Is ESO a good game?

phairdon · February 2015

Think you should choose whichever class appeals to you. Play & learn the class and go from there. Dragon Knights appears to be the most popular class, more of a warrior type class if you compare it to gw2. You can always delete a character if not happy & start again, or make alts, one for every class in game. As others have stated, you are not restricted in which weapons you get to use in this game.

* As for sorcerers. My main in VR14 sorc. Never had any problems with the class. Then again I do not participate in pvp, trials etc. ESO is starting to become like gw2 (dungeon builds, WvW) where certain classes & builds are considered optimal for specific area's of this game.

NewBlacksmurf · February 2015

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Just purchased a new account right now with ESO and was wondering if I could ask a silly question to the community at large.

Is ESO a good game? - Yes from levels 1 - 50

I am coming to ESO from GW2 / EVE Online and I was curious to know what type of content there is.
-Nothing is really the same by comparison....look forward to a new experience

In Guild Wars 2 we had a large amount of content to work towards on character advancement:
-The same applies here from levels 1 -50
- Ascended Gear

- Legendary Weapons (That actually were legendary - I heard in ESO its just a color difference and some slight stat differences - not skin differences which saddens me)

- World vs. World (which looks like is in ESO)
-There is a faction based PvP area but, I wouldn't consider it world vs world

- Fractals (which looks like there is similar to trials in ESO?)

- World bosses (not sure if there are big dragons in ESO but would be cool!)
-nope...but yes that would be cool if done right.

I understand that in 1.6 there will be a lot of changes to be seen for sure and that excites me a lot...namely the Champion system - very smart move and I feel like it is a great step towards end-game content.
-This doesn't really add to end game, it only adds a different type of exp to be gained

However this can be short lived where I cannot spend all my years grinding out champion points
-Stop now....slow down and enjoy levels 1 - 50 and hope that after rolling 2 or 3 characters that 1.7 changes the VR levels, etc.

What the meat of the game? I heard the leveling was good but Cadwells was brutal and pointless?
-Lots and lots of quests, beautiful site and zones. Group content is really pointless other than doing group dugeons one time at level. Caldwell's or what I refer to as VR level content (it needs to just be removed entirely)

What should I expect once the "fun leveling part" is over?
-To quit and spend lots of time in the forums asking for something to be done/changed with VR levels and endgame content

What about sorcerers? I wanted to make a melee sorcerer however I am hearing not to as they are garbage now as a melee?
-DO what you like, just make sure you understand its how you play and not so much about the skills. You can only have so many skills on the bar at a time.

I thought it would be awesome to do a dual wield sorcerer.....be so bad ass...a sword swinging spell slinging mage.
-Maybe, just understand that each encounter, quest or mobs/boss may require a different strategy.
You can play any way that you want, but this doesn't guarantee success

How does this game compare to GW2?
-I think its A LOT different than GW2, almost to the point that they are hard to compare. The only similarities is that they are played online and in a month or so, both are buy to play.

All answers or replies in itallics...welcome and have fun.

TAKE YOUR TIME GOING THROUGH levels 1 - 50

nimander99 · February 2015

I find ESO and GW2 similar (though folks have said I'm crazy for the comparison) I really love this game and I think anyone that comes from GW2 is going to love it too.

starkerealm · February 2015

Rosveen wrote: »

show previous quotes

starkerealm wrote: »

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Gear grinding?
If I craft the top gear is that it? I am done? best gear in game?

Crafting 8 or 9 trait sets is going to take a lot of time and work.

Fixed it for you.

No, getting past your 6th or 7th trait takes some work, because inevitably at least one trait will be a complete pain to get a hold of. And then Nirnhoned.

Rosveen · February 2015

starkerealm wrote: »

show previous quotes

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Gear grinding?
If I craft the top gear is that it? I am done? best gear in game?

Crafting 8 or 9 trait sets is going to take a lot of time and work.

Fixed it for you.

No, getting past your 6th or 7th trait takes some work, because inevitably at least one trait will be a complete pain to get a hold of. And then Nirnhoned.

