IMO there is no such thing as "legitimate" end game. Also, the opposing faction exploration approach TESO has is not like rolling an alt (it's more like a "new game +" mode), and is not the only end game activity. I believe there are some max level public dungeons, not to mention veteran modes for the already existing ones. And they also have adventure zones for large groups, though that is shrouded in mystery. Plus, you can continue "leveling" past max level (I think they have veteran levels or something) and you can still develop your untrained skills. All this is much more to my liking to traditional raiding + gear grinding, which to me is as appealing as a lathe to the crotch. Otherwise I do agree with your post. It's worth the purchase, but I'm not sure yet if it's worth the sub. Maybe if the combat felt a bit more polished and the game had a more solid identity.

It is if it's an ! Sorry for that, I'm a horrible immature person Anyway in all seriousness it's not about gameplay advantages (though the Imperials racial bonuses seem pretty spiffy for a sword and board character)... It's about putting a much loved race behind a paywall for no other reason than an extra buck (or twenty). Yeah maybe TOR did this with the Cathar... But IIRC it had already implemented the Cartel market, and subs can eventually get access without paying extra CC if they save up for a few months. TESO supposedly had subs to avoid this sort of thing, and while it may not be a clear advantage, it's still a very questionable decision IMO.

I've noticed this in a lot of MMOs and frankly i find it very annoying. BW took it directly from WoW I guess, though I wouldn't be surprised if this design predates WoW.

My sub is ending too, sadly. I do like TOR but I get that same feeling I would get with WoW... Play with enthusiasm and joy for a few days or weeks, then get a weird sinking feeling every time I log in, and eventually effectively waste my last month because I can't bring myself to log on (I use pre paid cards). GSF was enough for me to play quite regularly for close to 3 months, but the past month nothing It's not the game, it's me and I know it. WoW style games just aren't for me except in short spurts - and I refuse to play this game as anything other than a subscriber even though I very well could. I'm pretty sure I'll be back to check out the housing when it's implemented, or for a GSF fix. And I do hope the game continues to go strong with as many of the players as possible having a blast

Funny, because the camera being tied to mouse look is a selling point for me. I feel more connected to my character with a system like TESO where you don't have to hold a mouse button to turn. Different strokes and all that My problem with the combat system is not the concept (which is more to my taste than "traditional" MMO combat, again because WoW-like combat makes me feel disconnected from my character), but the execution. The less than stellar animations are partly responsible, and there is a lack of weight and smoothness to it. I like how it works, with no autoattack, active dodging and blocking, power attacks plus a small hotbar of easily accessible abilities - but it feels unpolished and undercooked. And I doubt this is something that will change the further I get into the game. I do like the potential for solo "end game" though with the other two continents opening up in "veteran mode" or whatever, and the fact that we can still "level" our characters past level cap. I can't stand traditional MMO end-game with its focus shifting directly to gear (so effectively all character progression stops) and all the good stuff exclusively needing a group. What we know of for ESO is far more to my liking. Though I do hope there is enough good small and large group content for people who love to group. As for the game going f2p - I am 100% sure it will happen, and as I've said before I wouldn't be surprised if it were the plan from the start. Make a quick buck with box sales and subs, then jump on the f2p bandwagon. I'm not saying it is like that, it's just a suspicion of mine.

Elder Scrolls is looking more and more like one big cash grab IMO. An enjoyable and fun one (I liked what I saw in the weekend betas), but a cash grab nonetheless. I believe that the actual developers take pride in their vision and do want to create a great game, but at the end of the day it is the execs that will do the talking. I'm not saying that the game should be a charity, Bethesda/Zenimax are businesses and their goal is to make money. I just wish that they prove to follow a "profit via perfection" rather than a "perfection via profit" route. In other words I wish their primary driving force proves to be to create a game that will rake in profit by its quality, not because of its design. Though I am afraid this will not be the case I hope I'm proven wrong.

