Elder Scrolls Online - Point missed?

[GodBeastX]

I can't help but feel that MMOs these days are only appealing to MMO players these days. Everything is about "This is the MMO functionality people expect, so lets implement that!"

I can't help but feel World of Warcraft was the last company to redo MMO expectations at all. Everyone else just seems to copy their model. And while games work hard to hide a lot of the "MMO" in their games, they remain the same.

It's no wonder WoW still has a crap load of suscribers and other MMOs just struggle to take them.

That brings me to The Elder Scrolls Online. Beautiful art, but it feels like everything I loved about Skyrim is just plain missing from the game.

A lot of what I loved about Skyrim was how I could change the course of the game and world because I was the only hero out there. THE DRAGONBORN! Now I have Tom, Dick, Harry, and XXDeathXX who will be running around the world with me. So every drop of story that might say how awesome I am is going to be funny when I turn around and the max level character is there going "DUde, want me to run you through this quest?"

Then I look at combat. People like to say it feels like Skyrim, but I can see in every video that all the combat is basically MMO-ized. Sure you point your reticle over something and attack like in Skyrim, but I noticed this was just a sneaky way of hiding the normal "Targetting" method you do in MMOs. It just goes "Hey, whatever you mouse over is your target" so you watch spells Home in and things like that. Enemies get hurt, but hit locations and what not don't matter at all. It's basically "DAMAGE THIS GUY" and enemies get beat on by a party just like any other MMO.

Really, just feels like the next Fantasy MMO. I really need something NEW that doesn't have random enemies waiting for me to slaughter them.

[Doubtful]

Sad but true.

These days it often feels like the only way you're actually going to get anything innovative and new is if you and a group of like minded folk get together and make it. It looks like even some of the supposed innovating studios are playing it safe.

Most big studios just aren't willing to take a risk on anything that might even be a contender for a AAA title.

[sonuvalich]

Let's make a multiplayer, persistent world skyrim! Wasn't that a mod a group was working on at one point?

I was turned off when a friend in beta told me you have to shoehorn your character into a role (fighter, wizard, cleric, etc.) instead of what I loved about Skyrim; you could be a wizard with a really good 1H and shield score too, or a rogue who was also a mighty evoker. Leveling up by getting better at the things you like doing just seems like such a no-brainer. As for the part about not being the "hero" I see your point, but if you get a bunch of dovahkin together you can have your own super hero coalition. I was watching a lot of Justice League Unlimited not too long ago on Netflix, and the ideas of the impact of superheroes on day-to-day life is a rich vein that needs tapping. Instead of being the lone wolf against the many, your organization has to deal with how best to use their powers: for self-glory, for sadism, for the betterment of your fellows, etc.

I just do not care for the MMO model any more. I am tired of feeling like I have a second job to sign online to hang out with a bunch of strangers so that we can raid dungeons, get the awesome loot, taunt the lower levels....crap I think I'm talking about Sundren!

Seriously though, the MMO model of "timesink = $$" is the antithesis of fun. As is getting called all sorts of derogatory names by 12 year olds with all the best gear, because I have to work a job that prevents me from logging their hours/day. Most of the games I really want to be multiplayer (Skyrim, XCOM, Fallout) would just be because I think sharing the responsibility with friends would be fun, and because I would often rather fight AI just because of the John Gabriel rule of the internet:



(I am bitter because my friends tried to get me to play League of Legends and what a bunch of assholes)

[GodBeastX]

Glad I'm not alone in this front. It's part of the reason for my decisions in Sundren. I want people to RP so why force them into dungeons all the time? That's why I up experience for parties instead of lowering it. That's why I give money handouts for factions instead of making grinding the only way you have income. That's why there's experience trickling (Which I sometimes want to raise).

Sundren shouldn't be a job.

[Cornuto]

Saw this today, was a pretty decent take:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGZsO...AeT5DEuKTO4Oew

[sonuvalich]

Ball-breaking aside, I have a lot of fun on Sundren. I put almost as much time into it as I do my real job lately (seriously last night I had to meet like 14 characters in the Enclave back to back, felt like a freakin' king hearing petitioners) but only because I am really enthused about what I am doing. As someone who was very anti-RP (neeeeeeerds), to become so engrossed in the world is testament to the job you guys do. /manhugs

[Cornuto]

Off topic, but is the new Arkham game worth getting? I had reservations once I realized they didn't use Rocksteady for this one, and didn't even bother springing for the voice actor from the animated series that everyone loved.

[Jhickey]

Off topic, but is the new Arkham game worth getting? I had reservations once I realized they didn't use Rocksteady for this one, and didn't even bother springing for the voice actor from the animated series that everyone loved.

I have the game but have yet to open it. I really wont have a chance until after this term, because when I do have time to game I usually jump on the server.

[Farmboy2003]

I've got a 10-year anniversary playing the nwn games this year. I've only completed 1 of the OC's. I got a hard-on for 3.0 dnd and upwards, and nwn is my virtual DND emulation. There's almost never a shortage of people to play with, and the world stands all the time. No need for a dm to bring it into life(Altough the sundren DM's do a wonderful job). You can still play if your mates're busy with RL. It's like never putting your favorite book down.

Take this game, brush it up, maybe get it more 3Dish and 1st person wiev(as an option). But for friggs sake keep the toolset, the custom player-made content, the DND engine mechanics, and leave room for improvement, and I would die from happiness. Hell, I might even throw money after it on kickstarter.

Or we could ignite the old spark about petitioning Bugsidian to release the source code...

[Dossey]

There's a reason MMOs are MMOs and games like Skyrim are singleplayer. There's a very distinct difference between the two because one involves a LOT of players on screen at once and is essentially a different type of game.

As time goes on, I'm finding it harder and harder to believe there will ever be a Fallout or Elders Scrolls that I absolutely love (singleplayer) that can seamlessly go multiplayer and not feel any different.

[GodBeastX]

So... I just decided to look at EQ Next FINALLY since I was already looking at Skyrim wanna-be... hoooooly shit.

They made the world voxels... I don't know if you guys know what sort of power that gives them, but let me say, I'm sitting next to a voxel engine I'm working on because Minecraft decided to show people how fun playing in a voxel landscape can be, and sony ran with that.

EQ Next is definitely going to be something I try out... they made their game voxels and procedurally dynamic! WHo ever said "Let's do that instead of another MMO" has my trophy for the year.

For those of you who don't know what a voxel is, seriously read about it. Thanks to hardware catching up to ideas, voxels became a big deal these days cuz we can now fit them into our hardware. Pure billiance.

[Saulus]

Stop playing other shitty MMOs and work on Sundren, asshole.

[Cornuto]

Stop playing other shitty MMOs and work on Sundren, asshole.

New signature!

[Lotus]

Stop playing other shitty MMOs and work on Sundren, asshole.

Take a break from Tanks and give me an update, asshole.

[Saulus]

Take a break from Tanks and give me an update, asshole.

I was playing Black Flag, get your facts straight.