"Here Is The News..", The Elder Scrolls Online General Discussion Thread... Options

[Acadian]

Current Undaunted event ends Dec 15.

Next event is the New Life Festival Dec 17 - Jan 5. No details beside dates yet.

Update: Official announcement is out: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/59329

This post has been edited by Acadian: Dec 15 2020, 09:26 PM

[Acadian]

Looks like next event is Midyear Mayhem (Cyrodiil/Imperial City) and that it will start Jan 28. No official announcement yet.

Buffy looks forward to Midyear Mayhem because the AP boost makes repairing walls/doors cost effective as a slow but safe/reliable way of building up Alliance rank. She's a Corporal of Wall Repair, hoping to make Sergeant someday. Lol.

It is likely that 2 event tix per day can be earned by doing Cyodiil dailies and a 3rd tix by doing and IC quest.

[Grits]

A pre-MYM reminder that you can do quests ahead of time and turn them in over the course of the event for fairly mayhem-free tickets.

[Acadian]

Thanks, Grits! A helpful and timely reminder!

[mALX]

A pre-MYM reminder that you can do quests ahead of time and turn them in over the course of the event for fairly mayhem-free tickets.

Ooh, I didn't know we could do that! Thanks, Grits!!!

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

I forgot that they were releasing the cinematic trailer for the Gates of Oblivion expansion. As it turns out, we are going to Blackwood, which is not what I expected. I thought it was likely we'd be going to the Colovian Estates. In case anyone needs a refresher, the Colovian Estates are in western Cyrodiil, right around where the Gold Coast zone is. ZOS has had those gates going out from the Gold Coast for so long (one of them even has a grayed out option for "open" on the east side), I thought we might finally be going there.

So we'll be back to seeing the slums of Leyawiin again. I hope that somehow we can purchase this chapter with crowns (not likely). I really don't want to give ZOS more of my money and renege on my threat to stop paying for the game. If worst comes to worst, maybe I'll just do one month, explore all the new zone has to offer, and then stop paying until the 2nd zone comes out. The lore and writing is still great, but the bugs, lack of transparency, and disregard for Cyrodiil issues, etc. cannot and will not be ignored.

EDIT: Here is the trailer. It has certainly peaked my interest, in any case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG0jMoF3CvI

This post has been edited by RaderOfTheLostArk: Jan 27 2021, 12:48 AM

[Acadian]

Yes, I watched the live stream on Twitch regarding the 2021 year long adventure. The landmass will go from Leyawiin east to Shadowfen. The Deadlands will play a role as well. Some other tidbits I learned:

Companions! You'll be able to travel with one. The first two can be earned from questing in the new chapter. You'll be able to choose their skills, give them gear, summon/unsummon them - very much looking forward to that!

The CP system will be overhauled. The details were too complex for me to take in but, overall, it didn't seem a bad thing.

The ability to heal allies (not just groupies) in Cyrodiil will be reinstated. The performance gains were small and the complaints many. That is good news indeed.

No more Indriks. For 2021 it will be a morpholith pet (that looks like a floating sigil stone). Over the four quarters, you'll be able to morph your pet into a skin, a mount, a house(!). The mechanics will work similarly to indriks but use fragments instead of feathers.

Midyear Mayhem starts Jan 28. A Tribunal event (new) will go in Feb. Jester Fest in Mar.

PTS goes live tomorrow. I don't do PTS but others may be interested.

[mALX]

Wow, thank you both for the news!!! I am def looking forward to this next Chapter!

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

Yes, I watched the live stream on Twitch regarding the 2021 year long adventure. The landmass will go from Leyawiin east to Shadowfen. The Deadlands will play a role as well. Some other tidbits I learned:

Companions! You'll be able to travel with one. The first two can be earned from questing in the new chapter. You'll be able to choose their skills, give them gear, summon/unsummon them - very much looking forward to that!

The CP system will be overhauled. The details were too complex for me to take in but, overall, it didn't seem a bad thing.

The ability to heal allies (not just groupies) in Cyrodiil will be reinstated. The performance gains were small and the complaints many. That is good news indeed.

No more Indriks. For 2021 it will be a morpholith pet (that looks like a floating sigil stone). Over the four quarters, you'll be able to morph your pet into a skin, a mount, a house(!). The mechanics will work similarly to indriks but use fragments instead of feathers.

Midyear Mayhem starts Jan 28. A Tribunal event (new) will go in Feb. Jester Fest in Mar.

PTS goes live tomorrow. I don't do PTS but others may be interested.