I think he means that the game intends to go for a burst CPS (cash per second) build rather than sustained He's inferring that it's one of those games that will try to make as much money as possible short term with box sales, cash shop, pay walls plus the obligatory sub. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already their plan to go f2p within a year or whatever, and are using subs as merely another pay wall rather than as a vessel to actually provide the "enhanced experience that wouldn't be possible without subs" that they were touting when they announced the payment scheme. I wouldn't put it past the execs of an MMO company to do that irrespective of the actual developers intentions.

Loved the video of the docking procedure, it seems very immersive. Easy enough not to be too tiresome yet kind of involving, like a fun minigame almost. I can't wait for Elite

Old news mate It's the sub that pushes me away from that game personally. I enjoyed it when I tried it, in fact more than the other MMOs I've played or tried, but it still doesn't warrant a sub.

Mass Effect 2 was great too, more polished gameplay wise for the most part, and yeah Omega was awesome... But I liked it less because it felt too streamlined... Mako replaced by planet scanning (I actually liked that crazy bouncing tank!), more linear feel, too streamlined inventory and the ammo system dropped it a notch in my eyes. The problem was that it tried to fix some of the more questionable features of the first game by oversimplifying and heavily streamlining rather than simply tuning down and tweaking (like the looting and inventory systems). That's not to say that didn't love the game of course, I played through it a number of times

Quite true. Anything taken to extremes really is not good. And I do respect the "hardcore" gamers for their dedication to their hobby, as long as they carry themselves with dignity and treat other gamers with respect.

They are really good games. ME1 especially is probably my favorite Bioware game. I am actually kind of excited about DA:I. It seems like Bioware is moving out of their comfort zone with it and trying something new to them... We'll see.

I love day/night cycles in games... They really make a game world feel alive. In WoW every month on an RP server some Alliance guilds would organize a moonrise event every month, a few players had actually written their own poetry for this. Horde players were welcome too. There was always a very cozy feeling about these events. This kind of RP would not have been possible if the game didn't have day/night cycles. And it's one of the few things I actually miss in that game. I know they will never be implemented in TOR, even though one of Star Wars' most memorable moments relied on a (twin) sunset... And it's quite saddening. IMO the whole snapshot in time thing was just an excuse because BW wasn't capable of pulling this off properly back then. Their world design always left something to be desired - their gameworlds always felt more like elaborate movie sets than living breathing worlds. I guess it's too late to do now, and even if it were done it wouldn't actually add anything to the game at this point apart from immersion - and definitely wouldn't bring in more money.

I think his point is that gaming by its nature is a casual activity, meant to be a distraction from RL worries and something to do in ones free time. Hence he finds "hardcore gaming" to be a contradiction in terms, at least according to his definition of the word. I both agree and disagree with him. I don't think sitting on ones bum staring at a screen for hours on end is a hardcore activity (it's fun and relaxing for a while but also in my opinion a waste of time when done in excess considering how much life has to offer), but I also can't help but admire hardcore players dedication, especially when they manage to make an actual living out of it even for a little while. I enjoy watching longplays and discussing games too, and dedicated gamers are really the only ones I can turn to for those things. When it comes down to it, people do as they please. No one here has the right to belittle others for their habits, whether it's "casuals" boasting that they "have a life", or "hardcores" disparaging "noobs and bads".

For me the main problem of this otherwise rather fun and immersive game is that it doesn't feel that much like Skyrim, and also doesn't feel much like an MMO. I wrote this in my impressions on the previous page. It's as if the game is confused about what it wants to be. It does take the best of both worlds but in a somewhat undercooked way. As I said I don't find it sloppy or bland, but it lacks flair and distinctiveness - it could be any fantasy world, it just happens to be in Tamriel. We did play a rather old build though I believe. Some of my gripes may have been addressed (e.g. they apparently added collision to PvE). The starter islands are now avoidable, and many people say that the game opens up and improves a great deal after the starter isles. So maybe my above complaint is only applicable for the specific content I played. I don't know how far you got, but if you did not leave the beginning areas either maybe you'll be happier later, I just don't know. We'll eventually find out I guess