Transcribed Interview with Rich Lambert 27.05.2020

Thoragaal · May 2020

BrownChicken wrote: »

5.
Q: Will there be another Trial this year?
A: We released Kynes Aegis this year

Again, one trial per year? Seriously?

Well.. I guess you could hope for a mini-trial later on. He didn't really give a black-or-white answer, because the question wasn't stated that simply as "will we see more trials, except for Kynes Aegis, this year?".
The question was from a user that didn't appear to know that Kynes Aegis was a new trial, released with Greymoor.
Kyle then went ahead and asked Rich to maybe "tease the trial a little" and Rich gave some insights into what the trial was about.
I suggest you listen to the entire interview instead.

Elsonso · May 2020

CleymenZero wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

Dalsinthus wrote: »

Honestly he is ill suited to being the PR face of an organization. This interview doesn't make me any more interested in the game, doesn't give me any confidence that things are going to get better, and doesn't make me feel like they understand or even care about the player's experience. The attitude is palpable. (I've felt this way ever since he mocked players on Twitter for being upset by the waves of nerfs last year.) With so many non-answers, what is the point?

I respectfully disagree. He has the tendency to speak freely, where he can, and says what is on his mind. That might rub y'all the wrong way, and you might not like his decisions, but he provides useful information. For those who are willing to listen, that is. This is better than some corporate suit with a VP title rambling on about stuff that he really knows nothing about and had to be briefed on. I'll take speaking freely and directly over honeyed words from the PR person.

[snip]

He offered absolutely no valuable information as most of what he said wasn't true. I mean, I completely disagree with you but please, tell me what was valuable in this.

Information that I did not know, stuff others might have missed or not interpreted properly, and confirmations of assumptions that I have made.

They have near record numbers of PC players right now.
There will be a statement coming that talks about launch.
Confirmation that some of the performance fixes have been delivered in Greymoor.
They are not contemplating additional megaservers. No EU split.
They did complete the server upgrades that they talked about earlier this year.
There are no stealth upgrades to base game zones in progress.
We learned that the arena weapon decision was made by Rich
We learned that /bug and /feedback tickets are reviewed "raw" by Rich and other leads
They have a funneled list of /bug and /feedback tickets that are used by different teams
Harrowstorms are tuned for 4 players; 8 players will be a cakewalk.
It sounds like New Life Festival event is going to see changes this year.
A team has been put in place to work on in-game events
We learned that there is a large team working on performance, which includes more than programmers and engineers, but also various teams, like the combat team.
They confirmed that the performance work they are doing benefits both PVE and PVP.
They are not ignoring PVP and Cyrodiil and we are not seeing new features there because of the focus on performance.
They are working on the Champion System but are not ready to talk about it.
They are currently working on updates 27 (3Q), 28 (4Q), 29 (1Q) and 30 (2021 chapter)
There will be something to extend or replace Indrik mounts
The performance plan roadmap was a test to see how the community would respond to having early information that was likely to change as the plan progressed.
A planned server-side multithreading performance improvement was removed from Greymoor after it failed on PTS.
Part of the solo battleground queue decision was to see if having a solo queue brought in more players to battlegrounds who were afraid of going up against organized groups. They have not really seen this happen.
They are not looking at two queues, one for solo and one for group, because the fragmented queues would make it harder to match up for a battleground.

Interpretations are mine.

[edited for removed content]

xylena · May 2020

If you want the perfected versions, run VMA again.

No thanks, I'll run another game instead.

Destai · May 2020

@theDTV Thanks for putting this together!

I'm happy this interview happened but it doesn't really give me any hope on the performance front. Glad they acknowledged the desyncs, though. It's laughable though to say the servers are holding up when there's queues and multiple maintenances required. Coupled that with the perfected weapons comment and you can tell they're not really looking at these through the player's lens.

There's really a sense of burnout and exasperation in this interview. Feels like they're constantly climbing up hill with this engine and even with all their team working on it, they still don't know. Just goes to show releasing Greymoor wasn't the right idea right now. I get the impression they're just looking wherever in hopes they find an answer.

Destai · May 2020

Varana wrote: »

Can we, like, just stop with these "interviews" that are really just corporate-speak (i.e. empty blabber) and only do them if the guy has anything meaningful to say, actually, and knows what he's talking about?

I mean, this AMA was insightful about the vMA/vDSA issue - showing that he refuses to actually engage with the feedback. Apart from that, there wasn't much in it.

This is not "communication", this is a lot of hot air.

He needs an interview with Angry Joe or someone who'll actually grill him on this performance. I'd pay 13k crowns to see that.

Firstmep · May 2020

satanio wrote: »

What bothers me is the answer regarding next new trial this year. “We released Kyne’s Aegis.”
I hope we won’t end up like last year, with zone DLC with no PvE endgame.

I'd recommend watching the actual interview, as this transcript doesn't do it any justice.

