This right here echoes my own sentiments on the game. I see many people really wanted to like it, but the lack of direction as an MMO is extremely puzzling. Compass instead of a minimap just does not work in an MMO setting, in my view, for one.
....to be honest, it does seem strange to me as someone who really enjoyed your initial read (I don't follow you like others) that this kinda swing happened at the same time as the API changes. Sorry, to coincidental to me too. What's more odd is that as an MMO veteran you base your decision on the future when the future is never certain for any MMO. Did WOW really expect the success it got over the last decade? When that was a buggy mess at release, should we have just stopped playing after beta? It just seems like an odd thing to write and not very logical. I totally agree that if the game was pushed back 6 months, it would probably be a lot stronger, but you could say the same thing about every recent release since Everquest.
Your recent posting is actually a good reason for not beta testing...because to me its a symptom of beta testing burn out. That is why I stopped going beyond level 10...I want to enjoy myself when the game is released. I guess Im not a good beta tester :-)
Well as I said, the API changes are what pushed me out the door - It's not a coincidence at all, and I have never claimed it to be one. What it was is the most recent, minor part of a large range of malcontent and misgivings with the current state of the game.
I'm not really following how my being an MMO veteran means I shouldn't focus on the future, to be honest. If this were a game in any other genre, I would have seen all of the content, and no more would be coming. The decision not to buy would have been simple from the beginning. In an MMO, that future is the reason we play. We play for long, multi-year (when we get lucky) commitments to games we love, where content is continually added to keep it fresh. My perspective as an MMO veteran is exactly the reason why I am focused on the future, not a reason that I shouldn't be.
As for beta burn-out, that is more than likely a part of my decision to not purchase the game, and my lack of motivation to play in recent weeks. However, my misgivings for the future of the game are another issue entirely.
Isarii, you come across as an intelligent human being, and you certainly aren't an internet neophyte, given that you've spent time as a moderator on the Tamrielfoundry forums.
Did you honestly believe that your internet blog post would only be read by "those that know you" and would remain private and confined to your "inner circle" ?
Blog author here, and because I am apparently the idiot everyone on this site thinks I am, I thought plunging into the Lion's Den would be a fun way to spend my lunch break today. It's a Monday. It was expected to be shitty anyway.
The major thing I would like to clarify is that if at any point during the read, you thought to yourself, "who the fuck is this guy and why should I care", then you simply aren't my target audience. Regardless of your opinion of me as a person, it is undeniable that I am fairly well known in at least my little corner of the TESO community through my participation on Tamriel Foundry and Twonkhammer's TESOCast, and I don't think it's unreasonable for me to assume that people who are fans of those outlets would be interested in my departure.
As I said in the post, those are the people that this article was written for - the ones I know personally, and the ones that follow me personally; this is why I posted it to my low traffic blog, and not Tamriel Foundry itself. I shared my post on my personal Twitter, my guild forums, and the off-topic forum of Tamriel Foundry, the site which I have helped to run for the last year. While it has made its way to MMORPG.com and Reddit through other posters, none of that was my doing, because in all truthfulness, I agree with you guys. You don't know who I am, and I wouldn't expect you to care.
The target audience defines a lot about my approach to the piece, which I believe has lead to some confusion now that several thousand people outside of that audience have found their way to it. While the post is merely a telling of my personal loss of faith in the game and its developer, it has been approached as if it were a review, meant to inform or sway the opinions of a lot of people. I don't blame the confused for the misunderstanding, as the style they are interpreting the post as being is a lot more in line with my past writing than the one in question.
In the end though, the post should be viewed for what it actually is - a personal blog post, which should only be held to a slightly higher standard than a Facebook post.
With the post now properly framed as an insight into my own personal choices and not a review meant to persuade or enact change, a lot of the post should make more sense. Some have accused me of "crystal-balling" due to the post being entirely future focused, but when I have already seen the content that is currently in the game, what other standard should I use for my own personal purchasing decisions? Many have mentioned that the length I stuck with the game indicates that I'm full of it, but this is something the post already addressed, multiple times, with a disclaimer at the top and bottom noting that many people will get their money's worth and enjoy the content that is already in game. That's a great standard for those people to choose by, and for them, there is my comprehensive review. It's not appropriate for me though; I've been there - I've done that, and the future is all the game would hold.
For me to drop money on the game, I have to be convinced that TESO has what it take to survive in the market as a long-term MMORPG. I want to think that it does, but based on my beta testing experience, and experience with the MMO market in general, I really don't think it will. The post wasn't made to convince people that I'm right. If you think the game holds a future for you, then I recommend that you buy it. Its purpose was to explain, to those who cared, that the uncertain future is the reason I will no longer be around.
And that's what it came down to. Do I stay with the game and get burned by another MMO, even when I see it coming, or do I cut my losses and avoid spending money on a game I have no faith in? I chose to play it cautious, for once.
You were 100% on board with this game until the API changes. I think the highlighted statements and much of your blog post are a bunch of hot air that you may even be telling yourself in an effort to justify your stance of not playing due to your anger about that one decision. Hey I've done the same thing at times - something really pisses me off and then I look for a lot of other things to fuel that anger passion, even though those things weren't as big of a deal before the one thing really pissed me off. And if the API changes were a big enough deal to you then there is nothing wrong with quitting over it - we all have our things. But these last 2 paragraphs here, come on, lol. You're quitting because you're "not convinced the game can survive in the mmo market." ppssshhhhhhh
This is a popular theory I see ascribed to me, which I attribute mostly to the degree that I focused on the API in my final post. Even at the time, I felt that I had dwelled on it a bit too long, but it was a timely and relevant example of a lot of the problems I have had with the development team. While the change and the way they made it certainly helped to push me out the door, it was other factors which had me standing in it. I'd also like to point out that we can still do quite a bit more with the API than the public realizes at this point, so it wasn't as big of a deal to me as some people may think. The action wasn't a big deal, but the design philosophy and intent it represents does exemplify a lot of the doubt I had as to whether or not the game would be for me.
