Starting Zone - how would you rather start your game?

mfcostacampos · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

Wa2p wrote: »

mfcostacampos wrote: »

Chaos2088 wrote: »

This would be the best I think as all those who like to rp can really choose, plus would be fun when rolling an alt.

You can kinda just do that now, I just pick a random zone and start there.

You can't play through the tutorial though. I've only played the Elsweyr one, but it does a significant job of setting the scene...

So you know all about the planemeld, three banners war, and why you can res as azure plasm from the elsweyr tutorial? The one I played just laid out that necros and dragons were a thing. Those things have been missing from the tutorials for ages, you have to kind of infer it, or if you do manage to do the soul shriven quest assuming you end up in a main alliance landing zone in any relative quick fashion. I like the more succinct tutorials for mechanics f the game, but they don't... fully explain why things work the way they do. Or really explain it at all. Might not matter for some, but for others that's prime territory to get absolutely lost. Especially if you're coming from 1 elder scrolls game or none.

that's kind of what I meant with my reply to the poster I quoted - if you jump straight to the starting zones you miss a load of context

darthgummibear_ESO · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

I'm kind of between choosing and having it be coldharbour. If it is someone's first character, it should be Coldharbour...no question. After that you should be able to choose.

FierceSam · February 2020

I think another option.

A better tutorial, one which actually goes into more detail about basic gameplay and fighting and is replayable, then the option of starting your story from a particular point of your choosing.

mfcostacampos · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

FierceSam wrote: »

I think another option.

A better tutorial, one which actually goes into more detail about basic gameplay and fighting and is replayable, then the option of starting your story from a particular point of your choosing.

I created the poll trying to only suggest options that would require a minimal amount of effort from the development team - essentially so that they couldn't push back with excuses related to complexity.
I think the most important thing is that out of everyone that voted so far, only a shocking 1% don't mind the current state of the game.

parpin · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

i do not understand why ZOS insisting on starting new players and new toons on latest chapter, new players must start in cold shiriven and they continue to play the zones of their own faction, it totally make sense and not confusing for new players, as for veteran players they should have option to choose where they want to start as simple as that, the current system is confusing for new players and kinda make no sense, ZOS listen to players and fix it.

RebornV3x · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

how about being able to select which start right after character creation

Coldharbour Start: "small synopsis of the story" with yellow lettering saying "for new players or those wanting to follow a more linear story the way Elder Scrolls Online was meant to be played"

Newest Chapter start: "small synopsis of the story and features" with yellow lettering "for returning players and those that want to experience the newest content in The Elder Scrolls Online right away"

DMuehlhausen · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

They should have built the expansions is after the main molag bal story quest. I hate how they just threw their lore out the window with having Sai and Titanborn as possible NPCs after you might have sacrificed them.

parpin · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

also i remembered something, when i made new toon in elswer a year ago, i went to starting zone of my faction and they made animation where manemarco killed me and i started again in cold shiriven, like i had 2 starting area, it was absurd, i do not know whether it is still in the game or not, but ZOS choose hard way rather than just simply notify players in character creations and give them option lol

Danikat · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

Most of the time I'd like to start in Coldharbour because I think it makes the most sense, not just for the story order but even for the lore behind some of the game mechanics like wayshrines and ressurection.

But occasionally I might want to start a character in a different location, and since they've gone to the trouble of making a bunch of tutorials they may as well get used.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy, they could just expand the current box which asks if you want to play or skip the tutorial to ask where you want to start.

mfcostacampos · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

Danikat wrote: »

Most of the time I'd like to start in Coldharbour because I think it makes the most sense, not just for the story order but even for the lore behind some of the game mechanics like wayshrines and ressurection.

But occasionally I might want to start a character in a different location, and since they've gone to the trouble of making a bunch of tutorials they may as well get used.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy, they could just expand the current box which asks if you want to play or skip the tutorial to ask where you want to start.

Exactly - it's that simple.
I don't get why they don't just do it.

Langdon64 · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

When I started playing, I was dumped into the mind trap. I had no idea what was going on. It was quite confusing.

bethsheba · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

Way too confusing for new players who come in and have to search for the Original questline, IF, they even know it exists. There was SO much invested in that original questline, I just don’t know why it isn’t still the main focus for a new character. That being said, I do get that perhaps just have it first in a List of tutorial options that show when a character is created and that varies depending on which version of the game you currently have. But it should definitely always be there in the #1 slot.

AcadianPaladin · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

I answered the question quite literally - 'Starting Zone - how would you rather start your game?'

I'd go for Coldharbour every time. That said, not everyone feels the same so I think giving players options about where/how to start would be grand.

Iskiab · February 2020

Start in the tutorial zone for the most recent chapter I own (current approach).

How it is now works. Do the tutorial, port to a stable, log in every day buying mount speed and sleep on the character for 2 months.

MerguezMan · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

Iccotak wrote: »

what I want to return to the game - give players this original epic opening that sets the tone of the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6070A_hi8

Why was this removed anyway ?

We could have this as a default starter, AND the intro/tutorial quests for each chapters when hopping there for the first time.

Zephiran23 · February 2020

Other

Starting with the main quest line in the Wailing Prison makes the most sense for how the continent is currently laid out. There's no reason that can't be redesigned to improve the experience for new players and to better teach basic mechanics.

I do have some sympathy for the ZOS line of if you've bought the game on the basis of the latest DLC you probably want to experience that straight away. However, given the way various characters keep getting brought back into the story, a non-linear narrative is jarring.

As it's currently structured the game does a very poor job of guiding new players through the story that players who started before the 1st DLC have been able to experience. More than many other games/franchises, the story is important in the ES universe and fixing the tutorial to successive game zone transition(s) needs to be improved.

