[Opinion] The new Customized Actions are disappointing

Billium813 · December 2022

I really like the idea of Customized Actions! I think it's a great, new way to monetize the game in fun, thematic way! Say what you want about monetization, but it IS necessary and the more cosmetic the monetization, the better, as long as it's kept Elderscrolls thematic imo

HOWEVER, Recall of the Galen Wilds ...

This isn't a customized action, it's a color filter... [snip] This new Customized Action feature is a brand new concept ZOS is trying to sell to us! Recall of the Galen Wilds is supposed to be a poster child for the possibilities of this new monetization has! And they're COMPLETELY phoning it in on this one!

[edited for bashing]

Billium813 · December 2022

INSTEAD! What about reusing and combining emotes, mementos, and furnishing effects to make a new "Customized Action"? This is cheap too because it reuses animations... but by combining them, you create something new and interesting.

Earthen Root Essence furnishing + Token of Root Sunder memento

Dr_Con · December 2022

I haven't looked at the crown store pricing, but using a different color filter should be either free/unlockable or just really cheap.

Rageypoo · December 2022

Billium813 wrote: »

INSTEAD! What about reusing and combining emotes, mementos, and furnishing effects to make a new "Customized Action"? This is cheap too because it reuses animations... but by combining them, you create something new and interesting.

Dang, after seeing this...100% agree!

alternatelder · December 2022

If I get it in one of the four crates I get each season, great. But you won't see me spending my gems on these. Unless of course it's something like you said, combined emotes, mementos, etc, then definitely.

LikiLoki · December 2022

[snip] I think we will get a lot of new individual actions in the future, I did not buy a teleport because of the reason that was indicated here, but in general I like everything

[Removed response to removed content]

YandereGirlfriend · December 2022

The limitation on player character animations is REALLY strange given that NPCs have access to SO MANY cool and unique animations.

Should not this state of affairs be the other way around, with the NPCs having the basic animations and the player character having access to the thematic ones?

Jaimeh · December 2022

I agree, the recall is not a custom animation, it's the exact same animation with a different colour. How is this an upgrade? It couldn't have been more unimaginative and disappointing. And then to put it behind crates... If they wanted to have a custom recall animation to fit with the druide theme, they could have used any of the green aura visuals various mementos have, like someone said above, or even something similar to the warden skills, with the blooming flowers.

Carcamongus · December 2022

I expect future animations to be more intere$ting.

Psiion · December 2022

Greetings all,

After removing some off-topic posts, we'd like to remind everyone that Discussion of Disciplinary Action is against the Forum's Community Rules as stated below:

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Billium813 · December 2022

alternatelder wrote: »

If I get it in one of the four crates I get each season, great. But you won't see me spending my gems on these. Unless of course it's something like you said, combined emotes, mementos, etc, then definitely.

Carcamongus wrote: »

I expect future animations to be more intere$ting.

That's what makes me so bewildered regarding these two flagship Customized Actions they have released thus far: Gyrfalcon Gather and Recall of the Galen Wilds. They released this brand new concept of Customized Actions and the two flagship products are... pretty boring and uninspired IMO. They both look like products I would expect ZOS to release 6 years from now when they are struggling for ideas and concepts. Doesn't ZOS want players to WANT to buy these things? How could anyone in charge of approving these designs think this was a good idea?

I do want more Customized Actions in the future and the fact that players don't want to purchase these new ones, may make ZOS think that players don't want Customized Actions at all. ZOS, players DO want Customized Actions. They just want creative ideas and fun actions. These two are... disappointing.

TaSheen · December 2022

Well, I'm not interested in them at all, not the 2 released, nor any future ones. Not my sort of "customization" at all. I think it's especially bad that they're for gems or SOE. A LOT of SOE.

Soarora · December 2022

I think the recall action also has different sound fx but that really doesn't save it. I hope that this is just the beginning and future customized actions will be better. If there's the same port animation for every color of the rainbow, then there's going to be unhappiness.

AinSoph · December 2022

Billium813 wrote: »

alternatelder wrote: »

If I get it in one of the four crates I get each season, great. But you won't see me spending my gems on these. Unless of course it's something like you said, combined emotes, mementos, etc, then definitely.

Carcamongus wrote: »

I expect future animations to be more intere$ting.

That's what makes me so bewildered regarding these two flagship Customized Actions they have released thus far: Gyrfalcon Gather and Recall of the Galen Wilds. They released this brand new concept of Customized Actions and the two flagship products are... pretty boring and uninspired IMO. They both look like products I would expect ZOS to release 6 years from now when they are struggling for ideas and concepts. Doesn't ZOS want players to WANT to buy these things? How could anyone in charge of approving these designs think this was a good idea?

I do want more Customized Actions in the future and the fact that players don't want to purchase these new ones, may make ZOS think that players don't want Customized Actions at all. ZOS, players DO want Customized Actions. They just want creative ideas and fun actions. These two are... disappointing.

I used to be an advocate for skill skins ala Pet skins like the MW Bear or a complete visual revamp like Stone Giant becoming Fireballs or Sweeps changing your staff into a Aedric version (like the current one but for all staff motifs) and all this proves is that the creative well has become dry. I absolutely refuse to believe out of all possible implementations for custom actions, they just straight-up made a recolor but for mounts their summon animation, idle emote, and even the footsteps!?! literally explodes with detail???

