My opinion on the role playing side of ESO

StarOfElyon · January 2019

This is copied from another thread:

In my opinion, the RPG aspect is really lacking. For a role playing game, I don't actually feel like the decisions that my character makes matter. I also don't feel like my "character" has any effect on the choices that they are given. It's more like an adventure game, I guess. I want to play a virtuous knight in shining armor but I could be a total *** and it wouldn't affect my character's story at all. Sometimes, this is the most boring aspect of playing this game. I don't even read the dialogue a lot of times; I just press A until the quest arrows tell me what to do. That is the sad part. When I think of all the time and money spent on making these quests, only to have them be breezed through because none of it really matters. I did enjoy the latter parts of the Orsinium questline but that was probably the one time I actually cared about what my character was doing. I can free Manimarco but who cares either way. Nothing changes for my character. I want my character to be "good" but there's no in-game reward or consequences either way, in my opinion. So to sum my first point up: I don't actually feel like I'm roleplaying. I'm just going from objective to objective. Who my character is doesn't seem to matter at all. Make my choices matter.

If Zenimax could improve this side of the game it would be great.

Lone_Wolf · January 2019

If this were a single player RPG, I would wholeheartedly agree. But this is an online game where every playable character is "the chosen one." You fill the shoes of an adventurer and not every adventure comes with the make the choice that affects the entire world. It's more a "what color do you like at the end of the day." Your character is what you make it other players, should you choose to immerse yourself in the world and join other like minded players who don't mind acting like NPC's in the world, doing their thing and sometimes picking up a sword or staff and fighting off the goblins in the farm. You can say to yourself you're a hero of the land who stands above the peasantry in your shining armor, but unless you choose to immerse yourself, you're a collection of numbers and an avatar.

So no, your character in the grand scheme does not matter. You complete the same quests no matter what character you make. It's what you make of your character that matters. Acting "good or bad" works as it does in the real world. Be good and you don't get arrested, maybe someone will pay it forward eventually for your kind deeds. Be an evil doucher and you get fined by the local guard and lose some money or get your face stomped in. Picking the option in game that kills the quest npc kills that npc, and you may not seem them later in that zone's story. Or you save them and they show up later to say thanks. Not every quest needs a dire choice and not every dire choice needs to affect the world.

StarOfElyon · January 2019

I'm not asking for changes to affect the world of other players. I'm asking for my choices to affect my character's world. If I set an evil spirit free, why am I not shunned by people? At least give me better or worse prices if I choose to save people instead of letting them die.

Sy1ph5 · January 2019

Nothing the Npc's ever offer is worth buying in the regular overworld anyway. It's not a singleplayer game your quest choices shouldn't give you more or less relative power or moneymaking opportunities when compared to everyone else.

dodgehopper_ESO · January 2019

StarOfElyon wrote: »

This is copied from another thread:

In my opinion, the RPG aspect is really lacking. For a role playing game, I don't actually feel like the decisions that my character makes matter. I also don't feel like my "character" has any effect on the choices that they are given. It's more like an adventure game, I guess. I want to play a virtuous knight in shining armor but I could be a total *** and it wouldn't affect my character's story at all. Sometimes, this is the most boring aspect of playing this game. I don't even read the dialogue a lot of times; I just press A until the quest arrows tell me what to do. That is the sad part. When I think of all the time and money spent on making these quests, only to have them be breezed through because none of it really matters. I did enjoy the latter parts of the Orsinium questline but that was probably the one time I actually cared about what my character was doing. I can free Manimarco but who cares either way. Nothing changes for my character. I want my character to be "good" but there's no in-game reward or consequences either way, in my opinion. So to sum my first point up: I don't actually feel like I'm roleplaying. I'm just going from objective to objective. Who my character is doesn't seem to matter at all. Make my choices matter.

If Zenimax could improve this side of the game it would be great.

I agree that there is completely lack of choice in the game. This is particularly noticeable in the way mostly evil content gets released time and again. Almost everything that releases is either the Conan-styled-Hero or an outright villain story arc. There is no heroic option in any of this either. The character's choices really seem to make the character out to be a very stupid individual who is exceptional at fighting or flinging lightning and does more or less what he's told by whatever person passes in front of him on the road.

Sylvermynx · January 2019

StarOfElyon wrote: »

I'm not asking for changes to affect the world of other players. I'm asking for my choices to affect my character's world. If I set an evil spirit free, why am I not shunned by people? At least give me better or worse prices if I choose to save people instead of letting them die.

