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πŸ’° Companions are Paywalled...

scorpius2k1
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From @ZOS_RichLambert in today's reveal for Blackwood:
"There are two different companions available in the chapter launch, and they are unlocked by completing quests in the Blackwood Zone"
https://twitch.tv/videos/970201605?t=1h36m48s

So we must purchase the new chapter to even have the companions feature, same as Scrying being locked behind the Skyrim chapter purchase? Just want to confirm I heard that correctly.

Extra clarification: it's blatantly obvious this is the "big feature" behind this years chapter, the concern and reason for this topic isn't paying for it, etc, but are we going to see something further locked behind paywalls like we did with the mythic gear?

Ex:
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/7192448/#Comment_7192448
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/7191752/#Comment_7191752
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/7191594/#Comment_7191594
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/7191628/#Comment_7191628
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Edited by scorpius2k1 on April 1, 2021 5:29PM
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  • Maxx7410
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    If it is this way you will have it in the future for free becausse old chapters always are free
  • Danikat
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    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.
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  • Sylvermynx
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    Apparently. I'd be buying the chapter eventually, but I refuse to pre purchase it. I'll pick it up on sale somewhere. Though I'm not very interested in companions personally - never have been in any game I've ever played.
    Edited by Sylvermynx on March 31, 2021 10:57PM
  • JamieAubrey
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    What did you think they would add this to the base game ? They need something to sell this chapter on, and its Companions
  • phaneub17_ESO
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    Well yeah, it's the selling point like Warden, Necromancer, Jewelcrafting, etc. At some point probably it'll become DLC content or sold separately in the crown store just like everything else once its over.
  • NotaDaedraWorshipper
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    Jewelcrafting is locked behind Summerset, antiquities behind Greymoor etc. So yes, one of the key features of Blackwood requires Blackwood.
    [Lie] Of course! I don't even worship Daedra!
  • Blacknight841
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    Of course it is paywalled. This is the β€œcontent” they are giving with this update.

    Morrowind - Warden class
    Summerset - Psijic skill line
    Elsweyr - necromancer class
    Greymoor - antiquities
    Blackwood - companions

    We went from classes and skill lines,... to mini games and a virtual ai friends.
  • scorpius2k1
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    Well yeah, it's the selling point like Warden, Necromancer, Jewelcrafting, etc. At some point probably it'll become DLC content or sold separately in the crown store just like everything else once its over.
    Agreed.
    Jewelcrafting is locked behind Summerset, antiquities behind Greymoor etc. So yes, one of the key features of Blackwood requires Blackwood.
    I understand the conceptualization just fine, just confirming that was the case. :)
    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.
    What makes you assume I am surprised? It's exactly what I expected. Again, I understand the conceptualization just fine, I simply asked a question to confirm I heard it right. Thanks :wink:
    Apparently. I'd be buying the chapter eventually, but I refuse to pre purchase it. I'll pick it up on sale somewhere. Though I'm not very interested in companions personally - never have been in any game I've ever played.
    Yeah, same. Not going for it this time, especially when it will be on sale likely a few months after release as they have in the past. The cosmetics items being the big perk of pre-purchase isn't enough to sell me on it.
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  • SeaGtGruff
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    Maxx7410 wrote: Β»
    If it is this way you will have it in the future for free becausse old chapters always are free

    Old chapters are never free.

    If you mean "free to access as long as you have a current ESO Plus account," ESO Plus isn't free, and losing your ESO Plus account would remove your access to that old chapter unless you've bought it.

    If you don't have ESO Plus, you must buy the old chapter from the Crown Store, or have bought it when it was a chapter.

    The only chapter that might conceivably be called "free" is Morrowind, since it's now included when you purchase the base game. But you still have to purchase the base game, and you don't automatically get access to it if you'd bought the base game before Morrowind was bundled with it and never purchased it separately as a new chapter or demoted chapter.
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  • Kiralyn2000
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    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.

    This. Why would Big Expansion Feature be available without the Big Expansion? In any game, ever?