NeKryXe · December 2022

I hate the Customized Actions. It just brings more flashy trash to the game. As if all the horrendous folkloric mounts weren't enough. I think Customized Actions could be nice if it was seen only by the owner, or if we could disable it at our end. But their monetization is for sure a good idea, because now I'm already willing to pay a lot to a function to not see it in my game.

Supreme_Atromancer · December 2022

I love the concept. I don't want these ones, but I think its a fantastic idea.

I think the LORE is a deep well for inspiration for future ones, if you continue down this road, ZOS.

Panchaea · December 2022

It's just another addition to the Crown Store dark pattern in enticing people to spend more money when it can be offered as an in game collectable you receive from actually playing the game.

WiseSky · December 2022

Here ZoS I made my own Custom Animation that is 99 Times cooler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z94NIcH95Ic

If you give this to players they will thrown their money at you.

Supreme_Atromancer · December 2022

Panchaea wrote: »

It's just another addition to the Crown Store dark pattern in enticing people to spend more money when it can be offered as an in game collectable you receive from actually playing the game.

I mean, what do you want? The general consensus is that people don't mind cosmetics: you don't need them to play the game, but if you want to, you can. They've steered pretty clear of P2W crown store. It should be cheered, not booed.

Panchaea · December 2022

Supreme_Atromancer wrote: »

Panchaea wrote: »

It's just another addition to the Crown Store dark pattern in enticing people to spend more money when it can be offered as an in game collectable you receive from actually playing the game.

I mean, what do you want? The general consensus is that people don't mind cosmetics: you don't need them to play the game, but if you want to, you can. They've steered pretty clear of P2W crown store. It should be cheered, not booed.

"Don't buy it then" is an overly used strawman argument to justify bad practice. Yes, you can avoid them if you want, but it's clear that the over reliance on the Crown Store means that we get far less in-game unlockable items than we should. If it was more balanced, it wouldn't be an issue. Nobody should cheer for practices like this because they take away from what the game could potentially offer for playing: It turns the game into one where you're simply spending more for the "cool" stuff.

When Dragon Bones came out we received a skin and personality for completing the Challenger achievement. These days challenger achievements offer nothing, with trifectas being the only achievement besides hard mode to offer something (a title). Not everyone goes for trifectas, ergo they miss out on that content. Veteran clears have also been downgraded to mementos and body markings.

Likewise, we used to get several houses with each Chapter that could be bought for gold by doing the Chapter achievements. This year, it was one house. Limited time offer. Crowns only.

Likewise, the Store isn't P2W, per se, but if you want a shortcut you can buy skyshards and skill lines. That still has an effect of granting someone an advantage in low level PVP. It's not as present as it could be under worse practices but it still exists.

The Crown Store relies on dark pattern techniques: Ways in which you are nudged or encouraged to do a certain act, i.e purchase an item for Crowns. The "nudge" be come in different forms: FOMO, personal desire, gambling addiction, and most notably a lack of real items that you can get from playing the game. A player is more inclined to purchase a crown crate or crown store item, especially if 1: It's exclusive to the Store, and 2: It's there for a limited time.

Adding customised actions is just another step on the game's over reliance in the Store when so many of these items could be integrated into the game to give us incentive to play and enjoy it, i.e lock a costume behind an obscure achievement. And that revenue is not going back to the game's development. We can see that in play at the moment.

Player retention and more engaging gameplay means providing incentives, meaning customised actions could have been a feature of future content as unlockables for doing content. So yes, I think it should be booed.

Cadbury · December 2022

I was expecting them to be buyable in the store (maybe something like 2500 crowns or less) not a crown crate exclusive. That puts a damper on an otherwise intriguing new feature.

Hopefully, future Customized Actions will be added to buy in the crown store. Or maybe add a couple unlockable ingame.

blktauna · December 2022

Ok what does it say that I didn't even know they were supposed to be these new custom thingies and thought they looked like more stupid mementos...

Supreme_Atromancer · December 2022

Panchaea wrote: »

Supreme_Atromancer wrote: »

Panchaea wrote: »

It's just another addition to the Crown Store dark pattern in enticing people to spend more money when it can be offered as an in game collectable you receive from actually playing the game.

I mean, what do you want? The general consensus is that people don't mind cosmetics: you don't need them to play the game, but if you want to, you can. They've steered pretty clear of P2W crown store. It should be cheered, not booed.

"Don't buy it then" is an overly used strawman argument to justify bad practice. Yes, you can avoid them if you want, but it's clear that the over reliance on the Crown Store means that we get far less in-game unlockable items than we should. If it was more balanced, it wouldn't be an issue. Nobody should cheer for practices like this because they take away from what the game could potentially offer for playing: It turns the game into one where you're simply spending more for the "cool" stuff.

When Dragon Bones came out we received a skin and personality for completing the Challenger achievement. These days challenger achievements offer nothing, with trifectas being the only achievement besides hard mode to offer something (a title). Not everyone goes for trifectas, ergo they miss out on that content. Veteran clears have also been downgraded to mementos and body markings.

