The Elder Scrolls Online

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Ryanz

<Banned>
18,901
52,944
Don't think I'll make it past the 1 month mark on this one. I honestly thought the game was going to be a heaping pile, and with that in mind, I was actually pleasantly surprised once I played it and got a bit past the noobie stages. That being said, the game has a lot of issues.

I've never seen so many broken quests in a game that has just been released. I mean...The starting areas should have been polished and ready to go for release, that's pretty essential stuff for an MMO being released. You really don't want your players first impressions of your game to be that it's a poorly coded mess. I ran into at least 5 bugged quests in just the first area, not to mention the very first newbie dungeon I go to is completely bugged and you cannot spawn the last boss. I mean really? The very first dungeon that a player is going to experience in your game and it's bugged out? That's just sloppy.

Inventory space is my next gripe. You give the player a big open world, and the ability to look in all of these chests, crates, and barrels, and then you give them an inventory that is too small to appease collecting these materials to craft with plus just going out and looting mobs and getting quest rewards. At the very least they should have made two separate inventories starting at 70 item limit for each that split your resources between main items such as armor, weapons, etc, and then another inventory just for crafting materials. Having to manage your inventory every hour or so because you have to pick up all of these different ingredients for provisioning and also find room for items you pick up along your way killing mobs, and doing quests is not fun. You shouldn't have to make mule characters just to afford yourself enough space to play the game.

And finally just to wrap this up, the issue of skills not actually going off when you use them, but still using up mana/stamina is becoming increasingly annoying. I didn't seem to have this problem at first, but it seems to be getting worse and worse. In some cases I'm spamming a skill 3-4 times...seeing the animation, but it's not actually registering and doing any dmg.

Anyways, the game is just an "okay" MMO. Nothing really special about it, other then the fact that I didn't absolutely hate it from the very start, but certainly not worth sticking around past the one month mark.
 

Gutterflesh

Parody Account
<Gold Donor>
8,411
44,092
Meh. Just cancel the three month sub, then re-up for month to month... or unsub until you feel confident they've fixed gamebreaker issues for you.

Or put the box on the shelf until it goes F2P, then dust it off again.

Pretty easy thing to fix, unlike their megaserver tech.

As long as you don't have any regrets about buying the game, you shouldn't have any regrets at all worth losing sleep over a sub you can easily cancel in five minutes since you haven't used up your 30 days yet.
I hear you, man. Typically I'm really cautious about picking up a new MMO especially on launch. I really wanted to hold off on ESO until it was in a stable state, but I had a couple friends pumping me up about it so I said fuck it and jumped in head first.

More than anything I'm probably just annoyed at myself for not sticking with my instincts. I guess if there is a silver lining in all of this it's being able to tell all my knuckle head friends "I told you so!".

Maybe "piece of shit" is an overly harsh description of the game. The game can be quite enjoyable, but there are some serious issues that need to get sorted ASAP or people will just give up and quit. Once people are gone it can be really difficult convincing them to come back especially if some other game grabs their attention.
 

Rescorla_sl

shitlord
2,233
0
And finally just to wrap this up, the issue of skills not actually going off when you use them, but still using up mana/stamina is becoming increasingly annoying. I didn't seem to have this problem at first, but it seems to be getting worse and worse. In some cases I'm spamming a skill 3-4 times...seeing the animation, but it's not actually registering and doing any dmg.
I've seen that complaint voiced several times. I think a lot of what you are experiencing is you are getting hit with a stun but the crappy UI does not do anything obvious to inform you that you got stunned so you keep pressing buttons but nothing is happening.

The reason it may be happening more and more for you is because for PVE mobs, the higher level they are the higher chance their AI script includes the stun capability.
 

Vitality

HUSTLE
5,808
30
I've seen that complaint voiced several times. I think a lot of what you are experiencing is you are getting hit with a stun but the crappy UI does not do anything obvious to inform you that you got stunned so you keep pressing buttons but nothing is happening.

The reason it may be happening more and more for you is because for PVE mobs, the higher level they are the higher chance their AI script includes the stun capability.
The ability delay is also a result of the animation prioritization in their re-hash of the Hero Engine. I notice this all the time with my Funnel Health spam in PVP, if I time the spam correctly I can get off an extra funnel health as opposed to spamming the piss out of it and have it "Pump Fake" a couple times. Resulting in a net DPS loss for piss spamming vs structured spamming.

This was a very very common issue in SWTOR, but is less pronounced in ESO, thank god.
 

Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
<Gold Donor>
47,437
81,005
The animation queue is so weird in this game but at least it presents an opportunity for skillful gameplay where the optimal actions involve activating your next move long before your current one is finished.
 

lost

<Bronze Donator>
3,227
3,494
So in the final assault quest, where you have to hold a flame from touching these fire lamps to open a library gate.. how does this work? been runnin around grabbing flames but dont see anything to charge it to
 

Vitality

HUSTLE
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So in the final assault quest, where you have to hold a flame from touching these fire lamps to open a library gate.. how does this work? been runnin around grabbing flames but dont see anything to charge it to
Gotta aim at the big butthole on the wall while having a flame active in your hand then press "E" or whatever your interact key is when it prompts you to. Have to be within a certain range of the butthole too.

