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[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: Is ESO Worth Buying?

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  • jheavenjheaven Member Posts: 1

    I was loving the game for a while.  Didn't mind the pre-order cost, or the sub fee.  I am a slow leveler so I was only in my mid-30's when some school/life related things took away all my playing time.  So I unsubbed.  I would have kept it going, but I really was turned off (as were many people) by the veteran rank system and the PvE endgame in general.  I had no desire to reach max level just to be forced into another 200 hours of questing.  I would have gotten into PvP, but I would have liked to get some nice end game gear before diving into that, which I couldn't even do until I finish the Vet rank drag.  Plus a group game built around small (although quite enjoyable the first few times) dungeons get's old quickly.  I see this game being worth a re-sub down the road when housing and more epic dungeons are included.  But until they fix the bugs and endgame, I really have no desire to keep playing.  Thankfully for Zenimax, I picked up Fallout New Vegas on the Steam summer sale and will crack out on that for like 100 hours.

     

  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by Stammerer

    My essential point is that it is not an elder scrolls game, it is in fact a generic mmo (albeit with heavy phasing that prevents group play) and with an elder scrolls paint job.  I think that is a pretty accurate assessment.      

    Except that "now" elder scrolls games could also be said to be "linear on rails experiences" especially as evidenced by skyrim (and oblvion come to think of it).

    Not saying one has to do the quests, but as soon as you decide to take a quest you open up the map or look on your compass and there is a handy marker that will lead you with pin-point accuracy to the objective.

    One coudl ignore that but then your finding any objective will be based upon time, luck and being thorough as none of the quest really gives you much to go on other than telling you "the story of the quest".

    That's pretty "on rails".

    Additionally the main story for an elder scrolls game is also linear. The only saving grace that Elder Scrolls games is that one can just go your own way and ignore all quests and still level and achieve things.

    I would say that the game of Elder Scrolls online is essentially achieved by removing the "open world exploration and finding substantial things" and just increasing the quests that one would normally find in an elder scrolls game.

    The quests in any elder scrolls game aren't much different.

    As far as "generic mmo", there are differences in Elder Scrolls online with their class system. Whether they have done "the best" job with it is up for debate as players insist there are only x viable builds.

    But my heavy armor, 2 handed sorcerer plays differently than my first cloth wearing staff wielding Sorcerer.

    There is more variety in the creation of your character than many games out there. Maybe "most".

    Again, when I log into LOTRO or Archelord or I get the "generic mmo" feel. Not so with Elder Scrolls online. And that's not a necessarily a good thing.

    I prefer logging in, exploring, killing monsters than doing most quests in mmo's. In ESO exploring might lead you to some monsters but in reality it just leads you to quests.

     

     

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  • AeonbladesAeonblades Member Posts: 2,083
    Originally posted by Stammerer
    Originally posted by Aeonblades
    Originally posted by Stammerer
    Originally posted by Sovrath
    Originally posted by Stammerer
    Originally posted by orbitxo
    Originally posted by Crusades
    If you love Elder Scrolls - ESO will feel like a rip off to you.
     

    I dunno im  was n Elder scroll player- TESO is fine to me.

    you may find it a rip because of the monthly sub?...well the sub will keep the trolls away imo.

    I would say it is more to do with the fact that they have removed all of the core mechanics and design choices that make an Elder Scrolls game an Elder Scrolls game and instead taken a generic mmo and put an Elder Scrolls paint job over it.  

    I would say it's not a generic mmo as I don't know of many mmo's that have quests done in this fashion to the extent that we have various interactions with  npc, the world changing around you (albeit, not too  drastically) and having one's decisions create permanent affects.

    A generic mmo would be run to quest giver, now usually with "!" above the head, not read text, run to area on map, kill 5 of something, collect something and then run back and rinse repeat.

    One might not like how Elder Scrolls Online has implemented their quests (which of course is fine) but it's not really a "generic" mmo.

    The new Archlord is a generic mmo. hate to say it but Lord of the rings online is a generic mmo.

    By generic I mean it is a linear, on rails levelling experience through level-specific zones using defined classes.  The world is heavily divided rather than feeling open and sandboxy.  

    The quests are fairly generic; you essentially meet a quest giver and you kill, gather, collect. If it were a single player game I would argue that they are quite well implemented but the fact they are heavily reliant on phasing prevents grouping on a lot of occasions which is a cardinal sin for an mmo.  