If there is other particularly interesting stuff to learn about the chapter or other changes in the stream, then I will try to watch a recording of it. I did hear more from other people about what other updates are coming too.

RE: Companions: Kind of cool, but I don't think there is a good-enough reason that ZOS should spend their time working this in. I didn't even know this was a consideration or something people wanted. Although my knowledge of coding is next to non-existent, I have a feeling this would just be more of a strain on the server (not to mention that it's more time that could be spent fixing actual issues). And it sounds like they can fight with you, but in all the places you can use them, the PvE is so easy that there isn't really a point. Depending on how you can customize them or what dialogue they have, however, it might be kind of cool.

RE: CP system: Those I was talking to about the changes weren't entirely sure, but there might be a downsizing of the number of trees and/or a higher CP cap--but neither of these are a good idea, IMO. The grind will just get much more obnoxious and increase the gap between the haves and the haves-not too much. But again, not entirely sure about what the CP changes are, so I guess we'll have to see. Or I'll have to research it.

RE: Healing Cyro non-group allies: Well, what do you know? I guess ZOS DOES listen from time to time. Hopefully, they will also change the max group size in Cyro back to 24. That and, you know, actually do something about the people running cheat engines, exploits, and otherwise bogging down the servers deliberately.

RE: Morpholith pet: Meh. A pet that looks like a floating sigil stone? That doesn't sound appealing to me. But these other things you can morph the pet into...it doesn't really make sense to me. I guess I'd have to see the details or the pet in action to understand.

RE: Events: Yep, I looked up Midyear Mayhem a few days ago to see if they were going to do it at the beginning of the year again, and it turns out they will. Maybe we'll actually get some competent players--and ones who WANT to actually play instead of just inundate zone chat and take up space in Cyro that other players could have)--for the Pact. The performance by the alliance, regardless of any BS on the sides of AD and DC, leaves a lot to be desired.

As for the Tribunal event...ew. I've already made my feelings on the Tribunal known, even if Sotha Sil does have some redeeming qualities and is a really interesting character. I wonder what will be in store for that event, but I hope I get opportunities to desecrate Tribunal shrines and blaspheme the names of Vivec and Almalexia.


EDIT: I also read and/or heard that we'd actually get to choose which tutorial we want to do in a near-future update. I actually quite like that. It's annoying that you can't just choose which one you want to do, so I never saw what the Elsweyr, Summerset, or Vvardenfell tutorials were like.

This post has been edited by RaderOfTheLostArk: Jan 27 2021, 02:20 PM

[ghastley]

We already have quests where you get a "companion", such as Lyris, Sai or Abnur Tharn. I'd expect them to be just about as ineffective. It's also likely to further consolidate the solo DPS model, as your companion can supply the support.

On the other hand, it could mean that players don't slot self-heals and shields so much. Who knows?

---

Having done the Elsweyr tutorial a couple of times, I prefer it to the original, as it teaches you more of the game mechanics. The issue is really one of where you emerge after doing the tutorial, and I don't think the DLC zones are right for new players. I suggested during Summerset beta that they provide starter zone functionality near the tutorial exit, (more resource nodes, for example) but I don't think anything happened.

My preference would be that when the game sees a new account, it gives you the latest tutorial (assuming they're getting better), and then takes you to Coldharbour and the MQ. If it's your second or later character, tutorial is optional, or selectable, and you come out near a wayshrine, with your alliance first zone enabled.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I’ve always hated how they change the starter zone with each new chapter. I would prefer to start all characters off in Coldharbour since the game refers to them as “The Vestige” whether we have been to Coldharbour or not.

Also, I’m not really excited about this new chapter. Mehrunes Dagon again? There are plenty of other Daedric Princes that have yet to play a big role in ESO, why can’t we see some of them? Well, we all know the answer to that, don’t we?

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Jan 27 2021, 03:59 PM

[mALX]

* Actually; I did like the idea of the companions a bit. I hope they are a bit dynamic; and at least have conversation/dialogue related to your activities (AKA: a toned down version of Vilja). I hope to hell they are better help than Lyris or Sai Sahon, holy crap those two were useless to the Player! Abner Tharn actually healed me a few times.

* Really glad we will get to choose which Chapter's tutorial we go through; because there were some I liked a lot (and others I didn't care for at all) = and there were some I didn't even get to do because I didn't start a character before the next Chapter had already come out. This way I will be able to experience them.

