Elder Scrolls Online preview

Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
7,313
Don't expect hunger or thirst in ESO, it's a Theme Park game. Actually there will be no housing when the game launch or Thieves or Assassin guilds content either. Funny enough ESO is supposed to have AI for their NPCs. I'll believe it when I see it…

In that case, yes.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
If I can play the game with a controller then I will definitely consider getting the PC version when it comes out.
 
The more I hear about this game, the more hyped I get. It's sounding excellent so far.

My favorite piece of news is what those who got to play the game already have said. They said they forgot they were playing an MMO and it felt like they were playing Skyrim. That is extremely promising. Man, I can't wait for this game...

Here's a cool "hub" of video interviews and information about the game. Some good stuff to be found here for those interested. >>> http://www.gameinformer.com/p/elderscrollsonline.aspx
 
My favorite piece of news is what those who got to play the game already have said. They said they forgot they were playing an MMO and it felt like they were playing Skyrim.

I do like the sound of that.
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Messages
202
So do I.

Combine that with the fact that the developers have said they tried to capture all the elements that make a great Elder Scrolls game (heavy exploration, go wherever you want, do what you want, little storylines scattered all over the place, etc), and this is shaping up to be a killer game.
 
I am certainly hoping it will be good. However not to be to much of a downer ... but I have been playing MMO's since UO and EQ1 and frankly the one thing most any MMO has is exploration - it is one of the things they can do fairly easily in a world where no one can be the hero and having a compelling story is very difficult. Although many are trying - Star Wars (Bioware one) had some interesting ways of doing a story and GW2 has lots of exploration with rewards (and Vista's), along with a personal story.

But the point is that having lots of places to explore with little side quests and stories is something most MMO's do and isn't unique to the genre - if you like those things most any MMO will do.

My main concern with something like this is that most MMO's lack any depth or soul. They tend to be a bit hollow and hard to make immersive unless you do a lot of instancing. Seeing the same NPC's and MOBS killed over and over and over tends to do that. Instancing helps in making a unique story line for a player ... even then they are often done multiple times which, again, takes away from the experience.

For me MMO's are more about the dynamic world (regular patching and updates), all the real people around, chatting, some grouping (although I prefer to solo or play with just a friend most of the time), and the like.

I am cautious being a person who has a lot of experience in both SRPG and MMO's and has a good understanding of the differences. My main hope is that one doesn't influence the other to much - so they continue to make SRPG and that the MMO won't take away from that.

If the MMO is good and provides the same feel (which I guess I am pessimistic about knowing what thousands of random people can bring to the atmosphere of an MMO as while as the design limitations) then all the better - than I can enjoy the best of both worlds :)
 
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
3,959
Location
NH
The more I hear about this game, the more hyped I get. It's sounding excellent so far.

My favorite piece of news is what those who got to play the game already have said. They said they forgot they were playing an MMO and it felt like they were playing Skyrim. That is extremely promising. Man, I can't wait for this game…

I wouldn't get too excited. Most people who played SWTOR for a few hours could have said the same thing.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
5,645
Location
Tardis
Never trust people who were invited to do an hands-on of an alpha. They are going to be extremely positive just to make sure they are invited the other times as well. They are also told to not talk about things that aren't working through the NDA they signed.
 
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
7,313
effusive gushing

The only gameplay video available is the one I posted on November 9th (on the 1st page).
 
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
7,313
It wasn't just "effusive gushing". He talked in depth about what he got to play in the alpha version. He talked about combat, exploration, guilds, PvP (which was very interesting!) all kinds of stuff. He dropped a lot of good information.

But since you knuckleheads don't want to watch it, here's a tidbit I thought was cool.

In PvP, you can have large scale battles over forts. If you use trebuchets and catapults to take down the fort, you will have to rebuild it, which takes time. In this time the enemy could launch a counterattack and regain the fort using the same methods your team used to get it.

Or, the enemy could attack some nearby farms and take control of them, and starve your group out of the fort. Or attack supply lines to achieve the same goals.

It sounds really neat with a ton of potential.
 
Last edited:
Here's the summary. I left out the information that most would know already if they are following the game.

- Developers heavily focused on catering to Elder Scrolls fans.

- You're on a quest to regain your soul. Sub-plot is the war for Cyrodiil.

- Plays like a Skyrim/Morrowind/Oblivion/Guild Wars hybrid.

- Health, Stamina, Magicka. Hotbar consists of 6 total slots.

- The view is 95% world and environment. Very small, nearly nonexistant UI

- Stamina functions as it does in Skyrim.

- Fast-paced action combat

- Mobs are very smart. They will combine tactics depending on what you are doing. Example - 2 Dwarven spiders attack you. One will melee you, the other with ranged attack you. OR, one might use a power-up aura, and the other might stay inside the aura to attack you. OR, one enemy might throw oil on the floor, and the other enemy will use a fire spell to set the oil on fire and burn you.

- Friendly co-op works the same way. You will have skills that can be used by your party members and can combine skills with players to enhance the skill.

- You can say "I want to play the game with adults who are 25 plus who role-play", and the game will automatically filter out everybody who doesn't fit that description.

- Wear anything, use anything, do anything. Unlimited options of builds.

- First-person view is in. You can also do 3rd person and zoom all the way in/out

- You can use your abilities as many times as you want as long as you have the Stamina for it.

- PvP - All open-world PvP with goals and objectives. Campaigns, small groups, quest by yourself, etc. Many options. Very grand scale. If you take all the lands given to every faction and combine them, Cyrodiil is half of that total size.

- You can solo PvP and do many quests to help the war effort for your faction. Or you can just run around by yourself and wreak havoc. You can do small groups and complete many objectives like taking supply lines, taking villages, forts, towns, farms, etc. Or do large-scale grand battles.

- In PvP, you can have large scale battles over forts. If you use trebuchets and catapults to take down the fort, you will have to rebuild it, which takes time. In this time the enemy could launch a counterattack and regain the fort using the same methods your team used to get it.

- You can capture nearby villages and farms to starve out the enemy holding up in a fort.

- You can become a werewolf or vampire.

- Feels like a real Elder Scrolls game, not an MMO with watered down graphics. (Game looks gorgeous)

All this is subject to change because it's the alpha version.
 
Last edited:
You said "starve the enemy out" by raiding nearby farms. I don't get how that would work in this game, are you saying (or were they implying) that everyone has a 'food meter' or something? can't like, pack a lunch for the siege? Lol

A fort has a certain amount of surrounding "farm points" that it must maintain, or the current holders are expelled.?
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
5,228
Location
San Diego, Ca
Back
Top Bottom