My Defense of TESO(TU) & Why You Should Play It

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What is your Faction in ESOTU?

  • Daggerfall Covenant

    Votes: 5 38.5%
  • Aldmeri Dominion

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • Ebonheart Pact

    Votes: 2 15.4%
  • Molag Bal is my one true master

    Votes: 3 23.1%

  • Total voters
    13

Tosh Raka

Tiger Dragon of Ka'Po'Tun
It's not often that an Elder Scrolls game comes along, let alone an MMO based on the world of Nirn we have grown to love, but many feel like TESO(TU) is a cop out to a bygone era of the Micro-Transaction ridden, poorly fleshed out story, cash grab MMO.

It isn't. Hear me out.

Lets scale it back a few years to the world of Morrowind, and if you were a fan (which you should be, but that a different discussion) you know how hard and sometimes perplexing an Elder Scrolls game can be. There's some living Gods, some crazy stuff going on with undead, why am I walking everywhere, and where the hell am I going... all that and still you found a way to like, or even love a game no for graphics or even the story per say... but the Variety.

Variety is the spice of life, and with each game from Bethesda/Zenimax we see less and less. Oblivion in all its glory shrunk down and simplified a lot of weapon types and armor types making it (on one hand) easier for novice and non-RPG players to get a feel for it, but sapping from the variety of gameplay you saw in morrowind. Everyone forgave that in the light of Voice acting, a clear and present danger in one enemy hell bent on taking the known world for himself, and a great add on that took us to the Shivering Isles. But where was the throwing knives? The grey line between good and bad? The Variety of Unique Armor and Weapons!?

This now brings us to Skyrim.

The lifeblood of this forum and lovechild of Awesome Viking Gods and Ancient Evil Dragons. A story where you bash in the heads of civil war fools and dragons alike. But at what cost!? Yes that key word... variety. With the exception of the optional civil war questline (which, lets face it, the Imperials tried to decapitate you... im being friends with Ulfric TYVM) you weren't left with much of a gray area in who's right, who's wrong, who do I fight for and who do I owe my allegiance. Then there's Chillrend. How dare you color swap a Glass Sword and call it unique. SHAKE MY HEAD.

But I digress.

TESO is an MMO so yes, the Graphics aren't all the detail we saw in skyrim (meaning many armor textures are skins) but thats not why we play Elder Scrolls. No. This game brings back Variety.

Choosing your Alliance is the first thing that made me feel good. I now have a reason to be a Nord. Not just to solve problems and save lives, but to actually represent something, be proud of the Lore of my people. Every quest pulled me in further to the world of Elder Scrolls.

Locations. Amazing. I finally get to see what I always wanted. the Swamps of Black Marsh, the desert of Alik'r, even the talking trees of the crazy wood elves.

Armor styles that are equal to each other. I mean Daedric Armor is just as strong as Elven armor and its great.

Guilds, interactions with people, trading... everyone wanted multiplayer skyrim, and yet are easily turned off by ESO... it's silly.

The Quests had many choices and they effected the main story in some way that felt gratifying. Also the story continues if you wish to play through the eyes of the other factions. And while there was a clear enemy in Molag Bal, the faction stories had some serious weight in what defines a leader, and what defines loyalty. Some quests made me really thing about the outcome on who dies, lives, gets banished, or stays on Nirn.

Simply put, every faction has this great story that makes you really think about what you owe your life to as a member of that faction. Not to mention roving the hills of Cyrodiil again with your Guild of bad ass knights and mages while taking a fort and squashing a defense in the name of your faction.

Until the next Numbered Elder Scrolls game comes out, you should invest in ESO(TU). Play it. If you enjoy lore, if you enjoy strategy or just want to play alone (because you can... most quests are perfectly doable by yourself) it adds so much to the world.

End Rant.

Anyways if you hate ESO(TU) or if you love it go ahead and spill your guts. Im looking for more friends on XB1, i thought it was a good risk to pick up a console mmo, and i havent looked back. hit me up!

GT: Purple Juiceman
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
I'd love it more if I could go more than 20 minutes without crashing.
 

hershangames

Well-Known Member
I really want to try it, but it's just way too expensive for me, and I can't go console, I have to stick to PC because I'm still in PS3(I'm not planning on upgrading in at least one or two years), so I wouldn't have that many friends to play with.

