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ESO vs Stand alone games (skyrim, morrowind,...)

eMKa8
eMKa8
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Hi 👋

Interesting question , i hope...
What are the main differences between the vast landscapes of Tamriel in ESO versus the stand alone games such as skyrim , oblivion, morrowind,...

I tried to find online and on youtube for some thoughts and opinions about it but cant find it.

Why would someone play skyrim instead of eso?

Eso is much bigger and its online and it has skyrim! Or what am i missing here ?

Is the gameplay different ?

Why would some prefer to play the stand alone games ?

What does it have to offer compared to the bigger eso franchise ?

Is the sta d alone games also not much much smaller ? Havent you seen the landscapes of those games rather quickly
  • eMKa8
    eMKa8
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    Thank you all!
    Great examples and opinions

  • Sylvermynx
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    For me, this IS TES VI - because it's not all that likely I'll still be able to play CRPGs if or when TES VI actually releases. (I'm still playing Oblivion and Skyrim btw.)

    I actually prefer SPMR games, except for one thing: an MMORPG is not a static world/game. Sure you can mod in new stuff for Oblivion and Skyrim (to an extent), but except for one major mod (Legacy of the Dragonborn in Skyrim) - and perhaps the Beyond Skyrim mods - you will eventually run out of new quest mods (because so many years down the road, modders may have gone elsewhere - again, except for icreamassassin and LotD).

    So I'm loving ESO, because it's not static Oblivion or Skyrim.
  • ZaroktheImmortal
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    I like both for different reasons. I'm usually more into singe player games myself and I love the Elder Scrolls games but ESO is also one of the few mmos that really caught my attention
  • JKorr
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    eMKa8 wrote: »
    Hi 👋

    Interesting question , i hope...
    What are the main differences between the vast landscapes of Tamriel in ESO versus the stand alone games such as skyrim , oblivion, morrowind,...

    I tried to find online and on youtube for some thoughts and opinions about it but cant find it.

    Why would someone play skyrim instead of eso?

    Eso is much bigger and its online and it has skyrim! Or what am i missing here ?

    Is the gameplay different ?

    Why would some prefer to play the stand alone games ?

    What does it have to offer compared to the bigger eso franchise ?

    Is the sta d alone games also not much much smaller ? Havent you seen the landscapes of those games rather quickly

    I usually play single player games. I've played Morrowind, Tribunal, Bloodmoon, Oblivion, Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles, Skyrim [and dlc], and I'm considering Hammerfell or whatever the next ES game is titled.

    There are times I don't want to deal with people. Online mmorpg is people, some of whom may decide to intentionally screw with your game play. It is also "online", if I don't have internet [and have set my Steam for offline] then I can play when I want, internet access or not. ESO can't be played if the servers are down for any reason.

    To cover the large world of ESO, the stories are broad and sweeping. You don't find a lot of detail or even hidden areas or items. The single player games have a lot more options to get npc details, hidden areas, and items to find. I still remember how hard it was to find daedric arrows in Morrowind; how hard it was to get daedric armor, and finding a cursed mine you had to report to a Counselor in a haunted mansion that you could get a daedric weapon as a reward.... ESO stories tend towards the gray, and in some cases have me actively avoiding certain quests with any alts, because they were do darn depressing.

    The single player games cover a smaller area, yes. However they have a lot more detail, and offer rewards for exploring. ESO, not so much.
  • TonyDemonLord
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    Mass and scale is the crucial difference to me. ESO literally dwarfs both Oblivion and Skyrim combined. My elf played 4k hours in Oblivion and outgrew it. She then played 4k hours in Skyrim and outgrew it. With 8k hours so far in ESO, I see no signs of her outgrowing it.
    OMG, you have actually play 8 THOUSAND HOURS IN ESO?! That’s insane! I’m currently sitting at CP 321 and I’ve played 130 hours and I’m starting to get a bit bored. Not to say there isn’t enough content, but so many of the missions and quests are so alike that they kind of start to blend together. I have no idea how you can play 8 thousand hours and still be enjoying the game and not going crazy from playing so much.

