Beta applications are being accepted:
http://signup.elderscrollsonline.com/
Not sure what to make of this. I guess it was unavoidable, but the TES games were so much geared to providing a single player experience, that I'm not sure the setting/concept translates well to the MMO realm.
I'm not sure I like Khajiit being grouped with elves, lore-wise. At least they made some effort to explain the Nord-Dark Elf alliance, but why would Khajiit be fighting to promote elf supremacy?
:nerd:
Quote from: Syt on January 22, 2013, 01:33:10 PM
Beta applications are being accepted:
http://signup.elderscrollsonline.com/
Not sure what to make of this. I guess it was unavoidable, but the TES games were so much geared to providing a single player experience, that I'm not sure the setting/concept translates well to the MMO realm.
I thought the games always played a lot like an MMO.
Why the fuck can't I be an Imperial?
The setting is great, but the way they're executing is feels awkward and forced.
One of the great things about ES is I can be what I want, play as I want, go where I want. This set up they're using for the MMO violates these long established traditions of the franchise.
Ok I am glad there is finally a three way war MMO again after DAOC. But that is about the only thing I like about this checking out the website.
The standard MMO recipe is not working anymore, don't they realize?
What makes me weary about their general info video is the claim "Once you hit level 50, the game *really* opens up."
Err . . . .
One of the reasons why SWTOR is the only MMO I have a character at max. level is because the way to get there was rather fun, what with their story arcs, and that softened some of the mindless grind. I'm more interested in the journey than reaching the endgame for TEH PURPLEZ (or whatever colour is chic at the moment)!
I applied for the Beta. I also applaud the recent trend to have many games available for Mac at the release/beta or shortly thereafter. I think the increasing equality of treatment for Mac users mimics the progress gay people everywhere are experiencing in this day and age - which is only fair, since both demographics are pretty much the same. :P
I signed up for beta also. I actually *like* being in beta's, since I can make up my mind if I'm going to spend money before I'm forced to :) I do agree that the best part about the Elder Scrolls games was the open/sandbox approach. I'm curious how that is going to get shoehorned into a more classic MMO paradigm.
For a moment I confused this with that Ultima Forever beta from a while back.
Quote from: Martinus on January 23, 2013, 03:16:41 PM
I applied for the Beta. I also applaud the recent trend to have many games available for Mac at the release/beta or shortly thereafter. I think the increasing equality of treatment for Mac users mimics the progress gay people everywhere are experiencing in this day and age - which is only fair, since both demographics are pretty much the same. :P
:rolleyes:
*shrugs*
Quote from: Arvoreen on January 23, 2013, 03:41:25 PM
I signed up for beta also. I actually *like* being in beta's, since I can make up my mind if I'm going to spend money before I'm forced to :) I do agree that the best part about the Elder Scrolls games was the open/sandbox approach. I'm curious how that is going to get shoehorned into a more classic MMO paradigm.
Umm yeah the current MMO paradigm is not "classic". It's "everybody copy warcraft". There used to be some serious variety out there in the MMO market before the WOW era began.
Quote from: garbon on January 23, 2013, 06:07:04 PM
*shrugs*
Are you shrugging at the game, or Marty's comments?
I'm not really big into Online games. I don't really like engaging in social interaction with people and that is unlikely to change if those people are giant humanoid lizards wearing armor made of glass who rudely question my sexuality.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on January 23, 2013, 06:16:06 PM
Quote from: Arvoreen on January 23, 2013, 03:41:25 PM
I signed up for beta also. I actually *like* being in beta's, since I can make up my mind if I'm going to spend money before I'm forced to :) I do agree that the best part about the Elder Scrolls games was the open/sandbox approach. I'm curious how that is going to get shoehorned into a more classic MMO paradigm.
Umm yeah the current MMO paradigm is not "classic". It's "everybody copy warcraft". There used to be some serious variety out there in the MMO market before the WOW era began.
That may be true for 2011, but is not true anymore.
Did anyone get an email about a beta stress test tomorrow night?
So stress tests are stressful then?
:bleeding: at this whole thing.
TES is pretty much the best CRPG series of all time. Why must they ruin it by trying to MMO it? :mad:
With it being so open, seems like it would lend itself naturally.
Good luck with all of the "LOL can I be: DOVAHKEEIN!" emotes. :)
Oh I'm not saying I'd buy this. I'm not really a person for MMOs on the whole.
Yeah... see for me, the thing is I never minded that about WoW because it never previously existed in any other form that I'm familiar with (never played any of the Warcraft games as I hate RTS). But I have a feeling it'd really bother me in the TES-universe.
Quote from: Caliga on September 06, 2013, 06:58:42 PM
Yeah... see for me, the thing is I never minded that about WoW because it never previously existed in any other form that I'm familiar with (never played any of the Warcraft games as I hate RTS). But I have a feeling it'd really bother me in the TES-universe.
I can see that. Guild Wars 2 is similar for me. A player called LOLH4XX0R doesn't bother me near as much in that game as it would in The Old Republic or Star Trek Online.
I still miss Earth and Beyond :(
Quote from: Solmyr on January 22, 2013, 01:38:55 PM
I'm not sure I like Khajiit being grouped with elves, lore-wise. At least they made some effort to explain the Nord-Dark Elf alliance, but why would Khajiit be fighting to promote elf supremacy?
:nerd:
Yeah thats strange.Considering the Nords and the Dark Elves are ancient enemies in this game.
So was sent a beta invite for this weekend and of course I'm away working on show till Mon.
Ah, it ain't all that.
Typical step and fetchit bullshit in Tamriel.
Everyone I have talked to that tried the beta have been very meh about it.
Another test this Friday. I skipped out on my last invite so maybe I'll try it again. Surely has to be a bit more evolved since September, right? :unsure:
On one hand I hope so, on the hand that doesn't want to pay $15 a month I hope not.
