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LTTP: Elder Scrolls Online - One Tamriel

Kalentan

Member
ESO-PS4-Xbox-One.jpg


So a little bit of the backstory. I originally played on PC but never got very far, only in the 20s I believe. However I eventually picked it back up on PS4 (cause I had friends there to play with), and also did so with the DLC.

I got to say, the changes they made from when the last time I did were amazing! The One Tamriel update helps the game so much! This time I wasn't just doing zones in order, I could go and explore any zone no matter my level. So with that, I actually went to the DLC, Orsinium, before I even completed Stonefalls (cause I picked a Nord.)

It was awesome and the zone design was great and a step up from the other zones. But even then, before One Tamriel, you essentially had to beat the main story before you could even see other faction zones. Yet now, it doesn't matter and I can even play with friends no matter what faction they're. It's just really liberating that no other MMO really provides at the moment. Most even more 'open' MMOs still require you to be a certain level before going to higher level areas.

The questing is also really nice. Granted some are simple go here and touch that thing but I found a bunch that actually had decent stories and got me invested, enough to want to find out what happens and even to make me ponder before making a choice.

Also when I originally played I never did any of the later dungeons. Well now I have and they're so much better then the early dungeons! The bosses actually require you to learn mechanics and it becomes more than simply banging your weapon against an enemy with large amount of healths. Hell, with One Tamriel you can even do these dungeons at low levels. Granted one should probably still do the earlier dungeons to further learn how to play.

Another thing is the skill system. While some maybe turned off by only able to have 10 skills and 2 ultimates (5 skills and 1 ultimate per weapon), I think it's nice because it means you have to really think about what skills you want and what ones will work the best for each other. Then you can even specialize skills between two versions which just adds another layer of customization and since many skill trees are not class-specific, it means you have so much choice. I can't wait to make a second character and try to make them play radically different from my first. (Which is a bit boring to others, 2h handed Dragon Knight.)

Still I'm enjoying my time and now that I completed the main story (which again, really good! The later sections when you arrive at
Coldharbor
are particularly great and gives you choices to really let you determine how things play out. Even if the ending is mostly the same for everyone.) It's time to literally just do anything. I'm Champion Level 104 now and I can't wait to get to 160 and really get into the Veteran Dungeons. You know, I got this game not long before picking up Skyrim SE and I find myself just more drawn to play ESO. In some ways, yeah, ESO doesn't give you as much freedom, but in other ways it gives you far more freedom.

My only real complaint I have is that I wish the combat had more feedback. When you charge up a heavy attack, you do feel it. The controller even rumbles. But I wish for light attacks that there was a bit more... "umph" to it.

Also one last note, at Native 4K and HDR, the game can be quite the looker on the Pro.
 

playXray

Member
Been so tempted to play this for ages now - glad to hear you had a positive experience with the One Tamriel update.

That rumoured Morrowind/Vvardenfell area is what will probably push me over the edge.
 

Kalentan

Member
Been so tempted to play this for ages now - glad to hear you had a positive experience with the One Tamriel update.

That rumoured Morrowind/Vvardenfell area is what will probably push me over the edge.

Yeah. One Tamriel is the best thing to happen to the game. Also I hope those zones come soon, that would be awesome.

Also:


My character for good measure.

Also- also, going to the Gold Coast for the Dark Brotherhood quests hits all the nostalgic spots. Going to Anvil and Kvatch is awesome. They really nailed those cities and make them feel like how they're in Oblivion. With a couple of changes you know, due to the fact it takes place something like 800 years before Oblivion.

Lastly the Imperial City DLC is fucking hard.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
I'm in my third stint with the game.

