Refreshing to hear something positive about it around here
Tell me about it.
Yeah, I've wondered along similar lines myself. Sure, the game has issues - but even so, I found it to be the most interesting MMO to come out in years.
As soon as they migrate the servers to EU, I'll be right there playing again. I love what I'm hearing about the Justice system and player bounties. Such things can become an issue if not controlled properly, but there's potential for a lot of fun there, too.
It does have issues, and I consider the laggy gameplay one of the bigger ones. Thankfully, they are aware & working on fixing this, they even talked about it at quakecon. Megaserver finally coming to Europe will certainly help in that regard.
That's one of the things that WoW always did flawlessly, it had that fluid & responsive feel when it came down to using skills, moving etc. and in my opinion — this played a big role in its success. In general, however, I believe that one of the biggest reasons of its success was right timing of release.
I don't really know why the game is so universally despised - I truly don't. Much of it probably has to do with the crappy way they handled it in terms of pricing and the pre-order scheme - which I've been vocally against. Also, I think a lot of people "grew up" in terms of the MMO genre with WoW, meaning they're not really ready to accept that it can be done very differently without being wrong.
Most likely. I'm very glad that ESO is doing it differently, it's refreshing. Then there's Wildstar, I guess those that want to re-live WoW in a way can migrate there. By the way, nothing wrong with WoW, it was and probably is still a fantastic game for many, I often find myself re-subbing just to explore the world of the newest expansion, I'm just tired of the formula and how predictable the content cycles are.
Also, yes, it would have helped with the reception if their choices were different regarding the pre-order scheme. Then you also have buffoons like Angry Joe with no understanding of the mmorpg genre 'reviewing' the game. I'd say that he should turn to comedy if I found him even remotely funny.
Then we have a lot of people who're simply fans of Skyrim and expected the same from an MMO. I can understand and sympathise with that, though I actually think ESO offers more in that way than any other MMO out there. But it's still trapped in the MMO framework, which is obviously a negative if you're looking for a solo experience exclusively - and you think the game can cater to you as the only hero in the world.
Inevitable after the success that was Skyrim. It was a brilliant game. Sadly, another TeS game had to follow, only this time it was an mmorpg - and many people had all kinds of unrealistic expectations.
Beyond being fantastic to look at and having one of the most, if not THE most efficient engines out there - I was surprised at the quality of the writing, and the numerous C&C I witnessed even in trivial quests.
The game does look fantastic. I'd also like to say that I find the sounds & music to be top notch, the sound department really did an amazing job. Also, yes! I take my time to read and pay attention to everything in the world, be it NPC conversations or lore books/notes. I think they did a great job there as well. Many memorable quests and NPC's, never really expected this from an MMO.
But it seems they might have learned their lesson and they've been humbled a bit. Again, their plan for the future is among the most impressive and bold I've seen with the MMO genre. Now, they just have to prove they can do it
Yeah, I can definitely see a change in attitude. That's good. Indeed, amazing things ahead, they only need to deliver properly. Will it be the next best thing, or an unmitigated failure? Maybe neither. Guess time will tell.
I suspect that it will end up being one of the more popular and well-liked games in a few years. It just takes the ignorant masses to calm down and actually try it out.
I suspect the same.