Yes, but on the flip-side you don't ever let fan - let alone journalist - opinion turn indifferent or downright sour. Almost every game site rated TESO below a number of upcoming MMOs in their post-E3 wrap-ups, which is a bit ridiculous considering the fact that TESO is undeniably the biggest franchise with the biggest budget and the longest development time. But instead, everyone wants to hear about Planetside 2, Defiance as even Neverwinter. However you cut it, TESO just isn't getting the sort of media traction it needs.

Everyone here knows about hype, we're not new to the scene; but people can also remember that Skyrim's unveiling and subsequent E3 demo got people excited - it had the press talking. That's how hype works, from the get-go. If they're going to wait until 3 months out of beta to announce that one big feature they've been keeping close to their chests, then they're going to have sacrificed a lot of good opinion that they won't be able to get back so easily. And considering the lengthy, spolier-heavy nature of MMO betas, you're better off getting people damn excited and then drying out a bit during beta because that will happen anyway, rather than having the thing be dead on arrival.

but they gave tons of information. just that it wasnt any good. im sorry but all you say is nonsense.

Except, the faction system does work, makes sense, and is quite awesome. What is your basis for saying that this system is the opposite other than your opinion? What experience do you have with a faction system of TESO's level?


I wouldn't call what they gave "tons" of info.

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they shown us 6 of the Provinces (Morrowind, Skyrim, High Rock, Cyrodiil, Black Marsh and Hammerfell) they shown us all character Races but Altmer and Bosmer in Game, they have shown the combat system behind closed doors and the PvP not to mention the Questing and the synergie Skills.

Tell me one MMORPG that revealed that much on its first time beeing shown.

The faction system is the worst defect in what's been announced. The idea of factions based on races, with the inability to travel between non-allied provinces, is contrary to the spirit and lore of the Elder Scrolls. "Be who you want, and go where you want to go." Beyond that, the way that the factions are organized is guaranteed to be unbalanced, with the Ebonheart faction being far more popular than the other two.

It's a half-baked idea. It would have been better (and simpler) to have just had nine separate mini-factions, and let them ally in whatever ad hoc way the players wanted.

I wouldn't call it "half-baked." It's worked in the past, and it'll work now. Calling it unbalanced is seriously jumping the gun before its even out of the holster. However, I would agree that more factions would have been better, not in what you state for you can only have so much before it starts becoming chaotic and unfocused. Personally, I'd also like to see open provinces and closed factions in the rvr/pvp aspect for Cyrodiil.

actually for PvP a 3 faction system is the most fun thing ive seen so far in an MMORPG system. However i still think they should be joinable. However still highly distinct to get a feel of identity. But as all my favorite Races are in one Faction i dont realy care too much.

All right then, maybe it's three-fifths baked. There's certainly nothing new and magic about having three factions, there's no good reason for the racial segregation, and the factions as presented don't make any sense (Why are Nords, Dunmer, and Argonians even remotely interested in an alliance against Redguards, Bretons, and Orcs? Why would an Orc want to ally with a Redguard, anyway?)

As for unbalanced, that should be obvious to anybody who knows the TES fan base. Ebonheart contains the two most popular provinces from previous games (and three of the most popular races.) In addition, the Altmer have been painted as the bad guys, and the Bosmer as fools and cannibals. Orcs and Redguards are the least-played races in TES games. Gee, who could imagine that these factions might be unbalanced?

Hmm, I see your point. However, you are making the unbalanced argument based on popularity of choice, not of a true balance of the mechanics of the game. The way it worked in other MMOs to fix the popular factions vs the unpopular ones was to make incentives for underdogs, thus either enticing people to change sides, or to give bonuses to them until population equaled out.

EDIT: There's also the unconventional "ally" of two factions vs the one popular one. That happened sometimes in DAoC.

Matter of opinion. According to the E3 threads that were active many people were liking what they saw.

