How to fix ESO's dwindling playerbase

colossalvoids · September 24

Warhawke_80 wrote: »

Sarcasm aside....

This is an old discussion that won't go anywhere...I don't think Zenimax will do what is necessary to bring folks back....I know they are working on a new MMO and I believe most of their focus is on that ...what money they do spend on the game is for ridiculous things that no one really wants....

The development cycle seems to be all about what the devs think is cool not what the player base wants...and we just can't change that...

I recently did s survey with Blizzard and FFXIV both of them asked hard questions they wanted to know what sucked and what could they do to fix it.

Zenimax developers think they are doing just fine, and that is hard for me to say because I really respect guys like Bill Slavicsek, and Rich Lambert ( I mean hell I once read how Rich spent a buttload of his own time just trying to get a minor thing to work in game) I just wish they would look at the actual issues of the game and start giving us things that we are actually asking for instead of what they are giving us.

Asking about how to better communicate is fine and dandy....but it does nothing if your just going to turn around and make the game that just you and the other devs want instead of what your customer base wants.

Funny enough I think it's the opposite, like as far as I know quite a few devs preferred the game when it was harder and a bit different experiences overall, [snip] you're getting my idea how broad this spectrum can be around all possible demographics. Same with features, as those are virtually dumbed down version that any person can easily digest and get into, no complexities or boundaries really. All their features were asked for in one or another way, just some are outdated or no more asked for whilst others are just changed beyond recognition of what was asked for, because broad spectrum precisely.

[edited for baiting]

reazea · September 24

Fix performance issues and raise the population cap in Cyrodiil is how to bring players back to ESO. These are the reasons most players who leave state as why they left.

reazea · September 24

Warhawke_80 wrote: »

Sarcasm aside....

This is an old discussion that won't go anywhere...I don't think Zenimax will do what is necessary to bring folks back....I know they are working on a new MMO and I believe most of their focus is on that ...what money they do spend on the game is for ridiculous things that no one really wants in my opinion....

The development cycle seems to be all about what the devs think is cool not what the player base wants...and we just can't change that...

I recently did s survey with Blizzard and FFXIV both of them asked hard questions they wanted to know what sucked and what could they do to fix it.

Zenimax developers think they are doing just fine, and that is hard for me to say because I really respect guys like Bill Slavicsek, and Rich Lambert ( I mean hell I once read how Rich spent a buttload of his own time just trying to get a minor thing to work in game) I just wish they would look at the actual issues of the game and start giving us things that we are actually asking for instead of what they are giving us.

Asking about how to better communicate is fine and dandy....but it does nothing if your just going to turn around and make the game that just you and the other devs want instead of what your customer base wants.

It doesn't matter what ZOS has planned for the future if they don't fix ESO. ZOS has to recover it's reputation before it can sell a new product.

Warhawke_80 · September 24

reazea wrote: »

Warhawke_80 wrote: »

Sarcasm aside....

This is an old discussion that won't go anywhere...I don't think Zenimax will do what is necessary to bring folks back....I know they are working on a new MMO and I believe most of their focus is on that ...what money they do spend on the game is for ridiculous things that no one really wants in my opinion....

The development cycle seems to be all about what the devs think is cool not what the player base wants...and we just can't change that...

I recently did s survey with Blizzard and FFXIV both of them asked hard questions they wanted to know what sucked and what could they do to fix it.

Zenimax developers think they are doing just fine, and that is hard for me to say because I really respect guys like Bill Slavicsek, and Rich Lambert ( I mean hell I once read how Rich spent a buttload of his own time just trying to get a minor thing to work in game) I just wish they would look at the actual issues of the game and start giving us things that we are actually asking for instead of what they are giving us.

Asking about how to better communicate is fine and dandy....but it does nothing if your just going to turn around and make the game that just you and the other devs want instead of what your customer base wants.

It doesn't matter what ZOS has planned for the future if they don't fix ESO. ZOS has to recover it's reputation before it can sell a new product.

Bro... "Fix ESO" is a nebulous term that means One Hundred different things to One Hundred different people, you can't expect some magical performance boosts to solve issues not at this stage of the race...I have a friend who is screaming for this right now...never mind his PC was made in 2002 and his internet is on a 726 frame line.

And we're not really the arbiters of what Zenimax can sell or not...they will introduce the new MMO and some folks will very excited and some folks won't like every other game

Soarora · September 24

I hope ZOS doesn’t take this as a genuine suggestion lol.

TaSheen · September 24

Soarora wrote: »

I hope ZOS doesn’t take this as a genuine suggestion lol.

Yeah. The epitome of "be very careful what you ask for"....

DigiAngel · September 24

How about start selling real content instead of ludicrous grind (scribing)?

