The Long Term Future of ESO, A Constructive Analysis

Melian

Granz wrote: »

I fear that no name plate will give no guild recognition and will hurt the community immensely. Seeing a guild in PvP is critical to the community. I can't even tell if someone is in a guild to do recruitment. This is huge miss with this game. IMO this needs to be added in ASAP.

Couldn't you do that with guild tabards or something?

Nooblet

Name plates I kinda miss, should be optional.

Chat bubbles.. also would be nice to have optional, not huge deal for me though.

I think guild auction houses aren't working that well. Zone chat is the typical method of selling it seems. And zone chat is basically just a spam fest of WTS with items linked. I'd like an auction system that's a bit more effective.

Marking? No thanks. I've never been a fan of the marking system being implemented in mmos. It's certainly not necessary. However nameplates would help the situation to be able to communicate better what to focus first.

Zakua

Well I do not want chat bubbles and nameplate but I see your points. Seems it'd be easy enough to implement them as something the player could toggle on / off.

Economy...I don't even.. I didn't even know you could sell or buy via other players lol. I just make what I need and decon the rest, though I do see a point in having a robust market system....some players really do want to be "the Blacksmith" (my brother for instance), so yeah they should work on a better economy/market system (SWG forever!).

Yes in groups, would be awesome to be able to mark the next target, good idea!

Willow

Call me crazy but thus far this game is mostly what I wanted back in 2001 when I hoped for a online version of TES.

I like seeing another player running through the land as I am adventuring. I like to have the option to "chat" if I choose. I also just pretend others do not exist when I am in a area where the story fits better if I were alone. (camps,caves etc).

I think there are many reasons why this game will last.

mutharex

Willow wrote: »

Call me crazy but thus far this game is mostly what I wanted back in 2001 when I hoped for a online version of TES.

I like seeing another player running through the land as I am adventuring. I like to have the option to "chat" if I choose. I also just pretend others do not exist when I am in a area where the story fits better if I were alone. (camps,caves etc).

I think there are many reasons why this game will last.

100% this. If people can spend hundreds if not thousands of hours with a SP TES game, imagine with this

ahstin2001nub18_ESO

the guild store needs refinement and dare i say vast improvements, however, i believe what their intent is with the guild stores are many micro-economies along with one macro economy. that being said the macro-economy needs a trade channel. for me right now, i have my trade guild and zone in one tab and all other permanent more relevant chat windows in another tab. i also wonder if they expect you to use the trade guild channel for the selling/buying in an interactive form. i am a big fan of the virtual reality world of RPGs but face it... there are no chat channels in real life dark ages worlds (for example).

nhisso

I love when gamers assume that their opinions are valid because they believe them to be so. Not to say peoples' opinions are NOT vaild, but just because you want or don't want something doesn't mean everyone feels the same as you. Presenting your arguments with an "I think something and know what the world wants" attitude is ridiculous.

Vikova

nhisso wrote: »

I love when gamers assume that their opinions are valid because they believe them to be so. Not to say peoples' opinions are NOT vaild, but just because you want or don't want something doesn't mean everyone feels the same as you. Presenting your arguments with an "I think something and know what the world wants" attitude is ridiculous.

Surely a post on the forums will sway tens of thousands of minds.

grimnitz

Early Impressions of a Journeyman Bosmer Bonesmith:
The game becomes much more enjoyable once you find a good crowd of people you like to play with or around, get in a guild with them, and turn off zone chat except for moments when you need to talk to the whole region.

Due to the cooperative nature of the crafting system (which I absolutely love) I can actually barter for my goods instead of just sending money. All that yellow stuff just ends up in my horse’s bellies anyway. Sometimes to grease the palm of someone I meet on the way, and of course, repair bills.

I enjoy running around in self crafted gear. All white stuff as long as I am still under 50, since even with my run around and see what’s out there style of play, I still bang through levels fast enough that I am better off just scrapping my old suit and making a new one from all the stuff I can deconstruct along the way. I may as well save up those uncommon/rare mats for when I truly master my Bonesmithing and start producing Green Pact Friendly Legendary Artisan Bows (TM).

Yeah, the bugs are annoying. The strain of overcrowded areas is annoying. Encounters can be glitchy, and combat can get twitchy (but I like being actively engaged in my attacks and defense TBH). But once the free month purges the… players who are looking for a more traditional MMO experience, I think there will still be enough folks out there to sustain the business model, get developers paid, and a smoother experience overall. Addition by subtraction in that sense, and also stomping out real issues that are a problem. I see the vision, and I rather like it.

My two Guar and a goat on the subject,

Ernie

Khandi

Human beings have had some sort of marketplace since we got past grunting out basic sounds and picking nits out of each others hair.

Forcing people to join a guild is wrong. We need a market to sell our wares that does not involve having to join something. Period.

Stormvessel

What people fail to realize is that ESO is not an MMO. It's an MMO hybrid. It seems like the vast majority of these "recommendation threads" always follow the same theme - to move the dial further toward the MMO side and less toward the Elder Scrolls side.

cubansyrusb16_ESO

griffn wrote: »

Distrobomb wrote: »

I'm sick of they need to do what the others are doing if they want success. I just can't take this seriously. Sorry.

