If eso was named 'Tamriel Themepark With Rides' it may have done better.

winterscrolls229prerb18_ESO

Its only been since b2p that i've spent uncolored time with eso (before it was more of a constant inspection of how every game asset could justify 15$ a month, deciding it wouldn't and logging off after a few hours of this) and just amazed that its only now i've let go of wanting eso to be like elder scrolls.

I swear the name i saw every time logging on, reading about the game etc, made me somehow think elder scrolls.. and this game, honestly, doesn't hold a candle to them, except for using the same lore.

The positive thing about this is.. once its been called that eso can't touch elder scrolls, never will, and was completely misleading for even suggesting to try... what's left actually does blow away all the major story based mmo's out there today, or at least equals the best, and thats a pretty strong effort.

Using the name 'Elder Scrolls' for eso was a mistake.. Tamriel Themepark (with rides) would have hit the nail on the head and let what we have now exceed expectations rather than trying to touch elder scrolls when it obviously cant... Why couldn't they have just done this and let me not get confused for so long? I'm not a fanboy to actively delude myself.. i'm just here to play and its taken this long... eso actually gets good!!

ps. I hope it wasn't just getting a cat mount that made the difference (i like my character a bit more).
pps. I guess mean the world and atmosphere.. gameplay and progression are better in other themeparks.

Anyways, completely disassociating elder scrolls from eso apart from the lore and considering the mmo that's left ftw.

Preyfar

It's an Elder Scrolls MMO. MMOs will never be like single player games where things like balance, lag and absolute freedom can be done with little to no risk. As it is, ESO is one of the beat Elder Scrolls games I've played (lack of proper sandbox aside).

Gidorick

maryriv

It is kind of shallow isn't it. Wonder if UO and EQN will be better. I like that UO has housing built in to it from the start and I like that EQN has randomly spawning mobs that patrol rather than this horrible static system that most mmos have. We shall see.

dodgehopper_ESO

The core of what Elder Scrolls games have been about is the Lone Hero. The Elder Scrolls Champions have always been mythical figures like Hercules, Perseus, Beowulf, etc. They might have interactions with others, but ultimately they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. That lonely feeling you get traversing Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim can not be replicated in an MMO can it? I don't think we should have expected it too either, after all it is an MMO. Setting that aside I do think Elder Scrolls Online could use a little bit of some of the old school MMO elements. Namely, I think it would be nice if ESO had some more non-themepark elements and more sandbox elements. I really don't know if it is possible, but given the backstory of what the Vestige is and becomes, I really think it would be awesome if our characters can play among the stars. Eyevea is a prime example. I'd love it if our characters owned a little slice of the heavens that was all ours, and perhaps we would even wage war over it. These otherworldly places would not necessarily have to look so otherworldly, but it would let us have Sandbox elements in the game without messing with the History of Tamriel. Simultaneously, it would let all the great creative and interactive elements of old mmo's back, and I think it would be a very Elder Scrolls thing to do. I think if they can make ESO a bit more like SWG was pre-CU, I think the game would fall into the stellar category. I think the spellcrafting idea they posted would also be a great start as well, causing the playerbase to hunt down items and buy/sell/trade amongst each other as they develop their heroes. I am personally hopeful, because if they could pull this off I think ESO would stomp other MMO's into the pavement.

LucyferLightbringer

It would be better if it didn't force the outdated trinity system down our throats.

golfer.dub17_ESO

LucyferLightbringer wrote: »

It would be better if it didn't force the outdated trinity system down our throats.

I just don't see how you would avoid that.

Betahkiin

LucyferLightbringer

golfer.dub17_ESO wrote: »

LucyferLightbringer wrote: »

It would be better if it didn't force the outdated trinity system down our throats.

I just don't see how you would avoid that.

Take a look at GW2 no trinity there, while story there is just plain terrible, combat system is the best i have ever seen in MMO.

winterscrolls229prerb18_ESO

Preyfar wrote: »

It's an Elder Scrolls MMO. MMOs will never be like single player games where things like balance, lag and absolute freedom can be done with little to no risk. As it is, ESO is one of the beat Elder Scrolls games I've played (lack of proper sandbox aside).

I was thinking the other day.. even something like having crafting mats so abundant like on other games to remove them from the economy.. and make it feel like a world would have gone a long way.

Its the difference between you zoning in to have an adventure (elder scrolls), vs you looking at the map you got at the gate and moving onto the next exhibit or ride (tamriel themepark with rides). I've even spent a good number of hours just doing the playing the environment game.. and its so shallow.. the environment does have some (very) beautiful scenes, but is so immensely smothered by its intent to hold the themepark rides and provide loot from crafting mats and chests.. the land itself is... well.. a themepark

gregaw_ESO

This is exactly what happens when you turn any single player game into a MMO. All it really retains is the lore and everything else is just the brand name skin on the MMO genre gameplay.

You can't really compare the two genres. IMO this is an ES game and deserves to be called as such, but with that Online monicker which lets us know that it has that watered down, grindy feel about it.

At least they didn't call it ES6 like how they made Final Fantasy 11 and 14 as online games...

StaticWax

Some people's hobbies are critiquing games. I prefer to play & enjoy them.

/shrug

C0pp3rhead

I agree with the OP. However, I disagree that this game could not have been a legitimate Elder Scrolls Game, online. The game devs strayed too far from what was at the heart of an ES game - an open and free class system, a more interactive world, and hidden secret fun stuff.

Locke_ESO

maryriv wrote: »

It is kind of shallow isn't it. Wonder if UO and EQN will be better. I like that UO has housing built in to it from the start and I like that EQN has randomly spawning mobs that patrol rather than this horrible static system that most mmos have. We shall see.

EQN "emergent" AI is just another pie in the sky concept from SOE designed to pull people in. I strongly doubt it will ever appear in the game as advertised and that is assuming of course that EQN ever reaches market given SOE were purchased by an equity firm and they sacked half their staff.

As for the topic yes the game is an MMO theme park game. They are incredibly popular and ESO is a very good example of how to do it fairly well.