Elder Scrolls Online - Live Q&A Review

MMORPG.com hosted a live Q&A Event with Paul Sage the Elder Scrolls Online’s Creative Director. Thanks to a site called elder scrolls online guide they compiled a review of all the questions answered in the Q&A.

Q: ESO appears to have “traditional MMO” leveling so how will exploration work out? In Skyrim I can pretty much wander everywhere and find relevant “content” to do. In ESO are we limited to level-bracketed zones where once we out-level an area it becomes irrelevant in terms of both exploration (and/or “immersion”) and character advancement? Also in PvE can we freely help other players cooperatively or if they had already tagged a mob will they take an XP penalty because someone else helped them?

A: Yep. There are levels. I’ve worked on an MMO where there weren’t levels and that certainly has merits. However, leveling also has merits in being able to really feel progression, in more stumble-upon stranger encounters, and lots more that it would take almost all night to cover. I think what we’ve created gives you a lot of freedom to explore because these aren’t small areas. That said, once you reach the end of your alliance and go into another alliance… you’re top level. (or should be) Go nuts!

Q: Can you tell us an example of a feedback received during beta-testing? What people liked and what is their standing to the game?

A: Beta feedback is amazing so far in both ways. The testers have done a very good job of being constructive if they wish something were different. This is huge for us. However, and this will sound self-congratulating, so I apologize, but our feedback through forums and surveys has been very positive and very encouraging.

Q: I was looking up the combat system (looking for how Stamina will effect that etc.) and I saw something about a “soft lock”, could you clarify just what that means? 

A: Heh. I’ll try. The most important thing to remember about our combat is you must be facing your target to hit it. Your reticle must almost be on your target… there is some forgiveness. However, we did notice situations where you want to stay on a target and it goes behind another valid target. So we implemented a feature where you could essentially say, there are roughly two things I am aiming at, but I mean to hit *that one*.