[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: On the Radar for Summer

SBFord · May 2013

As the Elder Scrolls Online nears the end of development, and as convention season rolls around, there are a lot of things to look forward to in the coming months. We take a look at a few of the things that we're most keen to find out in our latest ESO column. Check it out and then tell us what you're looking forward to learning about in the comments.

Payment Model

I don’t want to go into too much detail about the payment model for Elder Scrolls Online because that is an entire article itself, and Mike covered it well enough last week. It has not been announced yet, but hopefully it will get announced at either E3 or PAX Prime. Until then, we’re all just guessing.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's Elder Scrolls Online: On the Radar for Summer.

Leiloni · May 2013

"Once Open Beta is announced hopefully we will see Cyrodiil opened up quickly."

I read that line about 5 times, including a frantic Google search, before I realized it included the word "once" at the front. Sigh..... :

Livnthedream · May 2013

Now the game just needs to stop giving off the Swtor vibe.

Dauzqul · May 2013

I honestly don't care about the pay model. If the game is good with some large open worlds, I'm game.

If the game sucks, then I care about the pay model... only to make fun of it.

Dauzqul · May 2013

Originally posted by Livnthedream
Now the game just needs to stop giving off the Swtor vibe.

I agree. So much of what I read about this game reminds me of SWTOR. I think of SWTOR every time I read some ESO news.

eric_w66 · May 2013

The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

Lord.Bachus · May 2013

Dont worry, this game will be nothing like SWTOR(tough i hope their stories and voice acting are atleast on par with swtor) Its using a decent engine and not the crappy Hero stuff that ruined SWTOR..

I am expecting a release late 2013, late November, early December would be very strategic.

Coolit · May 2013

Guess I'm old school but I hope it's a subscription game although B2P like TSW would be ok too I guess, but if it's full F2P I would definitely be put off. Although I'm a massive elder scrolls fan I'm still on the fence waiting to see if they can capture the single player elder scrolls magic in an mmo, I really hope they can.

Telondariel · May 2013

Originally posted by eric_w66
The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

For you, maybe.

I spent a long, happy time in DAoC. The RvR aspect was a part of what that game was about, not its entirety. There was a robust crafting system as well as a very large PvE world to level in and explore.

Everyone has to choose their reasons to play, or to give it a pass. However, if you don't like the way the game sounds and have no intention to play, then why "sour" this thread with non-constructive comments?

I'm looking forward to Open Beta. That will give me first hand experience of what the game is actually like, rather than relying on the comments of others for information.

Leiloni · May 2013

Originally posted by Telondariel
Originally posted by eric_w66
The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

For you, maybe.

I spent a long, happy time in DAoC. The RvR aspect was a part of what that game was about, not its entirety. There was a robust crafting system as well as a very large PvE world to level in and explore.

Everyone has to choose their reasons to play, or to give it a pass. However, if you don't like the way the game sounds and have no intention to play, then why "sour" this thread with non-constructive comments?

I'm looking forward to Open Beta. That will give me first hand experience of what the game is actually like, rather than relying on the comments of others for information.

Agreed. The Devs have made it clear that the focus of endgame content on release will be Cyrodiil and they are leaving out other stuff in order to make sure Cyrodiil works. People need to accept that and either get excited for the game because of that, or move on to another game if you want something else. Stop trying to make a game something other than what it is.

Telondariel · May 2013

Originally posted by Coolit
Guess I'm old school but I hope it's a subscription game although B2P like TSW would be ok too I guess, but if it's full F2P I would definitely be put off. Although I'm a massive elder scrolls fan I'm still on the fence waiting to see if they can capture the single player elder scrolls magic in an mmo, I really hope they can.

I am quite leery of F2P and B2P. Why? There always seems to be cheesy mechanics in the game that steer you into the Cash Shop. I understand that they need to make money, but put items in the Shop that I'd willingly pay for. Don't hamstring me out in the game world so that I am funneled into buying things. Tactics like that turn me off.

If its subscription based, it had better be a good game. I have no problems paying a monthly fee if there is content and depth, as well as progressive updates and an active team that seems to be in touch with their paying customers. I subbed for many years to DAoC and EQ2 because I felt I was getting my $$ worth. When I felt the EQ2 team completely disconnect with their playerbase, I withdrew my monthly support. I won't sub to another game if I don't feel the team behind the product "gets it" and listens.

eric_w66 · May 2013

Originally posted by Telondariel
Originally posted by eric_w66
The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

For you, maybe.

I spent a long, happy time in DAoC. The RvR aspect was a part of what that game was about, not its entirety. There was a robust crafting system as well as a very large PvE world to level in and explore.

Everyone has to choose their reasons to play, or to give it a pass. However, if you don't like the way the game sounds and have no intention to play, then why "sour" this thread with non-constructive comments?

I'm looking forward to Open Beta. That will give me first hand experience of what the game is actually like, rather than relying on the comments of others for information.

