woodsro wrote: »

This was my 1st MMO, and probably my last.

I think it's good you mention because it explains a lot about your reaction.

woodsro wrote: »

However, with the champion system coming and other changes, its time to sit back and see where the progression of this game goes.

I've only just started playing ESO myself and am on the fence about whether to stay subbed. Given how significant the upcoming changes are likely to be but not knowing the precise details, I'm leaning towards not and taking another look when we have those details.

woodsro wrote: »

Right now, TESO has lost focus and has turned its back on what has made TES series successful to begin with which is the focus is on the story and the character.

TESO is an MMO. That being the case I find it remarkable how much it has focused on these things - possibly too much.

An MMO is a shared environment. Not every player is the "champion of champions". It's not realistic for individual players to have lasting and significant effects on the gameworld.

I played through Bal Foyen recently and I'm slightly disturbed by the quest which sees a town slaughtered - the one you choose not to defend. Cos that means another player could be walking through the same town and seeing completely different things.

It's a bit weird.

woodsro wrote: »

The entire game should be solo able, the focus should always be on your character.

That's what single-player games are. TES has more than a few of those and there'll be more. They'll be that while TESO will be an MMO.

woodsro wrote: »

Todd Howard is like one of the only game developers to win 4 straight GOTY awards in a row, He has been named one of the greatest game creators of all time, He is a very smart guy, there is reason after Skyrim's release he wasn't too keen on an ES MMO....he wasn't against taking TES Online, it just seemed he didn't think MMO was the correct format to go about doing it from what i could read in between the lines, and I think he is 100% correct.

And you didn't think we'd want to see a picture of your shrine to him?

Seriously, I'd never heard of this fellow before this and don't care what he thinks.

Googling I see he was in charge of Morrowind, my favourite game of all time. So cool that. But he was also in charge of Oblivion, a massive disappointment in my books so he's clearly not infallible. And Skyrim was a lesser disappointment. Some good stuff and they did eventually fix a lot of the things I (and many others) didn't like in the later patches.

As someone who has been playing and following these games since Morrowind, I can tell you that fans have specifically been crying out for a TES MMO, not a TES multiplayer.

ESO is a simple case of demand driving supply.

woodsro wrote: »

2. The game employs way too much Skinner Cage and Danging Carrot

It's not just this game. That is and has been an integral aspect of nearly every MMO and to a lesser extent any RPG. MMOs tend to be psychologically diabolical and essentially use all of the same techniques as gambling. The only saving grace for a purely sub MMO like ESO is there is a hard cap on how much money you can pour into it each month. The only thing it sucks up is time.

I agree with you. Less of this would be better for lots of reasons.

Though it's interesting to consider Guild Wars 2. It doesn't have a subscription and pre-launch their developers spoke extensively about how that meant they didn't need to rely so much on these diabolical devices. To their credit it's not as bad in that game but definitely still a big part of it.