Whoever's in charge of that aspect of customer interaction seems to be getting overruled by other considerations, which I think is to the detriment of the game.

Sylvermynx · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

Iccotak wrote: »

what I want to return to the game - give players this original epic opening that sets the tone of the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6070A_hi8

Thank you for posting that opening cinematic, as I'd never seen it, except for the bits incorporated into the current beginning for the Main Quest.

Oh my goddesses..... that MUSIC! Grabbed me by the throat and sent me into chills and shivers - husband was like, "are you okay?...."

[Because it sent me right straight back to Oblivion.... in case that wasn't immediately obvious....]

tomofhyrule · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

Iccotak wrote: »

what I want to return to the game - give players this original epic opening that sets the tone of the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY6070A_hi8

Dude, that was epic!

I didn't start ESO until only about 6 months ago, and most of that was since I don't really like MMOs in general. I ended up with the Morrowind start, but I just went straight off to Davon's Watch to skip right to the main story. I wish I'd been able to start that way.

They really should give us an option for which tutorial/zone we want to start in...

FierceSam · February 2020

The reality in ZOS’s heads is this.

Players who bought in to the original Molag Bal storyline, the 3 banners war etc have had 5 years to get into the game. If they haven’t been sold on that (and it’s a dirt cheap $5 sale for the base game), then they aren’t going to be leaping in now.

All the new players are coming in based on their being excited by the new content.They want to go to revisit Morrowind, go back to Summerset, play a Necro or kill Dragons. They don’t want to be told they have to wade their way through Cadwell’s Gold before they are ‘allowed’ to do the content they’ve bought.

It’s like someone buying, say, Diablo 4 and being told they really shouldn’t be playing it until they’ve waded through the first 3. Sure some will want to do that and they’ll no doubt get an enormous amount of pleasure doing that, but the vast majority will want to go straight to the new stuff and there is nothing wrong with that and they’d take exception to anyone telling them otherwise.

The balance ZOS have to try to get right is providing enough teaching so players grasp the very most basic elements of the game, while getting them to their chosen content as fast as possible. And, having sold them anew game, I’m not sure it’s in anyone’s interest to add in a whole new set of options right at the start.

Deter1UK · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

VaranisArano wrote: »

If I had my way, we'd get a splash screen with something like this:

Year of the Dragon - Face the wrath of dragons in Khajiit lands in ESO's latest Chapter Elsweyr! Year of the Dragon includes: Wrathstone, Elsweyr, Scalebreaker, and Dragonhold.
Begin in Elsweyr. / Skip Tutorial

Daedric Wars - Foil the dark plots of Daedric Princes while aiding the people of Vvardenfell, Clockwork City, and Summerset! Includes: Morrowind, Clockwork City, Summerset
Begin in Morrowind. / Skip Tutorial
Begin in Summerset. / Skip Tutorial

Planemeld - Captured by the Worm Cult and your soul sacrificed to Molag Bal, embark on ESO's Main Quest to save Tamriel and regain your soul! Includes: Elder Scrolls Online (Base Game)
Begin in the Wailing Prison. / Skip Tutorial

Add in Greymoor and new Chapters as they launch.

This really.

Sphinxmoth · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

Well, new players usually just jumping in the game only for Chapter features, like "Oh, oh, Vvardenfell, land of my childhood!" or "Oh, oh, Elsweyr, cat-folk, Dragons, necromancers, it's amazing!" So it sounds logical for newcomers to start through recent Chapter tutorial to get the content they've came for, by not enabling opinion to choose starting zone (pretty much like with tutorials — if you don't have any characters on this server, you can't skip tutorial).
And if player already have any character, there can be enabled list with starting zones (like on PTS, in left top corner, in character creation window).
Also, it would be amazing, if the Wailing Prison was reseted to it's prior Update 6 version, which, imho, looks more complex and logical (with original intro).

P.S. Sorry for my bad English.

Alienoutlaw · February 2020

ideally without a login error or 2min load screen

Lethallin · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

Coldharbour Questline for sure, you should be able to choose where you start off though (out of Bleakrock, Khenarthi's Roost, Stros M'Kai) regardless of Alliance.

wolf486 · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

Choice or Cold Shriven. I just hate the recent chapter start

Strike_Maximus · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

I belive brand new accounts should always start with the base game start it's so much better to somewhome who is new and does not know what's going on. Let eveyone else that has already had base game start decide where they want to start.

redlink1979 · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

As it was prior to One Tamriel, it just makes more sense.

mfcostacampos · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

So at what point will we have enough votes on the poll for this to be worthy of a response from Zenimax? lol
Would be good to at least know if they definitely won't make any changes...

snoozy · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

give us the choice.

it's beyond me how so many people wanna start in coldharbour. hate the place, sick and tired of it

there are other ways to get skillpoints and xp.

mfcostacampos · February 2020

Always start with 'Cold Shriven in Cold Harbour' (Main Quest)

snoozy wrote: »

give us the choice.

it's beyond me how so many people wanna start in coldharbour. hate the place, sick and tired of it
there are other ways to get skillpoints and xp.

I think people want to start there purely based on them wanting to start the story in the right chronological order.
It's not a long mission anyway and adds context that people would otherwise not have (eg. why people call you Soul Shriven, or why Skyshards even exist)

haelene · February 2020

Choose which tutorial out of the zones I own I'd like to start in (including a 'Random' option).

I feel like your first character should start with the Cold Harbour so that you have the appropriate intro to the basic lore of the game and the core story line (plus it starts you in your alliance city). However, I do think after your first character you should be able to choose between all the available beginnings.