1st was in the Beta, kinda hated the game but saw potential in it but definitely NOT for a $15/mo subscription

2nd was after Tamriel Unlimited launched, I paid $60 for the base game, played thru my starting faction and had NO regrets. Loved the game, but the old veteran system made the post game PvE a ghost town and it was too hard to solo things like overworld bosses, so I quit

3rd was when I went back to the game a few months ago after the One Tamriel update and I feel like the game is finally at its peak and I recommend it to people almost without reservation as long as you're into MMOs and don't necessarily need it to stack up to a TES game proper (tho it's a good proxy of them in some ways)

At the risk of sounding too shilly, I'd say they've probably done more than enough to the game and provided enough of a value add that it's even worth of the optional subscription at this rate. Thinking about going in on ESO+ for a couple months, my only trepidation being that I have serious MMO commitment issues and I've been unsuccessful luring any of my more weeb-inclined friends over from FF14, even tho they all own ESO... Frustrating. Last time I spent $100 on an MMO (GW2 expansion +40 USD worth of currency) I basically quit playing it a week later. I don't want to do the same with ESO tho it has a much more lasting track record for me personally and I enjoy the game and setting better.

Anyways, here's my main ESO dude. Templar that I've spent time with in almost every role after a couple respecs, but is gradually settling into magicka based tanking/healing.

 
I too waited for One Tamriel and have had a blast. $00+ Hours in and finished a couple of the main quests. Doing a bunch of PvP and trying to get my character to 160 so I can begin getting proper gear. Beautiful world to explore, huge fan of the lore and Tavern RP is always entertaining to watch.

Here is my 130 Redgaurd Vampire NightBlade after feeding.
 

Kalentan

Member
I'm in my third stint with the game.

1st was in the Beta, kinda hated the game but saw potential in it but definitely NOT for a $15/mo subscription

2nd was after Tamriel Unlimited launched, I paid $60 for the base game, played thru my starting faction and had NO regrets. Loved the game, but the old veteran system made the post game PvE a ghost town and it was too hard to solo things like overworld bosses, so I quit

3rd was when I went back to the game a few months ago after the One Tamriel update and I feel like the game is finally at its peak and I recommend it to people almost without reservation as long as you're into MMOs and don't necessarily need it to stack up to a TES game proper (tho it's a good proxy of them in some ways)

At the risk of sounding too shilly, I'd say they've probably done more than enough to the game and provided enough of a value add that it's even worth of the optional subscription at this rate. Thinking about going in on ESO+ for a couple months, my only trepidation being that I have serious MMO commitment issues and I've been unsuccessful luring any of my more weeb-inclined friends over from FF14, even tho they all own ESO... Frustrating. Last time I spent $100 on an MMO (GW2 expansion +40 USD worth of currency) I basically quit playing it a week later. I don't want to do the same with ESO tho it has a much more lasting track record for me personally and I enjoy the game and setting better.

Anyways, here's my main ESO dude. Templar that I've spent time with in almost every role after a couple respecs, but is gradually settling into magicka based tanking/healing.

Yeah, the game has really made a turn around. It really is one of the best MMO's right now for your buck. Seriously, the amount of zones and their sizes are massive and if the Vvardenfell get's added... Oh boy.

I too waited for One Tamriel and have had a blast. $00+ Hours in and finished a couple of the main quests. Doing a bunch of PvP and trying to get my character to 160 so I can begin getting proper gear. Beautiful world to explore, huge fan of the lore and Tavern RP is always entertaining to watch.

Here is my 130 Redgaurd Vampire NightBlade after feeding.

Nice! Sadly RP's I think are dead on PS4. Maybe I should load up the PC version just to watch them. I do recall back in the day stumbling upon one going on. I know a lot of RPers will be happy with the housing update and the ability to sit (finally).

Also do you get hurt in the sun as a Vampire in ESO?
 
Yeah, the game has really made a turn around. It really is one of the best MMO's right now for your buck. Seriously, the amount of zones and their sizes are massive and if the Vvardenfell get's added... Oh boy.



Nice! Sadly RP's I think are dead on PS4. Maybe I should load up the PC version just to watch them. I do recall back in the day stumbling upon one going on. I know a lot of RPers will be happy with the housing update and the ability to sit (finally).

Also do you get hurt in the sun as a Vampire in ESO?

You do not. I like the way they handled vampirsim in this game. At stage one it's basically cosmetic. At stages 2-4 your powers get stronger but you take more fire damage and regen health slower. Not feeding for 6 hours or using your Vampire powers makes your stages rise faster.
 
