The Elder Scrolls Online

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
Hi everyone, I'm curious to know peoples opinion on this game. I have seen mostly negative opinions elsewhere on the internet, but I am looking forward to the game personally.

In my opinion (from the limited information available) it looks like it won't revolutionise the genre, however I don't think it has to. If the game turns out to be similar to (TBC era) World of Warcraft, but with updated graphics, slicker more complicated combat etc, then I think it would definitely appeal to me.

Just wondering what other people's views are on this game, sorry if there is another thread about this, but I couldn't find one.

(Also I am quite surprised about how little information is available about the game, including (crucially) its business model, when the game is scheduled for launch "early 2013" so presumably under 6 months away.)
 

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
I'm excited for it, but that's about it at this point. Not much info available. I'm hoping for something like an MMO version of Skyrim. I could see that eating my life away.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
This was only announced months ago. Most MMOs (at least from companies with big titles) usually have at least a year or 2 between announcing it and first few views.

Still no real news on it either. Not even an alpha pahse, screenshots pictures or anything "real" to say this game is close to coming out. So I believe it is still years off.

So early 2013 is not a date for MMO ES, however I bet that is a new DLC for skyrim not the MMO.
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
They claim to utilize the same combat mechanic as the single-player version of ES games (Skyrim/Oblivion). I think this would be horrible in an MMO.
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
They claim to utilize the same combat mechanic as the single-player version of ES games (Skyrim/Oblivion). I think this would be horrible in an MMO.

Well it is a third person game, so I'm not sure how that would work. Also the combat in oblivion and skyrim is awful...
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
They claim to utilize the same combat mechanic as the single-player version of ES games (Skyrim/Oblivion). I think this would be horrible in an MMO.

Just making a :

-sandbox into an MMO is a bad idea
-A strong single player game into an MMO is a bad idea
-MMO based on a different time frame than a game your basing it on (thus previous lore from previous games are not a big deal) is a bad idea
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
This was only announced months ago. Most MMOs (at least from companies with big titles) usually have at least a year or 2 between announcing it and first few views.

Still no real news on it either. Not even an alpha pahse, screenshots pictures or anything "real" to say this game is close to coming out. So I believe it is still years off.

So early 2013 is not a date for MMO ES, however I bet that is a new DLC for skyrim not the MMO.

I don't quite get what you are saying, the game has been in development since 2007, and their website says a 2013 release with some articles and wikipedia stating "early 2013". The game is in Alpha.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
I don't quite get what you are saying, the game has been in development since 2007, and their website says a 2013 release with some articles and wikipedia stating "early 2013". The game is in Alpha.

If the game was even in alpha, yo uare looking at near 6-9 months MINIMUM, before it is released.

As there is:

closed beta
Beta
Open beta
Final arrangements
Release the product

(However if it was in alpha the company would have shared MANY things about the game already to entice those waiting for it. Like Classes? Pictures of gameplay? What the first primary conflict is?) Which none of that information is out there, otherwise knowing how SWTOR and such happened, it would be buzzing around the internet.

Edit: I found a total of like 12 pictures of nothing but a monster, or a character. Along with pictures of the faces of some develoeprs. That is it.

And a tweet from Elder scrolls

"Beta sign ups will begin much later this year", thus I assume around August/September. A sign up period will last X time (let us say about 2-3 months as they start leaking info from the alpha) So that means the first beta that people can actually play will be very late 2013.

Open beta (aka stress test is usually 2-5 months after beta) and thus I predict February/marhc for that. Then add in 2 months for final touches. I see mid 2014 as release date if all things go to plan.
 
Last edited:

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
Nope, I haven't experienced the title, so it's impossible for me to have an opinion. Thanks for playing!

No real opinion can be done on this until much more information is released. So give it half a year-9months and I bet more information will be out there where opinions can start being created with real credit due to them.
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
No real opinion can be done on this until much more information is released. So give it half a year-9months and I bet more information will be out there where opinions can start being created with real credit due to them.

You can still have an opinion about the announcement of the game, which is what I started the thread for.
 
Aug 11, 2008
10,451
642
126
Personally, I don't play mmos and an concerned that it will draw too many resources away from the single player franchise. Bethesda was the only really outstanding developer left for single player RPG games, and it would be really sad to see them compromise that trying to duplicate the wow cash cow.

Maybe it will work out well, but look what happened to kotor when bioware turned it into an mmo.
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
Personally, I don't play mmos and an concerned that it will draw too many resources away from the single player franchise. Bethesda was the only really outstanding developer left for single player RPG games, and it would be really sad to see them compromise that trying to duplicate the wow cash cow.

Maybe it will work out well, but look what happened to kotor when bioware turned it into an mmo.

I share that concern also (I don't really like the elder scrolls single player, but the fallout reboot games are two of my top 5 ever), the point I would make it that it is being developed by Zenimax Studios and published by Bethesda. Although this could mean the end of Elder Scrolls single player (If the MMO was successful mind) Bethesda would presumably continue to develop high quality RPGs in some franchise or another.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLp0ykvotEI

That is a link to thoughts about the game from a guy who played the Alpha.

Is this person someone affliated with the company, and not just a family member? because releasing ANY info from an Alpha without consent is normally not allowed.

Secondly that doesn't tell me anything. Nothing no real opinions can be brought from.

My opinion? It is going to suck.

Why?