Quote from: garbon on January 07, 2014, 11:18:14 PM
Another test this Friday. I skipped out on my last invite so maybe I'll try it again. Surely has to be a bit more evolved since September, right? :unsure:
I'm dl'ding the client for this weekend as well. I wasn't able to do the September or November test so this will be first time. And I would hope more evolved as the release is 3 months away.
Ive downloaded the client aswell. But cannot get in the game. Frustrating. I guess they open the doors on friday
Quote from: Bluebook on January 08, 2014, 11:20:02 AM
Ive downloaded the client aswell. But cannot get in the game. Frustrating. I guess they open the doors on friday
Yes. The game only is available during that window on Friday.
Gah...and after Sunday, you are kicked out again? That is very cruel
Quote
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/01/02/predicting-the-biggest-disaster-of-2014-the-elder-scrolls-online/
Predicting The Biggest Video Game Disaster Of 2014: The Elder Scrolls Online
As we head into 2014, it's an exciting year for gaming with a number of huge, potentially fantastic titles on the horizon from Titanfall to Destiny to Watch Dogs to The Division and many, many more.
But I have a bad feeling about one upcoming title, one that's never really made sense to me from the start: The Elder Scrolls Online.
Yesterday, Kotaku's Superannuation took to Twitter to say that he'd just heard The Elder Scrolls Online's budget was $200M.
The tweet was hastily deleted, and there's no way to confirm if it's true, as Bethesda and ZeniMax certainly won't admit to it, but even if the budget was half that, I think TESO is headed for a rocky debut. Here's why:
The Lessons of The Old Republic
Once upon a time, way back in 2011, there was another MMO that swore it could compete with World of Warcraft and still charge a monthly subscription thanks to its rabid and devoted fanbase. Star Wars: The Old Republic also boasted a $200M budget, and was based on most beloved series in pop culture history as an added bonus.
But even Star Wars wasn't enough to convince The Old Republic players that the game was worth a monthly fee. The MMO didn't bring much new to the table, and soon the game started leaking players. Eventually, it was forced to admit defeat and go free-to-play. The game still exists in that state today, but instead of being the blockbuster EA needed it to be, it's a cautionary tale of overestimating your brand.
And that seems to be exactly what's happening with The Elder Scrolls Online.
Though the Elder Scrolls is certainly a beloved series, and we all have our own fond memories of Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind and so on, it's certainly no Star Wars, and an MMO version of the game isn't something that deserves anywhere remotely near a $200M budget.
There are some who are saying that by being cross-platform, an MMO that functions on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, that the game will have an expanded reach that SWTOR, and most other MMOs, don't.
Yes, that's true, in theory. I certainly would give TESO a shot on my One or PS4, even though I'm not normally a big PC MMO guy. But then I, and all other console players like me, will slam into the iron gate that's the game's $15 monthly subscription fee.
No thanks.
Console players, and hell, most PC players these days that aren't die hard WoW or EVE Online devotees, have no patience for the increasingly outdated monthly subscription model. It's something almost never seen across console titles especially, and while TESO might have put up Skyrim-ish sales numbers with fee-less release, that $15 charge is going to severely limit their cross-platform audience ADNC +0.26% to only the series' most devoted fans.
I'm not sure if it's arrogance, the idea that people love the Elder Scrolls so much they'll pay $60 for a box copy and $180 a year to play TESO, but it's bad business sense at the very least. It's not only subscription fees that are becoming out of fashion, but the very concept of huge budget, AAA MMOs in general. I thought SWTOR was the final object lesson any other studio would need to scale back whatever future plans they had for their own expensive MMO attempts, but it appears that lesson didn't sink in for TESO, and they may end up paying the price for it.
Know Your Audience
This goes back to a fundamental question that I asked when The Elder Scrolls Online was first announced. Who ever even asked for an Elder Scrolls MMO? While there were plenty of people clamoring for a better version of Star Wars Galaxies, or even a few wondering what a multiplayer version of KOTOR would look like before The Old Republic came out, I can't say the same is true for The Elder Scrolls. The series has first and foremost always been the quintessential single player game. You, the hero, explore a vast countryside, taking on quests and saving the day. I don't think many players ever stopped and thought "This would be so much better with 50 other versions of me running around with names above their heads."
In short, Bethesda and Zenimax spend an ungodly amount of money developing a game for an audience that may not even exist.
But this is no longer just idle speculation at this point. The game is in beta, and people have been playing it for a while now.
While obviously any game is going to produce a wide array of opinions, the general feeling I've read across countless message boards and forums is that the experience is simply average. While it does feel like a traditional Elder Scrolls game, there's little benefit to the actual MMO aspect of it. Most of the game is played in single player mode anyway, but because it is an MMO, it looks visually worse than its predecessor, Skyrim, in many ways.
There are debates about whether or not it's better than The Old Republic, but that's not exactly a metric for success. The overriding thought is that it does little to add anything significant to either the MMO genre, or the Elder Scrolls series. In short, it's not a game that's worth $15 a month. Though to be fair, almost no games are these days.
A further complication is that Bethesda isn't exactly famous for releasing bug free single player games, so when they make the jump to an MMO, longtime fans are incredibly wary from the start, wondering if the game will even work at launch. We've seen a number of high profile online launch disasters recently, and The Elder Scrolls Online seems like a prime candidate for a similar meltdown.
The Gold Rush is Over
MMOs as a genre may not be dead yet, but the monthly subscription model certainly is for new entries, and Bethesday/ZeniMax were foolish not to have the foresight to realize this. While it's entirely possible TESO is released and it blows everyone's expectations away, that's seeming increasingly unlikely as players have already spent a lot of time with the game and many are coming away less than impressed. It was a strange decision to jump genres from a famed single player series to an MMO, and even stranger to expect fans to pay $15 a month for the privilege.
