Official Discussion Thread for "Imperial City Launch Details"

MageStorm

Tel Var Stone in PvP will be like:

theroyalestpythonnub18_ESO

I can't believe they ditched Tony for hero emperor guy

AssaultLemming

Iluvrien wrote: »

This update announcement includes the two new vet levels and associated gear but makes no mention of extensions to the active side of crafting (new crafting passives are mentioned).

Will we be able to make VR16 gear? New sets? Traits? etc... or will we be dependent on a group-PvE and PVP based supply chain for these items? You know, something that seems to completely exclude the solo or semi-solo-PvE style player.

3 new crafted sets, 1 new enchantment, no new trait, one new style...I think that's it, could be two new styles, glass an xivkyn? That's what I understand so far, but I could be wrong...

Master_Fluff

I was hoping it would be released when I was on vacation. Anyway, it's nice to finally have a release date.

keto3000

I'm excited to finally get the "official announcement and release date" for this DLC! Despite the long delay between release of new content, I feel that ZOS has followed through on most of the key aspects of the game that are important to me and they have been responsive to the needs and requests of the player base.

Xinz'r

I have a question and an opinion on something.
My question is whether or not you will be able to conquer parts (districts) of Imperial city as your alliances' territory? I mean, will it be marked on map similiar to ownership of Cyrodiil keeps?
And opinion, I read that you are thinking about either allow access to all alliances, to those who keep their 6 home keeps, 6+1 or majority. I think that you should allow access to those who have their 6 base keeps because if you let everyone in it doesn't make sense, because it's supposed to be connected to Alliance war, so... And if you let 6+1 it would be easy to create monopol on IC on each server, and I hope you're not seriously thinking about allowing access only to those who control majority of keeps because Alliance war should also take place in Imperial city. I mean, aren't Imperial City and White-Gold Tower what alliances are actually fight for?

Leandor

Xinz'r wrote: »

I have a question and an opinion on something.
My question is whether or not you will be able to conquer parts (districts) of Imperial city as your alliances' territory? I mean, will it be marked on map similiar to ownership of Cyrodiil keeps?
And opinion, I read that you are thinking about either allow access to all alliances, to those who keep their 6 home keeps, 6+1 or majority. I think that you should allow access to those who have their 6 base keeps because if you let everyone in it doesn't make sense, because it's supposed to be connected to Alliance war, so... And if you let 6+1 it would be easy to create monopol on IC on each server, and I hope you're not seriously thinking about allowing access only to those who control majority of keeps because Alliance war should also take place in Imperial city. I mean, aren't Imperial City and White-Gold Tower what alliances are actually fight for?

I have posted on this topic before, sadly I do not find the post anymore (damn my post rate). Even the "6 home keeps required" option is bad. it is very easy to lock out a faction by just having one of their keeps (the outliers - drakelowe, dragonclaw or brindle - being the prime targets here) and defend it.

I would rather have easy access to IC in order to actually have PvP inside IC than to have a severly limited access and have PvDoor 2.0 inside.

@ZOS_BrianWheeler please consider to add the option "You must have a direct port route from the faction's gate area to one of their emperor keeps" as access restriction. That way, two or three keeps, along with at least one of their respective resource nodes, is all a faction needs. This can be achieved even if outnumbered on a campaign.

Don't make buff campaigns a thing again after going to all that effort to stop it.

The Uninvited

Leandor wrote: »

@ZOS_BrianWheeler please consider to add the option "You must have a direct port route from the faction's gate area to one of their emperor keeps" as access restriction. That way, two or three keeps, along with at least one of their respective resource nodes, is all a faction needs. This can be achieved even if outnumbered on a campaign.

Don't make buff campaigns a thing again after going to all that effort to stop it.

Best thing I have read all day.

Leandor

The Uninvited wrote: »

Leandor wrote: »

@ZOS_BrianWheeler please consider to add the option "You must have a direct port route from the faction's gate area to one of their emperor keeps" as access restriction. That way, two or three keeps, along with at least one of their respective resource nodes, is all a faction needs. This can be achieved even if outnumbered on a campaign.