You're asking for instanced content for EVERY PLAYER'S entire roster of characters. It's - a huge load for a game. Yes, I get what you're asking for - for instance, in some of the early quests in any game, you do things that should mean you never see whatever it was ever again.

But that requires per-character instanced content. As a sort of quasi-coder.... I get how awful that is from the server-load aspect.

Right now, I think it's just not possible. It's - easier if you just pretend....

ArchMikem · January 2019

StarOfElyon wrote: »

If Zenimax could improve this side of the game it would be great.

They are working on it. Slowly they've been making progress on having NPC dialogue reflect on what Race your Character is, and now they've claimed the world is going to treat you differently if you play as a Necromancer Class, especially concerning the Justice System.

I still remember a moment during the Telvanni Questline in Vvardenfell, when my Khajiit told the Khajiit Slaves trying to escape that she'd never turn on her own kind. That said, the Slaves were still recaptured while I stood there and watched.

Aznarb · January 2019

Sy1ph5 wrote: »

Nothing the Npc's ever offer is worth buying in the regular overworld anyway. It's not a singleplayer game your quest choices shouldn't give you more or less relative power or moneymaking opportunities when compared to everyone else.

And if they do, everyone is gonna take the same choice to earn more.
I agree it would be awesome, but I don't think it's possible to make that real.

RP in MMORPG is something the player do by restricting her choice by how you want your "hero" to be.
I'm a filthy fluff-criminal so I don't do mage, psyjiic or warrior guild because it doesn't fit my char.

In the other hand, my "druid" is a pretty nice guy who fight against race inequality, so I'm not going to do thieve or dark guild.

I know how you feel by wanting more "crucial impacting decision" but you'r in a big world with lot of other player, It's not really like playing D&D with friends ^^'

idk · January 2019

I did not read past the first couple sentences so if I missed something important, oops.

Zos cannot go back and rework everything as it would be to costly. At that, in major MMORPGs that have had choices that had some sort of impact on the character they were fairly light change that in the end did not mean anything.

Further, any impact has to be fairly limited as it cannot actually change the area since is it a multiplayer game.

Juzz · January 2019

Lone_Wolf wrote: »

If this were a single player RPG, I would wholeheartedly agree. But this is an online game where every playable character is "the chosen one."

Actually conception of MMO makes u regular person in a big bad world, not a chosen one at all, in this case vestige just uncommon, yep, he’s kicked off some horns from molag’s face, but it still doesn’t make him extraordinary, just an adventurer, who attracts problems on his arse among another losers like himself. And I should admit that if ye actually listen to the conversations happening and choose yer answers like ye feel, not just spam skip button, then ye’ll see the difference in your decisions, that makes this MMO much more RP, than others, where just kill 100500 boars in some woods to prevent global apocalypse. That’s my imho

AcadianPaladin · January 2019

What has always stuck with me is the significant decision you make regarding Velaste at the end of the MG questline. Regardless of your decision, you never see her again. I saved her and was very disappointed to learn I would never see her again.

That said, there is at least one quest in the AD where an alchemist's son turned vampire and he was feeding townsfolk to his son. I've dealt with it both of the two ways available and often hear NPCs comment to me with their opinions regarding the choice I made while doing business on the crafting level of Elden Root. I think that is kind of cool.

Juzz · January 2019

StarOfElyon wrote: »

I'm not asking for changes to affect the world of other players. I'm asking for my choices to affect my character's world. If I set an evil spirit free, why am I not shunned by people? At least give me better or worse prices if I choose to save people instead of letting them die.

Lad, should ye care ‘bout someone makin’ a shite in the neighbour’s garden, there, in bushes, if your home’s burning? It’s similiar situation with Tamriel troubles and player’s deeds which not concern some globals. Also do ye often gossip ‘bout someone ye saw on a street yesterday just passed ye by no matter ye know him or not or what he did, would he’ve been a pimp or a drug pusher or a local hero fireman who saved a cat last month?
Accept that ye’re not special no matter yer mom said that, cuz such specials’re everywhere and everyone does, no offense, just a parallels of thinkin’ about the topic at all. Ye’ve been given a plot and opportunity to develop what you like and be in the game rules whatever ye wanna be here, but it doesn’t make ye a superhero around which the sun rotates

Sylvermynx · January 2019

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

What has always stuck with me is the significant decision you make regarding Velaste at the end of the MG questline. Regardless of your decision, you never see her again. I saved her and was very disappointed to learn I would never see her again.

