Elder Scrolls Online Removes Six-Month Subs, F2P Rumors Arise

[Sight Unseen]

Even if it's free to play. I am still never going to touch that ball of disappointment again.
Maybe if all the spell schools are brought back. (I want my damn Illusion magic), not every single item is bolted down to the floor, phasing tech that actually allows me to play with friends, instead of waiting until they are at the exact same stage of the quest that I am. a proper crafting system. Quests that, when I finally get to play with my friends, don't become more tedious BECAUSE I'm with friends (AKA the Now you have to pick 20 mushrooms instead of just 10 because you don't share the objective). And whatever things I hated about it's released state..

Maybe if they fix all that, I'll still go play Skyrim, cause it's still better.

Spell Crafting is an announced upcoming feature.

Justice System is coming in update 6 (probably around late Jan-Feb) which will allow you to steal things and have vigilantes hunt down the criminals.

Grouping systems have been fixed and quests have been modified to be more group friendly. I didn't play the most recent updates to grouping yet so I can't comment directly, but it's supposedly been fixed.

Crafting I guess is subjective because IMO it was one of the best and most varied crafting systems I've seen in any game I've played.

If it goes F2P then I will be happy to remind my TES fanboy friend that I called it a year before the thing even came out. It's genuinely amazing it hasn't gone F2P by this point.

Maybe because it's actually a pretty damn good game when you get past the anti-hype train and actually play the game. The community has been growing over time and Zenimax has been releasing significant new content updates every 5-7 weeks which is way more than most MMOs can say. The subscription is completely justified based on their release schedule and amount of content already in the game.

Too bad all of the media outlets can't stop shitting on the game based on its shaky launch and realize that the game has vastly improved and is really good. The Anti-hype train for this game has been mostly undeserved and has completely ruined the reputation of an otherwise good game.

 

[bug_of_war]

Not that I hope failure among any game, but from what I played in the beta (which I fully understand is not a true example of the final product) it never felt like something I'd be willing to continually pay for after the first down payment. It was alright, but it felt like DC Online (not a bad game, just not great). So I always felt that asking for continual payment seemed rather unreasonable seeing as how there are so many games that are online MP for free, especially seeing as how average it felt.

 

[Sight Unseen]

Not that I hope failure among any game, but from what I played in the beta (which I fully understand is not a true example of the final product) it never felt like something I'd be willing to continually pay for after the first down payment. It was alright, but it felt like DC Online (not a bad game, just not great). So I always felt that asking for continual payment seemed rather unreasonable seeing as how there are so many games that are online MP for free, especially seeing as how average it felt.

Having played the beta and from launch through to September, the game is vastly improved from its launch/ beta. All of the launch time glitches are gone, the botting problem is dealt with, the combat has been made more slightly responsive and much more balanced. All of the nearly identical delves have been replaced with much more varied and fleshed out unique ones, etc.

The game is not perfect but I've had more fun with it than any other MMO since Runescape (read: I can actually play more than 10 minutes without being horribly bored by a point and click combat system and a kill x of y quest system)

I recently found out on the ESO reddit that one person emailed Zenimax asking if there were any trial options and they granted him a free day of subscription, which I didn't know was possible. It might be worth trying if you're interested at all to see if the game is better now.

 

[bug_of_war]

Having played the beta and from launch through to September, the game is vastly improved from its launch/ beta. All of the launch time glitches are gone, the botting problem is dealt with, the combat has been made more slightly responsive and much more balanced. All of the nearly identical delves have been replaced with much more varied and fleshed out unique ones, etc.

The game is not perfect but I've had more fun with it than any other MMO since Runescape (read: I can actually play more than 10 minutes without being horribly bored by a point and click combat system and a kill x of y quest system)

I recently found out on the ESO reddit that one person emailed Zenimax asking if there were any trial options and they granted him a free day of subscription, which I didn't know was possible. It might be worth trying if you're interested at all to see if the game is better now.

When I played the beta I actually didn't experience any bug or glitches, or even leveling issues, I just found the game to be, well Runescape. It was mechanically fine and all, I just personally didn't see anything in it that would elevate it to "pay to play". I like The Elder Scrolls, I just don't like it's story that much to frequently pay for it.

 

[Sight Unseen]

Having played the beta and from launch through to September, the game is vastly improved from its launch/ beta. All of the launch time glitches are gone, the botting problem is dealt with, the combat has been made more slightly responsive and much more balanced. All of the nearly identical delves have been replaced with much more varied and fleshed out unique ones, etc.

The game is not perfect but I've had more fun with it than any other MMO since Runescape (read: I can actually play more than 10 minutes without being horribly bored by a point and click combat system and a kill x of y quest system)

I recently found out on the ESO reddit that one person emailed Zenimax asking if there were any trial options and they granted him a free day of subscription, which I didn't know was possible. It might be worth trying if you're interested at all to see if the game is better now.

When I played the beta I actually didn't experience any bug or glitches, or even leveling issues, I just found the game to be, well Runescape. It was mechanically fine and all, I just personally didn't see anything in it that would elevate it to "pay to play". I like The Elder Scrolls, I just don't like it's story that much to frequently pay for it.