ZOS_Mika · May 2020

Hey folks,

We have removed a few comments that were either bashing or off topic. Please remember that while it is fine to have a difference of opinion, name calling and insults are not in the spirit of our community.

Keep our Community Rules in mind moving forward. Thank you for your understanding.

technohic · May 2020

Dear @ZOS_RichLambert ; I know you didn't bring up the magic wand as it was in the question, but I find it offensive because we are not asking for that for performance. A magic wand implies instant. We are talking about over 3 months since update 25 when the game got WORSE, not better.

I'll leave it at that.

blabliblargh · May 2020

No wonder many game developers hate their playerbase and want to have to interact with it the least possible, stay away from forums, etc... for their own sanity.

Foefaller · May 2020

Ratzkifal wrote: »

I do like how he is sticking his neck out for BrianWheeler, taking the blame for the vMA and vDSA weapon debacle.
I suppose BrianWheeler gets his privilege to call us "gang" back, since it wasn't his idea.

Yeah, if nothing else kudos to Rich for taking the buck.

cheifsoap · May 2020

Nothing in this interview has convinced me to buy the latest expansion

Miswar · May 2020

That whole interview was pure corporate talk.

If they actually think that they fixed desyncs etc with patch 25 and feel things are better than what?

Just lol... this whole interview feels like PR departmernt publication.

Oh.. and Cyrodiil abysmal performance due item sets.. oh my... make everyone run naked than there.

Thanks for the laughs though. This whole transcription was hilarious fairytale

TropicsDelight · May 2020

Shaie wrote: »

22.
Q: Would you think to add barbers to the game?
A: Really gone that direction, you can kind of already change your hair at will as long as you have these collectibles. We are interested into adding new Hairstyles, but we are not thinking about adding new systems in that direction.

Hello disconnection! So we can't have a barbershop where we can change our hair from what we chose at our character's "birth" to another option that's available for that race, paid for with in-game gold? We can only change our character's hair IF WE HAVE COLLECTIBLES??? That's NOT what we're asking for but I guess unless it's something that you can charge real money for, then you won't even consider it. That's a bit on the greedy side.

A barber shop/chair would probably be a crown store sold item or could even cost gems and it would be extremely lucrative for ZOS. As a dev his strengths clearly do not lie in marketing and the sociological analysis of playerbases in these games and how to extract the most revenue from them. That is why people like him need people who are not focused on the actual development and testing of in game stuff and instead spend their days analyzing player purchases and using well known theories on human behavior traits to help itemize the crown store and crates.

He should not be expected to actually know how to do the above, the problem is when it is still left to him to do so.

xryanvb16_ESO · May 2020

28.
Q: We will ever see an system to earn Crowns through daily challenges etc?
A: Hell no, we're making bank *coughs* uhmm...
I mean, I can talk with the teams to see where their heads are.

lemonizzle · May 2020

Q: Opinion on feet/toes in Skyrim?
A: Eeeh, i don't look at the feet in skyrim.

Missing out on a lot there, heh...

silvereyes · May 2020

ArchMikem wrote: »

Technically the servers are "holding up". Yes there are desyncs, yes there is input lag, yes there are loading screens. Are the Servers crashing completely? No.

It's amazing how many server scalability problems can be "solved" by simply letting the clients break instead.

Shaie · May 2020

TropicsDelight wrote: »

Shaie wrote: »

22.
Q: Would you think to add barbers to the game?
A: Really gone that direction, you can kind of already change your hair at will as long as you have these collectibles. We are interested into adding new Hairstyles, but we are not thinking about adding new systems in that direction.

Hello disconnection! So we can't have a barbershop where we can change our hair from what we chose at our character's "birth" to another option that's available for that race, paid for with in-game gold? We can only change our character's hair IF WE HAVE COLLECTIBLES??? That's NOT what we're asking for but I guess unless it's something that you can charge real money for, then you won't even consider it. That's a bit on the greedy side.

A barber shop/chair would probably be a crown store sold item or could even cost gems and it would be extremely lucrative for ZOS. As a dev his strengths clearly do not lie in marketing and the sociological analysis of playerbases in these games and how to extract the most revenue from them. That is why people like him need people who are not focused on the actual development and testing of in game stuff and instead spend their days analyzing player purchases and using well known theories on human behavior traits to help itemize the crown store and crates.

He should not be expected to actually know how to do the above, the problem is when it is still left to him to do so.

I would TOTALLY spend Crowns for a Barbershop chair that I could put in my home! We have dye stations for our homes, so a barber's chair is almost the next thing that should happen. Maybe someone will forward this suggestion to him &/or the team.

peacenote · May 2020

I feel like the difference between a barbershop and the collectibles is that the former would allow us to change hair / eye / skin etc. COLOR. That's what I want to see. Especially hair color.

WildRaptorX · May 2020

I think it’s pretty obvious through recent conversations that ZOS are losing the motivation to support this game

LuxiasCaelum13 · June 2020

At this point is clear that they are absolutely out of touch with the playerbase. What a waste of potential, with such a good game in their hands to end up like this.

