PTS Impressions & Review

DaniAngione

Greetings, everyone!
First of all, I'd like to congratulate the community team on these Patch Notes. You should publish a book, seriously. It would be easier to read

So, this is my 'personal PTS impressions corner'. I'm aware there are several threads on several of the subjects mentioned here, but I like to keep my testing experience as a log which I might occasionally edit, add stuff, etc... So...
Without further ado, this is my personal experience with the PTS so far.

CHAMPION SYSTEM
Good overall

I really liked the Champion system so far. It feels as something that is not really a big deal at first but, if worked upon, can bring severe changes to our characters - what encourages us to play. At least it works that way for me, way better than "getting to v14" worked. It will be hard to tell how will the stats and abilities differences work out when we have no more veteran ranks (if all the 'progress' will be dilluted across the 50 first levels or we'll suddenly jump in power when reaching 50) but, so far, I like it. It's freaking beautiful, too. Reminds me a lot of Skyrim (which was clearly the idea), but with a bit more of variety in possibilities, I guess. Probably because of the 'spinning', that was a great idea. There is, however, a lot of balancing to be done... But that's something we'll only find out along the way.

JUSTICE SYSTEM
Very Good overall

I've enjoyed my share of smuggling, slaying civillians and stealing stuff already. The system is tight, fun and will probably bring A LOT to the game. It makes the world so much more living and pulsing, I can barely start to describe the amazing value it adds to the game and how much more 'Elder Scrolls' the game feels with it. There are, however, a few points I wanted to note that are preventing me from saying it's "Excellent":

• Depending on 'where' you commit your crimes, it is too easy or too hard to escape. Of course, this isn't bad or wrong (the good burglar knows the best opportunities) but some things, like guards not being able to enter buildings, turn some places (like Inns) intro true slaughter fests.
• Guards CC too much. I'm ok with the chase difficult, but if you have 2 or more guards, they'll CC so much you'll have no chance. I'd increase their calling range (so they can 'call' other guards that are way ahead of you, forcing you to 'turn') but reduce drastically their CC usage.
• Guard types could be a cool thing. Maybe focus CC on 'mages', brute strength on 'warriors' (the most common guard type) and add some guard archers or ranged guards on gates and walls?
• I understand the 'Fence sell limit', but it can be kind of... boring... if you want to create a burglar themed character, for example. A suggestion: make the limit regional. So if you want to be a good 'burglar', you need to travel around a bit around Tamriel. Like "oh, my heat is too high in Glenumbra, I'll have to steal in Rivenspire".
• Talking about travel, just a crazy idea: maybe 'forbid' fast travel/wayshrine travel for characters carrying (for example, arbitrary value) more than 1000 gold in stole property? This would add some value to caution, pursuits and works well as 'trafficking' with the regional fence limit idea mentioned above.
• I love the fact that we can't heal criminals without becoming criminals ourselves. Well thought! But maybe, for mercy's sake, marking the option to "not attack innocents by accident" in the Settings could prevent heals to reach criminals too?
• Oh, and talking about that option... I suppose there should be a 'toggle keybind' in the Settings for it. It would be really helpful. And some visual cue to know if it's active or not. My suggestion is: "remove" the marking around the civillian NPCs (the blue aura) when hovering them with the target reticule if it's deactivated. (Making the game 'look' pretty much as it does now, before 1.6)

I suppose that's all for now. Great job there. Oh, and I loved the random items we get. It's like we can create a story for each person we rob, like "oh, this guy had a doll... Maybe he has a daughter... and was fishing to bring food to her... Oh, well, nevermind"
Feel free to add more tons of those items anytime

[edit 1]
It occurred me during today's events that maybe *other players* line of sight should contribute to law enforcement. I'm sure there's a way to do that (the mechanic is already there, it works in PVP, for example) but I'm also not sure how to make that not become a big problem for burglars...
Maybe the presence of another player could simply reduce pickpocketing chance, perhaps...
Anyway, just mentioning that because today it kind of troubled me that I could see a lot of people being robbed and could do nothing about it.
I know we'll eventually be able to be enforcers and... well... enforce it. But sometimes we don't want to fight or be enforcers... sometimes we just want to be a 'witness' or something, or maybe 'denounce' a crime...?