    (my god, they "paywalled" the Druid & Assasin for Diablo 2 in the Lord Of Destruction expansion!)
    Edited by Kiralyn2000 on March 31, 2021 11:07PM
  • trackdemon5512
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    Maxx7410 wrote: Β»
    If it is this way you will have it in the future for free becausse old chapters always are free

    I guarantee that companions will always require the DLC to either be purchased of ESO active. Just like jewelry to keep them out of the hands of botters.
  • Danikat
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    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.
    What makes you assume I am surprised? It's exactly what I expected. Again, I understand the conceptualization just fine, I simply asked a question to confirm I heard it right. Thanks :wink:

    The wording, the italics and the fact that you act like it's necessary to confirm you've understood correctly.

    People don't usually think it's necessary to double check in case they've misheard something they expected to hear and consider normal. If you order a Coke and they say "Is Pepsi ok?" you're not going to say "Did I hear that correctly? Are you asking if I'll accept Pepsi instead of Coke?" Unless you're surprised the place doesn't have Coke.
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  • scorpius2k1
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    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.

    This. Why would Big Expansion Feature be available without the Big Expansion? In any game, ever?

    (my god, the paywalled the Druid & Assasin for Diablo 2 in the Lord Of Destruction expansion!)

    Personally, I'm not really getting "Big Expansion Feature" vibes from this companion feature, even if that's what it officially is. Now the Druid & Assasin in D2 is a whole other topic. I still have mine.
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  • Erelah
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    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Danikat wrote: Β»
    Why are you surprised that you need to own the chapter in order to access one of it's main features?

    Isn't that how expansion packs have always worked in games? It's certainly how they all work in ESO as you yourself pointed out.
    What makes you assume I am surprised? It's exactly what I expected. Again, I understand the conceptualization just fine, I simply asked a question to confirm I heard it right. Thanks :wink:

    The wording, the italics and the fact that you act like it's necessary to confirm you've understood correctly.

    People don't usually think it's necessary to double check in case they've misheard something they expected to hear and consider normal. If you order a Coke and they say "Is Pepsi ok?" you're not going to say "Did I hear that correctly? Are you asking if I'll accept Pepsi instead of Coke?" Unless you're surprised the place doesn't have Coke.

    I am going to do that next time I am out. I shall have to say it in a tone as if those who drink Pepsi kick puppies.
  • KatzMainTank
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    Maxx7410 wrote: Β»
    If it is this way you will have it in the future for free becausse old chapters always are free

    Free if you have +
    Not free if you own the base game.

    But yea it's free with the preferred player pay wall after a year behind the premium pay wall and available for purchase separately if you just own the initial extended demo version aka base game.
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  • Athan1
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    You buy the base game for a set price. This is already a huge amount of content. If you want additional features and dlc content, you have to pay extra. What is so weird about it? This is how game expansions work.
    Athan Atticus Imperial Templar of Shezarr
  • TequilaFire
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    I feel sorry for people in banks.
    Companions, assistants, combat pets, and non combat pets all out at the same time. lol
  • scorpius2k1
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    I feel sorry for people in banks.
    Companions, assistants, combat pets, and non combat pets all out at the same time. lol
    lmao I didn't even think about that one. Madness. :D:D
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  • Rukia541
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    You mean I have to purchase a game to play it? Did I read that right? I am going to write a strongly worded letter to these capitalist scum! Why just the other day at work my lunch was LOCKED behind a paywall , I had to use my debit card just to eat. The madness I tell you!
  • scorpius2k1
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    Rukia541 wrote: Β»
    You mean I have to purchase a game to play it? Did I read that right? I am going to write a strongly worded letter to these capitalist scum! Why just the other day at work my lunch was LOCKED behind a paywall , I had to use my debit card just to eat. The madness I tell you!

    There. Fixed that for you. Thanks @Danikat :trollface:

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  • JanTanhide
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    ZOS is a business that people work for to earn a living. Nothing in life is free. Someone has to work to make it happen and those people deserve to be paid for their work.
  • scorpius2k1
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    Athan1 wrote: Β»
    You buy the base game for a set price. This is already a huge amount of content. If you want additional features and dlc content, you have to pay extra. What is so weird about it? This is how game expansions work.
    ZOS is a business that people work for to earn a living. Nothing in life is free. Someone has to work to make it happen and those people deserve to be paid for their work.

    2PJkYbT.png
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  • FluffWit
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    Haven't bothered with the pre order either, the mount you get for pre ordering is fine I guess but it bugs me we have a system for horse armor and they decided using it is too much hassle for the art department so you can't its helmet off.