Still, while I don’t think this is an unreasonable response to what I’ve written, at the same time, what I’ve written wasn’t an exhaustive write-up either. I chose to focus on my doubt for the future of the game because it is important, but there were other causes beyond changes in the most recent patch.
I have actually barely been able to log onto the PTS for around a month now. It’s partially the bugs, horrendous balance, and other technical problems, but it also boils down to a fundamental problem I have with the endgame philosophy behind TESO. In the end, I think it’s the amount of questing the game forces on you (I’m including the other types of open world content as questing, for simplicity). I’m not a big quester, and while I’ve enjoyed it in some games, TESO’s quests just aren’t my type of thing. I love the way they fit into the world, and the emphasis on narrative focused chains rather than one and done kill quests is great, but they don’t grab me in the same way that The Secret World, or even SWTOR’s (to a much lesser extent) do.
That’s all personal preference, but where other games have quests as an annoying content gauntlet you grind through to get to endgame, in TESO, those quests are a large part the endgame, and this annoyed me far more than I expected it to. I liked +/++ content in theory, and in theory, I liked how lengthy the VR grind turned out to be. In practice though, the extended quest grind really, really bothers me, and it’s just not something I could bring myself to do again. This is a design that some people are going to love, but having tried it in the PTS, I can say with complete confidence that I am definitely not one of them.
To tie it back into the game’s future though, this model is not going to bode well with a lot of the MMO community. Launching without adventure zones was not a good idea, and the extended quest grind covering up their absence may prove more egregious then the absence itself, especially in light of the difficulty associated with leveling VR through PvP or grinding; questing is nearly the only viable option right now.
The game really, really needed to be pushed back six months at the very least. That’s not going to happen though, and it's yet another flaw the game may yet pay the price for.
I have to say that I am also having a hard time not seeing your recent statements about the game's prognosis as anything other than rationalized projections to make yourself feel better about your decision.
To say that you disagree strongly with the recent Templar nerf, as you did loudly at the TF, and that you felt betrayed by the API nerf, and that this is why you made a personal decision to stop playing after 9 months is one thing.
To use that as a launching pad to predict doom and F2P conversions is something else altogether and pretty thin.
I also post at the TF and have seen your bitterness about the API and your sarcastic comments implying that "hiding the numbers" makes it easier for them to nerf the Templar.
I have a pretty good idea as do most members there and here why you did a 180 degree turn in one month,
A month ago you were saying this:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success.
And now, despite "...barely being able to log on to the PTS for about a month..." we are to believe that the game you found so charming and addicting a month ago all of a sudden has a cloudy F2P future?
Sorry man, I appreciate your respectful posts and excellent writing style but I'm having a hard time believing that even you believe all the other things you are now saying about the game after they pissed you off with the Templar and API nerfs.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
Blog author here, and because I am apparently the idiot everyone on this site thinks I am, I thought plunging into the Lion's Den would be a fun way to spend my lunch break today. It's a Monday. It was expected to be shitty anyway.
The major thing I would like to clarify is that if at any point during the read, you thought to yourself, "who the fuck is this guy and why should I care", then you simply aren't my target audience. Regardless of your opinion of me as a person, it is undeniable that I am fairly well known in at least my little corner of the TESO community through my participation on Tamriel Foundry and Twonkhammer's TESOCast, and I don't think it's unreasonable for me to assume that people who are fans of those outlets would be interested in my departure.
As I said in the post, those are the people that this article was written for - the ones I know personally, and the ones that follow me personally; this is why I posted it to my low traffic blog, and not Tamriel Foundry itself. I shared my post on my personal Twitter, my guild forums, and the off-topic forum of Tamriel Foundry, the site which I have helped to run for the last year. While it has made its way to MMORPG.com and Reddit through other posters, none of that was my doing, because in all truthfulness, I agree with you guys. You don't know who I am, and I wouldn't expect you to care.
The target audience defines a lot about my approach to the piece, which I believe has lead to some confusion now that several thousand people outside of that audience have found their way to it. While the post is merely a telling of my personal loss of faith in the game and its developer, it has been approached as if it were a review, meant to inform or sway the opinions of a lot of people. I don't blame the confused for the misunderstanding, as the style they are interpreting the post as being is a lot more in line with my past writing than the one in question.
In the end though, the post should be viewed for what it actually is - a personal blog post, which should only be held to a slightly higher standard than a Facebook post.
With the post now properly framed as an insight into my own personal choices and not a review meant to persuade or enact change, a lot of the post should make more sense. Some have accused me of "crystal-balling" due to the post being entirely future focused, but when I have already seen the content that is currently in the game, what other standard should I use for my own personal purchasing decisions? Many have mentioned that the length I stuck with the game indicates that I'm full of it, but this is something the post already addressed, multiple times, with a disclaimer at the top and bottom noting that many people will get their money's worth and enjoy the content that is already in game. That's a great standard for those people to choose by, and for them, there is my comprehensive review. It's not appropriate for me though; I've been there - I've done that, and the future is all the game would hold.
