# Elder Scrolls Online



## Androxine Vortex (Feb 9, 2013)

TES Online is expected to be out sometime in 2013. It will be an MMORPG for the PC and MAC. I've watched countless videos about this and I have to say it looks amazing. I am not a PC gamer but I am planning on purchasing this game. There are three factions you can play as.

The Daggerfall Covenant (Bretons, Redguard, and Orcs) 

The Ebonheart Pact (Nords, Dunmer, and Argonians)

The Aldmeri Dominion (Altmer, Bosmer, and Khajiit)

Here's a few videos about the game...

An Introduction to The Elder Scrolls Online - YouTube

(This talks about some of the features of the game)

The Elder Scrolls Online: Alliances at War - YouTube

(This is more focused on the lore and factions)

The Elder Scrolls Online The Alliances Cinematic Trailer [HD] - YouTube

(This is the cinematic trailer)



So I wanted to see what faction you would play as (even if you don't plan on buying the game) I am sure that Ebonheart will be the most played faction. I try looking at it through the eyes of someone trying to see what would be best for Tamriel. If the Aldmeri Dominion win then they would probably enslave all other "inferior" races and I just hate their stuck up supremacist attitude. The Ebonheart is even said by the developers to be the most fragile of all the alliances. Every race in the alliance hates each other with a burning passion. So I believe if they were to win, they would turn on each other in their victory. Plus the Nords are famous for invading and conquering so who's to say they would stop there?

Last but certainly not least, there's the Daggerfall Covenant. I like the idea of a more diplomatic alliance rather than the other ones. I'm sure the Redguards and Orcs and Bretons have had their wars among themselves but not to the extent of the other races. The Redguards and Bretons are relatively peaceful and the Orcs mainly stay to themselves though most view them as being barbaric brutes. I vote for the Covenant because their motive for winning the war is to stop the Elves from creating a supremacist society and they want all of Tamriel to prosper. They want trades to flourish and since the leading race (Bretons) are highly diplomatic, I'm sure they wish for more peaceful outcomes in the event of victory.

What about you? Which one would you like to win? Even though I like the Daggerfall Covenant to win, I'm still planning on making a Dunmer and an Argonian class (Dunmer = Stealth Archer/Assasin) and Argonian would be a warrior of some sorts with magic so a battlemage/spellsword. My Breton would probably be a full mage and my Orc would be a two-handed warrior (not sure if i'll do an orc)


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## Steerpike (Feb 9, 2013)

I'm not yet convinced I'm going to play this, but if I do it will probably be Ebonheart.


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2013)

I want to beta test it, haha.
I may join Ebonheart because I've only played Oblivion and Skyrim... In Oblivion every character had such an idiotic smile on his/her face that I started to dislike imperials/bretons. I don't know enough about Orcs and Redguards and I really dislike the Aldmeri Dominion, because... elves. 
Poor Khajiits!

Anyway, I don't know enough of the MMO, by what you're saying it's fully faction bound? Games where I can't befriend who I like and kill _that_ annoying player who is nagging me are a big turn down.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

I'm going to make 3 characters, one for each faction. 

No, really, I am. I just can't choose. On the one hand, I've played Skyrim and a bit of Morrowind and I enjoy playing a Dark Elf, so I like the Ebonheart Pact. But on the other hand I enjoy playing as Khajiit and High Elf (my first two Skyrim characters), so the Aldmeri Dominion looks pretty awesome. But on the _other_ hand, I'm playing a Breton/Redguard (he's a Breton because I wanted their stats/skills, but in the character editor I made him dark-skinned. He's bi-racial?) in Oblivion and you're right about the Daggerfall Covenent being the most "good" for Tamriel. So I want to see their side of it as well.

Plus there's the fact that apparently you can only explore the part of Tamriel that your faction controls. If you're with the Covenant, you can ONLY explore High Rock and Hammerfell. If you're with the Pact, you can ONLY explore Skyrim, Morrowind, and Black Marsh. If you're with the Dominion you can ONLY explore the Summerset isles, Valenwood, and Elsweyr. Cyrodiil is a neutral PVP zone or something. But screw that! I want to see them all! 

