Is the character creation tool bugged, or what's wrong with the game?

ZioGio · April 2018

This is why I rarely play a human character in a video game with fine-tuned character creation options. The end results always look off. I don't have that problem with non-human characters.

SydneyGrey · April 2018

Those lines that extend from the nose to the corners of each mouth are less apparent in the character creator. It looks like that's the biggest difference right there.

Donari · April 2018

I know that when I made my Imperial nightblade I was very happy with her looks, even in game. I'd gone for a somewhat rounded face, and got it. Then after a patch something went awry. Her face got gaunter, and her eyes slightly crossed (yes, the cross eyed bug was noted by many people; she got a pointy chin and chiseled cheeks on top of that). I don't seem to have any screenshots of before, which makes it very hard to define what's changed.

But rather than a rounded face, now I have someone configured more like Lucy from the "Timeless" tv show but without the delicate beauty. I thought it might be the Brassy personality but the changes persist even with no personality selected.

Bonzodog01 · April 2018

I think you will find that the creator also automatically runs at the highest graphical settings it can, whereas you may have lowered the graphical settings a bit for the actual game, resulting in a slightly different appearance. I found a few MMO's do this - the character creation screen shows what your characters would look like at ultra-high, with maximum shaders etc, whereas most people run a bit lower than that to get optimal FPS.

JWKe · May 2018

Had to necro this because im not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Lake · May 2018

She went to the doc for some nasolabial line fillers.

SirCritical · May 2018

Man, the girl is just changing her mood, what's wrong with it?

Octopuss · May 2018

SirCritical wrote: »

Man, the girl is just changing her mood, what's wrong with it?

PMS simulator, eh?

Coatmagic · May 2018

It can be a bit of a pain with the 3 strikes you're out creation but what I normally do when creating a new character is roll it up, log it in, run around ~ if it looks off; rinse and repeat. Eventually you get a 'feel' for it, though to be fair some races are harder than others... Breton is one of the harder ones to get just right, imo.

bellatrixed · May 2018

I just went through this with a new character. In game on the left, character creation on the right. I lucked out in that I like the in game version more, but... it looks nothing the same...

Slack · May 2018

Try to switch graphics quality to high when creating a character.

I did the same when I had my old graphics card and it saved me from this frustration

dsalter · May 2018

lighting and rendering issues, the char creator has darker background but candle lighting, and several objects to load (tho a decent computer bypasses that problem) but the thing is, that kind of lighting only appears in specific story or player home scenarios.

same is true for when char creator is in cold harbor, its to dark but lighting from surrounding is all you get to see details, skewing the final result.

my solution? improve the creator so that is a plainish area with lighting similar to broad daylight in the overworld. hell allow us to select choices of "area" so we can see lighting at its best, one of bruma in daylight, one of coldharbor, one of morrowind ship and one of a candle filled room so we can flick between them to make the perfect look.

DanteYoda · May 2018

Octopuss wrote: »

If the main problem is the game's lighting system, then it's due for some major rework asap.

At this point I don't feel like wasting anymore time on this

From looking at your pics it seems the in game character is having nose structure issues.. if you look closely the second picture the nose area has sunk into the face a bit hence the ugly look.. also the eyes changed color..

I noticed my ork has the same issues.. i pulled my orks nose out but in game she looks like a PuG dog..

klowdy1 · May 2018

Everyone is saying it's the lighting, but really your face gets all smashed up when your ship wrecks on your way to Morrowind. Just destroyed.

VexingArcanist · May 2018

The game lighting is utter crap in this game. The difference in the creation room and the actual game is vast. On the PTS the creation lighting makes your character look even BETTER. Sadly it's left there, on the creation floor.

I could go on about the absolutely ABYSMAL lighting at most if not all outfit stations.

Ajaxandriel · May 2018

To sum up what people found out :

Light

rhapsodious wrote: »

Focal lenght

Jhalin wrote: »

different focal length

I'd add

Angle

The character selection screen display our characters a bit "en contre-plongée" (if someone knows how to translate that? it's like when the camera is on the ground looking to the sky = the horizon line is low)

It means that in Selection menu, one will see a bigger part of the chin and neck, nostrills, etc.