For me to drop money on the game, I have to be convinced that TESO has what it take to survive in the market as a long-term MMORPG. I want to think that it does, but based on my beta testing experience, and experience with the MMO market in general, I really don't think it will. The post wasn't made to convince people that I'm right. If you think the game holds a future for you, then I recommend that you buy it. Its purpose was to explain, to those who cared, that the uncertain future is the reason I will no longer be around.
And that's what it came down to. Do I stay with the game and get burned by another MMO, even when I see it coming, or do I cut my losses and avoid spending money on a game I have no faith in? I chose to play it cautious, for once.
You were 100% on board with this game until the API changes. I think the highlighted statements and much of your blog post are a bunch of hot air that you may even be telling yourself in an effort to justify your stance of not playing due to your anger about that one decision. Hey I've done the same thing at times - something really pisses me off and then I look for a lot of other things to fuel that anger passion, even though those things weren't as big of a deal before the one thing really pissed me off. And if the API changes were a big enough deal to you then there is nothing wrong with quitting over it - we all have our things. But these last 2 paragraphs here, come on, lol. You're quitting because you're "not convinced the game can survive in the mmo market." ppssshhhhhhh
This is a popular theory I see ascribed to me, which I attribute mostly to the degree that I focused on the API in my final post. Even at the time, I felt that I had dwelled on it a bit too long, but it was a timely and relevant example of a lot of the problems I have had with the development team. While the change and the way they made it certainly helped to push me out the door, it was other factors which had me standing in it. I'd also like to point out that we can still do quite a bit more with the API than the public realizes at this point, so it wasn't as big of a deal to me as some people may think. The action wasn't a big deal, but the design philosophy and intent it represents does exemplify a lot of the doubt I had as to whether or not the game would be for me.
Still, while I don’t think this is an unreasonable response to what I’ve written, at the same time, what I’ve written wasn’t an exhaustive write-up either. I chose to focus on my doubt for the future of the game because it is important, but there were other causes beyond changes in the most recent patch.
I have actually barely been able to log onto the PTS for around a month now. It’s partially the bugs, horrendous balance, and other technical problems, but it also boils down to a fundamental problem I have with the endgame philosophy behind TESO. In the end, I think it’s the amount of questing the game forces on you (I’m including the other types of open world content as questing, for simplicity). I’m not a big quester, and while I’ve enjoyed it in some games, TESO’s quests just aren’t my type of thing. I love the way they fit into the world, and the emphasis on narrative focused chains rather than one and done kill quests is great, but they don’t grab me in the same way that The Secret World, or even SWTOR’s (to a much lesser extent) do.
That’s all personal preference, but where other games have quests as an annoying content gauntlet you grind through to get to endgame, in TESO, those quests are a large part the endgame, and this annoyed me far more than I expected it to. I liked +/++ content in theory, and in theory, I liked how lengthy the VR grind turned out to be. In practice though, the extended quest grind really, really bothers me, and it’s just not something I could bring myself to do again. This is a design that some people are going to love, but having tried it in the PTS, I can say with complete confidence that I am definitely not one of them.
To tie it back into the game’s future though, this model is not going to bode well with a lot of the MMO community. Launching without adventure zones was not a good idea, and the extended quest grind covering up their absence may prove more egregious then the absence itself, especially in light of the difficulty associated with leveling VR through PvP or grinding; questing is nearly the only viable option right now.
The game really, really needed to be pushed back six months at the very least. That’s not going to happen though, and it's yet another flaw the game may yet pay the price for.
I have to say that I am also having a hard time not seeing your recent statements about the game's prognosis as anything other than rationalized projections to make yourself feel better about your decision.
To say that you disagree strongly with the recent Templar nerf, as you did loudly at the TF, and that you felt betrayed by the API nerf, and that this is why you made a personal decision to stop playing after 9 months is one thing.
To use that as a launching pad to predict doom and F2P conversions is something else altogether and pretty thin.
I also post at the TF and have seen your bitterness about the API and your sarcastic comments implying that "hiding the numbers" makes it easier for them to nerf the Templar.
I have a pretty good idea as do most members there and here why you did a 180 degree turn in one month,
A month ago you were saying this:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success.
And now, despite "...barely being able to log on to the PTS for about a month..." we are to believe that the game you found so charming and addicting a month ago all of a sudden has a cloudy F2P future?
Sorry man, I appreciate your respectful posts and excellent writing style but I'm having a hard time believing that even you believe all the other things you are now saying about the game after they pissed you off with the Templar and API nerfs.
There is no logical answer he could possibly give to this after including what you have in green. I mean, did the game not get better in the last month due to the patch updates? In fact he addresses how it opens up which was a concern of the early reviewers. Now people are in the open world right away thanks to patch V.18. Really wish he would just admit how ridiculous he looks from the time of what you pointed out.
Originally posted by JemAs666 lol thanks for sharing. I can sleep tonight knowing this one person isn't playing. I mean seriously this is a human being not unlike the other human beings. This person isn't anyone special and I could care less if they play or not. I am glad they think so highly of themselves that them not playing makes any difference.
Did you even read the article? The fact that the guy wont be playing the game is not interesting, the reasons for him not doing so, is.
Blog author here, and because I am apparently the idiot everyone on this site thinks I am, I thought plunging into the Lion's Den would be a fun way to spend my lunch break today. It's a Monday. It was expected to be shitty anyway.
The major thing I would like to clarify is that if at any point during the read, you thought to yourself, "who the fuck is this guy and why should I care", then you simply aren't my target audience. Regardless of your opinion of me as a person, it is undeniable that I am fairly well known in at least my little corner of the TESO community through my participation on Tamriel Foundry and Twonkhammer's TESOCast, and I don't think it's unreasonable for me to assume that people who are fans of those outlets would be interested in my departure.
