Difficulty distinguishing Players

McGuyver · April 2014

Hello it is really difficult to distinguish players from one another with people passing by so quickly! I get that you want to have a level of simplicity maintained in the game screen but more options to tell people apart would be appreciated!

Main examples:

1) The option of toggling nameplates existed but was greyed out in options in beta and since removed.

An option could be added to show character name and and a choice from one of the guilds they wish to represent at the time. Example seen in many other mmo's such as WoW, etc.

2) Another example is seen with not being able to tell which guild you are representing at the moment.

Perhaps adding a cloak costume with a choice of basic guild emblems/symbols or colors can be associated with your character? A guild leader would make a choice from a list of options that would be used to represent the guild in game going forward. I know there are multiple guild memberships but maybe a player could toggle/wear whichever guild they wish to represent at any given moment that they feel is appropriate. Example best seen from the mmo's DAoC, WAR.

3) Finally besides the beautiful different types of armor styles, it is still a sea of grey and brown characters running around.

How about the option of some armor dyes? This does not have to be any vibrant colors of the spectrum that take away from the games visual setting. Maybe just some lighter or darker dyes to the various armor types. Example also seen in DAoC, I know I repeated game examples but the options to distinguish yourself in such a massive world are truly remarkable!

Powske · April 2014

I dunno, they said they removed it to get better immerions in game. Not to sure about that, why not let us have the option to decide on that? I think its more of a server load issue or something..

Ventroff · April 2014

A lot of what they do, boggles my mind.

Nametags
Multi guilds
Guild stores

The whole nametags thing has only succeeded in me not knowing anyone in game. I chat a bit with my main guild and have run some pvp with them so far, but if one ran past me I would not even know. The way it is now everyone is completely anonymous, they might as well not even exist in the game.

Other games I have played I know people by guild tag and player name. When I see them I know "oh there goes so and so, he's cool we grouped together I should help him". Right now the only community is in chat windows.

exhuman · April 2014

Agree on everything. Nametags should be decided by us if they will be visible or not. I want to know the name of the player next to me

chipz88b14_ESO · April 2014

I used to have a hard time telling, but not so much anymore. There are telltale signs:

Running around erratically? Rummaging through a bag? Looking through a book? 'Press F to interact' when you point your cursor at them? Non-lorefriendly name preceded by a level when you point your cursor at them? Then it's a PC.

Strolling around with idle animations? Look like they're supposed to be there and blend in? 'Press E to talk' when you point your cursor at them? Lore-friendly name with not preceded by a level when you point your cursor at them? Then it's a NPC.

I'm also confused about this nametag issue that people keep bringing up. When I point my cursor at a PC I see the character name preceded by the level. I guess mobs do the same thing, but it's pretty easy to tell players from mobs... what exactly is it that people are looking for in a nametag?

Malidon · April 2014

Name plates you want them go play WOW they have them if you need them.

Jadeviper1974 · April 2014

Nope no problem what so ever.

McGuyver · April 2014

Okay here is a scenario, you are out in the game somewhere and someone passes by quickly.

Outside of looking at that map, in that bag or are crafting, how often are players moving around? A lot. It can be difficult to catch their name + level or to get the interact buttons to come up on that specific individual.

NPC's are not the problem they are fairly idle. As was stated they have a lore friendly name with no level and different interact button and response.

Also was just wondering about the option to turn various names on with a setting, not to force everyone to have it.

chipz88b14_ESO · April 2014

I'm not trying to say anything negative about it, I legitimately don't understand what is being asked for. Maybe I would want it, too, if I understood. If it's optional it could probably please most people.

But I get the feeling the concept of nametags must come from wow or some other popular MMO and since I don't usually play MMOs I just don't get it. A quick search for 'wow nametag' didn't yield anything particularly insightful.

Ventroff · April 2014

chipz88b14_ESO wrote: »

I used to have a hard time telling, but not so much anymore. There are telltale signs:

Running around erratically? Rummaging through a bag? Looking through a book? 'Press F to interact' when you point your cursor at them? Non-lorefriendly name preceded by a level when you point your cursor at them? Then it's a PC.