    My essential point is that it is not an elder scrolls game, it is in fact a generic mmo (albeit with heavy phasing that prevents group play) and with an elder scrolls paint job.  I think that is a pretty accurate assessment.      

    I have had the complete opposite experience from what you are describing in ESO. There aren't any quest hubs in this game, you can go out and explore random dungeons and delves the same as TES games before it. The phasing hasn't been a problem since a few weeks after release, and even then it wasn't a problem if people knew how to use the travel to player function.

    It's very much an Elder Scrolls game, everything from the combat to atmosphere screams it from the treetops, and I have never gotten a generic vibe from the game. Even the dungeons are handled differently than a traditional MMO's with the way tanking, healing, and pulls are handled. There are so few quests, if any, that are generic kill and gather quests.

    I guess everyone's experience is different, but it seems like you would know what you said was not true had you played ESO. To me, this is pretty much what I always imagined an ES MMO would be like ever since I had been thinking about since Morrowind was released. Everyone is of course entitled to their opinion on the game, but to call it an accurate assessment with no basis or facts beyond your own opinion is not helping anyone, least of all yourself.

    Is it really necessary for people to write imo before every opinion they state on these forums?  Of course it is my opinion, I am hardly referencing any other factual source.  

    I would not have said anything had I not played ESO- why would I care?      

    Wording means everything, and without expressly stating that it's your opinion on this site, people will immediately assume you are asserting it as a fact. Welcome to MMORPG.com :)

    Also, people savage games they have never played here on a daily basis, so it's not unrealistic to think most of the people haven't even played the games they complain about.

    Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
    Have played: You name it
    If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.

  • zellmerzellmer Member UncommonPosts: 442

    They didn't listen to players that came away from the Beta with a "The hell is this solo player game....?  It  is so freaking buggy and needs a lot of work.."

    Now it's a ghost town for a reason..

    NO

  • AeonbladesAeonblades Member Posts: 2,083
    Originally posted by zellmer

    They didn't listen to players that came away from the Beta with a "The hell is this solo player game....?  It  is so freaking buggy and needs a lot of work.."

    Now it's a ghost town for a reason..

    NO

    Your opinion on the game is fine, but calling a ghost town is just not true. The cities and world are bustling with people and I can hardly walk 10 feet without running into others.

    Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
    Have played: You name it
    If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.

  • InnkwellInnkwell Member Posts: 59

    This Article has the worst title in history.... I really hope you dont pay these people.

    The game is great and getting better with every update, I only have one thing to say to those of you wondering whether or not to make a purchase.......

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fb9M1e-cNc

  • mayito7777mayito7777 Member UncommonPosts: 768
    Short answer NO.

    want 7 free days of playing? Try this

    http://www.swtor.com/r/ZptVnY

  • bgonzalbgonzal Member Posts: 10
    Originally posted by Metrica

    I can't take this editor seriously, at all.  The first thing you talk about is the FPS issue in Cyrodiil, but that was completely fixed over a week ago and the article was published today.  I get 35 FPS minimum in groups of over a hundred players, whereas I can't get more than 15 FPS in WildStar while looking at the ground on minimum specs.  ESO is the only new MMO worth my time. 

     

    Yes, the game is absolutely worth playing.  It's the only MMO I've ever played that was made by developers who actually take player sentiment into consideration at every step of development.  They've done more in the first three months than most MMOs do in the first six, and that includes improving the graphical fidelity, which is something that other developers refuse to touch after launch.  

    My experience has been the exact opposite.  The developers decisions have killed this game for me.  End game is just a lazy approach to rehashing content for other realms.  Being forced to play through it to get to VR10 is a killer for me.  In beta you could level pretty easily in PVP, but they gutted that soon after launch.  You could farm world bosses in groups, but they gutted that as well.  Too boot they say they wanted to encourage grouping in end game so this decision does not follow along those lines. 

     

    The game was very buggy as well.  Phasing was horrible and I often couldn't complete quests because of it.  I would have to zone log in an out multiple times to complete quests and even then it sometimes wouldn't work at all.  This impacted main story quests as well.

     

    WIldStar on the other hand has been much more polished.  The questing system, while not as involved, worked.  The game performs much better for me as well.  I have a 780 Ti and there are times that it didn't perform much better in ESO than the 570 it replaced.  In town I could drop down to 30 FPS in ESO, but in games like Battlefield 4 I barely drop below 80 on ultra.  

