The elephant in the room: visual effects

Demalb16_ESO · January 14

I am very happy to say that i really like the changes made to ESO with update 49, only one thing is concerning:
The new visual effect for the DK are better, flashier and more coherent but exactly because they are falshier and more "good looking" I'm afraid that the amount of visual overload in trials will be unbearable. It's already problematic (banners, aoe and such) I fear that it will become too much to andle.
Please make in such a way that you can suppress the visual effects of other players, or the visual effect will become an elephant-blob of colour through which players won't see the mechanics. Maybe leave only the aoe on the ground, the one of which you can choose the color in the menu.
It's true that there are addon but what is the purpose of making so that I have to read text on the screen because I can't see the gameplay? It's really annoying.
There are also addon that hide all the players and their effects, another thing that ruin the gameplay.
Can we have the suppression of at least the "not group mechanics tied skill" of the other players
PLEASE

Gabriel_H · January 14

I disagree it's the elephant in the room, it's a considerable number of us in the corner screaming for ZOS to give us the option to turn down or off visual effects - in my case the screaming is because of actual physical pain.

Side Note: The addon that hides the group is using an exploit in the code. That isn't to say that the addon is against the TOS, it's actually a really simple addon and a creative use of a bug. Basically it tells the game that the Crown Crate guy is there, which hides the players - go stand near some players and access him, you'll see them vanish. But because that function is open and not tied to the scene of the guy sat on his crate, which shows him sat there, it means it can be used anywhere. I say this as people have mentioned before "There's an addon, so why can't ZOS just make it a toggle". It's not a fix.

Demalb16_ESO · January 16

I really hate the sensory overload. I hope that they will do something

Malyore · January 16

Yes, that has been a long present concern that is going to become excaserbated each time they refresh a class. I hope they also do something about it as a toggle option, as I have already seen multiple threads recently discussing it that have tagged @ZOS_Kevin and @ZOS_JessicaFolsom to support our request when discussing it with the devs

React · January 16

I like most of the animations themselves, but the particle effects are wayyy out of control. Half the time I have no idea what I or my opponent is doing, there is just too much visual overload.

I hope they're willing to dial back the particles a bit so things are more clear.

sbam66 · January 16

I’ve heard similar feedback from many people. The last thing the ESO community wants is for abilities to start looking cartoony. The fact that they don’t look super cartoony now makes the eso aesthetic/movement the reason a lot of people love eso over other mmos.

SkaiFaith · January 16

One thing I always envied to games like Black Desert Online or Genshin Impact and the likes is how cool the skill animations were there.
I'd absolutely love ESO to lean more in that direction and bridge the gap.
With this I don't mean I want cartoonist style, but visual effects that reflect the weight and importance of the skill - they have to feel powerful, and shouldn't feel weak as a noodle compared to other games.
With that said, I'd welcome an option to hide/reduce other players' visual effects for those who find them hurtful. Said option could include Mounts animations.
EDIT: I'll add that what we are seeing with the DK rework is a step in the right direction, much appreciated!

Cooperharley · January 16

Demalb16_ESO wrote: »

I am very happy to say that i really like the changes made to ESO with update 49, only one thing is concerning:
The new visual effect for the DK are better, flashier and more coherent but exactly because they are falshier and more "good looking" I'm afraid that the amount of visual overload in trials will be unbearable. It's already problematic (banners, aoe and such) I fear that it will become too much to andle.
Please make in such a way that you can suppress the visual effects of other players, or the visual effect will become an elephant-blob of colour through which players won't see the mechanics. Maybe leave only the aoe on the ground, the one of which you can choose the color in the menu.
It's true that there are addon but what is the purpose of making so that I have to read text on the screen because I can't see the gameplay? It's really annoying.
There are also addon that hide all the players and their effects, another thing that ruin the gameplay.
Can we have the suppression of at least the "not group mechanics tied skill" of the other players
PLEASE

Is there not a setting in the menu to tone down player spell effects? Or am I thinking of something else?

salander7 · January 16

At some point in... 2020? 2021? there was a meta when most dds were running Maw of the Infernal. I remember tanking the mini in Kyne's Aegis last boss, with by back against the wall, and a crowd of Daedroths behind the mini to the point I couldn't see anything.

I saw a pic of 2 ppl chanelling the new engulfing flames (which ofc is bis for dk). If they buff it to be a good option at high level, I'm going to miss the daedroth times. Even arcanist beam looks subtle and discreet compared to new breath.

CatoUnchained · January 16

I'd also like to see many animations toned down.

One of the things that make, or at least used to make, ESO more pleasant to play than similar Asian games is/was that most armor sets were semi normal and other animations were fairly subtle...or at least they used to be.

Cerbolt · January 16

Ffxiv:

A lot of other mmos have the ability to tone down visual effects in the settings. I feel like this is something ESO desperately needs, because then people who want the flashy effects can have them and people who hate them can tone them down or even switch them off.

Malyore · January 16

Jessica Folsom has just stated that this feedback has been shared with the devs and they are looking into options for further down the road.

LunaFlora · January 16

Malyore wrote: »

Jessica Folsom has just stated that this feedback has been shared with the devs and they are looking into options for further down the road.

she also responded to me in my own thread on Wednesday
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/681702/accessibility-request-a-list-of-strobing-flashing-effects-occurrences/p1
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8416664#Comment_8416664
it is very nice to get acknowledgement about this

AScarlato · January 16

I think what is happening to ESO (tons of bright lights and sparkles) is kind of the western version of what I deal with in my Eastern MMOs (tons of "modern" outfits so someone wearing headphones, jeans and a baseball cap runs past you in your ancient town).