Strolling around with idle animations? Look like they're supposed to be there and blend in? 'Press E to talk' when you point your cursor at them? Lore-friendly name with not preceded by a level when you point your cursor at them? Then it's a NPC.

I'm also confused about this nametag issue that people keep bringing up. When I point my cursor at a PC I see the character name preceded by the level. I guess mobs do the same thing, but it's pretty easy to tell players from mobs... what exactly is it that people are looking for in a nametag?

I don't have a problem telling NPC from player as I have show player health bars enabled, and I can also see your faction in PVP. What is so bad about knowing what your name is? I bet all the people I have healed running by when I see they are about to die don't mind me seeing their health bar.

Anoteros · April 2014

it's awesome running in cyrodil and not knowing who or what is standing next to you right?
You also love being in a raid and not knowing who's who only that their name is in your raid frame? Imbecilic!
Only the ignorant and idiotic will see that this ISN'T a problem.
It's all about being able to identify who you're running with etc.

Make this a toggle option for heavens sake.

Nasuradin_ESO · April 2014

chipz88b14_ESO wrote: »

I'm not trying to say anything negative about it, I legitimately don't understand what is being asked for. Maybe I would want it, too, if I understood. If it's optional it could probably please most people.

But I get the feeling the concept of nametags must come from wow or some other popular MMO and since I don't usually play MMOs I just don't get it. A quick search for 'wow nametag' didn't yield anything particularly insightful.

Nametag is basically the characters name floating above their heads, which many MMOs have. Useful in some situations, as far as telling npc from pc, having player health bars always showing as someone else said is an easy way to do that now, blue bar above their head? player.

But ya, knowing everybody by their @handle name is rather confusing in guilds. Example: guild asks if anyone wants to go do something, you say yes. 5 min later you get an invite from a name you don't know, because that's their character name, which you wouldn't know unless you looked through the roster and hovered over their @name. People also only know others by whatever their @name was when they picked it, so it makes having a character name at all kind of trivial.

However since player guilds are joined per account instead of per character, all your characters are in the same guild so switching alts would switch your name too, so that would also be confusing in a guild setting.

One solution would be to have both charactername@handlename show when typing in guilds, they may end up rather long but at least people would be able tell who they are interacting with on both counts.

Saerydoth · April 2014

I agree with charactername@userid showing in guild (alleviate a little confusion). And, I'm not against a toggle for nameplates, although I probably wouldn't use that one myself. At first I thought no nameplates was weird, coming from WOW...but now I like the extra immersion, and I don't think I could go back to the WOW way.

If I ever do play WOW again, I will probably turn nameplates off there.

Anoteros · April 2014

Immersion in a MMORPG is an oxymoron sorry to say.
Nameplates should be mandatory in a mmorpg which is coincidently a social game...it's funny seeing guild photos and you have no idea who is who or like I mentioned above running in a raid of people and the only way to know who is who is via the raid frame which is as intuitive and helpful as a Mr Magoo or if you're constantly mousing over people and even then it's a pain in he rear.

chipz88b14_ESO · April 2014

Nasuradin_ESO wrote: »

chipz88b14_ESO wrote: »

I'm not trying to say anything negative about it, I legitimately don't understand what is being asked for. Maybe I would want it, too, if I understood. If it's optional it could probably please most people.

But I get the feeling the concept of nametags must come from wow or some other popular MMO and since I don't usually play MMOs I just don't get it. A quick search for 'wow nametag' didn't yield anything particularly insightful.

Nametag is basically the characters name floating above their heads, which many MMOs have. Useful in some situations, as far as telling npc from pc, having player health bars always showing as someone else said is an easy way to do that now, blue bar above their head? player.

But ya, knowing everybody by their @handle name is rather confusing in guilds. Example: guild asks if anyone wants to go do something, you say yes. 5 min later you get an invite from a name you don't know, because that's their character name, which you wouldn't know unless you looked through the roster and hovered over their @name. People also only know others by whatever their @name was when they picked it, so it makes having a character name at all kind of trivial.

However since player guilds are joined per account instead of per character, all your characters are in the same guild so switching alts would switch your name too, so that would also be confusing in a guild setting.

One solution would be to have both charactername@handlename show when typing in guilds, they may end up rather long but at least people would be able tell who they are interacting with on both counts.

