ESO's biggest problems: bugs and difficulty

It is time to acknowledge that, while I still love to play it, ESO is a problem-child MMO. Several factors contribute to this diagnosis, but the two that stand out are the myriad of bugs that are still prevalent two months out and the ruthlessness of veteran content. I fear that ZOS may have missed the mark with this game.


I have already posted about how much I enjoy the difficulty of the game, and I do not really see that changing, but I will readily admit that ESO is the hardest MMO that I have ever played.  Take World of Warcraft, for instance.  In terms of solo content, it is a breeze.  Mobs die easily, there are no bosses, and there are few puzzles.  Leveling is just a time sink.  There are also different echelons of difficulty that can be experienced by players of the same level. Hard mode dungeons too hard? Switch it up and play on normal mode.  Raids cater to a select group of players and hard-mode raids are more exclusive still. Granted, WoW did not get this way overnight but even in its infancy, before hard modes, everyone could still find their niche.


ESO on the other hand, is brutally difficult.  As a veteran gamer I have fought solo fights that seemed impossible on early attempts.  They remind me of hard-mode raid bosses in WoW.  You have to devise a strategy and execute the mechanics perfectly.  A recent boss fight was so difficult that I had to spend every gold piece in my bank before I finally downed it!


In fact, that boss fight was so difficult because it was bugged! The boss would summon two adds during the later stages of the fight that had massive hit bars. I suppose that the object of the fight was to kill the boss before the other two could overwhelm you, which would have been a fair challenge.  However, the adds would remain if you died during the fight and would be present on subsequent attempts!  I had to 'cheat' to get through the fight by using agro management tactics to break the adds up.  My point is, of course, that bugs make a tough challenge insurmountable.  


So, where does this leave ESO?  Balancing difficulty follows a predictable pattern in online gaming: release content that is difficult and then modulate the difficulty so that you appeal to the bulk of the community. I doubt, however, that the developers are capable of doing this since they are rampantly fixing bugs.  I expected a nerf when Craglorn was released but the game is still as difficult as it ever was. This suits me, but I understand that it may not suit everybody and after encouraging patience for months I am starting to lose mine. 

The long grind to Craglorn

Craglorn was released earlier this week but it will still be quite awhile before I am ready for the trials.  After 3+ played days of veteran content I am only just approaching VT 5! The quests keep coming and coming.  I am a slave to the quest marker.   I move from point to point collecting this, saving that, and slaying that until all of it coalesces into a single, continuous blur.

On top of the questing I know that to take on the trials I will have to upgrade my gear which means that I will have to max out my clothing skill, get involved in the economy, and find a good trading guild.  It will take weeks of gathering, crafting, and spamming trade.
  
I'll have to go out and find a raiding guild that is preparing their members just as I am preparing myself.  A team of warriors anticipating glorious battle. Not just skilled, but informed.  We'll have to watch videos and live streams. We'll have to make sure we all have headsets and a VoIP server so that we can coordinate perfectly. 

We probably won't make it through the trials on the first week either.  Maybe not even the second.  The 60 death limit will be reached fast.  The fights will be brutal; the gains slow.  There will be plenty of cursing and hair tearing.

Do I sound angry? Do I appear upset?  Hardly!  I am full of  enthusiasm! It has been awhile since I have had a game challenge me so thoroughly! Craglorn will come soon; for now I will just have to bide my time and chase that marker!

See you in Tamriel!

-Phaz

The power of influence

Since Zenimax announced that ESO would be delayed for console there has been even more unrest among PC gamers who are critical of Zenimax and Bethesda for 'using' us as beta testers while forcing us to pay subscription fees. Sometimes these criticisms conjure up images of business people in suits pointing to charts that say 'profit,' with fat cigars clenched between sinister smiles. I doubt that the reality of the situation is that grim, but I appreciate how frustrating it can be to play a game that seems...unfinished. 

On the other hand, there is another side to the coin, and the tantalizing prospect of influence is etched on its face. We all have the opportunity to influence our fellow gamers. Whatever happens down the road, we were here first and we hold this game's future in our hands. Its success or failure largely depends on us, and not just our subscription dollars, but our opinions. 

This influence can be related to the theory of 'Diffusion of Innovation.' Briefly, the theory 'explain(s) how, over time, an idea or product gains momentum and diffuses (or spreads) through a specific population or social system.' Participants in the innovation break down into five distinct groups (see diagram) based on how quickly they accept the product. The earlier you accept the product, the more likely you are to be an 'opinion leader,' someone who exerts influence over others. 

 If I had to guess I would say that anyone reading this article is, at least, an early adopter. Early adoption is where opinion leadership lives. Opinion leaders do not just go out and try every new thing. Opinion leaders are not, necessarily, innovators. We are more discerning in our commitments, taking time to evaluate our options. Consequently, our decisions have a lot of pull. 

