Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: There’s Nothing like Launch

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

We’re on the verge of a couple of major launches. The first, The Elder Scrolls Online will already have had its first early access players by the time you read this. The other, WildStar, is coming in just about two months. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to discuss MMO launches, and why, despite the bumps and kinks, it is one of the best times for establishing community.

Read more of Christina Gonzalez's The Social Hub: There's Nothing Like Launch.

image


¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


Comments

  • DEAD.lineDEAD.line Member Posts: 424

    I feel you're only left behind when it's the PVE themeparks with levels, story, quests, etc.

     

    That's because there's a clear direct path one follows on while exploring the game world. Eventually, you complete the majority of the content, as pve is, and you're left with very few things to do. So, as mmos tend to raise the cap by inserting new levels, zones/continents and storylines, it's only natural one would be behind.

     

    However, in a pvp sandbox type mmo, for example, with no levels, the whole world is important, and the addition of new areas doesn't mean the previous ones become deserted.

     

    Of course, there'll always be drop offs after launch for all mmos, but, as long as the game's well designed and there's not too many servers to spread the playerbase, you'll end up with hubs of players to met. And to respond to your point about community, i disagree.

     

    IMHO, the players who stay with a game after the "new and shiny" fase are the ones that'll build the true community. And even then, most will just stick to solo, family, friends, guilds, and rarely play with others. But that's perfectly ok.

  • I think there must be some misunderstanding. You don't pick a server in this game. Everyone plays on the scalable Megaserver which dynamically instances zones based on population, so overflow servers make no sense.

  • alkarionlogalkarionlog Member EpicPosts: 3,584

    also take note in eso case even on they closed beta server they servers had problems now people are saying the servers are also not working right, again I still don't know why people try to play at launch days.

     

    better jsut wait 2 or 3 months after launch and see how it going then see if you will want to play or not, doing so you will ahve starting zones free not waiting time.

    FOR HONOR, FOR FREEDOM.... and for some money.
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Originally posted by alkarionlog

    also take note in eso case even on they closed beta server they servers had problems now people are saying the servers are also not working right, again I still don't know why people try to play at launch days.

     

    better jsut wait 2 or 3 months after launch and see how it going then see if you will want to play or not, doing so you will ahve starting zones free not waiting time.

    One's mileage may vary on that.

    I've yet to have any problems with the servers. I've had to relog twice to fix quests. And that worked, even though it was annoying.

    So not everyone is having issues. It probably depends upon a lot. What computer they have, where they are located, who knows?

    I wouldn't say a blanket 'the servers aren't working, the servers are working" response fits.

    I'm not saying go out and buy early access but I have early access and no huge problems or errors as of yet.

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

    Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w


    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 
  • AshikuroAshikuro Member UncommonPosts: 68
    I played all day yesterday and didn't have a single issue, not a single one. No lag, broken beta quests were fixed, everything was oddly perfect. This was the cleanest mmo launch I've ever seen. I'm no fanboy either. I had a lot of constructive feedback for them during beta and was pretty concerned this was launching too soon, but it's been solid as can be.
  • rtbbvrrtbbvr Member UncommonPosts: 163
    Its far from a clean early access start. There are reports with broken quests still, and spawning can be an issue for resource nodes and mobs, but on the whole its pretty clean. Not the smoothest by far but perfectly playable with little frustration at the moment.
  • CeldrynCeldryn Member Posts: 84
    Originally posted by alkarionlog

    also take note in eso case even on they closed beta server they servers had problems now people are saying the servers are also not working right, again I still don't know why people try to play at launch days.

     

    better jsut wait 2 or 3 months after launch and see how it going then see if you will want to play or not, doing so you will ahve starting zones free not waiting time.

     

     

    I had 1 DC due to a game error yesterday. I played almost 17 hours. Also, I want to note, only 1 bugged quest out of roughly 60-70 quests.

  • SunworshiperSunworshiper Member UncommonPosts: 19
    What game is that first picture of the guy looking up at a city?
  • stragen001stragen001 Member UncommonPosts: 1,720
    Originally posted by Sunworshiper
    What game is that first picture of the guy looking up at a city?

    think its GW2 and the City is Divinity's Reach

    Cluck Cluck, Gibber Gibber, My Old Mans A Mushroom

  • Overfiend138Overfiend138 Member UncommonPosts: 55
    2 days of play now and 0 issues. Best launch to date IMO.
  • colinguolicolinguoli Member UncommonPosts: 2
    The only thing bothers me is when a buggy quest occur again since last beta.
  • keenberkeenber Member UncommonPosts: 438

    Had to do /reloadui a few times but apart from that i have had no problems and i been in a group the whole time.