Thanks for the explanation. I think I get it - basically want PCs to always have some sort of indicator above them to identify them? Maybe I'm wrong and maybe a screenshot from some other game would help solidify my understanding, but that seems like it would make the ui very busy and hurt immersion.

OTOH, if it's optional, why not? Completely off topic, but I sympathize with wanting just the option of something many others may not want. E.g. Chrome/Chromium doesn't have an option to present a warning to prevent you from closing a window with multiple tabs open. I don't do it very often, but it's super annoying when I do and it happens just often enough that I'd much rather be annoyed with a confirmation dialogue every time I try to close a window with multiple tabs open. Fine, it might annoy a lot of people, so make it optional and default it to off. But the Chromium devs are too stubborn and self-righteous. There's even a thread with a ton of requests for it dating back five years: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/XJE1LBY76g8[1-25-false]

Nexxa · April 2014

I'd like to see nameplates as an option as well. Anyone who has a problem with OPTIONAL nameplates is just being contrary for the sake of it and anything they say in the future should be taken with a grain of salt.

Funkadelic · April 2014

I totally agree with your second two points, but i do not think static nameplates should be added. With friendly nameplates comes enemy name plates.

In Cyrodil knowing who your fighting is actually a pretty decent strategic advantage. I have had several skirmishes were IF i had recognized sooner that we were fighting "that group of dudes" from the other faction I would have recommended my group to retreat.

As it is now, the only way to tell if an enemy group has an emperor in their squad or is from a specific guild is to literally look directly at them and identify them. you cant just vaguely look over the horizon and go "OH HEY DO YOU SEE THAT HUMAN LOOKING DOT OVER THERE. ITS THEIR EMPEROR ITS OVER HIS HEAD, LETS RETREAT TO OUR KEEP."

Beyond this it adds the skill that you need to know who and where your own healers/tanks are. You cant just vaguely pan over and see where the dude is unless you are very familiar with a teammate.

I understand why you want nameplates and that would be nice, but I really enjoy the subtle aspects that the lack of static nameplates adds to PvP. It really does add some nice immersion which tends to be severely lacking in just about any PvP game.

Anoteros · April 2014

Funkadelic wrote: »

I totally agree with your second two points, but i do not think static nameplates should be added. With friendly nameplates comes enemy name plates.

In Cyrodil knowing who your fighting is actually a pretty decent strategic advantage. I have had several skirmishes were IF i had recognized sooner that we were fighting "that group of dudes" from the other faction I would have recommended my group to retreat.

As it is now, the only way to tell if an enemy group has an emperor in their squad or is from a specific guild is to literally look directly at them and identify them. you cant just vaguely look over the horizon and go "OH HEY DO YOU SEE THAT HUMAN LOOKING DOT OVER THERE. ITS THEIR EMPEROR ITS OVER HIS HEAD, LETS RETREAT TO OUR KEEP."

Beyond this it adds the skill that you need to know who and where your own healers/tanks are. You cant just vaguely pan over and see where the dude is unless you are very familiar with a teammate.

I understand why you want nameplates and that would be nice, but I really enjoy the subtle aspects that the lack of static nameplates adds to PvP. It really does add some nice immersion which tends to be severely lacking in just about any PvP game.

Again, should be a toggle not omitted completely.

Endolith · April 2014

I think running without the nametags does add a degree of complexity for situational awareness, particularly in PvP. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a step up in difficulty, and not everyone likes that. Some people, on the other hand, will enjoy that aspect of the game.

Funkadelic · April 2014

If it were toggle-able everyone who PvPs seriously would use it, simply because it is an advantage. If its added, they might as well have it permanently on because if its a toggle it would just be a nub trap. By that i mean people who don't know about it won't use it; and those who do know about it get an advantage.

I understand why u want them and wouldn't mind them in PvE; these are just my 2 copper.

Endolith · April 2014

True. I kind of like PvP without it, and having information come at you more through where you're looking than having tags above everyone's name to make it easier. But if there's one thing I've learned from MMOs over the years, it's that easier has a bigger audience.

Zephyr · April 2014

They don't want nametags because of immersion, also try to imagine PvP with thousands of names floating around. With most heals being AoE or effecting those with the most health loss its not needed. Sure it would be nice like in upcoming raids to have guild pics and what not, but it really isnt necessary in this game.

