Come Join SNR on Elder Scrolls!

Hey, all you SNR fans, if you play The Elder Scrolls Online, come join us. We have a guild so message @Dibble6891 or @Starkiller2467. Anyone can join and we fight for the Dominion....Lord be with the Queen. LETS TAKE TAMRIEL!

Topics: Subscription based MMO’s

Zach Goodier

As a fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I have been mulling over the new direction of the franchise since the announcement of ESO, and while I definitely think this game has a lot of potential, it also made me wonder why I have failed to jump on board with subscription-based games before now, such as WOW.  While I don’t deny the quality of these games, it has generally been a genre that I’ve avoided.  While I have dabbled in free-to-play MMO’s, they generally fall into a dynamic of “free to play, but pay to win” type of games.  So, here’s a look at why I’ve found subscription-based games difficult to get into.

Paying potentially over a hundred of dollars to play a game.

Alright, first off, let’s break this down a bit.  First, you buy a game, let’s say for $40, but the initial price doesn’t matter.  Sure, it seems like a deal compared to the $60 standard for most games, and they generally come with coupons or codes for at least 1 month of game time, but then it jumps to $15/mo. (the accepted standard now).  Ok, still not too bad, but if you want to reach the level cap, you either have to play non-stop for a couple weeks, or dabble in the game for months, paying $15 for each month just to keep your account active so you can hop on. For some, they can easily get their money’s worth out of these games, and that’s great.  But for gamers who are less than obsessive, this can be a difficulty. 

As new content is released in the months following release, you have to keep paying the subscription fee just to be able to enjoy it.  And sure, most MMO’s end up going free after a while, they can still rack up a hefty bill in the meantime, and you will end up likely spending over $100 before you end up having the game go free, which is a lot higher than the $60 game you thought you were so smart to avoid.

You still often have a lot of items that require money.

Let’s face it, all MMO’s will likely have items you need to pay to have.  However, I will admit that most subscription MMO’s avoid hoarding all the great items for either single-payments or the notorious “VIP” packages and what-not.  In subscription-based games, they usually limit it to cosmetic items, like outfits and appearance packs, but they still make sure the stylish stuff is held back for a nominal fee. 

Want that pet Direwolf (or whatever) pet you've had you eye on, well shell out the dough, amigo.

Closing Thoughts.

I don’t want you to read this and think I detest subscription-based games online.  In fact, I think they’re a great idea, in theory.  If the rate was $10/mo, I might even think about some of them.  However, as a gamer who finds himself without an abundance of time to enjoy his games, I find subscription fees too steep for a person who only has bulk game time on weekends here and there.  This article is mainly an explanation of the weaker points of subscription-based games.  As more and more of my favorite franchises (Elder Scrolls, Knights of the Old Republic) have turned towards MMO’s for the future of their games, I find myself feeling alienated from many of my favorite franchises. However, Elder Scrolls Online might be the game to convert me.  Depending on the pricing of their subscriptions, as well as the reviews on how the game turned out, I might give it a shot.  

I hope ESO is the game to convert me, but subscription fees are a hefty hurdle to overcome in justifying the purchase.

In the News: Elder Scrolls Online Class/Race Selection, PLUS PvP footage

Zach Goodier

In the news... We have some ESO footage from IGN, showcasing the alliances and race system.  Alliances each have 3 races, but you are free to customize classes as you see fit.  However, like other games in the franchise, certain races are geared towards certain classes.  PLUS, the class system currently doesn't have all that much variety. While I'm sure there will be more, you get a general idea that classes are going to fit more into the MMO conventions that you're likely used to as an Elder Scrolls player.

PvP looks to be very interesting, however, as there is a lot more going on strategically than simple abilities and traits among the team, but controlling positions has a lot more significance than simply gaining points or the like.  Seiges look to provide hours of fun, challenging attackers while keeping the defenders working tirelessly to try to impede or repel the attackers.  However, it seems like certain alliances will likely gain a strong advantage early on, unless some other element is introduced to preserve balance between alliances.  

I'm still hesitant to invest the money, myself.  While the game does look impressive, I will likely be waiting to see the reviews and what deals might be out there before I commit (money doesn't grow on trees, ya know?). While I still have some reservations about the direction of this installment in the series, I hope it all comes together and provides the epic Elder Scrolls experience that many fans, myself included, hope to see released.

