Elder Scrolls the MMO

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:42 pm

Daehawk wrote: What I mean is that they say they will give you a weekend to test it and supply insight into your opinion on it. But by the time you down load it on their slow servers 1 day is gone. And they want you on a new install each time...no old ones.

I didn't get to beta test until pretty late, but I've been able to dl the patches/updates/whatever ahead of the beta test time. That DID tend to waste a Thursday night when I could have been playing something else - but, on the other hand, that gave me time to do other things like, read.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:41 pm

Daehawk wrote: And they want you on a new install each time...no old ones.

Are you sure about that? I never heard that.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:17 am

I've played Guild Wars 2. I own Guild Wars 2. And you, sir, are no Guild Wars 2.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 3:27 pm

YellowKing wrote:I've played Guild Wars 2. I own Guild Wars 2. And you, sir, are no Guild Wars 2.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 5:41 pm

GoneGoldAlum wrote:I've been occasionally lurking here a long, long time. Made an account just to reply to this thread.
The game is not perfect. In all likelihood it won't be what Daggerfall was to 1996, or EQ to 1999, or Skyrim to 2011. But it's a decent game. It doesn't deserve the comments it's getting here. It's fun. It beats the hell out of GW2.

Not trying to be confrontational, but no, it is not (in its current state) "decent." It is boring, confusing, and broken.

GoneGoldAlum wrote: I mean really. It's just a game. A decent one. Have you played X:Rebirth? That's a bad game. This is not.

Again, from what I saw, there were easily as many bugs in ESO as in X:Rebirth. In fact, there was a game-stopping bug for me that completely squelched any possibility for advancement in the very first introductory quest line (once you get to the starting island). Now ESO is not finished, so that is unfair to judge, but the game I played was not ready to be played.

dangerballs · Post by **dangerballs** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:38 pm

After playing for since last summer and getting a chance will all three factions, I get the feeling from playing that the game is going to ship a bit like World of Warcraft did with the Aldmeri Dominion being closer to the state that the Alliance shipped in. For the Aldmeri, the quest just flow a lot better and there is a lot less marathon running. But I guess you got to give Kate Beckinsale the better faction gameplay. The rest of the factions seem to be really seem getting the Barrens treatment, especially after you leave the little starter island.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:53 am

baelthazar wrote: Again, from what I saw, there were easily as many bugs in ESO as in X:Rebirth. In fact, there was a game-stopping bug for me that completely squelched any possibility for advancement in the very first introductory quest line (once you get to the starting island). Now ESO is not finished, so that is unfair to judge, but the game I played was not ready to be played.

As a matter of curiosity, what was the game-stopping bug?

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:43 pm

Hey,

I heard that there is going to be another round of beta testing this weekend and folks already in can invite a friend along. Would love to get my hands on an invite if someone has a spare. Thanks a much. PM me and we can hash out the details.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:51 pm

Newcastle wrote:Hey,

I heard that there is going to be another round of beta testing this weekend and folks already in can invite a friend along. Would love to get my hands on an invite if someone has a spare. Thanks a much. PM me and we can hash out the details.

I'll definitely get you mine if and when I receive an invite.

If you've already got one, mine is up for grabs.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:53 pm

Angry Joe's impressions --watched it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upE802rZl7Q

His pvp impressions - Have not seen yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82pz60iGL0

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:20 pm

BTW, I uninstalled the Beta and found a 30GB folder left over (in my SSD no less!) Check your program files for a folder named Zenimax.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:06 pm

Daehawk wrote:Angry Joe's impressions --watched it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upE802rZl7Q

His pvp impressions - Have not seen yet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82pz60iGL0

Haven't watched the whole thing yet, but the people talking on his video sound like idiots.

Greybriar · Post by **Greybriar** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:25 pm

Jag wrote:BTW, I uninstalled the Beta and found a 30GB folder left over (in my SSD no less!) Check your program files for a folder named Zenimax.

30GB?! What was in it?

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:27 pm

No idea. I also have a spare beta key. First PM gets it.

Edit: Taken.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 11:03 pm

Jag wrote:BTW, I uninstalled the Beta and found a 30GB folder left over (in my SSD no less!) Check your program files for a folder named Zenimax.

That's odd. I have the beta installed, but I don't have that folder anywhere. My install folder is 30gb though. I wonder if they copy it off somewhere when you uninstall so you don't have to redownload if you install it again.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 11:37 pm

Jag wrote:No idea. I also have a spare beta key. First PM gets it.

