No Content For A Few Months, No Road Ahead...Why Continue Paying For A Subscription?

timidobserver

olemanwinter wrote: »

timidobserver wrote: »

Unsubscribing is a lot less meaningful now given that you'll probably still be playing the game.

How so? Me playing the game does them no good.

If anything, losing a subscriber would mean even more now ( assuming we don't buy crowns either).

We still require server space. We still fill out support tickets. Etc. ... but we are no longer contributing any money.

If that's LESS meaningful, then this company is even less sensible than I thought. lol

Someone that is so thoroughly unsatisfied with the game that they don't intend to play it ever again is making a major statement. Someone that unsubs and keeps playing as some kind of protest isn't really saying a lot. In fact, they probably planned for a number of people to unsub and keep playing during the content gap. It is probably the whole point of the crown store.

LEGENDARYYY

I don't think the benefits from subscribing are bad. The main problem is the content of the game, and the execution of current content.

I'm very disappointed. I wouldn't have bought this game if I knew how bad endgame is. I have spent thousands of hours to perfect my build and develop my character, but theres nothing for him to do, no place for him to prove himself. I've run the same dungeons/dsa/trials 50 times, and I'm sick of it. I tried doing daily pledges again today and I just quit in the middle of it. I rather vacuum my house now then play ESO, it is way more rewarding and fun.

It doesn't help that ESO PvP definitely is the worst multiplayer experience I've had in years. The whole AP farming, horse-riding , laggy, no individual skill concept is unbelievable.

I'm still here on forums though, complaining. Hoping that ESO one day will fulfill my expectations.

Deviante

I have tried and tried to renew my interest in this game, I have completed almost every thing there is to do in every zone.
Playing with australian 300 ping on top of the lag has destroyed cyrodiil for me as a reason to log in each day.

Veteran dungeons and pledges were a pleasant distraction for a short time until I had enough multiples of every undaunted set to require an alt just for storage of spares.
There is end game content but the rewards are pitiful given almost everyone runs mostly pvp gear for end game pve.

My main issue with the game is what to do when I log on each day with a top level character. The individual character progression plateau's so heavily that it almost comes to a complete stand still. I have tried running alts, with a second vet 14 having just hit the same halt in available progression and now a vet 10 who already has a full best in slot armor set waiting for it. The motivation to log in is all but dead while I wait for a new zone or content or ANYTHING to give me a reason to play.

Regretfully I cancelled my sub today, following the lead of close to 20 other players I used to play daily with.

Deviante

LEGENDARYYY wrote: »

I don't think the benefits from subscribing are bad. The main problem is the content of the game, and the execution of current content.

I'm very disappointed. I wouldn't have bought this game if I knew how bad endgame is. I have spent thousands of hours to perfect my build and develop my character, but theres nothing for him to do, no place for him to prove himself. I've run the same dungeons/dsa/trials 50 times, and I'm sick of it. I tried doing daily pledges again today and I just quit in the middle of it. I rather vacuum my house now then play ESO, it is way more rewarding and fun.

It doesn't help that ESO PvP definitely is the worst multiplayer experience I've had in years. The whole AP farming, horse-riding , laggy, no individual skill concept is unbelievable.

Quoted for accuracy in every detail.
Also, im not angry about the game or lack of content, im just dissapointed.





I hope that hits you right in the feels zos

LEGENDARYYY

I'm hoping this will happen. The amount of subscribers drop to an alarming number, ZOS realises they gotta do something, they do something, people resub and live happily ever after.

Gidorick

GreySix wrote: »

Was ready to dump the subscription the moment the game went B2P, but wife wanted to keep both, so we could level just a little bit faster.

I've been without Sub for about a week now. I don't notice the different.

Gidorick

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

The primary feature of the subscription is missing in action still, which is advertised as access to ongoing DLC updates.

They really should have had a DLC release for the B2P transition, and then one for VERY shortly after console release, at some point in June.

Ysne58

I just discontinued paying for a sub today as well. I have 15 days left. I am logging in about once a week right now.

Valymer

Gidorick wrote: »

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

The primary feature of the subscription is missing in action still, which is advertised as access to ongoing DLC updates.

They really should have had a DLC release for the B2P transition, and then one for VERY shortly after console release, at some point in June.

This is the thing. Imperial City (or Murkmire, or something) should have been released at the same time as the Champion System. I honestly cannot fathom why this was not done.

