Game Breaking issues and their lack of addressment

Virender · May 2017

For the past 3 months this has been getting from bad to worse. @ZOS could we have some final information on the largest issues? Some communication towards your playerbase?

Some of the main issues are:

Infinite loading screens. They've always been there in Cyrodiil, or just random, but now since the last maintanance doing veteran pledges through dungeon finder as a damage dealer is impossible. I've been trying for the past 3 hours to get a group for veteran Banished Cells I pledge. Infinite loading screens, accompanied by the next bug make this still impossible.
Dungeon Finder bug. Perhaps don't try fixing all at once and look into fixing the fact that getting kicked out at the start for every premade, and often non-premade groups is an issue. The reward bug is understandably more difficult to fix, but dungeon instance creation and loading you into the right one really isn't rocket science.
Loading screens in the middle of animations. Charging into a mob or player and poof loading screen.
Weekly extended maintenances locking the entire EU playerbase out during regular playing times.

Some of these issues have been going on for months, and things take time to fix for obvious reasons. But it's going from bad to worse for the past months without really any explenation why. As it stands right now it seems like you guys have decided that Morrowind is all that matters, and give the cold shoulder to your entire playerbase trying to have fun with the game they paid for. There's a serious lack of communication, simple things like Twitter statements "Hey guys! We know about the loading screen issues since last maintenance, we're working overtime to fix it! Stay tuned for more updates!" would actually show that you care, rather than "We have issues, we've been trying to fix them but no fix seems to be working" posts from your community managers on the forums.

I know my motivation and that of many friends has been going downhill rather quick the past 2 months. Several have already turned off their ESO Plus, and I am on the verge of doing so as well. It is a shame, because the game in its core is amazing.

GabiPavel · May 2017

Mass cancel subscription is the only way to deal with this

Shadowshire · May 2017

GabiPavel wrote: »

Mass cancel subscription is the only way to deal with this.

In my many years of experience with software which runs on desktops, laptops, etc., if a software publisher (whether they are also the developer) releases and sells "buggy software", then they will always release and sell "buggy software". So either their customers use the software despite the bugs, or they don't use the software unless, perhaps, there is no better choice that is financially and/or technically feasible to use instead.

As long as players continue buying the ESO game software, whether also paying the ESO Plus subscription, and/or purchasing items from the Crown Store, ZOS has no incentive to develop software that is relatively bug-free. ZOS also has very little incentive to remedy any but the worst bugs (such as ones which prevent players from running the game client reliably).

ZOS also has no identifiable incentive to improve the design or operation of existing features. In my experience, every time that the development team has attempted to do that, they almost always break something that was working perfectly well before, aside from the fact that they so seldom implement the intended improvement correctly. Then they apparently ignore most pleas to remedy the flaws produced by the outcome of their time and effort. Ironically, in my own two-pus years of experience with this game, the add-on developers have done more to improve ESO and make it more playable than the ZOS development team ever has or probably ever will, aside from whether -- given enough time and resources -- they can.

That said, perchance the revenue that ZOS receives diminishes too much, they will simply go out of business. Then ESO might not be available for anyone to play at all, and there would be virtually no prospect of any change for the better if it does remain available in some fashion.

And that would be a shame, because, at its core, ESO is indeed one of the most amazing, interesting, and satisfying MMORPGs with which I've been acquainted. It began with a strong foundation in the Quest chains and the underlying Lore. However, it seems that, on the whole, every aspect perceived as "end game content" has been little more than an ever-changing series of poorly-implemented prototypes.

Regardless, the only thing certain -- for the most part -- is that whatever bugs the software has now and in the future, it will rather likely always have. Either players accept the bugs, and continue to buy the software and its "DLCs" or "expansions", etc., or they decide to play some other game instead. Take your pick. If you think that continuing to financially reward ZOS for developing and providing ESO to play has become throwing good money after bad, then stop.

Frenkthevile · May 2017

It's incredible that the lfg does not work again...It works 2 months each year ahahahah.

xSkullfox · May 2017

Ive paid for the body markings unlock too, they always vanishing after teleport so they are useless.
Paid service which is not working gg ZOS

Turelus · May 2017

They have addressed the issues though, but what's the point in a daily update of "nothing new to report" if there is nothing new to report.

The community team would just get attacked again for trying to update us but not giving the answer everyone wants to hear.