As I said in the post, those are the people that this article was written for - the ones I know personally, and the ones that follow me personally; this is why I posted it to my low traffic blog, and not Tamriel Foundry itself. I shared my post on my personal Twitter, my guild forums, and the off-topic forum of Tamriel Foundry, the site which I have helped to run for the last year. While it has made its way to MMORPG.com and Reddit through other posters, none of that was my doing, because in all truthfulness, I agree with you guys. You don't know who I am, and I wouldn't expect you to care.
The target audience defines a lot about my approach to the piece, which I believe has lead to some confusion now that several thousand people outside of that audience have found their way to it. While the post is merely a telling of my personal loss of faith in the game and its developer, it has been approached as if it were a review, meant to inform or sway the opinions of a lot of people. I don't blame the confused for the misunderstanding, as the style they are interpreting the post as being is a lot more in line with my past writing than the one in question.
In the end though, the post should be viewed for what it actually is - a personal blog post, which should only be held to a slightly higher standard than a Facebook post.
With the post now properly framed as an insight into my own personal choices and not a review meant to persuade or enact change, a lot of the post should make more sense. Some have accused me of "crystal-balling" due to the post being entirely future focused, but when I have already seen the content that is currently in the game, what other standard should I use for my own personal purchasing decisions? Many have mentioned that the length I stuck with the game indicates that I'm full of it, but this is something the post already addressed, multiple times, with a disclaimer at the top and bottom noting that many people will get their money's worth and enjoy the content that is already in game. That's a great standard for those people to choose by, and for them, there is my comprehensive review. It's not appropriate for me though; I've been there - I've done that, and the future is all the game would hold.
For me to drop money on the game, I have to be convinced that TESO has what it take to survive in the market as a long-term MMORPG. I want to think that it does, but based on my beta testing experience, and experience with the MMO market in general, I really don't think it will. The post wasn't made to convince people that I'm right. If you think the game holds a future for you, then I recommend that you buy it. Its purpose was to explain, to those who cared, that the uncertain future is the reason I will no longer be around.
And that's what it came down to. Do I stay with the game and get burned by another MMO, even when I see it coming, or do I cut my losses and avoid spending money on a game I have no faith in? I chose to play it cautious, for once.
You were 100% on board with this game until the API changes. I think the highlighted statements and much of your blog post are a bunch of hot air that you may even be telling yourself in an effort to justify your stance of not playing due to your anger about that one decision. Hey I've done the same thing at times - something really pisses me off and then I look for a lot of other things to fuel that anger passion, even though those things weren't as big of a deal before the one thing really pissed me off. And if the API changes were a big enough deal to you then there is nothing wrong with quitting over it - we all have our things. But these last 2 paragraphs here, come on, lol. You're quitting because you're "not convinced the game can survive in the mmo market." ppssshhhhhhh
This is a popular theory I see ascribed to me, which I attribute mostly to the degree that I focused on the API in my final post. Even at the time, I felt that I had dwelled on it a bit too long, but it was a timely and relevant example of a lot of the problems I have had with the development team. While the change and the way they made it certainly helped to push me out the door, it was other factors which had me standing in it. I'd also like to point out that we can still do quite a bit more with the API than the public realizes at this point, so it wasn't as big of a deal to me as some people may think. The action wasn't a big deal, but the design philosophy and intent it represents does exemplify a lot of the doubt I had as to whether or not the game would be for me.
Still, while I don’t think this is an unreasonable response to what I’ve written, at the same time, what I’ve written wasn’t an exhaustive write-up either. I chose to focus on my doubt for the future of the game because it is important, but there were other causes beyond changes in the most recent patch.
I have actually barely been able to log onto the PTS for around a month now. It’s partially the bugs, horrendous balance, and other technical problems, but it also boils down to a fundamental problem I have with the endgame philosophy behind TESO. In the end, I think it’s the amount of questing the game forces on you (I’m including the other types of open world content as questing, for simplicity). I’m not a big quester, and while I’ve enjoyed it in some games, TESO’s quests just aren’t my type of thing. I love the way they fit into the world, and the emphasis on narrative focused chains rather than one and done kill quests is great, but they don’t grab me in the same way that The Secret World, or even SWTOR’s (to a much lesser extent) do.
That’s all personal preference, but where other games have quests as an annoying content gauntlet you grind through to get to endgame, in TESO, those quests are a large part the endgame, and this annoyed me far more than I expected it to. I liked +/++ content in theory, and in theory, I liked how lengthy the VR grind turned out to be. In practice though, the extended quest grind really, really bothers me, and it’s just not something I could bring myself to do again. This is a design that some people are going to love, but having tried it in the PTS, I can say with complete confidence that I am definitely not one of them.
To tie it back into the game’s future though, this model is not going to bode well with a lot of the MMO community. Launching without adventure zones was not a good idea, and the extended quest grind covering up their absence may prove more egregious then the absence itself, especially in light of the difficulty associated with leveling VR through PvP or grinding; questing is nearly the only viable option right now.
The game really, really needed to be pushed back six months at the very least. That’s not going to happen though, and it's yet another flaw the game may yet pay the price for.
I have to say that I am also having a hard time not seeing your recent statements about the game's prognosis as anything other than rationalized projections to make yourself feel better about your decision.
To say that you disagree strongly with the recent Templar nerf, as you did loudly at the TF, and that you felt betrayed by the API nerf, and that this is why you made a personal decision to stop playing after 9 months is one thing.
