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Why are you comparing it to GW2 ? GW is a completely different type of MMO it doesn't need to be like GW it if was like GW you could just play GW.

 

as for armors being bland. yes, that's what happens when you chose a more realistic style for the game over the GW and WoW mega shoulder pad armor and bare naked ladies armors. This would also account for the lack of underwater combat as you don't fight underwater with armor or bow and arrow.

 

These aren't the major faults of the game, though I do prefer slightly more stylized armors, but I also don't like the overdone armors of WoW and GW. I'll be playing it some more today to find out what I actually think about it and see, but as it is, the main problem is they need more color and virbancy in the game, a little better questing system that actually tells you what to do, and maybe a start area without so much loading.. I mean seriously, several tiny rooms with loading inbetween....

 

I use GW2 as a comparison because it's the closest game I can think of that is similar and also an mmo. Doesn't seem like they're all that different to me, honestly. Both have action style combat, only in GW2 it feels a lot more refined and fluid.

 

Also you can swim in heavy armor so I'm really not sure how that's any less unrealistic than GW2.

 

what do you mean first come first serve ? 

 

First come first served. Mining nodes disappear after they are farmed or chests in the open world are not shared by players. I had some one steal a chest out from underneath me as I was trying to figure out their stupid lock pick mini game. And I was trying to mine something but I can attacked and another person came into mine it while I was fighting and the node disappeared. Things like that.

 

I'm also not to keen on the whole mega server thing, I think. While it's an awesome idea in theory the world feels so crowded and empty at the same time. You see lots of players around but you don't see all that many enemies because everyone is killing them. I don't know if there is going to be world bosses in the game but I can see issues there.

 

GW2 showed us that it's okay for things like that to be shared with all players so it's kind of annoying to see that happening again in a modern game.
 

The first person to attack a creature gets it's loot, other players can't.

 

 

It is essentially a mod for morrowind (yes, the mechanics have gone back in time). What you see on your screen is individual to just you, and you see a bunch of other online players on your screen too, but if they do a quest, kill something etc. then it doesn't effect you or your quest status, it's pretty much single player but you can glance at how far your friends are through it...

 

 

Except for it does affect you. I was trying to open a chest when some one else ran in and picked it while I was trying to and it disappeared once they opened it. However it doesn't seem to affect quest objectives like you said.

Well the thing is, they aren't making an easy mode MMO. they're heralding back to the old harsher MMO's without going all the way out with corpse camping. people stealing your loot from under you, tough luck, in the real world everyone doesn't get to get a copy of the same loot. 

 

essentially they're remaking the original vision of Vanguard:SoH, before it got dumbed down with quick travel everywhere, and with a ES style and inspired combat and controls. After playing some more I do kind of like the game, not sure I'll pay for it. mostly cause I'm not a fan of the 1st person perspective style. it ruined SWG to. 

Well the thing is, they aren't making an easy mode MMO. they're heralding back to the old harsher MMO's without going all the way out with corpse camping. people stealing your loot from under you, tough luck, in the real world everyone doesn't get to get a copy of the same loot. 

 

essentially they're remaking the original vision of Vanguard:SoH, before it got dumbed down with quick travel everywhere, and with a ES style and inspired combat and controls. After playing some more I do kind of like the game, not sure I'll pay for it. mostly cause I'm not a fan of the 1st person perspective style. it ruined SWG to. 

 

Where did you hear that they're trying to make a harsher game? And if they are they're already setting themselves up for failure. Not that I'm against challenge, I much prefer challenging games. I just dislike having some one steal my loot because of their unintuitive lock picking system or I happen to get stuck in combat while trying to mine something and some one else ends up taking the node from me.

 

Two other things... there are fast travel points everywhere and you can change to third person camera like any other mmo by scrolling out with the mouse wheel.

Well the thing is, they aren't making an easy mode MMO. they're heralding back to the old harsher MMO's without going all the way out with corpse camping. people stealing your loot from under you, tough luck, in the real world everyone doesn't get to get a copy of the same loot. 

 

essentially they're remaking the original vision of Vanguard:SoH, before it got dumbed down with quick travel everywhere, and with a ES style and inspired combat and controls. After playing some more I do kind of like the game, not sure I'll pay for it. mostly cause I'm not a fan of the 1st person perspective style. it ruined SWG to. 

