Why are players dropping like flies?

ThePlayer

All dps gone down, but its not the real problem, they nerf even the sustain of all classes, in addition to this there are no general improvements in the game, everything remains unchanged.
Apart from the fact that I hate this sustain that doesn't hold, especially for magicka classes, ZOS should focus on making improvements to the community of players, currently i can't find groups to complete some vet trials, because you have to be like the cousin of Liko to participate and I'm a player with +1000 CPs and I've already taken many veteran achievements….
I will not leave the game, but i have closed my ESO+, I will only reactivate it when I'll reach new goals in the game.

yRaven

No problem here in PC NA, not with me at least

MartiniDaniels

Server issues + PVE sorc nerfs

siddique

I was in a guild that spanned over three guilds, with 1500 people. With at least 800/900 people active across those three guilds at any time.

Now? All three disbanded.

I have around 100 friends with most online at the time I am, now? I see 5, at max 10 friends online.

Three of the top five strongest guilds disbanded in just the last one month. That's the figures I'm talking about, the stuff I know for sure and can see.

Now if you are seeing a lot of people around you, good. Probably new players or bots farming nodes. I see a lot of those. But i was talking more about veteran players. People who were doing the hardest content day in and day out.

khajiitNPC

Omg it’s the end! Help! ESO has been dying since One Tamriel and Murkmire! Ahhhhh! The sky is falling!

Rungar

your being replaced by potatoes!

jcm2606

Context matters. From what I can tell, while vets are getting sick of the game and looking to move on, the more casual and newer crowds are doing just fine, with more coming in daily. So it's a bit of a situation where as a vet leaves, 10 newer players join, which makes it seem as if the game's doing fine, even though it's really losing at least some of its dedicated audience.

If you're saying that you've noticed your guild roster has gotten smaller with less players online at a time, or your guild roster has gotten larger with more players online at a time, or even if the roster has stayed the same the entire time, let us know what kind of guild(s) you're talking about. Are they PvE progression guilds, PvP guilds, or social guilds?

I'm mostly in social guilds myself, with our fair share of vets spread across them, and I've noticed exactly what I said above. While the vets are getting sick of the game and either taking a step back and playing it more casually, taking a break until Zenimax finds their way again, or moving on entirely, the more casual players are fine, albeit a little annoyed at the changes, but not enough to stop playing.

Again, context matters.

siddique

jcm2606 wrote: »

Context matters. From what I can tell, while vets are getting sick of the game and looking to move on, the more casual and newer crowds are doing just fine, with more coming in daily. So it's a bit of a situation where as a vet leaves, 10 newer players join, which makes it seem as if the game's doing fine, even though it's really losing at least some of its dedicated audience.

If you're saying that you've noticed your guild roster has gotten smaller with less players online at a time, or your guild roster has gotten larger with more players online at a time, or even if the roster has stayed the same the entire time, let us know what kind of guild(s) you're talking about. Are they PvE progression guilds, PvP guilds, or social guilds?

I'm mostly in social guilds myself, with our fair share of vets spread across them, and I've noticed exactly what I said above. While the vets are getting sick of the game and either taking a step back and playing it more casually, taking a break until Zenimax finds their way again, or moving on entirely, the more casual players are fine, albeit a little annoyed at the changes, but not enough to stop playing.

Again, context matters.

This is exactly what I've been trying to say. I am talking about endgame raiding guilds and pvp players.

JumpmanLane

I still enjoy the game; but, I could easily see losing interest in ESO and just playing something else...

Casdha

I dont know about others and players like me aren't really who you are talking about but I think this was the 3rd or 4th year that I quit playing through the summer months. I just started playing again during the witches festival.

Wolfpaw

Unprofessional.

This will be my last Zenimax Media game...don't care much for the people/companies (management/spokespeople) at Beth, ZOS, & ZM.

freespirit

I'm PC-EU of my five guilds two are very quiet, one is average, the other two both have 450+ players online in the last week. I find the standard quest/crafting hubs still to be busy.

However..... although I know of a few endgame progression guilds that are still going, I think many vet PVE players have lost interest...… why?...… Elsweyr only had a "mini" Trial, Dragonhold had no trial at all!

Tbh what is there in the game atm to keep their interest???

JumpmanLane

Wolfpaw wrote: »

Unprofessional.

This will be my last Zenimax Media game...don't care much for the people/companies (management/spokespeople) at Beth, ZOS, & ZM.

I do like the people; but, they tend to be a little to flippant considering the buggy messes of games they put out.

I could understand it from Rockstar employees but GEEZE.

Shewolf075

The only time I like it when players drop like flies is against those new dragons. Beautiful.

Wolfpaw

JumpmanLane wrote: »

Wolfpaw wrote: »

Unprofessional.

This will be my last Zenimax Media game...don't care much for the people/companies (management/spokespeople) at Beth, ZOS, & ZM.

