POLL: Should The Elder Scrolls Online Expansions be free for everyone

Bluedog164

Sylvermynx

No, pay it or leave it

Pay your way....

Snamyap

No, pay it or leave it

I would prefer if ZOS didn't go bankrupt, I'd like to play this game for a few more years.

Arthtur

I would say that it should be free for ppl who pay for ESO+ entire year. But for everyone? Nah.

drsalvation

I believe game mechanics should be free, but story and zone expansions shouldn't.
There are still no companions available for people with no DLC's, jewelry crafting certification is only available in summerset, excavations are only available in skyrim (I mean, the quests you need to do to get the skill tree), these are gameplay mechanics that shouldn't be bound to an expansion, if you want to get mythic items, you need to purchase the skyrim DLC otherwise you won't be able to excavate anything
You won't be able to get jewelry crafting writs unless you do the certification, and for that you need to buy the summerset DLC.
You won't be able to use any companions unless you do their quests, but you need blackwood (and/or high isles) to do their quests.

What's more intriguing is that your companion's quests are all in vanilla zones, only the starting quests are in DLC zones, so why are they locked behind a paywall?


From what I gather, the card game would be available for free for all users, right? Or do you need to do a quest in high isles just to be able to start challenging others across tamriel?

Anyway, long story short:
New gameplay mechanics should be free, new story and region expansions should not be free.

L_Nici

No, pay it or leave it

Let them have their money. They don't force you to buy a subscription like some other games of that genre, so it has to come from somewhere.

Kiralyn2000

No, pay it or leave it

The only games I know with "free" expansions are ones with required sub (like WoW. But even then, you have to pay for the current one, only the 'old' ones are free) or the completely-f2p games, whose 'expansions' are generally tiny and whose cash shops are more egregious.

And thinking about WoW's system (anything but the latest expansion is "free" with sub), that's basically the same as ESO+. If you sub, you get everything but the latest Chapter (since the old chapters become DLC, which are free with ESO+)

Sjestenka

No, pay it or leave it

Fallout 76 has free DLCs. And they do not come out very often. If i'm not mistaken this year's E3 will be the third E3 that advertises 76's 'Expeditions' update, which still isn't out -.- Pretty sure studio would be more motivated to spam updates if it guaranteed income. So please ZOS, take all my money but give us new lands to explore and all that . (Well, i can't actually pay for anything, war be damned, but anyway)

Dagoth_Rac

No, pay it or leave it

I think ZOS should go back to the big zone of the year being included with ESO+ (like Wrothgar was). But I certainly don't think new game content should be free for everyone. Many people bought base game on sale for like $10 or $20 years ago. They should get unlimited new game content at no further charge forever? That seems pretty extreme.

spartaxoxo

No, pay it or leave it

No. I think that it's a bit ridiculous the chapters cost as much as they do to ESO+ subscribers, and people with year long subs should get a discount. But I don't think they should be free to everyone.

Karivaa

No, pay it or leave it

Many of us paid for them and still get the dlc’s due to eso plus.

Mythgard1967

No, pay it or leave it

Leave it as it is....unless you mean by free...should ESO go to a purely subscription model where everyone pays a monthly fee to play all content and pays for the expansion when it comes out like other games on this model? Wait, I would still say No. I actually like the crownstore and I don't think there should be a crownstore in a pure subscription model...or at least it should be fully scaled back.

Having a crownstore and pay as you play model is what allows many to "play for free".

Vevvev

They'll go super heavy aggressive on other forms of marketing to make up for the loss of revenue. Won't change much I don't feel.

Tandor

No, pay it or leave it

If you want to play the whole game then you have to pay for the whole game. What's the problem with that?

Iselin

All DLC should still be included with the sub

MagicalLija

No, pay it or leave it

No Chapter DLCs -> Massive Cut in profit -> ZoS becomes more predatory (Increase ESO+ Prices, higher crown prices, more cosmetics pushed through crown crates instead of direct purchase).

ixthUA

No, pay it or leave it

I play ESO because it's buy to play. If expansions were free, but subscription was required to play the game - i would quit.

xXSilverDragonXx

I'm happy to pay and even pre order when the content is worthy of it. After a little time on the PTS I decided I won't even get High Isle when it's dirt cheap. If it were relatively good I would get it on sale. If it were good in general, maybe sale, maybe some time after release. If I were so impressed with it that I could not stand to wait for it, I would probably preorder if they offered some nice goodies with it.

This one, even free wouldn't impress me.

Nomadic_Atmoran

No, pay it or leave it

The game is B2P. That means there will be content that needs to be purchased to participate. I don't agree with some of the pricing but that's a separate matter.

koopdaville68

No, pay it or leave it

I have been playing for a little over a year now and really enjoy it. I have been an ESO+ subscriber for about 5 months and love it! I pre-ordered High Isle. Looking forward to playing it when it comes out in June.

I honestly would feel bad if I played the free version every day and didn't pay for it. I think I look at it as the amount of hours I have play is worth the $14 per month and I am sure it equates to like .20 cents an hour if I am conservative but it is probably much less. I ask myself... where can you get this amount of entertainment for less? Go to the movies and you are dropping $25-30 after snacks if you are lucky and that is for maybe 2 hours of entertainment! And don't get me started if you take your whole family! LOL! Just saying, to me this is worth it.

Just my two-cents

Bluedog164

Yes they should be free

I meant the expansion packs

Bluedog164

Yes they should be free

Poll over results conclude that you want things to remain where they are

phantasmalD

Well, seeing how Morrowind just became free, I think it's likely that eventually all older expansions will become part of the base game.

EozZoe1989

Yes they should be free

if anything older than 5 years should be free.. and rest that's new payable content .. by one time only is only way should be..

renne

No, pay it or leave it

I guess my question is how is ZOS meant to fund this game if everything is free?

bmnoble

No, pay it or leave it

Bluedog164 wrote: »

Poll over results conclude that you want things to remain where they are

It's not a case of wanting to pay for things it's a case of reality, ZOS are running a business if you don't pay for content how are they suppose to fund making the next lot of content or paying for the games upkeep, I want this game to be available to play for years to come, that don't happen unless the game remains profitable.

Hapexamendios

No, pay it or leave it

It would be nice of they were, but I don't think that's a realistic possibility. The game needs to be profitable to be maintained. This is an unfortunate, for players, reality. Also I have the feeling that if they went to a forced subscription model for the game, many people would just leave so it'd probably be worse.

Sylvermynx

No, pay it or leave it

I would personally prefer that this was a sub to play game. However, I'm well aware that won't happen.

What I do is help out people who can't afford to buy to play. Because I CAN afford B2P, not only for myself but for others when needed.

merpins

No, pay it or leave it

If it was free, then the game would be a mandatory subscription. It's one or the other I'm afraid.

Kesstryl

No, pay it or leave it

I would rather pay for content than have predatory crown crates. They do need to make money to pay the developers, writers, artists, and voice actors, plus keeping the server lights on. I just wish crown crates were not a thing and more fluff was added to the crown shop instead. But expansions I'm ok with paying for.

kargen27

You don't have to leave. There is still plenty to do for most even without the latest expansion.