Will it Blend?

Post » Mon May 14, 2012 9:12 pm

After hearing the news last week, I've spent some time mulling it over. I've also read some of the reactions here and on other sites. I've come to a few conclusions I'd like to share and discuss.

-The most important question is, I think, will TES:O still be a "TES" game? (Will it Blend?)

TES games have certain unique characteristics that make them special (freedom to do what you want is probably a nice summary). Will this translate to an MMO? I think it could, but you'd need to make a pretty unique MMO. As far as I can tell, that's unfortunately not the direction they seem to be going.

-Will it fail or succeed?

Hard to answer. First, what determines failure/succes? Financially speaking, they'll need a certain amount of players to make a profit. If they make a half-decent MMO with the advantage of a strong name, I see no reason why they would not be able to achieve this.

However, there could be more to succes/failure. What will TES:O do for (or against) the value of the IP? Is this meant to be played by TES fans, winning them over to an MMO, or is it an attempt to get MMO fans to play TES?

From what I've seen so far, the latter seems more likely. Which I think is a shame, there's enough MMO's to cater to MMO fans already. There's a severe lack of MMO's for people who like a true "sandbox" experience, something a properly done TES MMO could be fantastic at...

-Will I play it?

Not sure yet... I'll keep an eye on it's development for sure. I'll try and get into the beta if/when it's announced. But if it's just another MMO with some TES " detailing", no. I'm done with run-off-the-mill MMO's. Recently I gave SWTOR a chance, and while I can't really say it's a bad game, I just got terribly bored terribly quick. They tried to put the RPG back into MMORPG, but what they did was make a game that consists in general of a single player game and a multiplayer game glued together.

What I would play is an MMORPG that creates a huge, vibrant, interesting and dynamic online "world" where I can do whatever I want with my character (within reason). I don't care about gear progression, dungeon progression, PVP ratings, balance, loot, instant gratification, achievments, and so on and so forth. I would like an Elder Scrolls Universe Simulator. For those who remember the original Star Wars Galaxies: an evolution of that original concept would be perfect for an Elder Scrolls MMO, I think...
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Sammygirl
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 11:26 pm

I think it would be for the most part a TES game. I doubt that TESO will introduce guns and race cars. The way I see it that after every new iteration of the "real" TES game done by Beth, ZeniMax Online Studios will add the new content to their work. I'm pretty sure the main bulk of lore/content in TESO will derive of course from all of the previous TES games with careful attention, perhaps, in the way the "eras" are interwoven.

As for whether TESO will succeed or not that is a burden that every game in the industry has to face. Folks should give them a chance. There will be plenty of time for praises or hatred after the dust has settled. My best wishes to the team at ZOS.
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James Hate
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 9:28 am

I think it would be for the most part a TES game. I doubt that TESO will introduce guns and race cars. The way I see it that after every new iteration of the "real" TES game done by Beth, ZeniMax Online Studios will add the new content to their work.

As for whether TESO will succeed or not that is a burden that every game in the industry has to face. My best wishes to the team at ZOS.

True, of course, they will stick to the fantasy setting and existing Lore (mostly :P), but is that what makes a TES game? If it's simply "generic mmo with TES story/lore", I'm sure it can be a decent generic MMO. But TES is not a generic RPG, which is why I believe a TES MMO should not be a generic MMO. For me, TES games are most defined by the freedom they offer, and without that element, a TES MMO will not be of interest to me. Of course, I don't know what other TES players feel defines the series.
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Kieren Thomson
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 11:59 pm

Lol, sorry, Baztohr. It seems that I added more stuff to my reply while you quoting me:)
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Gemma Woods Illustration
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 10:07 am

Lol, sorry, Baztohr. It seems that I added more stuff to my reply while you quoting me:)

Ahaha, sneaky ;)

I agree that the MMO can be a place for all the lore from the other games to come together, I hope the gameplay is as unique as I've come to expect from TES titles as well though.
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carrie roche
 
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Post » Tue May 15, 2012 1:21 am

Ahaha, sneaky :wink:

I agree that the MMO can be a place for all the lore from the other games to come together, I hope the gameplay is as unique as I've come to expect from TES titles as well though.

One thing for sure if TESO is CARTOONY I'll say to ZOS, "Stop right there, you criminal scum." ---sorry, I couldn't resist saying that---
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Louise Andrew
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 7:52 pm

If by "blend" you mean will it be a copy of the previous TES game just set in a new province, then no it won't. If by 'blend' you mean will it be a new and slightly different gameplay experience but still set in TES world with TES lore and open world rpg game style then yes it should blend just fine.
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glot
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 7:32 pm

Something to remember is the idea to make TES an MMORPG was an old one, and the game went into development in 2007. Their ideas of how to create TESO pre-date all of the online RPGs released in the last 5 years that saw a steep drop off in subs 3 months after release. They were basically already working on the game before the trend of dissatisfaction with big, WoW-like, but not WoW, games became obvious. Five years ago too many people thought they could capture a percentage of the WoW subs just by doing a graphically updated version of WoW, and they were wrong.

