How are folks feeling about new ESO direction?

FlipFlopFrog · March 16

I think everybody has missed the smallest but most important detail concerning the direction of the game. The flashy over the top almost anime style animations which can be seen with the two handed weapon refresh.

The Elder Scrolls series has always leaned toward a grounded, believable art style rather than the exaggerated, flashy aesthetic often associated with anime. From the early days of Morrowind and Oblivion and especially Skyrim, the visual design has focused on creating a world that feels ancient, lived-in, and rooted in realistic medieval inspirations. Armour looks heavy and practical, architecture feels weathered and functional, and environments emphasize natural landscapes rather than stylized spectacle.

Even when the series explores fantastical concepts like Daedra, magic, or otherworldly realms the presentation is usually restrained and atmospheric rather than flamboyant. For example, the alien landscapes of Vvardenfell in Morrowind still feel like part of a believable ecosystem, and Skyrim’s Nordic ruins, fur armour, and rugged mountains reinforce a gritty, grounded tone inspired by real-world Scandinavian cultures.
This design philosophy carried into The Elder Scrolls Online when it launched. Its art direction aimed to unify the different provinces of Tamriel while keeping the series’ signature realism, muted colours, functional armour, and environments that look like places people actually live.

It's a bit concerning that newer creative direction in ESO seems to be drifting toward flashier mounts, glowing cosmetics and over the top animations that can feel closer to anime or high-fantasy spectacle than the grounded tone the series traditionally maintained.

While cosmetic variety can be fun, the worry is that too much of this style risks diluting the immersive, “lived-in world” feeling that has always been central to the identity of The Elder Scrolls.
In short, the franchise built its reputation on believable fantasy rather than visual spectacle. That's what we expect. Shifting too far toward a flashy, stylized direction risks losing the atmospheric realism that made Tamriel feel like a real place rather than just a fantasy theme park.

spartaxoxo · March 17

The Elder Scrolls has always had fantastical elements. I don't think that a ton has changed, except with the melee weapons. Spells were always flashy. The current mounts don't look crazy different to Arvak.

R.857fb1b918d083faaf4e0ff234b9ea7f?rik=c7hU%2frbc2mlJLg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fvignette2.wikia.nocookie.net%2fa-skyrim-tale-by-venturian%2fimages%2f1%2f14%2f22089-1-1366559405.jpg%2frevision%2flatest%3fcb%3d20140102100119&ehk=C%2fpHIJwuHwsjUIdn1aPGc2%2bWNRmRnY1UnUCk3%2feLpSE%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

R.857fb1b918d083faaf4e0ff234b9ea7f?rik=c7hU%2frbc2mlJLg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fvignette2.wikia.nocookie.net%2fa-skyrim-tale-by-venturian%2fimages%2f1%2f14%2f22089-1-1366559405.jpg%2frevision%2flatest%3fcb%3d20140102100119&ehk=C%2fpHIJwuHwsjUIdn1aPGc2%2bWNRmRnY1UnUCk3%2feLpSE%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

_oFqLIjdapRu3WxvHEmZxcY8jrdi0W5Nx-9Q2RNUwKCcHbaQzhPGEn1wcs9LO97CCa4kWVF8u1uXiAGmn8g67nRfHlDYEbwZDc8J5-v-g4NDB4U6eVHc553TDBTygApfsNtPbf4X

I think that the problem is that it's an MMO and you can't turn off others visual effects. Arvak was special to you. If everyone is running around with him, then it just becomes mundane looking.

Thankfully, we'll be getting something done about this soon so we'll able to adjust these effects somehow at a later date as part of their plans.

I do think the 2H weapons shouldn't be as flashy though. That was always the option for those who preferred a more mundane look.

Syldras · March 17

spartaxoxo wrote: »

If good quests becomes background noise because it's to be expected then they become harder to appreciate on their own merits.

I didn't talk about good quests, but about basic zone background lore. From my point of view, there is a difference. I view a quest as a specific (more or less one-time) "event" or experience - like watching a movie or reading a book - , hopefully being atmospheric in visuals and dialogue, and leaving an impact, either emotionally or by making one think about a topic for a while. Interesting writing can achieve that, no matter if it's for a movie, a game, or if it's a book. Basically it feels like a short trip into a different world or era. The Corelanya Manor quest absolutely achieved that for me, to name one example.