ThePlayer · September 24

It's been a while since I played regularly, usually when I play I like it but I don't miss it to play it daily.
The players are decreasing, it's true, generally you only see players above 2k CPs, players with few xp are starting to become rare, certainly not long-lasting...
Bethesda should try to understand the reason, probably the multiplayer component is lacking, too many waits, like DDs waiting for the hard mode content you might never play; I've been writing here in the forum for a while that a system like FF14 would be needed to attract players into the real online pve or pvp game, that is through bonuses of various kinds, but nothing.
In addition to this, the game has reached a standstill in its horizontal expansion, which is now becoming unappealing + the new games coming out soon will create a further void.
Solutions: I'm not telling the producers to think less about the crown store, they will never do that, but to really bring some substantial novelty, a renewal, maybe even with a level increase (which nobody wants but it's an RPG or not?) transporting high level players to a new area and giving the possibility to new ones to boost their level and CPs (by paying so everyone is happy).

Nharimlur_Finor · September 24

MJallday wrote: »

alpha_synuclein wrote: »

MJallday wrote: »

i think the OP was meant to be comedic

i just find it a bit sad

Sarcasm doesn't take very well on the internet xd

i thought sarcasm was banned on here.

No. It's humour that's banned.

manukartofanu · September 25

Syldras wrote: »

manukartofanu wrote: »

You were supposed to add "sarcasm."

It's the internet. Unless you know the poster you never know whether something is a joke, a spontaneous uninformed take, or the weird ramblings of a confused person.

Well, I know the poster. He runs one of the largest trading guilds on PC EU and knows what’s going on in the game. And even after reading the post for the third time, I can't stop laughing. Seriously, great humor.

Anifaas · September 25

OnnuK wrote: »

Perhaps the ZOS/ESO team could take the time to listen to us during streams and browse the forums to understand what the community truly desires. That alone would make a significant difference. Lately, logging in and completing endeavors has started to feel a bit repetitive. If I’m not actively playing, what should I do with my flashy Apex mount?

But they do "listen" do us. Haven't you seen all the people discussing being muted on twitch and here on the [snip]...

barney2525 wrote: »

The day I don't find enough players to run dolmens in Alik'r is the day I start being concerned about the numbers of players.

Dolmens are serious business. But seriously, you don't have to worry about those. There's almost always a bunch of people standing around "farming" those.

Shara_Wynn · September 25

Warhawke_80 wrote: »

reazea wrote: »

Warhawke_80 wrote: »

Sarcasm aside....

This is an old discussion that won't go anywhere...I don't think Zenimax will do what is necessary to bring folks back....I know they are working on a new MMO and I believe most of their focus is on that ...what money they do spend on the game is for ridiculous things that no one really wants in my opinion....

The development cycle seems to be all about what the devs think is cool not what the player base wants...and we just can't change that...

I recently did s survey with Blizzard and FFXIV both of them asked hard questions they wanted to know what sucked and what could they do to fix it.

Zenimax developers think they are doing just fine, and that is hard for me to say because I really respect guys like Bill Slavicsek, and Rich Lambert ( I mean hell I once read how Rich spent a buttload of his own time just trying to get a minor thing to work in game) I just wish they would look at the actual issues of the game and start giving us things that we are actually asking for instead of what they are giving us.

Asking about how to better communicate is fine and dandy....but it does nothing if your just going to turn around and make the game that just you and the other devs want instead of what your customer base wants.

It doesn't matter what ZOS has planned for the future if they don't fix ESO. ZOS has to recover it's reputation before it can sell a new product.

Bro... "Fix ESO" is a nebulous term that means One Hundred different things to One Hundred different people, you can't expect some magical performance boosts to solve issues not at this stage of the race...I have a friend who is screaming for this right now...never mind his PC was made in 2002 and his internet is on a 726 frame line.

And we're not really the arbiters of what Zenimax can sell or not...they will introduce the new MMO and some folks will very excited and some folks won't like every other game

Exactly this. ESO means different things to different people. Fixing everything for everyone will never happen. I personally don't see anything wrong with their "formula" of two public dungeons, six delves, six world bosses, main story quests, two dungeons, 3 new craftable sets, 3 new overland sets, a trial etc.

They are bringing in new stuff each time. ToT. IA. Antiquities. Scribing and skill styling. New BG for PVP this Q4. Companions. Housing Tours. New Classes. New Skill Lines.

Not everything will be everyone's cup of tea but that's the spice of life.

I do think that PVP needs more work and I do think that IA needs to be save-able at certain checkpoints, Say Arc 4, 8, 12 etc. Get to each checkpoint and you can save for the next.

Fix the bugs. That is the holy grail right there. But some bugs simply cannot be fixed because fixing them would likely break a whole lot of other things.

Also to say that the devs just do what they want is nonsense. There will have been a lot of careful research and measured consideration behind each decision made about what is released with each chapter and each quarterly update. It will have been done with profit in mind, and for that they need a happy and engaged player base. So very much not just what the devs want.

LootAllTheStuff · September 25

From the perspective of someone who doesn't do PVP and only started ESO in the spring because I really didn't want to start yet another Skyrim Stealth Archer...