It's about not "reinventing the wheel". There are what we now consider core mechanics that should be implemented in every mmo game, it's about improving.

A lack of a feature, is not a feature in it self, and right now eso is lacking a lot of basic things.

Well you technically could reinvent the wheel or what goes on the wheel, take tyres for example they are designed for their purpose just like ESO is.

Spiked tyres are good in snow, but because they are good in snow and give grip, do we need spikes on off-road tyres for more grip ?
Same product different approach's .

Let ESO be different ... Oh an no AH is great it means prices will always bounce up and down depending on people, nothing is truly set in stone it makes the economy feel real and trading more personal.

Greydog

ESO can be as different as it wants. It can also go f2p when all that is left are hardcores.

Corithna

jmido8 wrote: »

1. Nameplates
2. Chat bubbles-
3. Lack of an economy
4. Marking system-

I narrowed your above post down to the four bullet points you made in the OP.

1. Nameplates, you make the assertion that they were taken out for the purpose of immersion. A debatable point at best. I will grant you that name plates do play into communication with those around you when you want to specifically speak to a particular individual who is doing or not doing such and such a thing.
Yes it does take a bit more effort to walk up to a player and mouse over them to see what they have named their particular character. However it is rare that anyone really needs to address another player specifically by name while right next to them in the game world. Wanting to is not needing to, by the way. Normally speaking simply typing out a say, "Hey you want to do this boss right here?" Or whatever is more then sufficient. And if that person leave with out a response then I think it's safe to assume they were not interested.
Another aspect of this is that this developer is focused on putting spell effects into the world on mobs and players alike via visual cues instead of the mmo standard of little boxes next to your health bar. Nameplates serve to impede players ability to see those effects and thereby limit the effectiveness of such a mechanic. Lastly, they have crafted an incredibly beautiful world. Hiding that behind a sea of text would simply be a crime. Yes it's different, but overall I love this game more everyday I play it. And I've had unfettered access for just shy of six and a half months.

2. Chat bubbles - For all the same reasons that nameplate cause problems with the design of this game so too would chat bubbles. I know that they can be used to help identify where a particular person has gotten off to in the world. But really that is part of the challenge of this game and would only serve to make the game less challenging and cause it to loose much of it's appeal.

3. Lack of an economy - Again this is more opinion then fact. Yes it is going to take time for the player base to realize how to best utilize the tools that have been included in the game. What many people don't realize is that for any guild it's not just your own guild that you have access, but up to 5 unique markets. And those other 499 players also disperse out into the world and access a wide range of markets. Buying and selling between guilds stores will be the central hub of the economy. But it will take time for players to educate themselves and their guild mates about how this system works. It is for all intents and purposes a global auction house with some very creative filters in place. And incidentally those are filters that are disparately needed if there is to be any kind of economy in a population as large as what is anticipated in this game. It was Nick Konkle who said this is specifically designed so that when you want to buy a head of cabbage you don't end up with 50,000 pages full of nothing but cabbage on your screen. For instance what if you wanted broth instead, and your search included all provisioning materials. In a massive economy you need smaller "local" markets that are interconnected in order for the system to function. We do this in the real world as well by segregating various stock exchanges around the world.

4. Marking system - There are spells in game that fulfill this purpose as far as mobs go. For players it's just part of the game design that everyone needs to retain an awareness of the situation at hand at all times. A complex marking system while yes does work well in other titles, is very unnecessary in this one. The basic mechanics of how encounters are built and how mobs change their own tactics in response to what the players are doing means that you just have to watch what's going on, and respond appropriately. Taking your eyes off the interface and keeping them on the world is the stated intent. And for that purpose the system they have settled upon works wonders and is yes fully functional and very fun.

KingRebz

how would it hurt the game if what we want are optional? i see ignorance here. this isnt a singleplayer game..its a flipping MMO if the community are ASKING for something then atleast give it as an option..no harm done.

TheGrandAlliance

jmido8 wrote: »

4. Marking system- It's going to be hard to organize raids/ have pvp battles when you can't mark monsters/people. For the single player game, this isn't important but for any type of competitive mmo's, it's going to present problems. Again, I understand people don't want the immserion to be broken but mmo'ers need this. I don't want to wipe dozens of times in a raid because of we don't have the tools to organize the fight. Maybe "good communication" is key, but in massive battles, how are you going to tell your comrads to target the healers when there are a hundred people on screen. It'll be utter chaos, no one will know which guy to target first or they might not be able to find the guys at all.

Most important of your posts... esp in PvP. Trying to get the zerg to hit right targets impossible. IDK why this wasn't included at launch: Kind of a no-brainer for MMORPGs.

jpetro

I left WOW because the game became so generic it got disgusting! ESO crashes on my PC, guess what: i'd rather play a great game crashing periodically (which hopefully gets fixed soon )than a generic MMO where you can literally get free lv 90's for joining the cult..... WOW = trash now. End of story.

draczeqeb17_ESO

I agree that Guild Market is killing this games economy it even looks like developers didn't think there will be any economy left with the ridiculous gold sinks (and fees and taxes, ...) so they just didn't bother. Chat is pretty much non-stop spam of WTS/WTB with absolutely ridiculous prices, because most people doesn't bother to sell good stuff to save the hassle. I'm entirely positive that with AH most prices would be on 1/10 of the current "chat"ones and let say on 1/5 of the common guild market one ... there is huge supply, there is huge demand but the logistic provided by this game is ridiculously painful.