/aol voice on
you have mail

/aol voice off

Sectoid · Post by **Sectoid** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:38 am

I have a spare key if anyone wants it, PM me.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:22 pm

I have an extra code as well

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:26 pm

I've also got an extra code.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:51 pm

I've got one too.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:18 am

Ok I have been in the off and on beta for well over a year. The game was so bad I gave up on them about 8 months ago. Well this weekend test came out so I decided to see if it's better since I think it releases in about a week.

It has not. Some word thoughts.

Good ones:
Kinda pretty
Has some fun in it
Ummmm bout it

Bad stuff:
Kinda un pretty at the same time.
Rude players
Uninteresting
Buggy
Lame
Money grab

To sum up. It feels and looks old tech to me. Its as if they thought they could simply make a world, populate it with scattered quests, throw the Elder Scrolls name on it and have a MMO. They dont. They are charging up to $80 for this game PLUS sub of $15. They also only let you gain access to the Imperial race by buying it.

Its horribly buggy. Ive seen and heard of falling through the world, losing sound and/or voices, crashes, talking to a npc and simply not be able to move again without reloading the UI..over and over and having laaaaaaaag. Plus others.

It both looks nice in some places and in others like a 10 year old game.

As for the rude players I mentioned it needed a minimap and I never saw so many replies with cussing and name calling in it and saying use the compass or open your map. Well the map itself is nice and that works..but constantly stopping to open it to use SUCKS. The compass sucks too. All it does it show pointers to the quest guys...EVEN the ones not part of your tracked quest. Thats why I needed the minimap. I could see 12 points on the compass but no idea which was the one I needed.

And that there last thing is a huge problem because it's going to be filled with ES fanboys who dont care if the whole screen was upside down..the game is God and a big F you to anyone who trips. I think the least rude comment was calling me either a kid or never playing a beta or ES game. In fact I am probably older than any of them...most didn't know what UO was and one was 9 years old at that time.....and I've been beta testing for 15 years. I can spot a stinker and this is a stinker through and through. Worst its a money grab stinker.

I figure let them throw their money away that mom gave them and in 6 months to 1 year I can join for free when it will go F2P to survive...if then. So ya Ive most likely been playing games, driving, and having sex long before most of them were cum mistakenly left in some hole that smelled of booze.

I did have SOME fun this weekend. I made 3 characters and got them up in level enough to leave the starting lands and see some of the rest of the world. But with ALL the bad this game has stacked against that little fun....most due to it being supposedly a ES game and the rest that it's simply something new that Im not sick of.....I just dont see it making it..and I damn sure wont be helping it. I feel they have damaged the ES world with this thing.

Greybriar · Post by **Greybriar** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:23 am

I have been considering pre-ordering Elder Scrolls Online ever since I heard of its upcoming release. But something was always niggling in the back of my mind advising me not to. I haven't played the beta. After reading your opinions about it, I have just about decided to give the game a pass. As much as I want a replacement for World of WarCraft, it doesn't look like this game will be it.

You are mistaken about one thing, however. You wrote, "They are charging up to $80 for this game...." and that is incorrect. They are charging up to $99.99 for this game.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:13 pm

So i've dabbled a bit in this this weekend and so far am pretty unimpressed. I dont like hte UI, hate how the chat interface constantly disappears. I really hate how the mouse is always centered on the view and can never be used to access anything on the normal screen. Very few options to modify the chat interface.

I also disliked the combat so far. Seems very, very mouse intensive, which i really dont care for. I might dabble a bit more in it later on, but i think i might give this a pass. The clicking combat really turns me off. Can anyone share a counterpoint on the combat? Or tell me it gets better or does it stay centered on the mouse. I like WOW's combat in that the keyboard is hte main focus and such (yeah i know can program mouses and such).

Didn't get too far, about level 2 though.

Pretty game though will say that.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 3:44 pm

I'm not a huge fan of this, but I do want to reply to some of the things some of you are saying.

Newcastle - to free the mouse from the center of the screen (for instance, so you can use it with the chat window), try hitting period (".").
Combat in this game seems a lot like other Elder Scrolls games I've played. This may be due to my poor game-combat skills. I've always found ES combat to be a click fest. Of course, I find nearly all video game combat to be a click fest. The only exception I've ever found is if you have a decent long-range weapon (example - bows in Morrowind).

