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· [COMPLETE] EU megaservers for maintenance – February 23, 9:00 UTC (4:00AM EST) - 17:00 UTC (12:00PM EST)
· [COMPLETE] ESO Store and Account System for maintenance – February 23, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
"Hey, should I buy this game?"
cheeser123
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No.
Zenimax, the only way a pay-to-play game will succeed is if, in the first month (i.e. the paid time that comes with the purchase), customers are satisfied. So far, this first month has:
1. massive failure for products to show up (lockout, pt.1)
2. required subscription to play free time, no gamecard option (lockout, pt. 2)
3. maintenance all over the place (understandable, but lockout pt. 3)
4. huge bugs that break the game entirely for those lucky enough to get in
5. completely unresponsive customer support (understandable, considering how much of a cluster f**k this is)
People are going to ask their MMO-savvy friends and their TES-loyal friends whether they like this game. Alot of time was spent trying to make sure that the game was a balance of mashing together MMO with TES so that both of these groups might say "yes" and get word-of-mouth going so that this pay-to-play would work.
Instead, you've bet the farm and lost by screwing the pooch from day 1. This is a disaster and we're coming up on a week from launch and there has been NO official word on whether Zenimax will own up to this disaster, let alone do anything to make it right. You are going to instantly lose your loyal customers who bought-in early and you will never get traction getting new customers because of it.
I suggest you fix the access problems, get everybody online, extend all grace periods, and even extend everybody's 30 day period to 45 or 60, because it's clear that a large amount of our PAID TIME that costs us REAL MONEY is nothing but an extended beta run for this game. You should not have botched the launch, especially now that you're still expecting people to pony up when the game is filled with beta- or even alpha-grade bugs.
Zenimax, the only way a pay-to-play game will succeed is if, in the first month (i.e. the paid time that comes with the purchase), customers are satisfied. So far, this first month has:
1. massive failure for products to show up (lockout, pt.1)
2. required subscription to play free time, no gamecard option (lockout, pt. 2)
3. maintenance all over the place (understandable, but lockout pt. 3)
4. huge bugs that break the game entirely for those lucky enough to get in
5. completely unresponsive customer support (understandable, considering how much of a cluster f**k this is)
People are going to ask their MMO-savvy friends and their TES-loyal friends whether they like this game. Alot of time was spent trying to make sure that the game was a balance of mashing together MMO with TES so that both of these groups might say "yes" and get word-of-mouth going so that this pay-to-play would work.
Instead, you've bet the farm and lost by screwing the pooch from day 1. This is a disaster and we're coming up on a week from launch and there has been NO official word on whether Zenimax will own up to this disaster, let alone do anything to make it right. You are going to instantly lose your loyal customers who bought-in early and you will never get traction getting new customers because of it.
I suggest you fix the access problems, get everybody online, extend all grace periods, and even extend everybody's 30 day period to 45 or 60, because it's clear that a large amount of our PAID TIME that costs us REAL MONEY is nothing but an extended beta run for this game. You should not have botched the launch, especially now that you're still expecting people to pony up when the game is filled with beta- or even alpha-grade bugs.
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moxsapphire_ESO✭✭✭it's funny. All ZOS has to do is extend some good will to the massive customer base that wants so bad to love this game. But they refuse to do so and I cannot fathom why. I guess this will just go down in history as another study in how and why MMOs fail.
The thing that really depresses me is now I will have to wait another 5-6 years for another elder scrolls game. The feels
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Yankee✭✭✭✭I am sad that some are having issues, because I want the game to succeed.
I have no crashes, the game runs wonderful on ultra-high rez. I got my sub all set up. Have only run into one bugged quest I could not resolve up to level 37.
I see a bunch of posts on the forum, but forums are noisy. I wonder how many are just happily playing the game and not having big problems.
