I don't know how to explain this, but it is something I always liked about certain games.

As a roleplayer, I want my character to look the way I want to without being undergeared because you don't fancy the ''demonic and godly looking high level gear''.

Basicly, my idea is a cosmetic slot for ESO. If you played LOTRO you might understand what I mean here.

That way you are still allowed to look the way you want to look like, without having to worry about being underpowered. It greatly improves roleplaying opportunities IMO.

Feel free to share your honest opinion about this.

EDIT: Removed the part about clothing, that was just a bad idea. But consider this.

For example, a heavy armored player could use other heavy armor as cosmetic equipment.

That way a player in Daedric armor could use Steel armor for the aesthetics. But not robes or light/medium armor.

Does that mean that armored players can't wear clothing? Ofcourse not, they can use it when they are roleplaying in a city outside of battle or something. But in battle that is not a viable option.

Personally i don't like it, i think the gear should be a representation of what it is, so if you are wearing glass armor, it shouldn't look like deadric armor. GW2 has weapon and armor skins, WoW has transmogrification. Lots of games do this now but it just doesn't appeal to me, its like putting steak sauce on a high end steak.

Edit: I do like the idea of some sort of attachment, like a minotaur horn on a chain at the end of my sword, something like that could be customizable, that to me is appealing.

As a roleplayer I would say that especially that concept would be totally against my understanding of roleplaying.

How could a rope have the same stats like a heavy armor? How would that help me to feel more immersed or real about this world when it's totally unrealistic?

From a more competative standpoint this would also totally destroy the gameplay, because you would never know

who's in front of you.

I don't see any playstyle that concept would be helpful for.

Sorry, I really hope they don't (i am sure they won't) put that in.

Besides that: I am a big friend of things like capes or dying clothes(if it makes sense) to make it "fancy" and special for the player.

Not a problem for me. It encourages roleplaying, and even strategy, as you can't tell by appearances what weaknesses your opponent might have. Heck, it sounds like gear wont even matter that much.

So far all we know is that there is a disguise slot. So we probably won't be allowed, at least at this moment, to be able to make out gear look like what we want.

My thoughts exactly.

I do hope that gear won't matter much. I don't want my character to end up looking like a god.

Can you explain how it would encourage roleplaying? I really would like to understand your thoughts better.

If I want to wear a rope I can. But of course I am much weaker with it. Like it would be in reality.

Isn't that fact more encouraging?
For example: Don't even think about fighting a knight when you are playing a poor little thief. How should you have a chance in your thin leather west?

Better try to trick him...

There could ofcourse be a limit to it.

Heavy armor can only be hidden by heavy armor. Light by armor by light armor etc.

Clothing could always be something for in the cities.

It matters from person to person. Many roleplayers want to define their character the way the want to. With cosmetic equipment they can. I won't be dissapointed if this option won't be put in, but it's a minor suggestion to think about. Others find it immersion breaking, which makes sense aswell. Which is why I considered limiting it, as I mentioned earlier.

How much would it break immersion if every man and his dog was walking around in a set of Daedric? Costumes would encourage diversity, and would allow you to dress "in character", without having to sacrifice gameplay. I don't want to be filled with holes just because I think those early-level robes best suit my character.

Well, I guess then we have different definitions of roleplaying.

For me it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.

You switch into a role, including all (more or less) realistic limitations to it.

If you want to play a ferry, play a ferry. But don't expect to fight against an ogre.

For me that's not roleplaying. That's fooling around.

Most MMOs these days have a cosmetic appearance tab but I'm not really bothered by it either way. If anything I'd probably prefer to not have one.

I don't know, honestly.

I never roleplay myself considering I want to escape from reality when I'm roleplaying.

If this won't happen, fine. But as Sparhawk mentioned, there are people who feel out of character when walking around in Daedric armor just so they are still viable for their level. If you're a light armored fighter then it makes sense that you can't use heavy armor to hide it. But using armor of the same type with lower stats for aesthetics should do. I must say that I do apologize when I mentioned clothing hiding the armor, that was more ment for ''city'' apparel. In battle it would not make any sense at all, no doubt.

In the end, I just hope gear won't matter much like they don't matter much in single player ES games.

Yep. Unless you want to be that guy in the party that someone's always rezzing.

That's true.

For this case I would like to have two display settings for gear in the game:

- One gear set for how you see yourself.

- One gear set for how others see you.

I do not care about what precise gear you are actually wearing.

Actually, identifying "unique" gear just by the looks it and seeing hundreds of players wearing it, kills the game immersion.

But seeing you half naked in thin tissue while you are wearing plate armor for the game mechanics is not what I want.