I always have hope that the DAOC devs will be removed and replaced with someone who cares about making a TES world to play in, and not a PVP game that will grow stale. If I want to recapture a keep 1000 times, I'll go play Planetside 2, which will do that kind of gameplay better than a PvE/PvP leveling up hybrid ever could. And if the devs ever do make 'Cyrodil work', that will be the end of development. Can't have PvE outpace PvP, in a game where gear matters...

Telondariel · May 2013

Originally posted by eric_w66
Originally posted by Telondariel
Originally posted by eric_w66
The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

For you, maybe.

I spent a long, happy time in DAoC. The RvR aspect was a part of what that game was about, not its entirety. There was a robust crafting system as well as a very large PvE world to level in and explore.

Everyone has to choose their reasons to play, or to give it a pass. However, if you don't like the way the game sounds and have no intention to play, then why "sour" this thread with non-constructive comments?

I'm looking forward to Open Beta. That will give me first hand experience of what the game is actually like, rather than relying on the comments of others for information.

I always have hope that the DAOC devs will be removed and replaced with someone who cares about making a TES world to play in, and not a PVP game that will grow stale. If I want to recapture a keep 1000 times, I'll go play Planetside 2, which will do that kind of gameplay better than a PvE/PvP leveling up hybrid ever could. And if the devs ever do make 'Cyrodil work', that will be the end of development. Can't have PvE outpace PvP, in a game where gear matters...

Ok, sure.

You want things that won't change, and you are thinking catastrophically about concepts when the game isn't even out yet. So, I ask you again, why are you here hating on this? Go play something else that you'll like.

Sovrath · May 2013

Originally posted by Leiloni
Originally posted by Telondariel
Originally posted by eric_w66
The letters "DAOC" are enough to sour any good vibe coming from this game. That, and 'AvA'. When you focus on PvP to keep people playing, the PvE game(s) I know and love falls to the wayside.

For you, maybe.

I spent a long, happy time in DAoC. The RvR aspect was a part of what that game was about, not its entirety. There was a robust crafting system as well as a very large PvE world to level in and explore.

Everyone has to choose their reasons to play, or to give it a pass. However, if you don't like the way the game sounds and have no intention to play, then why "sour" this thread with non-constructive comments?

I'm looking forward to Open Beta. That will give me first hand experience of what the game is actually like, rather than relying on the comments of others for information.

Agreed. The Devs have made it clear that the focus of endgame content on release will be Cyrodiil and they are leaving out other stuff in order to make sure Cyrodiil works. People need to accept that and either get excited for the game because of that, or move on to another game if you want something else. Stop trying to make a game something other than what it is.

maybe you would like to take your own advice?

Specifically, I asked Sage to describe ZeniMax's strategy for keeping players occupied once they hit the level cap at 50. His reply included four main activities: questing in enemy alliance zones, four-player dungeons, adventure zones, and the PvP alliance war in Cyrodiil. Read on for all of the details I gleaned from the interview!

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/the-elder-scrolls-online-interview-paul-sage/

the game's endgame focus is not Cyrodiil for those people who don't care for pvp. The cyrodiil game play is one "pillar" for Elder Scroll's' online's end game.

That's because they haven't made just "one" end game but have taken into account people who play differently/want different things. So for instance this quote:

In ESO, you choose one of three alliances, each with different zones, quests, and stories to explore. Once you hit level 50, you can choose to journey to another alliance's territory and experience a more difficult (and rewarding) version of those areas. After you complete the story within in the second alliance, you can travel to the third faction and complete the content there.

According to Sage, this content is the endgame for a solo player or someone who plays with just a friend or two.

refers to a specific end game just for solo players which is not the Cyrodiil pvp game.

or...

The endgame for a small group of friends can be the instanced dungeons found in the world.

So again, they have taken into account different types of players who want different types of things.

and of course there is the rest of the article.

Incomparable · May 2013

If im going to play this, id only be interested in end game pvp and sand box features of player housing. Except other sand boxes dony have the quality im looking for. Is this a game i would be interested as a pvper in end game. Will my time getting gear and loot be rewarded with a house or more?

I really dont want anything else, and of course nice mini games for fun and quests to lvl and learn.

Player bounties, player made content, gambling, destroying buildings in a persistent world, day/night cycles, good graphics, resource point warfare/gathering... etc

Are these things even on their mind? sure some are probably in like day/night cycles.

I really dont want to jump in early with this, and maybe knowing what they plan and how far might make me wait or get an early start.

Sovrath · May 2013

Originally posted by Incomparable
If im going to play this, id only be interested in end game pvp and sand box features of player housing. Except other sand boxes dony have the quality im looking for. Is this a game i would be interested as a pvper in end game. Will my time getting gear and loot be rewarded with a house or more?

I really dont want anything else, and of course nice mini games for fun and quests to lvl and learn.

Player bounties, player made content, gambling, destroying buildings in a persistent world, day/night cycles, good graphics, resource point warfare/gathering... etc

Are these things even on their mind? sure some are probably in like day/night cycles.

I really dont want to jump in early with this, and maybe knowing what they plan and how far might make me wait or get an early start.