But as to which _order_ I'll play them in...

First the Aldmeri Dominion, because none of their provinces have never been seen in any Elder Scrolls game, _ever_. And I'm curious to see what they look like.

Then the Daggerfall Covenant, because while High Rock and Hammerfell have been in an ES game previously, I never played Daggerfall, and the game's so out of date anyway it wouldn't matter if I had. The provices are guaranteed to get an almost complete redesign, which makes them next on my To-Visit list.

Then the Ebonheart Pact, because their lands are mostly Skyrim and Morrowind, which I've seen (but are still awesome), though they do have Black Marsh, another province that's never been seen before.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

Also, you should have changed the order of the poll options. In the game, the Daggerfall Covenant's color is blue, the Ebonheart Pact is red, and the Aldmeri Dominion is yellow. The poll switches the colors for the DC and EP. lol


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2013)

Since I didn't play Daggerfall I don't know the details, but I know that it's world was one of the biggest game worlds ever created. Skyrim's world is fairly small, being handcrafted and cleverly using fog to trick the players into thinking it's big. Much of Oblivion's world was randomly generated, so was Daggerfall's world. But Daggerfall is so big that you got huge, bland, useless lands. I'm pretty sure that they're going to redesign it by hand.

It saddens me to hear they've set artificial boundaries for the factions. This is why I hate those recent faction-tied MMOs... I don't care if I can't step inside a city without being hunted down by guards or that the journey is deadly, I want to be free to take the risk. It's harder to equilibrate the game, but it's worthy! I'm surprised that Bethesda won't even try, they're so careful and got such an eye for detail when it comes to their ES games.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

Nihal said:


> Since I didn't play Daggerfall I don't know the details, but I know that it's world was one of the biggest game worlds ever created. Skyrim's world is fairly small, being handcrafted and cleverly using fog to trick the players into thinking it's big. Much of Oblivion's world was randomly generated, so was Daggerfall's world. But Daggerfall is so big that you got huge, bland, useless lands. I'm pretty sure that they're going to redesign it by hand.
> 
> It saddens me to hear they've set artificial boundaries for the factions. This is why I hate those recent faction-tied MMOs... I don't care if I can't step inside a city without being hunted down by guards or that the journey is deadly, I want to be free to take the risk. It's harder to equilibrate the game, but it's worthy! I'm surprised that Bethesda won't even try, they're so careful and got such an eye for detail when it comes to their ES games.



Bethesda isn't developing TES Online per ce. That's being done by their sister-company, Zenimax. Bethesda will continue to focus on single-player games and offer creative consultation while Zenimax handles the actual mmo gruntwork.


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2013)

Oh, that explains a lot.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

Nihal said:


> Oh, that explains a lot.



Don't worry though. As I said, Zenimax and Bethesda are very closely related, so they'll be sure to do the dilligence and get all the details and lore right. I love what I've seen of Skyrim, Morrowind, and Cyrodiil so far, to say nothing of the different creatures returning from other games.

Also, I think the reasons each faction is limited to their own provinces is that Cyrodiil is the designated PvP area, while the other provinces are all PvE. If you let different faction members cross provinces, they're going to want to attack each other. But they can't. How immersion breaking would that be? You'd get weird outcomes like members of all different factions being in the same party and working together. This is a war. When rival sides meet, a battle is the only logical outcome. Faction mixing is restricted to Cyrodiil because that's the PvP space.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

And yeah you're right the only way to have the factions "cross the border" and not break immersion would be to have countless guards patrolling the area and trying to arrest them. But then you'd get the issue of everyone wanting to go to every single province EXCEPT their own, because they're bored with it, so now EVERYBODY'S being chased by guards _all the time_. It'd quickly get out of hand.