Whether the budget is $200M or not, I can't say. If it isn't, the game seems like a relatively risky idea at its core nonetheless. If it is, the game seems like a truly insane endeavor that could easily turn into the biggest bomb of the year.
We'll find out in April, I suppose. I've reached out to ZeniMax to see if they have any comment before then.
Update: ZeniMax responded and pointed me toward this satirical explanation from game director Matt Firor about the $200M budget.
Officially, ZeniMax told me to "keep looking in the upcoming days for an official statement about that, if it will ever come out." Between these two items, I suspect my leg may be being pulled a bit, but good on them for having a sense of humor.
As for the subscription fee, I was sent to this actual interview with Matt Firor:
"And it's important to state that our decision to go with subscriptions is not a referendum on online game revenue models. F2P, B2P, etc. are valid, proven business models – but subscription is the one that fits ESO the best, given our commitment to freedom of gameplay, quality and long-term content delivery. Plus, players will appreciate not having to worry about being "monetized" in the middle of playing the game, which is definitely a problem that is cropping up more and more in online gaming these days. The fact that the word "monetized" exists points to the heart of the issue for us: We don't want the player to worry about which parts of the game to pay for – with our system, they get it all."
The idea is that yes, the game is worth $15 a month and will have lots of value added because of that model. We shall see.
Meh, I think pay to play is an excellent way to rid a game of 13-yrolds.
Will I be more entertained than if I spend $15/month on hookers and blow?
Quote from: Bluebook on January 08, 2014, 11:33:27 AM
Gah...and after Sunday, you are kicked out again? That is very cruel
It is s beta test, not an early release.
Quote from: The Brain on January 08, 2014, 11:49:36 AM
Will I be more entertained than if I spend $15/month on hookers and blow?
Probably not given that $15 will get you very subpar versions of the latter.
Quote from: garbon on January 08, 2014, 11:53:09 AM
Quote from: The Brain on January 08, 2014, 11:49:36 AM
Will I be more entertained than if I spend $15/month on hookers and blow?
Probably not given that $15 will get you very subpar versions of the latter.
:hmm:
Quote from: garbon on January 08, 2014, 11:53:09 AM
Quote from: The Brain on January 08, 2014, 11:49:36 AM
Will I be more entertained than if I spend $15/month on hookers and blow?
Probably not given that $15 will get you very subpar versions of the latter.
What if he saves his money and only does it twice a year?
Quote from: The Brain on January 08, 2014, 11:54:21 AM
Quote from: garbon on January 08, 2014, 11:53:09 AM
Quote from: The Brain on January 08, 2014, 11:49:36 AM
Will I be more entertained than if I spend $15/month on hookers and blow?
Probably not given that $15 will get you very subpar versions of the latter.
:hmm:
Oops, I misread the question. Yes, you will probably be more entertained by ESO. :blush:
Quote from: Bluebook on January 08, 2014, 11:47:33 AM
Meh, I think pay to play is an excellent way to rid a game of 13-yrolds.
Judging by WoW I question that statement. Further I hate pay to play, so it's not just getting rid of 13 year olds.
It'll bomb. :)
Yes, it'll bomb. Elder Scrolls was a terrible candidate for an MMORPG from the start. The whole appeal of the TES games has been the immersive, heavily individualized narrative. If they tried that in MMO format, every player's chosen narrative would break someone else's who went with a different path. Once you strip away the awesome narrative options, what you've got is a pretty generic high fantasy RPG. That hasn't just been done to death since WoW, it's been done to death since EverQuest.
Most likely empty suits called the shots on this one.
1. Hold popular IP (which is not suited to MMO gameplay at all)
2. Plan an MMO anyway since they make PROFIT
3. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????
4. PROFIT
You are all a bunch of naysayers. It will be a game many people cannot resist trying (me being one of them). If its good, it will do fine, if it is not, it will do bad. The Cyrodil-pvp-area is an awesome idea in my opinion and that alone is enough to get me to buy the game. On top of that you get all the pve action wherever you want.
It will be a successful MMO but it will fail with it's sub model. It will have the same fate than SWTOR except with the rockiest of rocky launches.
Quote from: Bluebook on January 09, 2014, 10:11:49 AM
You are all a bunch of naysayers. It will be a game many people cannot resist trying (me being one of them). If its good, it will do fine, if it is not, it will do bad. The Cyrodil-pvp-area is an awesome idea in my opinion and that alone is enough to get me to buy the game. On top of that you get all the pve action wherever you want.
Don't get me wrong... I love TES and I would love for it to succeed.
Ditto Cal. Subbed MMOs just aren't that much of a thing anymore, so the likelihood is that, good game or not, it's going to be an expensive mistake for Bethesda.
Also, I'm the wrong person to try to sell on a PvP area. I don't do PvP, ever, because the kind of trash-talking, immersion-breaking idiots that tend to flock toward PvP areas are exactly the kind of I try to insulate myself from. To me, it'd be kind of like having Lydia in Skyrim never shutting up about DPS or crit tank builds. :bleeding:
I download the mod that replaced Lydia with a man. :blush:
Gay
Gay? I'll show you gay. I'll cut your face.
:P
They will call him Leonard or Leeroy
Ludwig
Quote from: DontSayBanana on January 09, 2014, 08:30:16 PM
Ditto Cal. Subbed MMOs just aren't that much of a thing anymore, so the likelihood is that, good game or not, it's going to be an expensive mistake for Bethesda.
Also, I'm the wrong person to try to sell on a PvP area. I don't do PvP, ever, because the kind of trash-talking, immersion-breaking idiots that tend to flock toward PvP areas are exactly the kind of I try to insulate myself from.
Yep. I wished that MMOs would offer an offline mode where I'm free to roam the world without having to pay attention to anyone else. It's something that SWTOR and STO did well to some degree, because they were very soloable.
