Really wanting to return the game

MisterSr

I purchased the game yesterday, but only had an opportunity to play it today. I played it for maybe two hours, but the two hours had me feeling quite bored. I know I'll get the typical tyrade of, "It's an MMO, what were you expecting?", but the truth is from the review I was expecting Elder Scrolls. But the game just feels a lot less like a TES game than I was led to believe; certainly I expected it to be different, Zenimax and the fact that it's online. But to be honest the zone design, quest format, and general art direction really kill it for me. The world feels incredibly plastic, very unlike the Tamriel I've grown to love in the single player games. The game in terms of MMOs is pretty decent for what it is, but honestly it just feels like there are two different games mashed into one; one was meant to be played alone, and the other together. The result is a world that, from the beginning feels pretty off most of the time. The sense of explorating and stumbling upon things seems entirely defeated by the placement of things in the world, which feels artificial . . . like rides at Disneyworld.

Despite all my griping I'm considering sticking it out, but honestly I've just not been impressed at all so far. I guess I'm looking for a balanced opinion to convince we either way or the other. I would really appreciate it.  

Nyghthowler

How far did you make it in the game? Did you even escape the tutorial dungeon? I honestly don't know what to tell you to motivate you, except I don't feel like you gave it a chance. I've been playing since closed Beta. It's had its ups and downs and occasionally I take breaks to play other things.
But with the launch of 1T I think it has gone in a great direction. It is more like playing Skyrim Online then ever before. Just IMO, of course.

MagikarpsGhost

eso felt the same for me but once i realized that its best to think of it as an adventure instead of your normal "go here and do x quests" it tends to be better. i am a crafter so hunting matirials and such is quite fun as well.

Mikeha

jircris said:

eso felt the same for me but once i realized that its best to think of it as an adventure instead of your normal "go here and do x quests" it tends to be better. i am a crafter so hunting matirials and such is quite fun as well.

Pretty much how I play it too.

I recently returned tot he game after hearing about the update and I am really enjoying it. 

Octagon7711

It really depends on how far you got, your  starting class, and weapons you picked to start with.  After the tutorial and getting to the first city it's a huge world with lots of quests to run into or follow.  It's more of a hybrid game than TES game.  

I played every class until I found ones I liked the best then stuck with that mostly.  Sorcerer was a great starting class for me because the pets could tank, or die and give me time to get way.

starstorm777

I'm super loving it, I just came back to the game, I bought it when it came out, played a bit, felt a bit bored, now back and it feels new again....I like the feel of wanderer...and not knowing where the heck to go next and just running into stuff...I have been finding new things all the time, just by exploring, I earned a title "Epic Collector" in my first 8 hours of play, cause I try and find anything I can, scan the ground for hidden things...and I do find them! Like dude said, I don't think you gave it enough time either, and realize it ISN'T the single player game we all know and love, realize it IS an MMO...they must conform the game to meet that criteria... hugz and happy gaming!

Rasiem

  Honestly bud the game doesnt change if you dont like the fundamentals of the game you never will. Its not like the art design and feel of the game changes later. If I were you I would just return it and get your money back, save yourself the time of trying to like something that isnt for you.

Loke666

A MMO should be fun the first few hours (with possibly exception for the time to learn any new basic controls) or something is wrong.

In fact I played many MMOs that was fun the first few days but became boring afterwards but never the other way around. You can of course try a little longer but I fear it isn't a game for you. No shame in that, all games doesn't work for everyone.

Thillian

Loke666 said:

A MMO should be fun the first few hours (with possibly exception for the time to learn any new basic controls) or something is wrong.

In fact I played many MMOs that was fun the first few days but became boring afterwards but never the other way around. You can of course try a little longer but I fear it isn't a game for you. No shame in that, all games doesn't work for everyone.

Secret World is the other way around. It looks slow at first, overly complicated, and repetitive, but it all changes the more you play it.

Kyleran

Loke666 said:

A MMO should be fun the first few hours (with possibly exception for the time to learn any new basic controls) or something is wrong.

In fact I played many MMOs that was fun the first few days but became boring afterwards but never the other way around. You can of course try a little longer but I fear it isn't a game for you. No shame in that, all games doesn't work for everyone.

Can't agree with this. Some EVE players have done 3 or 4 trials of 2-3 weeks before it clicked for them.

ArcheAge is a MMORPG I played until about level 35 (across several weeks) until I finally determined I enjoyed it. (joined a proper guild and stopped just only questing and started really playing it the way it was meant to.)

DAOC was another, took well over a month to understand it enough (MMOs were harder then) but also to find the right class which took 4 tries.

I'm pretty sure there are some good games I've walked away from because I didn't really give them a fair chance, ESO actually being one of them.