Daehawk - I feel like on one hand you're saying this is not enough like an Elder Scrolls game, on the other hand several of your complaints are common problems in the single-player ES games:
"Falling through the floor of the game world." This happened to me frequently in Morrowind and Oblivion. It happens in other games, too. I fell through a wall in Borderlands 2, couldn't get back into the "real world", fell off the ledge I was on and fell - I'm pretty sure for about 2 minutes (seriously) before my character died.
"It's buggy" - Seems like that was a huge complaint in every ES game I've played. Many people complained that they felt they were paying to beta test the game.
"It looks old tech / it's ugly" - If I had a dollar for every complaint of this sort made about an Elderscroll game I really could have retired years ago. Not kidding.
"There's no mini-map and the compass shows all kinds of places you should go to, but not what they are / it's cumbersome to have to open the map and see what they all are" - Hitting "m" doesn't strike me as cumbersome, and I am pretty sure that's how the compass worked in Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim - it just showed you lots of stuff. I DO like having a minimap - in Borderlands 2 I use it all the time to see where enemies are.
"Rude players" - I think that's a function of playing with other people, especially thousands of strangers. Many people are just plain rude. This was true even before the internet and seems to be even more true now that people can be anonymously rude.

As for my views:
Do I like this as well as Morrowind, Oblivion or Skyrim (didn't play Redguard or Daggerfall)?
No, and here's why:
1) Although I thought it would be fun to play with other players, I don't like hundreds/thousands of other players running around - less immersive. (maybe I just don't like crowds)
2) The skill system seemed too simplified. Of course, the skill systems of the Elder Scrolls games have been getting simpler with every game. Perhaps this is "dumbing down", perhaps not. But even though I liked the skill system in Morrowind far more than that of Skyrim, I'm pretty sure many people like Skyrim's better (because it was simpler).
3) I felt that some of the UI was a pain in the butt. I never really got the hang of the "Q" thing. I also don't feel you should have to know things like "." frees the cursor so you can use it to scroll up and down in the chat window. (this may be a learning curve issue)
4) I don't like chat functions in games. For me, they are cumbersome. If you need help from a buddy in a fight and you have to use a chat function, by the time you type "Help!", you're probably dead. I find a headset (or a mike) far better.
5) I love giving characters ranged weapons, even if they're often weaker than melee. But bows in this game barely count as ranged weapons. I don't know if it's a lack of accuracy or a range problem, but I could never hit anything that was more than about 30 feet from my character - and by the time you're that close, the enemy sees you and is rushing you anyway.
6) I don't think you should have to type /reloadui all that often. Once in a while is okay, but I've gotten quite adept at typing /reloadui which means I'm typing it way too often.
7) Because it's an online game, I don't think people will be able to make mods for it, and I think that mods really extend a game.

Finally, am I willing to pay even "just" $15/month to play this? No. I play games for a long time. If I pay $60 for a game and play it for a year, then I've spent only $5 for each month of entertainment, and I have the option to play it for way longer than a year. So, too expensive for my tastes.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:18 pm

From what I've seem so far, it's a more slow-paced and deliberate game than most MMO's, and as such will take some patience and effort on the player's part to really get immersed. If that turns you off, it probably won't be worth your money. I'm still debating whether it's worth mine and I really like it. It remains to be seen if there is a big enough audience for that kind of game.

Once people start having to pay for it, I'm sure most of the rude players will vanish.

Nothing of seen of it graphics-wise looks less than amazing.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:35 pm

Strange because I find a little of it that looks good and the rest looks old.

Anyways I am now STUCK in a crypt with the Queen. Im the right lvl range because I did all the other quests around and did all the rest that were part of this line all alone. Then I join the queen and go into a crypt to end it. The guy knocks her down then kills me....OVER AND OVER. Each time I die it resets...so after 19 resets...twice while I was still alive in there fighting him..i simply ctrl-alt-del'd that thing.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:07 am

Daehawk wrote:Strange because I find a little of it that looks good and the rest looks old.

Anyways I am now STUCK in a crypt with the Queen. Im the right lvl range because I did all the other quests around and did all the rest that were part of this line all alone. Then I join the queen and go into a crypt to end it. The guy knocks her down then kills me....OVER AND OVER. Each time I die it resets...so after 19 resets...twice while I was still alive in there fighting him..i simply ctrl-alt-del'd that thing.

I felt that some of the solo dungeons were way too hard for their level (example: Balreth - I couldn't defeat that 8th level enemy until I was level 13).

