Coming back right now is kinda hard-mode

mekops_ESO · April 24

Preface: I have been on a break from ESO for well over a year. (so no Gold Road or content pass)

I decided to come back at the worst time. Right as new-thingo launches and before the prior chapter gets bundled. If I rustled up a 3 month sub, Gold Road, and New-Thingo today to jump back in with an up-to-date account, it would be $121.95 (base packages no upgrades).

30 of that probably completely wasted on Gold Road because of the upcoming bundling into ESO+(if that is still a thing that happens) (it will be a year old June 3).
50 of it on a content pass where the content mostly isnt there yet.(like a map(from what i can tell)).

I can knock it down to $87.47 if I cut down the sub to the one, now-discounted one-month sub. But given the absence of most of the new content, it still feels like paying $80 to play gOld Road. It all just seems like a bit much.

(Not subbing is not a real option for anyone who values their actual mortal time in the game and plays each day. So we won't even entertain that)

So terrible timing on my part. Its the worst time to come back value-wise.😂

I should probably JUST get the $8 one-month discounted sub, and spend the next 30 days remembering where all my buttons are, fixing what I am sure is add-on library hell, sorting inventory, and going around my houses facepalming at all the crowns I have spent since 2014💀, and getting rid of the ones I impulse-bought during a crown sale squarely in the middle of my break (feels like we should smoke em while I got em.) That would put me squarely in position to just acquire Gold Road through ESO+ and give me time to assess this whole content pass racket.

It has been a while. So if I appear to be missing out on something critical here, or there is something ELSE returning players should know before pressing "buy" buttons, throw it my way. I am trying to get a real understanding of what I am coming back to. There doesnt seem to be any good answers about how content release and pricing is going to work moving forward so I am just trying to demystify things for myself.

Dagoth_Rac · April 24

This year's "Chapter" is being split into 2 parts. Half in Q2 and half in Q4. But you pay ahead of time for a "content pass" that gives you both the Q2 and Q4 content. Just pretend that it is a Chapter like Necrom or Gold Road, and it will essentially work like that. ESO+ for old content, a new purchase for this year's stuff if you don't want to wait for it to become available as part of ESO+ in 2026.

The content pass thing is new and funky and different and has caused lots of confusion. But just pretend it is Chapter split in 2 and basically that is 99% of the gist of it.

Danikat · April 24

Why do you need to pay anything? Everything you already own is still available to you at no additional cost.

Even if you quit because you had completed absolutely everything in the game up to that point and had nothing to do until there was a new release you could, as you suggested, spend some time refamiliarising yourself with the game until the new expansion is out then decide.

ImmortalCX · April 24

mekops_ESO wrote: »

Preface: I have been on a break from ESO for well over a year. (so no Gold Road or content pass)

I decided to come back at the worst time. Right as new-thingo launches and before the prior chapter gets bundled. If I rustled up a 3 month sub, Gold Road, and New-Thingo today to jump back in with an up-to-date account, it would be $121.95 (base packages no upgrades).

30 of that probably completely wasted on Gold Road because of the upcoming bundling into ESO+(if that is still a thing that happens) (it will be a year old June 3).
50 of it on a content pass where the content mostly isnt there yet.(like a map(from what i can tell)).

I can knock it down to $87.47 if I cut down the sub to the one, now-discounted one-month sub. But given the absence of most of the new content, it still feels like paying $80 to play gOld Road. It all just seems like a bit much.

(Not subbing is not a real option for anyone who values their actual mortal time in the game and plays each day. So we won't even entertain that)

So terrible timing on my part. Its the worst time to come back value-wise.😂

I should probably JUST get the $8 one-month discounted sub, and spend the next 30 days remembering where all my buttons are, fixing what I am sure is add-on library hell, sorting inventory, and going around my houses facepalming at all the crowns I have spent since 2014💀, and getting rid of the ones I impulse-bought during a crown sale squarely in the middle of my break (feels like we should smoke em while I got em.) That would put me squarely in position to just acquire Gold Road through ESO+ and give me time to assess this whole content pass racket.

It has been a while. So if I appear to be missing out on something critical here, or there is something ELSE returning players should know before pressing "buy" buttons, throw it my way. I am trying to get a real understanding of what I am coming back to. There doesnt seem to be any good answers about how content release and pricing is going to work moving forward so I am just trying to demystify things for myself.

You are correct. The new pay structure represents a price increase for less content.

Its unclear how you will get Gold Road, without buying the expansion outright. The yearly content pass DLC does not seem destined to include it. This is (one of) the problem with the yearly content pass, it does not have the cumulative bundling that the yearly chapters offered.

