Skill Styles: From Free and Earnable to Crown Store—That Aged Well!

ArchangelIsraphel

Sorcs have been asking for a re-skin of their pets forever. That the first reskin isn't even earnable, but placed behind a paywall...really, I have no words. I feel quite bad for them, and it sets a poor precedent for future reskins

Destai

I’m ok with them adding some to the crown store. However, I am concerned that the quality and quantity of those earned in game will be limited by comparison.

AlienSlof

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

I think most adults who play this game understand that its purpose is to make money, so it isn't that shocking that they would eventually sell styles in the crown store. I just hope these new styles make flappy less annoying.

From what I've seen, the style offered makes it WORSE. Seriously. *Shakes head and walks away*

Vonnegut2506

AlienSlof wrote: »

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

I think most adults who play this game understand that its purpose is to make money, so it isn't that shocking that they would eventually sell styles in the crown store. I just hope these new styles make flappy less annoying.

From what I've seen, the style offered makes it WORSE. Seriously. *Shakes head and walks away*

Well then that is truly disappointing. I would have no issue getting rid of these accumulated crowns to make flappy one fourth of its current size, but I definitely don't want to use crowns to make the problem worse.

TaSheen

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

AlienSlof wrote: »

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

I think most adults who play this game understand that its purpose is to make money, so it isn't that shocking that they would eventually sell styles in the crown store. I just hope these new styles make flappy less annoying.

From what I've seen, the style offered makes it WORSE. Seriously. *Shakes head and walks away*

Well then that is truly disappointing. I would have no issue getting rid of these accumulated crowns to make flappy one fourth of its current size, but I definitely don't want to use crowns to make the problem worse.

Yeah, unfortunate for sure. I only have mine out when I figure I'm going to wind up in combat, and dismiss immediately otherwise. It's not the flappy wings, I just really don't like "sidekicks" of any kind. Ditto with the warden bears....

If the twilight was only going to be the size of a nixad, I'd probably not be so rabid about it - though I don't even use flying things as non-combat pets.... I was so disappointed that the crow and the owl don't land - well, all the flying things really, moths, butterflies, etc.

Taril

Ruthless wrote: »

[snip]

There's a difference between "Being happy defending these practices" and "Taking the state of the industry/game at face value"

ESO is a game that tried to do "Fair" monetization back when it was a mandatory subscription to play game.

The result was (Like with so many other MMO's back at the time), unsustainable income for the amount of work that is necessary to maintain an MMO.

So it switched to the optional sub + cash shop option to maintain the game. The cash shop focusing mostly on cosmetic items (Of course there's a bunch of account utility stuck in there too sadly).

When they create a new type of cosmetic... It's not surprising that some of it eventually ends up going into their cash shop. Given that's how they have been keeping the game afloat for 10 years.

Now, is what ZOS do perfect? No. As I mentioned earlier, they still have account utilities put into their cash shop (AND individualized for a PER CHARACTER basis for things like Outfit and Armory slots).

[snip]

Then finally they heavily rely on FOMO with their limited time availability on items and rotating sales options which makes it annoying to try and pick up something specific.

However, the base fact is, we got plenty of skill styles for free. Including their first VFX changes. With it being inevitable that some get added to the Crown Store at some point.

The main concern will be the availability and price point for such things. [snip] Will they cost a bajillion Crowns? Not that some styles are in the store at all.

[edited for bashing]

DenverRalphy

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Sorcs have been asking for a re-skin of their pets forever. That the first reskin isn't even earnable, but placed behind a paywall...really, I have no words. I feel quite bad for them, and it sets a poor precedent for future reskins

Sorcs have been asking for a less obnoxious remodel of the twilight pet. This new skill style appears to be a simple recoloring, and a jarring one at that. Not really anything like what sorcs have been asking for.

FelisCatus

MasterSpatula wrote: »

This pile-on is distressing. OP may have misunderstood her exact quote, but making a big deal out of pointing out a new feature is earnable through in-game activity shows they fully understand how excessive the amount of microtransactions in this game is and how it's a problem. I can fully understand OP feeling like it's a bait-and-switch, even if technically no lies were uttered.

And OP's right. [snip]

Exactly! I literally said to my friend when we watched the live stream, how long will it take for them to add this stuff to the crown store. Not even a year. Especially after this year has been one of the most lacklustre years for the game.

[edited to remove quote]

FelisCatus

LunaFlora wrote: »

"all of these Skill Styles" was referring to the skill styles in update 42.
in fact the full quote was "By the way, in Gold Road, all of these Skill Styles will be earnable as in-game rewards."


https://youtu.be/EDZvHNg85Mc?si=XniQbUjmfkP6asoq

Update 43 and 44 also have earnable Skill Styles.

