What keeps you here?

twisttop138 · February 6

I wasn't sure what to title this thread. The will to carry on sounded dramatic in a funny way but I guess it doesn't matter. Ive been thinking about something recently. I came back from a break of 4ish years a year ago. I played at launch and left and came back for console release. I played for years and then took a break. Since I've been back I've been hitting it pretty hard. Now that my kids are teenagers and I'm not killing myself working so hard, I have time. I've thrown myself into raiding, learning hard mode trials and dungeons. Questing, housing, even became an officer in an amazing social guild.

I'm having such a a great time but I've noticed lately that I've played less and less. When I log in, I kinda spin in circles in skingrad. To break it up and not get burned out I started playing fallout 76 again. I realized that if it was before, I would just stop playing. But I have things that keep me here. I can't imagine my life without the great friends I've made in guild, who even if I'm playing something different, I'm still in PSN voice chat with every night. Or on discord chatting every day. Or the amazing fun times I've had with my raid teams. The hours of laughs and accomplishments.

Those things helped me realize I don't want to leave. I just need to play a bit different. They're what keep me logged in, not some dark patterns in gaming stuff. Plus the many different things to do. I've turned to collecting though the grinding for stuff like vampire paintings or velothi triptychs or other rare items is a burn out in itself lol.

So I'm curious. Is it just me? When you feel burnt out on the game or start to feel less of a need to log in, what keeps you going? What did you use to keep your interest up?

(Sorry if it seems a little disjointed. I wrote it over 2 hours as I keep getting pulled away by work.)

Edit to add. I hope folks see this the way I intended. I see lots of talk about what drives people away or what will drive folks away or kill the game. So I'm curious to see what keeps people playing instead. The good things, one would hope, that makes you happy here.

Silaf · February 6

We are not real. All people in this forum are parts of your dream and they never existed in the first place. It's you keeping us trapped here!

Even the game you are playing has the same setting with a godhead dreaming all ESO universe.
That's your subconscious speaking to you.

Wake up!

frogthroat · February 6

Release us! We are trapped in your dream. You need to wake up.

Wake up!

emilyhyoyeon · February 6

I just play this game because I like playing in the Elder Scrolls world which is also why I play the single player titles as well. Any times I felt like not logging in, I just don't and do other things I want to do.

twisttop138 · February 6

Silaf wrote: »

We are not real. All people in this forum are parts of your dream and they never existed in the first place. It's you keeping us trapped here!

Even the game you are playing has the same setting with a godhead dreaming all ESO universe.
That's your subconscious speaking to you.

Wake up!

I suspected as much! Now show me how to fly in my dream, figment of my imagination.

Last'One · February 6

Keep me here?! Where, on the forum or in-game?

In-game: absolutely nothing. lol! I’m done with this nonsense. The game has become nothing more than a toxic place. The fun is gone, the lore is gone, the magic is gone… for me, they simply killed the Elder Scrolls experience to the point that I even hate Skyrim now. lol! Amazing!

On the forum: well, I just want to watch the boat sink like the Titanic.

Horace-Wimp · February 6

twisttop138 wrote: »

...So I'm curious. Is it just me? When you feel burnt out on the game or start to feel less of a need to log in, what keeps you going? What did you use to keep your interest up? ...

Just take a break. Don't login. Play other games, read some books, go for long walks and enjoy the Natural World, spend time with people you like AND that like you. There are all sorts of things you can do other than playvideo games when you feel burnt out.

There is NO shame in not playing a video game.

The game will still be here later if you choose to come back. AND you might have a better appreciation for that burned out feeling if you do.

Give it a try. See what happens.

CoronHR · February 6

not much. i've like +10k hrs and updates are less enticing. i'm looking forward to the night market, and i'm glad all the new content this year is free. so maybe free content keeps me here?

twisttop138 · February 6

CoronHR wrote: »

not much. i've like +10k hrs and updates are less enticing. i'm looking forward to the night market, and i'm glad all the new content this year is free. so maybe free content keeps me here?

I'm also pretty excited for the night market.

twisttop138 · February 6

Horace-Wimp wrote: »

twisttop138 wrote: »

...So I'm curious. Is it just me? When you feel burnt out on the game or start to feel less of a need to log in, what keeps you going? What did you use to keep your interest up? ...

Just take a break. Don't login. Play other games, read some books, go for long walks and enjoy the Natural World, spend time with people you like AND that like you. There are all sorts of things you can do other than playvideo games when you feel burnt out.

There is NO shame in not playing a video game.

The game will still be here later if you choose to come back. AND you might have a better appreciation for that burned out feeling if you do.

Give it a try. See what happens.

I've done that many times over the years and will again I'm sure. Though I probably worded it stupid, I was hoping to hear about what makes people happy in game, even if their interest is waning. Their guilds or teams or the next update, pvp etc. Maybe it didn't come across that way but I'm not forcing myself to do anything. I just realized all the great stuff that happened this year and it gave me a renewed interest.

shadyjane62 · February 6

I'm paid up till April anniversary.

whitecrow · February 6

I have no social life.

AzuraFan · February 6

I still have stuff to do that I enjoy. As long as that's true, I'll be here. When I run out of enjoyable stuff to do, I'll leave.