I think my point is that I often like the gameplay of MMOs, but not the MM part of it.
Is it safe to assume that Elder Scrolls Online will not be nearly as moddable as it's single-player cousins?
Hey, was it better? I never ended up playing as Time Warner was all about the dropping of internet at random times, this weekend.
If someone could recreate the fun that was had by playing Horde at the beginning of WoW when all the kiddies played Alliance and all the grownups played Horde that would be a game worth looking at.
Quote from: crazy canuck on January 13, 2014, 05:13:55 PM
If someone could recreate the fun that was had by playing Horde at the beginning of WoW when all the kiddies played Alliance and all the grownups played Horde that would be a game worth looking at.
I assume all the kiddies will be playing the elf faction (which sucks as Khajiit are also in it and they are my favorite race), and the grownups will be playing Redguards/Bretons/Orcs. Nords/Dark elves/Argonians will probably be split 50-50 (and nobody will be playing Argonians).
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131590-The-Elder-Scrolls-Onlines-Voice-Cast-Includes-Monty-Python-Harry-Potter-Actors
QuoteThe Elder Scrolls Online will include performances from John Cleese, Michael Gambon, Malcolm McDowell and Jennifer Hale, among others.
The Elder Scrolls games have, in recent years, made a habit of snagging notable celebrities and actors to fill out the voice cast of its games. Oblivion, for instance, had Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean Stark. Skyrim, in turn, employed the services of Michael Hogan and Claudia Christian. Bethesda Softworks, in turn, has revealed that The Elder Scrolls Online will feature a similarly star-studded cast including actors from Monty Python, Harry Potter and Mass Effect.
According to a release from Bethesda, players venturing into The Elder Scrolls Online can expect voice work from film actors including John Cleese (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean), Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter). Additionally, Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter will reprise her role from Skyrim, while veteran voice performers like Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect) will also feature in the game.
The roles these actors play in ESO will be fairly diverse. John Cleese, for instance, will feature as Cadwell, a "cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul who is not afraid of anyone." Michael Gambon, in turn, will play the "mysterious" Prophet while Malcolm McDowell (who's always fun) will fill the role of Molag Bal, an "evil Daedric god" out for the souls of Tamriel. All in all, it's a really decent mix of voice talent that has us even more excited for the finished product.
Because celebrity voices is what makes or breaks an MMO these days!
Bathesda's 5 actors, 100 DC area crackheads policy never ceases to amaze.
There's no way they use 100 crackheads. I guess half that at best.
Lynda Carter always voices stuff in Bethesda games... I think she's married to the CEO or something. :sleep:
Would it be that difficult to get actors down from New York? It's really annoying.
Quote from: Queequeg on January 24, 2014, 11:40:49 AM
Bathesda's 5 actors, 100 DC area crackheads policy never ceases to amaze.
For long time I believed they just used some terrible text-to-speech software.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on January 09, 2014, 08:30:16 PM
Also, I'm the wrong person to try to sell on a PvP area. I don't do PvP, ever, because the kind of trash-talking, immersion-breaking idiots that tend to flock toward PvP areas are exactly the kind of I try to insulate myself from.
:whistle:
ZeniMax has been doing the full-court press for recruiting in the area for TES Online support personnel, since its big hub is just over hill and dale in Hunt Valley.
Guess who just applied for: Call Center Manager? :lol:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/01/29/the-elder-scrolls-online-is-really-very-expensive/
QuoteGood gravy, Zenimax must have a lot of money. (Which only fits my firm belief that a company with a name like that is going to be behind the great zombie outbreak.) A sprinkling of their vast coffers has been used to create a very luscious cinematic for The Elder Scrolls Online, featuring your mum as the big baddie. They release this to mark the announcement of an Imperial Edition of the forthcoming MMO, a "premium collector's edition", or as I like to call them, The Expensive Ones For Mad People. Except, bloody hell, this game's going to be expensive for everyone.
Because, blink, the standard version is a touch pricey. £50? For a genre that's now primarily free? Cor. So that's like a decade of subscription, right? Nope, that's 30 days. Before a further £9/€13/$15 (€13 is of course currently worth $17.70 and £10.70, so fuck you, Europe!) monthly tithe. This game costs more than the broadband connection and monthly ISP fee you'll need to play it.
Fork out £70 for the Imperial Edition, and what do you get other than the same game as everyone else? A whopping 30 days subscription! Indeed, no more access to the game, but rather trinkets. You get to be an Imperial in the game, with an Imperial horse, Imperial gear and a "Mudcrab vanity pet". The only useful thing in there, unless you particularly want to be playing as an Imperial of course, is the Rings Of Mara – this is a quest for you and a chum to complete, that then gives you experience bonuses when you play together.
Charging infinity more than most MMOs, and nearly double a standard PC game, before people can even start playing is going to be the mistake we all look back on. It dealt The Secret World a massive blow, and that was cheaper. I still believe there's room for subscription models in MMOs, but I don't think it can be sensibly combined with a whopping great fee to even find out if you want to play it in the first place. That's where the damage is done. Let people into your game for free, then charge them to carry on. It works for drug dealers. Otherwise, you restrict your customer base to those with a spare £50 to spend to find out if they want to spend far more money to play something... Just crazy. Presumably Bethesda are relying on the breathtaking success of Skyrim, to assume that people are going to pay whatever it takes to get back into the Elder Scrolls' world.
But don't let me stop you. You can buy a copy of the game, or its Imperial Edition, right now, before any reviews are out to warn you whether it's any good or not. Gosh, it'd better be good now, eh? The game is out for reals on the 4th April. Hopefully we'll be getting our hands on it for a preview nice and soon.
Euro prices are 55.- and 80.-, respectively. Plus subscription.
