lets get real here...
-Each server has -AT LEAST- 27 million lines of code for EACH server.
-All 3 platforms have a slightly different code set to fit each one.
Making One NA, one EU server or even just a main Single server isn't going to be easy, let alone fast.
There is tweaks, code to check for exploits getting introduced. Figuring out WHAT to do with everyone's multiple accounts who play on more than one platform. How do you deal with hundreds if not thousands of real world dollars spent on accounts for a single player across multiple platforms without making players feel like they got ripped off buying houses, sets, crates, outfits, and all the other crown store goodies for the game? What at that point do you give in compensation to make a Universal Tamriel main account that will keep the majority happy, and not have people leaving in droves?
It's a logistical nightmare for starters, an absolute cluster
when you get down to the actual nuts and bolts of doing it.
What happens to accounts that have 20 characters each? if you play all 6 servers on all 3 platforms, and each character is unique, that's 120 characters to handle and figure out what to do with them all. SOME will have to be deleted sure, or never be ported to the Universal Tamriel account for crossplay.
What about leads? Finished content? Gold, current crowns? Guild memberships?
I wish it where an easy solution. ZoS has already admitted making some hard choices very early on that has lead to this conundrum. 10 years ago we could not have foreseen ESO's current outcome.
It's hopeful that they are -AT LEAST- considering crossplay servers. I hope they come up with viable solutions and get it implemented in the next few years. If not, at least it -WAS- considered at all, but it is a near impossible task at this point working with a basic skeleton crew at HQ.
Yours in Service:
Miss K
So crossplay is a priority. As we have noted, we are actively exploring everything that crossplay would touch. Because all of that is additional dev work. We cannot stress this enough, this is a massive undertaking that requires meticulous investigation to make sure we factor in every aspect of ESO. Additionally we will need to building in time to either build or overhaul systems to make sure it works with crossplay without causing a ton of issues. And for an 11 yr old game that didn't have crossplay in mind when it was being build (since crossplay was not an industry feature yet) we would rather take the time to do this right.
I can assure you, if this was a matter of just flipping some switches to get crossplay online, we would have done that a long time ago. We are just as eager to get crossplay online so that you can play with anyone regardless of platform choice. But the time we are taking for crossplay is needed.