Some traits used to be a problem in early game (exploration on everything, divines on heavy etc). But now? So many people have researched them that you just need to shout out in zone or a large guild and you'll have them in no time. But you're right about nirnhoned.

Sylvyr · February 2015

You'll have a lot of fun questing and building up a toon. Char Build that you use for 1-50 may or may not be viable in 50+ content, raids, and PvP due to large gaps in balance issues - play as you want works fine on forgiving and underpowered sub vet level zones beyond that there are clearly win skills and not worth slotting skills.

In general, there are a lot of issues most minor, most annoying, most slightly limiting, usually minimized by addons which are hopefully maintained by their writers to minimize the issues. Some issues are pretty significant.

One issue that I see is high player turnover, makes long term guild forming and community building very challenging.

Graphics, sounds, voice-overs are sweet.

Aesthetically I'd give this game a 9/10, functionality I'd give it a 5/10, faith percentage that this game will be smooth and congeal within the next year, I'd give it 36.8%.

Majic · February 2015

ESO Is A GREAT Game

Guild Wars 2 is my favorite game of all time, I've been playing it since beta, and there are some things GW2 has that I would love to see brought over to ESO, such as noncompetitive resource nodes, dynamic events (besides dolmens), level scaling (instead of Cadwell's rehashes) and so on.

That said, ESO manages to bring an Elder Scrolls experience to the MMO genre, and though the transition is far from seamless, it's unique, interesting, and when it works right, downright awesome.

The ESO combat system is fun and allows for some genuine artistry once you get the hang of it. Like all of ESO, there are still various bugs that can leave you scratching your head sometimes, but the overall experience is quite addictive and engaging in a way that GW2 can't really match -- despite being my favorite.

Though ESO has only four character classes, the skill system allows so much flexibility that a single class can support more variation than all the classes of some other games. There's plenty of room for experimentation and building characters the way you want to build them.

When it comes to immersion, ESO is very hard to beat. The detailed environments, sound and art direction are first-rate and really pull the player in, while the full voice-acting, intricate plot lines and extensive use of phasing technology breathe life into the beautiful world of Tamriel.

The end game seems dodgy to me and is undergoing a major overhaul as ESO treansitions to the new Champion System. I've been deliberately dragging my feet on leveling my eight characters because of that, so it remains an open (and extremely important) question in my mind when it comes to long-term viability. There are also tons and tons of bugs, though far fewer game-breakers than there were at launch, and ZOS keeps fixing them whenever they can.

So it's a great game, but a work in progress, if you will.

ZOS has been hard at work to make things better, however, and though I foresee a bumpy road ahead, I do think ESO is moving in the right direction and have high hopes for the future of the game.

And who knows? If they keep at it, ESO might very well nudge GW2 to second place on my favorite game list. Eventually.

Time will tell.

cyqa · February 2015

When you've made a toon, you should come back and post what you've decided to try out first! I'm curious.

starkerealm · February 2015

Rosveen wrote: »

show previous quotes

starkerealm wrote: »

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Gear grinding?
If I craft the top gear is that it? I am done? best gear in game?

Crafting 8 or 9 trait sets is going to take a lot of time and work.

Fixed it for you.

No, getting past your 6th or 7th trait takes some work, because inevitably at least one trait will be a complete pain to get a hold of. And then Nirnhoned.

Some traits used to be a problem in early game (exploration on everything, divines on heavy etc). But now? So many people have researched them that you just need to shout out in zone or a large guild and you'll have them in no time. But you're right about nirnhoned.

There's some oddball stuff, like Infused on a Greatsword, light Impen, and, I want to say infused heavy, that are actually fairly unusual. You can get them off dedicated 8 trait crafters, but getting them on your own requires getting lucky with your drops or finishing exactly the right quests. It's not exactly consistent, and if you go to other crafters you might not even notice it, but they just don't drop.

Irronically, Divines are pretty easy to complete off quest rewards for one of the alliances, but I forget which one.

