Interview with Paul Sage

dannymcgr81b14_ESO · June 2014

Just found this and thought I'd share: http://gamingbolt.com/the-elder-scrolls-online-interview-business-model-is-what-the-business-model-is

Ragnar_Lodbrok · June 2014

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Sakiri · June 2014

Wont load on my phone. I assume its a video.

aipex8_ESO · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

What? He was asked about changing the sub model and he said there were no plans to do so. The interviewer, not liking that answer, tries to talk him into it saying other games started out sub and went F2P and he repeats there are no plans to change the sub model. How is that avoiding the question?

aipex8_ESO · June 2014

Sakiri wrote: »

Wont load on my phone. I assume its a video.

No, just a crappy site that I had to refresh several times before the actual content showed up.

Aeradon · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

All I read is:
1. Region-free Craglorn
2. Justice system with PVP mode activated upon crime
3. City of Ash
4. More land
5. Player input affects development

Wonder what did he mean by Region-free. Does it mean all factions could finally quest together?

WebBull · June 2014

The fact that Sage specifically followed each "no" comment regard F2P with "that I'm aware of" makes it think that F2P could possibly be a reality in the future.

Lalai · June 2014

aipex8_ESO wrote: »

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

What? He was asked about changing the sub model and he said there were no plans to do so. The interviewer, not liking that answer, tries to talk him into it saying other games started out sub and went F2P and he repeats there are no plans to change the sub model. How is that avoiding the question?

When you go in with a certain mindset, you can use anything to back up your opinion. Sadly that's why no amount of communication is ever enough for MMO forums (you'll see complaints about communication on every forum in some form).

Personally, I thought he was pretty clear that the sub model isn't going away anytime soon. Talking a lot about console release, and how the game is going to perform on consoles, would also lead me to believe that the release has not at all been cancelled, and they're still working towards it. They just don't want to give a date because of what happened with the last one.

Polwight · June 2014

"No, we don’t have any plans that I am aware of to change it in the future. You know the business model is what the business model is and it allows us to deliver high level content on regular basis right now. So there are no plans that I am aware of."

This quote makes me just lol. Where is the high level content our premiums are paying for? If you mean breaking every damn thing every time you patch then your definition of high level and mine are seriously different. Fix your game before you roll out new things that break already broken things.

Spiritreaver_ESO · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

:'(

I mean seriously? I don't want TESO going to a free to play model and i personally do kinda wish they would never have even looked into developing the game on consoles, but how the hell did you get those two points out of that interview?

ZOS_JessicaFolsom · June 2014

Aeradon wrote: »

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

All I read is:
1. Region-free Craglorn
2. Justice system with PVP mode activated upon crime
3. City of Ash
4. More land
5. Player input affects development

Wonder what did he mean by Region-free. Does it mean all factions could finally quest together?

There were some odd typos/misquotes in that article. "Region-free Craglorn" is "Region Three Craglorn" which is the third area of Craglorn where The Serpent Trial will be.

Aeradon · June 2014

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom‌ I see, thanks for clarifying!

Man how I wish Imperial City is on the list.

Kulrig · June 2014

WebBull wrote: »

The fact that Sage specifically followed each "no" comment regard F2P with "to my knowledge" makes it think that F2P could possibly be a reality in the future.

Of course it's a possibility. One they are trying to avoid and will likely try many things to get more revenue without going F2P, like with WoW and their cash shop on top of charging for everything. Or they could go the way of WAR and just shut down. Or who knows, this could be the one that lasts til the end of time or even beyond once we're able to travel to alternate universes even if we forget our passports because the guards are cool like that.

aipex8_ESO wrote: »

Sakiri wrote: »

Wont load on my phone. I assume its a video.

No, just a crappy site that I had to refresh several times before the actual content showed up.

Only thing that loaded for me was the ads. Been to too many sites where I have to refresh too many times to get what I want, and those always lead to a virus.

Samadhi · June 2014

We’re looking at adding in the Justice system which is where players can steal from NPCs and the NPCs will react to that, I can kill NPCs and NPCs will react to that. The coolest thing I think about that system is because it’s online we can allow players to not just steal and kill, but they can also become guards and act in justice. So you’ll have a little bit of PvP in the real world in the Justice system.

PvP outside of Cyrodiil begins.

I'm interested to see how the Justice system works out now.

p_tsakirisb16_ESO · June 2014

What I read was a cool interview, but nothing new.

As for the subscription model, I do not see why all these fuss about.

There are 17 (UO), 13 (DAOC), 11 (EVE), 9 (WOW) year old games still with P2P model.

Only failures are going F2P like SWTOR which to be honest, was pants after you done the campaign once back in 2012 on the first month. Had no end game. And end game doesn't mean arena nor every day doing the same quest grind.

SWG was running for 8 years with P2P model, and it would still be there like that, if it wasn't shut down because of SWTOR.

Why not QQ to Blizzard forums about making WoW F2P? Didn't they gather up enough cash over the years, having to pay on top for each expansion?
(uh forgot, you are going to get banned there if you do so).

Maverick827 · June 2014

"We have no plans to go F2P at this time,"

Said every developer who went F2P.

