I tried to get into the questing but I to find the stories kinda weak and the characters uninteresting. I also tried to get into trials and pve but honestly the things that draw me to that sort of stuff simply don't exist in this game so that got somewhat stale too since it was just all about rote memorization. PvP definitely has it's issues but with the right crowd on the right nights Cyrodiil really can be a blast. (just maybe take it in doses since it's easy to get frustrated too when you see the lack of care given to that part of the game).

For me, it's primarily friends, if not for my friends I likely wouldn't still be here considering my other reasons for playing have been hit hard over the past year or so.

The second reason is my love of theorycrafting builds. I love the idea to looking at different sets/abilities and trying to find ways to make them strong.

The third reason was how fun my main (magsorc) used to be to play.

Unfortunately, with the constant changes that are heavily pushing players into using only the newest sets, my second reason has become less and less rewarding and with the constant pigeonholing of magsorc into zoo sorc (which I don't enjoy) for years now, as well as the constant gutting of sorc in general for the sins of stamsorc, overtuned abilities and bugged sets, my interest in this game has severely waned recently.

My motivation springs from avoiding burnout in the first place, I suppose. I enjoy being in Tamriel, but I don't force myself to log in when its not really what I feel like doing. If it starts feeling more like a chore than a source of fun, then I play a different game or do something else entirely until the idea of logging into ESO is more appealing again.

I've never been the kind of player that sticks with a single game and keeps to a regular schedule of "x" amount of time a day, but if I like an MMO I'll probably be around until it dies. Just not all the time. Housing is a big draw for me, I love the housing in ESO (although I do think they could offer more in the rotation) because there are so many choices both in terms of the home itself and the furnishings.

By now the only thing keeping me playing this game is my Godslayer prog team. GS has been my big goal since I started getting into group PvE back in late 2019, and now that I'm in a consistent prog team for it with people I enjoy playing with, I'm going to stick with it until I get GS. That being said, as soon as I get GS, and our group disbands, I'm uninstalling and not coming back for a long time.

Questing mainly. I play slowly, with limited time and multiple characters so I've still got a lot I want to do and I work through it as and when I have time.

I enjoy other things in the game too, like housing, doing activities with my guilds and sometimes some of the events (when it's not just grinding for loot) but it's the questing that mainly appeals to me and keeps me coming back. I've been a fan of TES games for years and got ESO hoping it would be the game that would eventually let me see all of Tamriel in one game.

Habbit for me.

Seems like it's time to take a break. That's what I'm doing currently, and it feels great! When a game feels too much like work, and you have no innate motivation to play then it is time.

If you feel you cannot stop playing, and are not enjoying your gaming experience, then it's time make a deeper assessment.

Recognizing that ESO should not be my only game, as it was for a long time
I skipped the Witch's Festival because I finally realized I don't care about collecting stuff
Building characters was fun, but after 25 L50 characters, I've had about enough of that
I have more gold than I'll ever spend, so not much incentive to continue a lot of crafting
I just finished the new DLC quest line
It was particularly fun for me because I just got a new PC with 2K 32-inch gaming monitor - what a difference that makes! The colors are amazing and the game loads and switches screens in seconds.
But I plan to play other games as well, delving into ESO for new adventures but no longer expecting it to meet all my needs

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

Elder Fashion Online.

Pretty much.

Right now? Hardly anything. Will check out Galen once it hit's console. But in all honesty: With my Raid and my trifecta group having disbanded, there isn't much left to do right now. Overworld PvE is bland. It misses any form of challenge.

As for PvP? Well, it feels like being a mess for what seems like an eternity now. Balance. Performance. Active players. Nothing is where it feels right.

The "good" thing though: There is plenty of enjoyable games out there. So I check back now and then in ESO. Check back on the forums. Maybe the game will improve and I will return. Maybe it does not and I just won't? I assume the last, because ZOS seems to focus on getting as much money out of everyone for the least amount of effort they put into the game. This will not work for player retention. At least not for me.

Anyway, a slight glimpse in the future that just might come true:
We will see bleeding numbers with new lows on par with pre 2020 with February.
Option 1: we get a banger as an expansion pack next year and ESO will recover
Option 2: we do get another expansion with features no one asked for and the game with continue to ever so slowly bleed even more players.

If you asked me what the game needed to get me back? This is hard. I guess I want a "better" game? One more refined in regards to animations and combat feel? One with a bigger population? One with my friends back in it? One with less bugs, better performance? With less emphasis on selling you stuff via ingame shop and more earnable rewards?

I almost feel trapped into playing until Oct 1st, next year --- Steam says ZOS charged it twice, and ZOS insists that Steam sent it in twice .... but when I was re-subbing for 6 months, it went through twice --- fortunately, they are giving me the year, and not running both at the same time (thank you, for that)

But. I am going to be here for at least that long, as I already paid for it....
Am, VERY Much, hoping for some fixes -- the blocking bug is a bit rough, as I usually Tank/Heal with my small circle..... but it is making them step up some, as they are newer players than I am, so there is that.

I think the potential, even with the recent issues, is there for a great game ..... I can even see where U35 can get us there..... I do see that there is a path on it .... just hoping that the company is looking at the path, too.

Auldwulfe

Honestly? I'm not sure what keeps me logging in. At worst, I log in once a day for the log in bonus and endevours, at best I play for a couple hours doing whatever happens to be my fancy at the time. Changing my characters builds, getting achivements, (instantly regreattably) PvP'ing, even just running around a little for a Harvest run. I can't quite place the reason why I do though. I suppose a little is feeling the *need* to log in daily for the rewards and endevours, another I suppose could be the gameplay is so simple that it's easy to just switch my brain off and do a thing with a video on the site, or perhaps it's just the call of the ES world and my characters that keep me coming back.

Can't place it exactly, but I guess it's working.

I have goals I want to achieve. But once I've done them im out.

Don't get suckered in by the Sunk Cost Fallacy.