For those who don't know ESO Plus (ESO+) is a free to choose subscription plan for the game The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. It has the following perks as of 04/21/2015:
- Exclusive DLC(Downloaded Content) access for the time of membership.
- 1,500 Crowns per month of subscription. (If subscribed for 2 months, 3,000 crowns and so on.)
- 10% Bonus gold gain, experience, crafting research, and crafting inspiration.
For those with Imperial Edition or who've bought and performed the Pledges of Mara, yes the Ring of Mara experience boost will stack with the ESO Plus subscription bonus. As for gold gain, it is applied to loot from chests, bosses, quest rewards (NOT Cyrodiil campaign), npcs, citizens stolen or slain, etc. it does not though apply to vendors in any transaction sale or purchase.
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For those of you who've played games for years, how copy and paste does this subscription plan sound? Pretty bad, decent, considerate? My own opinion is that it's incredibly simple, undesirable, and rather a pathetic option to look at. Let's look at the ESO world, chances are if you bought the ESO Plus subscription there's about a 40% or greater chance that you've already bought or are about to buy the Imperial Edition of the game. So you find out about the Rings of Mara and maybe you want to make a new class, maybe even a new main or a crafter? Those rings look all that more interesting, but you need your specific friend, partner, whatever in a group with you (Not account bound, but character) so already you're being unknowingly forced into playing with someone. What if they quit, what if you do? That solo experience looks more appealing without a doubt now doesn't it? What if I could make you want to continue on playing though, and how I could do so?
Not many developers or investors think widely of games, or the industry and who and how people really play. Are they hardcore raiders, or laid back PvPers, vise versa, crafters, merchants, etc. Once a game is produced and a subscription is made it's without a doubt exactly as this one is, if not worse or better. So now you have 1,500 crowns, and some bonuses. Not really much.. Making gold in the game is already fairly easy, especially if you take to crafting and selling items, but I'm trying to make you sit at the computer or console and keep playing. Not burn your time annoyed with the over 20 day long trait crafting research timers! While they're nice to be at 10%, why not really push the desire for it? A reduction by 5 or even 10% more could look a lot nicer wouldn't it, 15 or 20%. What about solo experience, while nice is it really needed when it is fairly simple and easy to level? I don't think so, why not put those Rings of Mara to real use and not a burden or even make yourself a highly desired player to have in a group! Well how can we do that, it's simple, change the values and where they go to these bonuses.
Alright, so we increase the crafting research timer reduction percent by 5 or 10%, but what else? What could make you look better in to a group or just solo gameplay? Instead of having an increase to gold gain and an increased crafting inspiration amount, why not a group gold gain and a better chance of loot? Suddenly you want that group even if you like to play alone. You'd get more gold and even better items, something we all want! Instead of having these values at 10% make them at 15% so players feel determined to really want that grouping experience. Speaking of experiences, keep the solo experience, but add another one for grouping. So now you'd have something along the lines of 10% solo experience, and 20% grouped experience gains, no they won't stack, BUT will with the Rings of Mara. Yes, the group experience does indeed go for the whole of the group, including Cyrodiil, Trials, and Veteran content. A possible 30% bonus to experience in running a dungeon or trial MIXED with gold and loot gain? I think I can safely say that now the subscription model looks much more attractive. What would you have though?
New ESO Subscription Plan:
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"Happiness is foolishness I don't care for. When a scientist discovers something new that person would be willing to die to uncover the result of it. In that moment there is no happiness but an obsessiveness with interest. And it is with great pleasure I say I am not, nor ever desire to be happy, but take luxury and with sense of halcyon that I am interesting."