Why can't I play with 2/3 of the player population?

Jules

Maybe it's just me, but has bothered me for so long.There are 3 factions, each of which have their own zones when leveling. Fine. Then you go to the other 2 factions' zones, still leveling. Fine. Then you go to craglorn for end-game/group content. And you're still pigeon-holed into interacting with only your faction.

Ebonheart Pact is awesome, don't get me wrong. I've made many friends here and I don't usually have a problem interacting or finding groups. But I've been lucky for the most part. For others looking to meet people and complete tasks, the pool of people they can interact with is abysmally small as its only 1/3 of the population on the server (and likely even less, since there are imbalances in population between factions.)

The only way to interact with someone of the opposite faction is to:

1) reroll
2) kill them in pvp

Why exactly did they design it this way?? To me, people on AD & DC might as well be on the EU server in terms of being able to actually play the game with them. Why was craglorn not a zone where all factions were able to congregate peacefully and complete content together? It just seems like such poor design that people are isolated within their 1/3 of the population. We're allowed to whisper each other, be in guilds together, but we exist in entirely different games, unable to ever interact. Isn't that just bizarre? Can you imagine being able to have 66% more people to run dungeons with, or trials, or anything, should you choose to? That would be game changing.

I'm all for the alliance war in PVP. Sure, you defend your alliance it's a fun and competitive way to interact. But in end-game zones, you should be able to interact cooperatively. Kinda like two guys getting into a brawl and then going and having a beer. Or even if you're not so cool with those people. It would add an element of competition to be able to actually SEE their character in general.

I don't know. Mostly it just seems like such a hindrance to the entire population and I don't really understand why it's implemented.

/endrant

Samadhi

2/3 of the population are my enemies in war time.

If anything, wish that more effort was made to foster faction loyalty rather than drive us through Cadwell's Silver and Gold.

liammozzb16_ESO

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

Thymos

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

And where is that game now?

liammozzb16_ESO

Thymos wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

And where is that game now?

Well it has an active player base of over 3000 over at SWGEmu.com

The original game died not because the game was crap it was be cause the developers changed the core mechanics of the game not once but twice. All the original players didn't like it and wanted the original game, so they all left.

It was turning SWG into wow that killed it. If it's not broke don't fix it I guess.

starkerealm

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Thymos wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

And where is that game now?

Well it has an active player base of over 3000 over at SWGEmu.com

The original game died not because the game was crap it was be cause the developers changed the core mechanics of the game not once but twice. All the original players didn't like it and wanted the original game, so they all left.

It was turning SWG into wow that killed it. If it's not broke don't fix it I guess.

Also, the minor issue of the license being pulled so that EA could release TOR...

AlnilamE

Samadhi wrote: »

2/3 of the population are my enemies in war time.

If anything, wish that more effort was made to foster faction loyalty rather than drive us through Cadwell's Silver and Gold.

Silver and Gold is not the problem. Being able to create alts in other factions is. :-p

Robbmrp

Since Cyrodil is the ONLY place you can PVP, there's NO reason IMO why we shouldn't see other factions as well as group up for questing. If there are others out there that don't want to group with someone because they are EP or DC that's their choice. I bought an Imperial Edition of the game so I could play any class I wanted in any faction. I know this is "Lore" breaking to some but not for me.

During the week on the NA server it can take an hour or longer to get a group of 4 in the evening to run the daily pledges. Being able to see other factions and group with them would resolve that. It would also resolve the barren zones with barely anyone in them. Yes it would add more people to compete with resources for but who cares. I spend six years doing that in WoW so it won't hurt my finances one bit to have to do so here.

Borders

I think OP has point but with lore and loyalty to faction its just a tricky subject. Technically you should not even want to interact with a state you are at war with but some people like to reach out. Only real solution is create and faction that lets you be temporarily neutral and work it into lore.

liammozzb16_ESO

To be fair in the AD the wood elves and khjits don't really give a flying fook about the golden elves or their war.

IrishGirlGamer

This reminds me of a guy I met a short time ago. He sent me a friend invite while I was on the AD server and I accepted.

A couple of days later, I loaded an alt to take a break from the AD and he sends me whisper. Apparently, he is ONLY friends with people on AD because he's a role player and that's the faction he's in. He asked me if this was a serious character and so on.

