This was a good write up. I'm one of the folks that will disagree with the point about the headstart smoothness. When I think about Vanguard, Lord of the Rings Online, Age of Conan, etc there were so many more bigger issues right at launch. In this game, they solved most of the biggies before the official launch. In addition, I can't remember an MMO where there was no queue at release or people worrying about what server they will be on. That to me is HUGE!!! No more worrying where my friends will be or if the guild will eventually change servers. I agree with everything you pointed out and the article itself was very well written, but I guess from previous experiences I just feel the launch was great despite the annoyances of the ridiculously long downtime.
There are still issues, balancing, phasing issues, etc, but they will iron these out like they do in all MMOs.
Bill, just one thing...you have a grammar error at the end: "But it certainly seems to be mind (SHOULD BE MY) kind of game, and I’ll gladly keep playing it... so long as the servers stay up."
Originally posted by Knotwood Bill Murphey you are a man after my own heart. You are 100% spot on. I think the minority of haters who are the most vocal will probably scream at you like they did me though.
Considering the lashing they gave SOE for their views on F2P I can calmly say that this review is paid for as both meet the obvious agenda... now we only need to see if you are that in love with the game or merely that much of a hopeless idealist... this game is gonna sink with people like you running around proclaiming it the 2nd coming alone.
Except they once had that mmo with all the scantily clad women (and I believe nudity) that advertised up a storm and they panned it.
I would dare say that it was advertised far more than Elder Scrolls Online (scarlet blade is what I thnk it was calle).
So I don't really buy the "these reviews are paid for".
I think it's more "unbridled enthusiasm".
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Just because you don't agree with Bill doesn't mean he is being paid or blindly giving praise. If you just want opinions that mirror your own, look at yourself in a mirror and start bitching. Some of us aren't jaded asshats who hate everything. The truth is he IS being objective. The game has it's faults but despite that it is a lot of fun. If it's not fun for you, then fine.
My Mom hates video games all together, in her opinion every positive review of every game ever is wrong. She doesn't give a shit though, because she just doesn't play them and moves on with her life.
Does not mention either of the two current, massive, issues with the game namely:
*the regions where people are getting rollbacked constantly;
*the reports of the server logging people into the wrong accounts.
Objectivity would require full disclosure of issues, either partially or fully confirmed. This has not happened which either implies incompetence or secondary motives.
If you want examples of similar "reviews" take a look at classics like the SWtOR review or other gems from major publishers which somehow got a pass while indie developers sometimes get nailed to a cross for far less.
Can't be very massive issues as I don't know anyone experiencing them at the moment. We get it, you don't like the game. Guess what, no one else cares. Why come here whining about a game you don't like, go comment on something you like. Even Wow had issues for some at release, those problems were very over blown too.
When you get into the next zone the type of items that sell for 0 sell for 1-4, except fishing bait, that's always 0. You don't really need to buy the better horses either.. since you just upgrade your current one by feeding it and it works out cheaper. Only reason to buy the other ones is for the colour.
Make sure you gather as well to earn gold.. don't bother trying to sell the lower level materials to other players, there's too much for sale. BUT, refine it all first and sell it to the vendors, you get twice as much for it that way. Which, after guild store taxes, works out more profit usually.. and it definitely sells.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
I'll give you a hint, 1 handed/shield has some of the highest DPS in the game if you know how to build your character around it.
This is simply untrue.
1H/S does not have "some of the highest DPS in game".
You may have found some abilities that have nice synergy and give you high DPS - but not "some of the highest DPS in the game".
The reason you haven't posted the abilities is because you know someone else would call B/S and post much better DPS options from other classes/abilities/weapon synergies.
Yep, there is no way sword and board is high DPS... there is NO way to augment those skills that can't be used to augment other weapon skills as well. They are the second lowest damage weapon skills in the game, restoration staff being the lowest.. since it has almost no damage what-so-ever.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Originally posted by Knotwood Bill Murphey you are a man after my own heart. You are 100% spot on. I think the minority of haters who are the most vocal will probably scream at you like they did me though.
Considering the lashing they gave SOE for their views on F2P I can calmly say that this review is paid for as both meet the obvious agenda... now we only need to see if you are that in love with the game or merely that much of a hopeless idealist... this game is gonna sink with people like you running around proclaiming it the 2nd coming alone.
Except they once had that mmo with all the scantily clad women (and I believe nudity) that advertised up a storm and they panned it.
I would dare say that it was advertised far more than Elder Scrolls Online (scarlet blade is what I thnk it was calle).
So I don't really buy the "these reviews are paid for".
I think it's more "unbridled enthusiasm".
