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[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: My Endgame is Not Your Endgame
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The term “endgame” has become a contentious one, with people arguing the definition repeatedly all over the place. Part of the issue is when people think that an MMO should have certain things and fit a certain definition. Others choose to focus upon what a game in particular “lacks” rather than what it has to offer. With The Elder Scrolls Online, this has also been the case, especially when it comes to what Zenimax is offering players not just at multiple levels, but at “endgame”. Yet ESO’s offerings for higher level players offer some fitting choices.
Read more of Christina Gonzalez's Elder Scrolls Online: My Endgame is Not Your Endgame.
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Comments
End game for me has never been about the vertical progression that raiding entails. Not to say that I don't enjoy raiding because I do. However I am a person that likes to have something to do and strive towards.
For World of Warcraft for me, as much as I loved doing 40 man MC and all the raids that followed after I always found it to get a little suffocating and for me, the introduction of their achievement system is what saved that game (for me) as I then had lots to do.
If you play Dungeons and Dragons, your DM and the other players are not looking to go from dungeon to dungeon looking to gear up. It is an adventure, shared with others looking to make your mark on the world. Be it through reputation, story progression, finding the odd bit of treasure or simply taking part in something cool and unique. This, for me is where MMO's need to head. To give people a great experience without having them locked into a weekly grind of gear based progression.
Of course this is just myself I speak for, others might love that style of game. I do not, I'll accept it, because for the moment, that is all there is.
I like the many options of ESO's end game that will be offered at launch or soon after.
You have the 50+/50++ content for solo duo. You have the Veteran dungeons for the 4 man groups. You will have the adventure zones for a full zone aimed at 4 man groups filled with dungeons, delves, something like a dark anchor and story quests. Then you will have the "trials" for the 12 man groups complete with a leader board for the best groups on the megaserver.
Then obviously a big draw will be the PvP in Cyrodiil. I am looking forward to all the options gaining you Veteran levels, gear and skill points. Much more than a lot of other MMOs had a launch.
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
It all depends on how one wants to see it; in my eyes, unlocking content that should have been accessible from level 1 (and the areas where it can be found too) is not endgame - it simply shows lack of a clear vision as to what the game should be about.
Also having this content phased where the player will not meet any opposing faction players...well, not my type of thing. But to each their own i guess.
I think the term end game is individual, some people scream that there is nothing to do when they have maxed out there lvl and got the best gear, while others fish for achiements or crafting.
Some people just explore or PVP or whatever.
What I m trying to say is the term "End Game" is like ice cream everybody likes different flavors and we all argue which one has the best taste but in the end it's an individual term that can't be applied to the masses.
The big companys are the ones who controll which flavors to choose from so if there is a fan of salty doggy poo ice cream then he is probably gonna have to make it himself. But the thing that sucks is that the companys are making gold with Vanilla ice cream flavor at the moment and they are not interested in making something else.
"Personally, I think “endgame” is kind of a sloppy term since it minimizes what you do along the way. Some players want their MMOs to feel like a journey again and not just a grind from one hub or milestone to the next rung on the ladder. That’s why some of what ESO offers is encouraging in its variety."....
well said!
didnt know abt world bosses!-looking forward to that! endgame is a very trivial use of a word.
sounds like herding sheeps..
same guy who wants to get 'world first' in an mmo...
later is complaining in game forums how boring that game it is..
<.<
I haven't even been interested in ESO since I first heard about it, but this actually makes me want to look a litter deeper into it. When I was younger, I jumped at the chance to raid and flex my loot/gearing e-muscles. But, as I get older and my time more important to me, I simply don't want to do that any more, being able to progress on my own or with the help of one or maybe a second person is far more important to me than taking down Big Boss #147 'This time with fresh game mechanics".
I hate to use the term 'Hard-core Casual" but that is what i'm becoming. Playing casually and logging in when I find the time, but needing to challenge myself when I do. Seems ESO is trying to give a place for gamers like me. I'll have to look a little further.
Still think that wildstar have the best start (features) for a new fresh game. But im gonna enjoy this months of ESO and noobody can stop that! Mwahahah.
Well technically you can access that content from level 1 onward.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
yes, with an alt.
But then why would i redo content i've already done -albeit with a different character- at level 50?
You are complaining about being given the choice. Sad.
Well considering the whole decision was made based on a lot of complaints about not being able to "see it all" on one toon, it's a bit backward for the players to be worried about that :P. Not to say it's not a legit complaint, as it is, I'm just saying, it was the playerbase that spawned this, not exactly Zenimax.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Having interesting things to do when you reach level cap is essencial for an MMO be successful, period.
Damn, early access is taking forever, can´t wait
True, but I would be very surprised if they didn't release the first Adventure Zone within the first 4-6 weeks, 2 months max. They have alluded to that without specifically saying it.
There Is Always Hope!
werewolf life? What have you been smoking, this is no Skyrim. Werewolf means you ll have an ability to transform yourself in order to have a new set of abilities temporarily. Doesn't mean you ll be changing under the full moon or that you're stuck being a werewolf whether you want it or not until the sun comes up. The game is not very RPish, doesn t give you enough freedom for it so take that idea out of your head.
There is still a level cap, there is still an invisible wall. It's just called level 50 veteran rank 10 lol. Call it level 60 if you want. Since the story quest will be over by then you ll just be doing the generic region quests of other factions bumped up in difficulty. At least we hope it will be challenging as there are reports of the game being too easy.
Your endgame is questing like a maniac which you can do perfectly by yourself, you don't need a MMO with a sub fee for that do you?
You miss the point of what a MMO really is, a social experience with lots of player interactivity. Right now the only true player interactivity in ESO is Cyrodiil and crafting, that's it. The rest is like a single player game with a few co op features.
I m still gonna buy and try the game out, but I don t lie to myself about what the game truly is. The information is out there and you played the BETA probably, don t kid yourself.
I like the title, my end game isn't your end game.
Everyone experiences mmos how they want and how they enjoy.
Some people may love the goofy-ness of standing around shooting the breeze with people, some people may like PvP, PvE, Raiding, Crafting, Achievement hunting, relationship building, building wealth, building/decorating a house...ect..ect..
I've played hide and seek, done events, many other unconventional "end-game" activities, because..well..I think they are fun.
There is a lot more to mmorpgs than raid/exp/loot, and I wish more mmorpgs would explore that. Animal raising/racing? Animal fighting? More housing in games? Crafting in a way that you can actually design your own armor? Building towns/cities (a lost art for sure)..ect..ect..
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
Wow this is exactly the wrong vision in my mind. Endgame is what distinguishs an MMO from a single player game. By its very nature what makes it exciting is that the progression does not end even when the "story" does. I truly hope ESO understands this, it seems they do and things like adventure zones will create nice vertical progression. I understand taking your time along the way and the treadmill aspect of most if not all endgames but the alternative, and this applies to all those crybaby types who don't wanyt any vertical progression at end game, is that everyone cancels there sub when the story is over.
EG: See every AAA MMO created since WOW driven by a story
We ll see once it's released.
No comments so far from me till i reach at least lvl 50+
I think the thing they got right was that a lot of people don't actually hate the idea of vertical progression endgame, the version of vertical progression in other games is to grind/farm the same thing over and over again. Since they will be putting out Adventure zones throughout the life cycle and especially since that vertical endgame progression actually sees you going through entirely new zones (new to you) I think they actually found a way to hook someone who doesn't like vertical progression into it. How? By giving options that don't FEEL like vertical progression grinding after level 50.