A real shame about that price, if not I would have it ready.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk
 

JoeReese

Well-Known Member
Hershan, do you mean the subscription or the basic game? They did away with subscriptions and went free-to-play, a while back. You still have to own the game, though. Idk how much different the PC version is, price-wise, than the console version, but once you own it you can play all you like.
 

hershangames

Well-Known Member
Hershan, do you mean the subscription or the basic game? They did away with subscriptions and went free-to-play, a while back. You still have to own the game, though. Idk how much different the PC version is, price-wise, than the console version, but once you own it you can play all you like.
I mean the basic game, in Steam it's almost 70€, I don't know if you use euros so:
70€=70$
70€=105£
Some people may be able to afford it, I can't.


Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk
 

ZeroDragon

Bring me my broadsword, and clear understanding.
Hershan, do you mean the subscription or the basic game? They did away with subscriptions and went free-to-play, a while back. You still have to own the game, though. Idk how much different the PC version is, price-wise, than the console version, but once you own it you can play all you like.
I mean the basic game, in Steam it's almost 70€, I don't know if you use euros so:
70€=70$
70€=105£
Some people may be able to afford it, I can't.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

Have you looked at buying the download code from someone like www.cdkeys.com ? The currently sell the code for £15.99 (pay via paypal option) which is about 22.5euro. The best price I found for a disc copy was micromania/gamestop at 55euro.

Maybe the download key is the way to go - if I had more time I'd be tempted, but I'm playing on the ps4.
 

Brofski

Member
The game is awesome.

I'm having so much fun. Found a good guild and smashing and playing PVP. Got an awesome group to smash those vet pledges up too.
 

Bruynzeel

*ー* SHEW *ー*
First let me say I actively play the game and even with everything I am about to say about it, it is fun.

But it has issues:
Combat,
1)Auto targeting, curving shots that seek the nearest target under your or near your crosshairs. I have lost to a group of mages throwing spells around and through trees because a rat or snake or other such animal got between me and my intended target. The longshot overdraw of Skyrim where you had to aim for vitals is missing and should be brought back.
2)The Distance at which enemies see you is woefully low, and in some areas it is warranted as they are entirely too populated or have insane respawn rates. Hit distance. I have been hit, bit, claw raked or struck by an enemy that is more than 10 feet away. There is no reason I shouldn't be able to back out of striking distance to a melee attack if I am fast enough.
3) Dodging, the only way to dodge incoming damage is to roll. You cannot strafe walk out of the line of fire, even blocking is ineffective.

Leveling,
1)The way to level a skill line is by having a skill slotted in you action bar. This means even if you never use the skill you can still increase the skill line anyway. Skyrim had it best you gained experience in a skill by using the skill. If you didn't use it, then it languished there like forgotten fruit.
2)Sneaking, thieving. You cannot level up your sneak in anyway other than through various passive skills that do not unlock til later under either racial or armor skill lines. So sneaking around past enemies does nothing but keep you out of combat (sometimes) You do not get any experience for stealing something out of a nearby chest (unless it is locked) or off a table even if you have to carefully time your grab and hold a successful sneak. You only get experience for it when you fence it, not even any for laundering it for use. As a matter of fact, you get far more experience for running up a huge bounty and then paying off a guard or fence to drop your wanted level. which means you are better off sucking at sneaking, getting seen, killing off the person who saw you, running away like a coward, and finding your way into the back door of a thief hideout and paying off your crime. But none for letting the bounty slowly work its way to zero. Which if you have experience with the guards they are invincible, have unlimited magica, and stamina, and if they stop you or kill you all those stolen items are gone forever no place to retrieve them.

Lore,
Here parts of it are good and some is so wrong that if you had never played any other ES game would have you feeling the various alliances would actually be the way they are. Zenimax for the sake of game mechanics put nations that would never work together because of thousands of years of fighting together because they were next to each other. Khajiit and Bosmer, Argonians and Dunmer, Nords and Redguard.(actually Nords and anybody) WTH just throw canon away Zen as it doesn't matter.
Molag Bal, if this had happened why is there no mention of it anywhere in Skyrim.

Guilds,
The missing guilds. Thieves guild, and Dark Brotherhood, or other Assassin guilds. Since Morrowind we have had a quest line for these and in this we have nothing. Not even a mention save a set piece or a character who claims to be an ex-member of one.

Grouping and questing together,
Only 4 to a group, even in the large PvP areas. quests are individual, objectives and conversations, interactions are only for the individual that needs them. So if your going around and helping your buddy you cannot see the next objective, you cannot help by splitting up the tasks even if on the same quest. Conversations are individual so each player must cycle through the various npcs in the quest. The only true co-op is in the group dungeons.