That said, there is at least one quest in the AD where an alchemist's son turned vampire and he was feeding townsfolk to his son. I've dealt with it both of the two ways available and often hear NPCs comment to me with their opinions regarding the choice I made while doing business on the crafting level of Elden Root. I think that is kind of cool.

Yes, I've had that too. But that's a minor local quest. It's not.... instancing every quest in the entire game. The amount of server load/resources that would take....

It's not feasible.

StarOfElyon · January 2019

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

What has always stuck with me is the significant decision you make regarding Velaste at the end of the MG questline. Regardless of your decision, you never see her again. I saved her and was very disappointed to learn I would never see her again.

That said, there is at least one quest in the AD where an alchemist's son turned vampire and he was feeding townsfolk to his son. I've dealt with it both of the two ways available and often hear NPCs comment to me with their opinions regarding the choice I made while doing business on the crafting level of Elden Root. I think that is kind of cool.

I was hoping I could reform Mannimarco so I set him free. Never saw him again, nor did I feel like the decision made ANY impact on my character's life afterwards. Really disappointed with that. I also freed the woman who was burried alive for necromancy. I thought she had served her time and should be free to pass on... but she probably went on to get revenge against the descendants of the people who killed her (whoops). Still though, I never even get a mention about that from anyone besides the one soldier after finishing the quest. Really feels empty.

EphemeraCrawford · January 2019

This is not the genre of game for impactful player choices. Perhaps you should consider The Witcher - a superb game and your decisions are at the core of events.

StarOfElyon · January 2019

EphemeraCrawford wrote: »

This is not the genre of game for impactful player choices. Perhaps you should consider The Witcher - a superb game and your decisions are at the core of events.

No, I want to adventure in Tamriel. I know the setting might not mean much to some.

martygod12 · January 2019

StarOfElyon wrote: »

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

What has always stuck with me is the significant decision you make regarding Velaste at the end of the MG questline. Regardless of your decision, you never see her again. I saved her and was very disappointed to learn I would never see her again.

That said, there is at least one quest in the AD where an alchemist's son turned vampire and he was feeding townsfolk to his son. I've dealt with it both of the two ways available and often hear NPCs comment to me with their opinions regarding the choice I made while doing business on the crafting level of Elden Root. I think that is kind of cool.

I was hoping I could reform Mannimarco so I set him free. Never saw him again, nor did I feel like the decision made ANY impact on my character's life afterwards. Really disappointed with that. I also freed the woman who was burried alive for necromancy. I thought she had served her time and should be free to pass on... but she probably went on to get revenge against the descendants of the people who killed her (whoops). Still though, I never even get a mention about that from anyone besides the one soldier after finishing the quest. Really feels empty.

No matter if you free him or not je escapes eventually So he might come back in some distant future DLC or chapter

Robo_Hobo · January 2019

I like the way ESO does choices in quests throughout the game. They're usually pretty grey morally, although there are of course those black and white choices with just being straight up evil or not every now and then too, but for the most part they make me have to think about what I want to choose for my character.

And I do actually hear NPC's comment on them every now and them throughout cities, even in different zones, and there's plenty of recurring characters as well that will remember my previous adventures with them.

Sure, choices don't affect the gameplay in any capacity, but that's fine with me. I understand how much of a complication that would be on a per-person basis to have instances for places depending on the choices made.

As for choices effecting things like prices or any rewards, I don't think that would be a good thing, honestly. Even today we see threads upon threads about the gameplay effects of the choice of what race your character is, and how they're being changed, and how people feel "forced" to change their race because of the gameplay effects even though they would prefer to be another. I'm sure you've heard tales of people giving in to sacrificing Valaste at the end of the Mage's guild storyline too for the extra skill points.

If you have choices that actually do effect gameplay, then it actually removes some of the choice in the matter - or rather, adds a different element not relevant to the roleplay. You can choose what you would for your character, or you can choose what would have the best gameplay effect. If the two line up together then great, but if they don't, then you'll feel the strain of having to choose whether you want to roleplay your character or if you want to get the most gameplay benefit out of it.

Personally, I love when choices are hard to make in quests because the moral implications are difficult to choose from, but I would absolutely hate if my choices had to always be made with the gameplay effects in mind. That takes the immersion right out of it for me.