Why is the world becoming more and more empty?

Valinn

Hey, everybody. This is just a little reflection on something that is becoming harder and harder to ignore.
We just recently got this beautiful new location full of colorful trees, lovely countryside and wonderful buildings. It really is a treat for the eyes and I found myself roaming the wilderness just to admire it. But one thing can't be unseen - the world is beautiful, but soulless. It's empty, even though it's full of stuff.
The buildings are closed, you can't get into any of the beautiful buildings to observe basic NPC chores or do some solo/group roleplay in it. It's purely purposeful, complete a quest, get a reward and never come back. Even the buildings that are accessible while doing the quest are usually locked after completing it. The city itself offers only a few buildings that we can actually enter and maybe steal something inside (it's part of the overall impression), while a large number of doors remain locked. Even some of the merchants have relocated outside so that another interior doesn't have to be created.
I know that there probably aren't that many players who do this, who actually wander around the location and play around, but we're here and we miss that part of the freedom that ESO used to offer us.
So please, I know it's probably a lot of work to add to an already overloaded to-do list, but give us back at least some of that.

Pelanora

Limiting the burden on the engine.

Can't go on like this for much longer....

cyclonus11

That was the first thing I noticed about Skingrad - all of the inaccessible buildings and unusable doors.

ArchMikem

Each interior Is another instance that needs to take up space, be loaded, require decorating, navmeshing etc.

Mithanelan

Yah, it's not a happy feeling where i go around Skingrad, and can't really go anywhere there's a door or area. I feel a bit jilted tbh.

RexyCat

cyclonus11 wrote: »

That was the first thing I noticed about Skingrad - all of the inaccessible buildings and unusable doors.

Maybe add all those crates that have no interaction (no loot) or bookshelf without books? There aren't much to steal outside of some ingredients (low Gold value) in buildings.

FabresFour

ArchMikem wrote: »

Each interior Is another instance that needs to take up space, be loaded, require decorating, navmeshing etc.

And it was something that made the game more special

RomanRex

This is so true. The new zone is pretty, but when you dig a little deeper… it’s pretty disappointing.

Ravensilver

Agree. I was very, very disappointed when I saw that almost all the buildings were locked. I love going into all those buildings, not only (of course) to look into all the containers, but also to see the furnishings, the styling and the NPCs.

But Gold Road looks like one of those old Western movie sets: pretty fronts and nothing behind it.

I agree that it's pretty soulless. There are also large stretches of countryside with nothing in it. No deer, no wolves, no rats or anything else. Just... grass. That's not only disappointing, but it's really a scam. We're paying for a pretty front with nothing behind it.

If performance is an issue, then fix it! If the servers are an issue, then fix them! If computing power is an issue, then invest!

I absolutely agree with the person who posted about the expensive parties that ZOS has been throwing for a (very disappointing) anniversary and other occasions.

Take that money and actually *INVEST* in your game! Instead of in a fun time for a very small elite of people.

Ashryn

This chapter is a good one, but I am also disappointed with all the closed doors in Skingrad. When you do find a home that can be broken into, it hardly has anything to steal. These are supposed to be Imperials who value upper-class things, yet nothing of value to steal?! We thieves have been complaining with each chapter on the loss of opportunities to break into houses, yet it seems to be getting steadily worse!

Quethrosar

i agree with zone and the emptiness, that was my second thought after exploring for wayshrines and thinking it was pretty. there are so many lifeless areas. At least telvani had resource nodes for dead spaces.

zaria

cyclonus11 wrote: »

That was the first thing I noticed about Skingrad - all of the inaccessible buildings and unusable doors.

Its far from an new thing, in Elsweyr it was an human village quest locations with no buildings you could enter.
I would prefer copy pasted rooms over closed doors and rooms looking the same would make sense in an inn or an military camp or worker barracks, move some stuff around and realistic.

katanagirl1

Wrothgar is the only zone that doesn’t have a lot of facades. I don’t have Gold Road yet (console), but if you are noticing more of this then it must be getting much worse.

Pelanora

I wish they could get off the bethesda everything- is-a- room style of design.

Loading screens galore, nothing just flowing. Really annoying.