Folkb · February 2015

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Just purchased a new account right now with ESO and was wondering if I could ask a silly question to the community at large.

Is ESO a good game?

I am coming to ESO from GW2 / EVE Online and I was curious to know what type of content there is.

In Guild Wars 2 we had a large amount of content to work towards on character advancement:

- Ascended Gear

- Legendary Weapons (That actually were legendary - I heard in ESO its just a color difference and some slight stat differences - not skin differences which saddens me)

- World vs. World (which looks like is in ESO)

- Fractals (which looks like there is similar to trials in ESO?)

- World bosses (not sure if there are big dragons in ESO but would be cool!)

I understand that in 1.6 there will be a lot of changes to be seen for sure and that excites me a lot...namely the Champion system - very smart move and I feel like it is a great step towards end-game content.

However this can be short lived where I cannot spend all my years grinding out champion points

What the meat of the game? I heard the leveling was good but Cadwells was brutal and pointless?

What should I expect once the "fun leveling part" is over?

What about sorcerers? I wanted to make a melee sorcerer however I am hearing not to as they are garbage now as a melee?

I thought it would be awesome to do a dual wield sorcerer.....be so bad ass...a sword swinging spell slinging mage.

How does this game compare to GW2?

Hmm tough question, I played a lot of GW2 and did tons of high level content; my bank was so full of ascended rings from fractals it isn't even funny. I think this game has a much better single player experience as far as the main story goes. Other than that I think GW2 has fleshed out better balance between characters which leads to a better PVE and PVP experience, GW2 also has the advantage of lots of little side things to keep you occupied such as jump puzzles.

I've played ESO since beta but have avoided end game content just because of how narrow minded it's been with its DPS checks based on wearing robes and using staff although that's probably changing soon which is good.

I guess to summarize GW2 has a much better fleshed out/balanced game in PVE and PVP. But if you're a huge ESO fan this game has potential if they play their cards right in 1.6 but even if they don't worse case scenario you'll get a good solo gaming experience from 1-50.

Also if you're wondering why I'd be on ESO instead of GW2 it's that I got burned out on the ascended material grind. I also saw potential in ESO to have a grander WvW/AvA experience, but they sadly haven't fleshed out the lag in cyrodiil.

Flynch · February 2015

in short - yes. It's a great game with a fantastic platform to jump from.

What I wish we had other than what we already have is a melting pot of the GW2 polish, the dynamic content of Rift, the skill system and open-world nature of UO coupled with the lore and combat of ESO.

From a gamer's point of view, all of these things are possible given the right platform and mechanics. Both of which we have in ESO.

Roll on 2015 folks!

Rosveen · February 2015

starkerealm wrote: »

show previous quotes

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Gear grinding?
If I craft the top gear is that it? I am done? best gear in game?

Crafting 8 or 9 trait sets is going to take a lot of time and work.

Fixed it for you.

No, getting past your 6th or 7th trait takes some work, because inevitably at least one trait will be a complete pain to get a hold of. And then Nirnhoned.

Some traits used to be a problem in early game (exploration on everything, divines on heavy etc). But now? So many people have researched them that you just need to shout out in zone or a large guild and you'll have them in no time. But you're right about nirnhoned.

There's some oddball stuff, like Infused on a Greatsword, light Impen, and, I want to say infused heavy, that are actually fairly unusual. You can get them off dedicated 8 trait crafters, but getting them on your own requires getting lucky with your drops or finishing exactly the right quests. It's not exactly consistent, and if you go to other crafters you might not even notice it, but they just don't drop.

Irronically, Divines are pretty easy to complete off quest rewards for one of the alliances, but I forget which one.

Hmm, yes, if you want to find them on your own then you're completely right. I just figured if the game is almost a year old, the best course of action is asking other players about the traits you can't find, not waiting until they happen to drop.

I might have been thinking about Infused instead of Divines on heavy? One or both of these. I remember my research chart was pretty empty at the bottom back then. But I was swimming in Well-fitted medium, of course... But I remember asking in three different guilds about Impenetrable light head and nobody had it.

