Are ESO's new chapters worth its cost?

AzuraFan

Maybe If...

XSTRONG wrote: »

Still wondering where the content is, its just a new zone for eso+ members with the same stuff as always wb, delves And daily quest.

ESO+ members don't get Necrom for free. We have to buy each new chapter like everyone else. The current chapter only becomes part of ESO+ when the next chapter is released. That means ESO+ members will only get Necrom as part of the subscription next year.

As for my vote...

Back in February, I said I'd reserve judgment until Necrom was released. I voted "maybe if..." Now that it's out, I'd vote "No." I'm enjoying the new zones, but there just isn't enough to justify the AAA price tag. If I'm still playing ESO next year, I'll wait for a sale before buying the next chapter.

This isn't a comment about the quality of Necrom because I am enjoying what's there.

The new class and the two new companions: Because of AwA, unless the arcanist blows me away, like, really blows me away, I'll play one for an hour to see what it's all about and then ditch it. Given how much I enjoy playing my fun, non-meta main, I doubt that'll happen. And I didn't need two more companions. Other players might feel differently.

And a BIG minus for me is the stuff like the nymic, the tedious WBs, and the seekers being a nuisance. I'm sympathetic to those who want a harder (optional) overland. This feels like a non-optional harder overland is creeping in, and that makes the new chapter feel even more content-poor to me, since I'm not interested in a harder overland, or slogging through something like the nymic 30 times to get the overall chapter achievement.

Wolfshade

Maybe If...

...you would buy the Necron Collection where you pay 65usd for Basegame + last 6 Chapters + Necrom. Huge Deal!

...buy only the upgrade for 40USD, for me it felt about 5-10usd too much.

Mesite

Yes

I can tell that all the people playing Arcanist and colouring all the world in green are having a great time.

You just know they are smiling.

thedoodle_90

Yes

Yes 50 bucks for hours an hours of content...50 bucks is like one night eating out... Seems pretty worth it to me.

Narvuntien

Yes

I have never been disappointed by a chapter but I also wait until there is a sale. There will be one in a few months and then another in 6 months.

Elsonso

No

AzuraFan wrote: »

This isn't a comment about the quality of Necrom because I am enjoying what's there.

I won't be doing the zone stories for a while yet since I have other content I need to finish, but I am finding the zones to be well done by the zone team. I normally complain about the "locked doors" and they resolved that by cutting way back on the number of doors. I also tend to rate zones based on "invisible walls" that block areas that should be accessible but a mysterious force blocks us. While I have come across these, I don't feel it is as bad as other zones.

People have commented that the Telvanni Peninsula is just Vvardenfell, and I don't agree. Similar terrain features, but at no point do I think I am in Vvardenfell. Clearly ZOS reused assets, and I am not going to complain about that because this is a big game with a ton of existing art.

However, one thing about Apocrypha stands out. They reused concepts from Deadlands, like the two zone ecosystems and the book tornados, but it feels more dangerous than Deadlands. Clearly, Mehrunes Dagon could take a couple of lessons from Hermaeous Mora.

AzuraFan wrote: »

And a BIG minus for me is the stuff like the nymic, the tedious WBs, and the seekers being a nuisance. I'm sympathetic to those who want a harder (optional) overland. This feels like a non-optional harder overland is creeping in, and that makes the new chapter feel even more content-poor to me, since I'm not interested in a harder overland, or slogging through something like the nymic 30 times to get the overall chapter achievement.

For me, Bastion Nymic is the main reason that I feel no pressure to spend more money on this Chapter. There are so many things about it that are annoying that it is a hard miss for me. I don't consider it "overland content" as much as "overland annoyance". I am not opposed to harder content, and do harder content, but this just doesn't have the feel of something I want to do. Too much work. Unrewarding.

To put it into a real world analogy, it is like getting a bunch of friends together for dinner, but having to rent a car so everyone will fit. After driving around and getting everyone in the car... we go to McDonald's so we can get Happy Meal prizes.

Admittedly, I have not even done it once, and given that parts of it I would like to do, and probably would have done if it weren't so [snip] annoying, I feel that pretty much sums up my situation. As a complete package, it doesn't sound like fun. It sounds like drudgery. I will eventually consider farming it for rewards that can't be obtained anywhere else, but if I never get to it, I won't be crying.

It will be on sale in the fall and the zones will be open for ESO Plus when the next Chapter releases. That will get everything except Arcanist.