I feel that a TES single player game adapted minimally to become an MMORPG would be successful, but one of the problems is if someone gives you the responsibility to spend the $130 million you might feel the pressure and want to stick to a more tried and true MMO model. Ironically, the colorful, cartoony, third person model may lose both the MMO market who've seen it all before and are not impressed, as well as TES players who love what they have already been playing.
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xx_Jess_xx
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 2:46 pm

If by "blend" you mean will it be a copy of the previous TES game just set in a new province, then no it won't. If by 'blend' you mean will it be a new and slightly different gameplay experience but still set in TES world with TES lore and open world rpg game style then yes it should blend just fine.

By "blend" I mean "will TES and MMO play well together", basically. I do believe it could, I'm not so sure it will however....

Something to remember is the idea to make TES an MMORPG was an old one, and the game went into development in 2007. Their ideas of how to create TESO pre-date all of the online RPGs released in the last 5 years that saw a steep drop off in subs 3 months after release. They were basically already working on the game before the trend of dissatisfaction with big, WoW-like, but not WoW, games became obvious. Five years ago too many people thought they could capture a percentage of the WoW subs just by doing a graphically updated version of WoW, and they were wrong.

I feel that a TES single player game adapted minimally to become an MMORPG would be successful, but one of the problems is if someone gives you the responsibility to spend the $130 million you might feel the pressure and want to stick to a more tried and true MMO model. Ironically, the colorful, cartoony, third person model may lose both the MMO market who've seen it all before and are not impressed, as well as TES players who love what they have already been playing.


True, they started when everyone thought there was a big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... but, they have been developing while this pot of gold turned out to be a free-to-play-converter-kit at best for most MMO's. Assuming they haven't been working in a bunker completely cut-off from the rest of the world, they should have realised by now that the world isn't necessarily waiting for "a better WoW". Although I fear that at a corporate and investor level, people do still think this is exactly what the world is waiting for...

Take SWTOR... either they really thought that WoW 1.1 (2.0 would be giving it more revolutionary credit than it's earned) would be great, or they actually thought that they were making something revolutionary. Ironically, while many players are disappointed, it's still running well I think. I don't have any figures, but I think it's probably a succes business-wise.

Making a truly revolutionary MMO is more of a risk, I guess. But dear deity, how I would love it if someone had the balls to try it with a big budget and a solid IP.

And yes, I fear that making a generic MMO with TES skin will not real in the TES players. And, being a generic MMO, it won't revolutionise the MMO scene. It'll probably make money though...
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Ridhwan Hemsome
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 11:00 am

By "blend" I mean "will TES and MMO play well together", basically. I do believe it could, I'm not so sure it will however....


Oh i believe it will, people have been wanting to play in TES world online for ages and ages now, but we won't know till have have more real info on the game. The 2% of what we "think" we know hasn't even been close to confirmed yet.
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Prisca Lacour
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 10:54 pm

And yes, I fear that making a generic MMO with TES skin will not real in the TES players. And, being a generic MMO, it won't revolutionise the MMO scene. It'll probably make money though...

Aye, I agree that it will make money. They may lose some of their intended market, but I think there will be plenty of players who will not be 100% satisfied with the product, but who will not be able to resist buying it and playing it. Just would be nice to think of TESO being its own game and more true to TES. Still, I wouldn't want to take a lot of risks with $130 million dollars in this economic environment either.... I wonder if the game hadn't been kept such a secret, if feedback early on would have given them more confidence to stick closer to a TES ethos?
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BEl J
 
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Post » Tue May 15, 2012 1:08 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIakPZ0DJjg&feature=plcp
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Lady Shocka
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 9:01 pm

ill give it a chance once they prove me the combat isnt [censored]
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Eileen Collinson
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 9:36 pm

ill give it a chance once they prove me the combat isnt [censored]
I agree with this. I will wait and see what it will be and then if my thoughts and feelings about it are in right balance with the games prize then I'll play it. (But if it looks like a total disappointment or if you have to pay more than once to play it I won't even try it.)
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Tanya
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 11:43 pm

After hearing the news last week, I've spent some time mulling it over. I've also read some of the reactions here and on other sites. I've come to a few conclusions I'd like to share and discuss.

-The most important question is, I think, will TES:O still be a "TES" game? (Will it Blend?)

TES games have certain unique characteristics that make them special (freedom to do what you want is probably a nice summary). Will this translate to an MMO? I think it could, but you'd need to make a pretty unique MMO. As far as I can tell, that's unfortunately not the direction they seem to be going.



-Will it fail or succeed?

Hard to answer. First, what determines failure/succes? Financially speaking, they'll need a certain amount of players to make a profit. If they make a half-decent MMO with the advantage of a strong name, I see no reason why they would not be able to achieve this.