* Really glad they are giving the healing back in Cyrodiil; but I have to agree with Rader that limiting groups of 12 is still ridiculous. (and that they are taking everything away from us; while leaving the cheating players in and not doing a darn thing to stop them = grrrr. When you see players able to fly or go underground; spam Ultimates; etc - and ZOS's response is to cut down our zerg group size and take away our ability to heal rather than boot out the cheaters? = grrrr).

* I want the chair!


https://noblechairs.com/pages/eso?utm_sourc...tent=q1_kw04_21



* I want a house in Leyawiin, not just a free hotel room! I hope we can get one of the houses!


* SO glad they finally realized that reskinning the Indirik anymore was ridiculous! I def like the idea that we can turn that stupid sigil pet into a personality, mount, or house instead of just a different looking sigil pet! (don't want the skin they are giving in the 1st quarter; but I do want the house and personality; and might want the mount).


* I somehow missed the part about the CP system overhaul; I'll have to listen to that again = but I know how ZOS works = not looking forward to what they ever do when "tweaking," urgh.


* I LOVE Eveli Sharp-Arrow!!!!!!! SO glad they are letting us have her instead of Lyris or Sai Sahon!

I’ve always hated how they change the starter zone with each new chapter. I would prefer to start all characters off in Coldharbour since the game refers to them as “The Vestige” whether we have been to Coldharbour or not.

Also, I’m not really excited about this new chapter. Mehrunes Dagon again? There are plenty of other Daedric Princes that have yet to play a big role in ESO, why can’t we see some of them? Well, we all know the answer to that, don’t we?

Ditto. I do think we should go through Coldharbour first; but def like the idea that we can do a tutorial in the other zones after finishing up Coldharbour = but yeah, Coldharbour should come first; because if it doesn't then we aren't really a "vestige" yet; I noticed that too (and was irked by it).





This post has been edited by mALX: Jan 27 2021, 04:07 PM

[hazmick]

I'm excited to see Leyawiin again, and I notice a familiar looking Bosmer in the trailer - looking forward to it!

Companions sound quite interesting, I suppose we'll wait and see how that turns out. Likewise the Morpholith.

[Acadian]

I got the impression that you would not choose which of the pre-existing tutorials you go through. Rather, you would go through a new, generic tutorial and when you reach a certain point, you would choose which storyline you wanted to emerge into. Will have to wait and see but that's the impression I got.

In another interview, ZoS confirmed that we can expect additional companions in the future to choose from. Each will have their own backstory, personality but each can be adjusted to support you in various ways such as if you want a mage, rogue, tank, healer, dd, etc. They also confirmed that they are working on romance options for the companions for the future. You can have one travel with you, you can summon/unsummon them and they can go about anywhere with you except PvP. I love the idea.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that your character sheet info will be expanded to include advance stats such as physical penetration, magical penetration etc. They showed a character info screen and it was loaded with new data. The dev said they were inspired by addons such as combat metrics and wanted that to be available across platforms without having to use an addon.

I watched the main event, then also watched the hour that followed with Gina and Jess as they expanded on some things and introduced quite a few coming new features coming this year. Though I don't do PTS, I do monitor the PTS forum and will interested to follow that. Apparently, PTS goes live today.

[mALX]

I got the impression that you would not choose which of the pre-existing tutorials you go through. Rather, you would go through a new, generic tutorial and when you reach a certain point, you would choose which storyline you wanted to emerge into. Will have to wait and see but that's the impression I got.

In another interview, ZoS confirmed that we can expect additional companions in the future to choose from. Each will have their own backstory, personality but each can be adjusted to support you in various ways such as if you want a mage, rogue, tank, healer, dd, etc. They also confirmed that they are working on romance options for the companions for the future. You can have one travel with you, you can summon/unsummon them and they can go about anywhere with you except PvP. I love the idea.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that your character sheet info will be expanded to include advance stats such as physical penetration, magical penetration etc. They showed a character info screen and it was loaded with new data. The dev said they were inspired by addons such as combat metrics and wanted that to be available across platforms without having to use an addon.

I watched the main event, then also watched the hour that followed with Gina and Jess as they expanded on some things and introduced quite a few coming new features coming this year. Though I don't do PTS, I do monitor the PTS forum and will interested to follow that. Apparently, PTS goes live today.

Oh dear; I re-listened to it; and you are right = it DOES sound like you just "emerge" in the place of your choice; not get to enjoy the tutorials there. Urgh; I hope that isn't what they have done, they may as well not have if so.

And yeah; I did hear what you did about "more companions in the future" (good, more choices) and also thought by something they said that they may be adding in romance with them eventually; which I'm pretty sure is what they were hinting at.