Dove back in recently. It's really good! Unfortunately, it's very hard to find time for it when I'm so preoccupied with another MMO (FFXIV) and trying to find time for other games. Hopefully will get back around to it eventually.
 

Kalentan

Member
Dove back in recently. It's really good! Unfortunately, it's very hard to find time for it when I'm so preoccupied with another MMO (FFXIV) and trying to find time for other games. Hopefully will get back around to it eventually.

I feel like ESO is really easy to fall into. There's just so much to do. It will be hard to juggle it and FFXIV once Stormblood comes out. I want to play both. :O At least I only have to pay monthly for FFXIV and not both.
 

BizzyBum

Member
I've been playing off and on since launch on the PC and it's definitely improved over time but I still hate how linear it is which is the exact opposite of what TES is. A TES MMO should not be themepark.

They've also been getting worse with the Crown Store (their cash shop). Last time I logged in they added a full blown RNG loot box system like Gears 4 that has a bunch of exclusive timed shit.

I still think it's a pretty good MMO and something to check out if you don't want to play WoW or ARR.
 

Kalentan

Member
I've been playing off and on since launch on the PC and it's definitely improved over time but I still hate how linear it is which is the exact opposite of what TES is. A TES MMO should not be themepark.

They've also been getting worse with the Crown Store (their cash shop). Last time I logged in they added a full blown RNG loot box system like Gears 4 that has a bunch of exclusive timed shit.

I still think it's a pretty good MMO and something to check out if you don't want to play WoW or ARR.

Well I mean it's really not linear anymore. You can play it very linear if you want, but the game allows you now to go to literally any zone at any level. In a way it's now even more open for exploration than even Skyrim which while you can technically go everywhere, does have areas that are harder than others which can turn off players from initially exploring.

Also spoilers for those who completed the main quest about a specific character:

So after finishing it up I googled what happened to Darien. Turns out, in the Orsinium DLC, you can find a note from him in the Temple of Ire's library. It doesn't begin a quest or anything and while I did find it at the time, since I played it before completing the main quest I had no idea what it was referring to. However if you also have the Dark Brotherhood DLC, you can then go to Anvil and find Gabrielle in the Mages Guild there and you can tell her about the note. I really- REALLY hope this expanded upon in the future.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
It's not linear exactly, but the way the quests are set up they're all very contained within a very specific area. I get that criticism. In a real Elder Scrolls game you have quests that send you all over the world, giving them a very epic feel. In ESO you wander upon a very specific town with a very specific problem that is solved in that very specific area and then when you're done you move to the next town and repeat.

Even tho you can go anywhere and do anything in any order, it's still very themeparky the way most post-WoW MMOs are. Every zone in ESO still have a pretty linear storyline that about a half dozen quest hubs tell while you progress thru them. One Tamriel didn't change that at all, which is why I still give people the caveat that they should expect ESO to be more like an MMO than an actual TES game.
 

Kalentan

Member
It's not linear exactly, but the way the quests are set up they're all very contained within a very specific area. I get that criticism. In a real Elder Scrolls game you have quests that send you all over the world, giving them a very epic feel. In ESO you wander upon a very specific town with a very specific problem that is solved in that very specific area and then when you're done you move to the next town and repeat.

Even tho you can go anywhere and do anything in any order, it's still very themeparky the way most post-WoW MMOs are. Every zone in ESO still have a pretty linear storyline that about a half dozen quest hubs tell while you progress thru them. One Tamriel didn't change that at all, which is why I still give people the caveat that they should expect ESO to be more like an MMO than an actual TES game.

Fair enough, I suppose I never thought about it like that.
 
I got this for Christmas on PS4, but haven't had a chance to install it (due to the large install size), but I was able to do the free weekend, back in November, knowing I was getting the game. The character I created was a large, intimidating Nord named Hrothmund Wulfgard.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
So If I wanted to dive into this game what's the total cost like?

Well you just missed the big holiday sales. The base game has been $15 give or take on PC which gives you access to a ton of the game. The Gold Edition comes with the 4 DLC (3 PvE 1 PVP) to date and they are very very worth it for the price that package has been at during sale (I paid $21 on GMG during Xmas sales cause it was cheaper than buying the DLC individually).
 