I do not plan to buy the content pass and will keep playing the old expansions, digging up mythic items, etc. If it gets to the place where the game feels dead for me because everyone else is playing in new zones, I will just quit.

seps42 · April 24

Doesn't the premium content pass include gold road? It says it does. That's $80 +tax. Also thought the discounted ESO+ was updated for FIRST TIME subs only now. So if you've ever subbed B4 you won't get that discount last I knew. Just buy 1 month at $15 instead of 3 maybe worry about next mont..next month? lol. Cuts u down to about $100? Or screw the content pass for now to break up the $. u have until June unless u want the pre order stuff. Then just get gold road now at $50 and standard pass at $50 in June or whenever. ESO+ includes the 2 fallen banners dungeons that are out now. Ur gonna pay about the same no matter how u do it. Just depends on if u wanna break up the price or not.
Ooor, yea do ur thing until June then just get the standard pass at $50 and ESO+ can handle gold rd. (Remember ESO+ has the dungeons u get with pass now)

huntgod_ESO · April 24

seps42 wrote: »

Doesn't the premium content pass include gold road? It says it does. That's $80 +tax. Also thought the discounted ESO+ was updated for FIRST TIME subs only now. So if you've ever subbed B4 you won't get that discount last I knew. Just buy 1 month at $15 instead of 3 maybe worry about next mont..next month? lol. Cuts u down to about $100? Or screw the content pass for now to break up the $. u have until June unless u want the pre order stuff. Then just get gold road now at $50 and standard pass at $50 in June or whenever. ESO+ includes the 2 fallen banners dungeons that are out now. Ur gonna pay about the same no matter how u do it. Just depends on if u wanna break up the price or not.
Ooor, yea do ur thing until June then just get the standard pass at $50 and ESO+ can handle gold rd. (Remember ESO+ has the dungeons u get with pass now)

If you sub through steam it will not give you the promotional price, if you sub directly from Zenimax so long as you renew between the 17th and 24th (today) you can get the promo rate. My sub expired on the 19th, I subbed through zeni and got the $8 rate despite having subbed off and on for 11 years now.

mekops_ESO · April 24

huntgod_ESO wrote: »

seps42 wrote: »

Doesn't the premium content pass include gold road? It says it does. That's $80 +tax. Also thought the discounted ESO+ was updated for FIRST TIME subs only now. So if you've ever subbed B4 you won't get that discount last I knew. Just buy 1 month at $15 instead of 3 maybe worry about next mont..next month? lol. Cuts u down to about $100? Or screw the content pass for now to break up the $. u have until June unless u want the pre order stuff. Then just get gold road now at $50 and standard pass at $50 in June or whenever. ESO+ includes the 2 fallen banners dungeons that are out now. Ur gonna pay about the same no matter how u do it. Just depends on if u wanna break up the price or not.
Ooor, yea do ur thing until June then just get the standard pass at $50 and ESO+ can handle gold rd. (Remember ESO+ has the dungeons u get with pass now)

If you sub through steam it will not give you the promotional price, if you sub directly from Zenimax so long as you renew between the 17th and 24th (today) you can get the promo rate. My sub expired on the 19th, I subbed through zeni and got the $8 rate despite having subbed off and on for 11 years now.

My account is linked to steam. Add this to the list of reasons I should not have done that.

The offer appears, and can be selected, but goes straight to the standard sub options when you add it to cart.

Sub cost is a given. I was mostly concerned about picking up Gold Road if it was about to get rolled into ESO+
But if they roll is into ESO+ is there even a reason to buy the PREMIUM content pass? Am I misremembering something about the way old chapters get served up and when?

spartaxoxo · April 24

"2025 Premium Edition" sounds like what you're looking for. It includes both Gold Road (and all previous chapters) and the Content Pass.

So, you don't need to buy Gold Road separate from the content pass. If you need both then this is the better deal.

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/contentpass

Edit

icapital · April 24

spartaxoxo wrote: »

"2025 Premium Edition" sounds like what you're looking for. It includes both Gold Road (and all previous chapters) and the Content Pass.

So, you don't need to buy Gold Road separate from the content pass. If you need both then this is the better deal.

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/contentpass

Edit

it's only the better deal if you DON'T want the Gold Road deluxe contents.

spartaxoxo · April 24

icapital wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

"2025 Premium Edition" sounds like what you're looking for. It includes both Gold Road (and all previous chapters) and the Content Pass.

So, you don't need to buy Gold Road separate from the content pass. If you need both then this is the better deal.

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/contentpass

Edit

it's only the better deal if you DON'T want the Gold Road deluxe contents.

In the past, the deluxe content from all previous chapters came with the new chapter deluxe edition. I'm not sure about the premium edition but it's the only one available. Previously, the most expensive option also include those is all I know. Only the preorder stuff was excluded.

@ZOS_Kevin
@ZOS_GinaBruno
@ZOS_JessicaFolsom
@ZOS_CouchTato

Does the new premium edition come with the deluxe edition stuff for previous chapters?

JustLovely · April 24

I wouldn't buy anything ESO right now. Best to wait and see how all their new systems shake out.

Soarora · April 25

I would suggest just coming back and meddling around with what you have. If you decide to stick around, you can buy the chapters you’re missing with crowns (from your eso+ subscription or by giving players gold to buy the DLCs for you).

scrappy1342 · April 25

JustLovely wrote: »

I wouldn't buy anything ESO right now. Best to wait and see how all their new systems shake out.

this. wait for gold road to go to eso+. i had a good laugh yesterday when i got the HURRY UP AND BUY GOLD ROAD NOW AT 80% OFF!!!!! (before it goes free with subscription). you can pay for a month. hopefully you can get it at half price, but it's looking like they messed that up for a lot of ppl too? looks like ppl who paid a sub in the past can't get it? anywho... you can pay for a month and play and then decide if you want to continue

ZOS_CouchTato · April 27

@spartaxoxo

The Premium Edition comes with everything the Content Pass comes with, including the base game and all previous chapters. There is no mention of previous chapter rewards. You can review what comes with the different editions here.