Do you need to have played Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim...?

Anslem

Hey Friends - 

As the title implies I am wondering if you needed to have played the other titles to understand what's going on in ESO.  I am leaning toward no as I very much enjoyed my time in WoW without ever playing any of the Warcraft titles.

I'm looking for a fantasy setting with PvP, possible RP, and housing.  I recently played a trial of Wildstar and really wanted to love it.  I just couldn't get past the sci-fi setting but other than that it was a pretty cool game! 

Thanks!  

zevian

You dont need to of played any of the Elder Scrolls game to enjoy ESO. 

 

The game does not have housing as of yet though,  FFXIV might also be something to consider as it hass all of yoru requirements.

Dauntis

You are better off not having played those games. Those single player games are fantastic in comparison and you will probably like this travesty better if you never experienced those games. 

Kind of like how broccoli is a great desert if you have never eaten ice cream.

wuhsin88

Originally posted by Dauntis

You are better off not having played those games. Those single player games are fantastic in comparison and you will probably like this travesty better if you never experienced those games. 

Kind of like how broccoli is a great desert if you have never eaten ice cream.

This guy hit the nail right on the head. They designed The Elder Scrolls Online more like the typical theme park MMO's we've seen in recent years like Guild Wars 2, or Neverwinter Online. However, it's not really as good as those MMO's. So most Elder Scrolls fans feel like they were betrayed because it lacks all the basic features of TES games, and MMO fans tend to just feel "Meh" about it. 

Anslem

Originally posted by Dauntis

You are better off not having played those games. Those single player games are fantastic in comparison and you will probably like this travesty better if you never experienced those games. 

Kind of like how broccoli is a great desert if you have never eaten ice cream.

Thanks for the insight!  Maybe I'll give it a try or else try to somehow reignite my love for WoW.

ltank

I too played Wildstar only up to lvl 21 before I gave up on it. It just didn't do it for me. I played ESO beta last year and it was meh but I had some personal things going on in life at the time that I think really took away from my focus and enjoyment of the game because now I just bought it and have really been enjoying myself much more than I have in a long time.

 

I think some people just don't like it because it isn't as detailed as a single player ES game which is understandable on Zenimax's part. Other people understandable don't like how instancing/phasing can separate you from friends if that is your typical leveling style. And I think other people don't like it because it became the "cool" thing to do.

 

I didn't experience some of the launch bugs that every game launches with so my time in game has been enjoyable so far.

Jacxolope

...Just play Skyrim.

ESO is terrible for both a TES game and as an MMORPG. Its just...Bad.

Morrowind is the best of the TES game IMHO but its also not as streamlined as Skyrim- If you havnnt played Skyrim, pick up a copy now. You wont regret it.

nbtscan

From the things I've read, you're probably better off NOT playing the other Elder Scrolls game, as it may give you a false perspective of what the MMO version should be.

Reklaw

No housing as of yet in ESO, the singleplayer games does have it. Only read somewhere they they are working on it but with absolute no expectation date.

I actually would think it might be best to first play ESO. It takes place 1000 years before the events in Skyrim.

Of course other ES games being singleplayer games where the game only has to account for just one person your experiance in those will be much deeper then what can be done in a MMORPG.

But I think it would be fun for someone new to ES games to experiance ESO to see most towns/city's in all their glory, read it;s history/lore/books/quest and witness what history has done to those towns/city's when he enters the singleplayer ES games.

There are many ES related tributes in ESO so they might go pass many who never played a ES game.

 

 

Unknown

Originally posted by Anslem

Hey Friends - 

As the title implies I am wondering if you needed to have played the other titles to understand what's going on in ESO.  I am leaning toward no as I very much enjoyed my time in WoW without ever playing any of the Warcraft titles.

I'm looking for a fantasy setting with PvP, possible RP, and housing.  I recently played a trial of Wildstar and really wanted to love it.  I just couldn't get past the sci-fi setting but other than that it was a pretty cool game! 

Thanks!  

It's probably better if you have not played the older Elder Scrolls games. 

finefluff

Story wise you do not need to play them to understand. Really the main stories in all of the elder scrolls games are mostly independent from each other.

gervaise1

Originally posted by Anslem

Hey Friends - 

As the title implies I am wondering if you needed to have played the other titles to understand what's going on in ESO.  I am leaning toward no as I very much enjoyed my time in WoW without ever playing any of the Warcraft titles.

I'm looking for a fantasy setting with PvP, possible RP, and housing.  I recently played a trial of Wildstar and really wanted to love it.  I just couldn't get past the sci-fi setting but other than that it was a pretty cool game! 

Thanks!  

Two questions: one direct, one implied.

 

The direct question: do you need to have played other Elder Scrolls titles - simple answer no.

 

Indirect question: you want a fantasy setting; PvP;  possible RP and player housing.

• The game has a fantasy setting;
• It has a sort of PvP (campaigns). There is talk of them being reworked. Several "options" that you might expect are not present.
• RP ... probably not (always a tricky one)
• No player housing option anytime soon according to the Paul Sage the creative Director towards the end of March. And to put that in context he also talked about not being able to guarantee a 2014 console launch - which will be a much bigger priority.

So does it fit what you are looking for .... I suspect it may not. Maybe after it has been around a while, options have been added and so forth.

 

Which leads me to wonder whether you might be better with something like FFXIV:ARR? Or Darkfall? Or ..... Not trying to push any particular game just suggesting that if your requirements are as stated then TESO probably doesn't fit with what you want. 

 

 

(Edit: Most Elder Scrolls titles can be picked up for not a lot; Skyrim Legendary (Skyrim+expansions) being the most recent. No PvP but a solid single player games in a fantasy setting (elder scrolls style), role playing and player housing. )

Joeyjojoshabadu

I would just play the single player games and skip ESO entirely. To play the single players first, then ESO, will almost* certainly lead to major disappointment (* there are those who have done this and still enjoyed ESO, but they are clearly in the minority).

 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind

Metascrore: 89

User score: 9.0

 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion

Metascore: 94

User score: 8.0

 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim

Metascore: 94

User score: 8.3

 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-elder-scrolls-online

Metascrore: 71

User score: 5.8

Yamota

Seeing as this game is very different from other Elder Scrolls game, you probably be better of NOT having played those games. Also keep in mind that this is primarily a solo "MMO" so you will most like spending 90% of your time, soloing.

Anslem

@Gervaise - Thanks so much for your awesome reply and suggestion.  I have played some single player Final Fantasy titles and might give the one you suggested a go.  Also looking seriously into Darkfall as it's just $5US on the Steam summer sale so it'd be silly not to give it a whirl.   The community matters quite a bit to me as well -- since Darkfall seems to be reliant upon clans supporting each other that might work.  I played WoW for too, too long and the community sense is simply transparent.  I am not much of a hardmode PvE player but even guilds for PvP can be self-serving. 

 

@Yamota - Thanks - yea, I am really looking for a solid community MMO and since you mention it's rather soloable.. I should likely pass.  It looks gorgeous though. 

I know it's beating a twice-dead horse, but where is one to find a community in an MMO?!! Help a sister out!