In the end, he unfriended me because he only had AD friends and I, in turn, didn't want to drop my other alts (which span all three factions). While I respect his right to RP, it did seem strange at the time ...

pecheckler

They'll either merge factions for PvE, or merge the three consoles and PC players. It's inevitable.

Tandor

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Thymos wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

And where is that game now?

Well it has an active player base of over 3000 over at SWGEmu.com

The original game died not because the game was crap it was be cause the developers changed the core mechanics of the game not once but twice. All the original players didn't like it and wanted the original game, so they all left.

It was turning SWG into wow that killed it. If it's not broke don't fix it I guess.

Those changes were made in a last-ditch effort to turn the game into a commercial success. Sure, those people who played it thought it was great, but there simply weren't enough of them. Yes, SOE dumbed the game down but that was in an attempt to get more people playing it. I played it a fair bit over the years and it was pretty empty most of that time.

SHADOW2KK

IrishGirlGamer wrote: »

This reminds me of a guy I met a short time ago. He sent me a friend invite while I was on the AD server and I accepted.

A couple of days later, I loaded an alt to take a break from the AD and he sends me whisper. Apparently, he is ONLY friends with people on AD because he's a role player and that's the faction he's in. He asked me if this was a serious character and so on.

In the end, he unfriended me because he only had AD friends and I, in turn, didn't want to drop my other alts (which span all three factions). While I respect his right to RP, it did seem strange at the time ...

Elitist RPer!!!, lol, but aye, strange...

Minack

Thymos wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

See this is where SWG did it right but no other MMO listened.

Everyone is neutral to start with then you choose a faction empire or rebels. You can still group with any player in the game unless you flag your self as on duty for PvP.

And where is that game now?

In the hearts and minds of everyone that played it with regularity. I think we can honestly say there won't be any attempts to make an emu out of ESO anytime soon.

liammozzb16_ESO

pecheckler wrote: »

They'll either merge factions for PvE, or merge the three consoles and PC players. It's inevitable.

Unless they can convince Microsoft to start playing nice it will be PC/PS4 together and xbox sitting on its own.

They could bring out a expansion where molg Bol is able to come over are world and he sets up base in one of the unopened parts of the map by the PvP zone. All three factions have to work together to stop him but there are still skirmishes for power and land.

UrQuan

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Unless they can convince Microsoft to start playing nice it will be PC/PS4 together and xbox sitting on its own.

Wait, are PS4 players going to be on the same server as PC players? I thought they were going to have their own server... If you're right this is good news!

Athas24

Dungeons should be cross faction simply because you GO to the other 2 faction zones in order to complete those dungeons. Outside of that I'm fine with the other zones being faction restricted. I wouldn't mind craglorn being open but then I'd want it pvp capable BUT with the ability to group with any faction you want and be a traitor to your own faction if you wanted to. I think I'm also partial to the faction concept because of SWTOR. There was 1/2 the population you couldn't play with because the Jedi didn't get to side with the Sith for dungeon runs or quests. That being said, you didn't go to the Jedi side after completing the Sith side and quest in their area at all either lol. . .

liammozzb16_ESO

UrQuan wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Unless they can convince Microsoft to start playing nice it will be PC/PS4 together and xbox sitting on its own.

Wait, are PS4 players going to be on the same server as PC players? I thought they were going to have their own server... If you're right this is good news!

No they will all have their own server.

Technically that's how it should be though.

Sony said they would allow all three to be linked together.

Microsoft said no they won't let xbox players link up with playstation players.

Zeni copped out and made each have their own server rather than just have xbox players be on their own. So they wouldn't feel left out.

BrassRazoo

Craglorn was a mistake in my opinion.
The first new zone (two zones in a way now) and all content is forced group.
Basically, once you had finished Silver and Gold, which many people did solo, you were stuck on VR12 and all of a sudden hit a brick wall where everything changed questers.
It turned the zone in to a crappy grind fest and now it's not even worth that.
All factions should have been able to interact in Craglorn.

newtinmpls

You can only play with 1/3 of the population ..... at a time.

I think the whole AD person not befriending you based on being RP is silly; I RP (sorta) all my characters and I have characters in every faction.

Bouvin

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Unless they can convince Microsoft to start playing nice it will be PC/PS4 together and xbox sitting on its own.