Makes me think about 'scents' - like the indie Haven & Hearth. What if we could 'report' criminal actions we witnessed? Like... as a mechanic, it would work like that: Player A is standing near NPC A. Player B gets close, sneaking, and attempts to rob NPC A. Due to visibility/distance, Player A sees Player B robbing the NPC. Nothing happens, crime happens as usual. However, Player A "logs" a report, which he can give to the authorities and the bounty gets added to Player B. Or he can choose to just ignore it and let the 'report' fade away (there could be a time before reports disappear like... let's say... 30 minutes.)
Just an idea

GENERAL REBALANCING
Neutral

Ok, I'm not really into numbers much. I like to find whatever playstyle I have fun with and stick with that. I don't care much about having X DPS or things like that. I know some people do - and I don't think it's wrong, it's just not my thing...
So I can't really talk much about this area... I've noticed a lot of the numbers changed, some for good, some for bad, but overall the play experience with most of my characters from Live was similar, I didn't feel nerfed or buffed whatsoever... So, I suppose I'll leave the suggestions and critiques to this area for the numbers experts

PROVISIONING
Very Good overall

Well, pretty much same as Justice System: I loved the changes... But there are a few things that could've made it better.
First of all, I'd like to give a huge handshake and a laughter to whoever suggested adding Guaraná and Açaí to the game. As a brazillian player, seeing these in a game is not only a first but also really fun, since they're incredibly popular here.
Anyway, the changes are amazing. The new recipes are fun, nice names and ingredients, it is incredibly friendlier, easier to understand and nicer. My bank and bag appreciate the cuts, too.
My points are:

• I still believe - as many others - that we should be able to stack ONE food and ONE beverage buff SIMULTANEOUSLY. As it stands now AND as it stands in PTS, drinks are simply still not useful when compared to food. Why not have both? I can appreciate a fine meal and drink a good wine and it will feel better than having just one or another. It's not only more real and immersive but also more useful and values provisioning even more!
• Some recipes indeed seem to have disappeared completely... Most were changed, sure. But I'm sure I had more blue/purple recipes than I have now But that's an issue, I suppose, not bad design. We'll see.
• Could Chesse please look like cheese, and not a weird soup? :disagree:
• It seems some v5 recipes are truly better than v10 ones. Also an issue, I suppose. Will probably be changed, I hope

USER INTERFACE
Excellent overall

Please note that this 'excellent' refers to the changes made to the interface and not the interface itself. I do have some problems with the UI since launch, but luckily there are some addons out there to remedy that so this shall not be the focus of this thread. As for the changes... well, they're pretty much as good as they could be. Collections looks good, the small additions all around are all nice and fitting (the new riding skills in the character screen, for example)... The justice UI (the small one on bottom right corner) could blend a little bit more with the overall UI style (it's too modern/clean)... maybe 'texture' those bars a bit and make them a little bit more parchment in color (not white), I don't know... but it's good and easy to understand anyway.
The big KUDOS here goes for the Crown store icon. Simple, elegant, fitting and even a bit hidden. I was afraid I was going to see crowns and "BUY NOW!"s everywhere... Thank you, ZOS, for not doing that.
As a friendly reminder - don't ever go down the way of cheap marketing. People know they can buy stuff, you don't need to write it all over their faces
Thanks for not doing it so far

VISUAL EXPERIENCE
Good overall

I can't start describing how better and cool the new Orc and Redguard styles are. I just love the 'engravings' on the Redguard's heavy chest armor. Congratulations on those. I also loved the new staff animations, good job there. And the Restoration staff is really cool, I see a lot of RP potential on that 'hermit'-looking style.
Some small changes are also good, how we kneel down when stealthed (looks great with bows now!) some changes to weapon animations...
There are just two points I'd like to stress out, though:

• As some people already mentioned, bash/block is too fast again (as it was long ago). I know it is a hard thing - if too slow it's not a good cue, if too fast it looks bad. Maybe try a middle term between how it is now on Live and the new speed?
• The 2-handed weapons animation really lost some of the brutality and enjoyment of going down with 50 kg of steel upon someone's head. The animations itself are better (the 'preparing' part and the flow) but the exact moment of the "hit" are worse - it 'cuts' too easily. I loved that little 'pause' the blade had when cutting through armor and flesh.