    But no doubt I'll pick up the dlc release on release day.
  • Sylvermynx
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    FluffWit wrote: Β»
    Haven't bothered with the pre order either, the mount you get for pre ordering is fine I guess but it bugs me we have a system for horse armor and they decided using it is too much hassle for the art department so you can't its helmet off.

    But no doubt I'll pick up the dlc release on release day.

    Is the "helmet" part of the stam look? If so you can disable it in Settings. At least on PC.... I'm not into the mount at all, so have no direct experience.
  • spartaxoxo
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    Athan1 wrote: Β»
    You buy the base game for a set price. This is already a huge amount of content. If you want additional features and dlc content, you have to pay extra. What is so weird about it? This is how game expansions work.

    On top of that at anytime you can purchase all major chapters at one price by buying a new copy of the game and get all the old chapters as a bonus. Which will grant you nearly all major systems as they largely don't put major systems in regular DLC.

    Which means you don't need to pay for eso+ at all to get access to all the major systems, only the expansions.
    Edited by spartaxoxo on April 1, 2021 12:36AM
  • Starlock
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    Companions was never revealed as a base game feature or free update. Setting aside the observation that ESO should be a free-to-play title given its monetization structure, that's not how they've rolled with these things for multiple years. Of course it's "paywalled." Customers pay for yearly chapters and their main features, even if they already have a subscription because... corporate gymnastics? Let's call it corporate gymnastics.

    Better question to ask is in what way is this feature going to be monetized further, if at all. Historically, ZoS has been (mostly) respectful about not monetizing major chapter features. If it weren't for last year's violation of this, I'd consider it a given that we're in the clear for that, but... last year happened.
  • scorpius2k1
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    Which means you don't need to pay for eso+ at all to get access to all the major systems, only the expansions.
    That ESO+ craft bag though...
    giphy.gif
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  • spartaxoxo
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    Starlock wrote: Β»
    Companions was never revealed as a base game feature or free update. Setting aside the observation that ESO should be a free-to-play title given its monetization structure, that's not how they've rolled with these things for multiple years. Of course it's "paywalled." Customers pay for yearly chapters and their main features, even if they already have a subscription because... corporate gymnastics? Let's call it corporate gymnastics.

    Better question to ask is in what way is this feature going to be monetized further, if at all. Historically, ZoS has been (mostly) respectful about not monetizing major chapter features. If it weren't for last year's violation of this, I'd consider it a given that we're in the clear for that, but... last year happened.

    They've been monetizing major chapter features since Summerset. Jewelry crafting in Summerset, Necros in Elysweyr, Antiquities in Skyrim, and now companions in Blackwood.

    They have been good about lowering the price significantly a few months after release, and then they release the stuff as chapters the following year. They also have been good about not locking out discount buyers from their yearly player wide chapter event.
    Edited by spartaxoxo on April 1, 2021 1:14AM
  • spartaxoxo
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    Which means you don't need to pay for eso+ at all to get access to all the major systems, only the expansions.
    That ESO+ craft bag though...
    giphy.gif

    True. I was gonna let my eso+ run out in a few days because I have been unhappy with the bugs. And then I saw all the surveys I had to and renewed for a year lmao
  • scorpius2k1
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    Starlock wrote: Β»
    Companions was never revealed as a base game feature or free update. Setting aside the observation that ESO should be a free-to-play title given its monetization structure, that's not how they've rolled with these things for multiple years. Of course it's "paywalled." Customers pay for yearly chapters and their main features, even if they already have a subscription because... corporate gymnastics? Let's call it corporate gymnastics.

    Better question to ask is in what way is this feature going to be monetized further, if at all. Historically, ZoS has been (mostly) respectful about not monetizing major chapter features. If it weren't for last year's violation of this, I'd consider it a given that we're in the clear for that, but... last year happened.
    Exactly this. Glad there is an understanding of the logic here behind why I started this thread in the first place other than the expected monochrome responses. I thought it would be fairly obvious after last year, but I digress. Anyway, I still am not sure what to think of this new system from everything I have gathered thus far. It is definitely unique but not sure it's going to be something I would use regularly and hard to be certain until the chapter is here. Having a "combat pet" like feature available to all toons though with the exception of solo and pvp content will be interesting. A lot of systems involved with them (rapport, personalities, etc) and future companions were confirmed in the reveal, so not at all going to be surprised of them turning up in the crown store just like the housing assistants. I am curious to see where ZOS takes this, could be a big hit or a miss.
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