If you and a friend want to play, but enjoy two different racial types, they wont be able to play together.

If my friend is a khajiit lover, but I like dunmer, we cannot play together without creating alliance specific characters. In terms of the small group dynamic the developers are attempting to emphasize, I think this prevents the "co-op" feel of playing with real-life friends and family.

OR

It means that we can only play together at level 50+ or in PvP/ Cyrodiil.

Either way, I have interpreted the available information to be limiting to player choice when coupled with real-life/ xbox/ PS/ PC/ media friends lists. Your friends may play the game with you and may be able to play as anything they want, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they can do both.

What do you all think?

No different than any other faction based MMO.

If you want to play with your friends, create a character that is capable of doing so (and no, 50+ is sitll faction locked.) What's stopping you from creating a character on his faction, or him on yours?

People who play TES, who are generally the more outspoken ones when it comes to faction lock, are quite used to making multiple characters. This shouldn't be any different.

I believe in the 100% confirmed thread, it mentions that once your area has been completely explored you can go to the other faction locations... does that mean you wont be "seen" because of instancing? Or will you be fighting your way through other people's homelands?

What is stopping me is the fact that any single character would take 400+ hours to complete the game, and that 400 doesnt need to be 1200 just because I have friends in different factions. Personal preference I suppose. I dont tend to enjoy MMOs unless they are strategic (ogame for example), but I am trying to wrap my heart around an ES universe based MMO.

I am a firm believer in TES games basic "do what you want as whoever you want". The only problem in ESO that conflicts this by nature is the multiplayer aspect. You are forced to choose (if you dont agree) between doing what you want and whoever you want simply because of outside influence. The doing what you want I understand (you have to help each other), being who you want however was limited by the faction division... why can't I be an Orc for elven supremacy or a high elf with a vendetta? (not meaning to neglect humans in this thread lol).

You are instanced into 50+ / 50++ content, and are only able to interact with other 50+ / 50++ players from your faction.

Do what you want, whoever you want, but not with a friend.

Same reason in Skyrim that you cannot be a member of the Imperial Legion and fight for Jarl Ulfric in the battle for Whiterun - there are solid choices in TES games, and in ESO, faction selection is one of these solid choices.

People who play TES... like myself since Morrowind 11 years ago... also have a favorite or two... just so happens my 3 favorite are Dunmer, Argonians and Nords. Unfortunate... to say the least.

TES players also tend to make specialized characters to garner specific experiences from the game, not just to play with friends. I can understand having a warrior, mage and thief... what I wouldnt understand is a set of 9 characters, one of of each archetype in each province. 400 hours... I played Morrowind for 1500... that is 3 characters without expansions that complete the game to its fullest in ESO. In Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim that was split between ~40+ characters each who would beat the game or fulfill their purpose in a matter of days.

That is why it is so discerning.

I can certainly sympathize. When we first heard about factions, I had to do a bit of arm-bending with a couple of my friends to roll DC. More recently though, far more limiting factors have crept in. With ESO coming out on consoles, and the rumored NA/EU server split, I'll be lucky if I'm even able to roll on the same server with some of them, never mind having to choose the same faction.

That was a player CHOICE... one is not presented to players in ESO. You are a Nord... you hate elves and lizards. Guess who your new best buds are!

You are a Breton, you get to share your tent with a smelly orc.

You are a High elf, you fight with inferior bred mer and skooma addicts

But again. We aren't given the most important choice in the game. We either fight for who we want or be who we want... and that is beyond the friend aspect.

Again. This is the only unfortunate circumstance. I am still getting the game even if I play it solo, I just wanted to see if anyone else had feelings about this.

Ugh, more faction lock threads. I thought these things died out like months ago. I guess not.

It's simple, you either all roll in the same faction or you don't. No need to sit here and complain about it. It's never going to change. So if you both want to play different races then that's it. You guys should either try to compromise and figure something out or go find new friends in the factions you are going to play in.

Ugh, I guess that you could have just looked past it then.

Sure, its a "simple" choice that I don't think is true to the The Elder Scrolls experience. After all the game was made to be a TES MMO, not an MMO based in TES. Part of that experience has always been freedom of choice. To each their own I suppose.

Again, it isnt a problem, its more of an annoyance.

Do what you want? Try breaking a barrel or killing a child in Skyrim.

True, but you can try to.

You can't try to fight against your faction, or be in an alternative location with other races. If I see a Khajiit it must die... not that this particular situation is different than normal, it just doesnt give me the option anymore.

If you try to fight against someone in your faction it will probably react the exact same way as trying to kill an "important" character in TES4&5 -- sword swings straight through them and nothing happens.

I understand the concern, but really, all TES games have certain limits.

isn't it a player's CHOICE which race to CHOOSE?



there never was anything but pseudo-freedom in TES.
or have you been able to join the Aldmeri Dominion in Skyrim for instance?

You don't know that. And by telling people to stop complaining about things they feel passionately about, you're telling them to not tell ZOS what they would prefer in the game.

Personally, I've been against the racial restrictions since it was announced. The factions themselves a poor fit to begin with (the lore around them is quite dubious), and it's against the spirit of TES for one choice (such as your race) to affect a completely separate choice (such as your allegiances) to this degree.

Not only that, but the restrictions work against what ZOS themselves are trying to do, that being fostering faction pride. I would have much more pride for a faction I choose to be in, than one I'm conscripted into because of my race. If they want me to feel happy and prideful about the faction I'm in, then why would they want to baggage on feelings of resentment? If I want to be an Argonian and want to help in the Daggerfall Covenant's endeavor, then this simply can't work: I either have to choose another race I don't want, or I have to help the Ebonheart Pact's endeavor instead -- neither of which will help build this "faction pride" they're on about.

Oh, I'm 100% sure they will NEVER change this. EVER!!!

No matter how much the anti-faction lock people complain this is ONE mechanic of this game that will NEVER change. Period.

They didn't have a faction headquarters, but there are a few individuals that you can help that are members of the Dominion. The embassy can only be accessed by being their enemy... which is unfortunate.

Morrowind was fairly open about choice (with a few exceptions like Commona Tong). Oblivion let you try to switch sides (Mannimarco) but wouldn't allow it.

And there needs to be some events without choice so that cannon can exist.

You can help the Aldmeri Dominion in Skyrim if you want. You aren't forced to fight against the Thalmor, and you can make choices that help their goals (such as punishing any Talos Worshippers or Stormcloak patrols you run across, leaving the Justiciars alone, etc).

Then what does it matter to you if people complain? If you're so sure ZOS won't change their stance, you don't need to worry about these complaints having an effect on the game. So there's no need to tell people to stop complaining about it.

If ZOS wants people to stop complaining about it, they're more than able to say so themselves.

Because complaining about a dead horse is annoying.

And all these lack of choices have one thing in common: no one could choose them. They weren't restricted because of another unrelated choice you made, they were restricted because the game wasn't built to allow any player to be on their side. It wasn't a case of "You can't side with Mannimarco because your class has Restoration magic as a Major Skill", it was "You can't join Mannimarco because we didn't write the story or build the quests for players to do so."

You're free to ignore the topic. If it becomes a real problem, the mods will handle it.

Nah, I'm good. I'll keep telling people to stop beating a dead horse, because it's already dead.