What?

If you kill something, you get the loot, no-one else can get it, the bodies just dissapear.

And if someone loots something like a chest (as you see 100s of people in front of you doing just that), it has no effect on your ability to loot said chest, there's chests with pork in them, everyone loots the pork, you go up to it, lo and behald it still has pork in, you loot it and then for you it will say 'empty' but for everyone else (that hasn't looted it), it'll have pork in.

So after playing for a bit more this morning I'm enjoying it more, I've had no problems with finding quest locations, well I have but that was only because a quest marker bugged. Not really touched the crafting yet but going to go and give it a try later on tonight so I've been saving up all of my items. 

What?

If you kill something, you get the loot, no-one else can get it, the bodies just dissapear.

And if someone loots something like a chest (as you see 100s of people in front of you doing just that), it has no effect on your ability to loot said chest, there's chests with pork in them, everyone loots the pork, you go up to it, lo and behald it still has pork in, you loot it and then for you it will say 'empty' but for everyone else (that hasn't looted it), it'll have pork in.

 

True and not true. There are special chests that from what I can tell spawn randomly in various locations that are locked. The few I managed to open usually had a green weapon or armor in them and they disappear once looted. These are the chests I'm talking about and they can in fact be stolen from you. This sort of thing seems to me to discourage grouping because you'll have to fight party members for chests like these.

True and not true. There are special chests that from what I can tell spawn all over the place randomly that are locked. The few I managed to open usually had a green weapon or armor in them and they disappear once looted. These are the chests I'm talking about and they can in fact be stolen from you. This sort of thing seems to me to discourage grouping because you'll have to fight party members for chests like these.

Yupp, found 3 of these so far and only managed to get into one before someone else took it. On the subject of loot, is it just me or are there wayyyy too many lootable containers? I feel like half my playtime is opening containers because I don't want to miss anything :p

Yupp, found 3 of these so far and only managed to get into one before someone else took it. On the subject of loot, is it just me or are there wayyyy too many lootable containers? I feel like half my playtime is opening containers because I don't want to miss anything :p

 

I was thinking that too. Some of the dungeons that I went into had loot containers every 5 feet it seemed like. Most of the stuff wasn't even useful. They could maybe increase how many materials are actually in the containers and remove about 75% of them.

I was thinking that too. Some of the dungeons that I went into had loot containers every 5 feet it seemed like. Most of the stuff wasn't even useful. They could maybe increase how many materials are actually in the containers and remove about 75% of them.

Yeah that seems to be quite a common suggestion, so much of it is overkill as well, I think I have about 40 lockpicks and that's after trying to open 3 chests. Might start selling most of the stuff I get, seems like an easy way to get gold at the start of the game because I'm swimming in it the now and I haven't sold a single thing.

Where did you hear that they're trying to make a harsher game? And if they are they're already setting themselves up for failure. Not that I'm against challenge, I much prefer challenging games. I just dislike having some one steal my loot because of their unintuitive lock picking system or I happen to get stuck in combat while trying to mine something and some one else ends up taking the node from me.

 

Two other things... there are fast travel points everywhere and you can change to third person camera like any other mmo by scrolling out with the mouse wheel.

 

How are they setting themselves up for failure ? they're aiming at the skyrim crowd, not the WoW or GW crowd, they already have their games, there's nothign to be won by trying to be the same as another and steal their customers. more games have failed doing that than trying to be a niche. and there's a lot of players who are looking for a game that isn't easy mode, that actually rewards exploring, that makes you walk or ride around, not teleport from quest point to quest point in ever smaller maps so that there's always another quest around the corner with no travel . 

 

their intention with the game is obvious from the fact it's a skyrim game and form playing it. 

 

And while it does have fast travel, it's very limited akin to the original Vanguard game, not like the fast travel point at every quest location like all the other MMO's today, and the areas seems to be much larger as well requiring a lot more travel time to get places. making the place seem like a real place, not like a playground for fantasy warriors. 

 

Yes, I know there's 3rd person view, same third person should view they had in the last incarnation of SWG. that's not truly third person view, it's first person view where your eyes happen to have teleported behind you. it still plays like FPS. 

let me be the first one to state that the game has a Non Disclosure Agreement and you are not allowed to post any screenshots, video, story components, talen trees, skill sets, armor options, or any other information about the content of the game itself.