Just because YOU didn't like it or wasn't done YOUR way doesn't mean it was bad or wrong.

its not just ME it is, as it has been pointed out before, the majority of reviews from people that watched the behind closed doors demo of it. Both "Professionals" and just people from the Community.
Not to mention the Flythroughs and interviews were largeley recieved negativeley. And now please dont ask me to cite them all because you know that, youre reading these forums.

I'm sure there's a way of "forcing" the alliances to work. I suppose that would be the rest of the baking. I'm just not convinced that they really went about this in an intelligent way.

I think they started with the "three factions" idea, and that drove the decisions that followed. Then they had to twist the lore to try to make it fit together, and I'm not convinced they've done that. I also think that, having committed to the "three factions" idea, they got blind-sided by the popularity of Skyrim (and the ongoing popularity of Morrowind), and didn't grasp until too late that they had an unbalanced situation (I'm betting they do by now.)

No I won't cite them, because they'd just prove you even more wrong. Maybe you're just choosing to only see the negative stuff because you're negative as well but to say the info has been "largely received negatively" is just plain false. Yes some are negative but I've seen just as many positive. The E3 Thread alone is proof of that.

I still maintain that player-made factions should be the only driving force in PvP. It works in EVE, and is in my opinion, the best way to do PvP.

You keep saying it'll be unbalanced but its been proven in DAoC that even if one faction is deemed more popular and has a bigger population, it works itself out and works well in game because there are THREE factions. Never played DAoC myself but ask anyone who did and they will tell you it worked and worked great.

Also they didn't twist anything, Zenimax has to check with Bethesda on anything Lore related to make sure it works. So if Bethesda signed off on it than thats that. Besides we have only even heard a fraction of the Lore for this game and how it all fits. We've only heard bits and pieces so far.

I second the opinion about there being balance between the factions. Any situation which develops a resented leader among other contenders has a natural way of converging fire on the winner. Ever played 'king of the hill', or 'Risk'? Isolation is not a good strategy among your enemies. A famous quote from 'The Godfather' goes, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Just like one twig breaks easier than two, you'll see the leading faction become overwhelmed and dominated - every time! It's only natural...

Except that in EVE, pvp is all over the place. In fact, you can spend hours trying to find a fight sometimes.

well EVE is different. See TES was never a full Sandbox with a Player driven Economy. Probably if it was. Sadly TESO is even less sandbox than what we expected. To be honest i have no problem with the 3 Faction PvP. It worked realy well in DAoC and from what i can tell it works in GW2 aswell. A Player driven PvP in a Fantasy setting would also need to come with things like building your own Cities and keeps and that does just not work with the lore.

I think betesda should make a new game next year nd put single and co-op in it or single and multiplayer like red dead or gta
same with fallout

Exactly, and now we've come to a core issue. PvP should never be confined to one area, I hate it in Guild Wars 2, (My favorite themepark PvP ever, better than DAoC imo.) and I'll hate it in ESO, if ever even buy it. PvP is about so much more than fighting, it's the thrill of the gank, the inter-guild rivalry, the underlying economic motive, the backstabs, the cheap shots, the economic sabotage. All of this falls under PvP too, and without, there's no underlying depth to make it really meaningful. (IMO)

SCSA's like: "Holy Talos this is awesome."

*Watches teaser*

"Well that didn't show much...."

*And starts drooling again about TESO.*

It will, so long as the other two factions are strong enough. That remains to be seen. As for "you keep saying," I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Just expressing a concern here.

This I don't agree with. The history of Tamriel as presented in the games doesn't really support this "isolated races" business. The lore is being forced through a pastry bag to decorate this particular cake.

Disagree all you want but the devs confirmed as such in the first interviews they did.

I know what they said. I'm not questioning that they said it.

I'm saying that the history of Tamriel, as presented in the existing games, does not support a situation where all the races have been segregated from one another, and sent home to their respective provinces. It doesn't make any sense, and saying "that's our lore" doesn't make it any more sensible.