My impressions

Galadourn

Well, I had participated in TESO Beta and decided to try it out. Even upgraded my PC so as to run it smoothly. Currently I am a level 13 templar.

To put it simply, TESO is not an MMO. It's a single-player game run in a multi-player environment. Hand-holding everywhere. Death is more meaningless even when compared to WoW's death penalty. Hands down the most boring "MMO" I've ever tried.

The zones feel empty. The NPC aggro is laughable at best. Even the graphics are not as good as advertised, the draw distance is small before the distance blur kicks in (everything at max).

Not to mention a complete lack of the sense of progression. This "assign points anywhere you want" has always been ESO's weak point, imho. You end up in "god mode".

I 've had of course a first taste of what the game felt like back in Beta. But sadly this is not a game to cling on to.

TENTING

Different people, different strokes  

All the reasons you list as your negative points, are the very reasons I love it.
 Except I think the graphics and artdesign are amazing.

It plays at a decent pace, where it is possible to enjoy the game and its deep lore, the landscapes are not over clustered with mobs everywhere, so you have time and peace to really enjoy the scenery when travelling about. 

The lenient death penalty makes dungeons and raids a super fun experience, since with a little luck, death is not the end of a battle, 1 standing player can sometimes manage to get a res in and change things from a close wipe to a glorious victory.

And hand holding. I like the way things are designed quest wise, because you know, if things gets too difficult, you just end up downloading multible addons to fix it. Or if things get too difficult and you ask for advice in /zone chat, more people will ask you to download addons.

 And if there is one thing that really breaks my immersion in games, it is having to download addons or having to tab back and fourth between the game and google, to be able to play it.
  
 ESO allows immersion of the best kind I have ever experienced in an MMORPG. 

 I could list many more things that I really like about ESO, but there are people out there that says it so much better than I ever could. 
 I also often get lost for words when its about ESO, because 1 picture in ESO speaks so much more than any words could.
   
 I will admit that pricewise it is a bit steep though, but with the constant flow of content, the quality of it and the baseline F2P model, it is the only game where I can say that I feel it is a sub worthy.
 ESO does not try to trick its players to log on to keep them around either, like certain MMORPGs does.
 
At least I dont get the impression that ESO staff spends most their time figuring out what designs to make to make people addicted. Which to me deserves huge respect.
 The quality of the game is what brings players onboard, not cheap design mechanics.

But as mentioned, different people different strokes!
It is fair that you feel how you feel about the game. 

Maybe a game like Pantheon will be exactly what you are looking for? If you have not checked that one out already. 

 Best wishes!

filmoret

Well then don't play it.

Galadourn

Well said. 

After trying many different MMO games I can say with confidence that, to me at least, there must be a balance between everything being handed to you on a silver platter and having to work your $ss off to achieve anything.

Pantheon is in my radar for sure, however I have this bad feeling when watching gameplay videos that it will play like Vanguard.