 

this is to protect you and our forum.

Neowin has nothing to do with the poster's NDA. If the poster(s) break(s) its NDA, that's not Neowin concern.

notsureifserious.svg

How are they setting themselves up for failure ? they're aiming at the skyrim crowd, not the WoW or GW crowd, they already have their games, there's nothign to be won by trying to be the same as another and steal their customers. more games have failed doing that than trying to be a niche. and there's a lot of players who are looking for a game that isn't easy mode, that actually rewards exploring, that makes you walk or ride around, not teleport from quest point to quest point in ever smaller maps so that there's always another quest around the corner with no travel . 

 

their intention with the game is obvious from the fact it's a skyrim game and form playing it. 

 

And while it does have fast travel, it's very limited akin to the original Vanguard game, not like the fast travel point at every quest location like all the other MMO's today, and the areas seems to be much larger as well requiring a lot more travel time to get places. making the place seem like a real place, not like a playground for fantasy warriors. 

 

Yes, I know there's 3rd person view, same third person should view they had in the last incarnation of SWG. that's not truly third person view, it's first person view where your eyes happen to have teleported behind you. it still plays like FPS. 

 

That's all good and well but the game doesn't play anything like Skyrim. The only similarities the games have is that they are both in the Elder Scrolls universe and that's about it.

 

I disagree about the rest, too. The first two areas at least don't feel all that big. You can run across them in 2 or 3 minutes and that's only going to get worse when you have access to mounts.

Im not reading anything here that sounds like a deal breaker...will be nice to get back into a more realistic environment, I just can't do the wow/gw/tor/ws art style anymore.  I liked AoC combat so using some of those similarities sounds alright too.

That's all good and well but the game doesn't play anything like Skyrim. The only similarities the games have is that they are both in the Elder Scrolls universe and that's about it.

 

I disagree about the rest, too. The first two areas at least don't feel all that big. You can run across them in 2 or 3 minutes and that's only going to get worse when you have access to mounts.

 

You certainly don't run from end to end on the dominion(I'm assuming they all start on the same island though...) in 2-3 minutes. 

The bugs they check and fix, are the bugs reported by their paid bug hunting and QnA team, that will perform use case scenarios for repeatability and test thousands of scenarios over and over again. these betas are pure demo PR.

Sorry, but paid QA teams will not come up with a situation for every scenario. :ermm:

Sorry, but paid QA teams will not come up with a situation for every scenario. :ermm:

 

That's why all MMO's release with bugs, and why every MMO launch the beta testers complain that the devs don't listen to them, because they don't since the few reports they do send are useless, un-repeatable, doesn't explain the parameters and are generally useless gibberish. 

That's why all MMO's release with bugs, and why every MMO launch the beta testers complain that the devs don't listen to them, because they don't since the few reports they do send are useless, un-repeatable, doesn't explain the parameters and are generally useless gibberish. 

Why MMOs release with bugs? MMOs release with bugs because there are too many to cover with a simple QnA team! Also, prioritization is a big thing. You don't fix questing issues before you fix stabilization issues and exploitations of the system.

 

Also, if you think the developers just go off of what's given to them from beta testers in a formal report, you're way off. Sometimes it's a matter of checking to see what's going on, regarding game balance, systems or mechanics that are broken, and so forth. There's no doubt they have access to various tools and resources to manage the game, players, etc. on the back end. Hell, chat systems are another great thing to monitor. You don't even necessarily need tools for that one, but simply be logged into the game to see everyone discussing a broken vendor giving away free items and such.

 

Just because some people take the term "beta" as a means of being a "sneak peak" doesn't mean others don't actually take this sort of stuff seriously. It's also worth noting that a game with millions of dollars behind it doesn't consist of devs just sitting on their bums because they got this far. There is still plenty of work to be done; beta is far from the end. At $60 a pop, $15 a month, they need to have this boat ready to sail or it's going to sink like Flagship Studios.

You certainly don't run from end to end on the dominion(I'm assuming they all start on the same island though...) in 2-3 minutes. 

