OS-neutral: Elder Scrolls Online (MMO) announced for PC and Mac

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by blesscheese

uhhhh...did you see how absolutely "f-ugly" the characters were in Oblivion?

Skyrim is a 1000% improvement.

BTW, these ain't your Uncle Bilbo's elves...

Oblivion was my first Bethesda exposure to butt ugly characters.

[doh123]

Originally Posted by Nermal

Thanks, that confirms that it definitely didn't work so I'll try it again.

Edit: Still not working so I tried Firefox and it went straight in. Something broken with the site that stops it from working with Safari?

I used Safari whatever the latest is on Mountain Lion and it worked fine.

[N19h7m4r3]

Originally Posted by doh123

I used Safari whatever the latest is on Mountain Lion and it worked fine.

Odd, it didn't work for me in Safari or Chrome, but did it Firefox.

[Huntn]

I think I've soured on beta testing especially now that the MMO trend seems to be no subscription. My first beta was WoW for about 1 month and it was wonderful. No character resets at all. I beta tested GuildWars2, Star Wars TOR, and Planetside2 and except for PS2 (which is a different animal) the first two mentioned were not nearly as satisfying, possibly because I was not smitten with the games as I was with WoW and too many character resets. I'm feeling that if I have to do zones over and over in a beta environment, it's not going to be nearly as enjoyable as discovering zones in a finished product.

So for a slight moment I was yeah, sign up for the Elder Scrolls Online beta, but then I said "nah".

[Lark.Landon]

Originally Posted by renzatic

for me, mmos began and ended with everquest. Nothing else has come close to the pure, visceral thrills (and absolute frustration), or captivated me nearly as deeply. Kinda glad for that, actually. Eq consumed wayyyy too much of my time back in the day.

I played wow during the last public beta, and even bought the game when it came out. It was great for about 3 weeks or so, then you started realizing you were doing the same things over and over and over...and over...and over again. At that point, it became less of an adventure, and more like a factory job. Repetition repetition repetition.

I remember watching a friend who got deep into the game play it. I think it was back when the first expansion came out. He said he had to do his "dailies" or something for a quick bit of cash.

Dailies? Like...chores? You're playing a game that makes you do chores? That's horrible! Why would you do that to yourself?

Train to zoneline!!! Run for your lives!

[Renzatic]

Trains weren't just an adventure, they were a way of life.

[Liquorpuki]

I miss trains lol

I miss the trail of corpses they left behind

[Solomani]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

I miss trains lol

I miss the trail of corpses they left behind

The Plane of Fear trains were the best! chooo choooo!

[Huntn]

Is it known if ESO will be subscription or micro-transaction funded?

[SilentPanda]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Is it known if ESO will be subscription or micro-transaction funded?

I believe it's going to be a standard subscription model. But aside from WoW, I think almost all MMO's have gone to free to play with microtransactions. I guess WoW is free to play until level 20... but that's a laugh.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by SilentPanda

I believe it's going to be a standard subscription model. But aside from WoW, I think almost all MMO's have gone to free to play with microtransactions. I guess WoW is free to play until level 20... but that's a laugh.

My guess then, is it won't last. But ya never know.

[doh123]

They have not yet confirmed or even claimed that it will be only one way or the other or even both. We'll have to wait and see.

[Kasalic]

Originally Posted by Solomani

The Plane of Fear trains were the best! chooo choooo!

Plane of Hate break-in's - pure mayhem. EQ took way too much of my time too and no other MMO has come close. Went back recently, but games and time have moved on, good memories though.

[doh123]

I don't think I did any of the tough planes more than a handful of times besides Fear... it was too much work really... and most of the time only went in on my cleric cuz everyone always needs clerics.

EQ does bring back good memories... I played it during closed beta up through Planes of Power a ton... then off and on barely after that checking out new stuff. It was probably the game I played the most ever... I haven't seen a game that can hold a candle to it yet, and WoW isn't even close to the greatness EQ was. Now it just seems kinda dated and clumsy, even if it was state of the art in 1999.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by doh123

I don't think I did any of the tough planes more than a handful of times besides Fear... it was too much work really... and most of the time only went in on my cleric cuz everyone always needs clerics.

EQ does bring back good memories... I played it during closed beta up through Planes of Power a ton... then off and on barely after that checking out new stuff. It was probably the game I played the most ever... I haven't seen a game that can hold a candle to it yet, and WoW isn't even close to the greatness EQ was. Now it just seems kinda dated and clumsy, even if it was state of the art in 1999.

I never played Everquest. In its day, what made EQ great and better than WoW? This is not an adversarial challenge, just curious. I'm wondering if part of it could be that it was something like the first of its kind?

For myself, I played the original Planetside (2003) which was great, and then WoW in beta (2004) and continued in retail, as the first RPG that really grabbed me. Previously I had been exposed to Heros of Might and Magic and the environments never grabbed me. Wow's environment and quests grabbed me in a big way. I loved it for a long time.

[doh123]

Originally Posted by Huntn

I never played Everquest. In its day, what made EQ great and better than WoW? This is not an adversarial challenge, just curious. I'm wondering if part of it could be that it was something like the first of its kind?

For myself, I played the original Planetside (2003) which was great, and then WoW in beta (2004) and continued in retail, as the first RPG that really grabbed me. Previously I had been exposed to Heros of Might and Magic and the environments never grabbed me. Wow's environment and quests grabbed me in a big way. I loved it for a long time.

It just seemed a wide open world to go do what you wanted. WoW always felt like it was leading you through the game instead of you doing it yourself. Also EQ was very tough... WoW and a lot of others make the game way too easy.

