LordNilloc wrote: »

1. Classes are more balanced but they'll never really be truly balanced.
2. No.
3. Yes, but with champ points once one character reaches max level all characters you make are essentially max level.
4. Morrowind, which includes battlegrounds and the new warden class, housing.
5. No, xbox also probably has the biggest PVP population.

Thanks mate

Hi. First of all welcome back (maybe).

As always on eso forums there will be divided opinions, so read other stuff as well. I've been a pc player since beta testing and I really believe that eso has improved immeasurably since 2014, but it hasn't become as amazing as it could have been.

Classes are more balanced than they ever have been because every patch there are balance changes. In the upcoming patch there are no real changes to classes, which suggests zos is happier with class balance. Players may disagree; sorcs are believed to be strongest, and magicka night blades arguably the weakest, but builds and skill are more important than class. Stamina builds are now very viable, and are arguably stronger in pvp but weaker in pve group trials.

The dlc's are better than the Base game, better looking, more interesting etc. But they really aren't necessary unless you want something very specific; e.g. pvp battlegrounds in morrowind, or the solo trial maelstrom arena in Orsinium. Some bits from dlc are hella fun, like the assassination ability from dark brotherhood, but it isn't game changing so you don't need it to play. In fairness to zos they haven't gone P2W yet, but Eso plus does make it easier to play the game because the infinite storage for crafting materials is amazing.

The game is very different since 2015. Veteran ranks are gone, and instead there are champion points (cp) While veteran ranks were just extra levels, Cp is a way of fine tuning your build. Every low level character or enemy is automatically scaled up to level Cp 160, so new players and old players can do the same content and are surprisingly well balanced.

Because of the up-scaling the game doesn't progress zone by zone anymore. All zones are the same level technically, so you can explore the world however you want. It means players don't have to grind to be able to do content, but if they want to grind then it is easier than ever. New players gain levels quicker than before, but slower as they get closer to level 50, but as they have more skill points and experience they have better abilities. After level 50 you earn champion points and the catch up mechanic (called enlightenment) means low Cp characters will earn Cp much, much, much faster than high Cp characters.

These balance changes mean new players can really participate. Endgame players are still better because they tend to have better gear, and eso's big weakness is that you have to grind a lot for the best gear. However, arguably someone in self-made crafted gear will only be 5-10% different from someone with the best gear in the game. This means all players are competitive, but competitive players can get an edge.

In terms of popularity, eso is still getting more popular, and currently the players are fairly evenly split between pc, ps4 and xbox.

So I suggest giving it a try. The Base game is cheap, and even if the game isn't perfect it is pretty good. If you try it then please come back and post about what you think of the changes, it would be interesting to hear from someone who would really notice the changes.

Truthfully based on the OP list of reasons he was looking for answers to I would tell you not to return to the game. Simple reason is you seem to have a very negative bias towards the game and nothing has changed that would make you satisfied with the game.

Phrases like "class balance" and "pay to win" are going to be argued to death and are really no win discussions. I would suggest you stick with what you are happy with now game wise

Jim_Pipp wrote: »

Hi. First of all welcome back (maybe).

As always on eso forums there will be divided opinions, so read other stuff as well. I've been a pc player since beta testing and I really believe that eso has improved immeasurably since 2014, but it hasn't become as amazing as it could have been.

Classes are more balanced than they ever have been because every patch there are balance changes. In the upcoming patch there are no real changes to classes, which suggests zos is happier with class balance. Players may disagree; sorcs are believed to be strongest, and magicka night blades arguably the weakest, but builds and skill are more important than class. Stamina builds are now very viable, and are arguably stronger in pvp but weaker in pve group trials.

The dlc's are better than the Base game, better looking, more interesting etc. But they really aren't necessary unless you want something very specific; e.g. pvp battlegrounds in morrowind, or the solo trial maelstrom arena in Orsinium. Some bits from dlc are hella fun, like the assassination ability from dark brotherhood, but it isn't game changing so you don't need it to play. In fairness to zos they haven't gone P2W yet, but Eso plus does make it easier to play the game because the infinite storage for crafting materials is amazing.

The game is very different since 2015. Veteran ranks are gone, and instead there are champion points (cp) While veteran ranks were just extra levels, Cp is a way of fine tuning your build. Every low level character or enemy is automatically scaled up to level Cp 160, so new players and old players can do the same content and are surprisingly well balanced.

Because of the up-scaling the game doesn't progress zone by zone anymore. All zones are the same level technically, so you can explore the world however you want. It means players don't have to grind to be able to do content, but if they want to grind then it is easier than ever. New players gain levels quicker than before, but slower as they get closer to level 50, but as they have more skill points and experience they have better abilities. After level 50 you earn champion points and the catch up mechanic (called enlightenment) means low Cp characters will earn Cp much, much, much faster than high Cp characters.

These balance changes mean new players can really participate. Endgame players are still better because they tend to have better gear, and eso's big weakness is that you have to grind a lot for the best gear. However, arguably someone in self-made crafted gear will only be 5-10% different from someone with the best gear in the game. This means all players are competitive, but competitive players can get an edge.

In terms of popularity, eso is still getting more popular, and currently the players are fairly evenly split between pc, ps4 and xbox.

So I suggest giving it a try. The Base game is cheap, and even if the game isn't perfect it is pretty good. If you try it then please come back and post about what you think of the changes, it would be interesting to hear from someone who would really notice the changes.

Cheers mate, very helpful