Micallef

Why continue playing?
I still enjoy the game very much. Exploring the crap out of Tamriel. Haven't got a V14 yet, taking my sweet time so I'm not fussed about new content. Haven't paid a single cent since the beginning of the year. Haven't spent a single 'loyalty' crown yet. Don't see the need.
Good enough reasons for my buddy and I.
The game quality has remained the same, more or less, except that now it's free.

Dazin93

PC subs are not a priority with ZOS as they don't provide enough substantial revenue hence the switch to B2P. They are banking on consoles becoming their cash cow and that is exactly why almost all of their focus has been on console preparation and release since fall 2014.

The PC market has already been exhausted in regards to ESO and the amount of new players is going to be minimal as ESO doesn't have any unique functional gameplay that can't be found already in another game. Numbers briefly swelled with players coming back after 1.6 release only to drop off again when it became evident that lag, lack of end game content, and lack of class/skill balance is still unchanged.

ESO will live or die based on console success, and that's a promise.

MercyKilling

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

LordSkyKnight wrote: »

Don't worry, those silly whales with too much money will be more than happy to keep the money coming in for those that leave. You can count on that. When the consoles release, those damn lazy whales will pay for all those shortcuts in the cash shop as well. They will get a huge increase in profit once June hits.

The primary feature of the subscription is missing in action still, which is advertised as access to ongoing DLC updates. Once they begin releasing things worth paying for like zones and minigame packs, and fix long outstanding issues like the beyond basic (honestly very subpar and not even compact by default but huge) user interface, I will resubscribe and shovel cash over for crowns more than I already had left over (I have 8900 on my account and have made no purchases of them directly) and start spending the ones I have. Not a second sooner. I pay for goods delivered, not potential. Given the Imperial City was due out last year and was slated to be part of the game as it was meant to release ages before the buy to play thing was announced, this is even more true.

I already paid for it as far as anyone could realistically be concerned ($300ish in game time and other associated items like the physical imperial edition game), but I am not holding my breath on it being provided to current owners. With that context, I'm definitely not going to pay more right now when it's not even released yet and other major problems like the veteran XP leveling from anything but monster grinding in pve or in pvp, or the UI. Give us the goods, fix these long running problems, and I will start paying again even if they do charge for the Imperial City. Fix those problems and even then that would be a day 1 purchase from me.

We agree on something. The world must be ending.

Elsonso

Gidorick wrote: »

mcurley wrote: »

I'm keeping my sub so I can accumulate crowns to eventually buy things that I want in the store.

Plus.... it's $15/month... if 50 cents a day has you tight for cash maybe you should be doing something other than playing the game.

You know you can get Crowns for like 1/4 cheaper if you buy crown packs, right?

1/4 cheaper or 1/5 cheaper, depending on which ESO Plus you subscribe to, but you have to purchase the crowns in US$39.99 packs to get there. ZeniBeth won't do it, but I think they should raise the ESO Plus crown allowance by 100-300 crowns.

Personally, I am ESO Plus for that +10%... I am leveling a Veteran Rank and I can use every single point of XP that I can scrape together. If I could steal XP from players as I pass by them, I would.

Deviante

Micallef wrote: »

Why continue playing?
I still enjoy the game very much. Exploring the crap out of Tamriel. Haven't got a V14 yet, taking my sweet time so I'm not fussed about new content. Haven't paid a single cent since the beginning of the year. Haven't spent a single 'loyalty' crown yet. Don't see the need.
Good enough reasons for my buddy and I.
The game quality has remained the same, more or less, except that now it's free.

When you catch up to the rest of us and actually max out your character then you might understand our concern and disappointment. You will notice that most of us complaining about lack of content or reason to play have already completed the game through on one or more characters, I feel like this is the first MMO i have even played where I had to rely on completing mundane achievements just to feel like I was still moving forward or getting anywhere with my character.

olemanwinter

kevlarto_ESO wrote: »

but believe me there will be people there to pick up where your sub left off.

This is not how business works. Allow me to borrow a great line from a dumb movie (Tommy Boy).

"In business you're either growing or dying...there's no 3rd direction"!

I run a magazine IRL....if my ad reps told me "Don't worry if we lose advertisers...we'll get more later"....I would be beside myself.