    I need sleep now been playing near 20 hours lol

  • rojoArcueidrojoArcueid Member EpicPosts: 10,722
    Originally posted by stragen001
    Originally posted by Sunworshiper
    What game is that first picture of the guy looking up at a city?

    think its GW2 and the City is Divinity's Reach

    Yes it is





  • GyzarGyzar Member Posts: 10
    Oh BTW, 2nd day of early access and the gold farmers are already spamming zone chat.
     

    "Blood! Of Course There's Blood You Fool!!"

  • TheAmazingDwarfTheAmazingDwarf Member UncommonPosts: 234
    It's being very smooth for me.

    My FFXIV ARR referral code for new EU accounts: 5JPF7ZQ3
    Step into the amazing world of Eorzea! Use this reference code on a new account and we'll both get goodies for it!

  • UNH0LYEV1LUNH0LYEV1L Member UncommonPosts: 571
    Amazing launch. Servers up early no crashes, a few buggy quests but all in all really good. I wasnt going to buy this game but im really glad I did, having a ton of fun!
  • XasapisXasapis Member RarePosts: 6,337

    So far the four biggest problems that I've faced are:

    • Pre-order and digital deluxe items delivered only to one character, resulting in massive amount of deleted items and wasted value. Definitely a poor choice from ESO developer team. Also your login details are visible to anyone in your guild(s), making it a considerable and unnecessary security risk.
    • The world is completely zoned, instanced and phased, leading to all kind of troubles. The most typical is not being able to see your grouped friends in towns, ending up in different instances of public dungeons or being invisible next to each other, due to different quest progression.
    • Major quest lines were broken. Digging into the beta notes, it seems that those issues were never fixed prior to launch. Luckily, the world being so heavily instanced means that relogging may ended you up in an unbugged instance, so you could eventually progress.
    • No consideration for people in different progression levels at all. No mentoring system of any kind making content as you level obsolete, along with not being able to have a fun challenge along your friends in lower levels.
    Overall I'm having fun so far, though I'm only a couple days into the game, so that means that honeymoon period maybe colour my judgement. I'm also taking my time, so no idea on the end game content or it's existence so far.
     
    I'd say that this game, while generally fun to play, feels rushed and unpolished. There are no major issues, like servers collapsing from overload, but on the other hand there are tons of small things that combined sour the experience.
  • celeecelee Member Posts: 8

    I think a lot of what this column is about has been missed by the commenters. This article is not solely about ESO. It just so happens that ESO is launching soon but this article is about the time of launch for all MMOs

     

    IMO the best and worst time to start a MMO is at the open beta/launch. It is often so frustrating to start playing then because of all the problems with actually playing. There hasn't been a clean release of a MMO for years and often those problems get to the point people don't want to try playing anymore.

     

    However, if you don't start playing at the launch or open beta you often feel behind while playing and it can make it considerably harder to play the game. How many times during FF14 did you get forced to skip cut scenes because the rest of the group had already been through the place 45 times? How many times have you wanted to finish that group quest but cant find a group around cause the majority of people have already passed that point?

    Also often the better players are the ones leading the pack (lets face it if you are playing the game knowledgably you will be if you have the time) and thus if you start late you are often playing with not only less people but those that cant do things as easily as the group that is at the leading edge.

    One more thing you have to think about is the end game of the game. If the game's end game is raiding, starting at launch is almost a must. By the time you get to end game if you start even a month later it is incredibly hard to get your spot in that raid. Not only do you have to contend with the last two points but you then have to wait for one of the established raids to lose somebody or fill in intermediately -- or start your own which is not easy when you are late to starting the game.

     

    And lets face it when the game is new it is new. There are not 101 guides to how to play the game and where everything is. Exploration of a game is actually quite large for a game but people often discount it.

  • SiphaedSiphaed Member RarePosts: 1,114
    This article has little to do with The Elder Scrolls itself, and more to do with overall MMO launches.  In fact, the only bits I found about Elder Scrolls in the article was the part about it's instance phasing that's similar to GW2's overflow system. 


Sign In or Register to comment.