I'm tempted to reinstall this to play mostly solo, but I just started getting back into Skyrim. The 71GB download is a little daunting as well.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
Yeah Khajiiti helms are funny as long as you're a Khajiit, otherwise they just look dumb.
 

joecanada

Member
So my friend insisted on playing Neverwinter over this which I disagreed but whatever.. now I'm like 100 hours in neverwinter and actually loving it with 0 dollars invested ...

But has anyone played both and have direct comparison? I still am interested in ESO.
 
Well you just missed the big holiday sales. The base game has been $15 give or take on PC which gives you access to a ton of the game. The Gold Edition comes with the 4 DLC (3 PvE 1 PVP) to date and they are very very worth it for the price that package has been at during sale (I paid $21 on GMG during Xmas sales cause it was cheaper than buying the DLC individually).

I might pick it up then. I was worried it was like $40+, but if it can be had for $20-25 I might give it a go. I read the expose on Polygon about the changes the game has gone through and it honestly sounds like an interesting game with a passionate group of developers behind it.
 

Speely

Banned
So my friend insisted on playing Neverwinter over this which I disagreed but whatever.. now I'm like 100 hours in neverwinter and actually loving it with 0 dollars invested ...

But has anyone played both and have direct comparison? I still am interested in ESO.

ESO runs way smoother. I only know that I bailed on Neverwinter because it was running like ass. ESO has a pretty impressive performance stability in spite of its scale.

Aside from PvP
 

Kalentan

Member
I might pick it up then. I was worried it was like $40+, but if it can be had for $20-25 I might give it a go. I read the expose on Polygon about the changes the game has gone through and it honestly sounds like an interesting game with a passionate group of developers behind it.

If you can snag the Gold Edition for the DLC I would highly recommend it. Orsinium is one of the best zones and revisiting the Gold Coast from Oblivion is a great. While I haven't done either yet- I've heard the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood quest lines are great.
 

dubq

Member
So your a Khajit wearing a mask... of a Khahit? xD

Something about that I find funny.

Yes indeeeeed. Perfect fit for his snout and ears, lol!

What's going on with player housing? Has that launched on console yet?

February!

So my friend insisted on playing Neverwinter over this which I disagreed but whatever.. now I'm like 100 hours in neverwinter and actually loving it with 0 dollars invested ...

But has anyone played both and have direct comparison? I still am interested in ESO.

I played a bunch of NW when ESO was having some weird lag issues after a patch in the summer time. It was a good game but comparatively it doesn't run as great. It's very janky compared to ESO when it's at it's smoothest in PVE content. That being said, I still really do like NW.. I'm just more invested in ESO and the lore of this series.
 
Been very borderline on picking this game up since they announced One Tamriel + new edition with all the DLC so far, but haven't gotten around to it yet -- simply too busy with non-MMO games going into 2017. Definitely going to keep this on my radar, thanks for the positive impressions and very glad to hear that One Tamriel puts it kinda in line with a typical Elder Scrolls experience (go where you want) more than a typical MMO experience (complete zones in order).
 
Yep, it's finally becoming the game it needed to be. Though I still think it would have benefited from more of a Destiny approach to player numbers - lots in towns, hardly any in exterior environments. The biggest problem I have with this game is the sheer number of mobs littered absolutely everywhere, and the speed at which they respawn (especially in dungeons).

You don't really get those tranquil moments of gazing across the rolling hills of Cyrodiil or the tundra of Whiterun, horizon miles away and not a single monster to be seen. Instead you get a disgustingly short draw distance and packs of wolves, scarabs, or bandits in all directions. Dungeons are by far the worst, because instead of playing them like a TES game where you approach each room like a puzzle, taking out the enemies, looting the chests, slowly moving onwards, you play them like a mad rush to the finish line in ESO. Got to reach the boss before another player kills him! Got to get through this empty corridor before all the mobs respawn! Holy crap there's a chest - grab it before someone else does! NOOOO my lockpick broke and now another player will get this loot =(

As far as gameplay goes, with the lack of levelled zones, explore anywhere you want, the skill system, it's AMAZING. But I have never hated running into other players as much as I have in this game. Unless you're at a dolmen, a world boss, or in a public dungeon (different to normal dungeons), running into another player is bad luck. Very annoying, so I wish they'd just give everyone their own phase outside of specifically designed group areas. That way they could reduce mob counts and respawns, and eliminate respawns entirely in dungeons.
 