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2013)

Actually, there is a plenty of mechanisms to discourage the mixing. Reputation, "PK" points and everything. I've played the free-pvp MMOs of old, you would be surprised by the teamwork such games ended having. You had other lowbies watching your back as you watched his, legions dedicated to hunt PKers and trespassers, enforcing the unspoken law and all kind of organic interaction.

Artificial limits are just too... artificial. I can only think in Aion and it's zergrushes when they tried to implement mechanics to force players to team up. It was awful and people rarely formed bounds, it backfired and worked really well to attract all kind of childish players.

It is possible to have the war and still allow players to chose their own path. Those games should be harder and logically punish those players who turn their cloaks, but not just forbid, "*because I said no*". There is no immersion on invisible walls.

P.s.: Often, when a game allow players to trespass borders, as guards engage enemy players an alarm goes off. Those guards scream for backup and all players in the area usually go after the intruders because it's going to be rewarding somehow.

At the same time the intruder won't have a safe haven to hide, neither stores to resupply or how to resurrect in those enemy lands. It balances the game, sometimes escalate to full legion wars and add to the fun. Don't you think that factions in war wouldn't attempt to invade their enemie's lands and spread some terror?

Meanwhile, the defenders are going to have the advantage and the fun of the hunt.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

Makes sense. Perhaps a system like this could be phased in via an expansion? They're just getting on their feet now after all. We shouldn't judge them too harshly.


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2013)

I've seen games starting free-for-all and going faction-based but never the other way around. This kind of game must be carefully thought before releasing so you can create some balancing devices, then it must be tested... The trend nowadays is the opposite: copy the easiest strategies you can find and don't take too many risks while developing, throw a weekend-long alpha & beta just to promote your game and profit for a year or so.

*ahem* Anyway, in this case I would also create one character of each faction. For me exploring is 80% of the fun.


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## Mindfire (Feb 9, 2013)

Nihal said:


> I've seen games starting free-for-all and going faction-based but never the other way around. This kind of game must be carefully thought before releasing so you can create some balancing devices, then it must be tested... The trend nowadays is the opposite: copy the easiest strategies you can find and don't take too many risks while developing, throw a weekend-long alpha & beta just to promote your game and profit for a year or so.
> 
> *ahem* Anyway, in this case I would also create one character of each faction. For me exploring is 80% of the fun.



Not to mention that the quest system in this game is supposedly exploration-focused, like in ordinary TES games.


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## nitoincog (Mar 15, 2013)

Androxine Vortex said:


> TES Online is expected to be out sometime in 2013. It will be an MMORPG for the PC and MAC. I've watched countless videos about this and I have to say it looks amazing. I am not a PC gamer but I am planning on purchasing this game. There are three factions you can play as.
> 
> The Daggerfall Covenant (Bretons, Redguard, and Orcs)
> 
> ...




I'm also for the Daggerfall Covenant for much of the same reasons. Out of all three alliances they are IMO the most likely to succeed. The Orcs and Redguards are said to be the two strongest warrior races, and with the Bretons diplomatic and vast magical knowledge joined they make a quite fearsome and deadly team. If you look at the others the Ebonheart Packs big weakness it their distrust for one another and the Aldmeri Dominions weakness is their cause. If it seemed the they were gaining an edge over the other two alliances it is entirely plausible the the Ebonheart Pack and Daggerfall Covenant would create a temporary truce to destroy them seeing as the nords have a deep seeded hatred for the Altmer and most elves. But anything can happen in war and the lore/history of the game world is different then the mmo IE nothing is set and anything goes based one the players choices and teamwork...I could go all day talking about The elder scrolls but anyway thats my opinion.


