Does anyone else see the game world as more horrific than its portrayed?

ArchMikem · August 2019

The ability to just come back to life with a Soul Gem is taken for granted.

Touch on Dragon fights for example. These things take massive amounts of beating and dozens of fighters. You cast Vigor from a ways back and watch in silence as several of your fellow Vestiges are incinerated from above. A few are unlucky to be targeted by the one shot for being too close. They're eaten alive. Flame Atronachs burn you. Iron Atronachs melt your bodies. The flame Wraiths tear your flesh. Our friends and companions die every day in Tamriel, but its okay cause we have wayshrines and soul gems and even a free revive thanks to the soul magic passive.

But what if we didnt? What if losing a battle harbored far worse consequences. Our character's life would be precious, our brothers and sisters more valuable, and their loss, much harder.

I really appreciate Healers. :'(

Sorry, i just got done reading a webcomic where a lot of likable characters die and i get very emotional over the subject of loss.

mague · August 2019

I liked the vanilla EQ2 version of death. People really cared to not to die. When you died you could revive at a shrine overland or at the dungeon entrance. You had to fight back "nacked" to your corpse to get your items back. Or you revived with your items but the game took your XP. Huge chunks of XP.

There have been skills and class abilities to deal with death. Scouts could go inisible when the group was about to wipe and then revive the healer. If the healer didnt forget to give him a revive feather. Invisibility totems and Scout invisible was important to "smuggle" the group back to the dead bodies.

I think today this all is regarded as waste of time. But back then it defined pace and group play. Not to die was bigger then to achieve something.

Xerikten · August 2019

reminds me of a mmo out there that has events where the toon gets one life. the event is on a separate server where those that got to the highest levels still alive get special rewards on the normal server. when you die you are done. kinda separates those that think they are good from those that really are.

LukosCreyden · August 2019

The ability to come back to life with a soul gem is kind of unique to the Vestige, due to the fact that they are phyically pretty much a Daedra. So, for any normal adventurer, yes it is quite dangerous and unpleasant.

Mayrael · August 2019

mague wrote: »

I liked the vanilla EQ2 version of death. People really cared to not to die. When you died you could revive at a shrine overland or at the dungeon entrance. You had to fight back "nacked" to your corpse to get your items back. Or you revived with your items but the game took your XP. Huge chunks of XP.

There have been skills and class abilities to deal with death. Scouts could go inisible when the group was about to wipe and then revive the healer. If the healer didnt forget to give him a revive feather. Invisibility totems and Scout invisible was important to "smuggle" the group back to the dead bodies.

I think today this all is regarded as waste of time. But back then it defined pace and group play. Not to die was bigger then to achieve something.

I liked those mechanics also. In addition to your input in Age of Conan after you died you received debuff (it stacked to some point) that lowered your stats, you could find your tombstone to remove the debuff or wait (can't remember the time) till it vanishes on its own.

But I think mechanics like those wouldn't fit ESO, this game is as casual friendly as possible, any kind of punishment after death would cause masses rage

bearbelly · August 2019

mague wrote: »

I liked the vanilla EQ2 version of death. People really cared to not to die. When you died you could revive at a shrine overland or at the dungeon entrance. You had to fight back "nacked" to your corpse to get your items back.

I still have two saved Diablo games on my computer (I install Diablo on every new computer I build, along with my saved games, and will do so until I can't get it to work anymore) wherein I've revived in town with my corpse being stranded on some level of the dungeon surrounded by a horde of demons.

In one game, it's my warrior, down in the Catacombs on level 6, and I'd have to fight my way, naked, through a pack of acid beasts to retrieve my items. I really hate acid beasts, and they are nasty in a pack.

And in the other game, my rogue is down on level 10 in the Caves being guarded by a swarm of Storm Lords.

One day I'll have the nerve to go back down there and get my stuff back. I mean, those particular game files are only 17 years old...

BomblePants · August 2019

Loss is the most difficult thing in life isn’t it... I’ve experienced it and dread it in my future too.....

I’m always really happy and appreciative when I see a healer in the group.... with a good healer you can concentrate on doing damage and not worry about self heals....

darkblue5 · August 2019

I mean it is canon that the Vestige is turned into a daedric monstrosity that can't be killed and reforms its body. I don't think getting your soul back changes that. That's not all...