Stopped playing this like 2 months after launch when my friend raced ahead of me in levels and I just couldn't play with him anymore.

Nobody I know plays this game now. Would you say the One Tamriel update is worth dropping back in?
 

thenexus6

Member
I really wanted to like this game, but I had no one to play with and just didn't know what to do / where to go. I really loved the soundtrack though, so at least I took that away from playing it!
 

Lucifon

Junior Member
I've been meaning to get back into it on XB1 again, that's where I've got the furthest. Think my character is lvl 45 or something along those lines.

Hoping this gets a scorpio update.
 

Rellik

Member
I was still getting into this game but then my disc drive died so it stopped me.

I'm going to try and find some time somewhere to give it another shot now that I have a new PS4.
 

Kaelan

Member
The one problem I had with the game is the xp rate. When my friend and I first played it when it came out to ps4 the xp rate was freaking horrible. Felt like it took forever to level up and i was under-levelled. I went onto the reddit and they said "do everything on the mini-map" such as the delves and all that other shit on the map but I still felt like I was having a hard time.

Furthermore, the group finder function was trash and not even working meaning we didn't get to try the dungeons or we would never get into a queue. How does the game fair in these two regards now?
 
I gave this a go when it was cheap on Steam a few months ago. It was better than I expected, but still feels like 90% of other MMOs. After playing it for a couple of weeks I was left with an urge to go back to WoW and try the latest expansion instead. ESO is a pretty decent game, but is still too much like WoW to avoid comparison, and WoW is still more fun.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
The one problem I had with the game is the xp rate. When my friend and I first played it when it came out to ps4 the xp rate was freaking horrible. Felt like it took forever to level up and i was under-levelled. I went onto the reddit and they said "do everything on the mini-map" such as the delves and all that other shit on the map but I still felt like I was having a hard time.

Furthermore, the group finder function was trash and not even working meaning we didn't get to try the dungeons or we would never get into a queue. How does the game fair in these two regards now?

It's impossible to be underleveled after One Tamriel since the entire game scales to you now with the exception of like Vet dungeons which you don't have to worry about until you're 50/cp160.

I dunno if it's any different on consoles but I've never had a problem in the party finder queue, so I can't really speak to that other than saying try it again.
 

Kalentan

Member
The one problem I had with the game is the xp rate. When my friend and I first played it when it came out to ps4 the xp rate was freaking horrible. Felt like it took forever to level up and i was under-levelled. I went onto the reddit and they said "do everything on the mini-map" such as the delves and all that other shit on the map but I still felt like I was having a hard time.

Furthermore, the group finder function was trash and not even working meaning we didn't get to try the dungeons or we would never get into a queue. How does the game fair in these two regards now?

To also expand on what LiQuid! said, the game scales to you. I don't know how it works specifically but even if you (low level) and a friend (high level) are fighting enemies together. It will be scaled so your both doing your regular damage but neither are destroying it with ease since it somehow scales to both.

Honestly for leveling... Once you start doing the daily random dungeon, it's really not that bad. I ended the double exp event they had recently at level 47 and it only took me like 2 days or so to get to 50. Far shorter than I thought it would have.

As for the Group Finder? It can still take a while to get a group (which is still weird considering the massive amount of players), but that's really only if your both DPS. If you have a healer or a tank your also playing with, the group finder is near instant.
 

dubq

Member
Also good to note, while it's not as deep as I'd like it to be, the console version now has text chat.. so you'll often see people simply LFG-posting instead of using the group finder. That's usually how I end up joining most of the dungeons I've run, anyway.
 

Kalentan

Member
Also good to note, while it's not as deep as I'd like it to be, the console version now has text chat.. so you'll often see people simply LFG-posting instead of using the group finder. That's usually how I end up joining most of the dungeons I've run, anyway.