I hope there are enough.3 -
They seem too busy courting potential new subscribers on social media to take care of the ones they already have. I have been in Beta since sept last year, I pre-ordered the imperial edition and have cancelled my sub until such point that they start to care about the subscribers, if that point ever comes.3
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cheeser123✭✭✭moxsapphire_ESO wrote: »it's funny. All ZOS has to do is extend some good will to the massive customer base that wants so bad to love this game. But they refuse to do so and I cannot fathom why. I guess this will just go down in history as another study in how and why MMOs fail.
It's like an abusive relationship. We want so hard to love them no matter how badly they betray our trust, take our input into the relationship (mountains of cash) and fail to deliver, and ignore our concerns and needs.
Edit: To be clear, this is a metaphor / analogy. I don't mean to minimize something as serious as domestic violence, which is obviously a much more tangible and meaningful issue than a computer game -- no matter how big of a deal the computer game is.Edited by cheeser123 on April 9, 2014 2:33AM4 -
I spent $500 on preorders so my family and myself could play(also had intended on paying 5x$15 per month=$75 per month) but the game launched on Friday and the retailers who sell the game were not allowed to ship the games out until Friday so there was no possible way to get our games for several days. Then ESO block our access to the game until our preorders show up at our doors.
Mine is scheduled to be here on the 10th. But I am no longer excited about it.
I wish I had my $500 back1 -
Reignskream✭✭✭✭I am sad that some are having issues, because I want the game to succeed.
I have no crashes, the game runs wonderful on ultra-high rez. I got my sub all set up. Have only run into one bugged quest I could not resolve up to level 37.
I see a bunch of posts on the forum, but forums are noisy. I wonder how many are just happily playing the game and not having big problems.
I hope there are enough.
100% agree. No problems with my game at all, but seeing all of this stuff makes me a nervous nelly at times, as i want this game to go far, it has the foundation to do so!0 -
Vodkaphile✭✭✭guschops_ESO wrote: »They seem too busy courting potential new subscribers on social media to take care of the ones they already have. I have been in Beta since sept last year, I pre-ordered the imperial edition and have cancelled my sub until such point that they start to care about the subscribers, if that point ever comes.
Yeah, because the marketing and advertising people are the ones supposed to be fixing bugs.
You guys ever been a part of an MMO launch before? The only smoother launch in the history of MMO gaming was Rift.
Give it time. The game is great, the sky isn't falling, within a month this game will be fixed up and you guys will feel silly for making all of these doomsayer posts. Go visit the CS forums for any other MMO out there, and you'll see bugs and glitches like these only those games have been around for a decade. The fact you could login and play instantly with no lag on release day is miraculous by MMO standards, even the titan of MMO's, Blizzard, failed to do that with both WoW and D3.2 -
Jonnymorrow✭✭✭I'd be surprised how long eso lives as a p2p game. It's relying on the new content coming I think.
So far this game has been a little fun but ultimately unchallenging. I find myself breezing though the game. World bosses are weak, anchors give no loot reward and are far to easy. I have 3 manned all the 4 man group instances.
I'm fast approaching endgame and I'm starting to wonder if it's actually gonna get more interesting. Because to be frank I'm getting bored already. This game is too easy. Not once apart from group instances have I had to call for help from Guild mates.
Pve needs to encourage more group and teamplay. Just needs to be more challenging.
PvP is fun but needs some more depth in my opinion.
I'm lucky and have managed to play without issues that others are getting with accounts issues, bugs etc.
And I'd still have a hard time recommending this game to a friend just because the content there is, is just getting old quick.
The new content needs to challenge and reward players correctly. Otherwise this game won't last. Also I think they need to have more of a gear grind at endgame. Not just hirelings dropping in gold materials for crafting1 -
Laerrus✭✭✭I am sad that some are having issues, because I want the game to succeed.
I have no crashes, the game runs wonderful on ultra-high rez. I got my sub all set up. Have only run into one bugged quest I could not resolve up to level 37.
I see a bunch of posts on the forum, but forums are noisy. I wonder how many are just happily playing the game and not having big problems.
I hope there are enough.
What you are seeing here is the highly vocal minority, don't let us spoil your time in game, if you are having a blast please feel free to continue to do so.