As for nameplates, chat bubbles and marking ... if its optional then I can see how it can help and don't break the immersion. And what was said is absolutely true about being important for social aspects of MMO. The whole social concept in this game feels kinda forced.

gurluasb16_ESO

I disagree with almost all of your suggestions sans Chat bubbles as they help with communication and roleplay.
Honestly, I want this to stray as far as possible away from the generic wow-model MMO. If it means those people quit, fine. I honestly want ESO to cultivate a new kind of crowd.

I hate what Wow turned the MMO-genre into.
MMO just used to be a Massive Multiplayer Online game.
It didn't automatically mean it'd have to be a Wow clone with Auction houses, grinding, name plates, marking, raids, etc.

ahstin2001nub18_ESO

gurluasb16_ESO wrote: »

I disagree with almost all of your suggestions sans Chat bubbles as they help with communication and roleplay.
Honestly, I want this to stray as far as possible away from the generic wow-model MMO. If it means those people quit, fine. I honestly want ESO to cultivate a new kind of crowd.

I hate what Wow turned the MMO-genre into.
MMO just used to be a Massive Multiplayer Online game.
It didn't automatically mean it'd have to be a Wow clone with Auction houses, grinding, name plates, marking, raids, etc.

i agree completely. LOTRO is terrible right now. is it massive? yes. is it multiplayer? yes. is it online? yes. do the three have anything to do with each other? no, they just all happen to be in the same room. i quit WoW around lich king, and my wife and i were duo'ing 6 man Tier 1 or whatever they called their basic instance. lotro was the same until this last expansion. now 12-man raids can be done with a group of 6 and i could solo most 6 mans and 3 man instances there. in fact, some of LoTRO 3 mans, if i didnt pull all the mobs up to the boss at once, it wasnt worth doing the instance.

a change of pace in the MMO genre is really needed.

Vannor

1: I love the fact there are no name-plates, it makes the game more immersive
2: I've never used chat bubbles in any game I've played (WoW since EU release + many more)
3: It's very early days to be judging the economy. I have no idea why anyone would be buying anything except for crafting mats before they hit 50.
4: I'm in 2 guilds, one for P v P and one for P v E. Both use voice chat, haven't needed a marking system yet.

Mortelus

1. I love the fact there are no nameplates, it's more immersive.
2. I don't want chat bubbles. I don't want to feel I am in a comic book
3. Yes we need trading posts separated by towns and factions
4. Haven't participated in raiding for many a year. So no comment.

As for 1 and 2 I would agree to options to turn on and off, not forced though.

Singular

Saiden wrote: »

Surely a post on the forums will sway tens of thousands of minds.

Stop! You had me at "Surely."

Singular

I think Chat Bubbles would be incredibly annoying here. They'd block your view in any city - and if they took precedence over the view in fighting, the results could mean death.

Lack of an AH - I'm kind of liking it. I don't have to spend all day long playing the AH game just to have enough gold. And I like using stuff I find (haven't crafted anything yet - not enough backpack space).

But I would like to see an AH for people who've made stuff to sell. That would be pretty cool.

Marking - only if it were some kind of ability like the D&D 'Faerie Fire.' I don't want to have some feature that you just use to mark - that seems silly and would, I think, detract from the reality feeling of pvp).

Nameplates? I guess a feature w/an on/off switch wouldn't hurt. Again, not very 'real' though. You can't walk outside and read the nameplate above someone.

Vehadrah

Believe it or not besides a few changes need to be done this game is perfect!

What I would change:
1. Have respec by category such as class skill > role or weapon> weapon specialty ect..

2. Have item specific appearance slots.

Yep that's about it.

Shaun98ca2

So didn't read much of ANYTHING in this thread at all other than the OP's opening statement.

I Disagree. A LOT.

One issue I see is lower levels after a certain period will become "barren". This makes obtaining new players VERY difficult. I want to run a dungeon but theres nobody to play with because everybody is either higher level or not logged in that happens to be lower level.

This is EASILY fixed by offering a MENTOR type thing that allows me to lower my level to enjoy lower level content and help lower level friends I bring to the game.

As for filling in the rest of the areas with people well....... IF there was mentoring then you could see guilds helping lower level toons I guess.

2nd issue I see is complete lack of endgame. Sure Craglorn is coming but...... that looks to be VERY short lived to me. People burned all this games content in a week almost. We are going to need a LOT of adventure zones and more 50+++ zones added to the game.

emaileb17_ESO9

To be honest I disagree with most of the points - the immersion added is worth the loss quite honestly. However I do believe there needs to be an easier way to sell your wares, but I am sure the devs will address this.

Left_Hand

Until duping is fixed and addressed firmly by zenimax, i doubt the economy and the community will develop into something most players will appreciate long term.