The Elder Scrolls Online

[rk47]

They need Liam Neeson to tell them to wake up and save the world.

[Draegan]

I'm trying the beta and so far the game hasn't been as bad as some of the people in this thread have made it out to be.  That's not to say I think the game is good, but it's not the land portion of Pirates of the Burning Sea.

I agree that the three biggest problems I see so far are the terrible opening sequence, godawful UI and the lackluster animations.  The game intro really is terrible.  The so called story doesn't make any kind of sense at all if you stop to think about it for two seconds.  Am I supposed to be just a soul in some kind of underworld?  Because if so, it's really poorly presented since both the voice over and the journal say the soul has been torn from my body, implying that I'm a body without a soul.  Yet I need to be sent back into a body.  So I have no body or soul?  Am I a hologram?  If they mean I'm a disembodied soul, then just say that.  Also, that underworld has the worst security in the history of underworlds.  My favorite part was how all the security eye things are all networked together in such a way so if one is disabled, they all are.  It takes special planning to have a security system that inept.  Anyway, whatever.

As for the UI, the whole thing sucks.  I wonder if they'll be selling a mini-map as DLC?  I mean, that's the only conceivable reason why there isn't one, right?  The animations just don't feel fluid at all and are bland on top of that.  I guess the animations are a marked improvement over Daggerfall, maybe.

That said, there were things I did like.  I like that it's more 'standard' fantasy instead of the over-the-top silly fantasy of WoW or GW2.  It's also the first game since DAoC that I can play a sneaky archer.  Yes Ginaz, guess that I made?    The models and world both look nice enough.  The island I'm on looks a bit drab but that seems to be more of a stylistic choice than a graphics issue.  The game actually runs pretty well on my aging laptop.  I don't know how deep character advancement is but so far there seems to be a lot of choices for customization.  Maybe not as many choices as a single player Elder Scrolls game but certainly more than most MMOs.  We'll see how having only 6 active abilities works out.  That's even less than Secret World.  I'm all for not having ability bloat but I think they may have swung the pendulum too far in the other direction.

Lot's of character customization when you first make your character, too.  I know there are many cynics who think it doesn't matter since everything will be covered up in gaudy armor anyway, but just the process of creating just the right look for my character generates more of an attachment to the character, for me at least.  I could have lived without the ass slider, though.  Also, making an entire race available only to those who pay way too much for a collectors edition is perhaps the slimiest thing I've ever seen an MMO publisher do.

I could go on but I'll leave it at that for now.  I might buy the game if it were on sale for say $20 and there was no sub fee.  At the box price their asking and with a sub fee on top of it, no thanks.

Goto ESOUI.com and download the FTC addon and that is all you need.

[Draegan]

I am not talking about gameplay or graphic quality. I am talking about the presentation, the feel, the sense of involvement. The first one, the Skyrim one, puts you there, makes you care, makes you curious about the surrounding and what forced you in chains, gives you the time to look around (even though you can't move) and listen to the other prisoners and then forces you to pay attention, and the whole thing is perfectly framed by the titles and the clanging sharp sounds that come with it.
The TESO one, even considering some probable "finalizing" that will come with the miracle patch right before launch, simply drops you into a MMORPG and says: "Hey, here's the tutorial and your first quest. Quick, there's no time to be classy, abandon style, forget immersion! Just click here and then there, follow the arrows and get out of the training zone, you know the drill!".

It's a missed opportunity I think, with a game of this caliber you would think they'd make sure to welcome and impress you in the first 30 seconds. In order to do that all they needed was a better storyboard, better ideas, not better technology.

Well, if it's worth anything, the intro to Skyrim was god awful too and I couldn't skip it fast enough to get to playing.

[Numtini]

I don't generally play single player games and when I was going through the Skyrim intro, I was thinking to myself "what was I thinking paying $50 for this." That was quite in contrast with the actual game, which I enjoyed, though not perhaps as much as most people because I'm primarily an MMO player. That should make me the target market for TESO, but the concept and execution of TESO left me totally cold.