That's pretty much all about animations.
Great job on the new Outlaw refuges, they're good looking! Nice use of the new interior lights shader with all those grates and sewers. The only thing I'd suggest is:

• The 'Outlaw mark' painted upon the doors and grates could be a little bit smaller, no? And maybe not directly on the door, but on the wall next to it, for example. (Like the 'lambda' sign before Resistance Bases in the Half Life universe) As it is now, it's kinda stupid how guards have never found out about the refuges, they're pretty much screaming "HEY, OUTLAWS DOWN HERE!"

In fact, now that I think about it... It would be really cool if we had to FIND the refuges. Not a quest or anything, just a small conversation option with some shady figure inside the Inn that 'opens up' the refuge on that city. It would make the sense of 'discovery' of being a criminal and starting your 'work' around that city much more immersive and rewarding... It's a bit strange that we can walk into a city we've never been before and just check our maps "Oh, there are criminals here if I need to sell illegal stuff" AND it also solves the problem of people that does not want the Outlaw refuges marked on their maps AND can't filter it.
Nice idea, huh? Just a small conversation option with some shady figures to open up markers and the refuge.

AUDIO
Very Good overall

I'm not sure if I paid attention to all there is to pay, but the new stuff I've heard works well and is good. The cues, some UI sounds... Nothing to complain there. I've also heard some small pieces of music (more like simple motifs) on the new tutorial, for example, and they're good. I like the new lines of dialogue too, good job for the actors and the writers! (The crazy orc and his conspiracy theory in some Outlaw Refuge (can't remember which one) is so cool... "Molag Bal is a lie invented by mages living underground!" laughed so hard at that.)

NEW TUTORIAL
Good overall

Well, this is a big one.
I don't lie when I say that I'm kind of a fanboy. I really am. I love ESO and really wish to see it thrive, play it for a long time and watch it become the ultimate Elder Scrolls experience. But as a gamer, I also know how important the first steps into a game can be decisive to whether you love or hate that game... So I took extra care with this one.
I've played it myself and then called upon 3 friends that never played ESO to try it out, as I figured that just my opinion, after almost one year in the game, wouldn't reflect the actual feedback a tutorial needs to give.

So, these are MY impressions:

• ZOS, I'll NEVER forgive you from removing my favorite Prophet line from the game! "With the passing of time, any indecision becomes decision." I loved that. I created and deleted characters just to feel that thrilling moment of hearing that. Put it back, now! Or I'll kill a Guar
• Love the new animated moments. The Forge master killing that poor guy... Gives a lot of importance to our first level up. Well done!
• THE NEW EXCHANGE IS MINDBLOWING! Excellent job there.
• I like Lyris on the start. Even though I liked the idea of being 'just another fugitive', it adds some value to the character and gives a bit more of direction to the new player. It also makes it look like they were looking for you. And they were.
• I'm not sure if I like the new 'open' area (where you destroy the sentinel) Even though it has some cool stuff, enslaved workers, forges being worked... I really liked that slums-like huge soul-shriven miserable and crowded area. It estabilished a lot of what is Coldharbour. Could we have some of that back, please? If loot was the problem (you could leave Coldharbour with ingredients enough to master provisioning lol) then just make the containers empty or something. But, please... it looked great, add a bit of it back
• Not sure if I like not being able to choose a weapon. But it's not bad either, and actually makes more sense. So I'm not decided on whether this was a good or bad change.
• I liked the 'time stopping' battle tutorials. But I hated that nefarious purple haze around the screen to indicate it. Seriously, it's just ugly. Would probably work better with something like a black version of the 'low health warning'