Things they got right, customization, with hundreds of dyes to be earned you can have a veritable rainbow of color and armor combinations on your character. Racial motifs that can be found or purchased abound.
Quests that have a sense of humor. I have run across four or five hilarious quests, filled with tongue in cheek or outright hilarity. One in Grahtwood had me rolling and recording video to save for later.

In summation, I will tell you what I would rather have had.
Tamriel open world, with major quest lines for the guilds (all of them) spanning the entire world. With tons of side quests, and dungeons to explore. With the same or slightly improved Skyrim leveling and combat systems. Player purchasable, or guild permanently purchasable bases or houses, like Hearthfire expansion. Where it was a time in the same line as we are but lore correct. Where you formed a adventuring group and did quests together. if a member of your group had not done the quest, you make them leader, but all objectives were there for the group to see and interact with, but only those who had never completed it got the full experience reward others got a lessened amount. As it is this is a Guild Wars 2 knock off with ES skins and characters, and graphics. That only follows lore if it is convenient. A combat system that basically says, I am not capable to aim. Or choose my targets with any skill.
 

Balomew

Active Member
I wavered before casting my vote. I enjoy playing Covenant characters, and I enjoy the Covenant safe haven and the Covenant companions. However, I sincerely dislike the king. Although Altmer buildings are boring in my opinion, I like the Altmer queen and enjoy the quest you take to meet her. I believe that the Dominion lied to the Khajiit that they had restored the moons to the sky. I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to ancient Ayleid magic. Though I chose the Covenant, I'm still wavering. I really don't like the Breton king; he seems young and untrustworthy. I'm unsure about the cause of both factions and the integrity of the Dominion.
 

Gregor Moon Fang

Champion of Azura
Zenimax for the sake of game mechanics put nations that would never work together because of thousands of years of fighting together because they were next to each other. Khajiit and Bosmer, Argonians and Dunmer, Nords and Redguard.(actually Nords and anybody) WTH just throw canon away Zen as it doesn't matter.
Molag Bal, if this had happened why is there no mention of it anywhere in Skyrim.

These two are in different factions.
 

Brofski

Member
What people need to realise about the game is that it isn't the next ES.

It's and MMO with ES setting.

Lore, aesthetics and plot is the only thing that is relative to ES.

Combat, progression etc is it's own thing. More in line with other MMOs
 

The Honorable Gidian Diva of Sass

Sahrot Vahlok Spaan. Bahnahgaar. Minion #88!
Staff member
You don't know much about Skyrim do you? Thinking there's not much of a grey area on who to side with. That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard recently.

Other than that I wish I could play ESO
 

Kohlar the Unkilled

Time for some ale
When I eventually obtain a PS4 I'll also obtain TESO.

I watch a friend of mine play it and started having God of War flashbacks. Combat mechanics is something that TES could always work on, but what I witnessed with this new game seemed like a regression.

I'll play it for the lore. That's what's kept me hooked on the series: the unparalleled depth and volume of lore. I even purchased the physical book Tales of Tamriel: Book I. An interesting read for sure. :beermug:
 

ZeroDragon

Bring me my broadsword, and clear understanding.
Initially the combat mechanics were like going back in time, but now I've developed a couple of characters and their skills properly then I can say I have become more impressed.

Oh yeah, and I met a certain Khajit again last night, he gets around ;-)
 

Balomew

Active Member
Kohlar the Unkilled
For a time , I believed that Bethesda 's The Elder Scrolls series contained the best lore attainable : the most in - depth , intricate , interesting , and complete characters and plot. With time and closer inspection , my opinion has changed. There are plentiful plot holes in TES games and the lore of the games are not always compatible with each other. I 'm not saying that the lore is bad or that Bethesda did a bad job ; what I 'm saying is that lore realism doesn't seem to be a main goal of theirs , and that they could have done better lore - wise had they been more interested in pursuing lore over gameplay.

That is a long , winding discussion for another time. Part of the reason I bought ESO [ which was when the subscription fee was removed ] was because I didn't want to miss out on potential lore and exploration. Both aspects remain the main reason why I still play , besides the fact that I mostly enjoy the combat [ but not dungeon ] system. Exploring is possibly the most important thing to me in this game.

ZeroDragon
[ Could have sworn we've met. ] Ma'iq the Liar ?
 

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