That's fine. The game's not for everyone. It just really bothers me how many people are still judging it based on the beta, or worse, on some of the TERRIBLE launch reviews like Angry Joe's. People have been calling for this game to go F2P since before it even launched and it gets extremely irritating as a fan of the game seeing the same outdated arguments and bullshit being used again and again even months after the issues in question have been completely fixed (or never existed in the first place and are just over-exagerations or complete misinterpretations).

Not that you did any of those things, I just wanted to let you know that the popular consensus of this game is, IMO horribly misinformed and that if you had any interest in the game that it's worth trying. But yeah, the game is probably just not for you, and that's fine. Happy new year

 

[bug_of_war]

That's fine. The game's not for everyone. It just really bothers me how many people are still judging it based on the beta, or worse, on some of the TERRIBLE launch reviews like Angry Joe's. People have been calling for this game to go F2P since before it even launched and it gets extremely irritating as a fan of the game seeing the same outdated arguments and bullshit being used again and again even months after the issues in question have been completely fixed (or never existed in the first place and are just over-exagerations or complete misinterpretations).

Not that you did any of those things, I just wanted to let you know that the popular consensus of this game is, IMO horribly misinformed and that if you had any interest in the game that it's worth trying. But yeah, the game is probably just not for you, and that's fine. Happy new year

Yeah, that's the problem with game reviews, they're really first impressions, and they stick like stink on shit. Happy new years to you mate!

 

[DirgeNovak]

F2P is the only way I'll play this one. My MMO money is reserved for Final Fantasy XIV, and even then I only play one out of every three or four months.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

If it does go F2P then I may actually begin playing it. I used to play WoW long ago, and I do accept the arguments in favour of subscriptions fees are perfectly valid. But that doesn't change that fact that not even god himself could compel me to re-buy a game I already own just so I can continue playing the damn thing! I have an entire shelf of books, and entire library of games and movies, plus I should probably think about getting a job sometime, so I really don't appreciate the feeling that I have some kind of obligation to play an MMO from dawn 'til dusk in order to get my money's worth.

 

[Sight Unseen]

If it does go F2P then I may actually begin playing it. I used to play WoW long ago, and I do accept the arguments in favour of subscriptions fees are perfectly valid. But that doesn't change that fact that not even god himself could compel me to re-buy a game I already own just so I can continue playing the damn thing! I have an entire shelf of books, and entire library of games and movies, plus I should probably think about getting a job sometime, so I really don't appreciate the feeling that I have some kind of obligation to play an MMO from dawn 'til dusk in order to get my money's worth.

I can't speak for any other MMOs other than ESO, but ESO has had updates every 5-7 weeks that add major new content so the subscription can be thought of in a way as an (almost) monthly DLC expansion. It's not the worst value you could get from your money, especially if you like it enough to play often.

 

[Barbas]

Hmmm, if so then I might dust off my Argonian from closed beta and stretch his limbs. His scales might be rusty from spending so long in hibernation.

EDIT: I wonder how the F2P elements will be handled. Then again they are not Canadian so we will not have to worry aboot asinine Fee-To-Play elements creeping in. ;-)

Interesting factoid: During the beta, I saw an Argonian running around named "Child Molester".

OT: I'd rather see them go F2P and steadily improve on the game than abandon it. I hope they put the dedication in. If they do that, I'll happily revisit the land of Tamriel with them.

 

[LordFeast59]

That's fine. The game's not for everyone. It just really bothers me how many people are still judging it based on the beta, or worse, on some of the TERRIBLE launch reviews like Angry Joe's. People have been calling for this game to go F2P since before it even launched and it gets extremely irritating as a fan of the game seeing the same outdated arguments and bullshit being used again and again even months after the issues in question have been completely fixed (or never existed in the first place and are just over-exagerations or complete misinterpretations).

Not that you did any of those things, I just wanted to let you know that the popular consensus of this game is, IMO horribly misinformed and that if you had any interest in the game that it's worth trying. But yeah, the game is probably just not for you, and that's fine. Happy new year

Yeah, that's the problem with game reviews, they're really first impressions, and they stick like stink on shit. Happy new years to you mate!

Well, Angry Joe does gave Guild Wars 2 a legendary recommendation for an MMO (Sure it's F2P). But I don't quite remember how long he play between the launch day and to the last evaluation day for the review, when comparing to ESO. So yeah, games at launch with good quality is important to get solid review and recommendation, you know.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Hmmm, if so then I might dust off my Argonian from closed beta and stretch his limbs. His scales might be rusty from spending so long in hibernation.

EDIT: I wonder how the F2P elements will be handled. Then again they are not Canadian so we will not have to worry aboot asinine Fee-To-Play elements creeping in. ;-)

Interesting factoid: During the beta, I saw an Argonian running around named "Child Molester".

OT: I'd rather see them go F2P and steadily improve on the game than abandon it. I hope they put the dedication in. If they do that, I'll happily revisit the land of Tamriel with them.

I'll second this. I merrily enjoyed the shit out of the Beta but I just wasn't interested in subbing another MMO since I'm a WoW addict as it is.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Well, I guess I might get back into it as well then.
If the beta characters still exist.
And otherwise I'll make a new one.