To use that as a launching pad to predict doom and F2P conversions is something else altogether and pretty thin.
I also post at the TF and have seen your bitterness about the API and your sarcastic comments implying that "hiding the numbers" makes it easier for them to nerf the Templar.
I have a pretty good idea as do most members there and here why you did a 180 degree turn in one month,
A month ago you were saying this:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success.
And now, despite "...barely being able to log on to the PTS for about a month..." we are to believe that the game you found so charming and addicting a month ago all of a sudden has a cloudy F2P future?
Sorry man, I appreciate your respectful posts and excellent writing style but I'm having a hard time believing that even you believe all the other things you are now saying about the game after they pissed you off with the Templar and API nerfs.
There is no logical answer he could possibly give to this after including what you have in green. I mean, did the game not get better in the last month due to the patch updates? In fact he addresses how it opens up which was a concern of the early reviewers. Now people are in the open world right away thanks to patch V.18. Really wish he would just admit how ridiculous he looks from the time of what you pointed out.
This is exactly it, he's pissed off cause the API change and now he's basically done a 180
Isarii, you come across as an intelligent human being, and you certainly aren't an internet neophyte, given that you've spent time as a moderator on the Tamrielfoundry forums.
Did you honestly believe that your internet blog post would only be read by "those that know you" and would remain private and confined to your "inner circle" ?
Really ?
I didn't believe it would remain private, but the degree to which it has been spread did surprise me quite a bit. My last post has seen upwards of 5,000 unique visitors since I posted it two days ago. To put that in perspective, every other post on my blog combined has had maybe 200. When I said in my first post here that I didn't think people outside of my target audience would care, I really meant it. Yet, here we are.
That said, I don't apologize for the post's spread, and that isn't the issue I came here to address, either. The issue has been that the post was interpreted as something it was not, despite my introductory paragraph saying this:
"I am well aware that this post will invite upon myself bashing from the remaining TESO community, but I want to stress that these are simply my personal reasons which I am expressing for those who are interested. I know that my profile is high enough in the TESO community that many people will want to know why I’m leaving, and I feel obligated to address my reasoning for the former fellows in fandom which I will leave behind. My goal is not to turn players away from the game. If you disagree, I wish you the best and hope that you find the game to your liking. I have made my decision, and share this only so that those who value my opinion can understand it when making their own"
I don't mind coming here to help this community better understand the purpose and content of my post, but I want it to be understood that this was already clear in the post itself. I understand, of course. I skim posts too, so I don't judge when others do it.
Short translation of the previous 22 pages of posts:
OP: I don't like anything but dominating endgame and would prefer to just skip all the PvE junk. Then they remove the API features that let my mods give me an unfair advantage in PvP! Whine! Bitch! Make up bogus legitimate sounding reasons! I QUIT!
WOW... I hate to use the "ole" cliché but, someone needs to get a life. Is this guy trying to get a job as a review writer, or is he going to use a rope from being rejected by his love. You got to play a game for free for a while, get over yourself!
Short translation of the previous 22 pages of posts:
OP: I don't like anything but dominating endgame and would prefer to just skip all the PvE junk. Then they remove the API features that let my mods give me an unfair advantage in PvP! Whine! Bitch! Make up bogus legitimate sounding reasons! I QUIT!
Me: buh-bye
What a childish reply. Ignorant, and short sighted. It's as if you didn't read or couldn't comprehend what the OP said in his blog.
Thus, what you just typed is unintentionally funny and sad
Isarii, I too find the sudden 180 suspicious and it does read a lot like backpedaling. Barely able to log on for a month because of bugs? Really? You make it seem like PTS is completely unplayable or that the servers had a triple meltdowns or something. There are bugs, yes. Good lord, there are bugs (crit anyone?) but it's far from "can't log on for a month."
I don't even go onto TF but rather Reddit and reading Iselin's quote of you a month ago (coincidental, that time frame is) has me raising eyebrows. That doesn't read like "on the fence." That doesn't read like "serious misgivings about the game's future."
No game is for everyone. No game is perfect, ESO definitely is not. It has problems. I personally am still a little butthurt over the Templar nerfs, not gonna lie. I'm not rolling a Templar on release, and we'll see what happens afterwards. But whatever happens, happens.
I will never understand the view that looks at a game, a time waster, like a major financial investment with stock options and justifying returns of investment to a committee.
Actually I'm just mocking the OP for fun. The devs made a change he didn't like and he tried to jump up and yell "everybody follow me to the exit" to pressure the devs to reverse the change. I'm surprised he expected that to work.
Wildstar was ok, been in the beta since early Dec. It has a fun story and lots of great features and is well polished but in the end it just didn't blow my skirt up.
I will be playing ESO because at the end of the day I was simply having more fun playing it. AvA pvp is great. I really like the character progression. The lore and story are great and I absolutely love the strong emphasis on exploring and the way it is tied to advancement.
And so you should all play ESO because, well because I am playing it and that is should be all you need. It's me after all.
I'm not really following how my being an MMO veteran means I shouldn't focus on the future, to be honest. .
I am curious, how old are you?
I see all these TF guys posing as mmo veterans, and most look like they are barely out of high school or college.
Knowing a person's age usually helps provide a baseline as far as where they are coming from, and how that affects their opinions, experience, or views on games.
SOE changes name to Daybreak games, cause dey break games.
Short translation of the previous 22 pages of posts:
OP: I don't like anything but dominating endgame and would prefer to just skip all the PvE junk. Then they remove the API features that let my mods give me an unfair advantage in PvP! Whine! Bitch! Make up bogus legitimate sounding reasons! I QUIT!