[Tmon]

I've been meaning to ask.  Can hats be crafted and worn?  Can you sit in chairs?

[Riggswolfe]

It's a missed opportunity I think, with a game of this caliber you would think they'd make sure to welcome and impress you in the first 30 seconds. In order to do that all they needed was a better storyboard, better ideas, not better technology.

I think if they'd started you en media res, in a fight against the demons or whatever that kidnap you, let you fight until you finally lose,  and then have a cinematic of you getting taken down to that hell prison before starting the tutorial proper, it' work a lot better. I think you'd feel more involved in what is happening and it'd be much more exciting. The problem is, even the prison break doesn't feel tense or exciting. You're just kind of running through hallways fighting the one or two enemies that spawn then leaving.

[Der Helm]

I managed to get out of the prison and of the tropical island. Now I am level 6. I just want to try some PvP but the game does its best to make me ragequit at every corner.

So much fed ex. So much talk to this guy, now talk to this guy. Whoever designed these quests must be incredible proud of his writing skills. So far, in the spawn of about two hours, two apprentices offered to sacrifice themselves for their master to be imprisoned in their place.

SO MUCH TALKING TO NPCS. YOUR STORY IS NOT THAT INTERESTING. LET ME KILL STUFF. Argh.

[Paelos]

No you must watch the story. It won't ever get annoying. Ever. Not even the 3rd time you do it with alts. So much happy.

[Nevermore]

It's pretty easy to skip through the dialog if you don't like all the talking.  Also, I haven't had a single 'get me 10 bear asses' quest yet so at least there's that.

[Der Helm]

It's pretty easy to skip through the dialog if you don't like all the talking.  Also, I haven't had a single 'get me 10 bear asses' quest yet so at least there's that.

Can you skip the "wait for the NPCs to do something" parts ? Like that introduction to Elder Scrolls lore by the Prophet ?

I would be okay with 10 bear asses quest because I WOULD BE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING. Sorcerer Combat is actually some fun. If the game lets you fight stuff.

[Der Helm]

No you must watch the story. It won't ever get annoying. Ever. Not even the 3rd time you do it with alts. So much happy.

I am sure all three factions have distinctly different story lines with decisions that matter.

edit: To avoid a tripple post what the fuck is up with loot / quest rewards. I have not gotten a single piece that would fit a sorcerer and I think I am still using the staff you get in the tutorial/prison 1 minute in.

[Nebu]

edit: To avoid a tripple post what the fuck is up with loot / quest rewards. I have not gotten a single piece that would fit a sorcerer and I think I am still using the staff you get in the tutorial/prison 1 minute in.

After all these years you'd think it would be MMO 101 to make sure that the loot that drops is usable by your class.

[satael]

edit: To avoid a tripple post what the fuck is up with loot / quest rewards. I have not gotten a single piece that would fit a sorcerer and I think I am still using the staff you get in the tutorial/prison 1 minute in.

After all these years you'd think it would be MMO 101 to make sure that the loot that drops is usable by your class.

I think the problem is that everyone can use pretty much everything in ESO.

[Signe]

Yes, I think I keep getting two-handed axes because I'm a Nord.  Unfortunately, I'm a dual wielding Nord assassin.  I also keep getting iron clothing when what I need is leather.  It's okay, though, at least you can craft your own junk.  I'm Signe Saebo on the game right now because that is my name.  I actually found two nice staffs that looked okay but I don't know what I did with them.  Ate them, maybe, because I'm a fat Nord.  Wish I could be fatter because then I could sing.

[Nebu]

I think the problem is that everyone can use pretty much everything in ESO.

How hard would it be to have it do a skill check before the loot roll?

