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It's official - zones will have channels/phasing
Margulis
Member CommonPosts: 1,614
So it's confirmed, the zone within a zone setup that SWTOR and a few other games have been blasted for is going to be in Elder Scrolls Online also. Here is one paragraph with the confirmation, followed by the source:
"Also note that layering and channels are not the same thing. The megaserver places players intelligently into channels to make sure your gameplay experience is good and to prevent overcrowding. So if you’re in Glenumbra, but you can’t see your friend, you may be in a different channel. You’ll simply be able to join your friend in their channel or vice-versa. Channels, however, will be largely invisible, as we’ll try to put you in the best channel with the highest preponderance of your social connections."
http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en/news/post/2013/04/08/ask-us-anything-variety-pack-3
Comments
And that still doesn't make it ok, I like how they'll "try" to fit you in with your buds. Sorry this game is looking to be a disaster of epic proportions.
What makes it not ok exactly?
http://chroniclesofthenerds.com/nerdfight/
Y U NO FLIP TABLE?!?!?!
So if you read the whole thing he says that the type of layering they use doesnt necesseraly exclude other players(ala STWOR) from your phase, so it will be more like in WOW where the area changes entirely if you have done certain things. And thats not layer in layer .. If anything he confirmed that it wont be like SWTOR. Also the part you have quoted completely contradicts what you`re sayin. Channels are more like servers with other people running about not like in SWTOR where you have your own personal instances(or like GW2).
Im out.
No, the way he's talking about events being completed and having different layers is completely separate from the channel system being referred to.
Because I want to see all the people I'm playing with. I would rather have more servers and at least be able to see everyone that's on the server running around. SWTOR felt like a ghost town even when there were a lot of people on because of this stupid channels idea.
What they are referring to with "layers" for having made different quest choices is one thing, but the "channel" thing he is referring to is completely seperate as described in the article - and is the same where they just make copies of the area based on how many people are currently playing in it.
Didnt Swtor have multiple channels on multiple servers? Here there will be 1 server with multiple channels. Also we dont know how many people will be on 1 channel , im fairly certain they dont want to spread their community to thin cuz that would be a stupid idea.
What makes it not ok exactly?
Because I want to see all the people I'm playing with. I would rather have more servers and at least be able to see everyone that's on the server running around. SWTOR felt like a ghost town even when there were a lot of people on because of this stupid channels idea.
What they are referring to with "layers" for having made different quest choices is one thing, but the "channel" thing he is referring to is completely seperate as described in the article - and is the same where they just make copies of the area based on how many people are currently playing in it.
they do it when there is too many people, lots of games do that, EQ2 does it as well.
do you honestly believe they will put you in another channel when there isn't already too many people in the zone making it seem lifeless?
do you honestly think for a second that is the reason SWTOR seems so lifeless? really?
the alternative to this is to have hundreds of people all running around the same newb area at launch waiting in line to kill a certain mob.....because that's soooo much more immersive, amirite?
You'll find out. Defiance has it too. And it's really frustrated because you can't help them do story and episode missions if you have already done it.
You'll be going somewhere that is a phased quest. Or layered as they call it. Where you made one choice and your friend made another. That town may be full of werewolves for you and your friend may have saved it. Upon entering the phase, you will be separated from your friend. You will no longer be able to see them until you both leave and rejoin each other's 'channel'. It's all a big bunch of crap that destroys community in order to make their game always populated.
Trust me, it sucks. I believe Age of Conan was one of the first MMO's to really make use of the zone instancing. It's now gotten out of control.
I don't remember people shitting all over City of Heros when they did the same thing. As far as I can recall, that game was the first to do it... I also don't hear people bitching about EverQuest when they introduced dungeon instances with that one expansion, can't recall the name right now but you all know which one I mean. Something with the Ykesha...
Can we stop with the outrage? Cover all the bases if it is that upsetting.
That Guild Wars 2 login screen knocked up my wife. Must be the second coming!
Hmm...I don't think there is one game created in the last 8 or so years that hasn't gotten any form of zone duplets to avoid overcrowding . But with a good friends and guild list this isn't even noticed . I think the one of the first games that REALLY used this heavyly was Everquest 2...But you only noticed this during realease when each zone was packed with players...
The phasing of quests steps and such is not as common however, It's now noticed in Defience , most annoyingly when group members dissapear and reapear infront of you as you group up together..don't really know why in this case however there really isn't multiple choices in the very simple quest system of Defience.
Uhhhh, yeah actually, it is. I experienced it as did tons of other people, walking around quest hubs with a couple people here and there on a supposed "full" server. Is it all that contributed to the lifeless feel? No, not hardly, but it sure contributed to it. AMMIRIIITEEE?!?!
I think it will be fine if you get to filter on a case by case basis.
So there should be a channel the majority of your guild are on which is accessible by a guild channel button.
Same for 'your party' and your PvE, PvP, Raid, Mature, etc etc. when soloing or in a likeminded group.
Unlike GW2 however - it has to work from the get-go - or it will be a minor disaster at launch...
Haters are clutching onto straws (virtually any "news") to deem this game a failure of epic proportions even before any of us have tried it..
Yea yea, just dont play it, but a failure I highly doubt it will be.
I'm ok with channels IF they are done intelligently. Neverwinter, for example, has channels and they totally ignore the fact that you are in a group, so you enter/leave a zone and mostly get split up. Then you have to look at the list of channels, find out which ones are also showing up for your buddies and then all move there (just as well we use TS). It's ridiculous. Maybe this will be fixed in Neverwinter's launch...cough...open beta.
TESO really needs to focus on channels not hampering the game. So many have done it badly, very few have done it right.
Yes, if it didn't it be near impossible to play the game. The reason channels exist is for
1.) Lowering player numbers to allow for systems to handle an area at once and mitigate lag issues.
2.) Gives players the ability to do things. No channels players can camp leaving no mobs available to kill, or force high respawn rates making it messy if you come at the wrong time.
3.) Having hundreds of players together in one area can break 'emerision' particularly in areas where its suppose to invoke 'danger'.
4.) If setup right, this can allow for servers (given channels utilize different servers each) to be fixed and worked on without bringing the entire game down making hardware maintenance easier to be done on those servers (though a character server and other 'always used' portions would still need dedicated down time for).
From what I understand of this is that switching channels will be seamless, no lodaing, nothing.
You will already be in the same channel as most of those on your friendslist and in your guild. If you have neither you will be in a channel with likeminded people accoring to the survey (playstyle, interests etc) you filled in at 1st login.
I can't see how this would be a bad thing for the game instead of overcramped zones or split servers.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
From the reviews people have said that played the game both before and during Pax East was that choices don't seperate you from another player, they simply don't see what changes you made. So if you saved a town full of werewolves and your friend didn't save the town, your friend won't see all those townsfolk cheering at you. But you can still see each other.
The developers are saying there will be some instances where the choices you make split you off from your friends but they tried to place them all at the end of zones in order to limit as much as possible how often this occurs.
Good.
Age of Conan did this - worked well especially if you were trying to get away from pvp'ers lol.