We dont' know a lot about the pvp system.

there is this:

http://elderscrollsonline.com/en/news/post/2013/04/19/ask-us-anything-alliances-at-war

and here is some more...

http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/16893/20130422/elder-scrolls-online-beta-watch-pvp-cyrodiil.htm

and this from the previous post's link:

Obviously, PvP hasn't been encountered in an Elder Scrolls title before. Sage commented on that by saying, "There's a real desire in the community to have PvP. It's just one aspect of taking a game online because it's great to cooperate and to see how you stack up against other people. Plus it's not just the rumor of war; it's actually getting to participate in active battles in that war."

It's hard to argue with that logic. I was able to witness a live demonstration of a keep assault in Cyrodiil, and it looked incredible. Trebuchets launched huge boulders at the fortress while defenders scurried along its walls in an attempt to pour boiling oil down upon the manned battering rams. The Q&A team was engaged in a 30v30 skirmish that ran with smooth frame rates, and we got to see the carnage that ensues once a keep wall is breached.

While keep sieges can involve hundreds of players, Sage stressed that there were also activities in the Alliance War geared toward small groups or even solo players. Smaller parties can snipe any enemies that lag behind or wander too far from larger battles. There are also small goals like overtaking enemy farms and mines to secure resources for your alliance.

evilastro · May 2013

Its a big IP, its obvious it will be P2P until it fails then a hybrid F2P.

Nikopol · May 2013

I wish it did have SWTOR vibe instead of what it has now. I'm honestly not interested in doing "TES as DAOC". I like my PVP open world and unexpected.

Here's hoping the PVE side of it is interesting enough.

Drakephire · May 2013

Originally posted by Dauzqul
Originally posted by Livnthedream
Now the game just needs to stop giving off the Swtor vibe.

I agree. So much of what I read about this game reminds me of SWTOR. I think of SWTOR every time I read some ESO news.

Sadly I have the same feeling...it has more to do with a sense of riding the backside of an innovation wave that crested with the WoW generation of games. There like a 90's band frantically trying to get their next album out on Cassette tape whilst on the horizon you have CDs.

I hate to admit it, but I have more faith in SOE and EQ: Next (and possibly Camelot Unchained) to give us something fun.

ShakyMo · May 2013

Niko

Lol

You think swtor has better pvp than daoc.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

bazinga · May 2013

An Elder Scrolls game is :

1.Open world.

2.Can do whatever you want (fu skyrim fans, forever morrowind)

3.Adventure.

4.PvE.

5.Questing.

The elder Scrolls Online will be:

1.PvP.

2.Closed world.

3.?!?

4

And all they had to do is add multiplayer to an Elder Scrolls game

That's all they had to do.

It's sad that Bathesda allowed that group of hemoroids to screw this one up.

Have fun PvP cock suckers

ShakyMo · May 2013

You can't just take skyrim and male it a mmo

How would the ui work, you cant payne a mmo?
How would it work with that level of graphics with a bunch of players running around without grinding to a halt?
How would the mobs scale to YOUR level when there's other people of other levels around?
How do you stop players greifing by blocking doors with a tower of cheese?

GroovyFlower · May 2013

Themepark-instance(alot) not open world like TES games....nuff said.

jtcgs · May 2013

You know damn well they are going to go with P2P, these guys are stuck in the past and have shown no sign at all they have a grip on reality with either the MMO genre or fans of the IP they are using.

It will launch P2P, the game will sell around 2 million copies, hemorrage the players they thought were buying a TES game, then hemorrage the MMO players that jumped at a new MMO and found out that playing in a world split into three and being funneled into PvP content is worse than they thought it would be. Then youll see a backlash on gaming forums against DaoC diehards about how nuts they are raving on about it for so long.

After 8 months to a year and at least one dev crew firing, the game will announce its going F2P, they will do a half assed job of it, lose more players, the CEO of Zenimax will be forced out and the diehards that stick around and keep playing will bitch up a storm about the F2P model while still being happy that they game was saved from a quick death just so they could get a chance to try to relive the past glories of hand held developer led DaoC style PvP.

DeniZg · May 2013

Originally posted by jtcgs
You know damn well they are going to go with P2P, these guys are stuck in the past and have shown no sign at all they have a grip on reality with either the MMO genre or fans of the IP they are using.

It will launch P2P, the game will sell around 2 million copies, hemorrage the players they thought were buying a TES game, then hemorrage the MMO players that jumped at a new MMO and found out that playing in a world split into three and being funneled into PvP content is worse than they thought it would be. Then youll see a backlash on gaming forums against DaoC diehards about how nuts they are raving on about it for so long.

After 8 months to a year and at least one dev crew firing, the game will announce its going F2P, they will do a half assed job of it, lose more players, the CEO of Zenimax will be forced out and the diehards that stick around and keep playing will bitch up a storm about the F2P model while still being happy that they game was saved from a quick death just so they could get a chance to try to relive the past glories of hand held developer led DaoC style PvP.

I hate to admit it, but I feel the same way. Is it me getting old and bitter or is it the MMO industry?

ShakyMo · May 2013

Oh joy

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[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: On the Radar for Summer

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