Feels like we're still beta testing

Byshop

I've been at the opening day for many MMOs. I've seen great launches and I've seen horrible launches (Anarchy Online anyone?). So I full expected problems with release.

My issue centers around the fact that MANY of the problems and design flaws that exist were reported during public beta (and apparently on the PTS) months before release.
- A LOT of quests failing to complete or move to the next step
- Horses dismounting you randomly
- Cyrodiil, lagging so badly you can't respond
- Cyrodiil, when someone joins the group half of the group gets disconnected
- Cyrodiil, random roll backs (especially the scrolls returning to home keeps)
- Chat lag of 5-7 minutes

And now we have new ones:
- Bank, item, and gold loss
- Even more quests not working properly

This doesn't even take into account some of the design flaws perceived by the community:
- Dungeon boss camping
- Werewolf/Vampire camping
- Lack of guild control (ranks, medals, etc)
- Rather constrained guild shops
- MASSIVE quantities of bots who are invisible, teleport, and camp resource nodes.
- GOLD selling spam that is filling up mail boxes and ignore lists

Zeno, I fully realize you can't fix every problem. But some of these were known about so far in advance, they should have been corrected before going live. If nothing else, please, give us some feedback, keep us informed, and let us know what is going on.

Perhaps a state of development?
Perhaps an "in next patch"?
Perhaps a letter to the community letting us know you are listening, you do agree there are issues, but you're working diligently on them?

I love this game. Or I should say, I love what this game is trying to be. But I'm filling out just as many bug tickets now as I was during beta.

What are YOUR priorities Zeno? Because lately, with the lack of information, instability, and unplayability of certain aspects of the game, I feel like we as customers are not near the top.

~Byshop

Ventroff

I agree almost completely.

I also love what this game is trying to be, but this is a really bad launch for stability.

I never played WoW so I don't know, but I have been around for a couple other MMO's at launch and this one is easily the worst. I don't get how people can say that this is going well. So many of the problems here have existed since last September at least. If they haven't fixed them by now then damn, just damn sorry.

I really, really want this game to succeed. With a fully functioning game I can see myself playing this game for the next couple of years. As it stands right now I am giving until May 3rd for fixes. If we are not to a stable environment by then, I am cancelling my sub until they finish beta.

KerinKor

Actually no, this is alpha testing, bugs like the bank bug should never have survived alpha, nor should some of the grotesquely broken core story quests.

Goibot

We are not in beta. Beta was not this bad.

FezzikVizzini

Goibot wrote: »

We are not in beta. Beta was not this bad.

You are quite right. Beta was not this bad. That is because there were far fewer people and and the majority of broken quests are caused by the stupid phasing technology that ESO insists on having.

As for all the other things such as logging into other peoples account, bank slots/items/gold/skill points going missing, abysmal CS - well they are just inexcusable. They are not complicated quest chains with spawning NPC's etc. They are basic game functionality and as such should be bug free or corrected very quickly.

cymatt

Goibot wrote: »

We are not in beta. Beta was not this bad.

/sign

Maxium

They have 19 days to impress me. If ALL of that isn't fixed (among other things), I'll move on. I don't mind eating the cost to buy the game, or even 1 sub fee. Money comes and goes. What they will miss out on, is another $1800 from the next decade of me not playing.

It's ridiculious that this game was pushed back a full year, yet things like a search engine isn't in place on the Guild Stores. Imagine trying to use ebay, but having not way to type what you're looking for.

And you're right, we reported NUMEROUS bugs in beta. To be honest, beta was a lot smoother than release. People logging into other players accounts? I don't think that's ever happened in the history of mmos.

And free game time isn't going to entice me to stay either. People don't realize 1 free day of game time equals what.... 25 cents?

19 days to impress me... that is if I can actually log in and play for the majority of that time.

And if they don't, Wildstar will be the next mmo I check out.