Yup you are referring to Scarlet Blade and while they panned it I also rather doubt the developers cared that much if they did because lets be honest that game was banking on sex appeal not mechanics, story, etc.
Also the ad part of the site is not linked to the review side in a direct manner, basically who decides which MMO will get a good review and who decides what ads get thrown up here are not the same person.
That said assuming your idea of enthusiam ... professionals are not allowed to have opinions so colored by "enthusiasm" ... Christ if I want that I will look on youtube at gameplay videos from 15-17 year olds who are just now getting an MMO worth something.
Every MMO ever would have a 4 or less out of 10 if it was purely based on launch bugs and issues. I think writers know people are asking more about the meat of the game and not some temporary bugs however bad they might be.
I haven't had any issues myself in my 30 hours of played time as many others have been saying. So clearly it's not affecting everyone. And sometimes I wonder if these issues are even real or just haters who don't even play the game making them up.
Bil, you've said this kind of stuff about most everything you lay your hands on..
Smite didn't become the most popular MOBA, GW2 isn't a masterpiece, etc., etc.,
I know, right...remembering all the other MMORPG's that has gotten the same treatment as ESO. In a couple of months the honeymoon will be well over, and in 6 months...they'll be getting ready to devour a new game. Locust gamers are like that.
Bil, you've said this kind of stuff about most everything you lay your hands on..
Smite didn't become the most popular MOBA, GW2 isn't a masterpiece, etc., etc.,
I know, right...remembering all the other MMORPG's that has gotten the same treatment as ESO. In a couple of months the honeymoon will be well over, and in 6 months...they'll be getting ready to devour a new game. Locust gamers are like that.
Except the opinions of this site haven't changed. You don't see this site making articles bashing the game six months after launch. It's just some of the players who get bored and turn on the hate mode. It's not irresponsible journalism to enjoy video games.
Bil, you've said this kind of stuff about most everything you lay your hands on..
Smite didn't become the most popular MOBA, GW2 isn't a masterpiece, etc., etc.,
I know, right...remembering all the other MMORPG's that has gotten the same treatment as ESO. In a couple of months the honeymoon will be well over, and in 6 months...they'll be getting ready to devour a new game. Locust gamers are like that.
Except the opinions of this site haven't changed. You don't see this site making articles bashing the game six months after launch. It's just some of the players who get bored and turn on the hate mode. It's not irresponsible journalism to enjoy video games.
It is when you let it color the truth just how like when you watch the news, any news, you expect them to not take sides either willingly or unwillingly and just present the stories as they know them.
Again I bring up the point of Bill either ignoring or willfully burying at least two of the major issues that have plagued the game during early access, if this isn't cause for concern to you then yeah...
Also the fact that the site has fixed opinions is even worse because MMOs are dynamic entities not fixed thus in 5-6 years time Scarlet Blade, for example, could be a transcendental experience where sandbox merges seamlessly with themepark and ESO is a P2W cash shop where moving more than 10 m a day costs cash. This is reducing things to absurds but still the point stands.
I'll give you a hint, 1 handed/shield has some of the highest DPS in the game if you know how to build your character around it.
This is simply untrue.
1H/S does not have "some of the highest DPS in game".
You may have found some abilities that have nice synergy and give you high DPS - but not "some of the highest DPS in the game".
The reason you haven't posted the abilities is because you know someone else would call B/S and post much better DPS options from other classes/abilities/weapon synergies.
Do you see those Bash Traits in the 1 handed shield line?
You grab those, you put Bash Stamina Cost Reduction on you Jewelry, and watch as your Interrupt Skill now cost virtually nothing, attacks twice as fast as a two hander, hits twice as hard, and interrupts
I'll give you a hint, 1 handed/shield has some of the highest DPS in the game if you know how to build your character around it.
This is simply untrue.
1H/S does not have "some of the highest DPS in game".
You may have found some abilities that have nice synergy and give you high DPS - but not "some of the highest DPS in the game".
The reason you haven't posted the abilities is because you know someone else would call B/S and post much better DPS options from other classes/abilities/weapon synergies.
Yep, there is no way sword and board is high DPS... there is NO way to augment those skills that can't be used to augment other weapon skills as well. They are the second lowest damage weapon skills in the game, restoration staff being the lowest.. since it has almost no damage what-so-ever.
Reviewer aside I have played up until level 9 so far after the 5 day access period. What I like about the game is that you don't need to learn tradeskills. You just go out in the world and can collect plants, food, etc. and craft /decraft in town. I have been focusing on crafting while I'm leveling at the same time and scouting the worlds. So far even though I'm only level 9 I like the game a lot.
