Author Topic: The Elder Scrolls Online  (Read 3049 times)

Super Firebug

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The Elder Scrolls Online
« on: September 07, 2017, 04:53:44 PM »
I still enjoy ES4: Oblivion, so I wanted very much to love this game. But the fact that the door missions that I did weren't on instanced maps was a jarring revelation. Guild Wars and City of Heroes were my two first MMOs, and I didn't try any others for a long time, so maybe they spoiled me with their instanced mission maps. But I still haven't gotten over the first time I was in an ESO door mission, solo, and another player ran up and attacked the critter that I was fighting. Having "outside" players on MY mission map? I don't think that I can get used to that.
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Castegyre

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2017, 05:56:39 PM »
The spouse and I are taking a break from ESO for several reasons at the moment, but I still think it's a good game for the more casual oriented players. Most of the content is open world to some extent, but I actually like that. I don't necessarily want to group with all the people that I see running around, but I like to know there's other people playing the game with me. Sometimes having those other people around can be cooperative or a bit competitive, but nothing we found outside of our comfort range.

Exxar

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2017, 09:24:43 PM »
Unfortunately if you're so accustomed to CoH's instancing that you are having troubles with non-instanced content, most MMOs will disappoint you. I haven't found any MMO since CoH to be that heavily instanced, and the vast majority had very few instancing of that kind at all. The most instanced one I think is SWTOR, and only with about, dunno, 25% of missions at best I think. If you discount the class story missions, most of those are instanced but if you play the game long-term you spend most of your time by far outside of them.

Exxar

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2017, 09:25:01 PM »
Btw, If you ask me ESO is the best MMO currently on the market.

Xev

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2017, 02:49:56 AM »
Most of the content is open world to some extent, but I actually like that. I don't necessarily want to group with all the people that I see running around, but I like to know there's other people playing the game with me. Sometimes having those other people around can be cooperative or a bit competitive, but nothing we found outside of our comfort range.

Good summation of the non-instanced mmo experience.

I once thought instanced play..... cheapened..? diminished..? vaniliarized? the mmo experience, some... it shrank an mmo world and divided it up into neat, sterile, little slices. On the other hand, instanced play solves all kinds of complaints and problems which is why it's popular with game makers. I thought instances were cheesy when they were first introduced but now it's about all I play and I'm used to it. And I am a big fan of queue systems, which, are pretty much all about instanced play. Majority open world play still seems bigger, 'realer', more adventuresome. More old school.
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Super Firebug

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2017, 06:01:08 AM »
I don't mind that "outside" has other players in it; I expect that. But, when I go into a building, sewer, etc., for a mission/quest, that's different. So, another player's showing up during my ESO door quest was unusual. As I said, CoX may have spoiled me; to my mind, door maps are private, and defeated/killed critters do not respawn on them (the occasional rezzing Freakshow were bad enough in that regard).
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eabrace

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2017, 07:33:55 AM »
I find myself entirely amazed at the way that ESO instances the content you see without placing you in an instanced map.  You can run around in the same area as other players and while they're seeing hostile enemies all around and battling their way from building to building, you might be finished with the quests in that area and surrounded by friendly NPCs instead.  And it all blends together seamlessly.  It blows my mind.

Running in dungeons is interesting because whether you're on a team or not, there doesn't seem to be any significant difference in reward for defeating enemies solo or with the assistance of another player.  The only difference seems to be how fast the enemies are defeated.  You still have the same chance at loot drops from the bodies.  I can't really say what the difference in XP is (if there is one) because I never really watched that closely.  If there is a difference, it didn't feel like it changed the speed at which I was progressing through the game.

The biggest draw for me, though, is that I can solo to my heart's content.  (I know, I know, there's that whole "Why would you play an MMO if you want to solo?" mindset, but I just like to play games and be left alone for the most part.)  I have one character I've been playing since the first free-to-play anniversary weekend that's at level 50 and somewhere around 240 champion points beyond that, and I've never teamed with anyone.  And I still have over half of the zones in the game left to explore, so there's plenty of content still waiting for me.  ESO is probably the most casual-friendly game I've seen since CoH.  I love that.
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Xev

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2017, 02:57:21 PM »
(I know, I know, there's that whole "Why would you play an MMO if you want to solo?" mindset, but I just like to play games and be left alone for the most part.) 

I rarely feel the need to team with anyone in RL, either, but, it's nice knowing their around. That world would be an emptier place without other players, too. Same principle.

Elder Scrolls is a super old game title. I remember selling it but I don't remember much about playing it. The online version sounds fun.
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Castegyre

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Re: The Elder Scrolls Online
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2017, 05:52:19 PM »
My two problems with the way content is handled in ESO are pretty straight forward. If someone has already done a particular quest and their grouped with a friend who hasn't they may not be able to help their friend get the quest done. The game is better about this than it was, but it still might lock you out of your friend's instance so you can't help them. Also, the quest tracker might drive you insane or send you in circles from time to time trying to follow it to an objective depending on the situation.