The Elder Scrolls Online: General Discussion Options

[mALX]

Nice! Thanks for all info. My gosh, this sounds a little overwhelming! Fun though. I think it'll be fun, right?

Do people make test characters for online games, or is that not as necessary? Every time I've tried to roll a test in the SP games, I always wind up getting sucked into full roleplays.

To me, ESO is actually as much or more fun than Oblivion; and Oblivion was always my favorite game of all time. The difference is = with ESO, there is no end point where you have done everything and have to start repeating doing the same thing over and over or start a new game again and again (because ESO keeps adding new content every other quarter of the year). I still haven't even done everything there is to do in the vanilla game yet!

As far as Test characters goes = I did this too; so did Acadian (which is how he ended up with numerous versions of Buffy). See, you can read about a Class or Race; but actually playing them might feel different than you expect = it might turn out that you don't connect as well with one Class as you do with another.

Thank goodness the game gives you 8 characters to test out what you want. If you don't like one right now, it is sometimes good to keep them in the bank and have them hold items in their inventory ("Bank Mules") = because later on you might want to try that Class again; and you will have it there.

That happened to me with my Tank, Britta. I really just didn't know how to build or play a Dragon Knight; so I tried to play her like I did my NightBlade characters. That didn't work on her; so I shelved her (I didn't delete her because I needed her extra inventory slots to hold all my hoarded junk, and each character can hold between 60-200 items depending on how big their backpack and horse's saddlebags you've bought them are).

Britta sat in my bank and held items for 3 years until a friend taught me how to play a Tank and told me I needed an Imperial Dragon Knight = that is what she was! I pulled her out and now she is one of my favorite characters!

I am not adept at figuring out the best way to get the most out of a Race or Class; but Acadian is! He has been teaching me how to build and play Sorcerers and Templars; and they are a blast to play and very powerful!

My favorite was always the NightBlade; because they are so much fun to play and kind of a jack of all trades type = they suited my play style very well = but now I also love the Templar; Sorceress; and Dragon Knight too! The Warden is a lot of fun; and I'm really looking forward to trying out the Necromancer!

When you are testing out a character; if you are not really happy with it = feel free to talk it out on here and see if some tips can help. (but also feel free to test out another Class too = find out what best suits YOUR play-style).








This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 11 2019, 06:52 PM

[Renee]

Ha!!! Well I still haven't done everything in Oblivion or Skyrim yet, but I'm needing some changes. I like the sound of how we can test things out first. What a great idea.

And ... See it's good I am reading all this before I get in and play. I woulda been so confused ...

Stupid question I guess, but how does one pay for all this in-game content? I assume they just keep a credit card number on file, eh? Kinda scary. Maybe there's an option for pay-per-instance though.

This post has been edited by Renee: Feb 11 2019, 07:13 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Ha!!! Well I still haven't done everything in Oblivion or Skyrim yet, but I'm needing some changes. I like the sound of how we can test things out first. What a great idea.

And ... See it's good I am reading all this before I get in and play. I woulda been so confused ...

Stupid question I guess, but how does one pay for all this in-game content? I assume they just keep a credit card number on file, eh? Kinda scary. Maybe there's an option for pay-per-instance though.

Khajiit puts his credit card info in everytime he buys something. No need to have it saved.

[mALX]

Ha!!! Well I still haven't done everything in Oblivion or Skyrim yet, but I'm needing some changes. I like the sound of how we can test things out first. What a great idea.

And ... See it's good I am reading all this before I get in and play. I woulda been so confused ...

Stupid question I guess, but how does one pay for all this in-game content? I assume they just keep a credit card number on file, eh? Kinda scary. Maybe there's an option for pay-per-instance though.

Khajiit puts his credit card info in everytime he buys something. No need to have it saved.

Same here; I just give them my credit card info if I am buying something; but they have to ask for it each time.

My son's game pays nothing. He doesn't have any Plus membership (which costs around 12-15 dollars per month depending on how many months you pay for in advance). He hasn't bought any DLC; doesn't buy anything in the Crown Store = his game is totally free to play. He got 500 Crowns for buying the game (to spend in the Crown Store) = and still has them four years later! He never even spent those! So you can play totally for free if you want (other than the cost of the original game).

