ZOS probably gets more $ from selling mounts,houses and other cosmetic stuff than by selling DLC.

Vimora wrote: »

I feel like a second-rate citizen of Tamriel, because I don't sport any of the very fancy store-bought fluff virtually e v e r y b o d y in the game is having. Glowing mounts, special pets, ridiculous skins... you name it, people are full of this ***. I can't remember the last time I saw a guy riding a regular chestnut steed like mine. There is always something shiney, something flashy. Regular guys simply became extinct.

So... does my habit of just paying for actual playable content make me a freeloader? I buy all the DLCs and I play them, but I never buy anything else from the store. To be perfectly honest, a lot of the stuff that's in there is quite annoying, it's making the game look like an amusement park, which is what I really hated about other popular MMOs.

If they removed the store entirely and just sold actual DLCs and Chapters, would that keep the game running or is the ridiculous and annoying fluff really necessary to make it profitable?

If there is a market, why not utilize it? ESO has to stay relatively competative with all the other MMOs out there. Unfortunately that means they need to milk all the money they can in any angle they can. Crown store, subscription, and initial purchases are the easiest way to do that without P2W mechanics. (I know the Warden is behind a pay wall, but so is the Imperial race, and at the moment, both are not OP, so it isn't really P2W)

Vimora wrote: »

I feel like a second-rate citizen of Tamriel, because I don't sport any of the very fancy store-bought fluff virtually e v e r y b o d y in the game is having. Glowing mounts, special pets, ridiculous skins... you name it, people are full of this ***. I can't remember the last time I saw a guy riding a regular chestnut steed like mine. There is always something shiney, something flashy. Regular guys simply became extinct.

So... does my habit of just paying for actual playable content make me a freeloader? I buy all the DLCs and I play them, but I never buy anything else from the store. To be perfectly honest, a lot of the stuff that's in there is quite annoying, it's making the game look like an amusement park, which is what I really hated about other popular MMOs.

If they removed the store entirely and just sold actual DLCs and Chapters, would that keep the game running or is the ridiculous and annoying fluff really necessary to make it profitable?

You can be fancy without buying stuff. Motifs and skins. Fancy mounts you'll have to buy though. That being said that's capitalism for ya, but you don't need to join the circus. P.S. I'm a capitalist, but I do think we're being overly capitalistic these days.

@Vimora to each his own. It's all about what "YOU" enjoy. I'm addicted to mounts and pets. I don't get them all, only if I like them. I'm also an altoholic and love variety so often I just run with a "regular" horse and pet by my side. Don't consider yourself a "second class citizen".

its just skins. there are in game skins. there are in game outfits and more then one of my characters use in game earned outfits as their primary ones - orcinium outfits look amazing on my tanky orc, one of the main outfits my stamblade wears is her assassin's guild leathers, stamplar can often be seen wearing merchant's regalia from thieves guild. now, i do also use crown store skins, but the point is - its genuinely fluff. its optional. it doesn't make you second rate citizen not to use them.

would I like it if there was a more equal ratio between in game earned and crown store bought fluff? yes. yes I would. but all in all - you don't actualy have to keep up with the Jones's here. it IS however, necessary to help the game along, as its subscription optional. standard mmo subscription costs haven't changed in over a decade, but maintenance costs? have. so that extra money has to come from somewhere. might as well come from cash shop fluff.

Linaleah wrote: »

its just skins. there are in game skins. there are in game outfits and more then one of my characters use in game earned outfits as their primary ones - orcinium outfits look amazing on my tanky orc, one of the main outfits my stamblade wears is her assassin's guild leathers, stamplar can often be seen wearing merchant's regalia from thieves guild. now, i do also use crown store skins, but the point is - its genuinely fluff. its optional. it doesn't make you second rate citizen not to use them.

would I like it if there was a more equal ratio between in game earned and crown store bought fluff? yes. yes I would. but all in all - you don't actualy have to keep up with the Jones's here. it IS however, necessary to help the game along, as its subscription optional. standard mmo subscription costs haven't changed in over a decade, but maintenance costs? have. so that extra money has to come from somewhere. might as well come from cash shop fluff.

I come for LOTRO that gradually became p2w hell. So trust me, I appreciate ESO not being p2w at all.

The brown basic horse is my favorite mount by far and I truly dislike any flashy mount, only classic horses for me.
[@ZOS bring back the Yokudan Charger!]
Btw, I would pay to change the saddles colors and customize the horses a bit through accessories like armor or ornamental props.

I brought the shadow-something horse few days ago (no skeletal fugly), it's the one with turquoise eyes, for a character I have with similar eyes color, all my chars ride horses and each one a horse I find similar/appropriate to them, I like it this way.

About costumes, that's something for which I spend way more but do not like too flashy, I usually pick quite subtle colors for dye.

Don't feel obligated to buy the fluff if you don't want to.

"Glowing mounts, special pets, ridiculous skins..."

You know you can get pets and skins in game too right?

Naw..its not that you don't have the bling that makes you second rate...its your judgmental attitude toward how others choose to spend their own money.

I agree that the wonder looking stuff ruins the feel of the game (Medieval / European ish)

As for the utterly stupid dwarven spider mount thing - hideous.

BUT in terms of commerce, ZOS make huge profit from.the Crown store stuff, and if it's profitable its good for the game longevity. So crown stuff and Crown Crates I'm ok with as won't use but help keep game afloat.

I too avoid hubs tho for all the nonsense stuff flying about

Alaztor91 wrote: »

ZOS probably gets more $ from selling mounts,houses and other cosmetic stuff than by selling DLC.

This is an bug report, this one can not press Agree, awesome and Insightful at once.

To OP, Julius Cæsar, Djengis Khan and Napoleon all rode noob horses but still became emperors.

Only exception is Ronald Reagan's mount but he just won the cold war he never become emperor, this mark him as a noob.
https://orig00.deviantart.net/b25c/f/2012/183/0/6/ronald_reagan_riding_a_velociraptor_by_sharpwriter-d55rsh7.jpg
In short mount don't matter, stuff like vMoL skin emperor regalia and flawless conqueror hang higher.
This one only use senche mounts, has to keep all positions in family after all

And please support hard working Khajiit farming, its hard work.
https://i.imgur.com/m003F0s.png

Wow, I never knew that. Way to earn that insightful

Ulo wrote: »

The bags that appear on the side of the default mount as you level your carrying capacity skill always bothered me. Strange that they don't show on crown store mounts but I do prefer it much more.

That can be turned off in-game under the settings menu. You can hide the bags (pack spaces) the harness (speed) and the armor (stamina) individually.

(bah. teach me to post without looking at all the replies)