Gamemaster's In-Game Presence: Still a thing?

LadyLavina · January 2023

I remembered occasionally seeing the GM's appear in game way back near launch but I have not honestly seen this kind of thing in years. (not my screenshot)

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_RichLambert not sure if you guys can comment officially, and if you can't we certainly understand, but do our beloved ghostly GM's still hang out with people ever?

Was a very cool and exciting thing to catch a glimpse of back in the day.

Anyone with stories or screenshots of these appearances from the early days, share away!

Dr_Con · January 2023

hot take: i'd rather see them banning bots on console over seeing them hanging out with players on PC (i play only PC btw).

It would be nice to have the human interaction, but if they do these things they'll get criticized for other things as the support vs gm roles are expected to overlap.

Now, if they made it clear with a statement that GMs are in the game simply to enhance it, that they're there to do events and interact with the community, and that is part of their job description, then I would be happy to see them in-game.

Heck, even 1 GM rotating between XBOX, PC, and Playstation every day on US and EU each day could leave a lasting impression and be something people look forward to.

The_Titan_Tim · January 2023

In all of my time on Xbox NA, I have never seen one Gamemaster unfortunately. As previously mentioned, the bot problem is out of control, and if there was a regular Gamemaster presence, I guarantee people wouldn’t waste their time setting them up.

alternatelder · January 2023

Isn't that a fake Gamemaster though? I thought they've always had the "Z" symbol in their name.

Maitsukas · January 2023

alternatelder wrote: »

Isn't that a fake Gamemaster though? I thought they've always had the "Z" symbol in their name.

They are supposed to have an Ouroboros symbol now, at least according to the loading screen text that can pop up every once in a while.

Jarl_Ironheart · January 2023

I've played this game for 7 years and I have never seen a GM. Not once. I've heard that they can fly apparently and stay in the sky. Sounds like a fairy tale now rhat I say it out loud.

wilykcat · January 2023

I've seen a GM in world of warcraft back in 2018. I've seen a GM in guild wars 2. I've never encountered a GM here in elderscrolls yet.

kargen27 · January 2023

Long long ago there was a GM in the game and when it was made known zone chat exploded with vile and obnoxious comments directed towards the GM and the game in general. If that was indicative of the reaction they normally get it is no wonder they went underground.

AdamLAD · January 2023

Most game devs play privately on their own accounts. The only reason you would ever see a Dev on a server is when they are working. However, most of their work can be done on private server's hence why you don't see them.

The_Titan_Tim · January 2023

kargen27 wrote: »

Long long ago there was a GM in the game and when it was made known zone chat exploded with vile and obnoxious comments directed towards the GM and the game in general. If that was indicative of the reaction they normally get it is no wonder they went underground.

Was that PC? Because I’ve been playing since Imperial City dropped on Console and there wasn’t zone chat for at least a year, and still no Gamemaster, not even a rumored one. The only reason we on console know they exist is by the loading screen describing how to identify them.

Casdha · January 2023

I know they use to exist because I've seen them. In the very early days if enough folks were stuck in the same location, like an NPC not being where they were supposed to be to advance a quest, you could type "/GM" and get an answer. If enough folks were stuck at the same point the GMs would come in and get things moving along again.

That same problem now,,,, the only answer you "might" get would be an automated email after a submitting a ticket telling you to log out for 15 minutes and try again latter.

ArchMikem · January 2023

GMs used to be present, though with everyone claiming they haven't seen one in years, it wouldn't surprise me if the GMs made their characters invisible. So moderation can be dolled out without drawing attention.

RisenEclipse · January 2023

I literally have never seen a GM lol sad that they feel the need to hide because some people are rude and can't control themselves...

Carcamongus · January 2023

I started in April 2014 and never once have I seen a GM (the person, not the car). It's a pity, as seeing one is one of the few experiences missing on my ESO bucket list, along with seeing a unicorn and getting a sweetroll autographed by Todd Howard.

Tandor · January 2023

I've played since launch and in the early days bots were a problem in delves. I played on PC EU and on one occasion the boss room was filled with characters and a Gamemaster called out for everyone present to stand back at the edge of the room. After a moment he launched an area kick which removed from the game all those who hadn't retreated.

I haven't seen a Gamemaster since, but they do apparently log in from time to time when they need to observe an issue but for obvious reasons stay invisible. Just to clarify in the light of comments above, those obvious reasons are to do with not drawing attention to their surveillance and not to do with hiding from being abused.

kargen27 · January 2023

The_Titan_Tim wrote: »

kargen27 wrote: »

Long long ago there was a GM in the game and when it was made known zone chat exploded with vile and obnoxious comments directed towards the GM and the game in general. If that was indicative of the reaction they normally get it is no wonder they went underground.

Was that PC? Because I’ve been playing since Imperial City dropped on Console and there wasn’t zone chat for at least a year, and still no Gamemaster, not even a rumored one. The only reason we on console know they exist is by the loading screen describing how to identify them.

Yeah it was on PC and was very early in the game.

Lydawobbles · January 2023

I saw once, when I first started almost 6 years ago on console. Never saw one again, and didn’t know how rare it was, so I didn’t take a screenshot or anything. I just thought “oh a game master, like they say in the load screen tidbit, cool” and kept running 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Ragnarok0130 · January 2023

I personally doubt it sinceI’ve not seen a game master in game since 2014.

Giraffon · January 2023

I suspect they are in the game, but you'll never know if you're standing next to one. My understanding is that most of them that actively play do so incognito. In a PvP situation, they would be extremely high valued targets especially for streamers.

joergino · January 2023

Why would they be interactable let alone attackable by players if they existed? That wouldn't make any sense at all.

blktauna · January 2023

Why would a Game master be a high value target? How could they even be targeted? They are basically not of Tamriel ghost-like beings with mod powers. Who would bother even if you could see them. I mean if you could it would be cool to get a screen grab with them, but I can't imagine they'd be targetable' in any sense.

Now if you are talking devs, that's a different situation and I'm sure they name change frequently, assuming they play in the wild at all.

Dragonlord573 · January 2023

When the world needed Gamemaster Bot Hunter the most he vanished