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## Mindfire (Mar 15, 2013)

nitoincog said:


> I'm also for the Daggerfall Covenant for much of the same reasons. Out of all three alliances they are IMO the most likely to succeed. The Orcs and Redguards are said to be the two strongest warrior races, and with the Bretons diplomatic and vast magical knowledge joined they make a quite fearsome and deadly team. If you look at the others the Ebonheart Packs big weakness it their distrust for one another and the Aldmeri Dominions weakness is their cause. If it seemed the they were gaining an edge over the other two alliances it is entirely plausible the the Ebonheart Pack and Daggerfall Covenant would create a temporary truce to destroy them seeing as the nords have a deep seeded hatred for the Altmer and most elves. But anything can happen in war and the lore/history of the game world is different then the mmo IE nothing is set and anything goes based one the players choices and teamwork...I could go all day talking about The elder scrolls but anyway thats my opinion.



Based on how it looks now, I agree that the Daggerfall Covenant seems most likely to triumph. But we know from the Elder Scrolls lore that none of them actually win, thanks to some guy named Tiber Septim, who founds the empire as we know it in Elder Scrolls I-IV.


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## Steerpike (Mar 15, 2013)

My real question is what, if anything is going to be unique and innovative about the game play in this MMO. If it's just another MMO but set in the Elder Scroll world, I don't see a reason to get it. If they do something innovative with it, I might.


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## Mindfire (Mar 15, 2013)

Steerpike said:


> My real question is what, if anything is going to be unique and innovative about the game play in this MMO. If it's just another MMO but set in the Elder Scroll world, I don't see a reason to get it. If they do something innovative with it, I might.



Apparently the gameplay is like a fusion of the typical MMO gameplay with traditional ES gameplay.


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## Steerpike (Mar 15, 2013)

Mindfire said:


> Apparently the gameplay is like a fusion of the typical MMO gameplay with traditional ES gameplay.



Yeah, but there are already MMOs that have that kind of combat style. I guess my question is in terms of leveling, or gaining skills, quest systems, and all that stuff. These elements are so much the same across MMOs. Adding a nice crafting system and some other systems that no one else has would be nice.


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## Nihal (Mar 15, 2013)

An organic world with variable resources (depletion, renovation, randomization) and dynamic cities (that could flourish or be truly destroyed by invasions) would be extremely cool. I would also welcome seasons and changeable terrains, that would be immersive.

But nope, no one would create this today, already explored formulas are quicker. This kind of thing requires a *lot* of thinking to avoid anti-immersive, artificial limits.

P.s.: I would be extremely happy if I could at least climb things. Pretty please?


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## FatCat (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm curious how the combat system is going to be operated. Bethesda said it won't be the real-time system used for the original TES, are they just going to do the standard specialty attacks on selected targets? For some reason I don't have high hopes for this game, can't put a finger on why...


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## nitoincog (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm quite exited for The Elder Scrolls combat system implemented into the mmo apparently it will be just like the console/pc games but set in a much grander world, at least that is what I heard.


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## FatCat (Mar 15, 2013)

The problem, as I see it, is with the classic melee system it's pretty much just bash, where other mmos have a more 'checkers over chess' approach. Just seems like playing a melee class would get very boring very quickly, if it indeed is just swinging/blocking. Then you get into the whole armor dependence grind, which is scary .


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## Steerpike (Mar 15, 2013)

There are already MMOs that have the sort of real-time swing/block/dodge combat style. They'll need more than that to generate ongoing interest. The way the industry is going, they'll probably need to go free-to-play with microtransactions AND have a lot of compelling innovation.


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## FatCat (Mar 15, 2013)

I think it was TERA that did the whole live action thing, though it didn't seem to gain much traction. I'm hoping for a really unique crafting system, it seems like with all mmos you raid for great gear, I'd like to see raids to get items to make completely unique sets of gear. I know, problems loading in all the individualized armor sets could be harsh, but maybe something like a bi-weekly update to download new, player-created armors. Dreams, let me have mine!


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## Steerpike (Mar 15, 2013)

Not just TERA (if they did it; I didn't play it). DDO, Mortal Online, Darkfall, Vindictus, and a handful of others. 

Vanguard still has the best crafting. Nice that it's kind of like a little game, and you can even fail to make something. The Diplomacy mini card game can be fun too.