Me: buh-bye
What a childish reply. Ignorant, and short sighted. It's as if you didn't read or couldn't comprehend what the OP said in his blog.
Thus, what you just typed is unintentionally funny and sad
whats sad is that you ignored what Iselin posted just a few posts up where the 'blogger' just one month ago PRIOR to the huge patch improvements posted the following:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success."
Originally posted by Gel214th This right here echoes my own sentiments on the game. I see many people really wanted to like it, but the lack of direction as an MMO is extremely puzzling. Compass instead of a minimap just does not work in an MMO setting, in my view, for one.
Yes, there are a lot of people who don't like that and most of them are headed to Wildstar. Believe it or not though it's actually quite an attraction to a good few people who prefer less hand-holding than what is the norm in most mmo's these days.
Originally posted by JemAs666 lol thanks for sharing. I can sleep tonight knowing this one person isn't playing. I mean seriously this is a human being not unlike the other human beings. This person isn't anyone special and I could care less if they play or not. I am glad they think so highly of themselves that them not playing makes any difference.
Did you even read the article? The fact that the guy wont be playing the game is not interesting, the reasons for him not doing so, is.
You really found them interesting? His main point for quitting is because they disabled add-ons that had become mandatory for PvP. I think for most people that would be considered a step in the right direction not a reason to ragequit.
There is no logical answer he could possibly give to this after including what you have in green. I mean, did the game not get better in the last month due to the patch updates? In fact he addresses how it opens up which was a concern of the early reviewers. Now people are in the open world right away thanks to patch V.18. Really wish he would just admit how ridiculous he looks from the time of what you pointed out.
Well no, it didn't.
Most of the game's balance issues remain unfixed, including the Templars being wedged into a single armor type, but also bugs like half of the Nightblade passives not doing anything at all. Heavy armor is completely useless for anyone. Light Armor is very tanky in PvP because of the magic resist, and if you want to tank in PvE, you should be playing a Dragonknight or a Sorcerer to be able to tank in Light and receive its resource management bonuses.
There are more bugs. Broken quests, a bug that prevented some people from weapon swapping, and other fun things that probably won't be fixed before launch.
An across the board regen nerf has made combat less enjoyable for all classes, as it puts more of an emphasis on light/heavy attacks and less on ability use. This is personal preference.
Skipping the start zone was quickly and poorly implemented. The leveling curve is pretty broken to where you don't really want to skip the starter islands, but if you do, you're going to be greatly over-leveled for the next zone. The choice also isn't being presented in a way that makes sense to new players.
Allowing you to skip Coldharbour on subsequent characters was a good idea, but the move to no longer allow you to choose a weapon type while in it is nonsensical and odd.
Experience in public dungeons has been heavily nerfed, only serving to reinforce that questing is mandatory no matter what your play style. This also means that VR10 players have no effective ways to level new skills once they've ran out of quests.
The Cyrodiil quests were overpowered in the experience they gave, but changing them to daily quests without features that support a daily grind mean that people probably won't be doing them. They don't really give anything the over-world quests don't (and while marginally useful for leveling skills at VR cap, that would take forever with the daily limitation), and there's no incentive to keep doing them to work towards rewards ala World of Warcraft dailies. I could see this getting added in the future, though.
The Adventure Zones were officially pushed beyond launch during the last month, and the lack of testing or any information on them leads me to believe that they will not be present in a functional state any time soon.
My opinions on the cash shop and the API are already known, both of which occurred during the last month, as well as the Reddit AMA which reaffirmed fears associated with the future intent these changes represent.
And lastly, of course, I simply have more experience with the game now than I did when writing the review. At that point I had just barely entered VR content, for reference, and I knew less about the game than I do now. The standard being presented here, that opinions and perceptions cannot change when new information becomes available, really isn't reasonable.
This isn't to say that there have not been good changes. There definitely have been some. Overall though, I have no trouble saying that the game less to my liking in its current state than it was a month ago.
I'm not really following how my being an MMO veteran means I shouldn't focus on the future, to be honest. .
I am curious, how old are you?
I see all these TF guys posing as mmo veterans, and most look like they are barely out of high school or college.
Knowing a person's age usually helps provide a baseline as far as where they are coming from, and how that affects their opinions, experience, or views on games.
Pretty much everyone who started with WoW thinks they're MMO veterans
Originally posted by randomized Actually I'm just mocking the OP for fun. The devs made a change he didn't like and he tried to jump up and yell "everybody follow me to the exit" to pressure the devs to reverse the change. I'm surprised he expected that to work.
That's how I took the entire thing. What makes me scratch my head and laugh is there are those that actually will follow him right out the door. I mean a beta tester left so there has to be something majorly wrong with the game since a beta tester left. Right?
Oh well, I like it and I will play it until I no long have fun playing. I could care less what this beta tester says, thinks or does. I make up my own mind and don't rely on the opinions of others to form my own. If others are sheeple, then let them graze on the grass that's on the other side. As a friend of mine says, If the grass is greener on the other side, it's because there's more shite over there fertilizing it.
The author of this text is a long term beta tester (if I remember correct 9+ months) and did level up several characters to LVL 50 already. He was aswell a moderator at the tamrielfoundry forums.
I do not like nor defend ESO and I agree it is not p2p material but....
the fact he makes so many comparisons between it and one of the most successful games out there right now (GW2) yet still calls ESO a failure makes me wonder if all he wants is an old school type mmorpg, if that's the case just keep playing braindead wow or 1 of it's millions of clones please thank you very much.
Comments
Translation: Angry nerd back-peddles in an attempt to rationalize a rage-quit due to api changes with a wall of text.