These upcoming Skill Styles were in the Crown Store during update 44's PTS cycle.
We will likely get more earnable Skill Styles in future updates as well as Styles sold in the Crown Store.

Also this isn't the gotcha you think it is. Skill styles were added in gold road, full stop. This was their first introduction and it can be interpreted that they would always be free and earnable as it was never explicitly stated that they would later be put in the crown store. That's how I understood it and many friends too who watched the stream with me. I remember watching the live stream chat and people being so excited that they were free and earnable.

AngryPenguin

reazea wrote: »

Can we please get a skill style that will revert Templar jabs animation? Please?

That' the only skill style I'd ever pay for.

Yes please. This is the one and only skill style I'd pay money for.

katanagirl1

DenverRalphy wrote: »

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Sorcs have been asking for a re-skin of their pets forever. That the first reskin isn't even earnable, but placed behind a paywall...really, I have no words. I feel quite bad for them, and it sets a poor precedent for future reskins

Sorcs have been asking for a less obnoxious remodel of the twilight pet. This new skill style appears to be a simple recoloring, and a jarring one at that. Not really anything like what sorcs have been asking for.

This player who has a sorc is asking for a rework of the sorc skill line to have a no pet option that has as good dps as the pet sorc option. I don’t want pets period.

I also want an option to not see other sorc pets as well.

Erickson9610

FelisCatus wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

"all of these Skill Styles" was referring to the skill styles in update 42.
in fact the full quote was "By the way, in Gold Road, all of these Skill Styles will be earnable as in-game rewards."


https://youtu.be/EDZvHNg85Mc?si=XniQbUjmfkP6asoq

Update 43 and 44 also have earnable Skill Styles.

These upcoming Skill Styles were in the Crown Store during update 44's PTS cycle.
We will likely get more earnable Skill Styles in future updates as well as Styles sold in the Crown Store.

Also this isn't the gotcha you think it is. Skill styles were added in gold road, full stop. This was their first introduction and it can be interpreted that they would always be free and earnable as it was never explicitly stated that they would later be put in the crown store. That's how I understood it and many friends too who watched the stream with me. I remember watching the live stream chat and people being so excited that they were free and earnable.

Skill Styling was not the Gold Road Chapter feature — Scribing is. You don't need Gold Road to use Skill Styles, but you do need Gold Road to use the Scribing system.

The same can be said about Companions. You don't need Blackwood to use any Companions at all — the Companions system may have been introduced in Blackwood, but it was never the Chapter feature and thus it's fair game to put future iterations of it in the Crown Store.

Of course it'd still be nice to get some Skill Styles and Companions in-game via new Chapters and DLC — but that's basically the same thing as buying them from the Crown Store outright. Money is being spent either way.

Jaraal

Elvenheart wrote: »

I find it surprising that someone only heard half a quote and then took it to mean that every skill style ever made by ZOS going forward in the future until the game shuts down would be earnable in game.

Well, technically they will be.... if you buy them with seals.

tomofhyrule

Erickson9610 wrote: »

Skill Styling was not the Gold Road Chapter feature — Scribing is. You don't need Gold Road to use Skill Styles, but you do need Gold Road to use the Scribing system.

The same can be said about Companions. You don't need Blackwood to use any Companions at all — the Companions system may have been introduced in Blackwood, but it was never the Chapter feature and thus it's fair game to put future iterations of it in the Crown Store.

The one thing I'd say about this though is that Companions was originally the Blackwood 'feature;' the one showed off at the time and talked about as if it were a new system like Antiquities or Tribute. The weird part was actually that High Isle brought new Companions who didn't need Blackwood to use, which essentially made it so Blackwood was the only chapter without a unique feature at all. Even now, there's no 'feature' that Blackwood added exclusive to Blackwood anymore.

However, I can also get behind the anger that Tan and Zerith are monetized. During the ESOLive, we heard that the companions had been "pushed back to give them more time." Every Chapter since Blackwood had shipped with 2 Companions, so it's natural to expect that they'd be part of the Gold Road Chapter as well, especially since we didn't hear at the ESOLive that they were being removed to sell as later DLC.

Now I'll say it's understandable - Companions need a lot of work so getting more and more each year is untenable unless they did eventually make the jump to separate DLC, especially since the last two years have seemed a little light on content. But the fact that "They're separate DLC!" didn't come up until right before release was the part that left people salty.

As to monetizing Skill Styles? Absolutely. 100% should be. It's just cosmetic. That was the feeling I got when they announced Custom Actions as well. Those are small enough, and solely cosmetic, that monetizing them seems perfectly reasonable.

I just hope that we are getting something good next year (new Class please!) to account for a lot of this slower content schedule. It's understandable why the players all have the idea that ESO is currently in a downward spiral, and especially for a 10th anniversary celebration to have hit so many issues as we've had this year has left people with a bad feeling about the game.