[Tannhauser]

As a sorc, I didn't get any staff drops or quest rewards.  I did make me a nice green Resto staff and got another from the bank from the last beta.  Tell ya one thing this game does better than Skyrim.  Spell combat.  Targeting is much easier and I like most of the spell choices.  *puts on Ring of Flame Resistance +5*

[Threash]

I think the problem is that everyone can use pretty much everything in ESO.

How hard would it be to have it do a skill check before the loot roll?

The quest rewards are custom items based on the quest, not random rolls.

[Lakov_Sanite]

I love mmo's that think they can just figure shit out on the fly.  Everyone can use any loot? Awesome, no possible implications whatsoever, no need to adjust anything!

[Der Helm]

The quest rewards are custom items based on the quest, not random rolls.

Yeah. That is why everybody is running around with the same iron chestpiece as a quest reward from the main quest on treasure island.  

I start to get the feeling that they fucked up the drop rate on cloth. I assume you are supposed to fabricate cloth drops back into resources ? The crafting interface suggested such a think.
So far I stumbled across ONE flax node. By accident because those things do not stand out at all.

edit: In before someone pked my flax joke. 

[Der Helm]

I'm Signe Saebo on the game right now because that is my name. 

I'll try to send you a friend invite. Please be my friend, I need a friend to make it to level 10, where the fun starts.

[Nevermore]

Do the different factions have different lowbie zones?  I've been swimming in Jute from all the jute plants I've come across.  Of course, since I need leather that doesn't help me much.

[Nebu]

Played the beta again this weekend.  I was proud of myself for lasting 30 mins this time.  Back to WoT. 

This is such a dreadfully bland game that even I, a person that loves playing MMOs at release, can't stomach it.

[tmp]

Do the different factions have different lowbie zones?  I've been swimming in Jute from all the jute plants I've come across.  Of course, since I need leather that doesn't help me much.

As far as I can tell they get split by race -- elves and cat people get shared zone with the main quest line involving them both, I'm guessing the others are similar as I haven't seen any players of other races while in the newbie areas.

on the subject of loot, the best source of it in general and especially if you want to be a caster appear to be loot chests. You can open like 5-10 of simple chests with single lockpick that costs maybe 15 gold, and each chest will net either green quality armour piece or green quality weapon, which in 8 times out of 10 will be a staff (the other 2 will be axes, unless it's blue moon, then it will be a sword)

[Nevermore]

The elves and cat people are a faction...

[calapine]

This seems to be a very uneven game. Emotes for example are very well done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUaLFvSEz9U&feature=youtu.be

[Tannhauser]

I kinda like what I've seen from the crafting but haven't done much because I can't fucking find any maple logs!  Maybe it's because everyone is grabbing them, but those damn logs are well camouflaged from my weak-ass eyes.  I don't want fireworks, but can't we get some kind of subtle glow or something?  Herb gathering is just as bad.  

Quest rewards and drops have been overwhelmingly med and heavy armor and no staffs (Elf island).  Real bullshit right there.  

Lastly, the grind is still there.  Looks like they actually cap your level until you do certain quests.  I was on newbie isle, and I couldn't ding 6 until I finished the story quest.  I might be wrong about that, but sure looked that way to me.  Anyone confirm?

This game feels so retro.  In a good way but also in a bad way.  A very bad way.

[Nevermore]

This seems to be a very uneven game. Emotes for example are very well done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUaLFvSEz9U&feature=youtu.be

Now if only they spent half as much time on the combat animations. 

[Ginaz]

I kinda like what I've seen from the crafting but haven't done much because I can't fucking find any maple logs!  Maybe it's because everyone is grabbing them, but those damn logs are well camouflaged from my weak-ass eyes.  I don't want fireworks, but can't we get some kind of subtle glow or something?  Herb gathering is just as bad.  

Quest rewards and drops have been overwhelmingly med and heavy armor and no staffs (Elf island).  Real bullshit right there.  

