The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Review | MMORPG.com

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The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Review | MMORPG.com

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is a return to form for the ZeniMax team, but how does the expansion, including the major additions of companions and a return to Oblivion hold up?

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xpsync

I was looking for some filler when it felt as if we were a couple months out from 9.1, i had eso and ffxiv on the table and if the 9.1 drop news didn't happen in time i was going to go with eso.

Mainly i wanted to mess around with companions, yet i'll admit within a couple hours i'm feeling the boredom, there's just no challenge, well, playing without a sub is challenging but not in the right way lol even veteran dung's are not challenging either. It's a very hack in slash feel.

FFXIV, again another entertaining mmo but meh, that shine wears off quick, lots of flash no substance, the corridor is an absolute killer. I mean when you can pay to skip entire expansions worth of content i think pretty much speaks volumes.

Viper482

I told myself I would not buy this expansion but I caved and did it......and regretted it. The game just isn't fun anymore. This expansion does nothing different, companions are as trivial an addition as I have seen in an MMO.

xpsync

Viper482 said:

I told myself I would not buy this expansion but I caved and did it......and regretted it. The game just isn't fun anymore. This expansion does nothing different, companions are as trivial an addition as I have seen in an MMO.

Almost did too thankfully they dropped 9.1 release date before i did.

WarWitch

In Cyrdill news nothing changed after 6 years, same bad drops same bad lag, same map, perma debuff so you have to leave the zone and get back in the remove them, same ball groups making lag and using known exploited buggy sets to dysinc other teams that can not be killed, Long as they can keep selling stuff to the new players they dont care. This is not a AAA game. In the old days wed see a hot fix for all these issues.

xpsync

Mars_OMG said:

is it worth getting all of the xpac for 60 or better to al a carte specific things i want like necro class ect ?

When i was looking into buying it, the way "i think" it works is if you "upgrade", you DO NOT get all previous expansions forever unlocked, only ones you may have previously paid for, you will need an active sub to have all the ones you never bought unlocked.

However, if you buy the standard edition, which i don't think was much more than the upgrade, you do get it all? as in will always be unlocked without a sub.

Iselin

• Story and overall formula is starting to feel a bit too predictable

It was bound to happen with their yearly chapter schedule. One year is not enough time to do the significant overhauls or fundamental changes that would be possible if they worked on true expansions every 2 or 3 years like other MMOs do.

xpsync

Iselin said:

• Story and overall formula is starting to feel a bit too predictable

It was bound to happen with their yearly chapter schedule. One year is not enough time to do the significant overhauls or fundamental changes that would be possible if they worked on true expansions every 2 or 3 years like other MMOs do.

They could simplify the complexity of purchasing as well, buy latest and greatest DONE! you get it all no matter if it's the upgrade or standard, then the whole dlc vs chapters thing as well, my gawd.

The cash shop extreme. we playing an mmorpg here or browsing an online dollar shop combo gambling casino ffs.

So many annoying things such as having to type in your password every f'ing time. Whomever came up with make a secure complex password to protect yourself never logged in to eso obviously.

I mean it's one of two things, they don't have the coding expertise for their own in house mfa system or tie into an existing auth. Too lazy as it's easier to lie to people and tell them it's for their own protection BS, where in reality people will make easy af hackable passwords cause it's easier to remember and short as possible to log in faster.

Mackaveli44

Their chapters have been very predictable since the 2nd one released. Theyre all the same. Story missions, some side missions, some delves, a couple "group" open world dungeons" that are soloable, and 1 new raid. Its rinse repeat each chapter. These chapters can be finished in 1-2 days tops. Its pretty ridiculous and pretty sad at the same time. Oh and Im a huuuuuge ESO fan. I love it but calling a spade a spade about their content. This is the first chapter I haven't purchased because I knew it would be exactly the same as the others and it sounds like it is.

Kyleran

Mars_OMG said:

WarWitch said:

In Cyrdill news nothing changed after 6 years, same bad drops same bad lag, same map, perma debuff so you have to leave the zone and get back in the remove them, same ball groups making lag and using known exploited buggy sets to dysinc other teams that can not be killed, Long as they can keep selling stuff to the new players they dont care. This is not a AAA game. In the old days wed see a hot fix for all these issues.

dude, I had no lag in Cyrodiil, could be your p.c.

More than one person has complained of lag in ESO PVP. I've got a few friends who lag in other zones when I've got no issues and it definitely comes and goes without any pattern.

Several factors could come into play including as you said the person's hardware. 