Don't make buff campaigns a thing again after going to all that effort to stop it.

Best thing I have read all day.

Thank you

In addition to the above statement: If your concern is that having this "least effort option" will leave Cyrodiil proper a dead land, you have already done this by introducing Tel Var stones.

Enodoc

hamgatan wrote: »

If we can take a brief pause from all the whining and carrying on for a second and actually ask relevant technical questions, I have three..

1. How big is this DLC in size (GB?)

2. How big is Update 7 that's being released in Parallel with it (GB?)

3. Is the DLC being applied through the Launcher or available from a separate Repository (Like the Launcher Executable in the Account Page), hence taking the bandwidth load off the Servers in a more distributed fashion and not congesting traffic for both into one source.

@hamgatan My belief is that they will be technically inseparable. By which I mean, the answer to question 1 is "0 GB" and the answer to question 2 is "x GB" (which will hopefully be answered in the Patch Notes). The download of "Update 7" will include all the Imperial City content, but it will only be accessible if you've got your sub/paid your Crowns.

MisterBigglesworth wrote: »

Darlgon wrote: »

If you are paying for the sub, they dont count that expansion as avail, even if you pay your sub up to two years from now. Cancel the sub and the new DLC content goes away. Personally, even as a sub, I would rather be able to crown purchase the new content so its "MINE".

I don't believe that is correct.
From the article:

The full Imperial City DLC game pack is included with an active ESO Plus membership. If you are not an ESO Plus member, or your membership lapses, the Imperial City DLC game pack costs 2,500 crowns in the ESOTU Crown Store.

Keyword: "lapses". My understanding, therefore, is that if your ESO Plus membership (even if it's Non-Recurring) extends beyond the August 31st release of Imperial City, you would still have Imperial City access for that remaining time.

@ZOS_JasonLeavey @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_GinaBruno
Please confirm if my understanding is correct. Thanks.

I agree with that. If you've cancelled ESO Plus, you still get the benefits until it expires.

connery10101ub17_ESO wrote: »

if i buy the imperial city DLC once will i get it on all platforms?

@connery10101ub17_ESO Highly unlikely. It's also unlikely that you would get it on both servers even on one platform, considering the Crown Stores are separate (ZOS should really conform this one way or the other).

Xinz'r wrote: »

I have a question and an opinion on something.
My question is whether or not you will be able to conquer parts (districts) of Imperial city as your alliances' territory?

@Xinz'r From what we understand, yes, alliances will be able to conquer 3 of the 6 districts. Also, if you have no player defenders in those districts, they may be captured by the forces of Coldharbour instead.

Raizin

EQBallzz wrote: »

It's funny how many people thought that IC might be free. It's so obvious that it wouldn't be free. I mean they didn't force the B2P system on everyone after all the broken promises so they could then give people free content. That doesn't even make sense in ZOS world. It's actually cheaper than I assumed it would be (based on the outlandish 3k crown price for a mount skin).

So if the Mount skin costed 6000 crowns u wld be ok with IC cost of 5500? Thats some nice logic right there.

AllPlayAndNoWork wrote: »

Izanagi.Xiiib16_ESO wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno

Has the team considered granting a one time bonus of 2500 coins to those who have subbed longer than 9/12 months at this point as a thank you for the loyalty shown by PC customers during the launch year? (would allow players who feel cheated, whether rightly or wrongly, by the fact that 'no content' was delivered during their sub period a gesture of good will and would encourage others who haven't subbed to sub knowing that after that long duration they get a bonus) for example?

If not is it something you would consider for the future?

Bugger, I would never of thought of agreeing with you but that is a REALLY good idea.

sadly they r not goin to do that.. come on, its waste of money (in their eyes)

connery10101ub17_ESO wrote: »

if i buy the imperial city DLC once will i get it on all platforms?

uhm, nope...

Elsonso

.

hamgatan wrote: »

If we can take a brief pause from all the whining and carrying on for a second and actually ask relevant technical questions, I have three..