To those who don't like the game I will tell you now when I got into beta I hated the Wailing Caverns which turned me off from the game. I decided there was no other good MMO to play and decided to give it one more chance and boy am I glad I did. it gets much much better after Wailing Caverns. If you get past that and start on the main quest lines I guarantee you will become addicted. I haven't been addicted to an MMO like this for many years and that's saying a lot!
I would give you a guest pass to SWOTR, but then I wouldn't be able to find a way to live with myself afterwards....
Originally posted by Tbau I will wait a few months after they are no longer advertising on sites and the "new and shiny" has worn off. There were plenty of great reviews of SWTOR out there at release and it took 3+ months before realization set in and suddenly honest clear sighted views were made.
I've been anticipating the release of TESO myself. I love the TES series and I hope to extend that love to TESO.
Having said that, I have to cut to the point and be honest. I do get the sense that TESO is awesome in terms of single player questing and crafting. But, in terms of grouping activities, I think that it makes a lot of bad decisions and, alternatively, average decisions which won't stand the test of time.
So, as people in general freshly approach TESO, they will indeed be blown away by their personal journey through the leveling process. But, as they encounter group activities like public dungeons and trading via guild membership, they will get aggravated, demand change, and/or just leave upon promptly exhausting the content which they do like. And the devs at ZOS will have a mountain of a mess to sort through because they'll have to redesign the game.
But yeah, I agree, the excitement over TESO's release has to run its course before more cooler, more discerning heads prevail and the game has to confront cold, hard reality.
Waiting for:Citadel of Sorcery. Along the way, The Elder Scrolls Online (when it is F2P).
Keeping an eye on:www.play2crush.com (whatever is going on here).
Just from my personal experience with it since early access. I'd give the game like a 9.5 out of 10. I might just be lucky, but there's only two things I've experienced that others are talking about. I had a quest bug, but was easily remedied by relogging, and the long 12 hour downtime, but I only missed like 2 hours of that 12 since I went to sleep when they took the servers down lol.
I gotta agree mostly with what has been said in this review. I haven't had this much fun with an MMO in a very long time. It's so refreshing.
Bill, I really enjoyed this article. I think you hit the nail on the head with the glitches and the positives. I also can't seem to pry myself away from the game. I haven't wanted to play a game this much in several years. It seems like every time I log on, I discover some kind of new feature or game system that I didn't even know about. I'm really enjoying this game and plan on playing it for a long time!
I'll give you a hint, 1 handed/shield has some of the highest DPS in the game if you know how to build your character around it.
This is simply untrue.
1H/S does not have "some of the highest DPS in game".
You may have found some abilities that have nice synergy and give you high DPS - but not "some of the highest DPS in the game".
The reason you haven't posted the abilities is because you know someone else would call B/S and post much better DPS options from other classes/abilities/weapon synergies.
Yep, there is no way sword and board is high DPS... there is NO way to augment those skills that can't be used to augment other weapon skills as well. They are the second lowest damage weapon skills in the game, restoration staff being the lowest.. since it has almost no damage what-so-ever.
You'd be wrong...
Haha no, I wouldn't. Put your money where your mouth is, buddy. What's this super secret 1H + Shield build? You don't talk, you're talking shit.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Originally posted by NomadMorlock Just FYI. There is no shortage if gold if you craft or trade. I broke 30,000 gold on the second day of head start and bought my 43,000 horse on day three. This from mostly searching every container in cities for 12 hours a day for 2 days and selling the rare drop racial motif books.
Well, not everyone enjoys playing a game like this, so I am with the editor that it is a bit though with money. Though I don't agree that it has to change, it will eventually once the economy gets going.
Why i have the impression that this review will be like "game is getting better and better as you lvl" & "every time i log i get more into it" etc and finally end with a 9/10?
I played a couple of hours in each starting area in beta back in January and I liked what I saw. But then I read about this huge Cyrodiil area, with endemic resources and lots of PvE content, yet I'd have to be "subjected to non-consensual PvP" if I want to use those. So never mind, I still have a huge backlog of Steam sales, I can afford to wait for them to add a no-pvp switch or a pve server, or else, again, never mind then.
Originally posted by neofit I played a couple of hours in each starting area in beta back in January and I liked what I saw. But then I read about this huge Cyrodiil area, with endemic resources and lots of PvE content, yet I'd have to be "subjected to non-consensual PvP" if I want to use those. So never mind, I still have a huge backlog of Steam sales, I can afford to wait for them to add a no-pvp switch or a pve server, or else, again, never mind then.
Cyrodiil is a PvP area that you can ignore completely. There just happens to be some PvE content in it. It's not part of the story questline, and you have to log into it to play. So it's not 'non-consenual', it's meant for PvP, unlike the rest of the world.
