How would you have made ESO if you were the lead in charge of it's creation?

MercyKilling · February 2016

I'd have made it more Elder Scrolls in the sense that the more you did something, the better you got at it. IE: Run around in light armor, your light armor skill goes up.
Fight with a sword? Apropos Sword skill goes up.
Sling spells? Yup. That spell skill goes up.
I'd have done away with gear grinding from the start by making it so everyone can craft everything. If you don't craft, your skill doesn't go up and you're stuck with only the basic level of armor/weapon/etc. crafting skill. See above.

I'd have gone with different features from MMO's as well.
A more robust chat system. Allow the creation of private/public chat channels.
Emotes.
Costume options. Allow PLAYERS to choose what styles to wear, insofar as total body coverage or fantasy elf armor. Oh, yeah...and make it available for MALE AND FEMALE character models. Right from the start.
Housing right from the start.
Better grouping and encounter scaling systems.
Instanced missions AS WELL AS open world events/areas.
There would NEVER be a forced solo mission in the game, even in the main storyline. The only time anyone would have to run solo (or team, for that matter) would be when/if they WANTED to. See the above about better encounter scaling mechanisms.

craybest · February 2016

I would have made the male "posterior" slider in the character creation be able to give guys bigger booties ;D

Mojmir · February 2016

We'd have more communication,i promise

CamBam370 · February 2016

# Nerf diçḱ sucking sorcs

Merkabeh · February 2016

Fantasy based EvE Online set in Tamriels lore.

Obviously there would be changes to the system to support a fantasy setting, more traditional leveling (ES style leveling)...etc, but that is the concept I would have went with.

1. Full sandbox. Only side quests.
2. Full pvp. No prevention, only consequences in certain areas.
3. Full economy. Most items crafted. You die, you lose your items you are carrying. Limited resource nodes to breed scarcity into the economy.
4. No fast travel, or expensive fast travel. To force logistics to be a concern.
5. Player owned sections of the world; with asymetrical resource distribution to encourage changes of ownership.

That is the path I would have started on, if I had the resources to design the game. Huge fan of EvE Online, and if any fantasy setting screams "I would fit in EvE's style!", it is ES in my opinion.

Sausage · February 2016

I'd have taken Planetside 2 kind of engine, and put that size of 19 zones seamlessly together, then go from there. Basically go for the open world design from the get-go. Also I'd have kept Skyrim's fog in this game.

TX12001rwb17_ESO · February 2016

Merkabeh wrote: »

Fantasy based EvE Online set in Tamriels lore.

Obviously there would be changes to the system to support a fantasy setting, more traditional leveling (ES style leveling)...etc, but that is the concept I would have went with.

1. Full sandbox. Only side quests.
2. Full pvp. No prevention, only consequences in certain areas.
3. Full economy. Most items crafted. You die, you lose your items you are carrying. Limited resource nodes to breed scarcity into the economy.
4. No fast travel, or expensive fast travel. To force logistics to be a concern.
5. Player owned sections of the world; with asymetrical resource distribution to encourage changes of ownership.

That is the path I would have started on, if I had the resources to design the game. Huge fan of EvE Online, and if any fantasy setting screams "I would fit in EvE's style!", it is ES in my opinion.

Number 4 is one thing I would of added as well, no fast travel would of made the game seem much larger, if I added fast travel in any way it wouldn't of been by wayshrine it would of been by carriage or silt strider and they would only take u so far.

corrosivechains · February 2016

Merkabeh wrote: »

Fantasy based EvE Online set in Tamriels lore.

Obviously there would be changes to the system to support a fantasy setting, more traditional leveling (ES style leveling)...etc, but that is the concept I would have went with.

1. Full sandbox. Only side quests.
2. Full pvp. No prevention, only consequences in certain areas.
3. Full economy. Most items crafted. You die, you lose your items you are carrying. Limited resource nodes to breed scarcity into the economy.
4. No fast travel, or expensive fast travel. To force logistics to be a concern.
5. Player owned sections of the world; with asymetrical resource distribution to encourage changes of ownership.

That is the path I would have started on, if I had the resources to design the game. Huge fan of EvE Online, and if any fantasy setting screams "I would fit in EvE's style!", it is ES in my opinion.

I remember in closed beta these were a lot of the suggestions people were making, instead of trying to force the game into DAOC 3. Guessing like me you have your eye on Albion Online then

Sausage · February 2016

Merkabeh wrote: »

Fantasy based EvE Online set in Tamriels lore.