1. How big is this DLC in size (GB?)

2. How big is Update 7 that's being released in Parallel with it (GB?)

3. Is the DLC being applied through the Launcher or available from a separate Repository (Like the Launcher Executable in the Account Page), hence taking the bandwidth load off the Servers in a more distributed fashion and not congesting traffic for both into one source.

XBox, PS4, or PC/Mac will all be different (for each of the three)

Edit: Number 3 for PC/Mac comes from Akamai, so does not really apply. Not sure where XBox and PS4 updates come from.

hamgatan

@Enodoc maybe.. But separation would be almost mandatory and in the past Bethesda DLC packs have been separate installations (i.e Fallout 3 DLC's). Even with DRM on the agenda this can be validated against account anyway

I.e ESO.EXE checks DLC presence at execution and allows the proc instance to start if account is successfully validated

The problem is you can't bundle the DLC into Update 7.. Imagine the DLC is 8GB on its own. Suddenly everyone's downloading an unnecessary 8GB extra whether they want the DLC or not, the congestion of traffic will *** off every ESO+ sub who are just waiting for U7 on its own, but bandwidtg ia being sapped by players who have zero right to be downloading the content in the first place. Hence why it really needs to be a separate distribution point to the mainstream U7 release.

Also its very very bad ITIL practice when it comes to release management.. The launcher is a client patcher for distribution of main game client patches, not additional content - for proper version control it would need to be separated and then patches for the DLC applied from the launcher

Iluvrien

MSchroeder wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

This update announcement includes the two new vet levels and associated gear but makes no mention of extensions to the active side of crafting (new crafting passives are mentioned).

Will we be able to make VR16 gear? New sets? Traits? etc... or will we be dependent on a group-PvE and PVP based supply chain for these items? You know, something that seems to completely exclude the solo or semi-solo-PvE style player.

You can craft VR 15 and VR 16 items, using materials gained from exploring the Imperial City - either through deconstructing the items you find there, or purchasing the crafting materials directly from vendors using Tel Var Stones. (The Imperial City has no crafting nodes, because it's both totally urbanized and totally destroyed.) Those materials can then be sold on Guild Stores or traded to other players.

There are three new Item Sets to craft, also found within the Imperial City. I can't share details quite yet, but you'll find them soon enough. However, there are not any new Traits this time around.

Thanks for the answer, @MSchroeder.

When Wrothgar/Orsinium is released will the same materials be available there via harvesting? Or will VR16 materials only ever be available through the Imperial City DLC? i.e. is PvP getting early access to this stuff with PvE getting the chance to, eventually, catch up? Or is this going to be intentionally exclusive to PvP and group-PvE players?

I can only imagine how expensive the materials are going to be on guild traders at first... and putting the new set crafting stations in this kind of area? Not exactly a kind move.

Elsonso

hamgatan wrote: »

@Enodoc maybe.. But separation would be almost mandatory and in the past Bethesda DLC packs have been separate installations (i.e Fallout 3 DLC's). Even with DRM on the agenda this can be validated against account anyway

I.e ESO.EXE checks DLC presence at execution and allows the proc instance to start if account is successfully validated

The problem is you can't bundle the DLC into Update 7.. Imagine the DLC is 8GB on its own. Suddenly everyone's downloading an unnecessary 8GB extra whether they want the DLC or not, the congestion of traffic will *** off every ESO+ sub who are just waiting for U7 on its own, but bandwidtg ia being sapped by players who have zero right to be downloading the content in the first place. Hence why it really needs to be a separate distribution point to the mainstream U7 release.

Also its very very bad ITIL practice when it comes to release management.. The launcher is a client patcher for distribution of main game client patches, not additional content - for proper version control it would need to be separated and then patches for the DLC applied from the launcher

Honestly, I would be terribly surprised if ZOS separated the paid content from the free content and only downloaded what was needed for the individual player. I expect the launcher to download the whole Enchilada and then use server-based licensing to manage what the players can do in the game.

