Elder Scrolls Online

[Tecmos Deception]

Originally Posted by Kayso [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Isn't that ok? I'm just finally working on Bio Shock Infinite. I really like it, but I'll never play it again when I am done. If most people agree that BSI is a good game, why the standard that an MMO has to last 5-10 years in order to be a good game?

If the time I spend leveling up, farming for tradeskills, grinding reputations, facerolling dailies, sitting around waiting on AFK/dumb people in raids... if that was all as fun as the campaign in a solid FPS then no, that MMO would not need to be running strong for a decade to be a "good game."

But that shit is not as fun as SP games. The ride in MMOs is generally not fun enough to only just reach the destination and then quit for good, or something along those lines. Half (or more) of the appeal in an MMO for me (and lots/most others, I'd wager) is looking back at what you've done in order to get to where you are. An MMO isn't worth the time if you spend a couple months playing to get to max level and a month pissing around on the same endgame mechanics that every post-wow MMO has at max level before you quit. You should have just played half-life again or something instead; it would have been more fun and cheaper/free.

[Kayso]

Originally Posted by Tecmos Deception [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If the time I spend leveling up, farming for tradeskills, grinding reputations, facerolling dailies, sitting around waiting on AFK/dumb people in raids... if that was all as fun as the campaign in a solid FPS then no, that MMO would not need to be running strong for a decade to be a "good game."

But that shit is not as fun as SP games. The ride in MMOs is generally not fun enough to only just reach the destination and then quit for good, or something along those lines. Half (or more) of the appeal in an MMO for me (and lots/most others, I'd wager) is looking back at what you've done in order to get to where you are. An MMO isn't worth the time if you spend a couple months playing to get to max level and a month pissing around on the same endgame mechanics that every post-wow MMO has at max level before you quit. You should have just played half-life again or something instead; it would have been more fun and cheaper/free.

Other than in EQ, I never put in enough hours to get to the "top end" of a game. I quit EQ during early GoD when my guild was just starting PoT. At that time, looking back at what I "accomplished" did nothing for me other than make me sad thinking about all the time wasted. Spending that much time in a game isn't good for anyone.

That said, if it weren't for the hardcore players, the come and go casuals like myself wouldn't have any reason to ever play an MMO over a normal game. To the point you're saying that, I agree.

[Lune]

Have done a lot of cyrodil and some dungeons now.

There's so many design decisions they've made that I disagree with on paper and I want to bitch about it, but I find myself having shitloads of fun and looking forward to playing more. Definitely some feelings I haven't felt since vanilla WoW, which caught me by surprise given how cynical I've become, especially about this title in particular.

If you find the Cyrodil keep zergs distasteful, there are places you can go for smaller scale pvp. Just had a three-faction skirmish in Cheydinhal; two ebonhearts tried to gank me while I was getting a quest, and two dominions rushed in to help me. One covenant bystander got dragged into it. Then more people started coming and by the time I died it was a full blown streetfight. Carnage etc.

Relatively high stakes too because it put me about a 5 minute walk away at the nearest dominion keep we had just captured. Could have been much further.

Often you'll get people skirmishing on the periphery of a large siege, and smaller groups fighting over mines/farms.

[Oogei]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC4GVM1kCnA

[liveitup1216]

I tried to give the closed beta a fair shake, but I was so bored. I like their class/skill system, but its poorly implemented. Be and do and wear anything you want, but you'll be subpar unless you follow the cookie cutter setups and bonuses that are built into the trees and races. (This is an assumption, as I don't truly know the impact of this at higher levels. Though this is rather moot since the whole "suffer early game until you reach the real endgame" development mentality is still shitty design.)

I can see myself doing the usual MMO flow: buy it, play it until you've ridden all the rides, then never log in again. If they pull that off I'd call it a success for Zenimax, though still a failure for the genre.

[MrSparkle001]

Angry Joe is liking the PvP just like I knew he would:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82pz60iGL0

[Grubbz]

Originally Posted by MrSparkle001 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Angry Joe is liking the PvP just like I knew he would:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82pz60iGL0

Funny how he went from "This game sucks" to "OMG IM PLAYING THIS GAME NOW"


Yup everyone will come play teso eventually.

[MrSparkle001]

Funny, for me EQ was the one game I didn't want to reach the end game in. I just kept making new characters. The early levels were the most fun; the end game felt like a chore and sometimes a job requiring me to schedule time for. I no longer had the freedom to log in whenever I wanted and get things done in game and so low levels were what I played.

[stormlord]

Originally Posted by MrSparkle001 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Funny, for me EQ was the one game I didn't want to reach the end game in. I just kept making new characters. The early levels were the most fun; the end game felt like a chore and sometimes a job requiring me to schedule time for. I no longer had the freedom to log in whenever I wanted and get things done in game and so low levels were what I played.

Nice comments.

A lot of what you say is tied to grouping or guilds.

Have you played ESO or what?? I wonder how friendly its grouping system is. For example, how hard is it to get a group going? What happens if someone AFK's or isn't the right level or is gimp?

If games could make grouping more convenient like soloing it'd be a lot better.

One bad experience I had was in Dungeons and Dragons Online. Soloing was ok. But the moment I grouped I was forced to rush through places and really not knowing WTF is going on. At the end of it, you'd get your experience and rewards, but you'd be like WTF just happened? The problem is I could play at my own pace when soloing and enjoy it, but in groups everybody rushed and I couldn't stay interested. This is where single player games are just better. You play at your own pace and can smell the roses.

BTW I did have the chance to enjoy SMALL groups a few times, especially if they were new like me. They didn't rush as much. So we kind of figured things out together and I got to really feel like I was there. Smaller groups in general will move slower which allowed me to take in everytyhing better.

[MrSparkle001]

Originally Posted by stormlord [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Nice comments.

A lot of what you say is tied to grouping or guilds.

Have you played ESO or what?? I wonder how friendly its grouping system is. For example, how hard is it to get a group going? What happens if someone AFK's or isn't the right level or is gimp?

If games could make grouping more convenient like soloing it'd be a lot better.

I've been testing ESO yeah but I haven't grouped. There's no real need to at the lower levels, but you do have to group to do some of the dungeons.

In EQ I wound up preferring to solo when I could, partly because spending time lfg was annoying and partly because even though guilds helped with grouping it was equally annoying to have to schedule time to play because of a scheduled raid or whatever (this is not unique to EQ. Every MMO so far has been like this). No way will I EVER schedule specific times to play a videogame. If I have time and feel like it I'll play. I'm not going to schedule time to play at 9 PM PST to raid a dungeon with the guild; if I'm on I'm on and if not oh well. Maybe I just want to watch TV then or want to play something else.

I like the freedom to do what I want and go AFK when I want. Can't do that so easily when you're always required to group or certain content has set times you have to be there for. Then it starts interfering with real life, even if only in a small way.