** Plus memberships get to play all the DLC for Free; can hold all crafting materials for free; have double the storage space in their banks and houses; get more XP for everything they do while playing; and are given 1650 Crowns to spend in the Crown Store for each month they pay for the Plus membership. Recently they have started to give Plus members presents (like an outfit; a statue to put in their house; or discounts on mounts or pets, etc).

Because he doesn't have that double storage; he has to juggle his inventory more than I do. It takes him longer to level up his characters without that bonus XP; but he can use XP scrolls or potions to increase that. Even without all the DLC; he has never even come close to completing the full vanilla game.

I do pay for a Plus membership on my account; it comes to 85.00 dollars every 6 months (BUT that is including the taxes placed on any entertainment purchases made in the state of TN where I live, so I'm not sure how much lower that would be in a different state. You can check how much it would be in your state).

What I have done all along is wait for the 1 year anniversary of the big DLC and purchased them for my game at their anniversary sale when the price was 50-75% off the regular price.

(I didn't have to buy them because I got to play them free with the Plus membership; but just in case one day I couldn't keep the Plus membership I wanted to own them).

DLC is bought using Crowns. You get free Crowns with your Plus membership; or you can purchase Crowns. The normal prices for Crowns around 100-140 crowns per dollar = the more Crowns you are buying at one time means more crowns you get per dollar). I also wait till the Crowns are on sale to buy them; so I can get a much higher amount of Crowns per dollar than even that.

The game itself (and any new "Chapters") can only be bought using real world money (credit card) = BUT: Chapters eventually become DLC; which CAN be purchased for Crowns; and are Free to play if you have a Plus membership!

Example: Morrowind was the first Chapter. I think you could get it for 38.00 dollars if you pre-ordered it; or 50 if you pre-ordered the Collector's Edition. But = if you waited a few months after its launch; they put it on sale; so if you waited; you get it for less. Then after one year they turned Morrowind into a DLC; so it was now free to play for Plus memberships and could also be bought for Crowns in the Crown Store.

Summerset was the second "Chapter," and it has gone on sale 3-4 times since it launched around June 2018. This last time it was only around 17 dollars. When the next Chapter launches this June; Summerset will become a DLC and be able to be bought with Crowns or played free for Plus members.

Also: ALL DLC prices are cut on their Anniversary of their Launch or for certain Special Events; so if you wait for those sales you can buy all the DLC for 50-75% off their regular price!

And: Crowns go on sale several times per year; so you can choose to buy on the sales and keep a supply of Crowns to cover any DLC you want to buy throughout the year.

So you have a lot of control over how much the game costs you and when your credit card is used if ever.








This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 11 2019, 09:20 PM

[Renee]

Okay that's good to know we can pay per instance, and also watch for special times of year, then spend Crowns. I'll probably get a whole bunch of content right up front, then be overwhelmed for about 6 to 8 months, or a year, or four years ha ha.

The difference is = with ESO, there is no end point where you have done everything and have to start repeating doing the same thing over and over or start a new game again and again (because ESO keeps adding new content every other quarter of the year). I still haven't even done everything there is to do in the vanilla game yet!

I wonder if this due to the fact that Zenimax makes this game? While Beth has spread themselves too thin with FOUR games recently (Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Starfield, and ES6) Zenimax Online is just coasting along, adding content even after 4+ years have gone by.

This post has been edited by Renee: Feb 11 2019, 09:26 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I wonder if this due to the fact that Zenimax makes this game? While Beth has spread themselves too thin with FOUR games recently (Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Starfield, and ES6) Zenimax Online is just coasting along, adding content even after 4+ years have gone by.

Khajiit feels it’s more due to the nature of MMOs versus single player games. MMOs are a fairly major time commitment as it takes a good bit of time to build your character and understanding of a given character’s function in group content. Given how long people can play this type of games, it makes sense to continuously add content to keep interest in the game going. Keep in mind also that many players will buy extras like the + subscription and crowns which are big money makers, so by adding content they keep these players interested who in turn spend more money.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Feb 11 2019, 09:40 PM

[mALX]

Okay that's good to know we can pay per instance, and also watch for special times of year, then spend Crowns. I'll probably get a whole bunch of content right up front, then be overwhelmed for about 6 to 8 months, or a year, or four years ha ha.