I'm not doom-saying here, it's just a pretty meaningless sentiment regardless.

PBpsy · June 2014

Maverick827 wrote: »

"We have no plans to go F2P at this time,"

Said every developer who went F2P.

I'm not doom-saying here, it's just a pretty meaningless sentiment regardless.

Also said every developer that didn't go F2P.

Just saying. because you are you know just saying.

Mujuro · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Yup, I would agree, and we're going F2P sooner rather than later, particularly given the mongolian cluster that was patch 1.2.3 yesterday. 4 people in one of my guilds won't be renewing their subscriptions after the current cycle because of what happened yesterday and today (with the hotfix) and, since launch, only 10% of the guild roster has even been "online" since the 1st month ended. ESO is bleeding players every day it seems.

WebBull · June 2014

Mujuro wrote: »

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Yup, I would agree, and we're going F2P sooner rather than later, particularly given the mongolian cluster that was patch 1.2.3 yesterday. 4 people in one of my guilds won't be renewing their subscriptions after the current cycle because of what happened yesterday and today (with the hotfix) and, since launch, only 10% of the guild roster has even been "online" since the 1st month ended. ESO is bleeding players every day it seems.

Yesterdays patch broke more than it fixed and was definitely a further step in the wrong direction. Zeni's newbness to MMO's is showing. The undocumented changes (intentional and unintentional) are almost half the size of the official patch notes. Cyrodiil is almost unplayable with the lag.

Mortosk · June 2014

Aeradon wrote: »

5. Player input affects development.

Let's find out the player who suggested they add worthless armor and weapons to every container in the game and beat them up.

Probitas · June 2014

If this game goes free to play, the already low brow population in the game will explode, as will the population of gold spammers and gold sellers and farmers. I'd flee with my wallet if that happened.

Ragnar_Lodbrok · June 2014

Probitas wrote: »

If this game goes free to play, the already low brow population in the game will explode, as will the population of gold spammers and gold sellers and farmers. I'd flee with my wallet if that happened.

You didnt flee after the first two months of the game when it was nothing but gold farmers, spammers, bots, and low-brow comments

jonpaul · June 2014

Maybe it's just me, but that whole article was basically just "coach speak". Nothing was really said, answers to questions were pretty vague with open-ended answers. Anyone who has ever listened to an interview with a coach or watched a press-conference with a coach will hear the same thing. That was "coach speak" in my opinion.

Ragnar_Lodbrok · June 2014

jonpaul wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but that whole article was basically just "coach speak". Nothing was really said, answers to questions were pretty vague with open-ended answers. Anyone who has ever listened to an interview with a coach or watched a press-conference with a coach will hear the same thing. That was "coach speak" in my opinion.

You could switch coach with, PR or poltico speak.

jonpaul · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

jonpaul wrote: »

Maybe it's just me, but that whole article was basically just "coach speak". Nothing was really said, answers to questions were pretty vague with open-ended answers. Anyone who has ever listened to an interview with a coach or watched a press-conference with a coach will hear the same thing. That was "coach speak" in my opinion.

You could switch coach with, PR or poltico speak.

Well, from my signature... I'm a sports guy, I prefer coach speak

Maotti · June 2014

"Leonid Melikhov: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Paul D. Sage: Yeah, I think that if you haven’t tried it out you should come in and try it out. The game is only going to get better overtime. That’s one of the greatest things about a Massively Multiplayer game is just how much better these games get better overtime. Especially with player input and things of that nature, so yeah come in and give it a chance and play it."

Yes, we saw that today with overflow of 0g value stuff in trunks and such.

RazielSR · June 2014

I'm really sad, really. This game is going f2p and it is not going very well.

That's what I can read from that interview.

steveb16_ESO46 · June 2014

WebBull wrote: »

Yesterdays patch broke more than it fixed and was definitely a further step in the wrong direction. Zeni's newbness to MMO's is showing. The undocumented changes (intentional and unintentional) are almost half the size of the official patch notes. Cyrodiil is almost unplayable with the lag.

The trouble is - it's the same old story. Untested patches released with major problems that surface in minutes, for us to test for them.

Wifeaggro13 · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Ragnar we agree on alot of things but . i got none of that from that article. When we strt seeing them renig on content updates and focusing on asthetics then we will know its gonna go F2P

Ragnar_Lodbrok · June 2014

Wifeaggro13 wrote: »

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Ragnar we agree on alot of things but . i got none of that from that article. When we strt seeing them renig on content updates and focusing on asthetics then we will know its gonna go F2P

Looks at this content update full of just cosmetic fluff.....

Curragraigue · June 2014

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

Wifeaggro13 wrote: »

Ragnar_Lodbrok wrote: »

I like how he avoided all the serious questions. It just tells me two things:
1. It IS going f2p
2. They are going to cancel console ports.

Ragnar we agree on alot of things but . i got none of that from that article. When we strt seeing them renig on content updates and focusing on asthetics then we will know its gonna go F2P

Looks at this content update full of just cosmetic fluff.....

Including a new dungeon and Paul talking about adding a justice system with a PvP element. I'm still surprised no-one else seems to be interested in hearing more about that because that seems to me to potentially be a very big game change for PvE content depending on what they do.