QuarterStack

"... venturing into Oblivion proper for this expansion gives the nostalgia kick I expect from ESO now"

That seems to be all ESO is about now. Cynically cashing in on nostalgia.

It's likely why they keep going back to areas from previous TES games for the main expansions.

I'm pretty confident the reason they left out a huge chunk of Skyrim in Greymoor was so they could squeeze more nostalgia dollars out of another expansion later on.

Chapters are getting shorter, shrinking closer to basically being slightly larger DLC updates, which doesn't help either.

Beyond that, the game has become predictable, the same pattern of content each expansion, just in a new skin.

The new grinds they introduce in the name of "content" are obviously meant to stretch out content cycles that take less and less time to complete.

Sad. At one point, ESO was my favorite MMO on the market. By far.

KnightFalz

xpsync said:

Mars_OMG said:

is it worth getting all of the xpac for 60 or better to al a carte specific things i want like necro class ect ?

When i was looking into buying it, the way "i think" it works is if you "upgrade", you DO NOT get all previous expansions forever unlocked, only ones you may have previously paid for, you will need an active sub to have all the ones you never bought unlocked.



However, if you buy the standard edition, which i don't think was much more than the upgrade, you do get it all? as in will always be unlocked without a sub.

All editions grant access to the main game.

The standard edition adds the Morrowind chapter only.

Upgrade packages are for those that purchased a previous collection and are simply adding the latest chapter, currently Blackwood. They are for those continuing on.

Complete packages are for those that have not purchased a previous collection. They are for those completely new to the game.

Those designated as Collector's Editions give extras related to the current chapter, generally a mount, pet, emotes and such.

DLCs add another layer of complexity.

Subscribers have access to all content designated as DLCs so long as they maintain their subscription. It also comes with unlimited crafting material storage. Should the subscription expire DLC access is lost. Nothing else can be added to material storage and will thus occupy regular inventory, but everything inside remains in that separate storage and is available for use.

Alternatively, one can choose not to subscribe, but instead purchase access to desired DLCs on an individual basis, or in bundles offered. One maintains purchased DLC access for the life of the game regardless of subscription status. This allows the game to be fully b2p for those that desire that. But, your crafting materials will clog your regular inventory so those that want to craft heavily subscription is incontestably the better option.

xpsync

Thanks KnightFalz, there are so many if's and's or's and in the end the crafting bag isn't purchasable, then you are forced to pay a sub if you want to enjoy the game as without it, it becomes an inventory management simulator.

A bunch of us were on the 3 day trial, was going good, 9.1 was announced but eso as a side thing was on the table, 3 day sub ran out we lasted on more day and none of us have touched it since.

I could say it's becasue the sub ran out and the inventory management simulator kicked in, sure it helped kill our desire to continue, but being realistic we're not going to have time for it once 9.1 drops.

Kyleran

Mars_OMG said:

Kyleran said:

Mars_OMG said:

WarWitch said:

In Cyrdill news nothing changed after 6 years, same bad drops same bad lag, same map, perma debuff so you have to leave the zone and get back in the remove them, same ball groups making lag and using known exploited buggy sets to dysinc other teams that can not be killed, Long as they can keep selling stuff to the new players they dont care. This is not a AAA game. In the old days wed see a hot fix for all these issues.

dude, I had no lag in Cyrodiil, could be your p.c.

More than one person has complained of lag in ESO PVP. I've got a few friends who lag in other zones when I've got no issues and it definitely comes and goes without any pattern.

Several factors could come into play including as you said the person's hardware. 

On my machine, the performance is amazing. I'm wondering if the complaints are comiong from people with 60hz monitors...

That could be true, my laptop is 144hz so perhaps that's why it has far fewer problems.

skeaser

Kyleran said:

Mars_OMG said:

Kyleran said:

Mars_OMG said:

WarWitch said:

In Cyrdill news nothing changed after 6 years, same bad drops same bad lag, same map, perma debuff so you have to leave the zone and get back in the remove them, same ball groups making lag and using known exploited buggy sets to dysinc other teams that can not be killed, Long as they can keep selling stuff to the new players they dont care. This is not a AAA game. In the old days wed see a hot fix for all these issues.

dude, I had no lag in Cyrodiil, could be your p.c.

More than one person has complained of lag in ESO PVP. I've got a few friends who lag in other zones when I've got no issues and it definitely comes and goes without any pattern.

Several factors could come into play including as you said the person's hardware. 

On my machine, the performance is amazing. I'm wondering if the complaints are comiong from people with 60hz monitors...

That could be true, my laptop is 144hz so perhaps that's why it has far fewer problems.

How in the world does refresh rate have anything to do with lag?