It's Official: The Elder Scrolls Online is Going Buy-to-Play

[Sheo_Dagana]

F2P can still be successful - DC Universe Online saw a wild amount of success once it made the switch... of course, you didn't need to buy the base game, like TES:O is doing. And I'm sure the F2P model will be a hollowed out joke of the benefits made to subscribers, like SW:TOR. I'd probably still be playing SW:TOR and giving them random money for Cartel Coins if they hadn't fucked that one up so bad.

Does anyone even play SW:TOR in the F2P model? On my latest Sith Juggernaut, after I left the starting planets I could count the number of non-subscribers I saw in the singe digits. As far as I can see people either drop the game early or switch to subscription pretty early if they plan to stay, so I am would say the F2P is more like a sneaky demo mode than a legitimate alternative.
Doesn't make the micro-transactions any less scummy though, but still...

I don't know about that. SW:TOR's F2P model is so completely lame that you might as well subscribe if you plan to play it long term. That's not always the case with F2P MMOs. Actually, we were pretty hooked on Tera for the longest time and it's F2P model lets you experience pretty much the entire game, as does DCU:O. DCU:O does a particularly good job of making you feel like you have access to more than a demo. Micro-transcations aren't inherently bad in these games, but they aren't always so innocent, especially when they exist before the game goes F2P. Those blind bag boxes you got with Cartel Coins in SW:TOR were evil.

 

[Remus]

I'm more interested in knowing if the game is going to become Not Shit yet...

This is a step backwards in the "getting me to play this" spectrum. I outright refuse to pay monthly for any game whatsoever, regardless of the actual price.

I vehemently abhor any game that makes you pay full price, then locks expansions away behind a pay wall, AND has the audacity to toss on a mtx shop with all the quality of life/fun/interesting items (not necessarily endgame elite gear like PWI).

Bottom line their game was failing to return a profit that they desired, so they let the poor people pay slightly less and the hopelessly addicted few pay as much as they fucking can just like any FTP game ever. Only, the poor people will still avoid it due to being poor. The middling crowd will still avoid it due to still not giving a fuck about the game, and the people that actually love and can afford it will have to deal with everything they love about it getting turned upside down.

It does impress me that they think they can salvage this game. Especially considering that things like BLESS and Black Desert and so on are on the horizon. You know, mmos that actually have good word of mouth and positive press?

Two things that ESO has had a major lack of since they announced it.

Wow, some people really can never be satisfied. I could tell you how the game has become "not shit" since launch (regular patches, improved delves, free content updates), but that's been explained in detail in prior articles and I feel it'd be a waste of breath at this point. It's not exactly difficult to catch this game on the cheap during a Steam sale. Every MMO in existence has to monetize somehow in order to stay afloat and continue with patches and content updates. Whether that's a monthly fee or cash shop is often left up to the player. It surely beats having to endure ads like many games have implemented. I'm no "whale" by any stretch but I will be maintaining my regular sub even after the game goes F2P. That is my choice. It's all these complainers that I did not desire in this game, which is why I do not envy the switch to B2P. So if you still see no reason to play after having your demands met with the removal of the sub, so be it. This will only make the game more peaceful when I play it.

 

[JaceArveduin]

I don't think going Free to Play means death, many games have made the transition and did better then when they were subscription based the two ones I have experience with are The Old Republic and Star Trek Online. I am not the biggest fan of the feeling I get from The Old Republic for I feel like I am being punished by their free to play model, but Star Trek Online did it better, I am just not a big fan of how they implemented the newest level of ships.

You forgot about LotRO, and I'm pretty sure DDO isn't going anywhere, since last I checked it wasn't dying (it's been awhile though...)

 

[Dragonbums]

Good. I was interested in at least a box purchase, but not that, along with a monthly subscription (an expensive one I might add), rife with micro-transactions. Now, depending on the price I won't mind buying off Steam or something.

 

[RaikuFA]

So does this mean Fallout 4 announcement soon?

 

[Sight Unseen]

Good. I was interested in at least a box purchase, but not that, along with a monthly subscription (an expensive one I might add), rife with micro-transactions. Now, depending on the price I won't mind buying off Steam or something.

Uwotm8? There were NO microtransactions until this was announced today. None. Everything was attainable in game through the in game currency.

Ok, you could buy a horse... But it's stupid to do that because the starter horse in game is better than that one and doesn't take long to get. But that was literally the only thing you could buy outside of the game. If a horse makes the game "rife with microtransactions" then you're going to hate it when an ACTUAL cash shop comes in because people like you were too lazy to inform yourself and just judged the game without any accurate knowledge of the game.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Well, I know what I'll be playing in a few months.

Minions! Prepare my horse!

That is if I don't get distracted by Skyrim.