You can just buy (pre-purchase) the new version coming out in June (Elsweyr) because it comes with the base ESO game; Morrowind; and Summerset installed in it. You won't get to play the Elsweyr part until May 20 no matter what; but if you purchase the Standard Edition or Collectors Edition in Digital form = you will get to play the base game, Morrowind, and Summerset now. (If you get the collectors edition now you will get all the mounts and pets now for all three Chapters).

Whichever Edition you buy; if you do get the Elsweyr as a pre-order; you will also get all of the "Pre-order rewards."


Then if you pay for any length of Plus membership you choose; you will have access to ALL the DLC the game has; and plus a stash of Crowns to spend in the Crown store equal to 1650 times the number of months Plus membership you purchased!

Here is a page that tells what all you can get with either version and how much they cost:

** Of course, you have to buy the one that includes the base game; not either of the ones that say "Upgrade."


https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/55537


And here are the pre-purchase prices:


https://account.elderscrollsonline.com/stor...5500.1434973647



59.99 for the Standard Edition; 79.99 for the Collectors Edition; but if that is too high you can scan down the page to the older Editions; which are much lower. At the bottom of the page you can click on the Plus Membership to see how much it will be and what it offers, and also check out the Crown prices.

The difference is = with ESO, there is no end point where you have done everything and have to start repeating doing the same thing over and over or start a new game again and again (because ESO keeps adding new content every other quarter of the year). I still haven't even done everything there is to do in the vanilla game yet!

I wonder if this due to the fact that Zenimax makes this game? While Beth has spread themselves too thin with FOUR games recently (Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Starfield, and ES6) Zenimax Online is just coasting along, adding content even after 4+ years have gone by.

Don't forget Bethesda also launched a crapload of first person shooter and sports games; plus the free Fallout Vault game for phones and Elder Scrolls Legends card game during that same period too; not just the games you mentioned.

But a lot of those working on ESO were long time lovers of Elder Scrolls games from way back. It has the feel of the early Elder Scrolls games; but is like all of them put together. You can explore all of Tamriel in one game instead of having to change games to see the different Provinces.







This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 11 2019, 10:58 PM

[Renee]

Khajiit feels it’s more due to the nature of MMOs versus single player games. MMOs are a fairly major time commitment as it takes a good bit of time to build your character and understanding of a given character’s function in group content.

Oh okay. See, i didn't know this. Makes sense though, looking at the way initial versions of WoW and Evercrack Everquest were around for many years.

You won't get to play the Elsweyr part until May 20 no matter what;

Oh I hope to have ES: O before then. I can't wait that long!

I think I'll spend a lot of initial time in Cyrodiil, since that is where I am most comfortable. I've got this idea that my first character will be very stealthy too. Shy, and not so overtly combat-oriented, unless she's playing some sort of background role. Hmm...

But a lot of those working on ESO were long time lovers of Elder Scrolls games from way back. It has the feel of the early Elder Scrolls games; but is like all of them put together. You can explore all of Tamriel in one game instead of having to change games to see the different Provinces.

OH wool, did not know this! I keep learning new things every day from you all.

How do people sound when they use their mics? I do have a pretty nice Logitech gaming headset, but I was talking into its mic the other day and my voice sounds rather broken-up. Unless I hold the mic right in front of my lips, that is. Or speak RATHER LOUDLY. Whenever I hear people speak in YouTube vids, they always sound much more clear. Maybe they are using actual microphones though, like professional ones.

This post has been edited by Renee: Feb 13 2019, 05:10 PM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I think I'll spend a lot of initial time in Cyrodiil, since that is where I am most comfortable. I've got this idea that my first character will be very stealthy too. Shy, and not so overtly combat-oriented, unless she's playing some sort of background role. Hmm...