I'm lazy. I just wait for the queue to find me a group. xD
 
I have no ideas as to why I can't get into this game. I tried when it first launched on console, all of my friends had it, I played the longest and I just didn't enjoy it. I used to play a ton of MMOs back in the day, I played a ton of them except for WoW (which I play currently). However, as a console gamer, it makes no sense to me personally as to why I can't get into it. It has everything I want it to be, it's basically "Skyrim Online" and they're consistently adding to it.

The community on top of that are generally really nice people which is rare to see in most video game communities now. I haven't played since a little before One Tamriel launched, I kind of regret getting this at the same time with the amount it's been on sale. One thing I wish they add is allowing us to change the appearance of our names instead of showing our PSN or XBL gamertags. I personally enjoy the Elder Scrolls series and I have spent a ton of hours on it, I just don't know what makes me now want to play it. I should probably do research in terms of finding our what classes play into the different roles and such, but I just don't think dedicating the 70gb space on PS4 is worth it since I don't have a 1TB hard drive or 2TB hard drive (which I desperately need).

By all means, I don't think the game is bad, but with the backlog I already have (which includes a couple of RPGs along w/ some FPS campaigns) that I can arguably justify in any way the time of day to play a MMO for a long period of time. I'm happy that OP is enjoying the game though :)

(Small Edit) And when I'm not playing my backlog, I'm playing pretty much just Overwatch with all my best friends cause it's the one game we all can play and have fun with collectively.
 

Taker34

Banned
Everyone posted gorgeous looking characters. Here's my Nightblade Khajiit.
img_0889zqltk.jpg

img_0888eeb76.jpg


I can only recommend that game to anyone who's into TES or wants to try a different MMO which doesn't feel so stiff. They really nailed the overall accessibility and the hidden combat complexity of the game. You can have hours of fun, completing the story and beyond without the need to master all the deep mechanics of building a potent PVE/PVP character.

Without sounding like a shill: the game has so many "layers", a lot of different things to do basically. You're able to find a niche in the game which suits you the best and motives you to play more and eventually master that content (PVE, PVP, crafting, dungeons etc). I'm only 864 hours into the game and it's absolutely great so far.

The thing is most people who are new to the game may not know what to do or feel slightly overwhelmed when it's pretty straight forward, while letting you choose what to do at the same time. And this is where you can decide which content of the game you want to play. Play the story first, do side quests, join guilds, complete the DLC regions, explore Tamriel, start crafting, go and do PVP, get into trading, decorate/buy your house and gather furniture or trophies, do veteran dungeons, complete the maelstrom arena, take part in trials (raids), make a competitive endgame character. I could write a ton about each of these topics - you can get out so much out of the game content; it's not even funny. It's one of those titles where you almost can't run out of (new) things to do, except if you have no job or no life at all. The best thing is how ridiculous solo friendly it is, without punishing you or locking you out except for 0,01% of jewelry or some crazy high end equipment. Playing with friends, others amplifies the fun again. Again you can be as casual as you want or aim for being one of the top players, making very powerful characters. Nothing stopped me getting some of the rarest in game character titles and weapons.

I'll certainly start a LTTP thread about this game in the future because of how amazing my experience was with this game. Thanks to ESO I also met my current guild and some of the nicest people ever. We're basically about 15-20 regular veteran trialists from all over Europe (or other PAL countries). Very diverse and nice folks. The community is a very kind one - just stay away from the official forums :D

I'll stop now because I'll post my full experience in the future but OP nailed it and speaks the truth. By the way @ OP, you're close to experiencing the prime content of the game. When you hit 160 CP a whole different world opens up (especially in PVE) due to the gear level cap, monster sets, trials and overall character capabilities. Finishing the Maelstrom arena for the first time and obtaining the very best weapons in the game is such a great feeling. Your skills and your character will expand greatly, so enjoy the next months :)
 

MaKTaiL

Member
Unfortunately yes.
Wow, I have about 200h and I thought I was playing too much, hahahaha. This game is awesome though so I understand you.

EDIT

I wish PS4 had a way to tell us how much time we have spent on a game like Steam and Xbox do.
 
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