Player characters also live in an existential twilight world where many of the things they do don't exist for others. If a group member hasn't done a quest you both cease to exist to each other in the quest area. NPCs stand on their own corpses. You can save the Welkynars every week even if you killed them all previously.

The game is a lovely existential nightmare.

Berserkerkitten · August 2019

I think the real horror is what we're knowingly, willinlgy doing to our characters, knowing they cannot permanently die. "Oh, this cliff seems pretty steep. Oh well, I'm sure I can make it. Whoops. I crushed every bone in my character's body and he is now pudding. Soul gem time!" Get them incinerated by dragons, have them literally melted or turned to ash or frozen and shattered into a thousand pieces - who cares, all it takes is one soul gem or a timed passive to come back. Or warp back to the nearest wayshrine. Can you imagine what it must be like if that sort of thing happened to you again and again and it would never end, because you simply cannot die?

Fischblut · August 2019

But what if we didnt? What if losing a battle harbored far worse consequences. Our character's life would be precious, our brothers and sisters more valuable, and their loss, much harder.

I wouldn't play this game if it was like that

ESO will never feel or look scary, it looks like a fantasy cartoon, in my opinion. For example, I play Witcher 3 in god mode, so I literally never die. But I still enjoy the creepy atmosphere, and it's enough to keep my adrenaline high - when I'm riding through a forest at night, or about to enter a dark cave, or meet a bandits on a road... I can see enemies in a cave with Witcher's sense, I know that forest around me is empty, I do not fear any consequences at all cause I will never lose a fight in god mode - and I still feel cautious there, because the atmosphere has great impact on my imagination

In ESO, unfortunately there is nothing which can make me feel the same. Whether I am at dark cave with skeletons and zombies, or at graveyard - it's just isn't scary

Even in IC, I have great fear of death simply cause of tel var loss, but this fear is totally different from adrenaline which Witcher's atmosphere gives me. I don't think it's possible to implement same atmosphere in ESO.

StabbityDoom · August 2019

Honestly the worst thing I see about the world is that people are just kinda jerks. "WHAT?!" "Another interruption..." "Can't you tell I'm busy?" etc.... nobody is really that nice.

Haquor · August 2019

Mayrael wrote: »

mague wrote: »

I liked the vanilla EQ2 version of death. People really cared to not to die. When you died you could revive at a shrine overland or at the dungeon entrance. You had to fight back "nacked" to your corpse to get your items back. Or you revived with your items but the game took your XP. Huge chunks of XP.

There have been skills and class abilities to deal with death. Scouts could go inisible when the group was about to wipe and then revive the healer. If the healer didnt forget to give him a revive feather. Invisibility totems and Scout invisible was important to "smuggle" the group back to the dead bodies.

I think today this all is regarded as waste of time. But back then it defined pace and group play. Not to die was bigger then to achieve something.

I liked those mechanics also. In addition to your input in Age of Conan after you died you received debuff (it stacked to some point) that lowered your stats, you could find your tombstone to remove the debuff or wait (can't remember the time) till it vanishes on its own.

But I think mechanics like those wouldn't fit ESO, this game is as casual friendly as possible, any kind of punishment after death would cause masses rage

Loved Age of Conan. Loved it for years.

AcadianPaladin · August 2019

The fact that it is easy to rez actually makes it no less traumatic for me and my elf. Dying is a big big deal and, as odd as it sounds, it actually 'hurts' since I am quite close to my elf. She began her journey in 2007 in Oblivion. After she learned time travel, she moved to Skyrim in 2014, then on to ESO in 2016. In ESO we found that we need several 'variants' of her (different class/specs) to not feel overly restricted but she moves among classes as easily as she changes costumes or hairstyles. Anyway, yes, dying is a big deal to us. That is one (of many) reason we avoid PvP where dying (alot) is a very big part of the process and you have to develop a casual attitude about dying. That doesn't work for us. We approach more challenging PvE content cautiously and try to be well qualified and ready before attempting big challenges. We boycott dungeons that are full of one shot mechanics and, after a small number of dragon fights, now avoid those for the same reason (random unpredictable one shots).