Background lore, mostly narrated through lorebooks or through different dialogue bits throughout a zone, or through environmental storytelling, is of course important for world building as well. But it still feels different to me. It's not as scenic in the theatrical sense, it's not as dense in terms of atmosphere, it's a aspect that develops over a longer time, and it often has a more informative feel (it doesn't tell us a specific story, it tells us about the place where we are, the parameters of the world basically). Of course that means it's "background noise" in a way, compared to the atmospherically condensed type of storytelling that we see in quests. And while it doesn't leave that impact that a singular event in a story can achieve, it's still important, of course - but in a different way. It is a necessity in a way. Could a zone be released without any lore background at all? Of course not. We don't walk through a grey void (let alone that even a grey void would lead to lore questions).

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I just know I'm more likely to enjoy the stories if I evaluate each on its own merits before thinking about how it compares to the broader Elder Scrolls experience.

It's more like one might find a thing awesome until one realizes it can also be done better. Of course standards remain after that. Someone who might have only read some badly written cheap novels before might completely change their view about how good writing looks like once they've experienced it. And then, sadly, slop won't feel like the acceptable standard anymore - but like slop. And while I would not put ESO on that low level, there are big writing quality differences throughout the years.

heimdall14_9 · March 17

for me this last update destroyed my love for the game automated actions do not need to be allowed but being popularity is key to keeping players around so they have allowed just that a game ruled by add-ons ..... something i can never stand behind in my games i choose to buy or play

Syldras · March 17

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I think that the problem is that it's an MMO and you can't turn off others visual effects. Arvak was special to you. If everyone is running around with him, then it just becomes mundane looking.

Arwak wasn't only special (or not, depending on character) to the player, but it was a special and unique being in the narration. It had a special status. And as such it deserved, from my point of view, a special look. Like artifacts can be "flashy" (and if they're not, that might also mean a thing, narratively). Or like some powerful spell can look like one. That's not the problem. The problem is if everything looks like a laser show, the important items don't leave that much of an impactful impression anymore. It negatively impacts the worldbuilding/atmosphere and the storytelling.

Also there's the problem of eyestrain. While one horse with blue flames might not be too eye-straining, 5 or 10 of them might be an entirely different thing.

spartaxoxo · March 17

Syldras wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I think that the problem is that it's an MMO and you can't turn off others visual effects. Arvak was special to you. If everyone is running around with him, then it just becomes mundane looking.

Arwak wasn't only special (or not, depending on character) to the player, but it was a special and unique being in the narration. It had a special status. And as such it deserved, from my point of view, a special look. Like artifacts can be "flashy" (and if they're not, that might also mean a thing, narratively). Or like some powerful spell can look like one. That's not the problem. The problem is if everything looks like a laser show, the important items don't leave that much of an impactful impression anymore. It negatively impacts the worldbuilding/atmosphere and the storytelling.

Also there's the problem of eyestrain. While one horse with blue flames might not be too eye-straining, 5 or 10 of them might be an entirely different thing.

Yeah. I agree. That's what I was trying to get at here.

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I think that the problem is that it's an MMO and you can't turn off others visual effects. Arvak was special to you. If everyone is running around with him, then it just becomes mundane looking.

I don't think the problem is the art direction but rather than it is an MMO. An MMO means a lot of Arvaks instead of just one. The mounts in this game are special lorewise too. Most NPCs aren't using them.

ETA

Well, the art exception is the 2H. I agree that it should have an option to be mundane.

BretonMage · March 17

spartaxoxo wrote: »

The Elder Scrolls has always had fantastical elements. I don't think that a ton has changed, except with the melee weapons. Spells were always flashy. The current mounts don't look crazy different to Arvak.

This is the mounting up animation for Khenarthi's Thundersteed:

Someone mounted up on one next to me and it hurt my eyes for several minutes; I had to quit the game for a bit. I would take a hundred Arvaks over this.

spartaxoxo · March 17

BretonMage wrote: »

Someone mounted up on one next to me and it hurt my eyes for several minutes; I had to quit the game for a bit. I would take a hundred Arvaks over this.