Rosveen

lordrichter wrote: »

hamgatan wrote: »

@Enodoc maybe.. But separation would be almost mandatory and in the past Bethesda DLC packs have been separate installations (i.e Fallout 3 DLC's). Even with DRM on the agenda this can be validated against account anyway

I.e ESO.EXE checks DLC presence at execution and allows the proc instance to start if account is successfully validated

The problem is you can't bundle the DLC into Update 7.. Imagine the DLC is 8GB on its own. Suddenly everyone's downloading an unnecessary 8GB extra whether they want the DLC or not, the congestion of traffic will *** off every ESO+ sub who are just waiting for U7 on its own, but bandwidtg ia being sapped by players who have zero right to be downloading the content in the first place. Hence why it really needs to be a separate distribution point to the mainstream U7 release.

Also its very very bad ITIL practice when it comes to release management.. The launcher is a client patcher for distribution of main game client patches, not additional content - for proper version control it would need to be separated and then patches for the DLC applied from the launcher

Honestly, I would be terribly surprised if ZOS separated the paid content from the free content and only downloaded what was needed for the individual player. I expect the launcher to download the whole Enchilada and then use server-based licensing to manage what the players can do in the game.

This would be madness in the long run. Imagine what it would be like when we have 4+ DLC.

Ravens-Sonata

Im looking forward to the new DLC for XBox One - to verify what I read tho - it isnt all Pvp is it??? Im more PvE and feel atm a lil left out on some of the game as Cydodill is PvP which I am terrible at.

MissBizz

Ravens-Sonata wrote: »

Im looking forward to the new DLC for XBox One - to verify what I read tho - it isnt all Pvp is it??? Im more PvE and feel atm a lil left out on some of the game as Cydodill is PvP which I am terrible at.

@Ravens-Sonata There are two new dungeons - both have normal and veteran versions. As well, once you discover these - you can port to them like any other dungeon - no need to get to them via Cyrodiil, nor will it matter who controls IC. As well, in the other parts of IC it looks like there are some quests and whatnot, I don't know for sure, but these sound like what Cyrodiil quests we have now.. PvE in a PvP area. If you're terrible at PvP, try going with a group of guildees or whatnot for the quests, great time to be social and you have a better chance of surviving when meeting enemy players As well, do not fret, Orisium should be coming this year (they did say at E3, this year) and from all the things I've heard/seen (of course, they are speculation) is that Orsinium will be PvE

ImperialDestiny

Yes a glass style motif!

RazzPitazz

I have a multi part question.
When will IC be available on PTS?
Also, Will everything be available at once or will it be a cascading unlock for test purposes? (One area unlocked at a time as the testing period goes on. )

I ask because it seems due to the sheer size of the DLC that if you made everything available at once it would be more difficult than necessary to track and debug at once. It would seem wise to unlock the sewers first, let a bunch of players run them and submit bug reports for you guys to tackle before moving on to the city itself, and then the arena and whatever other goodies may or may not be in store. If you wonderful people choose to test this way it would seem that IC would need at least a month on the PTS.

MissBizz

@RazzPitazz the most info they gave us for PTS news is that it will be on PTS "later this month". I imagine they would have given us a solid date (like they did for the release of the update) if they were comfortable doing so.

ZOS_GinaBruno

Enodoc wrote: »

hamgatan wrote: »

If we can take a brief pause from all the whining and carrying on for a second and actually ask relevant technical questions, I have three..

1. How big is this DLC in size (GB?)

2. How big is Update 7 that's being released in Parallel with it (GB?)

3. Is the DLC being applied through the Launcher or available from a separate Repository (Like the Launcher Executable in the Account Page), hence taking the bandwidth load off the Servers in a more distributed fashion and not congesting traffic for both into one source.

@hamgatan My belief is that they will be technically inseparable. By which I mean, the answer to question 1 is "0 GB" and the answer to question 2 is "x GB" (which will hopefully be answered in the Patch Notes). The download of "Update 7" will include all the Imperial City content, but it will only be accessible if you've got your sub/paid your Crowns.

That's correct. Remember that even though Imperial City (the area) will be inaccessible in the event that you don't purchase it, you'll still be able to purchase items that are sold from other players that they may have gotten in Imperial City. Also, we don't have an exact size of the patch yet, but expect it to be fairly sizable.