 

[Remus]

If it does go F2P then I may actually begin playing it. I used to play WoW long ago, and I do accept the arguments in favour of subscriptions fees are perfectly valid. But that doesn't change that fact that not even god himself could compel me to re-buy a game I already own just so I can continue playing the damn thing! I have an entire shelf of books, and entire library of games and movies, plus I should probably think about getting a job sometime, so I really don't appreciate the feeling that I have some kind of obligation to play an MMO from dawn 'til dusk in order to get my money's worth.

I can't speak for any other MMOs other than ESO, but ESO has had updates every 5-7 weeks that add major new content so the subscription can be thought of in a way as an (almost) monthly DLC expansion. It's not the worst value you could get from your money, especially if you like it enough to play often.

Thank you thank you thank you. I'm sick to death of defending my love for this game on the Escapist forums and I'm glad somebody else has taken up the mantle. Do I have a job? Yes. Do I play other games? Yes. Do I have time for an MMO? You bet. So do I still play ESO? Hell yes I do! I can get some surprisingly good, unique-looking gear from the daily delves, and the addition of the Undaunted pledges has made it sooooo much easier to get groups than it ever was before. If I had one complaint about this game, that was it and expanding on the Undaunted was a great fix. Not to mention that something similar was done with crafting - the new writ system - so that skilling up and making that set of epic gear, then coloring it (yes we have dyes now) is far easier and less grindy. Now I just want Zen to hurry up and crack open the Imperial City. PvP is gonna get craaazy up in there!

 

[Nocturnus]

Wait.. the artucle says we havent heard from the devs much? Since when? Just because you choose not to follow the game doesnt mean that they have gone radio silent.

There was the QuakeCon presentation. They are doing biweekly podcasts detailing their updates and plans. They are pretty plugged into their forum community. And we have had coming on six major updates to the game since launch.

Tone down the hyperbole, please.

 

[Kieve]

~snip~

~also snip~

It's admirable how hard you guys stick up for this game. I sincerely wish I could agree with you both, or the rest of the ESO fans who've stuck it out to see it improve. But no matter what updates they push out, no matter how many bugs they fix, there are problems at the core level turning an Elder Scrolls game into an MMO that nothing Zenimax does will solve.

ES games are sandboxes, defined by freedom and personal choice - a style which is utterly at odds with the MMO conventions of level-restricted gear, quest-locked areas, and the "theme park" location mentality that TESO does nothing to break away from. They built an MMO first and grafted some Elder Scrolls flavor to it. No matter how solid the game is functionally, it's just not the experience a lot of TES fans wanted, and so that "anti-hype train" is the kind of backlash you'll see from people disappointed and underwhelmed by what TESO turned out to be.

Is it fair? Not entirely - even as one of those disaffected fans, I'll concede it might have transformed itself into a decent, even good game by now. Ideally, it would be judged just on its own merits. But it bears the label "Elder Scrolls," and with that comes the weight of expectations it needs to live up to, or die trying. And sadly, it sure didn't manage the former.

 

[WarpedMind]

Every single time.

It's the TORtanic all over again, I will never be able to grasp how people continue to have faith in these kinds of projects.

 

[Deathfish15]

Two things:


1) The article's "Source" link is just poor copy-pasting from the previous link in the article about the Warhammer Online shutdown. The true source article should have been linked is this one here: http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/the-elder-scrolls-online-quietly-removes-six-month-subscriptions/


2) A general consensus is that it will not go F2P (Free 2 Play) but instead break into model similar to The Secret World and Guild Wars 2, of which both are B2P (Buy 2 Play). The very suggestion of F2P is an out-there idea of worst case scenario. B2P is more along lines with the game's potential release to the PS4 and XbOne within the next 6 months; it further embraces that console gamers don't want to pay for a subscription to any 1 game (but instead pay for using a console annually).

 

[Sanunes]

Every single time.

It's the TORtanic all over again, I will never be able to grasp how people continue to have faith in these kinds of projects.

The funny thing is the "TORtanic" seems to have become successful. I haven't been able to find 2014 stats (its probably just too early), but The Old Republic was the fourth highest grossing MMO of 2013. So you might not have liked it, but it seems plenty of people do.

 

[Sanunes]

Two things:


1) The article's "Source" link is just poor copy-pasting from the previous link in the article about the Warhammer Online shutdown. The true source article should have been linked is this one here: http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/the-elder-scrolls-online-quietly-removes-six-month-subscriptions/


2) A general consensus is that it will not go F2P (Free 2 Play) but instead break into model similar to The Secret World and Guild Wars 2, of which both are B2P (Buy 2 Play). The very suggestion of F2P is an out-there idea of worst case scenario. B2P is more along lines with the game's potential release to the PS4 and XbOne within the next 6 months; it further embraces that console gamers don't want to pay for a subscription to any 1 game (but instead pay for using a console annually).

Fair enough, I think I am just still annoyed that they said that they wanted it to be a P2P model because they didn't want to hold anything back from their players and having a P2P model would allow that. Then they added a store with in-game items.