You are forgetting that there are millions of MMO gamers who just want to play MMO,they don't care about lore or weather it's a tes MMO,they will play it and see if they like it.MMO gamers are not the same as single player RP gamers,this is a fact.

Let's say they get a bare 250.000 subs,times that by $15 and you have 3.7 million a month,see where this is going?

However, there could be more to succes/failure. What will TES:O do for (or against) the value of the IP? Is this meant to be played by TES fans, winning them over to an MMO, or is it an attempt to get MMO fans to play TES?

This MMO does not need TES fans for it to succeed,do you know anything about MMOs.There are people who bought SWTOR while not having played any BioWare game,it being an MMO was enough.

From what I've seen so far, the latter seems more likely. Which I think is a shame, there's enough MMO's to cater to MMO fans already. There's a severe lack of MMO's for people who like a true "sandbox" experience, something a properly done TES MMO could be fantastic at...

If you really want a sandbox then play Darkfall or wait till AA comes out,simple really.

-Will I play it?

Not sure yet... I'll keep an eye on it's development for sure. I'll try and get into the beta if/when it's announced. But if it's just another MMO with some TES " detailing", no. I'm done with run-off-the-mill MMO's. Recently I gave SWTOR a chance, and while I can't really say it's a bad game, I just got terribly bored terribly quick. They tried to put the RPG back into MMORPG, but what they did was make a game that consists in general of a single player game and a multiplayer game glued together.

SWTOR is a heap of linear rubbish but Total Biscuit likes it even though it's the old MMO system the game uses,strange because it's one of his complaints about TESO.

What I would play is an MMORPG that creates a huge, vibrant, interesting and dynamic online "world" where I can do whatever I want with my character (within reason). I don't care about gear progression, dungeon progression, PVP ratings, balance, loot, instant gratification, achievments, and so on and so forth. I would like an Elder Scrolls Universe Simulator. For those who remember the original Star Wars Galaxies: an evolution of that original concept would be perfect for an Elder Scrolls MMO, I think...

You might as well bow out now and head back to Skyrim or any other TES game


Hope that helps.
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^~LIL B0NE5~^
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 1:12 pm

Hope that helps.

Uhm, not really :P I can't quote your edited quote so I'll do it manually:

You are forgetting that there are millions of MMO gamers who just want to play MMO,they don't care about lore or weather it's a tes MMO,they will play it and see if they like it.MMO gamers are not the same as single player RP gamers,this is a fact.

Let's say they get a bare 250.000 subs,times that by $15 and you have 3.7 million a month,see where this is going?

-My point exactly, they don't need TES fans to be a (financial) succes. Although while there is a difference between MMO and Single player RPG players, many (like me) do both.

This MMO does not need TES fans for it to succeed,do you know anything about MMOs.There are people who bought SWTOR while not having played any BioWare game,it being an MMO was enough.

Again, my point exactly. What I was putting up for discussion is what would constitute succes or failure. If "succes" is simply "making money", then they probably will succeed. If "succes" is presenting an online experience which stays close to the core of TES gameplay and which appeals to both TES fans and MMO fans... then I'm not so sure.

If you really want a sandbox then play Darkfall or wait till AA comes out,simple really.

Sure, I could. But I was arguing that I think TES:O could be great at it. Which is why I would hope they go that way...

SWTOR is a heap of linear rubbish but Total Biscuit likes it even though it's the old MMO system the game uses,strange because it's one of his complaints about TESO.

I agree. But, in TB's defence, SWTOR was always presented as a very linear game. The RPG's is based on are much more linear as well, which is why it shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. What they tried to do, but failed in my opinion, is "putting the RPG back in MMORGP", what they actually did was "Glue MMO functionalities on a single player RPG" which I think didn't really work out, though they did end up with a game that appeals to a large audience, still.

Ironically, simply glueing on MMO functionalities might have been the best way to go for TES:O (for me, that is), but it would mean ignoring a lot of MMO "standard practices". It seems, from what little information is available right now, that they chose to make a more standard MMO. I could be wrong though, and I hope so.

You might as well bow out now and head back to Skyrim or any other TES game

As I said, I'll keep an eye on development and might try it out if it seems interesting. I don't have high hopes though.



Bottom line: I, personally, am bored by and done with "regular" MMO's. I'd like to play something more akin to SWG, but taken even further and without many of it's flaws. I think TES:O could be that game. If they choose to make it a run-of-the-mill MMO, I think that's a shame, because they could probably be just as succesful doing that without the TES setting.
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Ross Zombie
 
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Post » Mon May 14, 2012 3:18 pm

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...it won't.

Sorry, I had to! Without a serious amount of ingenuity and innovation, there will be no reason for the bulk of fans to play or the bulk of MMO players to jump ship for it. They may try it, but the retention rate is going to be abysmal. Mark my words.
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