PrimeSeptim

No

Not if you, like me, have other games to play. I always wait until the event they have where it's half price and you get a bunch of free stuff. It's not like you're missing out on anything. Plus, the chapters are all very samey to me. Same old, boring, world ending threat, probably a cult and some Daedra, the usual dailies and uninspired quests. Just a different skin.

sunsrest

No

Not at full price for me, but probably at half price at the end of the year. I still have a few chapters to play through so I'm in no rush to access the new story content. For the new class.. maybe if I wanted to make an 'evil alt' to do the dark bortherhood story line which I skipped on my main, and also try some PvP, but not planning to do that anytime soon. The only near term thing I wanted to do is level up one or both of the new companions, but apparently their dialogue spoils the Necrom storyline so I'm hesitant, maybe that will get fixed somehow in the future.

BlueRaven

Yes

AzuraFan wrote: »

XSTRONG wrote: »

Still wondering where the content is, its just a new zone for eso+ members with the same stuff as always wb, delves And daily quest.

ESO+ members don't get Necrom for free. We have to buy each new chapter like everyone else. The current chapter only becomes part of ESO+ when the next chapter is released. That means ESO+ members will only get Necrom as part of the subscription next year.

As for my vote...

Back in February, I said I'd reserve judgment until Necrom was released. I voted "maybe if..." Now that it's out, I'd vote "No." I'm enjoying the new zones, but there just isn't enough to justify the AAA price tag. If I'm still playing ESO next year, I'll wait for a sale before buying the next chapter.

This isn't a comment about the quality of Necrom because I am enjoying what's there.

I feel much the same. There is quality in the story, music, and art. But this chapter has soured me on eso. In fact I have canceled my eso+ for the first time (I still have a ton of time on my yearly though).

AzuraFan wrote: »

And a BIG minus for me is the stuff like the nymic, the tedious WBs, and the seekers being a nuisance. I'm sympathetic to those who want a harder (optional) overland. This feels like a non-optional harder overland is creeping in, and that makes the new chapter feel even more content-poor to me, since I'm not interested in a harder overland, or slogging through something like the nymic 30 times to get the overall chapter achievement.

💯%!

Just the presence of that Nymic daily has turned me off of even returning to necrom. That blue arrow marker just makes me so annoyed with eso.

Basically, habit alone is making me log in, do some crafting writs and endeavors, then I wonder why I bothered logging on in the first place.

I went from excited for a new chapter, to being really down on zos and eso (and on mmos in general). I started playing single player open world games again.

jad11mumbler

Yes

For how many hours I put into the game, It's worth it for me in terms of Money / hours entertained by ESO in general.
( Throw in the cost of wage, at min wage here it's 6 hours of work vs however many hours of entertainment, imo worth it )
A new class and 2 character slots is an added bonus to it being worth it for me.


At the same time, the cost of a single chapter zone can buy a brand new, AAA game with much more content, or many other items at $60.

In terms of straight, new content from a chapter, I'd have to say it's not worth it.

Especially when we account how much is locked behind further transactions, such as cosmetics, houses, and even the subscription.
For all the money many of us throw at them, I'd expect a lot more content throughout the year, be it with better events, updates to older content, and new content releases. Anything PvP?
More so when other devs produce more for less.

AzuraFan

Maybe If...

BlueRaven wrote: »

Basically, habit alone is making me log in, do some crafting writs and endeavors, then I wonder why I bothered logging on in the first place.

@BlueRaven I was doing that for a while earlier this year and was asking myself the same thing, but then I decided to go after some leads and chase down lore books.

I went from excited for a new chapter, to being really down on zos and eso (and on mmos in general). I started playing single player open world games again.

I've been splitting my time between ESO and single-player games for a while, partly to try to stretch out what I'm doing in ESO. If, when I've finished the Necrom content I want to do, I find myself falling back to the "just logging in to do the daily writs and endeavors" mode, I'll likely take a break (which would include taking a break from my subscription). I suspect this might happen when some titles I'm anticipating are released in the fall.

But right now, I'm still working my way through Necrom and doing other stuff (lore books, inventory cleaning) on the side.

(as for MMOs, this will be my last one. I don't want to have to deal with nerfs, grinding, content I can't do, and other MMO stuff anymore. I've rediscovered how much fun it is to start up a fresh game and experience new worlds and stories all the time, without having to deal with any of the above.)

HidesInPlainSight

No

I bought the collector edition of Necrom, and I would not recommend even returning to this game in its current state.

The clear bait and switch on the Arcanist and the servers inability to register commands, the game is a microtransaction simulator at this point.

HappyTheCamper

Yes

I will not spoil anything, but regarding the story this new chapter’s main quest ended with the largest lore bomb the Elder Scrolls has seen since maybe Skyrim.

Use that information as you will!

Edit: Does that make it worth it? No probably not, but I just wanted to share. This year was great!

VDoom1

No

Right now I will say nope.
I never got Necrom, I might if it's on sale but otherwise...meh.

I have had ESO almost since day one, I almost feel a bit bad about not getting Necrom since I got every other expansion.
Lately I feel like the expansions just deteriated.