 Bethesda and Zenimax are banking on our influence. Even a casual perusal of ESO's homepage shows just how important we are. There are contests, forums, and community events all dedicated to empowering us to get the message out to the gaming community. ESO is one of the first games that I have ever seen that has actually encouraged gamers to make and post videos. They really need us in their corner. 

 This doesn't mean that you have to like the game, or that you should wax poetic about how great it is. I love ESO, but even I have been critical of it. I think that I owe it to the community to give an accurate portrayal of the game. My point is, you should be aware of just how important your voice is, don't waste it! If you love ESO (or if you hate it passionately) spread the word! Go out and participate in gaming forums, write reviews, make videos and screencasts. I hope that ESO will thrive since, despite its flaws, it is a solid, well-designed, game. It would be a tragedy if nobody found out about it. 

 See you in Tamriel. 

 -Phaz 

 Boston University has a great breakdown of Diffusion of Innovation Theory that you can read here. The lectures of Janie Fritz, my communication professor at Duquesne University helped fill out this article. That I remember her lectures after 10 years is testament to what an excellent professor she is.

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Patch 1.0.8: 'I have to admit, it's getting better'

Patch 1.0.8 is live with updates for Mac users, werewolves, and a bevy of quest fixes.  You can read the official patch notes on the ESO Forums.

Personally, I must admit that my experience has improved markedly over the last week.  I am not getting as much lag and I have not run into a quest bug in quite awhile. I checked with some players in Coldharbour a few days ago who assured me that 'The Final Assault' is now working as intended. Hopefully, this is an indication that the worst of the bugs are behind us.

It seems Matt Firor's promise, that ESO will 'get better and better every week,' was not made lightly. The game is, indeed, improving.

How has your ESO experience been lately?

See you in Tamriel!

-Phaz

Efficient Veteran Ranking Guide

Thanks to nerevarine1138, Zakua, Artemiisia, and kirnmalidus for helping me make sure this guide is accurate.

Hello beautiful people. I've been grinding veteran ranks lately and boy is it different than leveling to 50!  Mobs are tougher, quests are more important, and boss fights are intense! Below are a few tips that will help you get to VT 10 efficiently, but be warned! This guide is not about helping you get the most out of the game.  It is about getting to VT 10 as quickly as possible. Some of the tips may sound like 'cheating.' You have to make up your own mind and decide what is important to you. In the end, it is your decision.

Quest, quest, quest!

Avoid unnecessary fights by sneaking or running past mobs.

You may have been able to grind out levels on your way from 1 to 50 but gaining veteran ranks is not so easy! A single mob gives you basically nothing, but quests (and world bosses) give you big chunks of XP. It would take 5000+ kills to go from VR1 to VR2 and the curve gets even steeper as you rank. It is best to avoid unnecessary fights.  If there is a pack of mobs that you can avoid by sneaking or running past, do it! If someone is spamming chat with something like 'X is up LFM' join in, but remember you only get good VP the first time you kill a world boss so don't try to grind them.

You will be following Cadwell's Almanac (a new tab in your journal). You cannot move to the next faction until you have completed ALL of Cadwell's objectives! Cadwell will give you a handful to complete in every zone. Some zone require you to complete the main quest line before advancing to the next zone and since there are no guild quests to move you around the map you have no other way to get out! In short, don't leave a zone until you have done every quest! You can also get points from PvP and dungeons but, in my opinion, the fastest way to rank up is to quest. The addon Slightly Improved Experience Bar will put your experience bar in the upper-left-hand corner of your screen so you can see it as you rank up.
 

Forget about quest text and make friends with YouTube

Blah, blah, blah.  I've heard it all before!

This will likely upset escapists who read all of the quest text. It even contradicts my own recommendation in my previous leveling guide, but for veterans ranks I recommend that you skip the quest text.  You are done with the Coldharbour quests and the main quest line.  The quests you will be doing are much less epic.  They are versions of quests that you have already seen before and there is very little penalty for failing to listen to NPCs. 

You can also rely on YouTube to get past complicated puzzles. Most puzzles are out there.  It may seem like cheating, but do you really have time to futz around with a star sign puzzle when you have 10+ played days of questing in front of you?  If you are a purist and you want to read all the text and do all the puzzles, then by all means do it, but it will not help you rank up faster.

Use your ultimate wisely

Use your ultimate wisely!

I got used to using my ultimate on cooldown when I was leveling from 1 to 50 but that can hurt you in veteran content.  The pulls get much harder, especially during VT 1 when you don't have any gear. For some fights, like 3 pulls, your ultimate is necessary for survival .  You should also have your ultimate ready for boss fights, which can be very difficult.  It is also not a bad idea to have one in your pocket just in case you get into a hairy situation.  If it saves you a death then it is worth it!

Consumables!

Consumables can be the difference between success and failure.