Word of warning: Cyrodiil is a massive PvP area. The Alliance War frontlines are in Cyrodiil so you have to always worry about being attacked by other players. The Gold Coast zone which contains the cities of Anvil and Kvatch is a PvE zone so you could spend your time there. It is DLC content though (Dark Brotherhood), so you will need to get that DLC or an ESO+ subscription to go there.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Feb 13 2019, 09:29 PM

[mALX]

You won't get to play the Elsweyr part until May 20 no matter what;

Oh I hope to have ES: O before then. I can't wait that long!

I think I'll spend a lot of initial time in Cyrodiil, since that is where I am most comfortable. I've got this idea that my first character will be very stealthy too. Shy, and not so overtly combat-oriented, unless she's playing some sort of background role. Hmm...

What I meant by that above is = Elsweyr won't launch until May 20 for those who purchased it early = but if you purchase it early; you will still be able to play the base game; Morrowind; and Summerset Isles right away.

Also, you have to be at least level 10 to go down to Cyrodiil; they don't let anyone under level 10 in there. I'm not sure about the Battlegrounds; but Cyrodiil stays locked right up till you reach level 10; then they send you a letter inviting you to come down.

When you come down there, someone will meet you when you land with the Quest arrow over their head = take that quest, it is good for a handful of skill points to spend leveling your skills up. They will train you to use the siege weapons and offer you Missions in the Alliance War.

You don't have to accept the Missions if you don't want to.

If I'm playing a young character I usually take the "Scouting" Missions (to spy on the enemy Forts). I also usually take one that says something like "Kill 20 Enemy Players." I don't go out looking for fights; but if someone attacks you and you are holding that (you get bonus rewards).

But when I go down to Cyrodiil; it is usually to explore and nab "Skyshards" = because there are SO many Skyshards down there.

(Every three Skyshards you find gives you a skill point to spend leveling up whichever skill you want to train up). Cyrodiil and the Imperial City Sewers are loaded with Skyshards; ; but it is harder to get them due to it being a PvP zone.

How do people sound when they use their mics? I do have a pretty nice Logitech gaming headset, but I was talking into its mic the other day and my voice sounds rather broken-up. Unless I hold the mic right in front of my lips, that is. Or speak RATHER LOUDLY. Whenever I hear people speak in YouTube vids, they always sound much more clear. Maybe they are using actual microphones though, like professional ones.

In game there is no voice chat; but if you want to hear people talking to you and them hear you = especially when you are playing with them (instead of all that typing in a chat box) you can use TeamSpeak or Discord. Our group from Chorrol has both available for use right now.

I don't know how Discord sets up the voice chat; but TeamSpeak has a pretty thorough voice testing function where you can actually hear what everyone else hears when you talk. (It is quite shocking, lol).

Does your headset have a USB connector? Because those load their own drivers into the PC every time you plug them up; making them SO much easier to use than the more expensive models.

If it doesn't have the USB connector; you can try updating the drivers; check to make sure the mike connection is working on your PC by trying using a different headset; etc. (The usual troubleshooting things you would do).

Also; when you put on your headset, are you lowering the mike wand down to your face? Because if the mike wand is up along the earpiece; it will do exactly what you described = (crackling, muted sound, etc). The mike wand should be close to your mouth; but to the side of your mouth (not in front of your mouth, so your "P" sounds don't pop people's eardrums). If you play with your mike or it brushes against your shirt/hair/etc = that will also cause it to crackle.

Here is something you might think about if you still have trouble after you troubleshoot the problem = I hate to EVER recommend them; but Walmart has a USB Headset that is hell of cheap to buy; but works Awesomely. It is a Logitech too; but one that will only last about two years before you'll have to pitch it and buy another. I bought two this last time so I'd have a spare when this one quits working.

(same with their keyboards = best and cheapest Razer gaming keyboard you will own for two years, then overnight suddenly turns to crap and you need to hurry to Walmart and replace it).

When you add up how little it costs to replace them every two years; you still come out ahead against buying a decent more expensive set. (everything Walmart sells has a two year lifespan on it anyway; except their meat which has so many preservatives and tenderizers that it will still be there in 20 years (and taste the same).

Anyway using any USB mike will eliminate ALL your connection issues. You plug it in, it loads the drivers and software and is ready to go without any "tweaking."







This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 13 2019, 11:09 PM