    @AcadianPaladin
    Xbox NA
  • ShawnLaRock
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    This is one of the reasons that I held out on using my 18th Character Creation to experience the Greymoor tutorial (when I heard we wouldn’t get any additional slots) - because the “magic” I felt in these past Elder Scrolls games is only even closely-matched when I have a new toon able to actually feel the “fear” or the “exhilaration” of what this world can offer. I LOVE ESO - and I hope this same feeling can be experienced based on what the company decides...

    S.
  • ZaroktheImmortal
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    JKorr wrote: »
    eMKa8 wrote: »
    Hi 👋

    Interesting question , i hope...
    What are the main differences between the vast landscapes of Tamriel in ESO versus the stand alone games such as skyrim , oblivion, morrowind,...

    I tried to find online and on youtube for some thoughts and opinions about it but cant find it.

    Why would someone play skyrim instead of eso?

    Eso is much bigger and its online and it has skyrim! Or what am i missing here ?

    Is the gameplay different ?

    Why would some prefer to play the stand alone games ?

    What does it have to offer compared to the bigger eso franchise ?

    Is the sta d alone games also not much much smaller ? Havent you seen the landscapes of those games rather quickly

    I usually play single player games. I've played Morrowind, Tribunal, Bloodmoon, Oblivion, Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles, Skyrim [and dlc], and I'm considering Hammerfell or whatever the next ES game is titled.

    There are times I don't want to deal with people. Online mmorpg is people, some of whom may decide to intentionally screw with your game play. It is also "online", if I don't have internet [and have set my Steam for offline] then I can play when I want, internet access or not. ESO can't be played if the servers are down for any reason.

    To cover the large world of ESO, the stories are broad and sweeping. You don't find a lot of detail or even hidden areas or items. The single player games have a lot more options to get npc details, hidden areas, and items to find. I still remember how hard it was to find daedric arrows in Morrowind; how hard it was to get daedric armor, and finding a cursed mine you had to report to a Counselor in a haunted mansion that you could get a daedric weapon as a reward.... ESO stories tend towards the gray, and in some cases have me actively avoiding certain quests with any alts, because they were do darn depressing.

    The single player games cover a smaller area, yes. However they have a lot more detail, and offer rewards for exploring. ESO, not so much.

    I actually enjoy the morally grey choices cause they make me think more on them. It's one of the things I enjoyed about it and hope there's more morally grey choices in the next Elder Scrolls games. If a choice is too easy just right and wrong then it has less meaning to me. But one where there is no right answer that really gets me thinking.
  • Kiralyn2000
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    eMKa8 wrote: »
    Why would someone play skyrim instead of eso?

    Eso is much bigger and its online and it has skyrim! Or what am i missing here ?

    Is the gameplay different ?

    Why would some prefer to play the stand alone games ?

    Different people look for different things in games.

    "Much bigger" isn't a priority to everyone. Also "it's online" isn't necessarily a positive thing.

    Is the gameplay different? Utterly. Yes, they tried to get a bit of TES into ESO, but they're not really all that similar - ESO is very much a modern MMO, with all that entails.

    Why would some prefer to play the standalone games? Because they have different stories, different gameplay, different opportunities for character development, etc. They're different experiences.

    (For the record, I just got done playing Skyrim SE a couple weeks ago. There's actually still quite a lot I could do in that playthrough, but that character has gotten pretty OP and has found/crafted/tried all the modded armor & outfits that I added. Got a bit burnt out, switched to another game.)

  • Elsonso
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    BlueRaven wrote: »
    The single player games are vastly better than ESO. Many people have touched on the much deeper and customizable character builds.
    But I want to hit on two things not brought up yet;

    1) The world feels more alive in the single player games.