EQBallzz

Raizin wrote: »

EQBallzz wrote: »

It's funny how many people thought that IC might be free. It's so obvious that it wouldn't be free. I mean they didn't force the B2P system on everyone after all the broken promises so they could then give people free content. That doesn't even make sense in ZOS world. It's actually cheaper than I assumed it would be (based on the outlandish 3k crown price for a mount skin).

So if the Mount skin costed 6000 crowns u wld be ok with IC cost of 5500? Thats some nice logic right there.

I have no idea wtf you are talking about. Speaking of logic..try using it? My point was that based on the high price of a measly mount skin I expected DLC with content to be more expensive..not less. No clue what you are on about.

River_Bear1326

@ZOS @ZOS_GinaBruno @Enodoc So is the bear mount coming in this or after because I have been saving a bunch of crowns waiting for it, and would like to know if I should use them or not.

Enodoc

River_Bear1326 wrote: »

@ZOS @ZOS_GinaBruno @Enodoc So is the bear mount coming in this or after because I have been saving a bunch of crowns waiting for it, and would like to know if I should use them or not.

@River_Bear1326 The bear mounts are due to be released along with Orsinium/Wrothgar, which will be the next DLC pack.

KewaG

Enodoc wrote: »

River_Bear1326 wrote: »

@ZOS @ZOS_GinaBruno @Enodoc So is the bear mount coming in this or after because I have been saving a bunch of crowns waiting for it, and would like to know if I should use them or not.

@River_Bear1326 The bear mounts are due to be released along with Orsinium/Wrothgar, which will be the next DLC pack.

Sooo, next year then?

stevenbennett_ESO

hamgatan wrote: »

@Enodoc maybe.. But separation would be almost mandatory and in the past Bethesda DLC packs have been separate installations (i.e Fallout 3 DLC's). Even with DRM on the agenda this can be validated against account anyway

I.e ESO.EXE checks DLC presence at execution and allows the proc instance to start if account is successfully validated

The problem is you can't bundle the DLC into Update 7.. Imagine the DLC is 8GB on its own. Suddenly everyone's downloading an unnecessary 8GB extra whether they want the DLC or not, the congestion of traffic will *** off every ESO+ sub who are just waiting for U7 on its own, but bandwidtg ia being sapped by players who have zero right to be downloading the content in the first place. Hence why it really needs to be a separate distribution point to the mainstream U7 release.

Also its very very bad ITIL practice when it comes to release management.. The launcher is a client patcher for distribution of main game client patches, not additional content - for proper version control it would need to be separated and then patches for the DLC applied from the launcher

This is an MMO, not a standalone game -- you can't compare DLC for standalone games like the other Bethesda games against it. Just about every recent (and most older) MMO has included expansion/DLC zones in their main patches - the only thing different in your installation is a server side flag saying whether or not you own the expansion/DLC and have access to those zones.

It's kind of important for everyone to have the vast majority of that data anyway, because there's a huge number of things from the Imperial City that affect the game whether you have the DLC or not, ranging from item sets to mounts to whatever. You may not have any of those things, but people around you will, and they have to have the textures and meshes to render them. The only thing they don't actually need is the specific zone data, which, honestly, is probably only 20% at most of the patch size.

Yes, this means everyone will need to download a large patch. We're used to that -- heck, the sound patch a few weeks ago clocked in at around 5 GB, and we've had much larger patches and it didn't really choke the system that much. It's possible they might make the patch pre-download with the launcher, and only apply on launch day, to relieve server congestion, but I'm honestly not much worried about the patch download process.

There *is*, however, another big advantage to doing it this way -- when and if you decide you *do* want to play the Imperial City, you simply go to the crown store, pay your crowns, and you'll have instant access -- no download required.

ckbud

Is there anyway to upgrade my existing gear like Monster Helms to VR16? Or do I have to regrind all the VET dungeons after reaching VR16?

Will VDSA and Trials now scale to the leader's level so when we're VR16, we can run these and get VR16 drops?

Leandor

Welcome to MMO. Have fun regrinding.

kongkim

Looks really cool