Zos: "In 2021 we are going to make less new stuff and focus on performance"

Stahlor

The banker/merchant does work more fluently than ever before. Isn't that an improvement?

Lugaldu

But there are already enough people who complain that the companions as a new feature of the chapter are not enough or not interesting enough to buy the chapter. What would the situation look like if there really wasn't anything new? It is certainly not easy and a tightrope walk, but a complete year without anything new would certainly not be ideal for promoting and selling the game.

Diva_Naoko

Kosef wrote: »

IF they actually did a year of straight performance fixes....people would be all on the board griping and complaining about lack of content.

Hmm, i'm not so sure of that. Newer players would appreciate a one-year long halt to new content so they can catch up with older content. The way things are, with a new chapter every year, it has become an impossible race for newer players. Hopefully zos will be aware of this issue and take steps, or they risk losing and alienating the newer players.

zaria

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

Dark_Lord_Kuro wrote: »

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

And then you didn't.
Look, Blackwood looks pretty cool, ngl. I'm excited for a new trial.
But for the love of God, things are broken. We don't need companions, we could have waited peacefully and patiently until fall for the new chapter, you could have focused on the new CP, fixing the way proc sets work, and making a dent in the huge pile of bugs (that seems to grow every day!) and I've no idea why you didn't.
Your announcement was met with almost universal understanding and positive feedback.
Why are you still trying to maintain a schedule that early isn't working?

So one year wait for meaninful content?
Nope not for me

Not even a year..... release the new dungeons, delay the launch of the next big chapter for a month or 2, scrap companions entirely until their existing systems are actually working as intended.
I'd rather have a game that works.

You and so many other misunderstand how game development works, you have software developers who make and modify the eso program and the server software. They are the only who can do this, then you have artists making models, textures, animations and create the world, writers who creates quests and story lines.
Yes its some overlap but creating an dungeon or zone does not require changing the game itself unless they add new mechanics like grappling hooks or companions who need to be coded in. Once this is in it can be reused.

In short not making dungeons and quests will simply make the artists and writers unemployed while not giving more resources to game development.

FantasticFreddie

zaria wrote: »

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

Dark_Lord_Kuro wrote: »

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

And then you didn't.
Look, Blackwood looks pretty cool, ngl. I'm excited for a new trial.
But for the love of God, things are broken. We don't need companions, we could have waited peacefully and patiently until fall for the new chapter, you could have focused on the new CP, fixing the way proc sets work, and making a dent in the huge pile of bugs (that seems to grow every day!) and I've no idea why you didn't.
Your announcement was met with almost universal understanding and positive feedback.
Why are you still trying to maintain a schedule that early isn't working?

So one year wait for meaninful content?
Nope not for me

Not even a year..... release the new dungeons, delay the launch of the next big chapter for a month or 2, scrap companions entirely until their existing systems are actually working as intended.
I'd rather have a game that works.

You and so many other misunderstand how game development works, you have software developers who make and modify the eso program and the server software. They are the only who can do this, then you have artists making models, textures, animations and create the world, writers who creates quests and story lines.
Yes its some overlap but creating an dungeon or zone does not require changing the game itself unless they add new mechanics like grappling hooks or companions who need to be coded in. Once this is in it can be reused.

In short not making dungeons and quests will simply make the artists and writers unemployed while not giving more resources to game development.

1) I specifically say release the dungeons 2) what is to stop the artists etc from working on projects ahead of time? They are not the ones actually coding stuff in, so really what difference does it make to them when the content is released?

FantasticFreddie

If they could release new chapter

Diva_Naoko wrote: »

Kosef wrote: »

IF they actually did a year of straight performance fixes....people would be all on the board griping and complaining about lack of content.

Hmm, i'm not so sure of that. Newer players would appreciate a one-year long halt to new content so they can catch up with older content. The way things are, with a new chapter every year, it has become an impossible race for newer players. Hopefully zos will be aware of this issue and take steps, or they risk losing and alienating the newer players.

I've been here 2 years and have barely scratched the surface of the content.... I haven't even set foot in Markarth yet

Lugaldu

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

I've been here 2 years and have barely scratched the surface of the content.... I haven't even set foot in Markarth yet

I've been playing for almost 3 years, but I have to say that I can't wait for a new story to begin as I've played everything apart from a few side quests. I would get bored if nothing new came up for a whole year.

magnusthorek

scorpius2k1 wrote: »

This year sounds no different than the last 3+ years. I have to ponder, how different would sales and popularity of ESO be if communication was better, things were re-prioritized and issues resolved instead of the opposite trend. I literally dread every time I hear the word "patch" or "fix" because it seems literally the opposite; fix one thing break many others. ZOS has great and passionate people, why things like this are happening to ESO is confusing to me personally. We can point fingers all day but until something internally changes with the team and how they deploy and prioritize, nothing is going to change.

I remember a time when the performance plan was shared with the community and we felt part of the team in a way.
I miss this version of ZOS.

That's something I complain about very much here in the forums. The lack of communication I'm experiencing since my 5y break is astonishing. ZOS is kinda becoming ArenaNet (GW2) in terms of communication, releasing Natch Potes and nothing more.

Sevalaricgirl

Speak for yourself. I want companions.

Thechuckage

Heard the whole song and dance about performance before, not impressed.

Faulgor

Lugaldu wrote: »

But there are already enough people who complain that the companions as a new feature of the chapter are not enough or not interesting enough to buy the chapter. What would the situation look like if there really wasn't anything new? It is certainly not easy and a tightrope walk, but a complete year without anything new would certainly not be ideal for promoting and selling the game.

I mean, If they don't offer enough for me to consider buying the chapter, they might as well not offer anything at all. Same to me.

