Why I think Elder Scrolls Online has great potential

[Padwolf]

I'm excited for it, I think it looks like it has great potential. I will judge for sure when I play it. I really really hope that is soon. I want to get into the beta so much!

 

[Apointicus]

The combat controls is probably going to consist of (as of Alpha Build) most/a bit of the standard Elder scrolls controls we know of along with MMO controls, so LMB Attack or a Power Attack by holding the button, RMB to block and possibly dodge and 5 ability Hotbars with another Hotbar for an "ultimate ability." This game will most likely use the standard ES resource system, which is a Health Bar, Magicka Bar and a Stamina Bar, so Melee attacking (i think) and sprinting (Yes, you can sprint) will decrease your stamina. Presumably Melee Abilities will use Stamina while Casters will use Magicka as their main source pool but I do not know. The devs are trying to make combat Elder Scrolls-like as much as possible and I think that, if they keep with that formula, it'll be fun and best of all, it will possibly work.

The one question I have about The Elder Scrolls Online:

What can it possibly offer that other MMOs haven't been offering for years? The talk about a mega server is just talk, perhaps it's be best to get excited about it WHEN WE SEE IT WORK PROPERLY IN ACTION.

I'm not just excited because of the "Mega Server," they're many reasons as to why I am (The mega server to me is a convenience change if that makes sense) Though I agree to you saying that we should wait until a Beta Event comes. As for what can it offer? A different type of MMO. (Its probably going to be way different than WoW and possibly GW2)

Er--- what? So you're actually looking forward to more of that tedious mash buttons->chug health potions->rinse and repeat -combat? Well, to each their own, but I think most people will agree that combat in the TES games has always been at best alright, and is nothing to strive forward to. If anything, they should try to revamp the combat system and move it away from the previous iterations while keeping the few innovations they've had over the years (like dual wielding in Skyrim).

And in what way is it going to be way different from WoW or GW? No good/evil factions? No classes (well, that would actually be expected)? No guilds? Something else in their place?

In that regard, isn't Skyrim + other ES games the same thing?

(Examples are based on Skyrim GP)
If you're a warrior generally you just mash your LMB, power attacking if you wish, block and chug a health potion or alternatively run away and use a restoration spell when low on HP. Rinse and repeat.

As a mage, you just generally keep your distance, hold LMB and RMB together and hurl spells at people, if you're low on HP just cast the most powerful restoration spell, rinse and repeat.

Archers are most probably the most offensive when it comes to being "tedious," Sneak, shoot arrows, if spotted (which is almost NEVER the case when you get a high sneak level, most Archers tend to level that up for obvious reasons,) run away (or just use a blade if the NPC's low on HP,) shoot arrows when at a good distance. once again, rinse and repeat

Sure you can customize what you can do in Skyrim like be a hybrid warrior/archer or warrior/mage and spice things up, sure that I'm not always going to use the same tedious tactics that I've used in almost every single fight in the game, but despite that I did just use the same "tedious" tactic, over and over, in almost 98% of fights with 3 characters that're decently high leveled and played differently than the other.

I agree with you that TES:O's combat will most likely be tedious, hell maybe even more so than TES:O's predecessors, but most of the combat in other ES games to me were far off from not being tedious.

And quite frankly, I really don't mind it. Like you said, "To each their own." Oh, And its not just the combat I'm excited for. They're a lot of things about TES:O that im excited for.

As for it being different than WoW or GW2, I was saying (I'm sure i was, i swear!) the combat will most likely be different than those two games and as far as I've heard I'm pretty sure Guilds are going to be different as well, but i'm not so sure about it.