I doubt it, but maybe 1 guy running a lawn mowing service doesn't care if he makes more money this year than he did last year, but most people and every real business feels a pressure to grow.

This game has investors. They expect the maximum return on investment possible. This game already had monetary problems of several types. I'd say they had better be focused on growing revenue.

If I were a financial investor in this game and I ever heard someone say losing subscribers that had been here a year is no big deal cause "we got the crown shop to make up for it"...I would be livid.

Now, they may not care about me specifically, but I bet you somewhere they are tallying up subscribers and if the revenue generation lost by exiting subscribers isn't GREATLY exceeded by crown shop revenue....there will be hell to pay.

Sooner or later revenue increases or people start losing jobs, the products start changing (we've already seen that), or the company restructures, etc. etc.

....In business you're either growing or dying...there's no 3rd direction.

olemanwinter

Dazin93 wrote: »

PC subs are not a priority with ZOS as they don't provide enough substantial revenue hence the switch to B2P. .

That doesn't mean it doesn't count or matter. The 99 cent menu is the "focus" of McDonalds, but I think they still CARE if everyone stops buying all their bigmacs and they all go bad sitting in the cooler for 3 months.

That's how business works. It seeks the most profit. So, even if there is enough other revenue to offset or even surpase the losses from the decline in PC subs...that's still a loss of potential revenue.

MercyKilling

olemanwinter wrote: »

*snip*

This is the problem with business and corporations...the "need to grow and make more money". There was a time when people who ran businesses were more concerned with putting out the best quality product they could as a matter of pride....and THEN counting the beans as they rolled in because people want a quality product.

Somewhere along the road, they took the other fork...the one that leads to what is happening now. Businesses don't really care about quality product, it's all about the bottom line and whether or not there's enough profit so someone can have their fifty room mansion with ten gold plated hot tubs in each bathroom.

I guarantee that if Zenimax put out a quality product, people WOULD literally throw money at them. I know I would.

Except it's not a quality product that deserves my money. Not any more. Not since the additions and changes.

olemanwinter

Micallef wrote: »

Why continue playing?
I still enjoy the game very much. Exploring the crap out of Tamriel. Haven't got a V14 yet, taking my sweet time so I'm not fussed about new content. Haven't paid a single cent since the beginning of the year. Haven't spent a single 'loyalty' crown yet. Don't see the need.
Good enough reasons for my buddy and I.
The game quality has remained the same, more or less, except that now it's free.

I can appreciate that. But players like you are the biggest group still playing this game. I don't know if you're a roleplayer or not...but this type of "taking my time...don't care if I ever get this set or that set...don't care if I get face rolled in PvP...don't care if PvP even lags out cause I can still go dance in a fountain" type players are becoming the bread and butter of this MMO.

Either you are that type of player, or you are going to inevitably hit a wall like I have. Too many things broken. Too hard to get the remaining rewards. Too brutal to consider grinding up new characters.

olemanwinter

LEGENDARYYY wrote: »

I'm hoping this will happen. The amount of subscribers drop to an alarming number, ZOS realises they gotta do something, they do something, people resub and live happily ever after.

Me too. . ... but I think if it could have....it already would have.

olemanwinter

timidobserver wrote: »

Someone that is so thoroughly unsatisfied with the game that they don't intend to play it ever again is making a major statement. Someone that unsubs and keeps playing as some kind of protest isn't really saying a lot. In fact, they probably planned for a number of people to unsub and keep playing during the content gap. It is probably the whole point of the crown store.

You think "how a player feels and acts" makes a bigger statement that MONEY to a business? lol. They don't care if I keep playing or not.

You think some executive is going "Oh....he stopped paying us money...he's now costing us money...but he still plays the game some...so it's alright then."?

Please see 4 posts above this for explanation of why that is not so.

Micallef

Deviante wrote: »

Micallef wrote: »

Why continue playing?
I still enjoy the game very much. Exploring the crap out of Tamriel. Haven't got a V14 yet, taking my sweet time so I'm not fussed about new content. Haven't paid a single cent since the beginning of the year. Haven't spent a single 'loyalty' crown yet. Don't see the need.
Good enough reasons for my buddy and I.
The game quality has remained the same, more or less, except that now it's free.

When you catch up to the rest of us and actually max out your character then you might understand our concern and disappointment. You will notice that most of us complaining about lack of content or reason to play have already completed the game through on one or more characters, I feel like this is the first MMO i have even played where I had to rely on completing mundane achievements just to feel like I was still moving forward or getting anywhere with my character.