Well, these are my opinions as a veteran player, of course. As for my friends, the reception of the new tutorial was quite good. Overall, they left the tutorials knowing all the basics they needed to. Just some things I'd like to point out about their experience:

• The 3 of them felt the initial areas lacking in 'exploration' options. I suppose that the removal of most containers and soul shriven 'shacks' brought that 'lack' into the tutorial zone. All of them played Elder Scrolls games before, so I guess they were expecting more to look for on these areas, which are now rather bland. The Undercroft revealed itself more rewarding to them, but that's more than halfway through the tutorial.
• One of them asked me if the whole game was like that (when the time 'stopped' for the combat tutorial. I said it wasn't, and he was glad about it. Maybe add some 'larger' pop up message or something to obviously tell this time stopping isn't a game feature but a tutorial mechanic (I suppose people may think it's one of those 'special timed actions' from some RPGs lol!)
• They laughed at how weak Coldharbour's dremora were. I kind of agree, though it didn't bother me (since we are with Lyris, which is quite strong, in theory). But maybe fighting feral soul shrivens alone wasn't that much immersion-breaking :P
• They liked the game. All of them were people that didn't buy or played ESO before but didn't believe the game could be good/believed in all the negative feedback from the reviews. Two of them said that they might start playing when it goes B2P.
• They lacked some deeper instructions into menu navigation (inventory, journal, etc...) Some tooltips didn't show up since I've run the tutorials so many times already, so that might be my fault...
• All of them noticed the Prophet's voice change. I must agree this is a bit disturbing, ZOS! It bothers me since launch. I understand that Michael Gambon isn't exactly an easy (and cheap) guy to reach again for just a few lines... But maybe, eventually, it could be worth getting him again?

As a sidenote, I'd like to suggest something really important as well:

Since the Prophet's voice in this initial dialogue is changed anyway, it might be a good idea to ADD a question (and answer) about Law enforcement and Justice.
Two of my friends left the house and attacked someone by accident when just playing around with some weapons they collected in Coldharbour. It would be wise to introduce the new players to the Law in the tutorial final dialogue since, you know, you're throwing them into big cities

---

I guess that wraps up my opinions. I won't lie: I'd appreciate at least some acknowledgement that those things do reach the people they're intended to. I've put my time and heart into testing - as many others - and communication is always appreciated.

Oh, and all bugs found during test were reported.

I hope these are helpful in any way. Best of all to everyone, and keep up the good work, ZOS

Love,
DaniAngione

Terminus

A very nice review of the patch.

If I could make one suggestion?

You should put everything in spoilers to encourage people to read all the sections.

DaniAngione

Terminus wrote: »

A very nice review of the patch.

If I could make one suggestion?

You should put everything in spoilers to encourage people to read all the sections.

Oh, that was a great suggestion, thank you. I love how it looks now :disagree:
I'm a bit of a prolix, I guess

DaniAngione

Sorry for the double-post (kind of, it's from almost 2 days ago) - Just updating the thread since I've added some stuff after today's event.

Cody

PvP is doomed if it remains the way it is on the PTS. PvP will turn into nothing but the stacking and/or spamming of damage shields.

I know there are people who would like or even love this, but I myself am not looking forward to it.

kelly.medleyb14_ESO

DaniAngione wrote: »

PROVISIONING
Very Good overall

Well, pretty much same as Justice System: I loved the changes... But there are a few things that could've made it better.
First of all, I'd like to give a huge handshake and a laughter to whoever suggested adding Guaraná and Açaí to the game. As a brazillian player, seeing these in a game is not only a first but also really fun, since they're incredibly popular here.
Anyway, the changes are amazing. The new recipes are fun, nice names and ingredients, it is incredibly friendlier, easier to understand and nicer. My bank and bag appreciate the cuts, too.
My points are:

