There needs to be game moderation

Vorcil

I'm unsure of how content gets managed seriously, but it seems like the developers at ZOS just go all willy nilly and change things without any feedback or actual discussion around content management.

For example (and I know this has been brought up multiple times), the Thieves Guild release had a PTS drop one month before; in terms of software development, this is a great opportunity to find bugs, and bring up discussion around certain features that may need to be modified before an actual game release.

Now what actually happened, was that the version released, was completely different to the PTS version. Big nono;

These "mini-betas" are good, in that, you can discuss with players, the actual properties of features implemented. So say the developers come up with the idea of "thief troves" as feature request; this idea gets passed, then it would get tested to see how it would work on release. The feature gets dropped on PTS, the players find that the drop rate is too fast, or the items dropped are too good and whathave you; this gets modified on a PTS patch; and goes through several stages of review before being dropped in the game.

This process should be done with everything.

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Currently, there is no content management / serious discussion with players, in that, it seems like ZOS just do whatever they like in terms of content changing / management.

Now I understand you ZOS, from a business perspective, and I do absolutely love the features you create in terms of the creativity of your developers and artists; but playing with mechanics without any real discussion is a big no no; ESPECIALLY after it has been released.

So for example, screwing with the run speed mechanics, RNG and spawn rates of certain things just completely ruins the game.

Dark Anchors??? I remember being Max v14 and struggling / dying several times trying to get my tactics right when soloing dark anchors in Cyrodiiil (end game anchors).

Now? I can solo a v16 anchor WITH LIGHT ATTACKS ONLY

Run speed? screwed
CC's? screwed

Please, on behalf of the MAJORITY of ESO players, STOP CHANGING BASE MECHANICS without a majority of people agreeing with said change.

Heres what should be done:
Introducing new features is great, and should go through a reviewing process with all those who access PTS
Players who can speak on behalf of the majority of players should be contacted for their opinions, AND you should consider their opinions seriously. For example Sypher and Fengrush, they will both have very opposite opinions in some cases, and in others, they will not. But having these "player content moderator" types ENSURES YOU keep your player base happy, and that everything you release is stable
Learn from your mistakes; please don't just go YOLO lets change this LOL, lets see what happens. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a giant psychology experiment with all the rubbish you put us through.
You're doing well on the content front, the quarterly major releases are a great idea, and a big speedup from 2014/2015 content drops.

Lenikus

...
You do realize that most bugs only make it to Live servers because NO ONE goes to the PTS to 'test' stuff, right?

I mean, heck, the vast majority of issues would never make it to Live if the community cared a bit about the test server as well, but nooo.... we only want to check the new meta, cry about it, and then go back to the Live one.

MornaBaine

So this. Kinda drives me crazy. Right up there with finding full pieces of useable armor in the belly of a skeever. Or radishes in King Casimir's nightstand. Did they really give NO thought to this???

dsalter

Lenikus wrote: »

...
You do realize that most bugs only make it to Live servers because NO ONE goes to the PTS to 'test' stuff, right?

I mean, heck, the vast majority of issues would never make it to Live if the community cared a bit about the test server as well, but nooo.... we only want to check the new meta, cry about it, and then go back to the Live one.

most use beta as a way to find exploits first and prepare for them on live without stating them.

ADarklore

Vorcil wrote: »

Please, on behalf of the MAJORITY of ESO players, STOP CHANGING BASE MECHANICS without a majority of people agreeing with said change.

You do realize this is THEIR game, not yours... you only pay for the right to play it... which means if you don't like what they offer, you are free to leave at any time. You are also free to express YOUR opinion here on the forum, but you certainly aren't speaking for a 'majority of people' and ZOS definitely doesn't need anyone's feedback or approval regarding changes. I've seen several times where certain things were changed, overwhelmingly players rejected it, but ZOS still implemented it anyway... and here we are, most of those same disgruntled players are still playing.

Elsonso

Vorcil wrote: »

Currently, there is no content management / serious discussion with players, in that, it seems like ZOS just do whatever they like in terms of content changing / management.

It's their game. I think you get it.

Tandor

I have no wish for a handful of vocal players whose playstyle will vary greatly from mine and who do not represent the community to have undue influence over the way the developers run the game thanks. I'm happy that the developers have their own ideas about the game which are partly shaped by the ingame metrics, the comments on these and other forums, and their own experiences ingame with other unsuspecting players.

As for there being no developer discussion with the players, the developers doing whatever they like with the game, that's far from true. Many of the changes brought into the game have come about precisely because the developers listened to the players here.

DerAlleinTiger

If they did this, they'd have to have many people from all walks of the game. Not just the top 1% of PvPers or PvEers or the most vocal in the community. There are people (like me) who've played since beta and never once came to the official forums. They've likely contributed more money to the game than anyone thus far and yet if we went only by the most vocal then in theory they could be completely screwed over because someone else posts here while they're busy playing the game.

You'd need high-level PvEers, casual PvEers, high-level PvPers, casual PvPers, RPers, crafters, traders, questers, people who actually try to get onto the trial leaderboards and people who just want to finish the trials with any crappy score to get the nice dyes. You need people who are always strategizing to make emperor and those who just hop on a siege and shoot at Pact to get some AP and have some fun without a second thought to ever making emperor. Even then, you still won't know if you're actually getting the most popular opinions of the game.

I've been here since day one and yet I don't even know who in Oblivion this "Sypher" and "Fengrush" are. I know Deltia because I used one of his newest stamplar build guides and... that's it. So are you sure they're really the sort to speak for everyone when you have day-one people who've never even heard the names?

I'm not trying to say this is a bad idea or at all shouldn't be looked into. I think IF they could do it right it could only improve the game. However... that problem is doing it right. That's just something that could take a lot of resources and consideration to get it right the first time.

UrQuan

Lenikus wrote: »

...
You do realize that most bugs only make it to Live servers because NO ONE goes to the PTS to 'test' stuff, right?

I mean, heck, the vast majority of issues would never make it to Live if the community cared a bit about the test server as well, but nooo.... we only want to check the new meta, cry about it, and then go back to the Live one.

I guess you missed this:

Vorcil wrote: »

Now what actually happened, was that the version released, was completely different to the PTS version. Big nono;

Unlike previous large updates, the version of the TG update that made it to live was vastly different from the version on PTS. Most of the big bugs in TG didn't exist on PTS.

magnusthorek

I never found a recipe in those trunks, but I've found a lot of coffee... This gave a me a clue about why Molag Bal is so surly and wants to tear the whole sh*t apart.

On topic: I agree. Feedback and transparency, that's the best way to not pis* the majority of the your players