ESO - Development running without a focus

jbanks27

I think that ESO has become the premier example of development and technical debt running amok. Over time, they coded themselves into a corner, and now don't know what to do to get themselves out of it. In my opinion, the problem isn't the "end game" players who have become experts at the rotations, combinations, and the proper use of skills. That's the nature of any game. Where ESO went wrong, and I would urge the developers and product owners to take a close look at this post, is the approach they are attempting to rectify the problem. The answer isn't to "NERF" the world. That only will make the 95% players even more frustrated as they spend gold, crown store coins, and grind away to become better and then get it all yanked away.

The issue, surrounds the levels of the end game players and how they have approached the game. There was never any intent for someone to walk into VFL or VSCP with 4 DPS and simply burn the bosses faster then their respective mechanics could work. Oh, just send in 4 players each pulling 75K+ DPS and give them a shield -- Don't worry, the boss will be down in 20 seconds anyway...

Go back to the drawing board on your nerfs, gear changes, weapon changes, skill changes, etc. Think about how you actually wanted to evolve the game. Make the DPS buffs trigger off of actual tank actions -- Make the healing / buffs /etc. trigger off of healer actions. Make the game go back to where it's not just where you can deal the damage, but also work with coordination with your team to support and mitigate damage, sustain, and win.

I came back to this game and have been playing it for quite a while. It has evolved. But no where in what I see ESO doing have I seen their taking any responsibility for any of it. They are the ones who created the DLC trial and dungeon content, the hard modes, and then created the awards and achievements to drive players to find every single way to get around them. So, you created the monster, and then you come around and are going to make it where you will have to add a CP300 cap for Vet Fungal Grotto?

Make your changes to force the coordinated mechanics. Make your changes to require the team aspect in the dungeons and trials. Think about your technical debt and fix it. It may take a bit longer then you want to, but in the end your going to have a more viable product long term. Do a better job on quality control. On the trials, I've seen more bugs, crazy actions that make no sense by bosses and critical characters (fighting through walls), etc. You can't tell me you didn't see some of this stuff.

Stop taking the easy route of invalidating entire tree's in the CP chain. Let them do what they were intended. Fix your real issues which is the allowance of a game ran only on how you can rack, stack, and pack your cancels on top of who is running what sets on top of what sets and how fast a select few can animation cancel. This game was never supposed to be solo played.

ynimma

Another valuable feedback here going down the drain.
Simply because the industry doesn't work like this - quality and sensibility are the last titles on their list when they develop a game produce an industrial product to sell for profit.
I'm pretty sure we all have recognized already that they don't care. They don't mind, they're not opened to any individual feedback let it be sensible or not.

What ZOS does (like most of the publishers) is checking the excel sheet whether the balance is positive and making sure it's growing. For that to happen they have personnels most probably in no relation with any games at all to create company policies and manage the resources to bring the development to the cheapest possible level while maximizing the profit.
They are the ones holding talented developers, programmers, artists, community managers as literally hostages to serve the one and only purpose: company profit. The ones doing the actual work has not much room to manouvre, they are issued to do this and that regardless of their professional competence but they do it because they need to eat and need to believe that the reference they get here over the months/years will buy them a better place somewhere (while most likely only the same under different names). Still, they do it and what is really good in ESO we can thank them for.

So while we have our own mind as well put on the game structure, it's absolutely in vain because regardless of our hours spent in games or competence we are all the same in the publisher's eyes: standard CUSTOMERS.
As customers we have power over one thing and that works like an ON/OFF button. We either give them money or don't give them money.
These are the only options we have and money is the only language they speak.

The caveat is - of course - there: it's a psychological one. Games became like drogs nowadays and players are addicted users. Just check how a tiny change can literally blow up people mentally and get them unbalanced. That's the deprivation effect. Gameoholics react on the danger of having their booze taken away or replaced - it's unaffordable for the addict because that's not what they got used to. Still, like my godfather who is an alcoholic, after the rage they will drink whatever they are given no matter the quality.
White knights are the same, don't get me wrong, they are just picking a different way to solve the cognitive dissonance unconsciously. Just look at the "XY appreciation" threads growing in these times.

This psychological trap is the big abuse of the capitalist game industry. MMOs are especially dangerous because they offer the illusion of a continuous progression and "getaway".
It's everyone's OWN RESPONSIBILITY to manage their mental balance and get conscious over the situation they're in.
In this case it's - however low it may sound - to understand that players here are faceless numbers in an xls sheet categorized by their money spending habits.

So if there's really any need to change things, mind your spendings.
Yes, it will cause psychological discomfort if you are addicted.
Yes, ESO overall may go down the drain which again can only make you dysfunction if you are addicted.
Or they may consider changing the way they handle player requests if they start lacking your money but still would like to get it.

daemonios

I don't know what you're talking about. It's pretty clear to me that ZOS finally do have a sense of where they're going. They want to cut back on the power creep, and that, in my opinion, is a good thing. The game can't handle much more of a gap between skilled and unskilled players. It drives a wedge in the community, separating those who can ignore mechanics from those who can't. It wastes development resources in fights that some don't do because they can't reach the skill level, and others skip past because they can.

ESO has many problems, mostly performance related. Hopefully these changes for the sake of the game as a whole could mark the start of ZOS getting their house in order.

jbanks27

I tried to approach this from the clear path of product direction, planning, and execution. And I can agree that they are taking a "BIG" swing at what started as power creep and has become massive over-power. But no where do I see in any notes where they are backing down on the health, damage, and buffs that they built into the content as a direct result of the power they created. Did anyone see any of that?

I have no problem with them taking a big swing. But balance it. Not just from the stance of power, but also from an approach to how they intend the game to be played in the future.

I see nothing in the notes that indicates that this is anything other than a pendulum swing from one extreme to another. I see no notes where they are "fixing" any of the broken trials. Did anyone else? I see nothing in here where they are fixing the rampant disconnects. Did anyone else? I see nothing where they are fixing the already acknowledged issues with procs not firing due to size of target hit boxes? Did anyone else?

I would love to see their defect list and what they think of as their priorities. Not their future road-map -- Just what they have there now.