Flaminir · February 2015

One piece of advice as a Sorc... if you want to play Melee & think you are going to want to do a lot of end game content then do NOT role a sorc...

As they stand in 1.6 they have no affinity at all with Stamina based melee weapons, and you will find yourself at the bottom of the pile & struggling to get groups at end game.

All classes are fun, and don't let people tell you otherwise... all have a role, but stamina/melee sorc will leave you very gimped & wishing you'd rocked a DK/Templar for the spellsword type that you mention.

P.S. Yes its a very good game & slowly but surely getting better... some great people here too

charley222 · February 2015

yes is a good game and the best mmo on the market now

Syldayan · February 2015

ESO is a good game , not in the style of EVE .

newtinmpls · February 2015

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

The meat after max level is finding what part of end-game makes you happy. Do you want to do Trials and Veteran Dungeons and strive for a spot on the leaderboards? Do you want to dive into AvAvA in Cyrodiil and maybe someday try for Emperor? Do you want to do both?

Truthfully, neither of those appeals in the least. I'm not here to compete or war or anything like that. I'm here to explore and adventure with my spouse. And maybe share some adventures with some friends.

I will add that I currently run eight characters on my primary account, and three on my second account, and I enjoy doing things with a new/younger character that I have already done. Of my first eight characters, all of them were technically sorcerers, and only with the second account am I branching out. A bit. We'll see how that goes.

So far I'm exploring and taking my time, and some stuff I do "over" and I am enjoying it.

My best friend logged over 3000 hours in Skyrim. For me, I expect to log many many hours in ESO.

Robbmrp · February 2015

newtinmpls wrote: »

show previous quotes

WraithAzraiel wrote: »

The meat after max level is finding what part of end-game makes you happy. Do you want to do Trials and Veteran Dungeons and strive for a spot on the leaderboards? Do you want to dive into AvAvA in Cyrodiil and maybe someday try for Emperor? Do you want to do both?

Truthfully, neither of those appeals in the least. I'm not here to compete or war or anything like that. I'm here to explore and adventure with my spouse. And maybe share some adventures with some friends.

I will add that I currently run eight characters on my primary account, and three on my second account, and I enjoy doing things with a new/younger character that I have already done. Of my first eight characters, all of them were technically sorcerers, and only with the second account am I branching out. A bit. We'll see how that goes.

So far I'm exploring and taking my time, and some stuff I do "over" and I am enjoying it.

My best friend logged over 3000 hours in Skyrim. For me, I expect to log many many hours in ESO.

You two will enjoy questing. My wife and I did the same all the way through V14. One piece of advice is to explore every inch of the area that your in before you move to the next, including the dungeons. You can always return to them at a later time on the Veteran level for greater difficulty and some new bosses to fight. Check out the achievements as well before you leave the area to ensure you've found everything.

timidobserver · February 2015

I haven't played GW2 since ESO launched, but I'll give it my best shot with a little bias as I can.

~Comparison~

Ascended Gear/Legendary Gear: The ESO crafting system is kind of similar to the ascended system. At least as it was when I left GW2. There are time gates on researching what traits you can put on gear. The amount of traits you have determines what sets you can make. You then upgrade the quality of that gear.

ESO currently has nothing that compares to Legendary Weapons, but maybe this will change at some point. Hopefully it does. 3

PVP: World vs World is very similar to Cyrodil, however Cyrodil is a lot bigger and spread out. However, ESO currently has no structured PVP like GW2. Like WvW, GW2 does have a pvp ranking system. Gaining alliance ranks allows you to unlock certain passives and active skills. Currently there is no E-SPORTS in ESO PvP.

EndGame/Gear Progression: Fractals could be compared to trials and some vet dungeons. However, fractals are all about mechanics and do things right. If you know the mechanics will enough, you could run through them in horrible gear. ESO is a bit more gear focused than GW2. Your gear will make a big difference. Overall, ESO is a lot more vertical(gear progression) than GW2, but the Champion System is going to change that a bit.