SilverBride

Every MMO I ever played had many buildings that were just the fronts to fill in the towns. I can't imagine the amount of time and resources it would take to make nothing but real buildings full of furnishings and NPCs that serve no purpose other than eye candy.

SkaraMinoc

Pelanora wrote: »

I wish they could get off the bethesda everything- is-a- room style of design.

Loading screens galore, nothing just flowing. Really annoying.

Hero Engine needs a way to stitch scenes so zone designers can build seamless worlds without loading screens. Tamriel should be one giant scene with multiple sub-scenes stitched together that load in and out seamlessly.

Pelanora

Ooooh imagine it. Almost takes one's breath away just thinking about it.

Elsonso

I have been complaining about locked/chained doors going back as far as Elsweyr.

Pelanora wrote: »

Limiting the burden on the engine.

I think it is development schedules that are too short and projects that are too large. Someone has to go in and make those places and that takes time, developers, QA, etc.

ArchMikem wrote: »

Each interior Is another instance that needs to take up space, be loaded, require decorating, navmeshing etc.

The interior spaces in places like cities (banks, etc) are often on the same map, but below the ground. Sometimes when the walls don't load we can see other players above us.

katanagirl1 wrote: »

Wrothgar is the only zone that doesn’t have a lot of facades.

One of the best places to loot stuff to fence.

whitecrow

I think the locked rooms are so that they can put stuff there in later stories.

Rkindaleft

whitecrow wrote: »

I think the locked rooms are so that they can put stuff there in later stories.

There are locked doors as far back as Vvardenfell and even in the base game that still don’t have a use for anything, I’m not sure people care about waiting for a chance that they may be used in a few years for something like a prologue quest when they could just access it now for looting or people that like or enjoy exploring every nook and cranny. They could just make new locations for them like they’ve done previously.

I agree that it makes the world feel hollow and kind of un-immersive at points.

spartaxoxo

Yeah. This is something I've noticed for years now, but it seems to get worse with each new update.

Anifaas

Less content and more grind. That seems to be the theme with this chapter.

ValueDrift

My theory is that after Elsweyr a considerable portion of the ESO developers were moved onto ZOS's unannounced project, and ESO is now developed with less work hours than before. It shows.

Pelanora

I don't think there's another zone where you can't actually get into the zone castle, is there?

mdjessup4906

I would love to go back to now-locked quest locations. That giant temple in necrom that takes up most of the city being quest locked is just sad. Isn't all that stuff stored locally anyway? Even just being able to go inside without loot respawning would be better than nothing.

Elsonso

Pelanora wrote: »

I don't think there's another zone where you can't actually get into the zone castle, is there?

I am sad that they decided to make the Skingrad castle off limits rather than an explorable area. I was hoping that it would unlock during the zone main quest, but ... nope.

It's like going to the Disney World Magic Kingdom and finding that Cinderella Castle is just a cardboard prop.

AvalonRanger

"Why is the world becoming more and more empty? "

But new skill line system makes my brain "full" and really confused recently....

Hmm..."empty". But I felt previous Apocrypha DLC was enough dense and huge.

BetweenMidgets

This has been a trend for a while now.

I remember when we first were able to glimpse Fargrave, this was my EXACT thought. Everything's locked up. Most containers aren't lootable. Just a disappointment.

Whenever I see a locked door I am disappointed.

JTorus

Valinn wrote: »

Hey, everybody. This is just a little reflection on something that is becoming harder and harder to ignore.
So please, I know it's probably a lot of work to add to an already overloaded to-do list, but give us back at least some of that.

It isn't work at all when you enjoy what you do. And when you enjoy what you do, and have passion for it, the end result is less like a product for mass consumption, and more like artwork for the masses to enjoy. Though I'm not sure that The Lourve boasts a billion in revenue over the past decade. So I suppose we all measure 'success' in varying ways.

I suspect your observations are correct, and all the things they might mean are true.

CrashTest

Anifaas wrote: »

Less content and more grind. That seems to be the theme with this chapter.

Not just this chapter. It seems to be the overall direction of the game.

Pelanora

Would we take a zone and chapter every two years, if it meant it was really big, populated, and very explorable?