    Npcs have homes, they go to sleep, they eat and do chores. All the npcs in ESO seem to stand around in the same space 24 hours a day.

    Actually, I find it is the opposite. The single player games are dead. I find myself installing every possible follower, companion, and NPC mod I can find, not so they will follow me around, but so that the world feels less empty.

    Yeah, the TES NPCs move around per Radiant AI, which at least gives them something to do, but spend enough time in Whiterun and NPC schedules quickly lose the magic.
    BlueRaven wrote: »
    2) ESO plays it fast and loose with the lore.

    Between how dragons are handled, to a overly populated blackreach, to unstealthy wood elves (etc), it’s hard for me to take the lore here that seriously since it seems they (ZOS) doesn’t take the lore seriously themselves.
    It’s like a very good fan fiction but ESO is always going to feel like it’s not a part of the ES universe, just a distorted mirror of it.

    Lore does not mean stagnant. Bosmer and stealth does not bother me at all, from a lore perspective.

    Dragons are fast and loose, but we all know that the reason that they did dragons is that they are cool. And, they are. They kept them far to the south. I don't like them, but they are actually right in the fact that no lore that I am aware of says they were not there.

    The sad truth is that lore always takes a backseat to whatever the game wants, what is technically possible, and even to mistakes. This is a tradition that goes back to Daggerfall. Elder Scrolls Arena was not designed to be the first in a series of games.

    I have said this before, and it will be interesting to see what happens, but I am pretty sure that the events from 2nd Era ESO will make it into the 4th Era TES 6 when it comes out. I think that there are some people who think (hope?) that ESO will just be erased from history with some dragon break, but I doubt that will happen. We already know that the lore decisions made by ZOS are canon.

  • AefionBloodclaw
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    [snip] So many differences, so much immersion breaking, lore-breaking garbage in ESO. Dunno if I can really be bothered even covering this if it hasn't been covered already.

    [edited for bashing]
    Edited by ZOS_RachelM on August 13, 2020 12:47PM
    'For love, for friendship and for valour, I stand with the Aldmeri Dominion.'

    Zephyrle Starbreeze, Bosmer Nightblade
    Aefion Bloodclaw, Bosmer Sorcerer
  • AefionBloodclaw
    AefionBloodclaw
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    BlueRaven wrote: »
    The single player games are vastly better than ESO. Many people have touched on the much deeper and customizable character builds.
    But I want to hit on two things not brought up yet;

    1) The world feels more alive in the single player games.

    Npcs have homes, they go to sleep, they eat and do chores. All the npcs in ESO seem to stand around in the same space 24 hours a day.

    2) ESO plays it fast and loose with the lore.

    Between how dragons are handled, to a overly populated blackreach, to unstealthy wood elves (etc), it’s hard for me to take the lore here that seriously since it seems they (ZOS) doesn’t take the lore seriously themselves.
    It’s like a very good fan fiction but ESO is always going to feel like it’s not a part of the ES universe, just a distorted mirror of it.

    THIS SO MUCH
    'For love, for friendship and for valour, I stand with the Aldmeri Dominion.'

    Zephyrle Starbreeze, Bosmer Nightblade
    Aefion Bloodclaw, Bosmer Sorcerer
  • idk
    idk
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    Stand-alone games and MMORPGs, especially theme park MMORPGs, are so very different that pretty much every comparison will be tainted by personal preference. This was evident during the testing of this game.
    Really, idk
  • Syldras
    Syldras
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    eMKa8 wrote: »
    Is the gameplay different ?

    To make it short: Yes.
    eMKa8 wrote: »
    I tried to find online and on youtube for some thoughts and opinions about it but cant find it.