Races: Races a pretty cosmetic in GW2. They have differences, but those differences are pretty minimal. Races have somewhat significant pros and cons in ESO.

Trading: GW2 has a global auction house with an extremely hardcore centralized economy that can be monitored from within a single website. The ESO trade system is dispersed into completely separate guild traders. You have to put a bit more effort into playing the market and finding what you want at the best price. Also, you have to be in a guild to post on a trader. I personally like this system, but some people do not.

Addons: While GW2 doesn't have addons, ESO kind of outsources a lot of functionality to the addon community. The default UI is kind of light, but you can find most of what you need through an addon if you are okay with addons.

Guilds: At the moment, ESO has a lot less guild progression. The only activity that guilds have attached to them are traders, which can be fun if you are into the whole trade thing. You don't have to represent a guild in ESO. You can join 5 guilds and you are always representing all of them as far as guild chat goes.

Group make up: This is the biggest difference between ESO and GW2. GW2 is Trinity. In other words, for end game content(most of it), you need tanks, healers, and dps. That said, the classes are diverse enough that most are capable at least 2 of the 3 roles. You get enough skill points that you can swap between roles on the fly.

Class Balance: Do not pick your class based on what is powerful now. ESO has constant balancing. What is powerful now will likely change in a month or two. Just pick what you want to play. That said, be aware that certain classes are more likely to get into endgame groups if they conform to certain roles/playstyles.

Overall answer to your question: Yes ESO is a good game. I expect it to get a lot better as time goes on and the whole B2P transition is over.

Keepercraft · February 2015

Yes, but it can be BETTER if we help ZOS and ZOS will implement all promise updates!

Lord_Kreegan · February 2015

Games are games. Fans of games will give you glossy opinions of their games. That's true of every game.

You will find that ESO feels incomplete. That is, you will be looking for certain features that are common to most MMORPGS and they're not in ESO. This can be frustrating if you're expecting them; so, the best thing is to have no expectations. Let the game grow on you.

With respect to any comparison with GW2:

Both had linear questing.

You have limited skills in use at any moment in time in ESO just like you do in GW2. Your skills are associated with classes and weapons just like they are in GW2 (with the usual minimal racial variation).

The biggest difference IMHO? In GW2 characters are scaled relative to the level of the ZONE they are in; they keep all skills they had before scaling, but the HP and damage they can deal are adjusted. In ESO, once you hit veteran ranks, the mobs are scaled UP to your level. As you level up, mobs in some dungeons and for certain quests are scaled UP to your level. This can be problematic. Your previously "powerful" character can suddenly feel as weak as a kitten and you find yourself dying a lot.

GW2's scaling IMHO was far superior.

Another difference, one I appreciate tremendously? In ESO there are NO FREAKIN' JUMPING MINI-GAMES LIKE GW2. You don't have to be a Mario Bros. afficionado to play ESO. I hated those stupid jumping mini-games in GW2 with a passion!!!

Crafting is tremendously different; personally, I preferred crafting in GW2. To me crafting in ESO is all about how many different things you can deconstruct, not how many things you can make. It's bass-ackwards. You level crafting in ESO more by deconstructing things than you do by making things.

I love PvP, but I didn't like PvP in GW2; I also don't like it in ESO. I consider both to have been poorly done since the focus in both was on three faction PvP and not on GOOD Pvp. Both very definitely made A-N-A-L design decisions with the presumption that if there were three factions the PvP would automatically be good. IMHO, both missed the mark dramatically. Classes aren't balanced for PvP; factions aren't balanced for PvP; the terrain isn't interesting for PvP... and the engines don't handle the player load worth a dang. GW2 tinkered with their engine for quite a while, constantly optimizing; I don't know whether or not they ever achieved good performance; but ESO definitely hasn't yet.