I was burnt out on themepark MMOs and decided to NOT buy this one with all the negativity around.
As usual when a new MMO gets released i bought it anyways in the end and i am very surprised how much fun it is.
To me it is the quests. They have the quality of singleplayer RPGs. I have not had a single go kill 10 rats quest yet. They are very well thought through and every quest is a little story that is worth listening to.
There is no quest hubs wich is great. I absolutely hate quest hubs where you pick up 10 meaningless quests to wander off and kill any mob in the area wich will result in 10 finished quests.
Will i be playing this 6 months from now? Probably not. I think i will move on after a while since there is no meaningful PVP. I think i will more then get my money's worth until i move on though.
Comments
This was a good write up. I'm one of the folks that will disagree with the point about the headstart smoothness. When I think about Vanguard, Lord of the Rings Online, Age of Conan, etc there were so many more bigger issues right at launch. In this game, they solved most of the biggies before the official launch. In addition, I can't remember an MMO where there was no queue at release or people worrying about what server they will be on. That to me is HUGE!!! No more worrying where my friends will be or if the guild will eventually change servers. I agree with everything you pointed out and the article itself was very well written, but I guess from previous experiences I just feel the launch was great despite the annoyances of the ridiculously long downtime.
There are still issues, balancing, phasing issues, etc, but they will iron these out like they do in all MMOs.
Bill, just one thing...you have a grammar error at the end: "But it certainly seems to be mind (SHOULD BE MY) kind of game, and I’ll gladly keep playing it... so long as the servers stay up."
Looking forward to your future write-ups.
There Is Always Hope!
Except they once had that mmo with all the scantily clad women (and I believe nudity) that advertised up a storm and they panned it.
I would dare say that it was advertised far more than Elder Scrolls Online (scarlet blade is what I thnk it was calle).
So I don't really buy the "these reviews are paid for".
I think it's more "unbridled enthusiasm".
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Can't be very massive issues as I don't know anyone experiencing them at the moment. We get it, you don't like the game. Guess what, no one else cares. Why come here whining about a game you don't like, go comment on something you like. Even Wow had issues for some at release, those problems were very over blown too.
When you get into the next zone the type of items that sell for 0 sell for 1-4, except fishing bait, that's always 0. You don't really need to buy the better horses either.. since you just upgrade your current one by feeding it and it works out cheaper. Only reason to buy the other ones is for the colour.
Make sure you gather as well to earn gold.. don't bother trying to sell the lower level materials to other players, there's too much for sale. BUT, refine it all first and sell it to the vendors, you get twice as much for it that way. Which, after guild store taxes, works out more profit usually.. and it definitely sells.
Yep, there is no way sword and board is high DPS... there is NO way to augment those skills that can't be used to augment other weapon skills as well. They are the second lowest damage weapon skills in the game, restoration staff being the lowest.. since it has almost no damage what-so-ever.
The dismount bug is back...
I like the game, and I am having quite the time in it.
Yup you are referring to Scarlet Blade and while they panned it I also rather doubt the developers cared that much if they did because lets be honest that game was banking on sex appeal not mechanics, story, etc.
Also the ad part of the site is not linked to the review side in a direct manner, basically who decides which MMO will get a good review and who decides what ads get thrown up here are not the same person.
That said assuming your idea of enthusiam ... professionals are not allowed to have opinions so colored by "enthusiasm" ... Christ if I want that I will look on youtube at gameplay videos from 15-17 year olds who are just now getting an MMO worth something.
Every MMO ever would have a 4 or less out of 10 if it was purely based on launch bugs and issues. I think writers know people are asking more about the meat of the game and not some temporary bugs however bad they might be.
I haven't had any issues myself in my 30 hours of played time as many others have been saying. So clearly it's not affecting everyone. And sometimes I wonder if these issues are even real or just haters who don't even play the game making them up.
I know, right...remembering all the other MMORPG's that has gotten the same treatment as ESO. In a couple of months the honeymoon will be well over, and in 6 months...they'll be getting ready to devour a new game. Locust gamers are like that.
Except the opinions of this site haven't changed. You don't see this site making articles bashing the game six months after launch. It's just some of the players who get bored and turn on the hate mode. It's not irresponsible journalism to enjoy video games.
It is when you let it color the truth just how like when you watch the news, any news, you expect them to not take sides either willingly or unwillingly and just present the stories as they know them.
Again I bring up the point of Bill either ignoring or willfully burying at least two of the major issues that have plagued the game during early access, if this isn't cause for concern to you then yeah...