Wait, are PS4 players going to be on the same server as PC players? I thought they were going to have their own server... If you're right this is good news!

No they will all have their own server.

Technically that's how it should be though.

Sony said they would allow all three to be linked together.

Microsoft said no they won't let xbox players link up with playstation players.

Zeni copped out and made each have their own server rather than just have xbox players be on their own. So they wouldn't feel left out.

Shoulda left Xbox players on their own. That's what they get for buying an Xbox and support M$

UrQuan

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

liammozzb16_ESO wrote: »

Unless they can convince Microsoft to start playing nice it will be PC/PS4 together and xbox sitting on its own.

Wait, are PS4 players going to be on the same server as PC players? I thought they were going to have their own server... If you're right this is good news!

No they will all have their own server.

Technically that's how it should be though.

Sony said they would allow all three to be linked together.

Microsoft said no they won't let xbox players link up with playstation players.

Zeni copped out and made each have their own server rather than just have xbox players be on their own. So they wouldn't feel left out.

If Microsoft are the only ones who have a problem with putting everyone on one server (well, 2 servers: NA and EU), then I'd be a lot happier to just have Xbox players on their own server and put the PS4 players on the same server as us PC players. Obviously it's not my call, and I don't know everything that would have gone into the decision to keep PS4 players separate as well as keeping Xbox players separate, but it would be nice to have as many people as possible playing in the same playground.

BrassRazoo

Microsoft did not want to expose their members to the poor security that Sony has on their servers.

liammozzb16_ESO

BrassRazoo wrote: »

Microsoft did not want to expose their members to the poor security that Sony has on their servers.

Well that's just stupid since where playing zeni servers

SirAndy

Jules wrote: »

The only way to interact with someone of the opposite faction is to:

1) reroll
2) kill them in pvp

Not true. I have had many cross faction dungeon delves and skyshard hunts in Cyrodiil.
Many of them with members of all 3 factions.

Gotta watch out for friendly fire but other than that, it's a lot of fun ...

Divad Zarn

Because thats all coming from bad PvP design, its "war" outside with terribly boring pvp and no one plan to add something different there as pvp, and philosophy is that we cant interact with other factions cuz of that war (which mainly coming from pvp).

Enodoc

I am very much enjoying the increased popularity of the cross-faction PvE discussion. It seems to be brought up in at least one new thread every week.

Anyway, as always, I'm dropping in my standard list of everything I think should be cross-faction, and the lore reasons why it would be appropriate:

• Coldharbour:All three alliance leaders have sanctioned the Guild-led invasion, so it would make sense for members of all alliances to be there.
• Craglorn: Politically neutral with no fealty to any alliance. The Star-Gazers are searching for help against the Celestials in each Alliance Capital, so it would make sense for members of all alliances to respond.
• Group Dungeons and Trials: All of these are organised by the Undaunted, who take members from all factions, so any Undaunted should be able to group with any other Undaunted to tackle it.
• Eyevea and the Earth Forge:Members of the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild come from all alliances, and these are their safe zones, so people from all alliances should be there.

shiva7663

SirAndy wrote: »

I have had many cross faction dungeon delves and skyshard hunts in Cyrodiil.
Many of them with members of all 3 factions.

Gotta watch out for friendly fire but other than that, it's a lot of fun ...

You know, there's a design precedent in place now with the Justice System: the toggle that prevents you from accidentally attacking NPCs. It should be possible to design a similar toggle setting for players.

Bloodfang

shiva7663 wrote: »

SirAndy wrote: »

I have had many cross faction dungeon delves and skyshard hunts in Cyrodiil.
Many of them with members of all 3 factions.

Gotta watch out for friendly fire but other than that, it's a lot of fun ...

You know, there's a design precedent in place now with the Justice System: the toggle that prevents you from accidentally attacking NPCs. It should be possible to design a similar toggle setting for players.

That would kill ESO. World PvP just doesn't work in an MMO.

MornaBaine

Dungeons should be cross-faction. Because you go to all factions to do them.
Coldharbor should be cross-faction. After all, Molly Balls doesn't care what faction you are in.
Craglorn should be cross-faction.
Eyevea, as it is the neutral island owned by the Mages Guild, should be cross faction.
Stros M'kai, lawless pirate island that it is, should be cross faction.
Cadwell's Silver & Gold should be done away with. But, failing that, they should be cross faction.