I still think TESO has a very high probability of being a long term gaming solution for folks. It will be interesting to see what the sales numbers look like over the next few months. By some accounts that I have seen, this was a huge launch.
The Devs and CS will eventually get all the bugs out, till then let us whine and complain, it keeps them on their toes.
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cheeser123✭✭✭The Devs and CS will eventually get all the bugs out, till then let us whine and complain, it keeps them on their toes.
Meanwhile we're paying for an extended beta? No thanks. If it's pay-to-play it better work. Access when we are supposed to have access, no game-breaking bugs, and customer service reps that do more than close tickets as "solved" without a response.Edited by cheeser123 on April 9, 2014 2:57AM2 -
Requielle✭✭✭I'm one of the folks hit by the "oops, your bank reset!" bug - which I consider a bug that should never have made it to release. It's a fundamentally broken base game system.
I get asked how the game is from people who know I was in beta and that I pre-ordered the game. I'm already warning people off. I can't, in good conscience, suggest to a friend of mine that they should play this game. Not now.
Maybe ZeniMax will actually turn this around. Adding a known issues sticky to the forum was a long-overdue baby step towards basic customer service. If they manage to a) fix the game, and b) make things right with their customers before the 27 remaining days of my initial month run out, I might start recommending ESO to folks again. If not, well... there are other games on the horizon that I can play with my friends.0 -
Laerrus✭✭✭cheeser123 wrote: »The Devs and CS will eventually get all the bugs out, till then let us whine and complain, it keeps them on their toes.
Meanwhile we're paying for an extended beta? No thanks. If it's pay-to-play it better work. Access when we are supposed to have access, no game-breaking bugs, and customer service reps that do more than close tickets as "solved" without a response.
Hopefully Zenimax will learn from their mistake in not allowing a broader range of testing. The game did not have to release on 04/04/14.
Looking at their portfolio, this was their first game, so I am willing to overlook their newbie faults. Not everyone can be like Blizzard or Sony Online from square one. Those two companies still have not gotten it "perfect".1 -
Vodkaphile✭✭✭cheeser123 wrote: »The Devs and CS will eventually get all the bugs out, till then let us whine and complain, it keeps them on their toes.
Meanwhile we're paying for an extended beta? No thanks. If it's pay-to-play it better work. Access when we are supposed to have access, no game-breaking bugs, and customer service reps that do more than close tickets as "solved" without a response.
Go look at the WoW CS forums and tell me what you see.
And that game has been out nearly a decade.
MMO's are a constantly evolving animal, they will always have bugs, glitches, etc that need to be fixed for the entirety of that game's life.
If you hate this, then your problem is with MMO's in general.
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Pre-ordered, took off work when it came out to really immerse myself in the "head-start," and now find myself "permanently banned" before I could even set up a sub. 3+ days have passed and the issue has not been resolved. No reason supplied for the ban. And I continue on the forums, trying to let ZOS give me a reason to invest in this game. Hugely disappointing to say the least.
You really nailed it OP. Great post.2 -
cheeser123✭✭✭@Laerrus -- Elves, so optimistic. Me and my egg-brothers and -sisters know better.
But really, this is Zenimax & Bethesda, and Bethesda knows how to make solid games without rushing. It really seems to me that Zeni went off half-cocked on this one by rushing the launch despite serious problems.
@Vodkaphile You really think that the mismanagement of a non-technical variety (e.g. no access codes for buyers of physical copies) is excusable for that reason? Or that the level and depth of these bugs (e.g. bank going blank)? Sure, it would be if this game was not a pay-to-play with one of the biggest price-tags ever and a serious rush to launch. It's not a question of whether there will be bugs or whether there will be complaints, but which bugs and what the response is. So far it's failing marks across the board.1 -
Soothy✭✭✭
Hopefully Zenimax will learn from their mistake in not allowing a broader range of testing. The game did not have to release on 04/04/14.