Lastly, the grind is still there.  Looks like they actually cap your level until you do certain quests.  I was on newbie isle, and I couldn't ding 6 until I finished the story quest.  I might be wrong about that, but sure looked that way to me.  Anyone confirm?

This game feels so retro.  In a good way but also in a bad way.  A very bad way.

There are a few skills you can take that make resources easier to see.  I haven't tried them myself so i don't know if it makes a difference or not.

[Der Helm]

I have played 12 hours over the weekend (what the fuck , that can't be right) and only managed to get to level 8.


The last 4 big quest chains bugged out on the final step, so I did not get the xp reward. Fuck this game. Fuck the people who created this pile of shit. I hope it all crashes and burns.


Wow. I have not felt such anger in a long time.

[tmp]

The elves and cat people are a faction...

Yeah, it's my bad -- I couldn't remember running into a single dark elf, so I thought the third race of the faction was getting their own newbie zone with some others.

[Tannhauser]

Server has shit the bed.

[satael]

The elves and cat people are a faction...

Yeah, it's my bad -- I couldn't remember running into a single dark elf, so I thought the third race of the faction was getting their own newbie zone with some others.

It's bosmer (wood elves), altmer (high? elves) and kha'jit (cat people) for the aldmeri dominion.

[apocrypha]

I had another try at this yesterday. Couldn't stand it for more than 10 mins. It's so fucking ugly. Almost painful to my eyes ugly. I am comparing it to both WoW and Skyrim and it fails miserably on both counts.

WoW looks much more cartoony but uses its art assets much, much better. WoW feels coherent and alive, almost organic. TESO feels disjointed and sterile, utterly sterile and dead. Skyrim is just worlds apart from how TESO looks. My Skyrim is heavily modded so it's not a fair comparison in that respect, but it is dense, lush, colourful, bristling with life. TESO is... none of those things.

Also the animations. Oh god the animations are appalling. My character feels totally disconnected from the environment. There seems to be no transition between animations. Just something simple like running around and jumping was so jarring and poorly done. It looked and felt like watching someone acting badly on a greenscreen with a fake world behind them, like watching an episode of Knightmare!

[tmp]

It's bosmer (wood elves), altmer (high? elves) and kha'jit (cat people) for the aldmeri dominion.

Huh. I went to the character creation again to figure it out and then it made sense, the races there are grouped in columns under their respective faction sign, not in rows like I though they were. That's also why it didn't click for me the cat people and wood elves were the same faction, they're in separate rows on that screen.

In hindsight that layout doesn't do anything wrong and is pretty logical, still managed to confuse me tho

I had another try at this yesterday. Couldn't stand it for more than 10 mins. It's so fucking ugly. Almost painful to my eyes ugly. I am comparing it to both WoW and Skyrim and it fails miserably on both counts.

I think it's mostly the lighting model it uses. It's so washed out it winds up very feeling very flat and pre-HDR like. Keeps reminding me of EQ2.

[Ginaz]

I had another try at this yesterday. Couldn't stand it for more than 10 mins. It's so fucking ugly. Almost painful to my eyes ugly. I am comparing it to both WoW and Skyrim and it fails miserably on both counts.

WoW looks much more cartoony but uses its art assets much, much better. WoW feels coherent and alive, almost organic. TESO feels disjointed and sterile, utterly sterile and dead. Skyrim is just worlds apart from how TESO looks. My Skyrim is heavily modded so it's not a fair comparison in that respect, but it is dense, lush, colourful, bristling with life. TESO is... none of those things.

Also the animations. Oh god the animations are appalling. My character feels totally disconnected from the environment. There seems to be no transition between animations. Just something simple like running around and jumping was so jarring and poorly done. It looked and felt like watching someone acting badly on a greenscreen with a fake world behind them, like watching an episode of Knightmare!

It has a lot of problems but, IMO, the graphics and art style isn't one of them.  The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim, which is fine for an MMO.