I do like the people; but, they tend to be a little to flippant considering the buggy messes of games they put out.

I could understand it from Rockstar employees but GEEZE.

Different experience here with R*.

RDR2/RDO has been one of the best game experience (beta & release) I have had in the last 5years+. I have not played anything else from R* though.

I see Matt Firor & Todd Howard at the helm I'm going to take a pass...not a fan of the board of directors at Zenimax Media either.

Just adds to a made up list in my head with EA, & Bioware.

ArchMikem

jazsper77 wrote: »

Don’t bother trying to state the obvious on these boards. The usual suspects will come running in saying it’s crowded everywhere and all Guilds are full , etc etc etc

Here is my facts
I’m in 30 Guilds 3 platforms and 2 servers. Every single Guild is down 30-50% in the the last 6 months. These are top tier Guilds not refuge squatters.

But the game is fine no issues what so ever. Oh wait the event got extended cuz players couldn’t log in to play. But to the usual suspects nothing to see here.

So the game is dying because all the tryhards are leaving.

Heatnix90

jcm2606 wrote: »

Context matters. From what I can tell, while vets are getting sick of the game and looking to move on, the more casual and newer crowds are doing just fine, with more coming in daily. So it's a bit of a situation where as a vet leaves, 10 newer players join, which makes it seem as if the game's doing fine, even though it's really losing at least some of its dedicated audience.

Sorry dude imma have to see proof of this "well new players are coming in daily." All I've seen is newish players complaining about performance issues

idk wrote: »

I think it is a little overly dramatic to suggest players are dropping like flies and all the big guild are disbanding. Granted, idk anything about PS4 so maybe they are unique but I have seen people crying about this since the game launched yet the game has managed to survive.

BTW, I am not suggesting there is not a decline in game population as I am pretty sure there is due to change fatigue. But certainly not dropping like flies.

NA/PC raiding scene is mostly dead, NA/PC PvP scene is pretty much on life support at this point. Don't think it's dramatic to say players are dropping like flies.

lagrue

idk wrote: »

siddique wrote: »

idk wrote: »

I think it is a little overly dramatic to suggest players are dropping like flies and all the big guild are disbanding. Granted, idk anything about PS4 so maybe they are unique but I have seen people crying about this since the game launched yet the game has managed to survive.

BTW, I am not suggesting there is not a decline in game population as I am pretty sure there is due to change fatigue. But certainly not dropping like flies.

Well it's good to know PC isn't as bad. Maybe I am overly concerned but a few really good top end guilds disbanded on PS4 because of a lack of participation. At least half of my friends (to be on the safe side, if not more) have stopped playing in this past one month alone.

And I agree the game has survived for five years and will perhaps do in the future, hopefully.

I doubt PS4 is seeing anything more significant that PC/Mac is.

Well I can't speak for PC - but OP is right about the big guilds disbanding (though I would contest players dropping like flies). I think alot of the "old guard" has grown tired with the game over time and are cycling out. Alot of new guilds are forming right now and getting big fast, so I'm not sure what it's attributed to.

Only a few Trading Guilds which have been around from the start remain. Most guild names on traders are, refreshingly, less known clans.

If anything I see this as a win because the big guilds who have had a vice grip on traders for years are starting to shove off, making room for the little guys to actually get somewhere.

rpa

Not counting the performance problems and the creeping monetization, the most likely thing to make me to quit the game is ever increasing warehouse management because undisciplined item flood. No, ESO+ does not fix it, I've tried.

While the game is good (when it works), it does have deep quality of life issues which make certain aspects of it really tiresome. Just inventory management is bad enough to make casual me almost quit. How masochist one has to be to voluntarily manage a trade guild? I would not do that even if paid in euros..

Heady

no impen

Juhasow

siddique wrote: »

I was in a guild that spanned over three guilds, with 1500 people. With at least 800/900 people active across those three guilds at any time.

Now? All three disbanded.

I have around 100 friends with most online at the time I am, now? I see 5, at max 10 friends online.

Three of the top five strongest guilds disbanded in just the last one month. That's the figures I'm talking about, the stuff I know for sure and can see.

Now if you are seeing a lot of people around you, good. Probably new players or bots farming nodes. I see a lot of those. But i was talking more about veteran players. People who were doing the hardest content day in and day out.

Well one of the reasons is that there isnt much to do for veteran players. Since ZoS made a decision to not release any game end PvE content for 4th quater of that year it was kinda obvious there will be way less veteran players interrested into doing something if they already completed stuff that is in the game.

Raideen

siddique wrote: »

So, what's the plan? All the big guilds seem to be disbanding or have disbanded on PS4, I have heard of an exodus pre dragonhold on PC as well. All the veteran players seem to have lost interest or just stopped bothering.

It's getting harder to find a good group to even do vSS. Forget vCR. Yes, there are a few groups running around doing the hardest content but it seems a huge number of population has given way.