Morrowind was good, Summerset was great, Elsweyr was great! Greymoor was alright. Here is where things kinda go bad, Blackwood meh, High Isle meh. I feel like the last expansions have had a ton of potential, but just failed to hit the mark.

I just didn't enjoy High Isle much. So this time I figured I'd wait and see what players say about Necrom, and it also seems like a bit of a meh expansion.

The past few years the devs have tried these one year stories. It worked for a while, but I think they should stop doing expansions like that. Doesn't seem to work well anymore. Go back to a more traditional method with 2-3 years between expansions.

Each year more dungeons get added. I love new content, it's great! But do we need a gazillion number of dungeons? Ohh another dungeon...weee. The dungeon finder is also a bit koko, often sends me to the same four dungeons. I don't know how many times I've done darkshade caverns. x.x

ESO needs new content that isn't some dungeon. Maybe flesh out something else, like housing. Still waiting for the limit to be increased.

BlueRaven

Yes

VDoom1 wrote: »

Right now I will say nope.
I never got Necrom, I might if it's on sale but otherwise...meh.

I have had ESO almost since day one, I almost feel a bit bad about not getting Necrom since I got every other expansion.
Lately I feel like the expansions just deteriated.

Morrowind was good, Summerset was great, Elsweyr was great! Greymoor was alright. Here is where things kinda go bad, Blackwood meh, High Isle meh. I feel like the last expansions have had a ton of potential, but just failed to hit the mark.

I just didn't enjoy High Isle much. So this time I figured I'd wait and see what players say about Necrom, and it also seems like a bit of a meh expansion.

The past few years the devs have tried these one year stories. It worked for a while, but I think they should stop doing expansions like that. Doesn't seem to work well anymore. Go back to a more traditional method with 2-3 years between expansions.

Each year more dungeons get added. I love new content, it's great! But do we need a gazillion number of dungeons? Ohh another dungeon...weee. The dungeon finder is also a bit koko, often sends me to the same four dungeons. I don't know how many times I've done darkshade caverns. x.x

ESO needs new content that isn't some dungeon. Maybe flesh out something else, like housing. Still waiting for the limit to be increased.

The story for Necrom is quite good, I have to say that. And the new class has its charms.
But the chapter falls really flat with its “repeatable” content.
(In my opinion) Necrom is a nice place to visit, but I really don’t want to “live my gaming life” there.
And really for normal pve, that’s it. That is all of it. Nothing else for a year. The new zone(s) is not a month old, and it’s gameplay is already tiresome.

FeedbackOnly

Maybe If...

It needs a new dolmen type or at least new rewards for doing look a like dolmens

Edit:

Not just gear but things like new food or alchemy, so I want to come back

Kiyonami

No

Best chapter - Summerset, best DLC Orsinium. The last chapters offer a different visual, but at the same time all the activities are in the style of copy-paste. The main story is weak, side quests are banal... Full price for a class I don't even need?... I love ESO but the last chapters are not what I expect.

shadyjane62

No

No.

lemonizzle

No

Might be just my lost interest in the game, but it wasn't worth it since Greymoor. Elsweyr was the last chapter that I bought (for 20-25 euros, not 40) and felt like I got my enjoyment out of it. I've done the main quest, dailies, made money on new items etc. while not feeling like it was a chore. It was not perfect, neither were the chapters before but there is a clear drop in quality since then. Blackwood is empty like Cyrodiil, High Isle looks like Summerset rebooted, the main quest dialog with "the braindead vestige" is really putting me off from finishing them.
In short, 2018 with Elsweyr was worth it on discount, and no chapter (or many other crown items) lived up to it's base price since then, in my opinion.

Kappachi

Yes

After coming back due to taking a break for Diablo IV and Baldur's Gate 3 briefly, I regret not coming back sooner. Necrom is just as equal to High Isle, as I loved Tales of Tribute, but Necrom has the Arcanist class and a Druid companion which I absolutely love both of, plus, it's more gameplay and two huge new maps, what's not to love? As long as they keep the quality high I still feel new expansions are definitely worth the costs.

kenneth.friisb16_ESO

Maybe If...

I answered "Maybe If", because it might wary from person to person.

I actually enjoyed the High Isle zone and story, but a card game didn't add anything for me. So as a big feature that wasn't worth for me. But a lot of people might find that feature to add value for them.

My big gripe has been the lack of new active skills for existing characters. A new class is neat and the arcanist seems fun, but i would like something that could spruce up my old main, that has played nearly the same in a decade.

M0ntie

Maybe If...

Necrom yes. There is a whole new Zone with different content, a trial and a new class. For the price, it needs to be basically like a whole new game.
The update that Galen came out in, if that cost anything then no.

Al_Ex_Andre

Maybe If...

I am not sure it's a yes or no for me. So I voted Yellow button.

I think new original content by chapter is not real big.