Obviously there would be changes to the system to support a fantasy setting, more traditional leveling (ES style leveling)...etc, but that is the concept I would have went with.

1. Full sandbox. Only side quests.
2. Full pvp. No prevention, only consequences in certain areas.
3. Full economy. Most items crafted. You die, you lose your items you are carrying. Limited resource nodes to breed scarcity into the economy.
4. No fast travel, or expensive fast travel. To force logistics to be a concern.
5. Player owned sections of the world; with asymetrical resource distribution to encourage changes of ownership.

That is the path I would have started on, if I had the resources to design the game. Huge fan of EvE Online, and if any fantasy setting screams "I would fit in EvE's style!", it is ES in my opinion.

Closest game what I can say to your saying is Darkfall, tons of us have followed it years now, also as far I know theres re-lauching happening soon for it. I'd love to play Darkfall on PS4. Tasos, please, make it work. Yeah, Darkfall Early Access to PS4 is good start!

theher0not · February 2016

I would remake the racial system so the racials only help with non combat things and make it so you can get the current ones from a new skill tree similar to vamp/ww. (Only 1 race's skills at a time but you can get new ones for gold) ofc you would still be able to become WW/vamp even with these skills.

Add a beastmaster and necromancy skill lines for all classes

Make it so most spells can be made to scale with both magica and stamina (not weapon spells/spells that would be too OP if they worked that way)

And add Skooma and sweet rolls to the game with special effects

ComboBreaker88 · February 2016

I would start fixing existing content before promising half done dlc.

Anilahation · February 2016

focused more on racial/faction identity instead of using the same story for each faction and regardless of face.

no VR

duels at launch

Bgs and competitive arenas

everything else feels pretty solid in the game PvE/ combat wise.

ComboBreaker88 · February 2016

Also keep VR LEVELS

Xellos77 · February 2016

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

Right there, how would you have created ESO if you were the lead in it's design? would you have kept the main quest? would you have kept the PvP portion of the game? would you have added miscellaneous features such as being able to sit on any seat you come across? This is what I would of done.

- Removed the Main Quest line but the plot would of stayed the same, at the start however you would be but 1 of countless nobodies escaping coldharbour

- I would of not made the IC a battle zone but instead the one city in Cyrodil where the Imperials have control, the arena would be the PvP element in the game where you could fight 1 on 1 or have 10 vs 10 and so on, I would have also added dualing options when communing with other players, Cyrodiil wouldn't of been a PvP zone either as I mentioned before the Arena and dualing options with other players would be the PvP element, Cyrodiil itself would be a zone where legions of daedra pour fourth from portals requiring large numbers of players to take them down, the main goal would be to protect the imperial city and reclaim the keeps from the daedra and players would still get AP in doing so, the same mechanic would follow here where the one with the highest AP would become Emporer however becoming Emporer would be much harder as their would be one leaderbored instead of 3 so the player who would become emperor would be the player with the highest AP of everyone in Cyrodiil not just who has the highest AP in your alliance, when you became emperor you would also get the option to create a banner that is hung around the empire much like you can make tabards for guilds, The picking of your character's alliance would of been non-existant and instead you simply would of picked your starting area, joining the army and the side to fight for would of been optional and you wouldn't have to sign up for service to get into cyrodiil although that is the only way you could become emperor.

- Added features that would of made it so the game is less combat oriented and more useful for RP, maybe have it so you can play the game and live your characters life without ever picking up a sword, this would also mean that the location of enemies would make more sense so bears aren't standing right next to daedra who are standing right next to the town guard,

- Guards would of been killable and all fights would of been slower paced and relied on skill more then who has the highest stats, the enforcer system would be included.

- I would of ensured ESO had at least 2 more classes as what is there clearly looks like 2 classes are missing, I would add Necromancer as everyone seemingly would want that alongside the warden class that used to be in the game back in early Beta...either that or I would of removed the concept of classes.

- An option to write out your character's backstory would of been available and the character creation would include elements from Daggerfall where you choose strengths and weakness's such as forbidden weaponry, tolerance to pain and so fourth.

- Vampirism and Lycanthropy would of had meanings and be much harder to get rid of, Vampires would burn in daytime if they were not covered up while becoming stronger at night, they would of also had fangs and would of bitten there enemies other then feeding through a tube, Werewolves would have nights where they are forced to turn and kill just like they were in daggerfall and both creatures would also get their proper resistances and even be attacked on sight when their nature is revealed, I would of ensured only those who are willing to pay the price for power would play as vampires and werewolves so they would be somewhat rarer, when your in werewolf form you wouldn't beable to gain a bounty for obvious reasons and having your supernatural presence known would have brought vampire or werewolf hunters into the area you are preying on who would be challenging foes who would attack you on site, you would also get recognition of what you are from NPCs.