One of the biggest turn-offs is just how stingy and restrictive the different in-game currencies are, which is particularly disadvantageous for new players. (And yes, I realize the irony of being a new player in a 10-year old game...)

Case in point: writs. Why don't you get at least one for completing each daily crafting writs? I would really like an extra storage chest, but I need an incredible number of writs (or just pay real money) to get one. I now have a collection of master crafting writs, but they're all for styles that only drop in DLC zones that I don't currently have... At least offer the chance of using one of the other in-game currencies to purchase QoL items.

Another one: crafting bag. OK, so you need some perks to push ESO+ - I get that. But I'm on console and already paying a subscription just to have access to games with on-line multiplayer. I can't justify two subscriptions - EVERYONE wants "just $X/mo" for everything these days, and it adds up very quickly. So why not toss GamePass/PSN subscribers a bone and give them the crafting bag too?

Oh, and if you're one of the CP >1k players who challenges low-level players to duels... please don't. (Thank goodness for auto-decline; still not a welcoming gesture though).

gronoxvx · September 25

Or just fix their s@#t.

In regards to pvp, if you were to talk to those that have left the one thing they can all agree on is the bugs and issues that havent been fixed since day 1 eg the stuck in combat bug.

Can guarantee you if they fixed a majority of the issues and performance people would be enticed to come back.

Unfortunately the crown store is all they care about.

Tendrielle · September 25

I do think even the current Cyro has great potential with some novelties and redesign added. I, for my part, only started trading with my guild 4 years ago because I needed something else to do while waiting for a "real" PvP update. Still waiting, unfortunately.
I had silent hopes for some Cyro features in the fall PvP patch, but alas! nothing. My only relief was that I do not seem to have been the only one with this silent hope. The twitch chat was full of "but Cyro!" yells :-D

FelisCatus · September 26

Tendrielle wrote: »

Here is what needs to be done:

- 2 Companions in U44 is a massive PVE update concentration. You can easily make one fully crownstore-only in the future. The revenue will help create cool new costumes and such!
- Likewise, two dungeons is too much! Spread out the 2 dungeons over the year, one in Q1, one in Q3. This will keep dungeon-runners engaged with the game.
- Instead of redesigning Cyrodiil in a way that attracts too many players (with server performance issues then), concentrate the existing campaigns on 1 with a lower pop max for a better PvP experience
- With all the existing guild shops but not so many players around, just close 50% of the shops in base game areas. This will certainly have an effect on the market. And players have to buy the DLC for access to the shops, increasing revenue, which should never dwindle!
- Reset some of the old achievements which are outdated now and tie them to new skill styles. This will create a fresh new game experience even for veteran players.
- Last, but not least: Bug Fixes are most important. Dedicate a full Update to bug fixes only! We are waiting for it.

It is so easy to fix this game i still love... with some investment, @ZOS_MattFiror @ZOS_RichLambert. I guess you all get what I mean.

All of these are terrible ideas, and no do not reset my achievements that I worked hard to get.

TaSheen · September 26

FelisCatus wrote: »

Tendrielle wrote: »

Here is what needs to be done:

- 2 Companions in U44 is a massive PVE update concentration. You can easily make one fully crownstore-only in the future. The revenue will help create cool new costumes and such!
- Likewise, two dungeons is too much! Spread out the 2 dungeons over the year, one in Q1, one in Q3. This will keep dungeon-runners engaged with the game.
- Instead of redesigning Cyrodiil in a way that attracts too many players (with server performance issues then), concentrate the existing campaigns on 1 with a lower pop max for a better PvP experience
- With all the existing guild shops but not so many players around, just close 50% of the shops in base game areas. This will certainly have an effect on the market. And players have to buy the DLC for access to the shops, increasing revenue, which should never dwindle!
- Reset some of the old achievements which are outdated now and tie them to new skill styles. This will create a fresh new game experience even for veteran players.
- Last, but not least: Bug Fixes are most important. Dedicate a full Update to bug fixes only! We are waiting for it.

It is so easy to fix this game i still love... with some investment, @ZOS_MattFiror @ZOS_RichLambert. I guess you all get what I mean.

All of these are terrible ideas, and no do not reset my achievements that I worked hard to get.

Eh, it was tongue in cheek/sarcasm, after all....

darvaria · September 26

Are you kidding me? They don't do anything useful. Players have begged for years for a simple "Stuck in Combat" fix and they won't do it. Maybe PVE will hold after U44 but there will be a lot less players at Cyrodiil. Already, several guilds are going to other games. And the new BG's, if they allow the 8v8's to be anything but solo's, will probably die when the groups of 8 find they are only facing other groups of 8. If I get in a BG that is getting farmed, I will stand at spawn or better yet stealth somewhere before they get a kill until it ends ... multitasking. I don't want to stick another player in a bad group. From the early steams, it shows the strong teams spawn camping the weaker team.

But maybe PVE will most likely hold the player base.