Bansheedragon

I have only played for about 2 weeks, including headstart, and I am already starting to lose interest with the game due to many of these issues.
I have yet to complete a single zone without encountering at least one quest that blocked all progress for the rest of the zone.

Sure I can run around and find the occasional quest here and there, but the majority of the quests in the zone are not accessible because they are dependent of me finishing the quest that is currently bugged.

And I cant help but get the feeling that it also blocks progress in the zones the comes after as I suspect many of these quests are somehow following an underlying story arc that are dependent on you finishing other quests, even in other zones, before you can get access to them.

Powske

Money talks, whoever reads this forum at Zenimax im positive shares ur views, thats not the one with the money tho. Same with most companies in this buissness

Tenret

You are forgetting another point that still is flying low under the radar
and that I never had experience in any other MMO

Out of the blue suspensions of accounts
unjustifiable and unexplained suspensions

Nox_Aeterna

There are features the game is missing, ok that they can add with time , but right now im stuck in 3 QUESTS because all the NPCs i need DO NOT APPEAR to me.

So right now im just farming dungeon bosses to no end , until i can actually progress my game.

Byshop

There are a lot of games that DO fail shortly after release. Anarchy Online never recovered, Final Fantasy XIV had to completely re-release after an almost ground up rewrite, SimCity never met it's full potential.

The current MMO player is a fickle consumer. If ZOS doesn't respond, and quickly, the social mind will take over and something new will be the flavor of the month.

Vyndeleron

Byshop wrote: »

There are a lot of games that DO fail shortly after release. Anarchy Online never recovered, Final Fantasy XIV had to completely re-release after an almost ground up rewrite, SimCity never met it's full potential.

The current MMO player is a fickle consumer. If ZOS doesn't respond, and quickly, the social mind will take over and something new will be the flavor of the month.

A "My Little Pony" MMO!?

Byshop

Or Hello Kitty Online is always waiting in the wings.

Rastaban

If you look at their patch notes you'll see they've been working hard. This is a huge, complex game with a lot to manage. ZOS has their nose to the grindstone and they are doing an excellent job. You just have to be patient with some fixes. I know based on their track record, these things WILL be fixed.

WhiteScythe

Aldmeri Dominion = stuck at 45 main quest line BUGGED

I have completed all the quests in every zone up to Reaper's March where we are stuck at Motes in the Moonlight and NO ONE can progress any further.

Why has this not been fixed yet? Things like this in the game will cause so many to leave at the end of the "free 30 days" which really isn't free.

I agree with everything the OP @byshop has said. Please at least TRY and communicate with us so we aren't waiting.. hoping.. that something might actually change.

Byshop

Rastaban,

I work on huge, complex software projects for a living. Hell, my side job is teaching people how to manage huge, complex software projects.

The one point of contention and failure is communication or lack there of. In any well written SDLC, you keep your product stakeholders informed. We use daily stand-ups, weekly PM status reports, and bi-weekly sprint demos and retros.

While I don't suggest they give us THAT much information, they DO need to keep us better informed. Honestly, I'd be happy with a weekly "State of Tamriel" address.

As I stated, the MMO consumer is a fickle beast, and every day that ZOS goes without communicating makes it easier for attentions to be drawn to something new and shiny.

Ventroff

What track record is that? These bugs have been around for months.

During the last beta weekend when everyone was complaining that nothing had gotten fixed all everyone said was, "Oh don't worry we are not playing the latest build", but guess what they just released it anyway without fixing this stuff.

CTraveler

I've got to disagree, having played in Beta, the game feels very refined and polished if you take it slow and not rush through it all, as I did in beta.

Many quests that were bugged in Beta have been working just fine so far. Sure, there are problems that should be addressed, and they are. ZOS is working to get things fixed as quickly as possible, and customer service is being swamped, but are still trying to help as best as they can.

Maxium

I understand they are working to the bone to fix this. What people are upset about, is this should have already been fixed. A year ago. This game was originially scheduled for 2013 Spring. It was pushed back an entire year.

