I agree. At least give the option to turn them on or off. I found it a nuisance trying to find NPCs and/or vendors, and players too. Everyone blends in, especially in cities and crowded areas. Moving around and constantly looking from your targeting crosshairs (to keep your target aligned) to your compass in an attempt to catch a glimpse of a name is annoying. Especially if this is a moving player in a crowded city. It's also ponderous when trying to find a specific vendor as you only get a name, not anything that would indicate if said NPC is a vendor or what type of vendor. You don't get any info by targeting them. You have to talk to them to see if they're even a vendor, then if they are a vendor you have to actually click on "Store" to see what they sell. Gets old real fast. So, yeah, I'm all for an option for nameplates. If they don't give one, hopefully there will be an addon.

But vendors usually have banners outside their workshop? Also, I distinctly remember at least some of them showing their profession when targeted (in the upper part of the screen)?

I had the same issue at the beginning but honestly it went away quite fast. Now I know what to look for and where at it's quite easy.

I don't have a problem finding the general area where vendors are located as the map shows this. Banners do little to help with identifying as there are always more NPCs than just the vendors at these locations, and some vendors wander around, not to mention a lot of players standing around. I guess it's good if they show professions in upper right of the screen, but to me it just adds to the annoyance because now I have to check and keep track of three places on my screen to identify an NPC. Why not just give the option to turn on nameplates for people that want them? I think Zenimax is on to this because last survey there was a question specifically addressing this.

I get what you're saying, though. Maybe I'll eventually get used to it. And maybe I'm just too used to MMOs always providing this information. Now it just annoys me when I have to go through all the "trouble" to find NPCs/players, lol. I don't want it to be an annoying mini-game of "find the NPC I need" every time I enter a city or town.

Sometimes in real life someone will ask someone in a store "Where is this particular item" and the person will reply "I don't know, I don't work here." Hehe. Just like real life.

The less able I am to distinguish PCs from NPCs, the more I feel more like I'm playing in a virtual world. For that, I'm willing to tolerate the inconveniences that arise.

I had issues with this too. I hooked up with a friend and if we had not been on vent it would have taken much longer to find each other. Maybe Im just used to it from other games, made it easy to target heals

Naked wood elf named Elvish Presley? It's a player.

I understand you though and think the nameplates should be available in the options, give people choice.

Agreed, just a choice in the matter. Everyone wins.

One of my biggest gripes was the issue of finding vendors. Sometimes at small camps there can be vendors but you wouldnt know unless you interact with ever NPC which is very tedious and not very good regards a modern mmo. I really hope they do add the feature. What I suggest that everyone does next beta is use the /feature command and request they add it.

One thing to keep in mind, conversations with NPCs can grant skill levels. So it's worth it to explore and talk to everyone.

It's fun blending in with the NPCs and seeing other players walk up to you.

If not for the faction icons in PvP, you can blend in with the NPCs in an enemy-controlled city or resource.

I think you can turn on enemy health bars so they show all the time.

Aww, right. I forgot that's an option.

Yeah, hehe...But hey, a lot of people probably won't have them on so...

How can one not tell the difference? NPC's don't run.

... everywhere.

I actually take measures to not be able to distinguish player form character. I turn off as much as I possibly can. Enemy Glow, Loot Glow, All health bars and markers for all characters and NPC. No alliance markers or stupid floating Vs above group members.

Still, I know it's a character when I walk up to them and it prompts me to interact with them. Other than that... everybody runs everywhere. I toggle walk more during gameplay than run.

The only character info I want to see is the targeted health. That alone tells the name of who ever you are looking at.

i like many others i am sure would like the option to turn on nameplates for many reasons

I understand names on NPCs though I certainly don′t wish to know who are players and who are NPCs. I did have no trouble finding who I was looking for. I am against this but if it is added to the game, please make it optional. The endless sea of floating names in my display disturbs me endlessly. What a mess when all 3 factions collide in hardcoe PvP.... Certainly optioned Please!!

I had some of the same issues, I couldn't always pick out the enemy or PvE mob over a live player in certain areas. I got use to being faster but that didn't make me stop aiming at a player sometimes over a PvE player like mob.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQd15hCR850&list=PLeHW9Tzdpah8a0hQjrqxEBGEqmuu656L6

reading through a few replies here, i now had the excellent idea for a guild-event;

everyone dresses up as NPCs and stands right aside the NPCs they are dressed as, aaand we'll see if it manages to confuse people.

Was fine for me, but everybody is different, with different computer specs, etc.