I decided to try some of the current MMO:s on the market to see what's going on within the genre. First off was Guild Wars 2. Pretty looking but very handholding and themeparky. The lore felt shallow and I didn't connect at all with the game on an emotional level. Combat was stiff and oversimplified. Next was Neverwinter. Same problem with combat. It was klunky and not very fun. And I despise being led like that in the beginning of a game. I want to explore and make mistakes dammit! Crappy animations, lackluster characters and a general lack of charm were other problems I experienced.

I now fear this dumbing down disease (DDD?) is spreading and will also afflict Elder Scrolls Online. Am I right in being worried?

I don't think so, they have an emphasis on exploration, unlike most MMOs, and you get rewarded for it, so it's a win win.

I hear yah, thats how I felt about Guildwars, Rift and a couple others I can't remember at the moment. Bad combat and not all that good of a story.

If it goes same way as skyrim, it could be awesome. Want see what an elder scroll is? Try skyrim.

I share your opinion on the 2 games u have try. I stay on neverwinter only because there is no game with same atmosphere but it the first and last time i go on a free to play .The only good thing after trying neverwinter is to understand why games need subscription. Perfect world are just crooks.

TES single-player fans will surely be in for a suprise, if they really think the online version will be remotely similar.

Skyrim is considered to be the most shallow of the Elder Scrolls games of recent history though. Very short quest lines and NPC opinions and dialogue don't change all too much after events.

Do not mistake this for Skyrim online, it is not.