As mentioned above, I like Final Fantasy XIV's options. I don't mind having amazing spell effects for myself so I can enjoy my own epicness but when it's a group of people it's just distracting and can cover the battlefield.

Dalinar4 · January 16

On a slightly different note:

I play on a weaker PC. Less visual effects on screen means in trials I won't be sitting at 20 fps. The more I can turn off the better. (Visual effects probably aren't the main problem, but anything helps)

Llevndryn · January 16

I would also like to be able to turn most of the particle effects off. And that includes mounts or armors. It really feels cartoonish, in addition to making the fight unreadable.

ceruulean · January 16

Cerbolt wrote: »

Ffxiv:

A lot of other mmos have the ability to tone down visual effects in the settings. I feel like this is something ESO desperately needs, because then people who want the flashy effects can have them and people who hate them can tone them down or even switch them off.

MMOs have had these settings since 2009 and before. ESO really needs to step its game, considering it was released in 2014 and it's now 2026.

Demalb16_ESO · January 27

LunaFlora wrote: »

Malyore wrote: »

Jessica Folsom has just stated that this feedback has been shared with the devs and they are looking into options for further down the road.

she also responded to me in my own thread on Wednesday
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/681702/accessibility-request-a-list-of-strobing-flashing-effects-occurrences/p1
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8416664#Comment_8416664
it is very nice to get acknowledgement about this

Happy to see that this is going somewhere

Malyore · January 27

Demalb16_ESO wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

Malyore wrote: »

Jessica Folsom has just stated that this feedback has been shared with the devs and they are looking into options for further down the road.

she also responded to me in my own thread on Wednesday
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/681702/accessibility-request-a-list-of-strobing-flashing-effects-occurrences/p1
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8416664#Comment_8416664
it is very nice to get acknowledgement about this

Happy to see that this is going somewhere

Yes they have someone specifically working on this now

CalamityCat · January 27

I'd love the option to switch to a really basic functional set of effects, so they're easy to identify and aren't overloading the screen. Also, without the skill styles too. I think this would be useful both for trials and PvP, and good for newbies who I imagine are a bit confused by all the different appearances for each skill now.

I do want to say that I love the new DK effects, I think they're perfect for a class that wields fire, and I can't wait to play my DK with them. But I don't want my DK causing visual disruption and eye strain for me or others.

When I play later in the evening, I really notice how tiring all the effects are. If I've got my lighting a bit gentler and warmer in the room, I don't want a full pyrotechnics display on my monitor

zenonuk · January 27

ZOS have confirmed that options are being worked on - for you you adjust visual effects based on source of effect.

See ZOS commentary here:
- https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8423054/
- https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8423054/#Comment_8423054

Specifically:

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

[*] New VFX Brightness & Intensity [Feedback]: We have seen feedback related to the overall brightness, size, and intensity of the updated skills VFX. We are working on some sliders so you can better customize your experience and adjust the brightness and intensity of how your abilities and/or other players’ abilities appear on your screen. This will not make it into Update 49, but we did want to let you know we’re working on it and will share more info when we have it.

ZOS_Jose wrote: »

Heya Luna, nice to meet you! This is Jose Camacho, Gameplay Engineer, first post actually!

I am responding as I'm currently investigating the in-game slider setting implementation. As it is now, the in-game slider setting reduces the transparency of any VFX sourced from either yourself, remote players, NPCs, with settings for each sourcing category individually. That means you can reduce the visibility of everyone, just other players, just NPCs, or any combination!

As for which VFX this applies to, the slider applies to all VFX we can catch belonging in the sourcing category. For example, if the slider for your own VFX intensity is lower, then all VFX caused by you from your own abilities, mounts, etc will be lowered. We hope to include item sets in that category but more testing is needed as we investigate. The hope is to include the options for environment as well but more investigation work needs to be done.

Really excited to bring this to you as we've seen this request over the years like with your recent post and want to make ESO a more accessible game for all!

katanagirl1 · January 28

Hopefully these sliders for visual effects will be on console as well as PC.

JeroenB · January 28

Thinking the many mount summon and recall designs that are not only visually polluting but also obnoxiously loud, has anyone noticed any comment on sliders for the audio to accompany the visuals?

Attorneyatlawl · January 28

CalamityCat wrote: »

I'd love the option to switch to a really basic functional set of effects, so they're easy to identify and aren't overloading the screen. Also, without the skill styles too. I think this would be useful both for trials and PvP, and good for newbies who I imagine are a bit confused by all the different appearances for each skill now.

I do want to say that I love the new DK effects, I think they're perfect for a class that wields fire, and I can't wait to play my DK with them. But I don't want my DK causing visual disruption and eye strain for me or others.

When I play later in the evening, I really notice how tiring all the effects are. If I've got my lighting a bit gentler and warmer in the room, I don't want a full pyrotechnics display on my monitor

Yep, skill styles also affect pvp combat readability negatively. I'd love to be able to shut off skill styles client-side. As an old-time player coming back more recently, it's nasty to see multiple spell effects that actually turn out to be the same skill.

LunaFlora · January 28

JeroenB wrote: »

Thinking the many mount summon and recall designs that are not only visually polluting but also obnoxiously loud, has anyone noticed any comment on sliders for the audio to accompany the visuals?

ZOS has said nothing about audio sliders, it currently is for visual effects.

Does the Effects audio slider not already affect Mounts? i know it at least affects Emotes.