Given a choice, which would I play? ESO. I've invested too much time writing bug reports to give up on the game.

akredon_ESO · February 2015

i love this game i have over 50 hours in just one character. Guild wars 2 to me was great in the beginning but once i got level 80 I felt the game was very stale and demanded you to do alot of gem trading to make money or Farm for hours on end to get mats to sell. ESO doesn't have the flashiness of GW2. There are some great stories in the game, Cadwells wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out. I play ESO and enjoy my self its as simple as that. Other people may disagree, This forum tends to have alot of negativity on it that can deter alot of folks but me personally I find it fun, And will be here for awhile. Best thing i can say is try out the game and see how you like it

starkerealm · February 2015

Rosveen wrote: »

show previous quotes

starkerealm wrote: »

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Rosveen wrote: »

starkerealm wrote: »

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Gear grinding?
If I craft the top gear is that it? I am done? best gear in game?

Crafting 8 or 9 trait sets is going to take a lot of time and work.

Fixed it for you.

No, getting past your 6th or 7th trait takes some work, because inevitably at least one trait will be a complete pain to get a hold of. And then Nirnhoned.

Some traits used to be a problem in early game (exploration on everything, divines on heavy etc). But now? So many people have researched them that you just need to shout out in zone or a large guild and you'll have them in no time. But you're right about nirnhoned.

There's some oddball stuff, like Infused on a Greatsword, light Impen, and, I want to say infused heavy, that are actually fairly unusual. You can get them off dedicated 8 trait crafters, but getting them on your own requires getting lucky with your drops or finishing exactly the right quests. It's not exactly consistent, and if you go to other crafters you might not even notice it, but they just don't drop.

Irronically, Divines are pretty easy to complete off quest rewards for one of the alliances, but I forget which one.

Hmm, yes, if you want to find them on your own then you're completely right. I just figured if the game is almost a year old, the best course of action is asking other players about the traits you can't find, not waiting until they happen to drop.

I might have been thinking about Infused instead of Divines on heavy? One or both of these. I remember my research chart was pretty empty at the bottom back then. But I was swimming in Well-fitted medium, of course... But I remember asking in three different guilds about Impenetrable light head and nobody had it.

You're not wrong about divines. They are less common as drops, but they did occur as quest rewards more frequently. In fact I think you could get a full medium divine set in Rivenspire, though it's been awhile since I've done it.

Some traits do still take some considerable legwork because they're both rare and not particularly desirable, like the light impen (outside of PvP.) So unless you manage to tag an 8 trait crafter who'll make them for you, you're in for a long wait, or a fair amount of work. I see a lot of people asking for sharpened bows, for instance. Of course, some sets, like medium armor or shields are remarkably easy to get 8 trait for.

That said, with the number of crafters going up, it is getting easier. But you're still hunting for the ones who've actually got full 8 trait suites, which... I still don't think is that many. Even in the high traffic zones like The Rift or Stormhaven.

jelliedsoup · February 2015

If you like weapons and stealth then probably not.

jelliedsoup · February 2015

kevlarto_ESO wrote: »

To me yes I find the game fun and being a fan of elder scrolls I think it complements the franchise well played all elder games since Dagger fall, it is all matter of opinion.

Difference of opnion is rife. I've played since daggerfall and find this game the most restrictive.

deepseamk20b14_ESO · February 2015

I have played many MMO's and I have had the most fun with this one so far. It also helps being in a guild with good people that add to the fun.

Funkopotamus · February 2015

Sallington wrote: »

Levels 1-50, it's the best MMO on the market in my opinion.

That is the saddest thing I have ever heard anyone say about a MMO. Seeing as MMO's are ment to be enjoyed for longer than a level race.. I mean think about it.. That is like saying "Yeah it was great then I beat it" Might as well have credits roll at level 50 then. Every MMO I have played in the past 15+years I have never had anyone say that about it.

But to answer your question YES it is a good game, but it could be so much more.

Robocles · February 2015

It's decent. Many of us have been playing for more than a year (including Beta).

