ESO moving too fast?

Luke_Flamesword · May 2021

Judging by the current look of the map right now, there is still room for two Redguard expansions, one more Argonian expansion, two Dunmer expansions, two Nord expansions, two Imperial expansions, one Maormer expansion plus/minus however many DLCs are on Tamriel or in a realm of Oblivion with potential expansions set completely in Oblivion. So that is content for another 10 years give or take.

I hope this won't go this way - years with next 2 Skyrim nostalgia chapters, making the same races content couple times when poor Bretons or Bosmers get nothing? And what's worst - much of blank spots are not used because this is less interesting areas or just too repeatable with past content.

I really want some time travel thing where they create second Tamriel map in another era and will make completely new zones - imagine High Rock in today chapters quality or Cyrodiil with Imperial City (not destroyed!) as chapter.

Making boring areas only to fill all gaps is not good strategy...

Aertew · May 2021

If they run out of new zones they can update old zones and voice actors. They can add new weapons and classes. Add stuff in existing zones. Ect.

joerginger · May 2021

It's definitely moving much too fast and at the same time it is going nowhere near deep enough.

Just to give an example - I came to this game because I was following a streamer who used to stream ESO at least twice a week. Three years later, I'm one of less than a handful of people from her channel who are still playing ESO, most of them appear only very occasionally.
The streamer herself is waiting for the next expansion because she loves the questiing and has completely run out of content to play. Understandably - we tried to get a trial group together, and we succeeded exactly once. Twelve people? Oh well...
It was difficult enough to find four people to do a dungeon with her.

Anyway, absolutely nobody I know cares even remotely about the horrible, completely superfluous "content" released as "dungeon DLC" and trying to force this on players by making it part of the clicheed nonsense named "year long story" didn't help at all, it just made people move away even faster to play other ("real") games instead like Guild Wars 2 or even No Man's Sky.

zaria · May 2021

All the jojo balance changes, yes slow down on them please, have more of an long term plan here.

For content, no its fine eso benefit from having many smaller updates as it don't raise level cap or similar, you burn trough zone quests pretty fast even if taking your time and do everything. Farming gear is pretty fast too unless you need an specific weapon from dungeons or trials.

SeaGtGruff · May 2021

joerginger wrote: »

Anyway, absolutely nobody I know cares even remotely about the horrible, completely superfluous "content" released as "dungeon DLC" and trying to force this on players by making it part of the clicheed nonsense named "year long story" didn't help at all,

I don't think the dungeon DLCs are "forced" on anyone by being part of the year-long story arcs.

As far as I know, the only dungeon DLC that had any impact on its corresponding chapter was Scalebreaker, and that's only because it allows the player to obtain a tablet that opens up an additional area "within" (or accessed via) the Hall of the Lunar Champion housing which is awarded by completing the Elsweyr chapter.

The Wrathstone dungeon DLC awards no such tablet-- and even the tablet awarded in the Scalebreaker dungeon DLC doesn't affect actual gameplay in either the Elsweyr chapter or the Dragonhold zone DLC.

Thus, neither of those dungeon DLCs are required at all if you don't care about housing and just want to complete the Elsweyr and Dragonhome questlines.

Amottica · May 2021

I beleive those who state that Zos has plenty of room for adding content for years to come.

I will speak to the comment that Zenimax has made this game more expensive than other MMORPGs for those who sub and buy the expansion. Wow is still considered the crowned king of MMORPGs and the Shadowlands expansion is still 39.99 USD on Battlenet on top of the same 14.99 USD/month sub Zenimax charges. FF14 recently announced a new expansion that is the same 39.99 USD and has the same subscription costs.

I am sure one can find titles that are not as refined that cost less but of the major titles, ESO included, the costs are identical with one exception. Zenimax allows us to continue playing the base game and any expansion (and DLC) we have purchased even when we cancel our sub for any length of time. That makes ESO less expensive than other major titles.

It is also beside the point that one can pay for their WoW sub with in-game gold since that is merely having someone else pay the subscription cost for you. They are getting their money.

Yuffie91 · May 2021

Amottica wrote: »

I beleive those who state that Zos has plenty of room for adding content for years to come.

I will speak to the comment that Zenimax has made this game more expensive than other MMORPGs for those who sub and buy the expansion. Wow is still considered the crowned king of MMORPGs and the Shadowlands expansion is still 39.99 USD on Battlenet on top of the same 14.99 USD/month sub Zenimax charges. FF14 recently announced a new expansion that is the same 39.99 USD and has the same subscription costs.

I am sure one can find titles that are not as refined that cost less but of the major titles, ESO included, the costs are identical with one exception. Zenimax allows us to continue playing the base game and any expansion (and DLC) we have purchased even when we cancel our sub for any length of time. That makes ESO less expensive than other major titles.

