[100% Repro needed]NPC and Player Names Missing (Sometimes) POST HERE

Title: NPC and Player Names Sometimes Missing
Reproduction Rate: Maybe 20%
Blocker: No
Details: I've been playing a new character in Soltown and East Perennial Trail. Sometimes, the NPCs aren't showing their names above their heads, and other times they are. This applies to NPC guards, enemies, and other players. It has nothing to do with the 'N' button, either. Most times, everything is okay. Other times, I'll be attacked in the swamp and I'll target the enemy. His name pops up at the top of the screen, but not over his head. The very next enemy I face, its back to normal, with the name/health bar over his head. I can't find any rhyme or reason to it.

In Soltown, some players will have their names over their heads, others are completely unidentifiable. This has also occurred with some "visitor" players, too, so I don't think it was a player choice to make themselves "unknown". Chad, the old beggar in Soltown, suddenly lost his name over his head. Even talking to him again didn't bring it back (though it did cost me a coin!). I then left Soltown and re-entered, and Chad's name was back to where it belonged.

Sorry I can't provide a better explanation as to why this is happening. I tried to figure out the pattern, but there just wasn't one.

 

Could you include your system specs for us to review? Do you have any way to attempt to reproduce this issue reliably? We introduced a nameplate fade feature this release that should fade out a nameplate for NPCs beyond a distance threshold, but should be clearly seen when approaching them.

 

Windows 10 Home-HE (64 bit)
6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700 Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz)
16GB (1x16GB) DDR4 2133MHz SDRAM Memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 with 2GB GDDR5 Graphics Memory

SotA.EarlyAccess.LIVE.Win.64.612.Date.05.26.17

 

UPDATE: Is there an "ambush" protocol in the game now? It seems like when I'm fighting an enemy and another enemy sneaks up on us and attacks, that's one that's more likely to be missing its nameplate over its head.

I just returned to my POT after some adventuring. The Banker at the entrance was normal. I went to my lot to drop off some stuff and returned to the Banker and her nameplate was missing. It doesn't return, even if I click on her. Clicking on her brings up the bank, which I then closed. Over her head, I could see her saying "Farewell" to me. Once that disappeared, still no nameplate. I just exited the scene to Novia, and immediately entered it again. Now, the Banker has "Banker" again over her head, but my Town Crier is nameless!

When I go to Soltown, there are several other players there. Most have their nameplates over their heads. Some do not. I can't make them appear, even if I try to "examine", "trade", or "whisper" with them.

 

Please let us know if the name plate behavior is still whacky under build 614. We're still trying to get to the bottom of this but sometimes a new build can change things...

 

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/more-nameplate-info.91068/

 

I played quite a bit today after the new build, but still found the same problem with the hit-or-miss nameplates.

 

*****We are looking for a way to repo this 100%.*****
Okay, this is gonna be one of those pesky ones. Most of the font and name issues were squashed internally before live, but this one doesn't want to go away...

I didn't see it last night but it was late and not many were on. It seems very situational and we need this info to find the fix. Thanks!

*****We are looking for a way to repo this 100%.*****

 

Sometimes the nameplates of dead enemies don't show up. Here's a screenshot of a Siege Engineer with no nameplate. It's dark and hard to see, so very easy to miss looting:

 

I get this missing nameplates too, however I can make the missing nameplate appear if I switch the size of nameplates in the options menu. If i'm on small and switch to large they appear and if i'm on large and switch to small they appear, most of the time. Those that don't appear can be made to appear by turning on the player nameplate above my avatar's head.