Best of luck to you and your little corner mate, hope you find a game you enjoy.
21 year MMO veteran
PvP Raid Leader
Lover of The Witcher & CD Projekt Red
Well as I said, the API changes are what pushed me out the door - It's not a coincidence at all, and I have never claimed it to be one. What it was is the most recent, minor part of a large range of malcontent and misgivings with the current state of the game.
I'm not really following how my being an MMO veteran means I shouldn't focus on the future, to be honest. If this were a game in any other genre, I would have seen all of the content, and no more would be coming. The decision not to buy would have been simple from the beginning. In an MMO, that future is the reason we play. We play for long, multi-year (when we get lucky) commitments to games we love, where content is continually added to keep it fresh. My perspective as an MMO veteran is exactly the reason why I am focused on the future, not a reason that I shouldn't be.
As for beta burn-out, that is more than likely a part of my decision to not purchase the game, and my lack of motivation to play in recent weeks. However, my misgivings for the future of the game are another issue entirely.
Isarii, you come across as an intelligent human being, and you certainly aren't an internet neophyte, given that you've spent time as a moderator on the Tamrielfoundry forums.
Did you honestly believe that your internet blog post would only be read by "those that know you" and would remain private and confined to your "inner circle" ?
Really ?
I have to say that I am also having a hard time not seeing your recent statements about the game's prognosis as anything other than rationalized projections to make yourself feel better about your decision.
To say that you disagree strongly with the recent Templar nerf, as you did loudly at the TF, and that you felt betrayed by the API nerf, and that this is why you made a personal decision to stop playing after 9 months is one thing.
To use that as a launching pad to predict doom and F2P conversions is something else altogether and pretty thin.
I also post at the TF and have seen your bitterness about the API and your sarcastic comments implying that "hiding the numbers" makes it easier for them to nerf the Templar.
I have a pretty good idea as do most members there and here why you did a 180 degree turn in one month,
A month ago you were saying this:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success.
And now, despite "...barely being able to log on to the PTS for about a month..." we are to believe that the game you found so charming and addicting a month ago all of a sudden has a cloudy F2P future?
Sorry man, I appreciate your respectful posts and excellent writing style but I'm having a hard time believing that even you believe all the other things you are now saying about the game after they pissed you off with the Templar and API nerfs.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
ArcheAge, Black Desert and Bless videos InporylemQQ Youtube
There is no logical answer he could possibly give to this after including what you have in green. I mean, did the game not get better in the last month due to the patch updates? In fact he addresses how it opens up which was a concern of the early reviewers. Now people are in the open world right away thanks to patch V.18. Really wish he would just admit how ridiculous he looks from the time of what you pointed out.
There Is Always Hope!
Did you even read the article? The fact that the guy wont be playing the game is not interesting, the reasons for him not doing so, is.
My gaming blog
This is exactly it, he's pissed off cause the API change and now he's basically done a 180
/endthread
Why are we still discussing this?
I didn't believe it would remain private, but the degree to which it has been spread did surprise me quite a bit. My last post has seen upwards of 5,000 unique visitors since I posted it two days ago. To put that in perspective, every other post on my blog combined has had maybe 200. When I said in my first post here that I didn't think people outside of my target audience would care, I really meant it. Yet, here we are.
That said, I don't apologize for the post's spread, and that isn't the issue I came here to address, either. The issue has been that the post was interpreted as something it was not, despite my introductory paragraph saying this:
"I am well aware that this post will invite upon myself bashing from the remaining TESO community, but I want to stress that these are simply my personal reasons which I am expressing for those who are interested. I know that my profile is high enough in the TESO community that many people will want to know why I’m leaving, and I feel obligated to address my reasoning for the former fellows in fandom which I will leave behind. My goal is not to turn players away from the game. If you disagree, I wish you the best and hope that you find the game to your liking. I have made my decision, and share this only so that those who value my opinion can understand it when making their own"
I don't mind coming here to help this community better understand the purpose and content of my post, but I want it to be understood that this was already clear in the post itself. I understand, of course. I skim posts too, so I don't judge when others do it.
Short translation of the previous 22 pages of posts:
OP: I don't like anything but dominating endgame and would prefer to just skip all the PvE junk. Then they remove the API features that let my mods give me an unfair advantage in PvP! Whine! Bitch! Make up bogus legitimate sounding reasons! I QUIT!
Me: buh-bye
What a childish reply. Ignorant, and short sighted. It's as if you didn't read or couldn't comprehend what the OP said in his blog.
Thus, what you just typed is unintentionally funny and sad
Isarii, I too find the sudden 180 suspicious and it does read a lot like backpedaling. Barely able to log on for a month because of bugs? Really? You make it seem like PTS is completely unplayable or that the servers had a triple meltdowns or something. There are bugs, yes. Good lord, there are bugs (crit anyone?) but it's far from "can't log on for a month."
I don't even go onto TF but rather Reddit and reading Iselin's quote of you a month ago (coincidental, that time frame is) has me raising eyebrows. That doesn't read like "on the fence." That doesn't read like "serious misgivings about the game's future."
No game is for everyone. No game is perfect, ESO definitely is not. It has problems. I personally am still a little butthurt over the Templar nerfs, not gonna lie. I'm not rolling a Templar on release, and we'll see what happens afterwards. But whatever happens, happens.
I will never understand the view that looks at a game, a time waster, like a major financial investment with stock options and justifying returns of investment to a committee.
Never ever ever.
Wildstar was ok, been in the beta since early Dec. It has a fun story and lots of great features and is well polished but in the end it just didn't blow my skirt up.