 

[Starke]

Good. I was interested in at least a box purchase, but not that, along with a monthly subscription (an expensive one I might add), rife with micro-transactions. Now, depending on the price I won't mind buying off Steam or something.

Uwotm8? There were NO microtransactions until this was announced today. None. Everything was attainable in game through the in game currency.

Ok, you could buy a horse... But it's stupid to do that because the starter horse in game is better than that one and doesn't take long to get. But that was literally the only thing you could buy outside of the game. If a horse makes the game "rife with microtransactions" then you're going to hate it when an ACTUAL cash shop comes in because people like you were too lazy to inform yourself and just judged the game without any accurate knowledge of the game.

The two Real Money Horses (the one sold separately, and the Imperial Edition one) actually match the stats of the crap 17k horse. ESO's the rare case where the items you can buy are actually inferior to the stuff you can get in game.

They claim that will remain true. Though, I guess we'll know in a couple weeks, when this hits the PTS.

 

[Saulkar]

I might give this a try but certain MMO quirks such as the limited physics engine really tend to turn me off. I may find some enjoyment but only if I buy it at a reduced cost.

 

[Dimitriov]

From a lore respective, what the fuck are crowns? Are septims not good enough? I'm going to buy this game and nitpick the fuck out of everything lore related, I'm not even interested in the combat, I just want to explore and see everything they got wrong.

I may hate ESO, but come now. If you care about ES lore you ought to know:

2E 583 Events of Elder Scrolls Online take place
2E 830 Tiber Septim is born

Does that answer your question? They better not be calling any currency septims because the events are all occurring almsost 300 years before any Septim Emperor is going to rule Tamriel or stamp his face on coins.

Of course it is rather awkward that in the games you tend to explore ancient ruins in which no one is supposed to have set foot in like 3000 years, and yet keep finding coins clearly marked with the symbol of a dynasty that was not remotely in existence at the time...

That or buried deep underground in an ancient crypt you come across... a fictional novel written in the last 20 years of Tamriel's history. Clearly there is some incredibly skilled and wealthy adventurer running around Tamriel restocking ancient ruins, resetting their traps, and even re-burying them when necessary.

 

[ninja51]

I may hate ESO, but come now. If you care about ES lore you ought to know:

2E 583 Events of Elder Scrolls Online take place
2E 830 Tiber Septim is born

Does that answer your question? They better not be calling any currency septims because the events are all occurring almsost 300 years before any Septim Emperor is going to rule Tamriel or stamp his face on coins.

Of course it is rather awkward that in the games you tend to explore ancient ruins in which no one is supposed to have set foot in like 3000 years, and yet keep finding coins clearly marked with the symbol of a dynasty that was not remotely in existence at the time...

That or buried deep underground in an ancient crypt you come across... a fictional novel written in the last 20 years of Tamriel's history. Clearly there is some incredibly skilled and wealthy adventurer running around Tamriel restocking ancient ruins, resetting their traps, and even re-burying them when necessary.

That's what the Hero of Cyrodiil has been up to all these years since becoming a mad god! He/She's been getting up to their old shenanigans of clearing out dungeons in the wilderness, but instead of leaving them empty, they fill it up with modern coins, books, and hand crafted, enchanted, "Sheogorath approved" weapons and armor. All just to fuck with the simple denizens of Skyrim! That hilarious he/she is always getting up to crazy crazy antics!


On the topic, after thorough research and a beta play, I still have absolutely zero interest in ESO. It isn't a good enough Elder Scrolls game to be counted as one, and it isn't a good enough MMO to stand up to the countless competitors. It's a middle of the road piece of drek with no passion or vision behind its design outside of "Lets make money off this brand." Add in bad business practices like overcharging for everything and locking one of the main races behind a more expensive version of the game and you get a big 'ol classic FUCK YOU!!! from me.

 

[Starke]

From a lore respective, what the fuck are crowns? Are septims not good enough? I'm going to buy this game and nitpick the fuck out of everything lore related, I'm not even interested in the combat, I just want to explore and see everything they got wrong.

Then you're going to be pretty sorely disappointed. About the only consistently borked up thing in the game are a couple of books from the third era that really shouldn't be kicking around. And, of course, Elder Scrolls has an out there because Hermaeus Mora has a long history of dumping books places they shouldn't be. Including a few of the Black Books in Dragonborn that are from the future.

Some of the stuff that gets cited as serious lore mistakes, like the vampire clan in game... aren't really. Though you are restricted to being a member of Lamae's Bloodline, which, as with most Elder Scrolls vampires, doesn't look like the others. Mournhold and Riften look a bit weird, but that's about the extent of it.

 

[Nergui]

Ok, now it makes sense why Australian retailers pulled it from shelves. Those copies of TESO have to be replaced as the old ones probably no longer comply with Australian Consumer Law.