Oh I completely understand the complaint, which is why I'm not rushing through content. At the speed I'm going, I'm expecting at least 2 or 3 DLC to be released by the time I start getting bored and frankly, I don't think ZOS will be able to manage more than one before christmas this year. If that.
At this point in the game's timeline I think that the expectation for new content is fair. Six months or so earlier, it wasn't. Those players that rushed through the early levels and to vet12 within mere weeks have only themselves to blame for their ultimate boredom.
My opinion.
And in my case, 'characters' would be more accurate. Despite the fact that I've already twice done a set of quests with pre-vet chars and I'm now doing them again with Silver doesn't bother me. Some quests have a definite replay value and I savour those moments. Those that aren't so interesting, I just click my way through.

Ysne58

If/when I decide to resub, I'll announce it too. In the meantime, I'll play when I'm up to it. The exp is a waste in levels 1 to 50 because I'm overleveled without it and the overleveling is even worse with that bonus. I only have one vet character so far.

The lack of new content, the fact that you can get a larger number of crowns by paying cash and their ongoing lack of business ethics are the things hurting them the most -- oh and lag in Cyrodiil. It's looking like they would have to rebuild Cyrodiil from the ground up to fix that and I don't think they are willing to do that.

Micallef

olemanwinter wrote: »

Micallef wrote: »

Why continue playing?
I still enjoy the game very much. Exploring the crap out of Tamriel. Haven't got a V14 yet, taking my sweet time so I'm not fussed about new content. Haven't paid a single cent since the beginning of the year. Haven't spent a single 'loyalty' crown yet. Don't see the need.
Good enough reasons for my buddy and I.
The game quality has remained the same, more or less, except that now it's free.

I can appreciate that. But players like you are the biggest group still playing this game. I don't know if you're a roleplayer or not...but this type of "taking my time...don't care if I ever get this set or that set...don't care if I get face rolled in PvP...don't care if PvP even lags out cause I can still go dance in a fountain" type players are becoming the bread and butter of this MMO.

Either you are that type of player, or you are going to inevitably hit a wall like I have. Too many things broken. Too hard to get the remaining rewards. Too brutal to consider grinding up new characters.

Fair enough
No, I'm not a roleplayer. More of an explorer and completionist.
Also, not getting facerolled in PVP; not all the time anyway. Some days we get the bear, some days the bear gets us. It's all good and fun.
Usually my friend and I roam around, carefully pick our fights. Sometimes we run with the zerg. Sometimes I manage to drag him to PVE, kicking and screaming.

I can see how the game might be limiting if you're a one-trick-pony, no offense.

olemanwinter

MercyKilling wrote: »

There was a time when people who ran businesses were more concerned with putting out the best quality product they could

Is USUALLY how you make more money. lol Or at least used to be. Still is outside of just a few big companies and specific industries.

If this company put out a better product, I'd still be subscribed and they would make more money.

olemanwinter

"Micallef wrote: »

" More of an explorer and completionist.

That used to be how I described myself. Until I played this game. Then I discovered there is no reason to complete anything.

Take for example the achievement "General Executioner". It takes forever, and when you finally get it you can't even display the title....and it's not account wide. In retrospect all you did was the same activity ( a dolmen) over and over and over to get the achievement.

There is nothing to complete in this game. There is just repetition. It's repackaged grind.

They could call it. The Dolmen 10,000 Achievement. You get it for doing the same thing 10,000 times. And then you get a dye. Sounds like a huge grind yeah? Well, lets call it the general executioner achievement instead. Yep.

There is very little actual area to explore if you consider the alliances largely redundant.

The first time "as a completionist" you do a quest in AD and discover it's exactly the same as the quest you did in DC but with NPCs with different ears....a little part of you dies.

I too am a completionist. I guess I've completed the game. I bet you're pretty close to completing it too, you just don't know it yet.

Micallef

olemanwinter wrote: »

"Micallef wrote: »

" More of an explorer and completionist.

That used to be how I described myself. Until I played this game. Then I discovered there is no reason to complete anything.

Take for example the achievement "General Executioner". It takes forever, and when you finally get it you can't even display the title....and it's not account wide. In retrospect all you did was the same activity ( a dolmen) over and over and over to get the achievement.

