Dear zenimax online. You say ESO is an MMORPG but it seems you have gone bonkers and forgotten to make these three features OPTIONAL. I see no reason for you to not add them, ESO will still be an authentic "elder scrolls" game. As long they are optional, the non-mmo gamers will never notice the difference.

While I agree I would like atleast a combat log, I have a feeling this is going to go the chat bubble route. These things are nice to have but not really necessary, and most likely will be added by LUA UI modding if not in the base game.

I would love a combat log and damage indicators.

How else are we supposed to see if things are working right? Ability A should do 100-120 damage, without these, we have no idea if it's working right, it could be bugged and doing 80 damage, and we wouldn't know to complain to get it fixed.

Maybe they disabled it??? You dont see any UI/hotbar in the combat footage either.

Do a poll for it!!! 100% agreed!!

If the mob dies, it's working.

If you die, learn to play.

(I was being sarcastic.)

I want a combat log, but no damage numbers plopping around on my screen. If a lot of people want plopping damage numbers on the screen, then they should make it optional. I wouldn't like to see health bars above my target's head at all though a health bar if I aim at my target. Just simple and minimalistic like that. At least a combat log, since I like to test around if it comes to PvP.

Did you even read what I wrote? I want the OPTION to use it. This is not a debate, they should give people the choice to use it or not use it at all.

Yes, heaven forbid they don't something different!

There's enough useless polls on this forum as it is.

There's an important difference between combat logs and chat bubbles. While, as you say, combat logs are not necessary, these logs are a very important tool players can use to test various aspects of the game, and give feedback on the balance of combat. Figuring out the game's damage formula, mitigation formula, and other mechanical workings of the game (which require a combat log to figure out) also helps in the creation of class and skill guides.

In games which feature a robust combat log, we see substantive discussions pop up on the forums about class, skill, and overall combat balance. These discussions feature real number crunching and math proofs as opposed to wild guesses based on anecdotal evidence ("I once saw this HUGE floating number above my head, so that skill must be broken!!!")

It's like having a public test server. It's not necessary, but developers who opt out of offering these sorts of tools to their playerbase are being foolish, IMO, and missing out on a golden opportunity to have their fans help improve the game. There are plenty of gamers out there who are willing to help test and refine the game beyond the official launch date, if we are given the tools to do so. The combat log is one of, if not the most important tool to make available for this purpose.

-Travail.

I haven't actually read that these things aren't in. But if they aren't I'm completely ok with it.

Possibly they're out to make it harder for botters. With a combat text log I imagine it's rather easy to write a bot program.

I can't argue with your reasoning, but I don't think seeing the numbers is always a good thing. Most because people are such unreasonable creatures sometimes. "Oh my god this class needs nerfed because I saw a big number that is bigger than my big number!". Its not all positive, but I prefer to have them in personally.

It's not an option. If its there, it fundamentally alters the game dynamic. If some players know the inner workings of the game, others have to know it in order to compete.

I dunno that has been hit and miss for past online games. For instance, elective mode on Diablo 3. Necessary for min-maxxing, yet not turned on at the start... and is toggled in the menu's.

Then, ten's of thousands of needless thread's ensue.

Maybe Zenimax understand's the internet... and how much time can be spared from pointless destruction!

What's so wrong about wanting to get the most out of your builds. I mean yeah some ppl will be jerks about it but others just want their char to be the best it can be. Nothing wrong with min/maxing its those ppl that take it to a whole differant level and act like jerks that give the rest of us a bad name.

I just think my...our way of playing is just as valid as any other. I'm not a fan of RPing in MMOs really but I don't think they should just leave all RPing features out.

How do you know in Skyrim? How do you know in the dozens of competitive online multiplayer games that don't show you? You trust that the professionals that make the game aren't lying to you.

And this "players as amateur game testers" (post beta, of course) is a weird argument to me. Usually you can see what your weapon/armor/etc. stats are right in your own inventory and/or character stats page. And there's no good reason I should be able to see another player's stats.

The test server he is taking about is as new content is made they put it on the test server and allow ppl to test it so that maybe it breaks less things. Also most you can copy your char to it and test out differant abilities and end game gear.

As for all the multiplayer games like fps they are nothing like MMOs of this kind.

Still don't see the harm in letting those of us that want to be able to min/max.

Hm. Wait, weren't these things already confirmed as optional enable-ables (there should be a better word for that) a few weeks ago? I certainly recall hearing that these would be in from a few interviews with beta-testers on shoddycast & other places...

Because, like I said, once it's there, it's no longer an option if you want to stay competitive.

MMOs of what kind? This seems to be a very different beast than other MMOs out there which is one of the big reasons I'm drawn to it.

While I normally don't agree with you on anything. I agree 100% with this.

I wonder if Zenimax is actually taking away min / maxing on purpose.

You all know how min / maxing leads to certain builds on classes, to cookiecutter builds.

Maybe Zenimax doesn't want that. They just want us to enjoy the game like we want to, not like some website sais we should.

I really hope so.

MMORPG as opposed to a MMOFPSish type of game is what I mean. And yeah it is different and that's good but I would still like to see my damage numbers for every attack and damage taken per attack so on and so on.

It's not game breaking I guess for me but its something I 100% would like to see. If it has to be done via mod I guess that's how it will happen.

This is... art

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not but that's how I feel. Finally, a game company understands that "massively multiplayer online" is not a type of game, it's a feature. In this case, a massively multiplayer online feature in an Elder Scrolls game.