• I still believe - as many others - that we should be able to stack ONE food and ONE beverage buff simultaneously. As it stands now AND as it stands in PTS, drinks are simply still not useful when compared to food. Why not have both? I can appreciate a fine meal and drink a good wine and it will feel better than having just one or another. It's not only more real and immersive but also more useful and values provisioning even more!
• Some recipes indeed seem to have disappeared completely... Most were changed, sure. But I'm sure I had more blue/purple recipes than I have now But that's an issue, I suppose, not bad design. We'll see.
• Could Chesse please look like cheese, and not a weird soup? :disagree:
• It seems some v5 recipes are truly better than v10 ones. Also an issue, I suppose. Will probably be changed, I hope

The stacking of a food and drink is just intuitive and should be an obvious thing.

trimsic_ESO

I really love the visual quality of the game. I think they have improved the rendering quality of their 3D engine, because when I was playing in ultra quality mode on the PTS, I was looking at the game and said WOOW. But I could not find anything about this in the patch notes.

However, we still lack visual feedback about buffs and debuffs applied to us or to our ennemies. There are too many abilities that still do not have any visual inidication about their positive or negative effects, in this should be one of the top priorities before the console launch.

felinith66

Player reporting is a good idea but steps would have to be taken to prevent it from being abused. It should only take effect if you have truly committed a crime, or we would see alot of innocent players getting reported by griefers and trolls.

DaniAngione

felinith66 wrote: »

Player reporting is a good idea but steps would have to be taken to prevent it from being abused. It should only take effect if you have truly committed a crime, or we would see alot of innocent players getting reported by griefers and trolls.

Oh, but that's the idea I mean, the report wouldn't be a "free thing" that you go and report whoever you want for any reason. Think of it like an item that is 'created' in your bag (For example, "Report Murder against DaniAngione" IF you really witness that crime. (If you are within visibility range when it is commited).
Then you can choose to actually deliver it (adding the bounty) or keeping it to yourself until it expires (30 minutes sounds good to me)

It would NOT be really an item, of course, it would 'act' as a quest item (not occupying inventory space) just for reference, there could be a special UI for it.

Oh, and there are even possible cool achievements like... "Criminal Scum: Be reported X times by fellow players" :P

trimsic_ESO wrote: »

I really love the visual quality of the game. I think they have improved the rendering quality of their 3D engine, because when I was playing in ultra quality mode on the PTS, I was looking at the game and said WOOW. But I could not find anything about this in the patch notes.

However, we still lack visual feedback about buffs and debuffs applied to us or to our ennemies. There are too many abilities that still do not have any visual inidication about their positive or negative effects, in this should be one of the top priorities before the console launch.

Yep! I did notice something seems different. But since I play with external shaders on Live (SweetFX) I couldn't be sure if I wasn't remembering the actual looks of the game or if anything got changed!

And I agree with the cues, but I suppose it must be hard for them to keep true to the Elder Scrolls more sober/realistic visual and also give us all those cues. If the game becomes a colorful light-fest, it will lose the TES style, I guess... I, for once, already hate the disease/poison effects, too green and big for my tastes but I understand why it is so.
I suppose that only through consistent iterations (playing and improving) we'll reach a point where we'll have the ideal cues without ruining the visuals of the game But if I was to bet, it will be more based on sound than graphics.
(Just a guess)

kelly.medleyb14_ESO wrote: »

The stacking of a food and drink is just intuitive and should be an obvious thing.

I know, right?? Please, ZOS, consider this! I know everyone is asking, but.... Oh, well, it talks for itself: everyone is asking

And @Cody‌ ,
I believe in you, although I can't give my opinion as I'm not really attached to the math/perfect building parts of the game. I rarely PVP and when I do is more like casual fun
So I'll trust your opinion on that since you seem to be a more 'professional' PVP-er and also because I must admit I've seen some weird stuff in Cyrodiil with stacking and blocking, heh

Thanks for the feedback, everyone