I’m going to check this out now.
robc04
3024
Does TESO do anything better than Skyrim does? I’m not interested in multiplayer stuff like clans if they have that.
As far as I’m concerned, pretty much all the character building/levelling mechanics are better than any previous Elder Scrolls title, and although this is fairly faint praise, I think the combat is better as well.
That said, it is not as good at any of the things Skyrim (or Morrowind) are actually good at.
So, I’m out in the main world now. I still have threads from the tutorial area. Is everyone around me a twink, or did I miss a lot of goodies in the tutorial area?
rei
3027
Broken quest instancing forced people to solo all their quests.
Redfive
3028
I think there are a couple of skyshards you can get in the tutorial area but, no, you aren’t really missing anything. There is an option to completely skip the tutorial area if you want.
Oghier
3029
You can skip the tutorial area, but you’ll miss the beginning of the main quest storyline. If you’re someone who cares about the storylines, you really should do the main quest in the beginner area. If you don’t care about the storylines, this may not be the best game for you anyway, as that’s where they spent the development budget ;)
Ok. Thanks.
I’m dying a lot, but I think I’m still getting used to the mechanics.
They’re redesigning the armor in the game.
http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/2015/02/09/ready-for-war-orc-and-redguard-armor
In Update 6, you’ll see that we’ve spent some time working on the Orc and Redguard armor sets, giving them more details and making them look more realistic.
Damn, no Chicks in Chainmail armour?
I JOKE!
I got some decent time in this over the weekend.
I’m enjoying it. So far at least, the quests aren’t “collect 10 bear asses” but that’ll probably change.
I wonder how well they’ll do with B2P. From what I’ve seen, they keep the armor style consistent and lore-friendly (which is laudable), but I don’t see the shiny element in their cosmetics that people will shell out extra money for (compared to say, Guild wars 2.)
stusser
3035
I expect ESO to do extremely well on consoles, assuming the implementation lives up to what they’ve shown so far. It may be the second truly successful console MMO, after FFXXIVVGIIX on Playstation.
I really hope so, only with the desire that it keeps the computer game version alive and healthy. My dirty little secret is that I am an alliance rank 25 Khajiit Magicka Night Blade Duel Wielding Assassin fighting for the Pact. I’ve finished top 50 in the Pact a couple of times on Thornblade.
Seriously though this has been such a wonderful pvp game. Yes, it’s got its problems and warts but I’ve never had so much fun fighting, ganking and sneaking around and basically just having a good time. I’ve finished the main story as well as Caldwell’s Silver and Gold and had a blast. I’m not a big PvE player and spend most of my time in Cyrodiil.
1.6 is coming out and it’s a complete systems redesign. They are adding an almost infinite (well very long) grind passive buff system called The Champion System. I’m honestly a little nervous because it means some not so nice changes to a build that I had perfected for my own PvP play style. In the end there will be a lot of beard tearing and complaining about nerf this or op that but the pvp will still have me coming back. My hope is that some console success will let them finally make some long overdue additions to PvP like the Imperial City. So the game will be changing but Pvp, PvP never changes. :)
KevinC
3037
That’s pretty awesome, Vic. When I played the month of release, Cyrodiil was ruined for me by the Veteran Rank rushers overrunning everything. Fighting them was pretty much like trying to take on a UFC fighter as a toddler. I know they later split the VR people into their own Cyrodiil campaigns, but by that time I was unsubscribed and waiting for F2P.
I’ve really been looking forward to trying out the Justice system, as I felt that kind of content is what was missing from a MMO bearing the Elder Scrolls moniker. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the rollout of that seems to coincide with the move to F2P. Looking forward to diving back in next month.
I had the same experience actually. I still remember being like level 45 and getting mauled by a VR DK and then having to watch him do the dig your grave emote and play a little flute music to finish off the service. :) I almost quit right there. But I stuck it out and split my time leveling up to VR10 and dabbling in the PvP. Eventually I was just playing PvP.
I also think a lot of my constant dying had to do with learning the system and also the ebb and flow of the game on the map. I play most of my game in stealth and then hit hard with a burst to kill in 3 seconds or less. If I don’t succeed then I have to run. Which is as it should be. My second bar is just for escape and evasion. I could change my build for some more stand up fight endurance but I’m not a very good sustain player. I can’t manage resources at all.