 

I'm not aware of what the dominion is? Anyways, the first nord area after the tutorial area is Bleakrock and it has 1 teleport shrine thing in the middle and you can get to any other area of that map in 2 minutes. The second area is about the same size but it has 3 teleport shrines. I'm failing to see the point you were trying to make about fast travel. And as I said it's only going to be worse when we have mounts.

 

Maybe the higher level areas are bigger, I don't know. I'm only set to be moving onto the third area and probably won't make it further than that before the weekend ends.

 

And I'm still disliking that people can steal mining nodes from me or chests that I picked if my bags happen to be full or I get stuck in combat. That's already happened 5 or 6 times between yesterday and today and is very annoying.

And I'm still disliking that people can steal mining nodes from me or chests that I picked if my bags happen to be full or I get stuck in combat. That's already happened 5 or 6 times between yesterday and today and is very annoying.

I agree, if you start to use it first it should tell other players that the node or item is already in use.

Why MMOs release with bugs? MMOs release with bugs because there are too many to cover with a simple QnA team! Also, prioritization is a big thing. You don't fix questing issues before you fix stabilization issues and exploitations of the system.

 

 

ummm, yeah, that's what I said...

 

 

Also, if you think the developers just go off of what's given to them from beta testers in a formal report, you're way off. Sometimes it's a matter of checking to see what's going on, regarding game balance, systems or mechanics that are broken, and so forth. There's no doubt they have access to various tools and resources to manage the game, players, etc. on the back end. Hell, chat systems are another great thing to monitor. You don't even necessarily need tools for that one, but simply be logged into the game to see everyone discussing a broken vendor giving away free items and such.

 

Just because some people take the term "beta" as a means of being a "sneak peak" doesn't mean others don't actually take this sort of stuff seriously. It's also worth noting that a game with millions of dollars behind it doesn't consist of devs just sitting on their bums because they got this far. There is still plenty of work to be done; beta is far from the end. At $60 a pop, $15 a month, they need to have this boat ready to sail or it's going to sink like Flagship Studios.

 

There's a separate team monitoring the chat, that reports such issues up the chain to QnA or in game GMs who will investigate and inform devsor a higher level GM with the tools to fix the broken broker if they can't do it themselves, there's actually quite a few things high level GM's and QnA can do in the game with such things. 

  • 3 weeks later...
The Elder Scrolls Online won't require PS Plus, will require Xbox Live Gold

by Mike Suszek on Jan 28th 2014 11:00AM

 

The Elder Scrolls Online will not require a PlayStation Plus membership to play on PS4, ZeniMax Online Studios Game Director Matt Firor wrote in a PlayStation Blog update. Bethesda confirmed to Joystiq that the subscription-based MMORPG will require an Xbox Live Gold membership to play on Xbox One, however.

Bethesda was in talks with Microsoft to allow Xbox One owners to play the game online without the Live subscription in August. That was after Firor revealed the developer's decision to go with a monthly subscription for the game instead of moving to a free-to-play format. The Elder Scrolls Online will cost players $14.99 per month when it launches April 4 for PC and Mac with next-gen console versions following in June. The game was recently handed a Mature rating by the ESRB, to which Bethesda said it is "unwilling to change the game's content to achieve a different rating."

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-wont-require-ps-plus-will-require-xbo/

 

Any "beating the dead horse" comments won't be tolerated. News is news. Discuss it civilly or not at all.

The Elder Scrolls Online will not require a PlayStation Plus membership to play on PS4, ZeniMax Online Studios Game Director Matt Firor wrote in a PlayStation Blog update. Bethesda confirmed to Joystiq that the subscription-based MMORPG will require an Xbox Live Gold membership to play on Xbox One, however.

Bethesda was in talks with Microsoft to allow Xbox One owners to play the game online without the Live subscription in August. That was after Firor revealed the developer's decision to go with a monthly subscription for the game instead of moving to a free-to-play format. The Elder Scrolls Online will cost players $14.99 per month when it launches April 4 for PC and Mac with next-gen console versions following in June. The game was recently handed a Mature rating by the ESRB, to which Bethesda said it is "unwilling to change the game's content to achieve a different rating.