Yeah, there goes any interest I may have had in this. :lol:
It'll go free-to-play in 12 months anyway. :D
Quote from: FunkMonk on January 31, 2014, 07:53:30 AM
It'll go free-to-play in 12 months anyway. :D
Price drop in 9 months, maybe disguised as a "sale," hybrid F2P/freemium in 18.
50% off on GoG by 3rd week of April.
I looked at it. I just cant get excited about another MMO.
More polished now but I'd suggest a hard pass.
It's like Skyrim for morons.
I'm just hoping it's a big enough fail that Bethsoft doesn't mess around in the MMO arena ever again, but not a big enough fail that it sinks the company. :hmm:
Quote from: Scipio on February 10, 2014, 12:12:07 PM
It's like Skyrim for morons.
It kinda just feels like Skyrim but with a bunch of other people wandering around. I guess similar to if you played Skyrim with a bevy of followers.
Quote from: Caliga on February 10, 2014, 12:17:03 PM
I'm just hoping it's a big enough fail that Bethsoft doesn't mess around in the MMO arena ever again, but not a big enough fail that it sinks the company. :hmm:
:D Indeed, we want a TES VI!
I've barely begun to scratch the surface of this one. I keep restarting at around lvl 25 after adding new mods. And I'm trying to get my head around the CK to make a house... less than intuitive. <_<
G.
Quote from: Caliga on February 10, 2014, 12:17:03 PM
I'm just hoping it's a big enough fail that Bethsoft doesn't mess around in the MMO arena ever again, but not a big enough fail that it sinks the company. :hmm:
I've actually been hankering to play an MMO again, but the problem is it'd need to be very different from the MMOs that were popular from 1999-2012. So I kinda miss certain aspects of say, having a character you develop overtime in a multiplayer setting, but I can't think of any implementation that's out there for that genre that I'd want to play again. I guess I'm wanting someone to invent a new and fun take on MMOs. I'm not holding my breath on that happening :D.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on February 12, 2014, 02:36:00 PM
Quote from: Caliga on February 10, 2014, 12:17:03 PM
I'm just hoping it's a big enough fail that Bethsoft doesn't mess around in the MMO arena ever again, but not a big enough fail that it sinks the company. :hmm:
I've actually been hankering to play an MMO again, but the problem is it'd need to be very different from the MMOs that were popular from 1999-2012. So I kinda miss certain aspects of say, having a character you develop overtime in a multiplayer setting, but I can't think of any implementation that's out there for that genre that I'd want to play again. I guess I'm wanting someone to invent a new and fun take on MMOs. I'm not holding my breath on that happening :D.
You and I are in the same boat. I also miss having a character I can develop over time and play with friends from time to time. But then I realize most game design focuses on getting to the end game grinds asap.
When WoW was first released it was a lot of fun because it took a lot of time to get to the end game. I didnt really start playing the end game until years after release. That was fun for a while but I have been there and done that. I want something different now.
Quote from: Scipio on February 10, 2014, 12:12:07 PM
It's like Skyrim for morons.
Really? Maybe I should look into it.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on February 12, 2014, 02:36:00 PM
I guess I'm wanting someone to invent a new and fun take on MMOs. I'm not holding my breath on that happening :D.
Heh, no...I don't think that's going to be happening any time soon. Is it because the industry's become risk-averse and won't try anything paradigm-shattering, or is it because there's only so many ways to build a sustainable MMORPG mouse trap and we're all fresh out of cheese?
Yeah, I think I'd like to find a game that is like WoW was when I first played it, but it may be that experience is only really fun precisely because it's the first time you've done it. Although I did actually enjoy EverQuest for a couple years from like 99-01, then picked up WoW in '05 or so; maybe it just needs a longer cooling off period.
All the chat box will be is I TOOK AN ARROW IN THE KNEE, LOLZ
A friend recommended Tera to me, so I've been messing around with that.
He likes it a lot, but I am kind of "Meh". Same old, same old, so far as I can tell.
With some really weird art choices.
Oh yeah, Tera was kinda of fun. Especially when they gave everyone a max character.
Koreans enjoy really weird art.
The bad thing with Tera is that the American & European publishers and player base have no inputs on the game. Korea decides & we get stuck with those decision.
Played during the stress test...first time in beta for the game. I loved EQ. I loved WOW. I really liked SWOR. I was very meh about this game. Too many negatives to make me pony up the money for the game and the monthly fee. Oh well.
What didnt you like about it?
Same opening sequence for all toons was lazy imo and did not make me appreciate my race. Forcing me to aim my reticle to target something is very fail imo (vastly prefer tab targeting). I do not like the skill system and the abilities appeared underwhelming. I do not like the limited number of ability buttons on the interface. I do not like leveling weapons and armor for new skills. I get they are making you go between class skills and weapon skills but I do not like it. I do not like having every class being able to CC/Tank/Heal/DPS. I prefer classes that have roles.
I liked the world - good enough graphics to be nice but not crazy that makes the game laggy. I like the questing, but almost felt too linear. Hopefully that opens up some as you level. I would like to try the game more before I make a definitive call but I'm strongly leaning toward do not buy.
Sounds like I may like it exactly for the reasons you don't... :mellow:
I do not know your taste in games, but yes, my gripes are largely taste issues. The programming and play-ability of the game are just fine.
Quote from: Lndhand on February 13, 2014, 06:09:06 PM
I do not like having every class being able to CC/Tank/Heal/DPS.
Raises a big red flag for me too. I can understand a single player game that has that kind of flexibility but in an MMO it raises a lot of issues around the mechanics of group play and particularly loot assignment. Things were bad enough in WoW back in the day. If everyone can potentially do everything its going to get ugly in PUGs.
Meh. That's easily solved by having loot rolls give preference to spec ala LFR.