But the nice thing about the game is that it does a good job of catering to a lot of different play styles. You just have to keep your ambitions in check. If you want to be a 1 v X player ridding your horse up to the blob or zerg and rambo it, you will go down eventually. And archers are annoying but they serve their purpose. I’m actually an annoying part of the pvp eco system as well. I mostly feed off the wounded and weak in the back line or riding a horse to the battle. Nobody likes getting killed like that.
And don’t get me wrong. PvP in ESO has some major problems still. Some everybody would agree on like lag, population imbalances and some lack of love compared to the PvE. I hate shield stacking, bolt escaping stun you sorcs but they probably hate me too. If I can catch them with their shields down that is. Otherwise I am toast. ;0
How does the PvP in ESO work? (I’ve never really tried PvP in any MMO in the past) I hear that Ebonheart has by far the highest population, so does that mean that generally they just steamroller everyone else? If I join either AD or DC, should I expect more deaths/less rewards?
KevinC
3040
There’s a separate map/zone (a big one) where realm vs realm battles take place. It has objectives like forts and castles for players of each faction to be captured. Players can also construct siege weaponry to attack and defend forts with.
I can’t speak of ESO’s current state, but back at release there were multiple different campaigns going on at once, so while Ebonheart might be winning one campaign, AD might be winning the other. That might all be consolidated down into one single Campaign now, though, so someone like Vic would have to detail how things currently stand.
Yeah Kevin has it right. Glorious Cyrodiil. If you played Oblivion you will recognize the place. 3 Factions each with its own little corner of the map and and a circle of 6 castles/keeps around the Imperial City in the middle. If any faction controls all 6 then their top scoring player is crowned Emperor and the entire faction gets a bonus. Each faction also has two scrolls in their home areas that the other factions can grab by capturing the enemy home keeps, unlocking a gate and then assaulting a temple with the scroll.
It’s really very nicely laid out. I never played Dark Age of Camelot PvP but the designer for that game did ESO. Brian Wheeler. DAoC was apparently very well regarded. I have to say again that I have never had so much fun in a PvP game. Even though it’s the same elements over and over it never gets old for me.
I’ve had some great moments like being the last defender in an outpost, staying in stealth and waiting for the repair brigade to start replacing the wall then dropping hot oil down on them. I’ve manned a catapult and thought I was going to be overwhelmed at a keep only to have the cavalry show up at the last moment and sweep (zerg) the enemy clean and keep going straight out the breached wall.
Ganking as they call it is a lot of fun. I run solo but 2 or 3 man groups hang out along the transit routes waiting for reinforcements to ride by and then ambush them. I usually wait for a lone low level player on his horse, position myself in stealth and then crit and stun the poor guy especially if he has been riding hard and has no stamina left on his horse. Lots of fun. :)
Like I said 1.6 hits the street next Tuesday most likely and it will be a complete overhaul of all the game mechanics. In addition to the Champion System they are also adding the Justice System which lets you steal/pickpocket form NPC’s. If you remember walking around town robbing everyone blind in an Elder Scrolls game you will now be able to do that. For me it means that I can improve my sneaking ability with the new Legerdemain skill line.
In the chance that any ESO guys read this, please do an old magicka night blade a favor and take a look at our gap closer! You turned the one I use (Ambush) into a stamina skill and the only remaining magicka gap closer is Lotus Fan which is a DoT and really gimps my burst. :)
Oh yeah. Ebonheart Pact on Thornblade has been on a roll of late but it still is very competitive. We call the other factions Smurfs (Blue Daggerfall Covenant) and Bees or Bananas (Yellow Aldmeri Dominion). Lots of really good players on all sides.
Edit: There is a Not Vet rank campaign, a 7 day campaign, a 14 day campaign and 2 30 day campaigns. Thornblade (30 day) is probably the most active (North America) but the others get some population during peak hours. Not sure about the European servers.
Vic, you just described very similarly some of my late-nite DAoC PvP experiences. I used to stay up until 4-5am playing that damn game (pre kids), it was my first MMO and it remains my favorite PvP game.
