Part of the hands on experience with The Elder Scrolls Online involved character creation. In our latest article covering our time with TESO, we take a look at that and more. Read on!

As everyone reading this can attest to, how attached you become to an MMORPG often relies on how customizable your characters are.  In Elder Scrolls Online, though you won’t be “making” your class as you go along as in Skyrim, you will have quite extensive control over just how your character plays and what he or she excels at doing.  With a limited amount of skills available at any one time, and the fact that every class can wear any armor or wield any weapon, what you wind up with is a metric ton of combinations that I’m glad I don’t have to “balance” myself.  In this part of our week-long coverage of ESO, we’ll dive into the character customization from creation to leveling and beyond.  Be sure to leave a comment on what you think of ESO’s progression so far.

Read more of Bill Murphy's The Elder Scrolls Online: Making Your Character Your Own.

I'm reading the text and looking at the images, and thinking... This is Guild Wars 2!

Why on earth would you take a successful single player game, and try to drag it through the MMO market, if just to try to cash in on the "online craze".

This market is already over saturated with exactly this type of game already. Trying to make Elder Scrolls something it's not, is a disservice to the fans and franchise.

Originally posted by NameWasTaken

I'm reading the text and looking at the images, and thinking... This is Guild Wars 2!

Why on earth would you take a successful single player game, and try to drag it through the MMO market, if just to try to cash in on the "online craze".

This market is already over saturated with exactly this type of game already. Trying to make Elder Scrolls something it's not, is a disservice to the fans and franchise.

Actually I feel that this will have more in progression terms than GW2, as that basically stops when you get the skills you want, you just get stronger in your preferred build and disregard the rest (unless you pay some hefty coin).

As for the online part, I must say I'm happy with it. I clocked a total of 49,5 hours in Skyrim and that's more than I've been able to get than any other single player game in the past 8 years or so. I really like online games and talking to other people (even on the internet), so I'm happy to see more online games :P And if the game is as good as the single player ones, then I'll be playing :) Also keep in mind that MMORPG is a totally different genre than SPRPG, so there are a lot of things going to be different, which is something people aren't willing to accept. I guess this'll go the same way as SWTOR. In SWTOR it was about heavy instancing, not being able to see other people. Here it's people see other people who actually are in a different version of the world (based on their quest decisions), so boo hoo.

So basicaly the same old....everything is about "progression" model that almost every other MMO does to death?

You know, I really wish there were some MMO's that came out with... "Progression isn't a major focus of our game".... so you get to level 10 or 20...max out, no gear grind and everything else was about exploring the game world and adventuring for the sake of adventuring..not getting your next .01 percent bonus point thingy.

You're not really right at all, as far as I'm concerned.

The single player TES games are a seperate endeavour from this MMO, using a different team and studio. That team is currently working on TESV DLC and FO4, and won't even be considering another TES game for at least 4-5 years.

This team, which comprises mostly of new hires from the MMO world, is a different group all together. Whilst they have interactions with the Bethesda team, and access to the same game bibles, lore and assets, they're not adding to or taking away from anything Bethesda are going to or are likely to do.

So fans, if anything, have potentially gained. I know a lot of people who like the TES lore but dislike the gameplay (much preferring MMOs). TESO will undoubtedly draw a whole new tract of people to the franchise, and won't be detracting from the single player games. And if you don't wish to play it, you don't have to.

Furthermore, it's a lot more built up and developed than GW2. There are a fair few elements that are different. Progression for reasons being one of them ;D The spell system seems interesting. The combat system actually seems like it may be, if they don't cock it up, quite engaging.

Originally posted by GrumpyMel2

So basicaly the same old....everything is about "progression" model that almost every other MMO does to death?

You know, I really wish there were some MMO's that came out with... "Progression isn't a major focus of our game".... so you get to level 10 or 20...max out, no gear grind and everything else was about exploring the game world and adventuring for the sake of adventuring..not getting your next .01 percent bonus point thingy.

 

 

Aha.

I find the entire criticism about progression amusing, especially when it isn't actually well thought out or properly worded.

This game sounds like Darkfall, but with a level cap for your HP/Mana/Stam.  That is pretty cool.  You are always advancing in some aspect.  Plus the fact you can change your specs anytime, allows for not feeling trapped in the path you took.

But, here is the question... What happens when you put on Heavy, Medium, Light and cloth armor all at the same time?  Do you raise them all up at the same rate?

I am actually liking the idea of things.

But the most important thing is, what will the PvP model look like?  This will make or break any MMO.

Making MY Character MY own would mean that once I pick my Race/Gender I am free to choose which faction I want to join and what skills/abilities I want to learn.

NOT being forced into a Faction and  shoehorned into a premade Class

DAOC2...errr I mean TESO doesnt allow for that type of freedom

Originally posted by dotdotdash

That team is currently working on TESV DLC and FO4, and won't even be considering another TES game for at least 4-5 years.

Uh, slight exagerration.  The next TES game is due out in 4 years if they keep to the same timetable they've had the last 3 games.  Wouldn't be surprised if we see it in 3.  FO4 probably in 1-2, at which point they will immediately be beyond considering and in full development mode for the next TES.

Originally posted by PyrateLV

Making MY Character MY own would mean that once I pick my Race/Gender I am free to choose which faction I want to join and what skills/abilities I want to learn.

NOT being forced into a Faction and  shoehorned into a premade Class

 

DAOC2...errr I mean TESO doesnt allow for that type of freedom

 

omg the dreaded shoehorn.  overdramatic much?  I wouldn't be surprised if they let you switch factions in the future, but this way makes more sense lore-wise for now.

Yeah, I don't even really like feeling the need to grind out all the weapon skills for each weapon on my toons in GW2.

I like the part about branching skills and unlocking more as you use a weapon more, because I really liked how they did it with skills like Block and Archery in Skyrim...

But if we're talking 2-3 skills per weapon I'm going to be sad.

I want at LEAST 50 levels with a half dozen or more skills per weapon.

And why does a Shield always always always have to be a 100% defensive weapon for defensive (tank) builds?

Has any game developer ever seen 300? Troy? Seriously...

How/why in RPGs is a Sword + Shield any less effective offensively than a 2H or dual wield?

Originally posted by BadSpock

...

How/why in RPGs is a Sword + Shield any less effective offensively than a 2H or dual wield?

As a weapon a shield is less effective than a sword.  You can damage with it, stun someone with it etc...  The real issue is that in games defense isn't as important as it is in the real world.  In games you aren't likely going to get one shot by much, so taking a few hits is no big deal if you can kill them fast enough is an option.  In the real world you can very easily get "one shot" and thus the role of the shield is quite a bit more important.  I think it is hard to translate this aspect to games and keep them fun.

Originally posted by Ferrark
Why do not try only make a co-op modes on s ingle players game? dreams

1000000000000000x better idea that create a mmo...

Originally posted by BadSpock

Yeah, I don't even really like feeling the need to grind out all the weapon skills for each weapon on my toons in GW2.

I like the part about branching skills and unlocking more as you use a weapon more, because I really liked how they did it with skills like Block and Archery in Skyrim...

But if we're talking 2-3 skills per weapon I'm going to be sad.

I want at LEAST 50 levels with a half dozen or more skills per weapon.

And why does a Shield always always always have to be a 100% defensive weapon for defensive (tank) builds?

Has any game developer ever seen 300? Troy? Seriously...

How/why in RPGs is a Sword + Shield any less effective offensively than a 2H or dual wield?

All rpgs except DS