 

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-wont-require-ps-plus-will-require-xbo/

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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    • Hands-on with BOOX Tappy: cute little reading accessory by Taras Buria Page turners are quite popular accessories for e-readers, as they enable a hands-free reading experience, which is particularly useful with large readers featuring 10-inch or larger displays. The BOOX Tappy is a new accessory that was introduced earlier this year, and we took this cute-looking thingy for a spin. The Tappy comes in a small box, with two additional buttons and a user manual. The device is made of glossy green plastic and resembles old appliances from the nuclear age. Material quality is great, and each part feels quite premium. Plastic is high-quality, the switch is nice to flick, and the buttons are not rattly. At the bottom, four rubberized feet prevent slipping when used on a desk. Unfortunately, there are no color options, and the Tappy is only available in green. It looks good, but I wish there were other options as well. There are two removable buttons, an on/off switch, and an LED indicator that displays connection mode, charging status, and more. The buttons resemble those of an old typewriter, with quite a long travel distance and a pleasant clack. In the box, you have four buttons with different icons: heart, coffee, O, and X. You can easily swap buttons by simply pulling them upwards. Tip: buttons come with plastic covers, but they are quite tricky to remove. It is hard to call the Tappy the most ergonomic remote control, but after fiddling with it for a few hours, I managed to find a comfortable hand position. Attaching a lanyard to it can make it more comfortable in use without the fear of dropping it, but unfortunately, the Tappy does not come with one. The Tappy connects via Bluetooth 5.2, and it works in three modes, which you can toggle by pressing and holding both buttons for about five seconds: Reading Mode Multimedia Mode Browsing Mode Next / Previous page Next / Previous Track Up / Down scroll If you pair the Tappy with a BOOX device (I tested it with the BOOX Go 10.5 Gen 2 Lumi), you will get small pop-ups indicating the current mode. Plus, you can customize what each button does when pressed one time, two times, or held for a few seconds. The list of available actions and features you can use is massive, and I like that BOOX lets you map stuff like brightness adjustment, app launching, screenshot-taking, screen rotating, navigation, and more. Note, however, that while you can use the Tappy with other readers, its customization is only available on BOOX devices running firmware version 4.2 and newer. I could not connect the Tappy to my computer (Windows 11 claims a driver error when I try), but it worked with the DuRoBo Krono that I recently reviewed. My Kindle Paperwhite refused to work with the Tappy, though, just like my iPhone. The Tappy uses a non-removable Li-Ion battery, which can be recharged with a Type-C cable. BOOX rates the remote for "weeks of use," and I can say that it indeed has very good battery life. While there are no battery indicators on the remote, you can see the current level in the status bar or in Input settings in the BOOX firmware. After a few days of active use, mine still shows about 95%. Overall, the Tappy left a nice impression. It is well-made, and the integration with BOOX devices is great. I also like that BOOX decided to have some fun with its design and swappable buttons. I cannot say I am a fan of its odd shape, though. Still, I managed to find a way to use it comfortably. And when not in use, it just looks neat sitting on the table doing nothing or serving you as a small clacky fidget. Buy BOOX Tappy - $29.99 on Amazon US As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • AdGuard Family lifetime deal now only $14.97 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted Neowin Deal comes via our Apps + Software section, where you can get a lifetime subscription and save 91% on a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan. AdGuard is a unique program that has all the necessary features for what they claim to be "the best web experience." The software combines the an advanced ad blocker, a privacy protection module, and a parental control tool—all working in one app. This software deals with annoying ads, hides your data from a multitude of trackers, protects you from malware attacks, and even lets you restrict your kids from accessing inappropriate content. Install AdGuard and see the internet as it was supposed to be: clean and safe. Get rid of annoying banners, pop-ups & video ads once and for all Hide your data from the multitude of trackers & activity analyzers that swarm the web Avoid fraudulent and phishing website and malware attacks Protect your kids online by restricting them from accessing inappropriate & adult content Good to know Family Plan Length of access: lifetime This plan is only available to new users Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Max number of devices: 9 Access options: desktop & mobile Software version: AdGuard Family Updates included A lifetime subscription of AdGuard Family Plan normally costs $169.99, but this deal can be yours for just $14.97, that's a saving of $157.02. For full terms, specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this AdGuard Family lifetime deal for just $14.97 (was $169.99) Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support! Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • Sadly "beats Steam Machine" isn't much of a brag.
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