- More transformation options avalible to the player such as other breeds of Lycanthrope, they would function similar to the werewolf only with different sounds and maybe a few tweaked abilities and maybe even a Lich Transfomration with all its Benefits and Negatives.

That's what I would of added, I would like to hear what the community would of added if they were in charge of it's creation.

Some good ideas. Some things may or may not work out in an MMO but I like the addition of more classes and a plot line that makes you one of many, not a "chosen one" that's been done to death.

Marrtha · February 2016

PvP arenas, better social systems, keep veteran ranks, focus and get teams dedicated to complete problem solving as it should be - bug fixed, developing new content.
Quality of life improvements - barber, name changes, vanity systems... Maybe a family/house option to promote ALT CHARACTERS.

AND SERVERS! Make realms players can choose. Complete redesign with NO PHASING as it is atm.

Shogunami · February 2016

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

Number 4 is one thing I would of added as well, no fast travel would of made the game seem much larger, if I added fast travel in any way it wouldn't of been by wayshrine it would of been by carriage or silt strider and they would only take u so far.

WOULD HAVE***
Would of is not English and I really do not understand why some people think it is. It's would've or would have, and would've is short for would have.

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does. A lot.

Criticism aside, I again agree with you. Wayshrines are a lazy way of sweeping travelling under the rug. I would much rather Wayshrines cost a !!LOT!! of gold to use and if one didn't want to waste the gold one could simply travel by boat or silt strider etc.
Using flightpaths in WoW or taking the boat in Lineage 2 are more enjoyable and immersive than just "teleport, LOL".

Xellos77 · February 2016

Flying Dragon Mounts!!

*ducks for inevitable things being thrown due to loremasters going nuts*

In all seriousness though, flying mounts would be cool, even if only in some areas.

Etaniel · February 2016

Would have removed loading screens between zones, would have removed at least 80% of the wayshrines, would have made all zones open to PvP, and removed the possibility of rezzing at a wayshrine if you were in an enemy faction region.
Would have removed the crouch to stealth mechanic in PvP, making stealth work only vs npcs.
Would have figured out a way to make gear more interesting, because in this game, you can find millions of gear variations, but they are all junk.

Tandor · February 2016

I'd have developed it pretty much as it is, I don't really have any problems with it. However, I do think it would have been better if they had followed the traditional server model rather than using single megaservers as that would have allowed different rulesets so that for example a consensual PvP server would have opened up Cyrodiil and IC to non-PvPers (thereby increasing DLC sales), and it would also have enabled the implementation of a proper trading system. Those things apart, however, I wouldn't change a thing.

Asherons_Call · February 2016

A few things I would do if I had UNLIMITED POWER (and more importantly-money

)

1. The game would be open world (one big zone). No load screens whatsoever except in limited circumstances.

2. Many mini games and side jobs such as gambling, racing, tailoring (clothing not armor), expansive fishing (see my post "fishing ideas")

3. All monster loot tables to include rare but extremely useful items. everything to be bind on equip.

4. A skill system that allows any character to choose any skill. Remove character classes and let players build their characters from the ground up

5. Devs & admins actively participate in regularly scheduled in game events and contests, as well as take control of certain bosses and quest givers (but at random times and on random mobs and npc). These would be special one time quests awarding unique loot. They would most likely be tucked away in less travelled areas to promote exploration. Devs to also award players seen doing positive things (helping a new player, impressive tactics on a boss, etc) with one time quests, given personally by the dev and possibly with the dev fighting along side the player. Devs and admins will never break character - strict role players. Each individual dev to choose their character personality and backstory. Some would be revered, others feared.

6. PVP flag. Open world PVP if you so choose. PVP flag would stay active for a set period (choices of 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month) with greater rewards for those who take on longer periods being flagged. The combination of less deaths and most kills during these periods get progressively better loot tables

KatzMainTank · February 2016

Listed in no particular order, I would have...