 

[Sight Unseen]

I may hate ESO, but come now. If you care about ES lore you ought to know:

2E 583 Events of Elder Scrolls Online take place
2E 830 Tiber Septim is born

Does that answer your question? They better not be calling any currency septims because the events are all occurring almsost 300 years before any Septim Emperor is going to rule Tamriel or stamp his face on coins.

Of course it is rather awkward that in the games you tend to explore ancient ruins in which no one is supposed to have set foot in like 3000 years, and yet keep finding coins clearly marked with the symbol of a dynasty that was not remotely in existence at the time...

That or buried deep underground in an ancient crypt you come across... a fictional novel written in the last 20 years of Tamriel's history. Clearly there is some incredibly skilled and wealthy adventurer running around Tamriel restocking ancient ruins, resetting their traps, and even re-burying them when necessary.

That's what the Hero of Cyrodiil has been up to all these years since becoming a mad god! He/She's been getting up to their old shenanigans of clearing out dungeons in the wilderness, but instead of leaving them empty, they fill it up with modern coins, books, and hand crafted, enchanted, "Sheogorath approved" weapons and armor. All just to fuck with the simple denizens of Skyrim! That hilarious he/she is always getting up to crazy crazy antics!


On the topic, after thorough research and a beta play, I still have absolutely zero interest in ESO. It isn't a good enough Elder Scrolls game to be counted as one, and it isn't a good enough MMO to stand up to the countless competitors. It's a middle of the road piece of drek with no passion or vision behind its design outside of "Lets make money off this brand." Add in bad business practices like overcharging for everything and locking one of the main races behind a more expensive version of the game and you get a big 'ol classic FUCK YOU!!! from me.

I'm curious, have you done any research AFTER the beta ended? Because I disagree with pretty much everything you said in your last paragraph.

From a lore respective, what the fuck are crowns? Are septims not good enough? I'm going to buy this game and nitpick the fuck out of everything lore related, I'm not even interested in the combat, I just want to explore and see everything they got wrong.

Wow, you must be a blast at parties...

 

[Creedsareevil]

ESO never had a chance with me, being a sub mmo. But now, shelling out a few bucks for a Not oblivion orskyrim Elders scrolls experience? Sign me on.


+ I have a real boner for c***blocking evil deitys plans.

Mehrunes dagon? Check.
Alduin? CHECK (that guy was a grade A cu...)
Adding Molag Bal to the list? makes my nipples go hard....

 

[SecondPrize]

If you've changed your headline, just say it. It's not hard, it doesn't hurt any. It's what you have to do, just do it.

 

[weirdee]

are they still using that false elder scrolls stealth system overlaid on a bog standard MMO combat system? y'know, the one where your "stealth shots" can constantly miss without getting attention or if you happen to be out of the "effective range" of a bow (meaning the arrow magically vanishes when you hit the border of your bog standard MMO attack radius instead of being based on physics), but as soon as you fire with the crosshairs pointed directly at the enemy (at any height too, it's just like DOOM!), the arrow automatically hits and, lo and effing behold, because it's "unfair" that you are crafty enough to outwit the incredibly unintuitive and seemingly random detection system, you will automatically stand up and basically wave to the enemy as their awareness meter maxes out immmediately. "Hello! You there! Yes, you! I was the person who shot you! It was MEEEEEEEE" and then you're forced to split your stats between ranged and melee to deal with the incredibly angry giant monster you were trying to avoid fighting head on

also, that whole thing about magic and melee always hitting as long as you were aiming at the target because everything homes in, but if you cast or swing while it's not, the graphics can actually clip into the target and it'll still count as a miss as long as the attack was done while offtarget, instead of being able to compensate for movement, as if the game wasn't actually elder scrolls, but a terrible prepackaged mmo system with elder scrolls pasted onto it hmm i wonder why i would get that impression

might as well be a licensed game

 

[Dragonbums]

Good. I was interested in at least a box purchase, but not that, along with a monthly subscription (an expensive one I might add), rife with micro-transactions. Now, depending on the price I won't mind buying off Steam or something.

Uwotm8? There were NO microtransactions until this was announced today. None. Everything was attainable in game through the in game currency.

Ok, you could buy a horse... But it's stupid to do that because the starter horse in game is better than that one and doesn't take long to get. But that was literally the only thing you could buy outside of the game. If a horse makes the game "rife with microtransactions" then you're going to hate it when an ACTUAL cash shop comes in because people like you were too lazy to inform yourself and just judged the game without any accurate knowledge of the game.

Well I didn't know any of that because the only time people reported on ESO's ingame economy at all was in reference to how you had to buy stuff to get anywhere decent at an acceptable rate (the horse being one of them.)

Either way thank you for clearing up that misconception.