Ever since they dumped the Q4 story DLC and the annual chapters had less to do, ESO hasn't been my main game. It gets about 15-20% of my gaming time. SP games get the rest.

Right now, I'm working on stuff like the antiquities codex and a few achievements I still want. Later this year, I'll do the story content, hope the warden isn't destroyed by the rework (instant exit from the game for me if it's ruined because my main is a warden), and check out the solo dungeons. I have zero interest in zones like the Night Market.

Destai · February 6

twisttop138 wrote: »

Those things helped me realize I don't want to leave. I just need to play a bit different. They're what keep me logged in, not some dark patterns in gaming stuff. Plus the many different things to do. I've turned to collecting though the grinding for stuff like vampire paintings or velothi triptychs or other rare items is a burn out in itself lol.

So I'm curious. Is it just me? When you feel burnt out on the game or start to feel less of a need to log in, what keeps you going? What did you use to keep your interest up?

What keeps me on the forum? Two things - it's honestly kind of a tick that started during Covid. And, I use it to practice my communication skills. What keeps me in-game? My characters, the sunk costs, my love of Tamriel, habit, and GW2 isn't on consoles.

But to your post here - there's a difference between being burnt out on certain activities vs the whole game. Most of last year I was burnt out on the whole game. I was especially burnt out with the way ZOS had been handling things for the last few years. But I also wasn't interested in the game. If you have to search for things, that's a sign it's the whole game.

I won't force myself to play. I'll play different games and if/when the time is right come back. The new approach and leadership brought me back, and even though I'm doing mostly the same things, I've had enough time away that they're fresh-ish again. Sounds like you need a break. If you come back, cool. If not, hope you find a game you enjoy.

TairenSoul · February 6

I have been playing Elder Scrolls since Arena. It's my favorite game series and genre. I also stay since I have so much time and money invested. I just play other games if I find it gets too tedious. I'm actually just back after a 7 month hiatus.

Tariq9898 · February 6

The stories, lore, and worldbuilding.

I’ve always been a huge fan of epics in general, both ancient and modern. Elder Scrolls, Ramayana, Halo, Gilgamesh, Warhammer 40k, Journey to the West, Dune, The Mahabharata, Lord of the Rings, Iliad/Odyssey, Elden Ring, etc. I’m always interested in their own cultures, traditions, religions, histories, and archetypes and just the overall ethos.

katanagirl1 · February 6

The thing that keeps me here is all the fun I have had over the life of the game. I’m struggling a bit because the new content release has slowed way down, and I have done a lot of things in the game already and don’t want to do them again. I try to keep going in Cyrodiil and trials because I enjoy the former most of the time and the latter because I still have achievements to complete there.

I stay here and hope that there will be things other than Sheo and TG quests in the future, like more new areas in the game to explore.

Desiato · February 6

When I feel like I'm not having fun, I just stop playing until I feel like playing again -- which might be days/weeks/months/years. Eventually I won't come back.

I mainly come back because of a lack of other options. It is a bad time for game development because of global economic issues.

What I do love about ESO is the crisp, fluid, high APM combat. It's kind of a game I play in between games to keep my gaming skills up. If you don't use it, you lose it and I'm at an age where it might not come back!

SilverBride · February 6

Housing and my friends.

I used to quest every day and always do new content on all 7 of my characters before I resume with older zones I still need. But I am stuck in Eastern Solstice with my 3rd character and haven't quested for a few weeks. I just plain don't like the zone, which surprises me because I really enjoyed Western Solstice (except for the Writhing Wall dailies).

I still enjoy things enough to continue but hope I get my desire to quest back soon because I really used to love it.

Soarora · February 6

Approximately one friend and my guild. Life permitting, as long as my guild is either alive or there are things that can be done to make it alive, I’m here I suppose.

robertlabrie · February 6

My guild is pretty awesome, but I got my "final warning" so I turned off all chat and am liquidating my craft bag before I get banned.

Gabriel_H · February 6

"What keeps you here?" ... masochism, duh!

NotaDaedraWorshipper · February 6

Wellm it definitely isn't my better judgement.

AcadianPaladin · February 6

The mass, scale and beauty of the game. Epic music. Solid combat. Fabulous outfitting system. Enjoyable companion system. Repeatable daily quests.

SneaK · February 6

Stockholm Syndrome

Supreme_Atromancer · February 6

Its my Elder Scrolls fix.

madmidwestmark · 12:55AM

Playing with my guild mates

BretonMage · 4:57AM

I still log on but I'm not spending much time in-game anymore. I guess I log on out of habit, to visit my homes, and to farm a bit.

With new content seemingly slowing down, I'm starting to feel a bit anxious about ESO. I do wish we could go back and replay old content, because that would increase the longevity of the game significantly for me.

Arboz · 11:54AM

Troll needs food.

robwolf666 · 11:55AM

I stay because it's Elder Scrolls. If it was just another generic MMO I wouldn't be playing it.

If I find myself getting a little bored, I just make a new character and try a new build, or an unconventional build to see if I can make it work.

There's plenty to do in the game, but when you've played it for a long time, and know where everything is, and have done it all - at least the stuff you're interested in - unless something new gets released within the game, yes, it can get a bit samey after awhile.