Nox_Aeterna · April 2014

First MMO that i played , that i cant tell if im just passing by a guild mate or another random person.

This is really annoying.

They REALLY should add an option to have this, i dont care about imersion one freaking bit , i already have tons of addons+the health bars on my screen , but this does not help me with my problem.

Moobs · April 2014

I don't care who is next to me.

Goardo · April 2014

I don't mind not having nameplates. I do agree on the @handle when it comes to guild rosters though. Also I can understand wanting to know if the person you just walked by is in your guild but it does add a level of realism to the social interactions of the game. I wouldn't mind seeing an emblem of some kind that could be added to armor as an indicator of guild membership

Anoteros · April 2014

Nox_Aeterna wrote: »

First MMO that i played , that i cant tell if im just passing by a guild mate or another random person.

This is really annoying.

They REALLY should add an option to have this, i dont care about imersion one freaking bit , i already have tons of addons+the health bars on my screen , but this does not help me with my problem.

^ Exactly.

Want immersion? Go play single player TES titles not a MMORPG where immersion goes out the window with gold spammers and a billion other special snow flakes running around.

For those of you who don't like nameplates CSB, those of us that prefer it the option should be an easy TOGGLE.

Perseas · April 2014

1-2 ) I dont join guilds and case closed.
3) I want more stylish options!! Leather and metal is all over the place! I want something more etheral and stylish... I will give an example bellow...

Swtor that also uses Hero engine (much older and less modified that ESO), have amazing stylish in their cloths... yes they have lots of tights... but they also ahve some robes for the jedis with amazing feel and animation in the cloth, while you walk or move. It feels ethereal.. stylish...

Thats what I want... more stylish in the cloths...not just leather and metal! U feel heavy and buggy... Even the sorcerer cloths feel heavy and leather!

I want my characters to have a cape!!! I love capes and this games with fantasy theme, its ideal to make amazing cape's

Even in the cinematic trailer, they have cape's, they move in the air, beautiful animations.. but in game is so flat... heavy, leather and metal.

Anoteros · April 2014

Perseas wrote: »

1-2 ) I dont join guilds and case closed.
3) I want more stylish options!! Leather and metal is all over the place! I want something more etheral and stylish... I will give an example bellow...

Swtor that also uses Hero engine (much older and less modified that ESO), have amazing stylish in their cloths... yes they have lots of tights... but they also ahve some robes for the jedis with amazing feel and animation in the cloth, while you walk or move. It feels etheral.. stylish...

Thats what I want... more stylish in the cloths...not just leather and metal! U feel heavy and buggy... Even the sorcerer cloths feel heavy and leather!

I want my characters to have a cape!!! I love capes and this games with fantasy theme, its ideal to make amazing cape's

Not sure if serious.

Perseas · April 2014

I am very serious!! As for the guilds, I am a soloer.

I have guilds in all mmos and in 1 character (all my other characters are solo).. BUT THIS MMO forcing us, to bind our accounts and all our characters with guilds. That destroyes soloing. And I am a soloer... I will never join guilds and if they dont fix it and give us same rights as all other players, I will have to stop paying sub.. Because I cant sell my stuff. (generally I dont like and I really hate to have labels on me, to belong somewhere and right now ESO is forcing u to label ur self).

As for the cloths, They need some more style and better animations... I explained above! The animations are fine for leather and metal. But its nothing, zero, caput for cloths (light armor) any light armor I tested, feels heavy! Like leather!

They could give to light armor and leather armors, capes!!! I love capes with beautiful animations! And plz dont tell me that Elder scrolls dont have capes (is going to be for laughs), even the cinematic trailer have capes!

KerinKor · April 2014

Powske wrote: »

I dunno, they said they removed it to get better immerions in game. Not to sure about that, why not let us have the option to decide on that? I think its more of a server load issue or something..

It certainly helps the invisi-bots immerse themselves, it makes them almost impossible to report.

Turelus · April 2014

@KerinKor‌ I was actually able to report a couple yesterday even though they're invisible you can still see their name and the hold F to interact. Just hold F and even if they run off you can move to report player.