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## FatCat (Mar 15, 2013)

I remember Vanguard coming out, it seemed pretty cool but I guess the population went way downhill. Anywho, that's own thing I think a modern mmo needs, a really detailed crafting system. Blueprints, technique upgrades, fully customization. Heck, you could have a character dedicated to just trading and it'd still be fun. Gonna send a resume to Bethesda, title: Thank me later


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## Steerpike (Mar 15, 2013)

Mortal Online has about as customizable a crafting system as you're likely to see. You can make just about anything from bits of just about anything else. But the game sucks.


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## FatCat (Mar 15, 2013)

But the game sucks...haha. I'm thinking a fantasy minecraft almost. I wonder if such a thing would be possible with modernized graphics and all that


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## JBryden88 (Mar 18, 2013)

As much as I love vikings and nordic themes...

TESO will be one of a few games that has Orcs as more then just monsters. I'm gonna be an Orc


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## Rinzei (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm a bit torn on which faction...My tradition for TES games has been to play a Wood Elf, which is Aldmeri Dominion. But I do think the Ebonheart Pact will be my favoured faction.


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## Abbas-Al-Morim (Apr 15, 2013)

Anyone know how much the subscription fee is? Because if there is one, I'll probably skip. Perhaps I'll be tempted if it's rather low. But I don't like paying for a game in the store and then being extorted out of my money to continue playing it. 

I especially hate the argument for subscription fees that goes: "Ooh but they need the money to fund their servers and ongoing development." If anything, Guild Wars 2 has proven that's total crap.


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## Velka (Apr 15, 2013)

I saw TESO at PAX East in March. It was booooo-tee-full! I wanted to play it so badly, but the line-ups were about 6 hours long. Not how I wanted to spend a day at PAX.

I'm hoping they'll handle the PvE and PvP environments and boundaries like they did in DAOC: step into the frontiers and you're flagged for PVP, but you could still go into other factions homelands (PVE areas). You would be flagged for PVP, but the players wouldn't flag unless they attacked you. That way you avoided the low-level ganking and still got some fun opportunities for exploring and such. I loved going to my 'enemies' homelands and helping their low-level players hunt. I would aggro-pull for them and save them if they got in over their heads.

As for faction, still undecided. I'm planning on trying each and seeing which one I enjoy most. I play with a group of friends, so if some of them feel strongly about one I'll just go with that. A big part of MMOs for me are the people I play with, not the look of my avatar.


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## Rinzei (Apr 16, 2013)

Abbas-Al-Morim said:


> Anyone know how much the subscription fee is? Because if there is one, I'll probably skip. Perhaps I'll be tempted if it's rather low. But I don't like paying for a game in the store and then being extorted out of my money to continue playing it.
> 
> I especially hate the argument for subscription fees that goes: "Ooh but they need the money to fund their servers and ongoing development." If anything, Guild Wars 2 has proven that's total crap.



There's been no news on a business model yet. I'd be surprised, and disappointed, if they went with a traditional subscription model - most companies don't bother with it for modern games and have gone the way of Buy2Play - Buy the game, play for free.


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## Lunaairis (Apr 17, 2013)

From what I've seen of game play, stalked of people who got to play the pre-pax and post- pax version.  you can crouch, use any weapon you desire no matter the class or race. The world is hand crafted and looks like a elder scrolls game not an mmo. The enemies will work together in packs to destroy you. You can switch between first and third person. You can explore the world and come across quests like you would in any other elder scrolls game. You have a special ability/ short cut bar like most mmos but it only holds 5 items at a time. Skill trees are a thing, but you are not limited by class.


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## TheFlayer (Apr 17, 2013)

Ebonheart Pact most likely. I relate to it the most.

I will get this game if it kills me (okay that's an exaggeration). But I think you get the point.


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## Tribal (Apr 28, 2013)

I'm in no way an experienced MMO-gamer, but I love the Elder Scrolls too much to let this possibility pass by. I'll probably (and hopefully) be one of those casual gamers who can't really contribute to any sort of guild or faction but who spends his time wandering about, soloing what I can. 