You mention EVE... if you like PvP... EVE is far superior.

starkerealm · February 2015

jelliedsoup wrote: »

show previous quotes

kevlarto_ESO wrote: »

To me yes I find the game fun and being a fan of elder scrolls I think it complements the franchise well played all elder games since Dagger fall, it is all matter of opinion.

Difference of opnion is rife. I've played since daggerfall and find this game the most restrictive.

I'm not sure I'd call it, "the most restrictive." Certainly "the most linear" Elder Scrolls game I've ever played. But, it's not really something I'm inclined to find fault with.

seanvwolf · February 2015

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Just purchased a new account right now with ESO and was wondering if I could ask a silly question to the community at large.

Is ESO a good game?

I am coming to ESO from GW2 / EVE Online and I was curious to know what type of content there is.

In Guild Wars 2 we had a large amount of content to work towards on character advancement:

- Ascended Gear

- Legendary Weapons (That actually were legendary - I heard in ESO its just a color difference and some slight stat differences - not skin differences which saddens me)

- World vs. World (which looks like is in ESO)

- Fractals (which looks like there is similar to trials in ESO?)

- World bosses (not sure if there are big dragons in ESO but would be cool!)

I understand that in 1.6 there will be a lot of changes to be seen for sure and that excites me a lot...namely the Champion system - very smart move and I feel like it is a great step towards end-game content.

However this can be short lived where I cannot spend all my years grinding out champion points

What the meat of the game? I heard the leveling was good but Cadwells was brutal and pointless?

What should I expect once the "fun leveling part" is over?

What about sorcerers? I wanted to make a melee sorcerer however I am hearing not to as they are garbage now as a melee?

I thought it would be awesome to do a dual wield sorcerer.....be so bad ass...a sword swinging spell slinging mage.

How does this game compare to GW2?

Game is fun, that's what matters most.

There is advanced gear in the game, which are upgrades of the lower gear and there is a skin difference in them, but only slight changes. Gold (Legendary) gear is purer in it's presentation. Purple gear looks a bit worn, but Legendary gear is pristine.

In ESO there is Alliance vs Alliance vs Alliance. It's a three way PvP in Cyrodiil only, akin to Dark Age of Camelot which is a great game as well. If you played and enjoyed DAoC, then you'll be at home in Cyrodiil.

Trials aren't consisting of small quests but one large one. The biggest challenge in Trials isn't the quest choices (very limited in the game) but in the dynamic fights which change not by boss and add compositions but by the composition of the party tackling the dungeon (which I find a great concept personally) and the friendliness or lack thereof of the ones running the Trial runs.

As a stamina dual wield sorc, yesterday I completed veteran City of Ash, which is considered the most difficult 4 man dungeon in the game, and did so with a stamina nightblade dps, stam/mag dragonknight tank, and full resto templar. I tend to have most successes when the group composition has all classes represented. The biggest challenge you will have as a sorcerer is to prove to others (through your choice of skills and knowledge of game mechanics) that you are invaluable to them in some key aspect. The Stigma of the Month is on Sorcerers now... but it used to be on Nightblades. For many sorc builds, their survivability is their biggest selling point compared to the most common nightblade dps builds, however this doesn't mean you are superman. I've seen the tankiest tanks make one wrong decision and the whole group pays the price, or a healer who doesn't prepare for a big attack and a wipe incurs. What I am saying is, if you know your class intimately and know enough about the other classes and their build capabilities, then it's just a matter of knowing when to do what and how.

Negate is a key skill to have as a sorcerer and you will almost always be expected to have and use this at key times. The best way to be grouped when handling end game content in ESO is to utilize Teamspeak or Vent or some similar voice chat system, as the fights (and the areas you are fighting in) change and in order to be on point you have to hear for audio cues from your group leader or tank (often referred to as the Crown as they are usually the ones who are most familar with the layout of the battle).

If all you want is a sword swinging spell slinging mage then you could go with any class (really). All the classes are hybrid classes and all have spells and can utilize the Mage Guild skill line. Really it is about the flavor of playstyle.