1. Turning a single player game that ppl love into an MMO is a bad idea (see SWTOR)
2. Expectations are probably going to get insanly high again. And not be anything more than another MMO with different graphics and story/gameplay. But same old forumla. Thus people will get dissappointed and hoping for something more, and much like... (Rift, SWTOR, Warhammer, Etc.) they will crash hard. [Sure rift kept a decent sized stable playerbase, but conan, warhammer?]
3. What system will be required? One of warcrafts strengths (even though ppl joke on the graphics/cartoony look) is it allows for cheaper machines to run it and thus more people play it without having to spend $1,500+ for a new machine for a single game. SKyrim alone for good gameplay already requires a decent machine, and that is single player. Add in hundreds - thousands of ppl in the same coding area meaning stronger CPUs and RAM will be required than a single player game...
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
Is this person someone affliated with the company, and not just a family member? because releasing ANY info from an Alpha without consent is normally not allowed.

Secondly that doesn't tell me anything. Nothing no real opinions can be brought from.

My opinion? It is going to suck.

Why?

1. Turning a single player game that ppl love into an MMO is a bad idea (see SWTOR)
2. Expectations are probably going to get insanly high again. And not be anything more than another MMO with different graphics and story/gameplay. But same old forumla. Thus people will get dissappointed and hoping for something more, and much like... (Rift, SWTOR, Warhammer, Etc.) they will crash hard. [Sure rift kept a decent sized stable playerbase, but conan, warhammer?]
3. What system will be required? One of warcrafts strengths (even though ppl joke on the graphics/cartoony look) is it allows for cheaper machines to run it and thus more people play it without having to spend $1,500+ for a new machine for a single game. SKyrim alone for good gameplay already requires a decent machine, and that is single player. Add in hundreds - thousands of ppl in the same coding area meaning stronger CPUs and RAM will be required than a single player game...

1. Nope, that person is a youtube commentator who was invited to come and play/look at the alpha version of the game, but wasn't allowed to film the game play.

2. I agree you can't make definite opinions yet.

Your Opinions

1. True - SwTor was shit, but does not mean that this one will be. Warcraft was an RTS before it was an MMO remember...

2. Yes expectations will be high.

3. It uses the same engine as Rift (although I'm not exactly thrilled about that),so it will run on almost anything as a result. There was an article on Kotaku about the devs showing that it could be played on a MacBook with integrated graphics.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
1. Nope, that person is a youtube commentator who was invited to come and play/look at the alpha version of the game, but wasn't allowed to film the game play.

2. I agree you can't make definite opinions yet.

Your Opinions

1. True - SwTor was shit, but does not mean that this one will be. Warcraft was an RTS before it was an MMO remember...

2. Yes expectations will be high.

3. It uses the same engine as Rift (although I'm not exactly thrilled about that),so it will run on almost anything as a result. There was an article on Kotaku about the devs showing that it could be played on a MacBook with integrated graphics.

1 - Warcraft was not a singleplayer, as you could battle friends online and such in warcraft III. Which created the original DOTA. So it was a very popular battle online game.

2. Exactly. Everygames expectations will crash if they don't deliver.

3. So they are going to reduce the graphics to fit with the rift engine? Because I know I can see a much better graphic setup from bethesdas Skyrim engine than rift.

Which basically makes all my points even more valid than before.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
From everything I've seen, the game looks generic as fuck

Doesn't surprise me at all.

The elder scrolls fits perfectly in the time frame (not graphic wise) when MMOs first starting getting popular with Everquest and Asheron's Call and whatever. However the MMO genre has chanegd a drastic amount since then, that it would have to make so many changes to the elder scrolls to be "competitive" in the market place, It will only hold the elder scrolls name because of lore.
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
1 - Warcraft was not a singleplayer, as you could battle friends online and such in warcraft III. Which created the original DOTA. So it was a very popular battle online game.

2. Exactly. Everygames expectations will crash if they don't deliver.

3. So they are going to reduce the graphics to fit with the rift engine? Because I know I can see a much better graphic setup from bethesdas Skyrim engine than rift.

Which basically makes all my points even more valid than before.

WTF!

1. My point was that changing an RTS world into an MMO is a bigger leap than changing a singeplayer game into an MMO.

2. I dont understand what you mean...

3. That is not how game development works. They don't just get Skyrim and zoom out to third person and add other players.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
WTF!

1. My point was that changing an RTS world into an MMO is a bigger leap than changing a singeplayer game into an MMO.

2. I dont understand what you mean...

3. That is not how game development works. They don't just get Skyrim and zoom out to third person and add other players.

1. It isn't any easier going from X genre to Y genre. However Warcraft was not a super popular swtor/elder scrolls level single player game, which is where it strength lies and you can do ALOT of things you cannot do in most games. These will be restricted because of an MMO, like stealing items, pickpocketing out of quests, killing NPCs for fun, and them staying dead not "respawning". Also friends who played a lot of War III and DOTA together would have an easier time playing together in a same world MMO, than finding people in Skyrim since you do not meet/play with people on single player games.

So it may seem easier to code, but it breaks the mold of what made the single player game amazing. Thus not making it any easy.

2. People are fickle. If something does not meet their expectations, no matter how good it is, will seem like a bad-average game and thus they will not have the drive to play it. And since MMOs have evolved to the level they have, they do not have too much room left to grow. So expecattions are always high expecting something "new", but when it is just WoW 7.0, or rift 3.0, or Swtor 2.0 because of the same gameplay, just different story/classes/leveling perks, there is no real new to it. Just if yoru interested in the story lore will you be lasting a game that fails to meet expectations

3. Never said that. However the graphics engine used in Skyrim, is not the same used in rift. The one in skyrim had higher limitations than the one in rift. Thus, to use the same engine by rift, they will have to scale back a bit on graphics and other things that made skyrim players go "ooo and ahhh", even though its combat was less than desired.