Never happened to you? Doesn't sound as if you've ever tried so you wouldn't know.

gervaise1

MisterSr said:

I purchased the game yesterday, but only had an opportunity to play it today. I played it for maybe two hours, but the two hours had me feeling quite bored. I know I'll get the typical tyrade of, "It's an MMO, what were you expecting?", but the truth is from the review I was expecting Elder Scrolls. But the game just feels a lot less like a TES game than I was led to believe; certainly I expected it to be different, Zenimax and the fact that it's online. But to be honest the zone design, quest format, and general art direction really kill it for me. The world feels incredibly plastic, very unlike the Tamriel I've grown to love in the single player games. The game in terms of MMOs is pretty decent for what it is, but honestly it just feels like there are two different games mashed into one; one was meant to be played alone, and the other together. The result is a world that, from the beginning feels pretty off most of the time. The sense of explorating and stumbling upon things seems entirely defeated by the placement of things in the world, which feels artificial . . . like rides at Disneyworld.

Despite all my griping I'm considering sticking it out, but honestly I've just not been impressed at all so far. I guess I'm looking for a balanced opinion to convince we either way or the other. I would really appreciate it.  

As @Kyleran says there are games which - probably all of us - don't give a fair chance to. Nothing fundamentally wrong with that just the way it is.

When I first fired up the game I created a character and found myself in some sort of cave place (Coldharbour) with no clue what to do. No idea of how to use the controls, nothing. Logged off. Think I tried again the following day and it still hadn't clicked. Logged off and played something else - CKII (a strategy game) and some LotR I think. Some months later .......

I made a more determined attempt to get through what I - subsequently - discovered to be the main storyline and eventually reached the land of the living!

The Elder Scrolls feel:

May have been the next day I heard a strange noise that I went towards and found myself at a dolman. And that was my first Elder Scrolls moment. An Oblivion deja vu. The game became more ES like as I started harvesting crafting material and freeing a city from werewolf control actually made me wonder whether they had simply lifted an old storyline! (So much story though that's OK). And some of the cities - pretty sure the street layout is the same.

As far as Skyrim goes though though you have to visit the Ebon Pact before that kicks in. And it does.

"Two different games mashed into one"

I understand this feeling. And its sort of right but in reality it is more complex. 

The main and guild storylines take place in solo instances. They reverberate into the outside world but these are very well done. And in terms of content its significant. And well worth doing if you do nothing else. So its a solo game. 

There are also faction storylines which can also be played "solo" but these take place in the wider world so you will come across other people and engage on co-operative play. No need to group. There are also public dungeons which play out the same. And other quests - a lot of other quests - which can be done solo or with others. Add to this world bosses etc. So its a co-op game (grouping entirely optional).

And then there is stuff that really has to be done in groups. You really won't get far in a group dungeon solo. A lot of this stuff as well. Arguably with forced grouping! And the story content in the dungeons links back to the other stuff as well. So its an mmo (grouping arguably forced).

And in addition there is a PvP campaign. And again the story is intertwined with everything else.

So more complex than two games mashed into one.

And the world - and content therein - is huge. You will still be stumbling into stuff into stuff - and finding things that remind you of other ES titles - months and months down the line. Even if you play every day.

If you do nothing else though do the main storyline - and the mage's guild since the wabbajack should bring back some ES memories as well.

Kyleran

DMKano said:

There are games that take a while before they click.

For me ESO didn't click until I could be competitive in Cyrodil. 

I absolutely abhorred questing in ESO but stuck with it at launch due to Cyrodil 

Took me a awhile to get used to drinking beer when I was younger, definitely an acquired taste.  MMO's can be like that.

Jackdog

When ESO first came out I hated it as much as I hated WOW. Retried WOW twice and it never clicked but ESO sure did. Game just keeps getting better and better judging from update 12 and the planned housing

Sinaku

I recently returned to ESO after playing maybe 10 hours (enough to get to about level 15) before quitting. After I sat back and realized I should approach this as an actual elder scrolls game, and not rush through it like I do with MMOs, I have enjoyed it much more. I dropped the KB and Mouse, and use my Xbox controller to get into the feel. I use my Steam link to chill on my couch to play on the TV. I listen to every quest, and immerse myself into the world. I explore. I explore a lot! 

This is not Skyrim Online, but it is The Elder Scrolls Online. Give it a chance. The first two hours of a lot of Elder Scrolls games are slow, but they pick up later.

Sovrath

MisterSr said:

 but the truth is from the review I was expecting Elder Scrolls. 

What review?

I haven't read a review that said it was like the elder scrolls games. I'll agree that it's not as good as any of the single player games (in my opinion) but I'm surprised you found a review that said it was like the single player games.

QuarterStack

Well, I'm having a hell of a time since I'm back. It didn't take long for me to enjoy the game at all, and as I got further in, and learned and opened up more of the game (even before One Tamriel), I enjoyed it even more. In so many ways, ESO is what I'd hoped other MMORPGs I've played and followed would be like - in terms of their world design, questing, crafting, dialog and so forth. 

SaunZ

Now I have discovered Craglorn in ESO and omg! it is SO fun!  But the ESO pvp is still the most fun... attacking keeps, defending keeps, running in big groups, talking crap (well, I don't but everybody else does)!

Sz