Skullderic · August 2019

I like being a Ghost for a short time, I ready don't like the fact all my char make a weird nerco sound when they do now!
I'm a Ghost, Not a Necro sommened, Lame.

rpa · August 2019

Just forget scary. Any game where one has to find and kill monsters and win or die is not scary.

Problem with actually dying is that it is not scary, just annoying. Dying taking away ones progression, its not scary, but triple annoying. Fighting monsters is not scary either. Even seeing monsters is not scary. Gloomy scenery with inadequate lighting is not scary if there is no good reason to be scared, just another major annoyance.

Something where one has to avoid hinted but unseen dangers one can not fight back, that can be scary but even in games like Amnesia, actually dying kind of kills the mood. And successfully putting that in a MMO may be rather difficult.

ozm8ey · August 2019

No, but I find the real world more horrific than its portrayed.

SirLeeMinion · August 2019

I do, OP, but in a different way. Think about the poor souls that were sucked into soul gems. Their eternity is gone- forever destroyed because somebody wanted to recharge a weapon. But, even eternal annihilation seems preferable to ending up in the domain of a daedric prince. Is there an eternal state in ESO that you would actually want to go to after you die? I have yet to see one that looks even remotely appealing.

Ardaghion · August 2019

Berserkerkitten wrote: »

I think the real horror is what we're knowingly, willinlgy doing to our characters, knowing they cannot permanently die. "Oh, this cliff seems pretty steep. Oh well, I'm sure I can make it. Whoops. I crushed every bone in my character's body and he is now pudding. Soul gem time!" Get them incinerated by dragons, have them literally melted or turned to ash or frozen and shattered into a thousand pieces - who cares, all it takes is one soul gem or a timed passive to come back. Or warp back to the nearest wayshrine. Can you imagine what it must be like if that sort of thing happened to you again and again and it would never end, because you simply cannot die?

You should watch this anime: Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World (Massive Spoilers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4dGnlZ6ifk

ArchMikem · August 2019

Imagine if mobs locked your character into a killing blow animation and you couldnt do anything as they screamed, unless a friendly bashed or cast an interrupt.

geonsocal · August 2019

howdy @ArchMikem ...glad to still see your name still here on the forums...so many new ones...so many old ones will never see again...

I'll never forget one time traveling through the Rift...usually I'm sprinting everywhere on the map...i actually was moving slowly and paying more attention than normal to the environment...

suddenly realized there were worm cultists everywhere digging up graves and re-aninimating the dead...

definitely a cool and creepy moment...

oh yeah, what was the comic you were reading?

Alienoutlaw · August 2019

its a game, not worthy of that much thought

ArchMikem · August 2019

geonsocal wrote: »

howdy @ArchMikem ...glad to still see your name still here on the forums...so many new ones...so many old ones will never see again...

I'm afraid I'll be here until the end of time....(servers shut down or the game goes down a dark path i can't follow)

oh yeah, what was the comic you were reading?

The Hunters of Salamanstra. It's on Keenspot.

r34lian · August 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

The ability to just come back to life with a Soul Gem is taken for granted.

Touch on Dragon fights for example. These things take massive amounts of beating and dozens of fighters. You cast Vigor from a ways back and watch in silence as several of your fellow Vestiges are incinerated from above. A few are unlucky to be targeted by the one shot for being too close. They're eaten alive. Flame Atronachs burn you. Iron Atronachs melt your bodies. The flame Wraiths tear your flesh. Our friends and companions die every day in Tamriel, but its okay cause we have wayshrines and soul gems and even a free revive thanks to the soul magic passive.

But what if we didnt? What if losing a battle harbored far worse consequences. Our character's life would be precious, our brothers and sisters more valuable, and their loss, much harder.

I really appreciate Healers. :'(

Sorry, i just got done reading a webcomic where a lot of likable characters die and i get very emotional over the subject of loss.

Nerd

bluebird · August 2019

There are plenty of horrific things in the game world even without examining game mechanics like soul gems.

Like the dunmer soldier lady who has her eyes sucked out of her skull by hagravens. Her screams as she wakes up from the paralysis spell and realizes she is blind will haunt me for all eternity.

Or Imperial City. The entire city is an open mass grave of torture and death.

Or the story of Lamae Bal.