Just when I think that ESO will not be a good game, ZOS changes it and it sounds awesome again.

For those of us that remember, ESO was not going to have action combat initially because of "latency issues", yet they managed to overcome that.

Then ZOS said that crafters would be able to make the best gear in the game (so other people could pay gold and get the best gear from crafters making ESO into a Pay to WIn game), but they changed it and now crafters will be able to improve the best gear which will now drop from PvE or bought through PvP - Thus making crafters still very useful without breaking the game.

Then ZOS said that ESO would not have any endgame PvE (although now they claim otherwise), thankfully that was added as well.

Then they said that Adventure Zones (i.e. Raids) would be 24 man content - which are typically a Zergfest and a logistics nightmare, now they finally released that Adventure Zones will be for 12 players which is far more reasonable and accessible.

I am really impressed that ZOS keeps improving the game and they are not afraid to fix their mistakes.

The last three things that I would love to see fixed are:

1) Combat: I am sorry to say that combat in Wildstar looks better and more interesting in every way.

2) Housing at Launch: Both the WoW expansion and Wildstar will include housing that is actually useful in the game and helps your character - definitely adds tons of depth to the game.

3) Letting people from difference Alliances doing Instances and Adventure Zones together -( i.e. enemies come together to tackle hard content). This way you can stay in touch with friends that might be in different Alliances.

If ESO had those three things at Launch, I have no doubt that it would be considered the best MMO of all time. (Right now the gaming community overall seems to be more impressed with Wildstar and I think its primarily because of the combat).

Great post. I'll have to check out Wildstar if only from the comparative standpoint.

I'm ok with no housing at launch - its something to work towards (save gold) and something to look forward to.

I would like to see Thieves Guild and Assassins Guild (of some sort) implemented before launch but it seems some of those things would also be tied to thievery and/or punishment etc. so that its a huge ball of wax that needs to be finished.

The big thing for me to be implemented before launch would be a 1 handed skill line. Not sword & board, not dual wield. Simply 1 handed sword or mace or whatever. (see my other numerous posts)

The final thing I will say is that Zenimax has done a good job of making this game stand out as an MMO, but I really hope they do an EXCELLENT job of making an Elder Scrolls game.

1. Any specifics? The animation's being improved, but the mechanics ain't gonna change.

2. Hold on to your booties there. WoW did take 10 years to get it in after all.

3. Jury's very much still out on how they're gonna handle 50+ stuff. Not enough info yet.

Also, where did you get that stuff about AZs being 12 man now?

EDIT: just found it: http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/101784/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%20Online:%20Creative%20Director%20Interview/

http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/101784/The%20Elder%20Scrolls%20Online:%20Creative%20Director%20Interview/

End game worries me, Since any game that has focused on end game winds up failing for me big time by making the rest of the game pointless and boring. I play games to have fun and the whole game needs to be fun.

There still has to be endgame content otherwise people will not stay to play the game. There is no, it has to have good endgame and bad leveling or good leveling and bad endgame, there can be a compromise for both.

Using in game currency "gold" to buy crafted gear is not a "pay to win" game, pay to win refers to using real money in cash shops to buy gear. Upgrading looted gear is fine, but Crafted gear has to be on par with looted gear or crafters become side show monkeys in the "upgrade me" circus with no one wanting crafted gear, and that's breaking the game for crafters.

I've looked at Wildstar it isn't going to be all that great as far as I can see and saying that the gaming community is more impressed with it then ESO is just wrong.

Facebook pages tell a lot different story 126,000 likes for Wildstar 1.6 million for Elder Scrolls Online. What you speak don't jive brotha!

Nicely stated.

Facebook likes built off an established IP don't mean very much. They're certainly not related to the quality of games (in either direction) or the opinion of the gaming community (which is not the facebook 'community').

The focus can not be on endgame the focus has to be on the whole game or the game will not have any magic. Whats the point in having an End Game if the rest of the game is bad, or if everybody rushes off to the end game and then complain that there is not enough End Game and want and need more.

My point is that the whole game has to feel like End Game. Those games have the magic and keep me playing the game. The End Game should be as soon as you start your character and not at the end.

True Facebook is not the gaming community and Elder Scrolls is a large IP but NCSOFT is also the Developer of the Guild wars franchise so you would think they would be have a larger following. I just can't see serious gamers looking at the artwork of Wildstar and thinking "Geeze I'm impressed" my 10 yr old daughter can draw better lol

I love how people keep glossing over this.

Even in this very thread, apparently.

Yeah, you're right. The fact that ESO's online community on the world's most popular social media network is more than twelve times that of Wildstar is barely going to affect the relative success of the two games at all. >_>

All polls I've seen in MMO communities favor Wildstar 2 to 1 vs ESO. From what I've seen, it is targetting the hardcoe WoW community, particularly vanilla WoW players.

ESO has the TES players though. If that market doesn't run screaming due to the MMO elements, than it doesn't matter if ZOS doesn't capture the MMO audience as well as WoW or Wildstar.

At any rate, this shows which of the two (ESO, Willdstar) is the "WoW-clone".

Agreed about Wildstar's target market, but you may want to back yourself up a bit there.

Not sure which part you are talking about. I admit, I don't follow the game. I tuned out at "40 man raids."

Link to the poll I mentioned below. There are other smaller ones as well out there. Comments in other MMO forums, like swtor, strongly favor WS.
http://i.massively.joystiq.com/2013/07/31/leaderboard-wildstar-vs-the-elder-scrolls-online/

Do you not like to read posts or something? I said that games don't have to focus on one or another. But there needs to be endgame or people are going to leave. Just because I said there needs to be endgame doesn't mean I said that there shouldn't be a good game overall.

So, I recommend reading my posts before putting words in my mouth I never said.

Wildstar

Not gonna lie, Wildstar looks super lame.

I have to wonder why you and your friends would split up into different factions to begin with. Cant you just join the same faction? Wouldnt that make more sense?

I did read your post and I was not implying that you do not think there needs to be a good game. Sorry if it sounded that way.

It's fine, I probably shouldn't have sounded so harsh there. All I'm saying is that if there is nothing for people to do once they hit max level then they are going to leave the game. Endgame doesn't have to equate to just PvP and raiding, there are plenty of other things that can be considered endgame.

A great point. I would add:

How about there is no end game - its just a game you play and have fun with. How about we get rid of the mentality that we have to rush to end-game? How about we embrace the now. How about we enjoy the journey?

Huh. Could only find a couple of polls, but they do indeed both favour Wildstar. Surprising. As ever though, the proof will be in the pudding.