If the game isn't ready, don't release it. I would have happily played Diablo 3 for another month while they fix these bugs. A 4 day open beta weekend would have been awesome as well. Let the servers be flooded by players prior to launch to get these things fixed.

Though... that pretty much sums up the original posters title. Feels like we're still in beta. With all due respect to Zeno, he's right.

Nox_Aeterna

CTraveler wrote: »

I've got to disagree, having played in Beta, the game feels very refined and polished if you take it slow and not rush through it all, as I did in beta.

Many quests that were bugged in Beta have been working just fine so far. Sure, there are problems that should be addressed, and they are. ZOS is working to get things fixed as quickly as possible, and customer service is being swamped, but are still trying to help as best as they can.

Yeap , dont worry , you will find more than enough new bugged quests now heh.

LunaRae

Unfortunately customers are getting used to games being released with massive bugs. Corporations are not being punished hard enough for releasing half-finished content or bug-ridden games. So many articles over the past several years about failed launches, and yet here we are today with another bug-ridden launch. I definitely experienced many of these bugs and sent in bug reports on all of the above items that were present in beta. Disappointed they were, and some still are, present after launch.

Some quest bugs were fixed early on for me (stonefalls) but there is still more work to be done. Also not on your list is the completely broken abilities. I can only speak for night blade but I can think of a dozen abilities that don't do what they say they do, making them useless or very poor choices.

I really feel like the ball is in Zeni's corner and they need to respond soon! ALL we want is some acknowledgement as customers, speak to us! Let us grovel at your feet, just do something so we know you're alive and listening.

LazerusKI

as long as they are fixing them...
i dont think that ALL of the content was tested in the beta with the full amount of players etc.
its nothing unusual that players will find more bugs after release.

the sad part are jsut the bugs that were reported in beta who are still not fixed.
and the unfinished vampire/werewolf stuff...vamp is bugged as hell while ww is useless as hell...

lets jsut hope for more patches

Inco

I'm not sure if it's server load or phase issues, but a lot of these quests can be "fixed" by a quick logoff/login. Which is very annoying if the LOG Time is like 2 minutes for doing that.

Gold Spammers and Node Farmers are a bigger concern to me. That instant travel / node harvest / travel again is very annoying.

Two suggestions:
1) GM's online 24x7 that can RESET Quest NPC's that are not showing working.
2) GM's online monitoring Zone Chat - Instant BANNING gold sellers.

7788b14_ESO

My biggest concern is that in the evenings I get regularly dropped from game. Like every half hour to hour. Mornings and late at night when not many people are on everything is stable and no drops.

Tweek

Maxium wrote: »

They have 19 days to impress me. If ALL of that isn't fixed (among other things), I'll move on. I don't mind eating the cost to buy the game, or even 1 sub fee. Money comes and goes. What they will miss out on, is another $1800 from the next decade of me not playing.

It's ridiculious that this game was pushed back a full year, yet things like a search engine isn't in place on the Guild Stores. Imagine trying to use ebay, but having not way to type what you're looking for.

And you're right, we reported NUMEROUS bugs in beta. To be honest, beta was a lot smoother than release. People logging into other players accounts? I don't think that's ever happened in the history of mmos.

And free game time isn't going to entice me to stay either. People don't realize 1 free day of game time equals what.... 25 cents?

19 days to impress me... that is if I can actually log in and play for the majority of that time.

And if they don't, Wildstar will be the next mmo I check out.

This....but add WoW warlords or dranor into this as well.....

This game is a bad example so far.....customer support doesn't care if the users are banned....and accounts are wiped.....and neither does the community apparently everyone here is a ***.

Byshop

THANK YOU!

Upcoming Fixes!

TheUnNamedHero

Agreed. This game feels more unfinished than SWTOR did at its launch. It's like ZOS took 2 Illums and spread them over the entire game. The only thing I can think of for launching in this sad state is that ZOS knew that they couldn't compete with Wildstar and EQN so they decided to rush it and get out first to try and grab up players before those games launched.