This, combined to hard light and shadows will make any beauty into ugliness

Example - token editor (left) / selection menu (right)

On the contrary, the camera in game is set "en plongée" (levitating from the air and pointing to the ground = the horizon line is high)

It means that one will see mainly the forehead in the characters' face.

Example - in-game, back light (left) / front light (right)

Deformed perspective

The game camera is so weirdly-eye-fished that the image on the borders of the screen is aberrant

Compare
- up : in-game centered character (Inventory open) with back light
- middle : in-game centered character (Inventory open) with side light
- bottom : in-game bordered character (Escape menu) with side light

She looks like...leant and bent

One can notice this while screenshotting parallel lines. Look at these poor benches on the left

Violynne · May 2018

If you really want to see your character change looks before your very eyes, use the light Almalexia gives you.

Talk about a difference!

Lysette · May 2018

Well, female Nords are not that easy to sculpt in the creator. Mine has the same problem - looked ok in the character creator, much better in the character selection screen and not nearly as good in game. But it is changing dependent on time of day, weather and lighting conditions. Well, so what, my Nord is anyway kind of a tomboy and does not have to be a barbie.

myskyrim26 · May 2018

I create a character, make screenshots of all sliders, start a game and examine the result. I'm starting on Firemoth island, so there's an quick opportunity to see if I like the face indoors and outdoors. If something is wrong I create a new one and correct features I don't like. And try playing agan. Don't really like this way of creating...

MonkLoHan · May 2018

Octopuss wrote: »

How is it that characters in Skyrim look pretty much the same regardless of lighting then?
No, I think something's not entirely as it should here.

I totally agree with you on this. But, I think the problem really only occurs with female Redguard characters in ESO. Redguards in Skyrim were BEAUTIFUL, but in ESO, after the creation, they all look terrible. I mean, no where near what they looked like in CC.

Have you had the same issue with other races in the game?

VexingArcanist · May 2018

myskyrim26 wrote: »

I create a character, make screenshots of all sliders, start a game and examine the result. I'm starting on Firemoth island, so there's an quick opportunity to see if I like the face indoors and outdoors. If something is wrong I create a new one and correct features I don't like. And try playing agan. Don't really like this way of creating...

I've started doing this on the PTS rather than have my Live deletes always consumed and holding my creations hostage.

Octopuss · January 2020

New year, new bump.
I created really nice badass Imperial female character, and when I logged in for the first time I almost threw up.

Seriously, do something about the renderer or whatever game system is responsible, because this sucks some humongous ass!!!

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Ardaghion · January 2020

If you look at my signature you'll see shots of most of my characters from the character creator. The "room" where you create your character has changed with the chapters and each room has had different lighting, FOV and rendering levels. I think all of my shots are from the Elswyer chapter.

I don't currently have many in-game shots or a shot from the character chooser of each character but I've found that the character chooser has the worst rendering, lighting and FOV. In-game isn't too bad but I would say the "best" or closest to the character creator rendering is when you see your character face on when entering the menus. There's an obvious change in rendering and lighting.

I'll try to get comparison shots to match up with the images in my sig, I would like to really see the difference between the different renderings. Although, looking at the shots I should probably get headshots from each rendering, probably on a single character.

Eiagra · January 2020

Going to agree with those pointing out the camera focal lengths. I've tried getting good screenshots zoomed in of my character and wasn't really satisfied. I have to zoom out for it to look more natural. Having a second camera (i.e. account in 1st person mode) can point out some flaws as well (especially the texture resolution in some cases).

notvenousdrake · January 2020

Seeing this makes me realise how lucky I got with my dark elf necro she looks like a whole snack

ZOS_RogerJ · January 2020

Greetings! We've closed this thread given its age, and given that some information may be out of date. If you wish to continue discussing this topic, please create a new thread.