    You have seen videos of TES 3 Morrowind on Youtube and don't recognize a difference to ESO? I'm not even meaning the old graphics, but all differences in gameplay? The dialogue system? Spell system? The whole way of navigation and travelling? To recognize differences in quest-building and immersion, you might have to look a bit deeper, but those things are so obvious, it's hard to believe they didn't catch your eye.
    @Syldras | PC | EU
    Sarayn Andrethi, Telvanni mage (Main)
    Darvasa Andrethi, his "I'm NOT a Necromancer!" sister
    Malacar Sunavarlas, Altmer Ayleid vampire
  • Sindala
    Sindala
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    You've never experienced Skyrim correctly until you have been attacked by Thomas the Tank Engine,
    Turned the entire of Whiterun into Vampires,
    Or filled a dungeon with 50k wheels of cheese,
    Turned the "Dragons" into actual Dragons and not Wyverns,
    Morphed a Frost Troll into a Bunny Rabbit.....i could go on. ;)

    Basically Modding is why Skyrim and Morrowind are still played today. <3
    Being First is not the prize, it just mean's everyone can stab you in the back.
  • Aznarb
    Aznarb
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    We don't have anti-gravity horse :/
    PC - EU

    Templar - Tank
    Necromancer - Tank
    Dragon Knight - Tank

    Warden - Healer
    Sorcerer - Healer
    Night Blade - Healer

    My English is far from perfect but I try my best !
  • coletas
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    eso is multiplayer only oriented. I say that because content for just one player is not a challenge for anybody. Quests are boring as hell, are easy as hell, bosses are creature with more or less hp but no challenge at all. Not bosses are like plants, dont have any IA and you can kill them even with no armor and weapons even at level cp800+ (look any skyreach video...). You wont find anything that has any value exploring. You can have all without touching a chest at all. You already know u Will never find something. NEVER. This is not a Game like Skyrim or Fallout where exploring can be very rewarding. You know that in thqt chest or in that crate or barrel, there is only rubish. Replaying the game is still worse experience. having to do the same superfun quests like take 10 rats and go with them far away and then we Will give 75 pieces of gold lol... so rewarding... Now repeat that with chickens, dogs or birds lol taking skyshards and all that boring staff just to play with another class. Graphics are dated as hell and doesnt look near to Skyrim hd for example. And relations with npc are ==null. No Matter what you choose to say them, It Will never change anything important on a quest or the plot. ... No, this game was somewhat fun, when It was playable, on multiplayer. Coop or PvP. But is not anymore
  • gatekeeper13
    gatekeeper13
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    Skyrim/Morrowind = Quality

    ESO = Quantity
  • amm7sb14_ESO
    amm7sb14_ESO
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    phwaap wrote: »
    ESO is one-dimensional in comparison.

    Pretty much this.

    Morrowind / Oblivion / Skyrim have much deeper content, quests, stories, a much more vast character building system that offers virtually unlimited freedom, whereas ESO confines you into narrow boxes if you want to do literally any semblance of end-game or group content. Their worlds are more detailed, towns that actually serve purposes and have reasons to be in them.

    Morrowind / Oblivion / Skyrim are just simply put far better games, deeper content, and more freedom of world and character building, whereas ESO is a pretty standard post-WOW run of the mill MMO that greatly limits what you can and can't do with your character with non-sensical and arbitrary character build limitations.
  • Sindala
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    frontend wrote: »
    Sindala wrote: »
    Turned the "Dragons" into actual Dragons and not Wyverns,

    Dragons are mythical creatures, there is no right or wrong about them. In ES universe dragons ARE the dragons we see in the game. They are not wyverns, unless directly stated so by the creators.

    If the creators decided to call them a lollipop race, then that is what they would be. You cant put a dictionary correction into their fantasy world, and claim what they choose is dragons, to be something else. its beyond stupid

    I cannot begin to say how wrong you are, but i suggest you google search a few debates on the subject ;)
    I would link pictures but it's so damb hard to get pictures to work on these forums.

    https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/454457/the-difference-between-wyverns-and-dragons

    (obviously this is ment as fun and by no means a personal attack)

    Being First is not the prize, it just mean's everyone can stab you in the back.
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