They're already adding in a way to turn that off so hopefully it will be finished sooner rather than later.

VixxVexx · March 17

A big improvement when compared to the constant back and fourth changes from before.

However, it does seems like it's winding down. They are adding things to the game that aren't too much work, but keep us busy and can be marketed as features. Some of these features would be on the level of a hotfix in most other games. I just get the feeling that there are like 5 people working on this game instead of a whole studio.

Night Market, Gold Coast Bazaar, Tomes feel like busy work
Dk changes are rushed and unfinished
Story and zone content heavily reduced
Repetative in-game events

ADarklore · March 17

VixxVexx wrote: »

A big improvement when compared to the constant back and fourth changes from before.

However, it does seems like it's winding down. They are adding things to the game that aren't too much work, but keep us busy and can be marketed as features. Some of these features would be on the level of a hotfix in most other games. I just get the feeling that there are like 5 people working on this game instead of a whole studio.
Night Market, Gold Coast Bazaar, Tomes feel like busy work

Dk changes are rushed and unfinished

Story and zone content heavily reduced

Repetative in-game events

So you're a game dev... "adding things to the game that aren't too much work"... really? And IMO, something to do is not 'busy work' it's CONTENT. DK is fine as most people are having a blast with it. Story and zone content reduced because they are focusing on other things this year- such as class reworks and adding additional, as you call it, "busy work". Would you rather it be like New World? And let's not forget, they did have a massive layoff last year and major leadership change... and considering that, I think they have done an excellent job making due with what they've been dealt.

Rungar · March 17

VixxVexx wrote: »

A big improvement when compared to the constant back and fourth changes from before.

However, it does seems like it's winding down. They are adding things to the game that aren't too much work, but keep us busy and can be marketed as features. Some of these features would be on the level of a hotfix in most other games. I just get the feeling that there are like 5 people working on this game instead of a whole studio.

I agree, they are doing things to comfort existing players, not bring new ones in or bring old ones back. I also think the team has been signifigantly reduced beyond the layoffs last year to maintain profit. Feels like resources are very limited. You would think with the loss of the other game they would proceed with a huge expansion to keep the company alive (they have no other product!) but turns out they dont need it. Microsoft is slowly exiting the games business and not just because of AI either. Keeping you distracted is no longer a priority.

Katahdin · March 17

Rungar wrote: »

VixxVexx wrote: »

A big improvement when compared to the constant back and fourth changes from before.

However, it does seems like it's winding down. They are adding things to the game that aren't too much work, but keep us busy and can be marketed as features. Some of these features would be on the level of a hotfix in most other games. I just get the feeling that there are like 5 people working on this game instead of a whole studio.

I agree, they are doing things to comfort existing players, not bring new ones in or bring old ones back..

One of the biggest complaints about almost every expansion and daily rewards and other things that it was "only for new players" and there was "nothing for long term players". How many new zones do we need that are "too easy" because its geared for new players. People complain and have complained about it for years. So now they give is something for established players and people still complain.

LadyGP · March 17

Rungar wrote: »

VixxVexx wrote: »

A big improvement when compared to the constant back and fourth changes from before.

However, it does seems like it's winding down. They are adding things to the game that aren't too much work, but keep us busy and can be marketed as features. Some of these features would be on the level of a hotfix in most other games. I just get the feeling that there are like 5 people working on this game instead of a whole studio.

I agree, they are doing things to comfort existing players, not bring new ones in or bring old ones back.

Couldn't disagree with this more. Myself, and a lot of people I know, are coming back to ESO after many years off BECAUSE of the new directions (leadership).

Syldras · April 4

Since it came up in this thread earlier, and I know some people here will find it interesting to know: I had somehow suspected it before, but I've found out now that indeed the ESO quests many of us liked most within the past few years were written by the same writer. That includes Zerith-var's and Sharp-as-Night's storylines, Corelanya Manor on Solstice and Tel Dreloth on Telvanni Peninsula. Are we allowed to write the writer's name? I don't know, but the info can be found on UESP. In any way: All is not lost.

duagloth · April 4

Different pile,same smell