Problem is, for some reason people think if ZOS "just focused on performance for once", things would actually improve. The fact that they have continuously been working on performance improvements without noticeable effect should cast doubt on this wishful thinking.
Things are never going to change.

_ibexrc

zaria wrote: »

In short not making dungeons and quests will simply make the artists and writers unemployed while not giving more resources to game development.

They could always update the base game zones' textures, fix those map borders that don't match one side another, add more lines to NPCs so they can stop reminding me of the Coral Heart, maybe let me pass through the Stormhaven gates without unmounting… there's plenty of papercuts for everyone.

virtus753

Sevalaricgirl wrote: »

Speak for yourself. I want companions.

Do you want the companions as they are now, though? I’m curious if the system they’ve designed aligns with expectations. I feel like a lot of people have quite a different concept of “companions” than what we’re seeing with Blackwood. It’s pretty easy to draw a very different picture from the marketing and interviews than what’s actually in the chapter, not to mention the ideas we come in with about RPG companions from other games. I worry a lot of players will be disappointed when the system releases and may well not line up with expectations.

Joy_Division

Crash427 wrote: »

Joy_Division wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

scorpius2k1 wrote: »

This year sounds no different than the last 3+ years. I have to ponder, how different would sales and popularity of ESO be if communication was better, things were re-prioritized and issues resolved instead of the opposite trend. I literally dread every time I hear the word "patch" or "fix" because it seems literally the opposite; fix one thing break many others. ZOS has great and passionate people, why things like this are happening to ESO is confusing to me personally. We can point fingers all day but until something internally changes with the team and how they deploy and prioritize, nothing is going to change.

I remember a time when the performance plan was shared with the community and we felt part of the team in a way.
I miss this version of ZOS.

I mean, did any of that stuff even make it into the game? Because it doesn't feel like that.

Did you expect "behind-the-scenes" combat ability improvements to do anything?

Well their last set of behind the scenes changes did make things noticeably worse

True 'dat.

FantasticFreddie

virtus753 wrote: »

Sevalaricgirl wrote: »

Speak for yourself. I want companions.

Do you want the companions as they are now, though? I’m curious if the system they’ve designed aligns with expectations. I feel like a lot of people have quite a different concept of “companions” than what we’re seeing with Blackwood. It’s pretty easy to draw a very different picture from the marketing and interviews than what’s actually in the chapter, not to mention the ideas we come in with about RPG companions from other games. I worry a lot of players will be disappointed when the system releases and may well not line up with expectations.

My bar for companions is "at least as useful as Lydia"
That's.... a pretty low bar.
These companions seem intent on tunneling under it.
Unintelligent AI, long cooldowns on skills, can't carry anything except the clothes on their backs.... may as well tape a paper doll to your monitor.

Goregrinder

_ibexrc wrote: »

zaria wrote: »

In short not making dungeons and quests will simply make the artists and writers unemployed while not giving more resources to game development.

They could always update the base game zones' textures, fix those map borders that don't match one side another, add more lines to NPCs so they can stop reminding me of the Coral Heart, maybe let me pass through the Stormhaven gates without unmounting… there's plenty of papercuts for everyone.

How much time would this take? And how many people would have to be pulled from their current projects, just to facilitate this update? And what would happen to the projects they were working on if they have to be pulled off of them to start this new project? Are you expecting 80 hour work weeks until this project was completed?

The_Old_Goat

katanagirl1 wrote: »

I was hoping the “work from home” setup would highlight the lag for the ZOS employees that we as players experience everyday.

This reason here is why every time they do "gameplay" streaming and they use an internal server, I want to smash my face into the keyboard. Clearly they get better performance on their internal servers and then act like everything is peachy on the other servers.

FantasticFreddie

Goregrinder wrote: »

_ibexrc wrote: »

zaria wrote: »

In short not making dungeons and quests will simply make the artists and writers unemployed while not giving more resources to game development.

They could always update the base game zones' textures, fix those map borders that don't match one side another, add more lines to NPCs so they can stop reminding me of the Coral Heart, maybe let me pass through the Stormhaven gates without unmounting… there's plenty of papercuts for everyone.

How much time would this take? And how many people would have to be pulled from their current projects, just to facilitate this update? And what would happen to the projects they were working on if they have to be pulled off of them to start this new project? Are you expecting 80 hour work weeks until this project was completed?

I believe this was in response to saying that the artists and writers would be underemployed if zos put the next chapter on hold.

LalMirchi

The_Old_Goat wrote: »

katanagirl1 wrote: »

I was hoping the “work from home” setup would highlight the lag for the ZOS employees that we as players experience everyday.

This reason here is why every time they do "gameplay" streaming and they use an internal server, I want to smash my face into the keyboard. Clearly they get better performance on their internal servers and then act like everything is peachy on the other servers.

"they use an internal server" Is there any evidence for this? It would make "performance" a joke or no?

Ranger209

Seraphayel wrote: »

scorpius2k1 wrote: »

This year sounds no different than the last 3+ years. I have to ponder, how different would sales and popularity of ESO be if communication was better, things were re-prioritized and issues resolved instead of the opposite trend. I literally dread every time I hear the word "patch" or "fix" because it seems literally the opposite; fix one thing break many others. ZOS has great and passionate people, why things like this are happening to ESO is confusing to me personally. We can point fingers all day but until something internally changes with the team and how they deploy and prioritize, nothing is going to change.

I remember a time when the performance plan was shared with the community and we felt part of the team in a way.
I miss this version of ZOS.

I mean, did any of that stuff even make it into the game? Because it doesn't feel like that.

They probably did do this stuff. Unfortunately it coincided with moving everything server side for stadia so was a net wash. But imagine what it would be like if they pushed all that stuff server side with no improvements. Eesh