I never got into the "Heroes of" games. I absolutly love the Might and Magic RPGs, but when they started making the strategy "Heroes of" ones, I got a bit bored. I still think Might & Magic 2 through 5 were some of the best RPGs ever... even though the are very very old now.

[velocityg4]

Hopefully there will still be a non MMO Elder Scrolls 6. These are my favorite RPG games series. If it will be only MMO in the future that just stinks. I won't play it. Old Republic has already quashed my dreams of a KOTOR 3.

I love to download and install user created content and use the console.

The problem with MMO's is they alienate all the gamers that enjoy editing the game, cheating, &c. Personally I find codes can make the game much funner. It's supposed to put you in a fantasy.

There must be many others that feel the same way. Otherwise action movies wouldn't feature heroes that kick butt everywhere they go. Who fantasizes about having to work really hard and get your butt handed to you at every turn until you've trained enough to put up a fight, scrounge for money to buy things, &c.

I don't go nuts with cheat codes (which is why I like fine tuned console codes over trainers). Rather I like to balance my player at action hero standards. Where I can have a difficult time against a badass and possibly lose but go through underlings easily.

I have real life to work hard. I don't need that in a game.

User content is also fun. Like having my Arnold Schwarzegger as Conan the Barbarian running around or super high res textures and cooler outfits. Unfortunately the rights holder of Lord of the Rings stopped a huge user created effort to turn Skyrim into Middle Earth.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by doh123

It just seemed a wide open world to go do what you wanted. WoW always felt like it was leading you through the game instead of you doing it yourself. Also EQ was very tough... WoW and a lot of others make the game way too easy.

I never got into the "Heroes of" games. I absolutly love the Might and Magic RPGs, but when they started making the strategy "Heroes of" ones, I got a bit bored. I still think Might & Magic 2 through 5 were some of the best RPGs ever... even though the are very very old now.

Sandbox? One thing I appreciated in WoW were the linked quests. I did not mind the guidance. Were there quest chains in Everquest? If so, was it up to you to find your way or did the game give you hints?

[zgwortz]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Is it known if ESO will be subscription or micro-transaction funded?

They've made no announcements or even let out any hints about this yet. No way to tell yet, and we probably won't know for several months at least.

Originally Posted by velocityg4

Hopefully there will still be a non MMO Elder Scrolls 6. These are my favorite RPG games series. If it will be only MMO in the future that just stinks. I won't play it. Old Republic has already quashed my dreams of a KOTOR 3.

I'd say almost certainly there will be an Elder Scrolls 6. Elder Scrolls Online is being done by Zenimax Online Studios, not Bethesda. Both are owned by Zenimax Media, making them sister companies -- Zenimax Online is focusing on MMOs (ie. Elder Scrolls Online) and Bethesda will still be making single player games like Elder Scrolls and Fallout. I'm fairly sure Bethesda is already working on TES6, even though they haven't announced anything yet - they probably started that process even before Skyrim was released.

If that's not enough to make it obvious where things stand - Elder Scrolls Online was deliberately set in a chaotic period 1000 years prior to the first Elder Scrolls game, *specifically* so that it's lore and gameplay don't interfere with Bethesda further developing the lore of the main Elder Scrolls games.

[dma550]

Originally Posted by Lark.Landon

Train to zoneline!!! Run for your lives!

Lol, was just telling my kids about this in classic EQ. Remember Blackburrow or Guk? Huge trains of 10-20 mobs taking up one spot that would wipe out anyone at the zone line!

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by zgwortz

They've made no announcements or even let out any hints about this yet. No way to tell yet, and we probably won't know for several months at least.

Considering GuildWars2, if forced to bet, it would be on F2P with in-game store, maybe a premium subscription of some kind.

Some subscriptions can be compelling. Looking at F2P Planetside 2 I have spent about $14 on upgraded guns. Not that much as compared to an upfront purchase of $50 + $12/month subscription. In F2P World of Tanks, I've spent more, about $30 for items, and even plunked down $50 for a 6 month subscription for Premium to increase my XP accumulation by 50%. Ironically, WOT offers relatively higher XP accumulations playing for free, but I am more motivated to accumulate XP to move up the Tank tiers.

[TedM]

I saw some game play footage from an interview where it looked like a huge castle battle. I was mildly impressed.

[Lark.Landon]

Originally Posted by dma550

Lol, was just telling my kids about this in classic EQ. Remember Blackburrow or Guk? Huge trains of 10-20 mobs taking up one spot that would wipe out anyone at the zone line!

Yeah lmfao. I was the one leading about 90% of the trains. I remember wiping out several groups in one fell swoop! Have you heard about Project 99? It's frikking awesome. I can still "TRAIN TO ZONE!!!111!!1 " !!!

[Lark.Landon]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Sandbox? One thing I appreciated in WoW were the linked quests. I did not mind the guidance. Were there quest chains in Everquest? If so, was it up to you to find your way or did the game give you hints?

Lol. Everquest told you what to do. Not how to do it That's about it. No hints. If you want a REAL challenge... try Project 1999. It's a free original Everquest client. When you die... you must go retrieve your corpse.. in the midst of where you fell. Mobs... are not predictable. And you better know the fastest way to the zone line. it is an old game, but it is VERY fun. The challenge is truly fun.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by Lark.Landon

Lol. Everquest told you what to do. Not how to do it That's about it. No hints. If you want a REAL challenge... try Project 1999. It's a free original Everquest client. When you die... you must go retrieve your corpse.. in the midst of where you fell. Mobs... are not predictable. And you better know the fastest way to the zone line. it is an old game, but it is VERY fun. The challenge is truly fun.

So you had to figure out where to go to do a quest? That does sound challenging, challenging on patience!