Probably Ebonheart Pact. As with theflayer, I relate to it the most, and I find its composition to be the most exciting one!


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## Androxine Vortex (Apr 30, 2013)

Lunaairis said:


> From what I've seen of game play, stalked of people who got to play the pre-pax and post- pax version.  you can crouch, use any weapon you desire no matter the class or race. The world is hand crafted and looks like a elder scrolls game not an mmo. The enemies will work together in packs to destroy you. You can switch between first and third person. You can explore the world and come across quests like you would in any other elder scrolls game. You have a special ability/ short cut bar like most mmos but it only holds 5 items at a time. Skill trees are a thing, but you are not limited by class.



One thing that sets this game apart from all other mmo games is that when you cast a spell, the little circle cooldown doesn't appear. One of the developers said you could just keep casting the same spell over and over as long as you had the magicka for it. Curious to see how they keep this game balanced...


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## Mindfire (Apr 30, 2013)

Androxine Vortex said:


> One thing that sets this game apart from all other mmo games is that when you cast a spell, the little circle cooldown doesn't appear. One of the developers said you could just keep casting the same spell over and over as long as you had the magicka for it. Curious to see how they keep this game balanced...



I hate cooldowns, so that's a plus for me. As for balance, they'll do it the same way as in regular ES games. More powerful spells cost more mana, and are therefore more costly to spam. Combine that with a slow magicka regen, or no regen at all with reliance purely on potions, and even the most powerful wizards will think carefully before spamming their Uber Nuke spell. Plus, spell crafting, which was crazy broken in Morrowind if you knew how to (ab)use it right, probably won't be implemented, which also helps balance.


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## CAL9000 (Aug 6, 2013)

Daggerfall > Ebonheart > Aldmeri

BUT

Khajiit > Orcs > Everyone Else


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## Lunaairis (Aug 6, 2013)

the khajiit are part of the aldmeri dominion, and the orcs are part of the daggerfall covenant. Argonians are in the Ebonheart pack.


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## Sam Evren (Oct 30, 2013)

I've loved The Elder Scrolls since Arena. I love the mission statement that Bethesda used to put at the beginning of the manual. Basically, that they desired to get as close as possible to pen and paper gaming, or, put more simply, letting you do what you imagine you can do.

If I were to join, I would definitely follow my Khajiits, so Aldmeri Dominion, but I have severe reservations about the game.


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## Steerpike (Oct 30, 2013)

My Skyrim character is a Khajiit. The game is looking a little better but I'm still not entirely convinced it will live up to expectations.


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## Sam Evren (Oct 30, 2013)

I have a couple Khajiits in Skyrim that I adore. And, cough, several others, as well. 

What sticks in my claws about TESO is how they reconcile the stringent policies of an MMO against the made-to-be exploited world of The Elder Scrolls.

When I say exploited, I don't mean cheat codes or some such... I mean, when I get a bow, stand on a rock, and fire at a giant or sabrecat, I've used my mind to exploit the environment in my favor. The Elder Scrolls games have always been about that. It's part of their original mission statement.

If I try the same thing in an MMO, I'll fail, because the mob will either break combat because they can't engage or they'll just hit me despite being unable to reach me.

Where Skyrim is about exploration, possibility, and the craziest of circumstances, MMOs languish under a need to prevent exploitation. I see these two systems as, currently, mutually exclusive. I'll be fascinated to see if and how they reconcile the two.


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## The Rivan King (Nov 8, 2013)

I've always loved TES games so TESO is like a god send to me. I'll probably have a character in every faction at some point but I'll probably go with the Daggerfall Covenant first off simply because I love Redguards and Bretons


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## Nihal (Feb 9, 2014)

Guys, a new beta keys distribution is happening, it'll last until tomorrow. Now it's easier to get a key, you have to register on some partner site, get the key and create a login on the ESO site using the provided code. Check the news on ESO's site.