Personally I like having a class that can do it all. Comes in really handy when your healer/tank is a moron or drops out, as well. The real issue for me is that each class/spec does things differently.
Yeah, I'm with cc, I like differentiated classes with different clear cut roles. I do think that's something WoW did decently, there's definitely a balance to be struck.
When I played EverQuest, no dungeons could be done without a Cleric or Druid to heal, and realistically once you hit max level you needed a Cleric. Druids were true multi-purposes classes and could solo well and do dps and so were fun to level up. A Cleric in EverQuest literally could not solo at all past level 8-9 or so, and levelling in EverQuest took around 3-4 times as long as in WoW. Warriors were in the same boat, absolutely essential to the game but because they did virtually no damage and had no self-healing, they could not solo at all either--but they were the only class that could tank a dungeon at max level.
That left a lot of the hybrids like Paladins, Shadowknights, without a clearly defined role in the game and also made forming groups a nightmare of waiting/begging to find a tank or healer (who could only come from one class each and they were the most boring, difficult classes to level up which made them extremely rare commodities.)
In early WoW there was at least no class/spec combo that could not solo 1-60, which is key for allowing those classes to flourish. There was also no issue with a druid or Paladin tanking the dungeons, although in classic WoW and Burning Crusade none of the hybrid tanks could handle the 20/40 (10/25 man) raids. All of the healing classes in WoW were viable for both dungeons and raiding from day one, which was nice. The one annoyance with WoW is if you were a Priest specced for healing (like I was) any kind of farming for various materials or solo questing was slow and frustrating. I felt that the ability to hot-swap talent specializations mostly alleviated that concern. It did open up the flood gates to more shitty behavior, like full time healers arguing they should get equal rights to DPS gear, but if you played mostly with friends or within a guild you didn't run into that as much.
When I quit, WoW had good availability of tanks/healers but you still had to specialize (through experience and gearing, gemming/enchanting) enough that you had to pick a clear primary role for your character (tank/dps/healz), but Blizzard was nice enough to give you some ability to do some stuff with your off spec more reasonably. I'm fine with that system, a system where any class can be anything though, just feels like why even have classes.
Quote from: Iormlund on February 15, 2014, 10:07:49 AM
Meh. That's easily solved by having loot rolls give preference to spec ala LFR.
But that is exactly the problem - in a game where everyone can potentially do everything "spec" becomes a real issue. Its almost impossible to avoid the "Why the hell did you roll need on that" problem.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on February 15, 2014, 10:35:17 AM...a system where any class can be anything though, just feels like why even have classes.
Following that logic, why have more than three classes?
Quote from: crazy canuck on February 15, 2014, 10:51:14 AM
Quote from: Iormlund on February 15, 2014, 10:07:49 AM
Meh. That's easily solved by having loot rolls give preference to spec ala LFR.
But that is exactly the problem - in a game where everyone can potentially do everything "spec" becomes a real issue. Its almost impossible to avoid the "Why the hell did you roll need on that" problem.
So you do what Blizz did in Pandarian for LFR: each character has his or her own loot roll. Problem solved.
Quote from: Iormlund on February 15, 2014, 12:57:30 PM
Following that logic, why have more than three classes?
Why have any?
Pretty much everything lndhand complained about is stuff I want as well. It wouldn't be Bethesda if you were hamstrung into wowclone roles.
I want to be a genderfluid fat accepting troll.
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 15, 2014, 07:00:23 PM
I want to be a genderfluid fat accepting troll.
Use this as a dieroll table for character generation!
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/facebooks-new-gender-identity-options
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 15, 2014, 07:04:23 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on February 15, 2014, 07:00:23 PM
I want to be a genderfluid fat accepting troll.
Use this as a dieroll table for character generation!
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/facebooks-new-gender-identity-options
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 15, 2014, 06:52:26 PMWhy have any?
Pretty much everything lndhand complained about is stuff I want as well. It wouldn't be Bethesda if you were hamstrung into wowclone roles.
The concept of classes isn't really a WoW clone concept...it dates back to basically the beginning of RPGs as a concept, particularly RPGs played in groups (D&D, derivative MUDs and a plethora of derivative MMOs.) It's a good game play idea because it lets people fulfill different roles in a group.
The Elder Scrolls series has always been good and always been single player, so a pure skill based approach where you basically do whatever has been a good approach in those games. But based on all the multiplayer RPG experience I've had I've never seen it be that great if you don't have archetypes for people to follow.
As for the question as to why have more than three classes, you can provide interesting forms of gameplay within those archetypes. Like maybe one healer is better at big heals to keep a single person alive versus another type of healer excels at heals that affect multiple players at once. Or perhaps one form of DPS specializes in getting up close with the enemy but others specialize in ranged damage, which properly crafted dungeons and encounters can make it so you might need both to be successful. Games are supposed to be fun, so it makes good sense to have multiple ways to do the same thing, you appeal to more people that way.
People have too much time on their hands. Many of those labels obscure more than they inform.
Quote from: garbon on February 15, 2014, 07:25:15 PM
People have too much time on their hands. Many of those labels obscure more than they inform.
Two-spirit? :bleeding:
Played some. Major meh with a dash of wtf. And they plan to launch in April? Jesus.
April 4th.
I don't see anything particularly wrong with it apart from thinking that people will want to pay for it with the scheme they set up.
Quote from: garbon on March 01, 2014, 10:27:34 AM
I don't see anything particularly wrong with it apart from thinking that people will want to pay for it with the scheme they set up.
That, in and of itself, can break a studio. I wouldn't be surprised if they have most of their credibility riding on an overly optimistic revenue projection.
I played for a couple hours this morning and got up to finishing the quest cycle in the opening island area.
First impressions:
First the good
- I didnt think I would like how they do skill progression etc but I actually quite like it. There are some real decisions that need to be made and the limited skill slots make those decisions even more important.