LunaFlora

FelisCatus wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

"all of these Skill Styles" was referring to the skill styles in update 42.
in fact the full quote was "By the way, in Gold Road, all of these Skill Styles will be earnable as in-game rewards."


https://youtu.be/EDZvHNg85Mc?si=XniQbUjmfkP6asoq

Update 43 and 44 also have earnable Skill Styles.

These upcoming Skill Styles were in the Crown Store during update 44's PTS cycle.
We will likely get more earnable Skill Styles in future updates as well as Styles sold in the Crown Store.

Also this isn't the gotcha you think it is. Skill styles were added in gold road, full stop. This was their first introduction and it can be interpreted that they would always be free and earnable as it was never explicitly stated that they would later be put in the crown store. That's how I understood it and many friends too who watched the stream with me. I remember watching the live stream chat and people being so excited that they were free and earnable.

it wasn't a gotcha.
it was a simple correction considering you mentioned screenshotting the livestream and left out part of the quote.
People can interpret things however they like, but that does not change that they were referring to the Skill Styles in Gold Road, in the livestream.

And we knew there'd be more after Gold Road.
"We have a lot more planned for Skill Styling in the updates after the Chapter, too"


from the same Global Reveal livestream.

"At the launch of Gold Road, you can unlock these Skill Styles as in-game rewards, but there’s a lot more planned for them beyond the Chapter, too."
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/65361
and from one of the global reveal news posts.

i was also excited the first Skill Styles were earnable, but i never believed these kinds of Cosmetics wouldn't eventually also be sold in the Crown Store.

i understand wanting everything to be earnable, but it's not.

At least Skill Styles started out as earnable in u42-44 and only 4 new ones from update 44 are Crown Store purchases, 4 out of 8 Skill Styles in u44.
Kinda the opposite of Customised Actions which started out as Crown Store purchases and now got 1 earnable Action in u43 and another in u44 (for the q1 events).

joergino

Jaraal wrote: »

Elvenheart wrote: »

I find it surprising that someone only heard half a quote and then took it to mean that every skill style ever made by ZOS going forward in the future until the game shuts down would be earnable in game.

Well, technically they will be.... if you buy them with seals.

Crown items cannot be bought with seals, only the stuff from the gambling crates can be bought with seals.

Cooperharley

We will likely earn rgb changes to skills for free for the most part and any unique or interesting ones will be sold.

See the basic horse we can buy with gold versus radiant apex mounts

They will always prioritize monetization over meaningful and rewarding gameplay

Taril

Cooperharley wrote: »

We will likely earn rgb changes to skills for free for the most part and any unique or interesting ones will be sold.

Well...

We literally already have 2 unique VFX skill styles that are free.

Lavaburst for Puncture and Wildburn for Force Shock are both earned in game from doing actual gameplay (From doing various tasks like specific incursions, Delves, Dungeons, WB's and Trials)

fizzylu

Taril wrote: »

Well...

We literally already have 2 unique VFX skill styles that are free.

It's probably more accurate to say that they'll be free unless it's seasonal/holiday themed or Zenimax thinks there's a large demand for one and will want to cash in on it.... I mean, funny coincidence that one of the first skill styles in the crown store is for the sorc twilight matriarch, probably the skill with the most feedback requesting a VFX/model change.

Erickson9610

Taril wrote: »

Cooperharley wrote: »

We will likely earn rgb changes to skills for free for the most part and any unique or interesting ones will be sold.

Well...

We literally already have 2 unique VFX skill styles that are free.

Lavaburst for Puncture and Wildburn for Force Shock are both earned in game from doing actual gameplay (From doing various tasks like specific incursions, Delves, Dungeons, WB's and Trials)

Puncture, Lavaburst and Force Shock, Wildburn are not free. Lavaburst requires the Deadlands, High Isle, Firesong, and Elsweyr DLCs, while Wildburn requires the Gold Road, Scions of Ithelia, and Thieves Guild DLCs.

While not outright bought from the Crown Store, it's extremely misleading to call these "free". Earnable, yes, but definitely not something you can acquire with only base game access (unless you buy those fragments from vendors such as in the Imperial City or the Infinite Archive, which are not guaranteed to be available each week).

Taril

fizzylu wrote: »

I mean, funny coincidence that one of the first skill styles in the crown store is for the sorc twilight matriarch, probably the skill with the most feedback requesting a VFX/model change.

What's even funnier is that the actual skill style for the matriarch is one that not only doesn't alleviate the issues people had with the skill which is why they wanted a skill style for it, but also actually makes the issues worse.

Meaning that it is probably the worst skill style to put into the store given that few people will actually want to obtain it...