But ESO is a free to play with an optional sub, someone should look at the urge from people when it was recently free on Epic, most are not gonna take a sub, and these are lots of mouths to feed.

ZOS gotta get money where they can. Not meant to be ironic and all.

Maybie change the free to play status and we get World of Warcraft xpacs, but it's not going to happen, too much of a niche game even with their good ideas.

Bucky_13

No

Greymoor was barely worth the price (the antiques system and the fact that I'm a sucker for Skyrim zones was the main reasons), after that it stopped feeling like it was worth the price. The expansions feel more and more like reskins, the same x amount of things in a new coating, one new feature that might be interesting. I do wish they'd go out of their comfort zone A LOT more to make new expansions feel fresh and not just do the same things over and over while dressing it up in new textures.

Elsonso

No

lemonizzle wrote: »

Might be just my lost interest in the game, but it wasn't worth it since Greymoor. Elsweyr was the last chapter that I bought (for 20-25 euros, not 40) and felt like I got my enjoyment out of it. I've done the main quest, dailies, made money on new items etc. while not feeling like it was a chore. It was not perfect, neither were the chapters before but there is a clear drop in quality since then. Blackwood is empty like Cyrodiil, High Isle looks like Summerset rebooted, the main quest dialog with "the braindead vestige" is really putting me off from finishing them.
In short, 2018 with Elsweyr was worth it on discount, and no chapter (or many other crown items) lived up to it's base price since then, in my opinion.

Elsweyr was the last chapter where it felt like the team made an effort to do something special. The dragons and the whole feel of the zone were better than Greymoor, Blackwood, and High Isle. As I have not fully completed Necrom, I can't speak finally for the latest Chapter. Yet.

I am also hoping our characters can find a cure for the dementia that they picked up somewhere along the way. Maybe ZOS will implement tech that will allow them to hide dialog that is not appropriate for the experiences of the player. Even though most of these can be ignored, hopefully ALL of them, it does impart that feeling that we are the idiot hireling who wears their armor backwards and drools excessively.

My current thinking on Necrom is that the zones looks great. Telvanni Peninsula is smaller but still better than Western Skyrim and Blackwood, and is probably on par with High Isle. Apocrypha is on par with Blackreach in terms of design, but obviously different. However, the experiment with Bastion Nymic still needs some work and Arcanist feels awkward to play (to me), like Necromancers. I think they have started a trend where they overthink new classes, and that is not healthy. New classes should be designed such that they would have fit into the base game back in 2014. They need to feel like something that could have always been there from day one. They should not feel like something special or "modern" unless they also bring the old classes along and update them to make them something special, too.

No... The current discounts on Necrom are not deep enough. I think they will get more desperate to sell later in the year, when it should be more than 50% off. That seems like a proper price for Necrom. If it never gets that low, well, I don't think anyone will miss much by not buying it. Arcanist will be available for Crowns at considerably less than the price of the Chapter next year.

Wolf_Eye

I know a lot of people didn't like Greymoor, but for me I think the Dark Heart of Skyrim was very much worth the price.

I am hopelessly in love with House Ravenwatch, and will forever be grateful they got an entire storyline.

Arizona_Steve

Yes

Voted yes.

I am and always will be a mostly solo player. The chapters are a good distraction from the fact that Bethesda has dragged their heels on creating Elder Scrolls VI (and I have no interest in Fallout, or Fallout in Space aka Starfield). Getting a new chapter allows me to put aside modding Skyrim for a while and play something a little different.

XSTRONG

No

Kappachi wrote: »

After coming back due to taking a break for Diablo IV and Baldur's Gate 3 briefly, I regret not coming back sooner. Necrom is just as equal to High Isle, as I loved Tales of Tribute, but Necrom has the Arcanist class and a Druid companion which I absolutely love both of, plus, it's more gameplay and two huge new maps, what's not to love? As long as they keep the quality high I still feel new expansions are definitely worth the costs.

I still play Diablo 4 but logs into ESO once in awhile to do some eso stuff to farm mats, gear, dungeons etc and my guild. but as much as i like to log in and do that I dont think their chapters are worth it.

In my opinion there is no new content, its a zone with wb, delves, dailys all over again.

Tra_Lalan

Maybe If...

They should give plus members a discount on the chapter, based on how many months they were subbed during last year before release.

Or the chapter should have some "free" crowns in it, like the monthly sub.

When you look at the chapter price, and compare that to other games that can be purchased for that money, its more like "no". But then I still buy it because I kinda have to, to play the game.

martinhpb16_ESO

No

Nope.

Price for a chapter is the same as a whole game elsewhere!

Chapter content is to easy so not worth it imho, not interested in new class or companion.

No pvp updates etc. apart from p2w sets that subsequently get nerfed.

II don't buy the chapters anymore