Sorcerers (lightning, dark magic)
Templars (sunfire and light, restoration)
Nightblade (shadow, siphon)
Dragonknight (fire, stone)

Digiman · February 2015

Mricci1988 wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Just purchased a new account right now with ESO and was wondering if I could ask a silly question to the community at large.

Is ESO a good game?

I am coming to ESO from GW2 / EVE Online and I was curious to know what type of content there is.

In Guild Wars 2 we had a large amount of content to work towards on character advancement:

- Ascended Gear

- Legendary Weapons (That actually were legendary - I heard in ESO its just a color difference and some slight stat differences - not skin differences which saddens me)

- World vs. World (which looks like is in ESO)

- Fractals (which looks like there is similar to trials in ESO?)

- World bosses (not sure if there are big dragons in ESO but would be cool!)

I understand that in 1.6 there will be a lot of changes to be seen for sure and that excites me a lot...namely the Champion system - very smart move and I feel like it is a great step towards end-game content.

However this can be short lived where I cannot spend all my years grinding out champion points

What the meat of the game? I heard the leveling was good but Cadwells was brutal and pointless?

What should I expect once the "fun leveling part" is over?

What about sorcerers? I wanted to make a melee sorcerer however I am hearing not to as they are garbage now as a melee?

I thought it would be awesome to do a dual wield sorcerer.....be so bad ass...a sword swinging spell slinging mage.

How does this game compare to GW2?

Well unless you are a heavy fan of the ES series you may find there isn't much end game at the moment. LFG tool is utter garbage so you will spend most of your time in a zone asking for people to join to do group stuff, but near the end of cadwells quest zones those zones can be very empty of players.

Cadwells is a lot better then it was at launch, you will feel quite burned out if you stick to just doing it so mix it up with PvP. But its a great way to get all the skyshards and skill points.

The game mechanics on the other hand are what really shine. You will need to actively pay attention or wind up dead and the game isn't a button masher, prepare to scream in rage a bit. PvP is also vary varied and fun. The game economy is also skewered making it difficult to sell things unless you find a successful trading guild to join.

You can also make your own gear and mix sets to amplify your roles.

There aren't any legendary gear per say. But equipment you make can be improved vastly to gold legendary stats, but the materials required while simply to use are very costly and often rare so its not so easy to get above purple.

The world of ESO is also larger and has a huge amount of lore imbedded in its game play. You may find yourself reading interesting stories you find on bookshelves, I can't speak for trails but world bosses are varied and I found it fun in lower levels leveling through my zone waiting with a group to clear a boss camp, that also might have some flavored notes explaining why those bosses are there.

Dolmens are also an interesting take, they are similar to horde battles and can be participated in at any stage. You could start it or be there to hit the last boss a few times and still get credit for clearing it. Achievements also add colours to customize gear making it worthwhile to complete it.

The progression system is also very interesting, where Skill points are basically limitless in ESO design philosophy, but to balance that out you can only 5 activatable abilities and one ultimate.

Its a fun game never the less and you may enjoy it. But I would hold out till Tamerial unlimited to really invest more into it next month. Use this time to clear out your other games and set everything ready so you can get into this game.

As for your class choice, you may not like sorcerer that much. Melee sorcerers while getting some attention is quite minor and if you really want a good mix of spell slinging melee class then choose templer. You have more options in roles and they seem to get better in 1.6

Sorcerers while okay are still an incomplete mess. There just hasn't been enough focus on the class, and its direction has been lost. Once a class considered to be a ranged magicka DPS constant changes have really made playing this class quite difficult unless you try a specific setup. While others who don't really focus playing on this class say its okay for its specific builds. Long term Sorcerer have noticed some really hard pinches.

1.6 doesn't look better unless you like pets and shielding. If your going for one handed shield sorcerers playstyle you should be okay 1 vs 1. But prepare for some really bad problems down the line where your combat strategy will be to out last targets.

Eitherway you may enjoy this game, but I would wait for Tamerial unlimited to get more bang for your buck.