It is also beside the point that one can pay for their WoW sub with in-game gold since that is merely having someone else pay the subscription cost for you. They are getting their money.

FF14 has a cheaper sub option for 10$/month. And without buying dlcs or expansions you won't have much to do.

joerginger wrote: »

It's definitely moving much too fast and at the same time it is going nowhere near deep enough.

This is exactly what I mean. They could do more with the chapter maps imo..make them bigger, make the story longer.

zaria · May 2021

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

joerginger wrote: »

Anyway, absolutely nobody I know cares even remotely about the horrible, completely superfluous "content" released as "dungeon DLC" and trying to force this on players by making it part of the clicheed nonsense named "year long story" didn't help at all,

I don't think the dungeon DLCs are "forced" on anyone by being part of the year-long story arcs.

As far as I know, the only dungeon DLC that had any impact on its corresponding chapter was Scalebreaker, and that's only because it allows the player to obtain a tablet that opens up an additional area "within" (or accessed via) the Hall of the Lunar Champion housing which is awarded by completing the Elsweyr chapter.

The Wrathstone dungeon DLC awards no such tablet-- and even the tablet awarded in the Scalebreaker dungeon DLC doesn't affect actual gameplay in either the Elsweyr chapter or the Dragonhold zone DLC.

Thus, neither of those dungeon DLCs are required at all if you don't care about housing and just want to complete the Elsweyr and Dragonhome questlines.

Tharn comment on you recovering the tablets in the Elsweyr prologe as I remember who was cool.

Now keeping the setting of the dlc the same as the chapter let you reuse assets in the DLC, probably the main reason.

Iccotak · May 2021

ESO needs to refine its DLC formula for sure

problem is maintaining their system to be financially stable

Curryganz · May 2021

Skyrim is hella big, Greymoor be like 1/10 of the actual size of the region so I doubt we've seen the last of it. Then you have Abnur Tharn's apotheosis and return (this is my hope, at least) so a lot of Cyrodiil: Skingrad, Sutch, Hackdirt, Nibenay Bay, Bravil, Leyawiin, then ya have all the Telvanni with Necrom, Karnthor, Firewatch. Hammerfell, I guess is reserved to TESVI. There is other stuff left like Pyandonea, Yokuda, Thras, Atmora...I bet we'll seen at least two of those in the future

jlmurra2 · May 2021

There is so much content in this game, and released at a pace that I often feel overwhelmed by it, though I don't feel this is a negative thing, too little content would be far worse.

I began playing in January of 2017, and there is content in the base game I haven't gotten around to playing yet, let alone the chapters of past years. There is simply so much to explore, character builds to experiment with, and develop, holiday events, things to collect ect...

The only downside I encounter is when I finally do play new-to-me content there is far fewer players around to help with some of the older group content.

Amottica · May 2021

Yuffie91 wrote: »

Amottica wrote: »

I beleive those who state that Zos has plenty of room for adding content for years to come.

I will speak to the comment that Zenimax has made this game more expensive than other MMORPGs for those who sub and buy the expansion. Wow is still considered the crowned king of MMORPGs and the Shadowlands expansion is still 39.99 USD on Battlenet on top of the same 14.99 USD/month sub Zenimax charges. FF14 recently announced a new expansion that is the same 39.99 USD and has the same subscription costs.

I am sure one can find titles that are not as refined that cost less but of the major titles, ESO included, the costs are identical with one exception. Zenimax allows us to continue playing the base game and any expansion (and DLC) we have purchased even when we cancel our sub for any length of time. That makes ESO less expensive than other major titles.

It is also beside the point that one can pay for their WoW sub with in-game gold since that is merely having someone else pay the subscription cost for you. They are getting their money.

FF14 has a cheaper sub option for 10$/month. And without buying dlcs or expansions you won't have much to do.

Not according to what I am seeing. It has been awhile since I played FF14 but it is 12.99 USD for the entry subscription which has limitations and the Standard sub starts at 14.99 USD (as I stated earlier). Ofc, the standard sub offers reduced rates when buying in bulk just like ESO offers.

Well, not just like ESO offers because ESO offers a 365 say sub which lowers the rate to 11.50 USD/m which is lower than FF14. FF14 lowest rate that I am seeing is 12.99/m for a 180 day sub which is identical to ESO.

Sources for F14 subscription
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/product/
https://www.polygon.com/ffxiv-guides-ff14-final-fantasy-14/22374138/add-time-card-buy-subscription-standard-entry

Caveat: FF14 recently added a "free trial" that allows players to experience the base game up to level 60 without having to buy the game or pay a sub. Ofc, it is a leveling up thing only and may be a sign they need to push harder to get more players.

bluebird · May 2021

The issue of 'moving too fast' comes from there not being enough content released in that 1 year of 'an expansion'. And yes, rushing through the content is a bit of an injustice to ESO lore and previous games. They started mashing themes together in a rush, I'd prefer them to have less themes that are developed and rewarding.