Buff food, soulstones, and potions become even more important in veteran content.  A few hundred extra health or magicka and a timely potion can be the difference between success or failure on a long boss fight.  A pouch full of soulstones can save you a long walk through a gauntlet of mobs. Since repair costs only go up, consumables are an even better investment than they were from 1 to 50.
 

Horses, gear, and dungeons

You may have gotten used to just replacing lower level gear with higher level gear from 1 to 50, but in veteran content you should devise a gearing strategy.  For instance, as a melee DK I am most effective when I stack stamina and just enough magicka . Find the optimal balance for your character.  

A good horse can make traveling a breeze.

Veteran dungeons are the best way to get good gear, so you should do them often.  Plus, they are a great break from the tedium of questing and you get decent points from boss kills.  

You should also save your gold for a good mount. Resist the urge to go out and spend your money on gear until you have one.  Moving from objective to objective more quickly will make questing that much more efficient. Don't forget to feed your horsey either!

...and, of course, have fun

Maybe efficient ranking takes a back seat to the enjoyment of solving a puzzle, or the satisfaction of running someone through with your sword, or the feeling of immersion you get when you listen to every NPC.  Hey, I get it.  It's about they journey.  Don't let the desire to get to the top of the mountain keep you from enjoying the climb. 

Thanks for reading.  See you in Tamriel!

-Phaz

 

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Update: ESO for PS4 and XBox One will be delayed six months

It is official, Bethesda announced today that console versions of ESO will not be released in June as planned; they will be delayed six months.

'We continue to work on the console versions of ESO, and game development has been progressing steadily, but we are still working to solve a series of unique problems specific to those platforms. Integrating our systems with each console manufacturer’s networks—which are both different from the PC/Mac system as well as different from each other—has been a challenging process. It has become clear that our planned June release of the console versions isn’t going to be possible. Though we have made great progress, we have concluded that we’ll need about six months to ensure we deliver the experience our fans expect and deserve.'

-elderscrollsonline.com

The post also discusses a 'special offer' for fans that want to purchase the computer version and transfer characters to the console version when it is released later this year. You can read the official announcement here.

This news is disheartening for PC and console gamers alike. PC gamers have expressed frustration on the ESO Forums. Some feel that Bethesda and Zenimax are using them to beta test an incomplete game while demanding subscription fees. The delayed release also adds weight to the argument that Zenimax released an incomplete, bug-ridden game before it was ready to go live.

The hits just keep coming: ESO possibly delayed for console

It is still too early to tell if ESO will be a success. I have consistently tried to remind angry gamers that all MMOs have their problems during launch. I admit to some personal frustration, having experienced the horror of 'Final Assault,' while remaining hopeful that ESO will continue to improve.

Now, however, there is even more uncertainty. Several sites including Polygon, Joystiq, and CVG are reporting that the console version of ESO will be delayed by six months.  CVG reports that there is a screenshot floating around Reddit of an announcement Bethesda posted, then quickly took down. Polygon also reports that Bethesda is banning users who link this image.

I don't quite know what to make of this. Could it be a hoax, or did someone at Bethesda make a serious mistake? If the console release is in fact delayed it would be a major hit for a game that is already struggling in the eyes of many fans.

Glitch Guide: Phazzle vs Final Assault

Over the weekend, as I was nearing the end of the main questline, 'moments' away from facing Molag Bal I experienced the assfuckery of 'Final Assault,' the cruelest, buggiest, most frustrating abomination in all of Tamriel!  Thankfully I managed to complete it in 20 minutes, due to a stroke of luck, but it could have taken hours. 

I appreciate how difficult it is to code these games, but this glitch is unreal! I know that Zenimax will fix this, but it is hard to believe that this game shipped with this problem.  I would be interested to hear from anyone who participated in beta.

Below is a video of my struggle with this mighty adversary.  Enjoy!

Reaction to Matt Firor's post

Zenimax has plans it place to address bugs and exploits
like phasing and botting.

Matt Firor, the President of Zenimax posted an article yesterday that addresses some of the concerns that players (myself included) have been expressing. The grouping and phasing bugs were explicitly acknowledged and, unsurprisingly, Zenimax has a plan to debug these.  Apparently, they were absent from the patch notes because they are being fixed on a continuous basis. 

Some new guilds are coming to town!

Matt also presents a tantalizing list of features that are currently in development including: guild tabards, Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood quest lines, and an improved phasing system.  He discusses some of the positive and negative reviews of the game and touches on how Zenimax uses this information to improve ESO. He closes by offering five days of free play as an olive branch to players who have been affected by the glitches and server downtime.

Personally, I was pleased to see that some of the major problems that we have all been fretting about are not being ignored.  I am also excited about some of the awesome features that we can expect to see from ESO.  I saw numerous things in the list that players have been asking for on the forums.  Hopefully this puts some of our concerns to rest.

You can read Matt's article here.

See you in Tamriel,

Phaz