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:09 am

I've been invited to the last test before release. Its the latest build too and can test Imperials. Starts this Friday the 14th. Guess Ill try an Imperial. Since they are charging extra for them might as well see what makes them special. im guessing nothing but look.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:05 pm

did the invite come via email or did it say on your account? My account says Beta access so i guess i can get access, just havent received an email. Kind of want to give the game a serious go through couldn't the last beta test.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:35 pm

Newcastle wrote:did the invite come via email or did it say on your account? My account says Beta access so i guess i can get access, just havent received an email. Kind of want to give the game a serious go through couldn't the last beta test.

This is from the announcement, "If you’ve been invited to previous beta events, you’ll be able to participate this weekend, too."

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:37 pm

Daehawk wrote:I've been invited to the last test before release. Its the latest build too and can test Imperials. Starts this Friday the 14th. Guess Ill try an Imperial. Since they are charging extra for them might as well see what makes them special. im guessing nothing but look.

I don't understand why you keep going back to a game you've made such a case against getting. It doesn't seem rational.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:49 pm

Cool thanks for the reply. I kind of suspected I was, just wasn't sure. Hopefully I can spend more time with it and the combat clicks with me. Just really want more time to kick the tires to get a good feel of it. I think the 2 hours I spent the last beta was not even close enough time to give it a fair shake.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:33 pm

I got a new email.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:00 pm

Daehawk wrote:I got a new email.

Me, too. There are some very good yarn sales at Knit Picks: 30% off several types of green yarn for St. Paddy's day and 25% off sock yarns.
But I suppose you're talking about ESO.

What's in the Explorer's pack? Is that the thing that makes a horse affordable?

Lagom Lite · Post by **Lagom Lite** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:38 am

Bad Demographic wrote:
Daehawk wrote:I got a new email.
Me, too. There are some very good yarn sales at Knit Picks: 30% off several types of green yarn for St. Paddy's day and 25% off sock yarns.
But I suppose you're talking about ESO.

What's in the Explorer's pack? Is that the thing that makes a horse affordable?

Play as any race in any faction. And 5 days head start, I believe.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:51 pm

I've decided to pick this up. So far am still pretty low but on the whole I am having fun and enjoying it. The combat is not a clickfest which i was fearing. Now the only choice is to pick up the collectors V. the normal. I've noticed a deal through dealzon (do a search for elder scrolls), takes you to green man gaming.

which gets you the elders scrolls w/ 20% off. Expires Monday at 10 am est. So normal is like 49 and collectors is 62

It does reward exploring which i think is cool. You can find quests just by looking around. For some i can see this would be a turn off. I think its kind of cool and different. The combat has been pleasing so far as well. Haven't really delved into crafting yet, just minimally.

There are some warts, but nothing so bad that's disuading me from playing. Am sure some of those will get fixed in time. IE no minimap, the chat window auto hides.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:03 pm

Newcastle wrote: Am sure some of those will get fixed in time. IE no minimap, the chat window auto hides.

Not sure if those will get fixed, at least not by Bethesda. Their goal is to remove as much of the interface as possible. I haven't found the lack of a mini-map to be an issue at all.

The latest build is looking and playing better than ever. Some of the fog and lighting effects (and combinations of the two) I saw last night were just brilliant. The atmosphere is really incredible.

Newcastle · Post by **Newcastle** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:48 pm

bummer. Still not a deal breaker. Really like the skill point set up....ie if i wanted to i could be a magic wielding dude, in heavy armor, with a bow. Granted there would be inefficiencies, its nice that the skills are accesible to all classes.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 6:08 pm

Daehawk wrote:I've been invited to the last test before release. Its the latest build too and can test Imperials. Starts this Friday the 14th. Guess Ill try an Imperial. Since they are charging extra for them might as well see what makes them special. im guessing nothing but look.

So I know I hassle you re this game, but did you play this last weekend? And if so, did you try the Imperial?
I started a new character to try out the sorcerer (so I could have a familiar help in fights). It wasn't too bad. I mostly ran around in Glenumbra - so nice not to be surrounded by lava.

Redfive · Post by **Redfive** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:55 pm

I played an Imperial around Khenarthi's Roost (sp)

Only got to about Lvl 6 or so but had a good time.

No, it's not amazingly beautiful, but it wasn't ugly. The skill system looks pretty cool and the PvP looks interesting.

Found myself wanting to play today and yesterday so that seems like a good sign.

Thanks to Steam sales I think this may be the first PC game since D3 release that I may pick up at full price.