     

    They have also released additional content and allow users to play the game they like to enjoy it.  For example, if you level outside of questing they have given alternative ways to gain faction rep so you are not forced to do it.  ESO has been the opposite and many of their decisions have been designed to force you to play the game the way they want you to play it. 

     

    It is going to vary by each user and I think the author is right on which game will suit you best.  I don't know how much smoother ESO is now, but if bugs drive you crazy and you do not like having to relog multiple times a session then stay away from ESO.  The bugs in the game were horrible.  Also, while the PVP was great early on class balance seems to be way off.  Again this can be old news, but I know it drove many users away.  At least a month or so ago.  On the bright site, DK vampires are no longer taking on 20 people and winning! :)

     
  • keithiankeithian Member UncommonPosts: 3,191

    Though the author is out of date with regard to the PVP FPS issue as that was fixed already, I agree with most of the content of the article. Yes, this is more than worth the fee if you enjoy this type of game. It is the best MMO for PVE exploration that is not hub based, as there are a ton of things to find that are not tied to quests and you can't find all the quests without exploring.

    I am taking a little break while they revamp the Veteran Ranks since I just reached V1 ( I don't rush) and I want to focus on Divinity Original Sin :-).

    There Is Always Hope!

  • GaeluianGaeluian Member UncommonPosts: 114
    We usually get  forum warning for things like this or a ban.
  • grimalgrimal Member UncommonPosts: 2,935

    I am coming back to ESO after a mad initial burn out from another game where everyone is runnning around like they're bouncing off the rails from coke and although I do have a lot of fun it may not be your thing after a bit; or perhaps I have initial burn out.  That's for a side conversation, though.  And that was a lot of rambling.

    Anyways, been taking my time on a class I didn't play before and hopefully by the time I get to 50 the changes will be in-game.  Hope to see any and all around!

    Edit:
     
    Also wanted to reply to the post and say that I agree it is worth the price; it has a lot of very good things in it and for me these by far justify the price for me.
     
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    Originally posted by keithian

    Though the author is out of date with regard to the PVP FPS issue as that was fixed already, I agree with most of the content of the article. Yes, this is more than worth the fee if you enjoy this type of game. It is the best MMO for PVE exploration that is not hub based, as there are a ton of things to find that are not tied to quests and you can't find all the quests without exploring.

    I am taking a little break while they revamp the Veteran Ranks since I just reached V1 ( I don't rush) and I want to focus on Divinity Original Sin :-).

     Playing that as well... what a great little game!

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  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by Gaeluian
    We usually get  forum warning for things like this or a ban.

    No, people get warnings for:

    "Is ESO Worth Buying?"

    "I can't believe this game, it completely sucks, they didn't deliver what players wanted and now the game is going to go f2p in weeks lolz!

    Can't believe they made this piece sh*t. What? 200 million dollars?!!?!?! Where did that money go? Probably voice overs that no one wanted and instead they delivered a buggy mess!

    They could have given me that money and I could have made a better game! Can't believe people are playing this but I suppose sheep will be sheep.

    Game is only worth f2p, NOT buying and certainly not a sub. F2p "if that", what a waste of a good IP!"

    That's what people get warned for.

    Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb." 

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    Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547

    Try the "Special Edition." 'Cause it's "Special." https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64878/?tab=description

    Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo 
  • greatskysgreatskys Member UncommonPosts: 451
    It worth buying but its not worth a subscription fee . Hence it should have been buy to play .
  • StevonStevon Member UncommonPosts: 221
    Originally posted by Seelinnikoi
    When people write articles about a game being worth to buy or not, then by rule and not exception, it probably isn't.

    Much like when people feel the need to color their posts as well as bold them.   Usually they aren't worth reading.

  • PaskePaske Member UncommonPosts: 135

    Its well worth the price, especially since you can buy it for some 45$ on various sites.

    I am enjoying the game greatly.

    Also ever since new patch announcement went us many of players came back. So the game is quite healthy right now, going to better.

    For all those yelling F2P, I am sorry, but its not going to happend.

     

    Zenimax is working VERY hard to keep us all happy.

  • DelanovDelanov Member UncommonPosts: 5

    Sadly, it's not worth buing. :(

    For people who were not Elder Scrolls fans - ESO has nothing to offer comparing to other morpg. And even people who really want to visit online Tamiel - there is so many hindering elements, that they step away. I tried three times to convince myself, and each time I have lost.

  • FoomerangFoomerang Member UncommonPosts: 5,628


    Originally posted by Stevon
    Originally posted by Seelinnikoi When people write articles about a game being worth to buy or not, then by rule and not exception, it probably isn't.
    Much like when people feel the need to color their posts as well as bold them.   Usually they aren't worth reading.