- made more unique character customization
- allowed more in-depth UI customization
- completely eliminated classes in favor of choosing skill lines, which would have made skill balance more of a priority while allowing a deeper layer of character creation leaving only racial passives locked
- added more incentive for players to maintain alliance loyalty but also allowed cross-alliance gameplay
- made the option to not gain XP available
- added an option to preview custom armor sets before crafting them for the sake of convenience
- made jewelry crafting a skill line, including stations and vendors
- added options to hide armor pieces
- added variations to armor such as type 1/2/3 "insert race here". Type 1 requiring only one racial crafting material, type 2 requiring 2, type 3 - three obviously
- added Spears into the 2h Skill line, which would have increased Critical under the given passive
- created enemy dummy stations located at all Fighter's Guild and Cyrodiil main gate locations
- added the option to place various markers over party members. Healers with a green cross, DPS with a red sword, tanks with a blue shield, or something similar
- introduced more party oriented quests in starter areas to give social incentive
- never introduced VR ranks, and focused on an improved CP system
- given players the option to customize their character sheets to monitor stats they want, along with more stat options
- added better control schemes for console
- added a larger variety of color schemes for armor and allowed for them to be saved. the three block scheme isn't that great at all
- add the option to color weapons
- made all skill lines have an inherent stamina or magicka morph that would change a spells color accordingly. Blue for magicka, green for stamina
- introduced dueling at release
- made mini-games available within all tavern locations
- eliminated guild traders in favor of an alliance based trading system
- added the option to "divorce" a player
- added more mount variations, dungeon drop mounts (BoP), and a quest for a basic mount in the beginner areas
- introduced a more organized banking system with tabs
- eliminated basic armor crafting option from world crafting set locations. too many pieces made that weren't sets gone to waste
- added more set variations
- given players the option to display either account name or character name
- added better variations of emotes as some seem to be replicates renamed currently
- introduced small team PvP with various XvX formats and game modes
- added a more varied soundtrack that would change depending on what area a player is in. As of now, I HAVE to play with the music off. It's too repetitive.

...that's all I can think of right now.

Lysette · February 2016

I would as well have made PvP an option, but ... - if you opt-in for PvP, you would leave the PvE world for 24 hours and be put into a phase, where there are just PvP players - and there will be open world PvP, but with a crime system, where murder means prison, if caught - for some real life hours and you are loosing max stats - which are never again to be recovered, as a measure of what your body has weakened due to being in prison), so that crime has consequences. Thievery means you are loosing a hand, if caught, so you will no longer be able to use 2 weapons or a 2-handed weapon or a shield - end of carebear-PvP and carebear-crime, these are those consequences which i would implement - there would be a lot of freedom to do what you want, but there would be as well consequences for wrong doing, with which you would have to live for the rest of your virtual life - basically, you want to be an outlaw, then deal with it.

Frawr · February 2016

Merkabeh wrote: »

Fantasy based EvE Online set in Tamriels lore.

Obviously there would be changes to the system to support a fantasy setting, more traditional leveling (ES style leveling)...etc, but that is the concept I would have went with.

1. Full sandbox. Only side quests.
2. Full pvp. No prevention, only consequences in certain areas.
3. Full economy. Most items crafted. You die, you lose your items you are carrying. Limited resource nodes to breed scarcity into the economy.
4. No fast travel, or expensive fast travel. To force logistics to be a concern.
5. Player owned sections of the world; with asymetrical resource distribution to encourage changes of ownership.

That is the path I would have started on, if I had the resources to design the game. Huge fan of EvE Online, and if any fantasy setting screams "I would fit in EvE's style!", it is ES in my opinion.

This 100%

An online Tamriel in which I can exist, survive, conquer, win, lose, get rich. Consequences... oh to have some consequences... Actual choice! Meaningful impact!

Instead we have quests-on-rails-for-molly coddled-precious-people. ( target audience ) and, the best part, people who don't like numbers.

What computer nerd mmo player (i count myself here) doesn't like numbers???????

slumber_sandb16_ESO · February 2016

I would have made identical but seperate skill sets for pve and pvp.

When in pve you have one version of the skills, when in pvp you have another. Then they can be balanced seperately without affecting eachother.

SantieClaws · February 2016

I'd have never gone with the three alliance thing - I'd have found a different mechanism for splitting people up in PvP - maybe swearing your allegiance to a different god as part of character creation or the coldharbour business or something.

That way we could have had a full open world with everyone able to meet up with whoever they want to.

I would have scaled all the areas too like Wrothgar is now. Hindsight is a beautiful thing though and I am not sure that would have been on my mind if I was thinking about game design about five years ago.

I would have added more emotes to the game and most importantly one involving yarn.

I would have added properly saucy temples of Dibella. On a related note I would also have given people a choice about the style of their built in underwear as part of character creation. That way I could add more underwear styles to the store later ....