Likewise, we used to get several houses with each Chapter that could be bought for gold by doing the Chapter achievements. This year, it was one house. Limited time offer. Crowns only.

Likewise, the Store isn't P2W, per se, but if you want a shortcut you can buy skyshards and skill lines. That still has an effect of granting someone an advantage in low level PVP. It's not as present as it could be under worse practices but it still exists.

The Crown Store relies on dark pattern techniques: Ways in which you are nudged or encouraged to do a certain act, i.e purchase an item for Crowns. The "nudge" be come in different forms: FOMO, personal desire, gambling addiction, and most notably a lack of real items that you can get from playing the game. A player is more inclined to purchase a crown crate or crown store item, especially if 1: It's exclusive to the Store, and 2: It's there for a limited time.

Adding customised actions is just another step on the game's over reliance in the Store when so many of these items could be integrated into the game to give us incentive to play and enjoy it, i.e lock a costume behind an obscure achievement. And that revenue is not going back to the game's development. We can see that in play at the moment.

Player retention and more engaging gameplay means providing incentives, meaning customised actions could have been a feature of future content as unlockables for doing content. So yes, I think it should be booed.

I agree with some of what you say.

I don't really think that you can argue that purchasable Skyshards are p2w without stumbling into contradiction about earnable houses and skins.

I don't know that its true we get less stuff for gaming. I've gotten a bunch of stuff from the recent quests and stuff. I also get stuff just from entering the new dungeons- I think this might be more evidence that they've changed how they award stuff like this, making it more accessible, not rarer.

But I do strongly dislike underhanded tactics used to create false urgency, need or FOMO. I've been burned by it, and it does erode trust.

"Don't buy them" may indeed be a strawman, because its not an argument I'm making: I was more arguing that if we were going to have a crown store, (and since the sub-model failed, it seems to be the case), I'm glad that zos has stuck to cosmetics. I don't feel compelled to buy things to continue being competitive.

Soarora · December 2022

Cadbury wrote: »

I was expecting them to be buyable in the store (maybe something like 2500 crowns or less) not a crown crate exclusive. That puts a damper on an otherwise intriguing new feature.

Hopefully, future Customized Actions will be added to buy in the crown store. Or maybe add a couple unlockable ingame.

Me too, maybe even as a bundle… at least for the first set. Half the customized actions with the Druid theme aren’t even in the crate… so where will they be?

tomofhyrule · December 2022

I will say that, of the ones we saw on PTS, the only one that really interested me was the Gyrfalcon. The others were basically recolors that I might use if I got them, but I'm not going to whale for them.

Gyrfalcon though? I gemmed that out the second the crates popped. It's amazing.

I am a bit surprised the first time we see them, they're in crates. I'd have expected them there eventually, but I feel like the first one should probably have been in the Crown Store proper so everyone could get a taste without gambling.

Ah well. I always pretended my Skaal Warden werewolf threw birds at people instead of cliff racers and now he has his bird collecting plants for him. He's basically a giant beefy hairy Disney Princess and I'm totally fine with this.

Bucky_13 · December 2022

I look forward to them releasing the custom action of being able to run on your mount while riding and charging 400 gems for it...

More seriously, the bird thingie is okay at least, it's something new and different and not a reskin, but the recall is just sad since it's actually a reskin which is just lazy.

Lastly, how on earth have they not managed to customize and sell sorc and warden pets yet? Warden cat or wolf or guar, THAT I would actually consider buying. Although, going the WoW route of letting you tame them would be the best and most player friendly option, but my expectations are low.

Holycannoli · December 2022

Bucky_13 wrote: »

I look forward to them releasing the custom action of being able to run on your mount while riding and charging 400 gems for it...

More seriously, the bird thingie is okay at least, it's something new and different and not a reskin, but the recall is just sad since it's actually a reskin which is just lazy.

Lastly, how on earth have they not managed to customize and sell sorc and warden pets yet? Warden cat or wolf or guar, THAT I would actually consider buying. Although, going the WoW route of letting you tame them would be the best and most player friendly option, but my expectations are low.

Taming would be beyond awesome, but even some customization would be welcome. It's been the same few pets for years.

In single player TES games you can choose what you want to summon or have as a pet. Daedra, various atronachs, ghosts, skeletons, raising various zombies. Variety is the spice of life.

Ashryn · December 2022

Gryfalcon is fine, but the re-colored Recall animation is disappointing and inexcusable in my opinion.
My deepest disappointment, though, is that we finally had the opportunity for something to appeal to forgotten Wood Elves and its so poor. I'm sure that customizable animations will be improved in the future, but more then likely there won't be anything that relates to Nature again!

sPark101 · December 2022

Where are these customizable actions?

fizl101 · December 2022

sPark101 wrote: »

Where are these customizable actions?

Crown store in the latest crates

Ragnarok0130 · December 2022

They really missed the boat with customized actions. This could have solved the discord with the recent templar jab and flurry animation changes by allowing people to use whichever version they liked. What did we get...recolors of current in game assets...just like the crown store is already notorious for.