    Well to be honest, how many articles do we really need telling us to play eso? This is like the third or fourth column for this game, basically saying "buy this product"
  • Spankster77Spankster77 Member UncommonPosts: 487

    How can someone else put a monetary value on an entertainment item for people that they do not know?  For example, if a person makes $100k a year is $60 + $15 a month for an extremely mediocre game worth it, maybe.  If a person makes $1000 a year is $60 + $15 a month for the best game ever worth it, maybe not. 

     

    See where I am going with this?

     

    I will say that ESO is a beautiful looking game.  I will also say that the storyline is deep and interesting.  I stopped playing after level 25 because I found dungeons to be boring and grouping was a nightmare.  One of ESOs downfalls in my opinion is it's open class system.  Yes it's a cool idea when playing solo, horrible idea when you need a healer that is specced all wrong or a tank wearing cloth using a staff. 

     

    Also everyone that I know that made it to max level has also stopped playing.  Their reasons are pretty much all the same, nothing to do and vet 1 - 10 is nothing more than a horrible grind fest.

  • NovuhzNovuhz Member UncommonPosts: 31

    Monthly Sub? = Check

     

    No thanks any game that comes out with monthly sub I will never touch it.

  • FeonixoFeonixo Member UncommonPosts: 36
    The Sub is enough to keep me away.. there are just too many options out there to keep me busy. No other opinion on it as I haven't played it, and never will.
  • LanthirLanthir Member UncommonPosts: 222

    Having played the game since beta I love it.  I would tend to agree if you are a wow kiddie and want to rush to end game you will not enjoy ESO unless you are into massive RvR battles.  Lost of us constantly talk in game about people who left and who stayed.  One thing we have noticed is that those who took their time leveling seem to have stayed and really enjoy the game.  Those that rushed to level cap and skipped through all the quest dialog seemed to have left.  If you are really into RvR and want it to be more than hacking and slashing then this just might be the game for you.  As an example my guild set up to take a keep we have scouts placed around our position to watch for teams sneaking up to attack our siege weapons.  We had different siege engines placed in spots to maximize their potential.  A skirmishing line of tanks with healer support.  Archer on roofs and a tower to provide covering fire.  A Night blade team to sneak and attempt to burn any counter-siege engines.  The fight went on for literally hours seesawing back and forth.

    As for massive amounts of bugs.  Those who played WoW when it launched or SWTOR and any major MMO in between can tell you that ESO had a much smother launch and fewer game breaking bugs than those titles.  part of the issue is like WoW ESO drew in an audience who normally had not or did not play  an MMO game and were not use to having to deal with any but the smallest amount of issues.  There were a lot of consolers or those who just played single player rpgs trying their first MMO.

      To me and those playing ESO it really is worth the money but it is not for everyone.

     

     

     

    Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads! Swords for everyone!

  • ninjagrannyninjagranny Member Posts: 25

    No not worth it and was a huge disappointment for me as I love the real Elder scrolls games .

    The scenery is great 

    The lack of classes is poor but better than most of this type due to evolutions

    The crafting is cruddy compared to Elder scrolls

    The combat is uber easy and simplistic and a very poor cousin of elder scrolls.

    The main problem I think is the lack of quests and it is  linear . In all elder scrolls if you go off the beaten track you find little areas of fun , there are few and far between in eso . Also not being able to help someone if you have already done the quest is a massive pain .

    It is just a rush of easy easy quests to get to cyrodil to do some boring PVP - if you love pvp then maybe , but the cost is high for a bit of pvp . 

  • UgUgUgUgUgUg Member UncommonPosts: 81
    I want an MMO I can play with other players and I often find, as from Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, DDO, LOTRO and even GW1 that most players seem to choose to level solo. I heard this game is no different and most folks solo. Is this true? Is it a solo MMO unless you are at end game and doing pvp?
     
  • FeonixoFeonixo Member UncommonPosts: 36

    I think many people, including myself, were prepared to buy the game before the sub was announced. I brought Guild Wars 2 when it was first announced (dammit) mainly because I was a big fan of the first game. I loved Oblivion, and was amped about ESO.. until they announced the ongoing cost.

    I think if this game had been B2P they would be making more money than what they are off the subscriptions, and had a larger player base generating interest and community. Subs guarantee their loyal fan base, which is great, but I don't know if they are enough to keep the energy there.

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