Ooh, I also didn't see that about the new combat stats = that has been needed for so long! It is about time!

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

@mALX and @hazmick - Oh, I didn't even realize that was Eveli Sharp-Arrow. She was so adorable in Orsinium! It's nice to see her come back after all this time too.

@Cheshire - I'm always intrigued by going back to places we've been at a much different time (nostalgia is one hell of a drug), but I do mostly agree with you about Mehrunes Dagon. That's pretty unoriginal. Yeah, we haven't had him as a main antagonist in ESO yet and (attempting to) invade Tamriel and wreck house is kind of his shtick, but plenty of other Daedric Lords that get little spotlight could be so cool. Boethiah is a great example. Why has he/she (in the games, Boethiah is the only Prince to appear as both male and female) not been used? I mean, he/she is the Daedric Prince of Plots, come on.

Or how about even Peryite, the so-called "weakest" of the Princes? We're in the slummiest part of Cyrodiil, right next door to Black Marsh. Sickness and disease would make a lot of sense for it. Hell, ESO implies, if not outright states, that Peryite was behind the Knahaten Flu, which happens shortly before the events of ESO. And we could explore what it truly means for Peryite to be the Prince of "natural order." On a related note, Namira could have been involved in Blackwood.

@Acadian - I love Gina and Jess. If only the rest of ZOS was as responsive, transparent, and personable as they are. Obviously yes, it's their job to be, but they seem like they are genuinely interested in interacting with the community even with how easily toxic it gets. And from what I have heard from players who have gone directly to them with problems, they've been helpful.

Finally about physical and spell penetration. I can get rid of the add-on that shows it when the update comes, which I'm told takes up a lot of data.

RE: Romance options and backstory for companions, if they are actually going to put in a lot of effort to make the companion system robust, then I'll be interested. I don't think anyone can top my girl Piper Wright from Fallout 4 though.

@mALX and Cheshire - Regarding where we start: I'm not sure what I think, but I will say that the way they get you into Coldharbour (if your tutorial is now one of the DLC zones) is pretty goofy. "Sure, strange, dodgy, hooded person who teleports out of nowhere and tells me to meet someone that they explicitly say they will not give any info on. I'll go and see them. What's the worst that could happen?"

[mALX]

@mALX and Cheshire - Regarding where we start: I'm not sure what I think, but I will say that the way they get you into Coldharbour (if your tutorial is now one of the DLC zones) is pretty goofy. "Sure, strange, dodgy, hooded person who teleports out of nowhere and tells me to meet someone that they explicitly say they will not give any info on. I'll go and see them. What's the worst that could happen?"

Agreed; it isn't even tempting to go "meet" her benefactor, lol. We may as well choose to walk through the graveyard on a stormy night because it is a "shortcut." Or decide to go in the basement when we hear animal noises coming from down there and we don't own a pet.

Personally: I think we should all have that Coldharbour as our first tutorial automatically; and then be able to pick the playthrough for the DLC zone's tutorials if we want to (or skip the additional tutorial zones if we don't).

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

@mALX and Cheshire - Regarding where we start: I'm not sure what I think, but I will say that the way they get you into Coldharbour (if your tutorial is now one of the DLC zones) is pretty goofy. "Sure, strange, dodgy, hooded person who teleports out of nowhere and tells me to meet someone that they explicitly say they will not give any info on. I'll go and see them. What's the worst that could happen?"

Before the Morrowind chapter, it used to be you simply started off in Coldharbour and that whole bit was your tutorial. It was only after they decided to change the tutorial location to Vvardenfell that they made up a series of events to get you into Coldharbour. I much preferred that way to start the game.

[ghastley]

A nice minor QOL feature:

Fast Travel Outside of Homes
There are many reasons to visit your lovely home, but sometimes you just want to use it as a handy fast travel point! For times like those, you can now select the “Travel to Outside” option when traveling to any of your homes, and it will take you right outside the front door without any extra loadscreens. You can of course still travel straight inside, as before, with the “Travel to Inside” option.

[mALX]

A nice minor QOL feature:

Fast Travel Outside of Homes
There are many reasons to visit your lovely home, but sometimes you just want to use it as a handy fast travel point! For times like those, you can now select the “Travel to Outside” option when traveling to any of your homes, and it will take you right outside the front door without any extra loadscreens. You can of course still travel straight inside, as before, with the “Travel to Inside” option.

Ooh, I like this feature very well! Thanks for the heads up, I didn't hear about this in the Live Stream!