- The graphics are good as one would expect from this developer.
- The gameplay is very smooth, especially compared to other MMOs at this stage in development.
Now the bad
- The world feels really empty except for all the other players running around.
- At least in the starting area you are led around by the nose. It has the feel of a lot of running from quest location to quest location without much need or purpose to exploring.
- I really wish there was a mini map
General impression - for people that like Skyrim this will a good game to play. But why would they pay to play this when they can play Skyrim for free? I wont be getting it. It has all the makings of a time sink to ensure people keep paying their monthly subscription. Which is a shame because I liked the skill model.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on February 16, 2014, 09:51:06 AM
Quote from: garbon on February 15, 2014, 07:25:15 PM
People have too much time on their hands. Many of those labels obscure more than they inform.
Two-spirit? :bleeding:
A term I cam across when I found out the academic term of "Berdache" was no longer acceptable.
Didn't like it at all. And lord knows I wanted to.
I love the Elder Scrolls games, but this wasn't for me.
Quote from: Beenherebefore on March 11, 2014, 06:02:06 AM
Didn't like it at all. And lord knows I wanted to.
I love the Elder Scrolls games, but this wasn't for me.
Elaborate, please.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 11, 2014, 06:09:52 AM
Quote from: Beenherebefore on March 11, 2014, 06:02:06 AM
Didn't like it at all. And lord knows I wanted to.
I love the Elder Scrolls games, but this wasn't for me.
Elaborate, please.
Okay.
One: It didn't really feel like the Elder Scrolls games for me. If Skyrim was simplified compared to Morrowind and Oblivion, ESO felt just generic and off-brand. The lore felt a bit off. Three classes... well, okay. I don't really care that much about classes.
The bottom line is that I personally didn't feel the old Elder Scrolls excitement about exploring, combat and levelling up completely wrong until I realise it's too late to salvage anything from that character.
Or perhaps, in short, it ain't Skyrim, man.
Yeah, I seem to be reading a lot of negative reviews regarding the whole "It's not Skyrim" thing, which is pretty disconcerting, what with it not being Skyrim and all.
Then again, it's a beta. It could improve massively for all I know.
Any of you who bought it have an extra beta key by chance? Apparently they've been mailing them out.
Edit: nm, got one. Maybe someone else here is interested, though.
I have a key I am not interested into using if anyone wants to try it. You'll get it's +1 too.
I would be
Quote from: sbr on March 15, 2014, 06:45:17 PM
I would be
or not, sorry mate. Looks like I deleted that email.
<_<
:face:
Tried it out Sunday, I liked it. Picked up the imperial edition for $60 on Nuveem.
This past weekend was apparently the one where they waived the NDA. I didn't even bother logging in.
Seems to me like the best part about it was that it was Skyrim but not in the limiting biosphere of tundra. But then, I paid for Skyrim once, with all expansions, on sale. Doesn't seem like a comparable value to buy it and then pay-to-play.
Quote from: Alcibiades on March 17, 2014, 09:00:30 PM
Tried it out Sunday, I liked it. Picked up the imperial edition for $60 on Nuveem.
Yeah, I quite liked the look of it too, so will be giving it a go.
Quote from: garbon on March 17, 2014, 09:05:16 PM
This past weekend was apparently the one where they waived the NDA. I didn't even bother logging in.
Seems to me like the best part about it was that it was Skyrim but not in the limiting biosphere of tundra. But then, I paid for Skyrim once, with all expansions, on sale. Doesn't seem like a comparable value to buy it and then pay-to-play.
What I like about Skyrim that still makes me come back and play it two and a half year later is the modding community.
That, and a strange attachment to Solstheim.
To all you guys who have been playing it - how is it?
Quote from: Beenherebefore on March 25, 2014, 04:35:09 AM
What I like about Skyrim that still makes me come back and play it two and a half year later is the modding community.
That, and a strange attachment to Solstheim.
It's the greatest CRPG (as opposed to JRPG) of all time, easily. I keep coming back to it over and over. I'm in an 'off' phase right now but at some point I'll go back and actually play Dragonborn (I have already beaten the main quest several times and the Dawnguard DLC once).
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2014, 11:33:55 AM
To all you guys who have been playing it - how is it?
Everything is difficult.
Unfortunately I do not mean in a challenging way, just difficult as in crap UI, micro-management of inventory ......... that sort of thing. It looks great but that blasted UI keeps on spoiling things.
My son reckons that addons and mods might well sort a lot of these problems out, but atm he can't be bothered to play it either.
Most disappointing :(
:hmm:
I don't recall interface being too difficult - at least not in comparison to Skyrim.
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 09, 2014, 01:53:55 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2014, 11:33:55 AM
To all you guys who have been playing it - how is it?
Everything is difficult.
Unfortunately I do not mean in a challenging way, just difficult as in crap UI, micro-management of inventory ......... that sort of thing. It looks great but that blasted UI keeps on spoiling things.
My son reckons that addons and mods might well sort a lot of these problems out, but atm he can't be bothered to play it either.
Most disappointing :(
Thanks RH, I think I will wait on it then.
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 09, 2014, 01:53:55 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2014, 11:33:55 AM
To all you guys who have been playing it - how is it?
Everything is difficult.
Unfortunately I do not mean in a challenging way, just difficult as in crap UI, micro-management of inventory ......... that sort of thing. It looks great but that blasted UI keeps on spoiling things.
My son reckons that addons and mods might well sort a lot of these problems out, but atm he can't be bothered to play it either.