Is this the beginning of the end? I've played on PC since 2015 and on PS4 since 2018. Things haven't been so dismal in the past 4-plus years.

P.S, I understand dps dropped considerably this patch making the end game harder than before. But most of that content was being done with even less of a damage output when it came out.

Is it perhaps because of the absolute clueless attitude of ZOS? Like triggering people because they can't figure out what they are doing patch after patch?

I'm just trying to figure out if I should invest more time and money or maybe finally move on and wait for a new Elder Scrolls

Edit: no this is not a I quit thread. I still love this game and hope that I am wrong about my feelings.

I would say there are a number of reasons people are leaving, it just so happens a lot of those reasons are happening at the same time. Between terrible servers, predatory monetization practices, bad class design/balance and content that gets consumed extremely fast, its no wonder people are leaving. The change to guild traders is also a bit of a factor now.
I think people's patience has just run out, you can only be told something will be fixed so many times before you give up.

mb10

If it wasn’t an elder scrolls game it would have died a long time ago

TES is saving it atm but it’s bleak tbh

Morgul667

Tired of ZOS attitude and the game bad performance

starkerealm

idk wrote: »

I think it is a little overly dramatic to suggest players are dropping like flies and all the big guild are disbanding. Granted, idk anything about PS4 so maybe they are unique but I have seen people crying about this since the game launched yet the game has managed to survive.

BTW, I am not suggesting there is not a decline in game population as I am pretty sure there is due to change fatigue. But certainly not dropping like flies.

@IDK, there's been a lot of fatigue in the most active players. At the risk of sounding like @Raideen, and going off on a weird tangent, I'm inclined to blame the events. Particularly the anniversary going for five weeks this summer, combined with the hard grind component that has accompanied the vast majority of them.

Something's definitely translated to an unusually high burnout rate. So, while I can't prove it's the events, I've got a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting that.

idk

Heatnix90 wrote: »

idk wrote: »

I think it is a little overly dramatic to suggest players are dropping like flies and all the big guild are disbanding. Granted, idk anything about PS4 so maybe they are unique but I have seen people crying about this since the game launched yet the game has managed to survive.

BTW, I am not suggesting there is not a decline in game population as I am pretty sure there is due to change fatigue. But certainly not dropping like flies.

NA/PC raiding scene is mostly dead, NA/PC PvP scene is pretty much on life support at this point. Don't think it's dramatic to say players are dropping like flies.

I am aware. Major changes to the game have always driven some serious raiders away. The past few updates have brought huge changes and we are getting tired of it. Heck, I am just holding on to see if Zos is finally going to be able to manage combat without major changes most updates as we have expereinced for serveral years now. Granted, I have little faith they will as the same person is calling the shots as has been since the game launched.

Czekoludek

I think OP should clarify. End game ppl are dropping like flies, still a lot of casuals/questers/new players. The problem is, these end game players created content about the game. Without them there is less YT videos, streams, guides, etc. It is definitely not a healthy situation and with the silence outside the game, soon we could see a real exodus of players. Couple months ago ZoS had the best game on the market. Now wow have classic, destiny got more attention cuz it's free to play, we had a lot of good premieres like borderlands 3 or outer world's. Looks like ZoS choose a really bad time for stupid decisions and lack of real actions about game performance etc

starkerealm

idk wrote: »

Heatnix90 wrote: »

idk wrote: »

I think it is a little overly dramatic to suggest players are dropping like flies and all the big guild are disbanding. Granted, idk anything about PS4 so maybe they are unique but I have seen people crying about this since the game launched yet the game has managed to survive.

BTW, I am not suggesting there is not a decline in game population as I am pretty sure there is due to change fatigue. But certainly not dropping like flies.

NA/PC raiding scene is mostly dead, NA/PC PvP scene is pretty much on life support at this point. Don't think it's dramatic to say players are dropping like flies.

I am aware. Major changes to the game have always driven some serious raiders away. The past few updates have brought huge changes and we are getting tired of it. Heck, I am just holding on to see if Zos is finally going to be able to manage combat without major changes most updates as we have expereinced for serveral years now. Granted, I have little faith they will as the same person is calling the shots as has been since the game launched.

Yeah, the last couple PTS cycles have been exhausting to prep content for.

FierceSam

Where’s the evidence?

The game crashed a lot recently due to overpopulation. So it would seem that the numbers are there. On PC EU at least.

During the Witches Festival I’ve seen more people doing trials than ever. I’ve seen people who’ve never hosted/run a trial hosting and running trials on a daily basis. Maybe not the full on vet HM versions, but more people doing trials has to be a good thing, and some of them will move on to more difficult versions.

I don’t think numbers for vet trials are helped by the perception that players have to have stupid levels of DPS before they can begin to do this content though.

mocap

definitely not about PC EU. This platform is zerged by players.