The Elder Scrolls Online - The Arrival Cinematic Trailer

Zach Goodier

Hey guys, have a new Elder Scrolls Online trailer for you.  It's been up for the last couple of days, but I'm sharing it in case anyone out there has missed it.  This introduces what looks to be the main conflict in the game aside from the apparent PvP driven faction conflicts.  Apparently, some form of deadra come into Tamriel and introduce an undead plague in their brief incursion into our world.  While this is a new concept to the Elder Scrolls games, there are a pair of novels that already delved into a similar type of concept.  

These books, titled "The Elder Scrolls: The Infernal City" and "Elder Scrolls: Lord of Souls" are a 2-part story involving a city that crosses over into Tamriel from Oblivion, and creates an army of undead servants that begin wreaking havoc, and eventually attack the Imperial City.  This concept seems to have either served as inspiration for this games conflict, or it is all entirely coincidental, which seems an odd coincidence.  The books are set between the Oblivion Crisis and the return of the dragons, so this game couldn't be cover this event since the setting is centuries before either of the games take place.  

I'm interested to hear more of the villains, and just how they fit into the story, quests, and the game as a whole.  It could be interesting to band together with rivals to fight these deadra, and their undead army.  It could also be interesting to compete with rivals to be the first to resolve this crisis and destroy them.  The potential dynamic between reluctant allies or bitter rivals against a common foe could provide a great deal of entertainment and excitement as the game unfolds, but we still have a bit of a wait until the game releases, so we'll just have to see.

In the News: Elder Scrolls Online Subscription Fee

Zach Goodier

The Elder Scrolls Online, which I was hoping to have a free-to-play model, with payed extras to help fund the servers, is now going to adopt a monthly subscription fee of $15.  This is a disappointment, as I have been hoping that MMO's would start adopting the free-to-play model, with paid costumes and extras to supply the company.  Many successful games now tempt players to try the game by being free, and once the player invests they can then pay for credits to purchase costumes, weapons, or other offered extras for players to enjoy and personalize their characters.  I can see why TESO might benefit from the monthly fee in terms of making content fair and balanced, not favoring the person with the biggest wallet; however, this monthly free will cost the gamers a lot just to play, and will likely alienate a lot of people, much like Star Wars: The Old Republic did.  Only time will tell, however, and we will be able to see more of what our money will be buying us.

In the News: TES Online gameplay preview

Video source: IGN

Zach Goodier

Since we are already talking about The Elder Scrolls franchise today, particularly its' brilliant past, let's discuss the future of the franchise, shall we?  This is a gameplay feature showing the character creation, 1st person update, and dungeon raiding with the party, as well as discussing some of the details about the alliances that exist within this game world.  I'm excited about the 1st person being included, since this is an Elder Scrolls game; however, if that isn't your cup of tea, 3rd person is still included.  Skills are also looking cool, since you can "morph" abilities to suit your game style.  I love that classes are not set in stone, making characters seem much more versatile than they do in older MMO's.  I will be eagerly anticipating this game's release next year so that I can finally see if Bethesda can keep up the momentum, and make another gaming masterpiece.

In the News: Bethesda Announces Elder Scrolls Anthology

Zach Goodier

Bethesda is going to release EVERY Elder Scrolls title ever made, along with DLC, for the price of $79.99.  While that is definitely not a small chunk of change, what you get for it is unbelievable: almost 20 years worth of one of the coolest video game franchises out there.  As of right now, it's only confirmed for PC, and I believe it is likely to stay that way.  Still, getting all 5 main games, loaded with all DLC content, is a pretty cool deal.  This edition also includes the maps for every region ever explored in the games, and has some cool looking box art as well.

I'm happy to see that Bethesda is celebrating one of their most beloved franchises, and I may consider picking this up once I get an updated PC that can tackle Skyrim on ultra settings.  This set is going to be released September 10th in the US, and the 13th in Europe.  Don't be surprised if the site stops posting for the next year or so, that just means that I'm busy playing through the set, and might need some help keeping myself fed.

The Elder Scrolls Online - The Alliances Cinematic Trailer

While there's a lot of looking ahead to the future of consoles and some of the new and returning franchises that we know and love, I just wanted to take a minute and share the cinematic trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online.  While the beta had some mixed opinions, Bethesda is working hard to make sure the game is everything we hope for by the time it releases.  While I am somewhat cautious with my optimism, I would love to see the Elder Scrolls setting take off as an MMO, as long is it can preserve the sense of independence and scale that the single-player installments have done.  My biggest concern is that the world won't quite feel as big and wondrous when it's packed with players.  That being said, I still relish the idea of being able to dungeon dive with some friends, and having that co-operative gameplay to enjoy.  Here's hoping that this turns out to be everything we hope.


Stay Nerdy my Friends,
Zach