It just reminds me to the FFXIII fiasco, when everyone deemed the game as trash and Square-enix said "oh, but all the bad criticism was made by occidental people who don't understand the game, so you better shut up, we did nothing wrong". This is the exact level of vanity relative to this interview, the exact same energy.
But while SE redeemed themselves with a more humble attitude after hearing what had to be said, here we have to deal with this.

Tarnumx · June 2020

theDTV wrote: »

6.
Q: Are you planning to split up the servers into EU West / East to help with the server load?
A: We don't have any plans on splitting servers. We did add capacity to the EU Server. We look at the load regulary, and monitor it. We got alot better compared to last year

LOOOOOOOOL
WE got nothing better within 6 years. All the way lies

NewBlacksmurf · June 2020

This was worth reading...I always have the, should I come back after each update and it seems I left for the right reasons.

I don’t see a light in the tunnel nor are they heading anywhere. It’s a good game but honestly it seems more and more it should be a single player game with co-op options. The dungeons and PvP as well as trials...shrug

carlos424 · June 2020

Gprime31 wrote: »

Q: Cyrodil performance is not where it should be, it got worse since Harrowstorm. Any thoughts/forecasts?
A: The team is nose to the grindstone in looking at the performance impacts. (Pretty big team, not just engineers). They are looking at every item set, and trying to find issues.
This is the reason we didnt add a lot of new content into it, as it would only increase the issue.
I can't guarantee when this is will happen.

ESO since launch. Never going to get fixed, more broken promises.

This one got me too. “They are looking at every item set, and trying to find issues.” Item sets? Why? Are they implying that item sets are causing all the lag, desyncs, and other performance issues? Lol. Wtf? Spend money on upgrading servers and overhaul the game engine.
Here’s an experiment. Everyone run around naked and see if that helps your skills fire. Lol. Maybe thats the solution to all the problems.

LuxLunae · June 2020

3.
Q: Are there any plans to adjust combat based on the current performance issues - for example client server location desync's caused by knock back and knock up abilities, and bugs with sprinting and stuns (streak cc bug?)?
A: Do you want us to remove sprint? No.
We know there are Desync Issues, We are knocking them out over time. A lot of them got fixed in Update 25, and some more fixes on 26.
The Team is currently doing an audit, and is looking at these issues.

Well maybe if you...uhh... stopped us from sprinting the moment we used our skills rather than LOCKING our skills while we are sprinting... that would cause a difference....

Currently: When we run you lock our skills off.
What should happen: once we use our skills we stop sprinting.

Don't tell me it's tied to speed, because i just saw alcast running around with a broken speed build in HIDDEN mode and the skills still showed...

So don't tell me you can't, upon activation of a skill, turn off sprinting.

This way, if the game desyncs we will have a benefit of still moving fast while using the skills. Rather than you just keeping our bar black for 3 seconds.

Although that black bar problem, I havent seen recently in greymoor...

Thoragaal · June 2020

Tarnumx wrote: »

theDTV wrote: »

6.
Q: Are you planning to split up the servers into EU West / East to help with the server load?
A: We don't have any plans on splitting servers. We did add capacity to the EU Server. We look at the load regulary, and monitor it. We got alot better compared to last year

LOOOOOOOOL
WE got nothing better within 6 years. All the way lies

Check out the full interview here : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/633422102?t=06h31m00s
The transcribed version doesn't do the interview justice. A lot of things relating to for example performance is being brought up several times within different contexts.
On the first question Rich says that "[...] a lot of time we get accused of 'oh well they just ignore / they're not working on it / they're not looking at it' we are, we have a big team looking at it. The problem is, a lot of them are load related issues which are very hard to diagnose and which are very hard to test and fix, and they take time [...]"

And yes, they did add server capacity for EU players earlier this year. That's not a lie.
However, to me that sounds a lot like adding more space to your HDD / SSD; sure you can store more things, but will the computer run faster from it? Generally speaking, no. But my intepretation is due to my own lack of knowledge within this type of context.

My guess to the performance issues in PvP (and now also in PvE) is that the game has evolved waaay out of what the base coding was originally meant to handle. The game is being played completely differently than it was on release, because players have been given the opportunity for it with for example CP, grouped healing, AoE damage, proc sets, passive skills.

One sollution would be to completely seperate how these things are handled in pvp and pve.
Make abilities and gear so attractive in pvp that people are "forced" to use them there, while they are virtually useless in pve.
For example: Crit Resist is something everyone wants in pvp. If abilities could have a way to negate that crit resist then many people would use that skill while it simultanously would be useless in pve. That skill could be a simple "single target direct damage" to cause as little load as possible on the server.
However, with a change like this then people would have less of an opportunity to make their very own builds. There will always be difficulties balancing gear and skills and I'm not sure that having double the amount is a feasible solution.

Faulgor · June 2020

Awesome that they are now actively working on the CP system. Can't wait for more info.