I would have added a music system like in LOTRO.

I would have had a khajiit starring in that big ole CGI promotional video business. No silly Nord or Elf lady.

Lysette · February 2016

slumber_sandb16_ESO wrote: »

I would have made identical but seperate skill sets for pve and pvp.

When in pve you have one version of the skills, when in pvp you have another. Then they can be balanced seperately without affecting eachother.

Well those limited skill bars are silly in the first place - when you have learnt skills, you can use them whenever you want, it is not that you would suddenly have forgotten them or not be able to remember more than 5 or 10 of them - this was a ridiculous choice of ZOS in the first place - there is nothing good with it and it is on top of it illogical.

MornaBaine · February 2016

1. No "you are the ONE true hero" crap. Dumbest thing I ever see in MMOs and sadly ubiquitous. Lots of other ways the intro could have been handled.
2. Vampires would actually follow the lore as presented by the game itself and would look MORTAL in Stage 1 which would be the longest lasting of the Stages before Stage 4. ALL Stages would have at least TWICE the time on them they do now. Stages progress FAR too quickly. And other vampires would RECOGNIZE your character as a vampire during quest dialogue!
3. Weather would NOT be client side so that you would NOT have the bizarre phenomena of 2 characters standing right next to each other, one experiencing a sunny day while the other experiences a rainstorm. DITTO for the bards so that no one is actually hearing the same song at the same time. What the Hades were they thinking with this one???
4. Day and night would be of equal length.
5. VISUAL IGNORE FEATURE. See this post to understand why: Harassment
6. USEABLE furniture. Yes, OF COURSE we want to be able to sit on the darned chairs! How did you NOT know that???
7. The ability to return to completed quest areas devoid of hostile mobs.
8. Dyes would simply be available rather than used as a cheap substitute "reward" for achievements.
9. Achievements would have ACTUAL rewards.
10. Player Housing a la Hearthfire would have been in from start. As would GUILD CITIES.

MornaBaine · February 2016

theher0not wrote: »

And add Skooma and sweet rolls to the game with special effects

THIS soooo needs to happen!!!

Vrienda · February 2016

No Cadwell's Silver/Gold or veteran ranks.

Less focus on PvP and more on PvE and solo
Add small scale PvP maps for arenas and battlegrounds and turn Cyrodiil into a slowly evolving solo end game daily zone with group delves, group dolmens and maybe a few group world bosses which all reward currency and rep with nearby cities, which would also be bigger since the keeps wouldn't be as 'grand' as they are today

I'd keep the Imperial city the way it is, but remove the PvP aspect and make the bosses in the main questline there soloable. (Everyone's abandoned IC now so it's really hard to get a group for those quests)

As for the quests, I'd give us more dialogue options that'd shape how each NPC felt about us depending on if we were rude, friendly or neutral towards them ect... Add more racial dialogue (people know your race and comment on it, regardless of if its one of the three 'main' races for that faction) and generally make dialogue a whole lot deeper.

And finally I wouldn't have hired famous actors to voice the main NPC's so that it'd be easier to get said NPC's to show up more in DLC and any inevitable expansions (*Cough* clockwork city *Cough*)

Edit: Oh and I forgot Craglorn, that zone wouldn't require a group, would be much smaller (keeping only the relevant intro quests for each trial and removing the bulk of the side quests) and have more trials in it than it currently does.

anitajoneb17_ESO · February 2016

I would have the game *polished* . I'm not necessarily talking about technical bugs that I don't know how hard they are to fix. I'm talking about missing textures, typos, little mistakes , translation issues, tooltips, etc... that make the game feel unloved by its creators and ultimately give a feeling of "low quality" which the game itself certainly doesn't deserve.

I would have made faction choice account wide, with no cross faction grouping and no multi-faction guilds. In order to give AvA a meaning. People would be allowed to change factions every now and then (not too often) but that would affect all their characters and and they would have to find new guilds.

I would create some place on the internet with the accurate and complete description and explanation of all skills and passives, with numbers and formulas. This way people could make their own builds without having to reverse engineer the entire game (this is the reason why people use cookie cutter builds : it's too damned complicated and hidden, and most of the time, we don't even know what "intended behaviour" is). This database would of course be updated and maintained, players could input their feedback and bugs there too. That would be a place for communication between devs and players, rather than 1 hour of ESO live every two weeks (followed by weeks of forum rants), which is not adequate for stuff to be discussed in depth and accurately.

I realize only 1 out of these 3 things is directly design-related. But still, that's what I would do if I were ZOS.

.