A single zone is really insufficient to deliver on so many plotpoints and themes. Nobody forced them to do Necromancers and Dragons in Elsweyr alongside the Imperial occupation there: they could have easily covered Elsweyr and the Imperial invasion; Southern Elsweyr and New Moon Cult Necromancers; and left Dragons for later (for example a Skyrim Chapter that would have made much more thematic sense). But instead, they wanted to include too many topics in one Chapter, and the storyline and characters suffered as a result of this year-long theme park approach - which we can also see in Greymoor and Nords and Vampires and Reachfolk and Witches and Dwemer caverns and Voidstuff...

I really miss ESO's old releases, which were a thorough delivery on a theme: Thives' Guild was ... about the Thieves' Guild and awesome heists; Orsinium was... just about the Orcish Civil War and it was glorious! There was no need to cram them full of half-fulfilled storylines and interrupted characters that are forced onto a year-long conveyor belt.

Oh, and just as a comparison to other MMOs:
WoW's BFA expansion had: 6 story zones, 1 raid, 10 dungeons, 1 Warfront, and a new game mode of Island Expeditions with several maps. Then over its 2-year duration it received further: 2 zones, 4 new raids, 1 new dungeon, 1 new Warfront, more Island Expedition instances, and a new solo-arena-style game mode of Horrific Visions.

GW2's Path of Fire expansion had: 5 zones, 9 Elite Specialisations for the game's classes, a whole new Mount system to traverse different environments with unique Mount abilities, a new group activity in Bounties. Then over the next 2 years, it unlocked as part of its entirely free game updates: 6 new maps, 3 new Mount types with different movement abilities, 3 new mini-dungeon, 3 new raids.

Meanwhile in 2 years ESO had: 4 zones, 1 class, 1 side activity, 2 trials, 8 dungeons, and 1 arena. (But they charged us for 2 expansions,

) ESO is the worst of both worlds in value, between a sub-only and a buy-to-play game.

Yuffie91 · May 2021

Amottica wrote: »

Yuffie91 wrote: »

Amottica wrote: »

I beleive those who state that Zos has plenty of room for adding content for years to come.

I will speak to the comment that Zenimax has made this game more expensive than other MMORPGs for those who sub and buy the expansion. Wow is still considered the crowned king of MMORPGs and the Shadowlands expansion is still 39.99 USD on Battlenet on top of the same 14.99 USD/month sub Zenimax charges. FF14 recently announced a new expansion that is the same 39.99 USD and has the same subscription costs.

I am sure one can find titles that are not as refined that cost less but of the major titles, ESO included, the costs are identical with one exception. Zenimax allows us to continue playing the base game and any expansion (and DLC) we have purchased even when we cancel our sub for any length of time. That makes ESO less expensive than other major titles.

It is also beside the point that one can pay for their WoW sub with in-game gold since that is merely having someone else pay the subscription cost for you. They are getting their money.

FF14 has a cheaper sub option for 10$/month. And without buying dlcs or expansions you won't have much to do.

Not according to what I am seeing. It has been awhile since I played FF14 but it is 12.99 USD for the entry subscription which has limitations and the Standard sub starts at 14.99 USD (as I stated earlier). Ofc, the standard sub offers reduced rates when buying in bulk just like ESO offers.

Well, not just like ESO offers because ESO offers a 365 say sub which lowers the rate to 11.50 USD/m which is lower than FF14. FF14 lowest rate that I am seeing is 12.99/m for a 180 day sub which is identical to ESO.

Sources for F14 subscription
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/product/
https://www.polygon.com/ffxiv-guides-ff14-final-fantasy-14/22374138/add-time-card-buy-subscription-standard-entry

Caveat: FF14 recently added a "free trial" that allows players to experience the base game up to level 60 without having to buy the game or pay a sub. Ofc, it is a leveling up thing only and may be a sign they need to push harder to get more players.

Sure but a FF14 expansion lasts for 2 years and costs as much as an eso expansion.

tenryuta · May 2021

they could also expand more on the deadlands/oblivion plain, add more continents, sheo could break open a hole in time and let us visit the future.

now about why each year they have a big-ish content update is often the new gameplay being added, from stealing and stabbing to champion system(and its 2.0), extra skill lines, companions. its good approach compared to other mmos everything at launch and simply more and moar and MOAR dungeons and level cap raises causing all the hard work we put into multiple characters to need re-gear-grinding, and eso does it better with 50 and champs.

Lugaldu · May 2021

I am completely unconcerned that the locations should run out. As others have said, Nirn has more to offer than Tamriel. For my taste it always takes too long before a new chapter comes out. The gap between Q4 and early June with Blackwood coming out is far too long.