I've secured a key this time and downloaded the beta client overnight (24GB), however, I don't know what is this beta period duration and I've not played yet. It seems to be happening already, the login queue is long (1hr right now) and my internet has been acting up last days, so, no game for me. Unlucky. ^^'


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## Svrtnsse (Feb 9, 2014)

Make sure to try your best to get into the beta if you're considering this game. Most people I've spoken to are recommending I wait until it goes free to play to try it out.

Edit: 
This isn't to say its bad, but that it's not worth â‚¬15 a month when compared to what's already available for free out there.


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## Ophiucha (Feb 9, 2014)

Played the beta a bit the other day. As it is right now, I would pay full price for the game itself, but I couldn't justify paying the monthly fee. Maybe in a couple of years, if it's free-to-play or the game itself costs significantly less and I can power through the story in a month, I will give it a proper play through.


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## Chessie (Feb 9, 2014)

Ophiucha said:


> Played the beta a bit the other day. As it is right now, I would pay full price for the game itself, but I couldn't justify paying the monthly fee. Maybe in a couple of years, if it's free-to-play or the game itself costs significantly less and I can power through the story in a month, I will give it a proper play through.


Same here. I got set up to do the beta but my computer is having difficulties, so I won't be able to do it this time. I believe there is another one in April so...yay. BUT...I also won't be getting the game because--although I understand why there is a monthly subscription--I just don't think I can justify that cost. If my husband were playing also, then yes. Plus, it would greatly take time away from my writing...which Skyrim already does.


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## Lunaairis (Feb 11, 2014)

Ophiucha said:


> Played the beta a bit the other day. As it is right now, I would pay full price for the game itself, but I couldn't justify paying the monthly fee. Maybe in a couple of years, if it's free-to-play or the game itself costs significantly less and I can power through the story in a month, I will give it a proper play through.



I've played two betas so far. And completely agree


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## Mindfire (Feb 11, 2014)

They should follow the Guild Wars 2 plan: you buy the game once and that's it. The subscription model is outdated. People are less willing to shell out 15 bucks a month for a game now. If Star Wars the Old Republic and other formerly subscription but now free-to-play games like it have proven anything, it's that if you're going to demand a subscription then you need to have an absolutely jaw-dropping product. Or else. And from the beta footage I've seen, ESO is good, but not good enough to justify a monthly fee.


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## Nihal (Feb 11, 2014)

Somehow my 3g is more reliable than my broadband today. Atonishing!

Anyway, I've managed to play a little. Pretty game, still a bit heavy for its graphics... If it were cheaper I would even consider buying it, but as stated here, it's expensive indeed.... And that brings up the biggest turn off I've seen there: The comunnity.

Peharps I'm getting old, but I didn't like the kind of player the game attracted. Every time someone brought up the cost subject, commented that they would wait the game get cheaper or something other players started to flame stating that "If you don't want to pay this value for this game you're *poor*, get out! I hope the keep this price!". I was appalled. Hopefully, when the player base gets split in servers some of these are going to have mature and non-self-entitled players. So, when it gets cheaper we'll consider it.

By the way, the word here was another beta would happen.


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## Chessie (Feb 11, 2014)

Another beta is supposed to happen either in March or April. 

Also, to add on to what Nihal just mentioned, I've been speaking to users on a gaming forum and (not that this is scientific in any way) a lot of the people saying they're willing to pay for the game are quite young, without bills or heavy responsibilities to pay. In the chats I've participated in, they have all said well, the reason why I'm getting it is because its a luxury/I can afford it right now. That makes sense with Nihal's experience. 

I love TES, but a monthly subscription is what's stopping me from saying yes right now. The game looks sweet but a subscription adds up when you have other things to pay for. One interesting I've noticed is that in this thread, it seems like most aren't willing to pay the monthly fee. Could be we're all broke ass writers, but I would like to also adventure with mature players because it makes the experience that much more worth it.


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