loyalty reward 6 months in, my 6 month loyalty after 9 months and my 9 month reward after 2 years. This game is immersive as ******* ****

KenjiJU · October 2014

Every once in a while I listen to the ambient sound effects, light the distant crackle of thunder. Trips me out how good it sounds, even using my crappy little earphones.

timidobserver · October 2014

It means I can make demands to remove stuff from the game because it interrupts my immersion.

Xalian · October 2014

I get very immersed in games like Fallout 3, and Skyrim.

It's kind of difficult to get immersed in an MMO world. There are too many distractions like other players acting like, well, people.

Also mail notifications, the general silliness in zone chat. People running and jumping around naked. Yeah, that pretty much kills the immersion.

fromtesonlineb16_ESO · October 2014

MornaBaine wrote: »

But what exactly IS "immersion" to you, as a player?

It means someone doesn't like something and uses immersion as some kind of justification why that something shouldn't happen: eg. nameplates.

I tend to agree with @xalian, I can't begin to get 'immersed' in a game where a myriad of distractions are caused by moronic/childlike behaviour such as players making their characters bounce around like demented 5-year-olds, players or Sorcerers spamming AoEs in banks simply because they know it's annoying, 'sparring' in a game that doesn't support it, in banks and other populated places etc.

MMOs are great for many things, sadly most of the other players generally screw it up for you.

MornaBaine · October 2014

fromtesonlineb16_ESO wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

But what exactly IS "immersion" to you, as a player?

It means someone doesn't like something and uses immersion as some kind of justification why that something shouldn't happen: eg. nameplates.

I tend to agree with @xalian, I can't begin to get 'immersed' in a game where a myriad of distractions are caused by moronic/childlike behaviour such as players making their characters bounce around like demented 5-year-olds, players or Sorcerers spamming AoEs in banks simply because they know it's annoying, 'sparring' in a game that doesn't support it, in banks and other populated places etc.

MMOs are great for many things, sadly most of the other players generally screw it up for you.

So if we could just figure out a way to get rid of the other players... LOL But yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I often long for MMOS that are like nightclubs, absolutely no one under 21 and a mean bouncer who will toss anyone acting like a jerk. I was so excited when I heard this game was going to have an RP phase... not because there aren't plenty of juvenile and just flat out bad roleplayers... but because at least most of them refrain from doing the kinds of things you mention in your post. But then ZoS apparently said, "Wait...we're going to do what for the most loyal but smallest demographic in MMOs? Nah...we were kidding about that!" and, as usual, the RP crowd was given the proverbial finger. You think we'd be used to it by now. Every time a new game is in developement a bunch of people ask if it's going to support RP in any way, a bunch of promises get made... and then none of it ever happens. THAT kinda breaks immersion for me.

babylon · October 2014

Immersion to me means when things in the game world respond as if you were in a real world - with things to find, search through, stuff to pick up, items and furniture and gadgets I can use/manipulate, buildings and/or land I own and control, NPC characters who interact with me and cooperate with me in coordinated activities. And being able to do a range of things depending on my mood, just as I would in the actual world.

Nidwin · October 2014

Seeing all those dead bees or smurfs around me -> Immersion

Having that little window popping up and telling me the game has stopped working -> No immersion at all

SantieClaws · October 2014

Immersion is a world I feel I am living in. Somewhere I can call home. Somewhere I can grow food and then somewhere I can cook it.

Immersion is being able to work at a trade and travel selling my wares.

Immersion is being able to wear normal clothes, look like an NPC and be a part of the fabric of the world.

Things that would help immersion - being able to do a few manual jobs at taverns (daily quests for a small amount of coin), normal clothes, picking provisioning things in the environment (edible plants), housing, maybe being able to grow food and tend farm animals

MornaBaine · October 2014

wenxue2222b16_ESO wrote: »

Immersion is a world I feel I am living in. Somewhere I can call home. Somewhere I can grow food and then somewhere I can cook it.

Immersion is being able to work at a trade and travel selling my wares.

Immersion is being able to wear normal clothes, look like an NPC and be a part of the fabric of the world.

Things that would help immersion - being able to do a few manual jobs at taverns (daily quests for a small amount of coin), normal clothes, picking provisioning things in the environment (edible plants), housing, maybe being able to grow food and tend farm animals

All of that would be amazing. It's funny that so many people want to be able to do "small" and "mundane" things. You'd think that, hey, we're HEROES, all we want to do is go out and adventure and fight monsters and assorted bad guys and save the world! But of course the "problem" with MMOs is that this is ALL you do. The hero never returns to the hall and hangs up his shield and kisses his wife and plays with his children. He never goes out to look over and plant the fields he's now made safe to work. He doesn't go to the village festival and enjoy the revelry and peace his battles have won for his people. In short, he never gets to enjoy the rewards of his heroic labors. The things he would actually be fighting FOR just don't exist. There is no lull between adventures, there is no home life, there is no real reason to even exist. THAT RIGHT THERE is a serious lack of immersion. THAT is why people want "the sandbox" aspects that are missing from this game (and, to be fair, from all MMOs).

Potenza · October 2014

c0rp wrote: »

Immersion is NOT BEING NOTIFIED every time one of the 2500 people I'm guilded with finishes a dungeon.

Yea they need an option to turn off the notifications for people who don't care about guild dungeon completion. Honestly, if your not part of it, why care?

Potenza · October 2014

Immersion is - when you actually feel scared or surprised when something in the dark jumps out to kill you.

Grunim · October 2014

For me immersion is simply the state of being where a game absorbs me into its virtual world while I tune out the real world.

I can feel immersed while being in a great PvP session. I can feel immersed as I wander through an interesting area where I can admire the scenery while harvesting nodes. I can feel immersed as I am tackling a PvE challenge by myself or with fun players. I can even feel immersed easily grinding mobs for XP where I enter a flow state.

I don't feel immersed when people chat about RL topics in guild or zone chat.

KhajitFurTrader · October 2014

(Small) things in ESO that (greatly) contribute to immersion:

unobtrusive default interface - less distraction because of meta-information, more look and feel of the surrounding world;
a beautifully build world with stunning environmental effects and vistas;
stories/quests with decisions to make - adds to the feeling of having an impact on the world and its inhabitants;
the possibility to gather everything everywhere and then crafting the collected resources - gives a feeling of self-sufficiency and independence;
"randomly pick a direction and run" - exploring on your own gets rewarded in many little ways
NPCs talking about your deeds (even though they often don't know it was you).

I guess that the upcoming Justice system will add to immersion in no small way as well.

All in all I can enjoy my straying around Tamriel immensely - you really can stop and (almost) smell the roses.

GnatB · October 2014

Immersion = I feel like I'm there.

Things that break immersion:
3rd person view
Combat tells.

Things that are practically neccessary to not die all the time:
3rd person view
Combat tells.

Immersion in this game is practically hopeless unless they redesign gameplay to rely less on the above.

Hamfast · October 2014

While I am not sure about immersion, like many terms used, its meaning is determined more by the user when speaking of a game...

Merriam Webster defines Immersion as:
: the act of putting someone or something completely in a liquid or the state of being completely in a liquid

: complete involvement in some activity or interest

: a method of learning a foreign language by being taught entirely in that language

Obviously, the second definition is being used, implying that immersion is becoming completely involved in a game, in this case, ESO...

To answer the OP, I figure when I play for what I think is an hour and find 4 or 5 have passed...