AFAIK: It's the only quest with an interact function at range, so it's confusing as fk to people who don't just randomly aim at wall-butts.

This one took me a while to figure out and I'm a fking god at this game. /modest
 

Gecko_sl

shitlord
1,482
0
I'm not sure I'll keep my sub going past a month simply because I hate the combat in this game. The more I play it, the more it irks me. The ability delay and animations just add to my dislike, but overall I just don't care for their combat system. It's like they took the worst of Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 and mashed them together.

The class design and skills are great. The world is gorgeous. The music is stunning. The quests are fine. However for me everything about the combat just sucks ass. They should have either went pure action or pure tab targetting, preferably the later.

I fired up SWTOR and realized how much more I prefer it's combat system, although I like pretty much everything else about TESO a bit more.

My other issue is in my first 20something levels, the game really plays way too much like a single player game with a lot of other people running around. It's a shame this wasn't just a coop Elder Scrolls game with a big marketplace with guild level PVP tacked on top. It feels less MMOish to me than the static worlds of MMOs of the last decade. It's like we're going backwards.
 

Vitality

HUSTLE
5,808
30
I'm not sure I'll keep my sub going past a month simply because I hate the combat in this game. The more I play it, the more it irks me. The ability delay and animations just add to my dislike, but overall I just don't care for their combat system. It's like they took the worst of Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 and mashed them together.

The class design and skills are great. The world is gorgeous. The music is stunning. The quests are fine. However for me everything about the combat just sucks ass. They should have either went pure action or pure tab targetting, preferably the later.

I fired up SWTOR and realized how much more I prefer it's combat system, although I like pretty much everything else about TESO a bit more.
My other issue is in my first 20something levels, the game really plays way too much like a single player game with a lot of other people running around. It's a shame this wasn't just a coop Elder Scrolls game with a big marketplace with guild level PVP tacked on top. It feels less MMOish to me than the static worlds of MMOs of the last decade. It's like we're going backwards.
I take it you don't have a group to PVP with?

I could tell atleast 10 great stories from the past week and a half about some really nutsass PVP jaunts I've had with the skirmish boys (and girl). #tittyrock #14v60bridgefuck #FarmFarm #assjamExtravaganza #scrollgatewoogabooga #DipDipPotatoChip

I don't blame you on your choice to cancel, and I hate to say it but I told you so, buying this game for anything other than group PVP was and will continue to be a foolish mistake. This is, of course, unless their PVE-epeen Time Trials turn out to be solid gold and not Gold Plated Turd.

PS: In regards to Titty Rock, you had to have been there to understand.
 

Vitality

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FWIW: I subbed for 3 months because Tuco's boys are godlike. I obviously bought this game for the right reasons.

Grains of salt to be had for all.
 

Rescorla_sl

shitlord
2,233
0
So 10 days after launch it's the usual "well time to regrettably unsub"

is that a new record? F2P when?
Not even close. The few people who have said they won't subscribe are primarily the same people who said up front they would likely only play the first 30 days to get their money's worth from the box purchase.

My bet is at least 3 years before it goes FTP.
 
All of its flaws aside, I do think ESO is a fundamentally good game. However I question its longevity. I do not see myself paying a sub for this game after I've done all the PvE content and romped around in PvP till I'm satisfied. For me, that will be about 2 to 3 months max. Adventure zones look like a nice run through a couple of times, but they don't look very progression-oriented. In the long run, I could definitely see myself logging in for a few days every month to enjoy the game, but again not at the cost of a sub. They've got to do or add something much more substantial to justify one.
 

Jackdaddio_sl

shitlord
727
0
So 10 days after launch it's the usual "well time to regrettably unsub"

is that a new record? F2P when?
I think it's a combo of what Vit, Gecko and Ryanz said.

For all the running around you do, you do most of it solo. While that's in any themepark, it really hurts here more because of the weird "Can't group with my bud" feature people sometimes get where they can't help on quests they've done already because their particular view of that world already changed. One thing about TOR was even if you finished shit, you could always go and help buds out and you never had a problem seeing them because of how their phasing worked. You simply see what Phase they were in, and port to that one (if it wasn't full) and continue. Seeing other parts of people's questline made me actually want to play those as alts (Agent specifically). Was nice being able to kill some asshole your buddy couldn't and even understand from the movie why you were doing it. FFXIV has a level down feature where you can go back and help out buds or do FATEs. There is a certain amount of replay value in games that allow those things, where TESO doesn't (from what I gather). It's pretty much a 'one and done' game.