Erickson9610

Taril wrote: »

fizzylu wrote: »

I mean, funny coincidence that one of the first skill styles in the crown store is for the sorc twilight matriarch, probably the skill with the most feedback requesting a VFX/model change.

What's even funnier is that the actual skill style for the matriarch is one that not only doesn't alleviate the issues people had with the skill which is why they wanted a skill style for it, but also actually makes the issues worse.

Meaning that it is probably the worst skill style to put into the store given that few people will actually want to obtain it...

I was always under the impression that players wanted a Skill Style for their pets so they can look cool. That's the reason why people buy the pre-order pack which includes the Slate-Gray Summoned Bear Skill Style, isn't it?

Though, to be honest I expected a texture swap for Summon Winged Twilight instead of making it slightly transparent and glowing.

Taril

Erickson9610 wrote: »

I was always under the impression that players wanted a Skill Style for their pets so they can look cool. That's the reason why people buy the pre-order pack which includes the Slate-Gray Summoned Bear Skill Style, isn't it?

People's issue with the Sorc pets are:

1) They're low resolution compared to newer content and models

2) Flappy bird is big and gets in the way a lot

Making it glowy doesn't affect the overall textures, which remain low resolution. It also remains big and will still get in the way, only now when it covers your screen it'll be a neon red glow.

These same issues aren't as apparent with Warden's bear which has a better overall texture resolution and y'know, doesn't flap any wings in your face constantly.

The "Cooler looking pets" thing is a minor part of wanting a skill style for Sorc pets... But even then, glowing red versions of the same model are probably not most people's idea of "Cool looking pets"

Erickson9610

Taril wrote: »

Erickson9610 wrote: »

I was always under the impression that players wanted a Skill Style for their pets so they can look cool. That's the reason why people buy the pre-order pack which includes the Slate-Gray Summoned Bear Skill Style, isn't it?

People's issue with the Sorc pets are:

1) They're low resolution compared to newer content and models

2) Flappy bird is big and gets in the way a lot

Making it glowy doesn't affect the overall textures, which remain low resolution. It also remains big and will still get in the way, only now when it covers your screen it'll be a neon red glow.

These same issues aren't as apparent with Warden's bear which has a better overall texture resolution and y'know, doesn't flap any wings in your face constantly.

The "Cooler looking pets" thing is a minor part of wanting a skill style for Sorc pets... But even then, glowing red versions of the same model are probably not most people's idea of "Cool looking pets"

To be fair, glowing red is cool looking, but not the color I'd expect for a Sorcerer. The red makes it look like a Nightblade pet, honestly.

I'd want a Skill Style for Summon Winged Twilight that swaps the texture the way Slate-Gray Summoned Bear does — maybe giving it a higher resolution texture. Though we've yet to see if Skill Styles will do anything beyond that.

Taril

Erickson9610 wrote: »

To be fair, glowing red is cool looking

Not the way the skill style does it. Where it just makes the pet a flat translucent red...

Having glow can look cool if it's done actually artistically and not just a solid colour across the entire model and that's it.

Erickson9610 wrote: »

but not the color I'd expect for a Sorcerer. The red makes it look like a Nightblade pet, honestly.

Well, it's part of the process of providing classes with alternate colour schemes for their skills.

Each class is getting a new color for all their skills (Eventually). Sorc is getting Red.

Though, it makes it even more baffling the way they chose to do this pet, with it not being a red hued version of the regular one (Instead of the default purple) but instead being this glowy red version...

fizzylu

Taril wrote: »

What's even funnier is that the actual skill style for the matriarch is one that not only doesn't alleviate the issues people had with the skill which is why they wanted a skill style for it, but also actually makes the issues worse.

Which is true, but it seems kind of on-brand for Zenimax to only pick up on one part of the feedback and miss the main point -- Golden Pursuits being a more recent example.

Eliahnus

Taril wrote: »

Well...

We literally already have 2 unique VFX skill styles that are free.

Lavaburst for Puncture and Wildburn for Force Shock are both earned in game from doing actual gameplay (From doing various tasks like specific incursions, Delves, Dungeons, WB's and Trials)

I would like to emphasize the last word of your quote : TRIALS
So, the nice ones are not for the casual player because for each of them you need a fragment which only drops in a specific trial ...

Kelenan7368

Ya skill styles in the crown store. PFFFT, shoulda seen that coming.
They should all be free to subs! Period!

Gabriel_H

Today's unnecessary thread, brought to you by the leter Q and the number 0 ...

Gabriel_H

Eliahnus wrote: »

I would like to emphasize the last word of your quote : TRIALS
So, the nice ones are not for the casual player because for each of them you need a fragment which only drops in a specific trial ...

A normal trial is in no way beyond a casual player.