Most disappointing :(
My friends or I aren't really having any problems with the inventory..... :unsure:
Probably depends on how much crafting you want to do, I ran out really quickly and couldn't face the idea of using a bank character :hmm:
Re the interface, garbon is right to say it is no worse than Skyrim, but I like things to flow easier in a MMO game, it is more important.....there are real people to chat to etc etc. Of course I'm getting older and it takes longer for me to get up to speed with a different interface than you young'uns :P
I can't stabilize Skyrim and I don't have 1500$ to upgrade the PC again and I'm getting tired of redoing the same early steps every time I try a new game to see if it's stable so I though of this. My continued dislike of MMOs remain but I still hunger for Tamriel. How does it compare to the real thing?
G.
Did you try restarting the computer?
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 13, 2014, 01:07:26 AM
Probably depends on how much crafting you want to do, I ran out really quickly and couldn't face the idea of using a bank character :hmm:
Re the interface, garbon is right to say it is no worse than Skyrim, but I like things to flow easier in a MMO game, it is more important.....there are real people to chat to etc etc. Of course I'm getting older and it takes longer for me to get up to speed with a different interface than you young'uns :P
You can upgrade your slots in your backpack, and on your horse.... I'm at 110 right now.... and you can upgrade your bank who's inventory is also pulled during crafting..... I have over 200 slots with the bank and my inventory(with only different items or stacks over 100 counting as a separate item) , without using a 'bank' character. :hmm:
Is more than plenty, and they can be upgraded even further so I'm not sure if you explored the possibilities fully there.
How do you like the gameplay Alci?
It's pretty good, like the crafting system in particular. Not sure how long I will stick with it past the first couple of months, though.
Is it F2P yet?
Princesca had bought ESO and has played it some. Not sure if she's played in the past few days. Her comments about it are along the lines of 'it's decent'. She complained that the character classes are lame.
I hope it collapses through the floor, and everybody loses their jobs over it.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 18, 2014, 05:47:10 PM
I hope it collapses through the floor, and everybody loses their jobs over it.
They should have hired someone who is ironic, knowledgeable and yet hip enough to guide it through the myriad of problems that they will face. Instead they hired some dumb ass from Stanford who can't even write a sentence.
Quote from: PDH on May 18, 2014, 09:20:39 PM
... Instead they hired some dumb ass from Stanford who can't even write a sentence.
OOH! Triple redundancy! I like it! :D
Quote from: PDH on May 18, 2014, 09:20:39 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 18, 2014, 05:47:10 PM
I hope it collapses through the floor, and everybody loses their jobs over it.
They should have hired someone who is ironic, knowledgeable and yet hip enough to guide it through the myriad of problems that they will face. Instead they hired some dumb ass from Stanford who can't even write a sentence.
If the personalities I interviewed with were any indication, I think I would've punched somebody out by now. :lol:
The video game industry is truly the Revenge of the Nerds.
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-elder-scrolls-online-drops-subscription/
QuoteThe Elder Scrolls Online drops subscription
Raise your wands if you didn't see this one coming. Okay, that's no-one. Yes, like night following a particularly reliable day, The Elder Scrolls Online is dropping its subscription. Rumors of the switch have been around for a while now, fuelled by the elimination of the six-month subscription option in December, followed by the removal of TESO boxes from EB Games shelves in Australia earlier this month. Now, finally, it's confirmed: Bethesda Softworks has announced that the game's subscription will cease as of March, at which point it will be known as The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.
It won't be fully free-to-play—you'll still have to purchase the game if you want in—but once you own it, you'll be able to play online to your heart's content, with full access to all previously-released updates and content, including the new Champion and Justice systems. Those who already own The Elder Scrolls Online will need to do nothing, as all existing accounts will be automatically updated to the new version.
Dedicated fans will have the option of ponying up for "ESO Plus" memberships. Available in 30, 90, and 180-day durations, these will offer access to all future DLC, which Bethesda said will consist of "game packs with optional adventure content," like zones and quests. Access to these optional areas will be lost if and when your membership expires, but any items or rewards earned from those areas will be kept.
ESO Plus memberships will also provide "character progression bonuses," and an allotment of crowns, the new in-game currency that will be used to purchase "convenience and customization items" like pets and mounts, as well as the aforementioned DLC, which will be available separately from ESO Plus memberships on an a-la-carte basis.
Current TESO subscriptions that extend beyond the changeover will be automatically transitioned to ESO Plus memberships, and TESO players who have previously cancelled their subscriptions can leap back into the subs-free action using their old account info (and will be given 500 complimentary crowns for doing so). Refunds on existing subscriptions will not be offered.
As we hinted, ever-so-subtly, at the beginning of this post, this is an entirely unsurprising outcome. There are plenty of quality free-to-play MMO options already on the market—and while the realm of Tamriel looks to be an ideal setting for an MMO on the surface, there's a big difference between experiencing a game world as the Nerevarine, and experiencing it as Rando Battlemage #22627. I don't think The Elder Scrolls Online was ever able to shed its reputation for being over-hyped and under-delivered, and generic fantasy MMO experiences just aren't enough to justify 15 bucks a month in this era.
I'm also a little iffy about Bethesda's plans for Tamriel Unlimited. Bethesda hasn't yet indicated what the purchase price will be but the standard edition of TESO is $60, and it's not unreasonable to assume that figure will hold, at least for a little while. Add on the cost of future game packs, mounts, and whatever else catches your fancy, and I can't help but wonder if even the sub-free version of the game might be a little too pricey for its own good.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited goes live on March 17. ZeniMax Online Studios will talk more about the coming changes in a Twitch stream starting at 12 pm EST on January 21, and if reading is more your thing, you can get more detail in this handy FAQ.
So is it worth playing for free? :hmm:
No idea. It looked very *meh* and nowhere near as fun or detailed as the solo outings on release, and I never checked back.
It's not free, you will have to buy a 30$ entry fee.
Quote from: Grey Fox on January 21, 2015, 11:33:00 AM
It's not free, you will have to buy a 30$ entry fee.
OK, rephrase the question: is it worth it for the cost of buying Oblivion?
$23 on Amazon.