ESO just feels too much like an average solo player game because you're always going to compare it to Skyrim or the older ES games and on that front it lacks. Example for me:

In TESO, you can pick up and carry anything as long as you have space (which goes very fast) but in ES games you have a 'weight' consideration built in you already are aware of. So if you want to carry that plate that weighs .05 lbs or whatever, you're gonna have to drop some other shit or spend a point to get stronger. That plays into the strategy of a single player game, but ESO is a mmo and it plays against it because you're competing with other people. In mmos, that's not the ideal where it's usually you have unlimited amounts of space practically.

The PvP is the meat in this game imo, always was when you consider all the broken quests and weird dungeon party play. See people screaming at healer to heal them or a tank to aoe taunt because they don't understand how it all works, which is party Zeni's fault.

The speed at which this game goes F2P will be determined by how many people will think it's worth it to pay $15/month to PvP. It was always about that because the PvE is okay but it's nothing new so that means the usual exodus was/is going to happen anyways. Once people settle down and decide whether they are tired of PRX ripping them new holes every night, they will have that moment where they wonder if they should just play GW2 instead and save the money.
 

rhinohelix

Dental Dammer
<Gold Donor>
3,045
5,014
I'm not sure I'll keep my sub going past a month simply because I hate the combat in this game. The more I play it, the more it irks me. The ability delay and animations just add to my dislike, but overall I just don't care for their combat system. It's like they took the worst of Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 and mashed them together.

The class design and skills are great. The world is gorgeous. The music is stunning. The quests are fine. However for me everything about the combat just sucks ass. They should have either went pure action or pure tab targetting, preferably the later.

I fired up SWTOR and realized how much more I prefer it's combat system, although I like pretty much everything else about TESO a bit more.

My other issue is in my first 20something levels, the game really plays way too much like a single player game with a lot of other people running around. It's a shame this wasn't just a coop Elder Scrolls game with a big marketplace with guild level PVP tacked on top. It feels less MMOish to me than the static worlds of MMOs of the last decade. It's like we're going backwards.
To me it plays like every other MMO lately, or at least how I play them: I solo as much as possible and group/ersatz group in PVE when I have to for a particular goal. The game feels like a reasonable translation of an Elder Scrolls game into the MMO space. I am loving that at least for the first 20-something levels, I can craft gear almost as good as you can find dropped. I haven't had the terrible bugged quest experience that some have had but the occasional one doesn't get me down, as there is always something else to do. "Unsafe Haven" not working? Move on to Briarberry's Nusack or whatever and become a Nutranger for the forest. The world is large and neat, and although not as many little secrets as the single-player ES games, there are an amazing amount of little nuggets hidden away. Very much like GW2 and TSW, this game is right in my sweet spot (what did I just say?) for exploration, crafting, and leveling.

Combat is trickier, because its very much different in my experience than how most MMOs "feel", the whole windup/timing/aiming thing can be difficult to get right, and its the most finicky as to doing everything right. I often have that "why.wont.this.wig.come.off!" moment when trying to fire something, only to realize I am not crosshaired in on a target, which means my ability is not lit. As Tuco indicated, there is going to be a wide range of skill and results from asshat_newb01 standing in one spot pressing buttons vs. a skilled player.

They also have their technical challenges, although I would think fairly in-line with other MMOs at launch. We just don't have as many any more to compare against, and expect really high polish in the space. All in all for me, even with my issues (D3D renderer stopped working after first patch,along with ISP issues killing two or three of my early access days; OpenGL renderer would bleed FPS, from 60 down to the low teens, forcing a full-on quit and relog every hour. Finally resolved by upgrading from Win8 to Win8.1; now I am back to constant 100 fps down to 70's in the cities), I have really enjoyed the game, and expect to get my normal 6 months per MMO out of it.
 

Rescorla_sl

shitlord
2,233
0
The PvP is the meat in this game imo, always was when you consider all the broken quests and weird dungeon party play. See people screaming at healer to heal them or a tank to aoe taunt because they don't understand how it all works, which is party Zeni's fault.
I actually hope the players who aren't smart enough to figure out this game's group dungeon mechanics quit. That is preferable to them whining and complaining the PVE dungeon content is too hard because there is no AOE tanking, the healer keeps dying, the group keeps wiping, etc and getting it nerfed down to WoW level of simplicity.
 

Vitality

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I actually hope the players who aren't smart enough to figure out this game's group dungeon mechanics quit. That is preferable to them whining and complaining the PVE dungeon content is too hard because there is no AOE tanking, the healer keeps dying, the group keeps wiping, etc and getting it nerfed down to WoW level of simplicity.
I AOE tank with Sap Essence, ezpz.
 

Rescorla_sl

shitlord
2,233
0
I AOE tank with Sap Essence, ezpz.
You doing that in VR private dungeons or Cyrodil public torch dungeons in a grind group? Big difference between the two in terms of mob difficulty.

There is also no AOE taunt in the game so the only way it will work for you is when you are outDPSing everyone else in your group. Once again, possible in a public torch dungeon but not in private dungeons where the mob AI is coded to spread out and attack everyone in the group.