Also the fact that the site has fixed opinions is even worse because MMOs are dynamic entities not fixed thus in 5-6 years time Scarlet Blade, for example, could be a transcendental experience where sandbox merges seamlessly with themepark and ESO is a P2W cash shop where moving more than 10 m a day costs cash. This is reducing things to absurds but still the point stands.
Do you see those Bash Traits in the 1 handed shield line?
You grab those, you put Bash Stamina Cost Reduction on you Jewelry, and watch as your Interrupt Skill now cost virtually nothing, attacks twice as fast as a two hander, hits twice as hard, and interrupts
You'd be wrong...
Reviewer aside I have played up until level 9 so far after the 5 day access period. What I like about the game is that you don't need to learn tradeskills. You just go out in the world and can collect plants, food, etc. and craft /decraft in town. I have been focusing on crafting while I'm leveling at the same time and scouting the worlds. So far even though I'm only level 9 I like the game a lot.
To those who don't like the game I will tell you now when I got into beta I hated the Wailing Caverns which turned me off from the game. I decided there was no other good MMO to play and decided to give it one more chance and boy am I glad I did. it gets much much better after Wailing Caverns. If you get past that and start on the main quest lines I guarantee you will become addicted. I haven't been addicted to an MMO like this for many years and that's saying a lot!
I would give you a guest pass to SWOTR, but then I wouldn't be able to find a way to live with myself afterwards....
I've been anticipating the release of TESO myself. I love the TES series and I hope to extend that love to TESO.
Having said that, I have to cut to the point and be honest. I do get the sense that TESO is awesome in terms of single player questing and crafting. But, in terms of grouping activities, I think that it makes a lot of bad decisions and, alternatively, average decisions which won't stand the test of time.
So, as people in general freshly approach TESO, they will indeed be blown away by their personal journey through the leveling process. But, as they encounter group activities like public dungeons and trading via guild membership, they will get aggravated, demand change, and/or just leave upon promptly exhausting the content which they do like. And the devs at ZOS will have a mountain of a mess to sort through because they'll have to redesign the game.
But yeah, I agree, the excitement over TESO's release has to run its course before more cooler, more discerning heads prevail and the game has to confront cold, hard reality.
Waiting for: Citadel of Sorcery. Along the way, The Elder Scrolls Online (when it is F2P).
Keeping an eye on: www.play2crush.com (whatever is going on here).
Just from my personal experience with it since early access. I'd give the game like a 9.5 out of 10. I might just be lucky, but there's only two things I've experienced that others are talking about. I had a quest bug, but was easily remedied by relogging, and the long 12 hour downtime, but I only missed like 2 hours of that 12 since I went to sleep when they took the servers down lol.
I gotta agree mostly with what has been said in this review. I haven't had this much fun with an MMO in a very long time. It's so refreshing.
Haha no, I wouldn't. Put your money where your mouth is, buddy. What's this super secret 1H + Shield build? You don't talk, you're talking shit.
Well, not everyone enjoys playing a game like this, so I am with the editor that it is a bit though with money. Though I don't agree that it has to change, it will eventually once the economy gets going.
--------------------------------------------
Youtube newb:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC96N3cxBuqKTPV2BQNlzGUw
Why i have the impression that this review will be like "game is getting better and better as you lvl" & "every time i log i get more into it" etc and finally end with a 9/10?
Its like a Deja Vu...
Cyrodiil is a PvP area that you can ignore completely. There just happens to be some PvE content in it. It's not part of the story questline, and you have to log into it to play. So it's not 'non-consenual', it's meant for PvP, unlike the rest of the world.
Well written up!
I am level 11 so far and i am having a blast,
I was burnt out on themepark MMOs and decided to NOT buy this one with all the negativity around.
As usual when a new MMO gets released i bought it anyways in the end and i am very surprised how much fun it is.
To me it is the quests. They have the quality of singleplayer RPGs. I have not had a single go kill 10 rats quest yet. They are very well thought through and every quest is a little story that is worth listening to.
There is no quest hubs wich is great. I absolutely hate quest hubs where you pick up 10 meaningless quests to wander off and kill any mob in the area wich will result in 10 finished quests.
Will i be playing this 6 months from now? Probably not. I think i will move on after a while since there is no meaningful PVP. I think i will more then get my money's worth until i move on though.
If you have a good pc and want ESO to look 10x better install these programs, its the usual sweetfx etc etc.
http://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/1zd49b/eso_sweetfx_you/
Installed and tested it myself and the game looks beyond epic.
The diffrence in colors and sharpness is insane.
Giving ESO a 9/10 dint want to buy it at first, but man i am glad i did