I will be playing ESO because at the end of the day I was simply having more fun playing it. AvA pvp is great. I really like the character progression. The lore and story are great and I absolutely love the strong emphasis on exploring and the way it is tied to advancement.
And so you should all play ESO because, well because I am playing it and that is should be all you need. It's me after all.
All die, so die well.
I am curious, how old are you?
I see all these TF guys posing as mmo veterans, and most look like they are barely out of high school or college.
Knowing a person's age usually helps provide a baseline as far as where they are coming from, and how that affects their opinions, experience, or views on games.
whats sad is that you ignored what Iselin posted just a few posts up where the 'blogger' just one month ago PRIOR to the huge patch improvements posted the following:
"Crafting being a viable form of progression has accompanied the best crafting system I’ve seen in a themepark MMO, and there are a lot of ways in which I feel it will foster a strong social element to the game’s economy. There’s a lot of customization involved, crafters’ names are permanently displayed on gear they have created, and there’s no auction house to dominate the economy. I’m pretty happy with how the economy looks right now.
The biggest thing for me though is probably the progression. It’s open-ended. It’s fun. Sure, a lot of the abilities aren’t exactly compelling right now, but that’s just a balance issue – and even in that situation, there’s still a lot to look forward to as you’re leveling your character and collecting skyshards. It’s addicting.
And this is the best thing about the game. It is addicting, and it’s addicting in a way that I haven’t felt from an MMO in a very long time. No, it doesn’t grab you right away – and that’s a problem we’re seeing from a lot of the reviewers who didn’t get very far – but once the game opens up, there’s actually a lot to like, and that, for me, is the spark that lights my hope for the game’s success."
There Is Always Hope!
Yes, there are a lot of people who don't like that and most of them are headed to Wildstar. Believe it or not though it's actually quite an attraction to a good few people who prefer less hand-holding than what is the norm in most mmo's these days.
You really found them interesting? His main point for quitting is because they disabled add-ons that had become mandatory for PvP. I think for most people that would be considered a step in the right direction not a reason to ragequit.
I totally understand where the OP is coming from.
I am also a long time beta tester and supporter of the game (Where everyone hated it!)
I canceled my preorder last week, when its FTP or BTP perhaps ill give it a shot again.
No hard feelings just not feeling that sub fee happeneing for me.
Well no, it didn't.
Most of the game's balance issues remain unfixed, including the Templars being wedged into a single armor type, but also bugs like half of the Nightblade passives not doing anything at all. Heavy armor is completely useless for anyone. Light Armor is very tanky in PvP because of the magic resist, and if you want to tank in PvE, you should be playing a Dragonknight or a Sorcerer to be able to tank in Light and receive its resource management bonuses.
There are more bugs. Broken quests, a bug that prevented some people from weapon swapping, and other fun things that probably won't be fixed before launch.
An across the board regen nerf has made combat less enjoyable for all classes, as it puts more of an emphasis on light/heavy attacks and less on ability use. This is personal preference.
Skipping the start zone was quickly and poorly implemented. The leveling curve is pretty broken to where you don't really want to skip the starter islands, but if you do, you're going to be greatly over-leveled for the next zone. The choice also isn't being presented in a way that makes sense to new players.
Allowing you to skip Coldharbour on subsequent characters was a good idea, but the move to no longer allow you to choose a weapon type while in it is nonsensical and odd.
Experience in public dungeons has been heavily nerfed, only serving to reinforce that questing is mandatory no matter what your play style. This also means that VR10 players have no effective ways to level new skills once they've ran out of quests.
The Cyrodiil quests were overpowered in the experience they gave, but changing them to daily quests without features that support a daily grind mean that people probably won't be doing them. They don't really give anything the over-world quests don't (and while marginally useful for leveling skills at VR cap, that would take forever with the daily limitation), and there's no incentive to keep doing them to work towards rewards ala World of Warcraft dailies. I could see this getting added in the future, though.
The Adventure Zones were officially pushed beyond launch during the last month, and the lack of testing or any information on them leads me to believe that they will not be present in a functional state any time soon.
My opinions on the cash shop and the API are already known, both of which occurred during the last month, as well as the Reddit AMA which reaffirmed fears associated with the future intent these changes represent.
And lastly, of course, I simply have more experience with the game now than I did when writing the review. At that point I had just barely entered VR content, for reference, and I knew less about the game than I do now. The standard being presented here, that opinions and perceptions cannot change when new information becomes available, really isn't reasonable.
This isn't to say that there have not been good changes. There definitely have been some. Overall though, I have no trouble saying that the game less to my liking in its current state than it was a month ago.
Pretty much everyone who started with WoW thinks they're MMO veterans
That's how I took the entire thing. What makes me scratch my head and laugh is there are those that actually will follow him right out the door. I mean a beta tester left so there has to be something majorly wrong with the game since a beta tester left. Right?
Oh well, I like it and I will play it until I no long have fun playing. I could care less what this beta tester says, thinks or does. I make up my own mind and don't rely on the opinions of others to form my own. If others are sheeple, then let them graze on the grass that's on the other side. As a friend of mine says, If the grass is greener on the other side, it's because there's more shite over there fertilizing it.
Enjoy what you play and Play what you enjoy.
I call BS !
I do not like nor defend ESO and I agree it is not p2p material but....
the fact he makes so many comparisons between it and one of the most successful games out there right now (GW2) yet still calls ESO a failure makes me wonder if all he wants is an old school type mmorpg, if that's the case just keep playing braindead wow or 1 of it's millions of clones please thank you very much.