Well..It did. They set the release date months before its release. There is a lot of marketing that occurs based on that date, as well as development targets and goals which would have been set based on that date. Changing the date may sound simple, but an awful lot has to happen for that to actually happen (and at what cost to the marketing?)
¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>0 -
cheeser123✭✭✭Well..It did. They set the release date months before its release. There is a lot of marketing that occurs based on that date, as well as development targets and goals which would have been set based on that date. Changing the date may sound simple, but an awful lot has to happen for that to actually happen (and at what cost to the marketing?)
Considering the games didn't even ship to many major retailers before the launch date, it sounds to me like they screwed the pooch regardless.0 -
Vlas✭✭✭I am sad that some are having issues, because I want the game to succeed.
I have no crashes, the game runs wonderful on ultra-high rez. I got my sub all set up. Have only run into one bugged quest I could not resolve up to level 37.
I see a bunch of posts on the forum, but forums are noisy. I wonder how many are just happily playing the game and not having big problems.
I hope there are enough.
@Yankee I have also run into minor bugs while leveling until level 50 main quest, when I could not quit the quest and retry it in an attempt to fix it.
I have run into issues that require relogging, quitting quests and restarting, and even leaving the quest alone until later when server load is low.
But where I am stuck is completely on ZOS to fix. I hope you dont run into it, but if you do you will realize the issues.0 -
headdinner_ESOSoul ShrivenI imagine it is incredibly difficult to respond to the thousands upon thousands of people trying to contact them right now. Even then they must have some priorities albeit they may not be directly revolving around your wants and needs. I kinda see it as a good thing that people are freaking out. It shows they are passionate about it and on some levels take it personally. The game itself is great and has a lot of potential.1 -
cheeser123✭✭✭headdinner_ESO wrote: »I imagine it is incredibly difficult to respond to the thousands upon thousands of people trying to contact them right now. Even then they must have some priorities albeit they may not be directly revolving around your wants and needs. I kinda see it as a good thing that people are freaking out. It shows they are passionate about it and on some levels take it personally. The game itself is great and has a lot of potential.
I don't think anyone disagrees with that -- which is why everyone is clamoring for a massive fix for everyone. Extend early access / grace period. People were told they would have uninterrupted play through the launch because their games would show up on time. Then the story changed -- now you have to wait. Why? Because they didn't plan ahead and rushed to launch and didn't get things done on time.2 -
Laura✭✭✭✭✭
✭moxsapphire_ESO wrote: »it's funny. All ZOS has to do is extend some good will to the massive customer base that wants so bad to love this game. But they refuse to do so and I cannot fathom why. (
Yep just a "hey guys were sorry about all the issues with main quest bugs and other issues, due to this we are extending everyone's free access to the game by 10 days"
I think they wouldn't even have to do that if they just ACKNOWLEDGED It and apologized promising to fix it as fast as they possibly can that would be enough for most people.
You never know what to expect with launches and decisions, and 90% of the time issues can be rectified with very simple communication and acknowledgement of the issues.
The communication is what I find deplorable.1 -
SparkToothSoul Shrivenwaynesrcb14_ESO wrote: »I spent $500 on preorders so my family and myself could play(also had intended on paying 5x$15 per month=$75 per month) but the game launched on Friday and the retailers who sell the game were not allowed to ship the games out until Friday so there was no possible way to get our games for several days. Then ESO block our access to the game until our preorders show up at our doors.
Mine is scheduled to be here on the 10th. But I am no longer excited about it.
I wish I had my $500 back
Check with your vendor. EBGames said I can just refuse delivery and they will refund when it gets back to them. They took 7 minutes to reply to me. Zenimax still hasn't replied to me after 54 hours.
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cheeser123✭✭✭SparkTooth wrote: »Check with your vendor. EBGames said I can just refuse delivery and they will refund when it gets back to them. They took 7 minutes to reply to me. Zenimax still hasn't replied to me after 54 hours.
Well that's only an 8:1 ratio of service time.
Oh wait, it's 480:1. Bazingle.1