There is nothing to complete in this game. There is just repetition. It's repackaged grind.

They could call it. The Dolmen 10,000 Achievement. You get it for doing the same thing 10,000 times. And then you get a dye. Sounds like a huge grind yeah? Well, lets call it the general executioner achievement instead. Yep.

There is very little actual area to explore if you consider the alliances largely redundant.

The first time "as a completionist" you do a quest in AD and discover it's exactly the same as the quest you did in DC but with NPCs with different ears....a little part of you dies.

I too am a completionist. I guess I've completed the game. I bet you're pretty close to completing it too, you just don't know it yet.

Why climb a mountain? Because it's there.
Ya, titles to show off might be nice, but I'm not bothered either way. Not having them doesn't change a thing for me.
In most games that I've played I never displayed any titles when they were available.

Or maybe it's that I've gotten used to ZOS's, ahem!, creative design choices. If I hadn't, we wouldn't be having this discussion. There are other worlds than these.

I guess despite some commonalities, you and I are somewhat different after all

MercyKilling

olemanwinter wrote: »

Still is outside of just a few big companies and specific industries.

I respectfully disagree. Everywhere I look these days I see products designed to last perhaps a month or three, then be replaced. Shoddy shoes put together in sweatshops in foreign countries and then shipped to the mass consumers with little care that a shoe now costs several day's worth of wages, but won't last a month?

Everywhere I look, I see products designed to fall apart because they're made with inferior materials and what amounts to slave labor to save the bottom line expense, instead of well made products that last put together by living wage paid employees. Foods are pumped with preservatives and pesticides and then the label "organic" is put on them to fool people into buying what they think is healthy.

No, you cannot convince me businesses nowadays are NOT looking to cut costs and maximize profits wherever they can, and the video game industry is even worse...and it's getting no better as time goes on. Every last little decision is based upon "how much can we squeeze from our players for this", instead of "how can we provide the best game out there"?

I stopped playing because the product offered was no longer worth the $15 a month I was paying for it. Now that it's free to play(because I purchased the original game release), I find the product worth playing again. If/when Zenimax puts stuff out there that I find worthwhile to pay for....I'll pay for it. But not a penny beforehand.

olemanwinter

MercyKilling wrote: »

No, you cannot convince me businesses nowadays are NOT looking to cut costs and maximize profits wherever they can

I'm not trying to. I'm trying to convince you business ALWAYS did that. I think you should perhaps do a little research about the history of business. For better or worse. Research people like JP Morgan....research guys like Westinghouse. Look at conditions in factories and sawmills and whatever else. I don't know how far back you want to go to find this idyllic business environment.

Businesses, like everyone else, need to be kept honest. And we do so with the power of our consumer buying power.

Don't buy crap and companies won't make crap.

You should be blaming the consumers at least as much as, if not more than, the companies.

olemanwinter

Micallef wrote: »

Why climb a mountain? Because it's there.
Ya, titles to show off might be nice, but I'm not bothered either way. Not having them doesn't change a thing for me.
In most games that I've played I never displayed any titles when they were available.

Or maybe it's that I've gotten used to ZOS's, ahem!, creative design choices. If I hadn't, we wouldn't be having this discussion. There are other worlds than these.

I guess despite some commonalities, you and I are somewhat different after all

Okay, can you list one thing specific that you haven't yet completed and you want to do so?

"I want to do X" I'm working on accomplishing Y"

Micallef

olemanwinter wrote: »

MercyKilling wrote: »

No, you cannot convince me businesses nowadays are NOT looking to cut costs and maximize profits wherever they can

I'm not trying to. I'm trying to convince you business ALWAYS did that. I think you should perhaps do a little research about the history of business. For better or worse. Research people like JP Morgan....research guys like Westinghouse. Look at conditions in factories and sawmills and whatever else. I don't know how far back you want to go to find this idyllic business environment.

Businesses, like everyone else, need to be kept honest. And we do so with the power of our consumer buying power.

Don't buy crap and companies won't make crap.

You should be blaming the consumers at least as much as, if not more than, the companies.

Completely agree with this. As long as the unwashed masses throw money at crappy products we will not see anything with real quality or durability.
Crowds are inherently stupid, only individuals are smart. Therefore mass markets target the crowds, not 'you' and 'I'. That would be called tailormade and would cost accordingly.