In line with the launch of the exceptional MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, mein-mmo.de presents you with an in-depth look at the graphics, quests, and PvP of TESO.
As this would be a bit much for a single tester, two newly recruited gamers will also take a look.
The Graphics of The Elder Scrolls Online
From the first images of the concept art, it was clear that Zenimax would be orienting itself towards the graphics of The Elder Scrolls series. Compared to the comic style prevalent in many MMORPGs, this is a significant change. Typically, MMORPGs prefer straightforward graphics that can run on older PCs and guarantee players clarity and high frame rates. After all, MMORPG players are not necessarily known for having high-end computers. Those are more common among gamers who prefer shooter or adventure games.
Designed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
TESO, on the other hand, will be the first major MMORPG developed for the next-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Console owners want to see their hardware put to good use. Fans of the single-player series also expect The Elder Scrolls Online to deliver the typical Skyrim aesthetic.
The graphics of The Elder Scrolls Online look fantastic. Although there are still inconsistencies in the details, overall the world feels atmospheric, dense, and invites the eye to linger. A monumental leap compared to WildStar or World of Warcraft.
Resource-Hungry or Eye Candy?
D4rkh4xx0r93: On my rig, I have to set all details to low and even then it still stutters. As soon as I go to medium, the frame rates drop. How am I supposed to raid or do PvP like this? 800 Euros for a new PC? That’s just not an option! And I can’t stand the UI either. No mini-map, no HP display, nothing. Hopefully, there will be addons soon!
Related to the topic: Is Skyrim UI sufficient for TESO?
Gilreon Birkblatt: *smiles* I haven’t been able to notice any frame drops on my PC, and it’s already a year old. Admittedly, it wasn’t cheap back then. I enjoy getting close to my counterpart in taverns or out in nature to see their face. Sometimes I just look up to admire the sky over Tamriel.
Graphics Will Endure
Minimum System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP 32-bit.
Processor: Dual-core processor 2.0 GHz or comparable.
Memory: 2 GB RAM.
Disk Space: 60 GB of free space.
Graphics Card: at least 512 MB RAM and support for DirectX 9.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 8800, ATI Radeon 2600 or better).
Schuhmann: Players with a high-end PC will get the full experience, but even on a mid-range computer, The Elder Scrolls Online is a real treat for the eyes.
Some pessimists argue that a comic style remains timeless, while a realistic style quickly becomes outdated … but that seems rather far-fetched for the graphics of TESO.
Such objections might have been justified with pixel graphics ten years ago, but considering how much better The Elder Scrolls Online looks now, it is unlikely to improve much in the future. (When we are all clad in VR gear wandering through an augmented reality jungle in ten years, I will regret saying that!)
The Quests and Tasks: Not Skyrim, but MMORPG Reality
In terms of quests, TESO differs significantly from Skyrim and other current single-player RPGs. The impact of player decisions does not have overwhelming significance in the world of Tamriel.
Quest trajectories are isolated, and the moral ambiguity currently found in single-player titles is conspicuously absent. Many quests represent a compromise to the well-known “go here and kill twenty X” or “bring me a Y” tasks from MMORPGs.
An audience coming from single-player titles may be disappointed by the depth of the quests. Here, the MMORPG is in charge.
Currently, there are problems primarily with group quests and phasing. When one player has already completed a quest, they see the world differently than their group members. This makes it difficult to quest together.
This article goes into more detail: Elder Scrolls Online – A snowflake between World of Warcraft and Skyrim
Fully Voiced and Well-Written
Gilreon Birkblatt says: I can easily dispel the concerns that some have about the quests in the game. What has yet to be mentioned is that all tasks are fully voiced and excellently written. This way, I can lean back at regular intervals and experience how a great story unfolds before my eyes, allowing me to forget my stressful workday *smiles*.
D4rkh4xx0r93: I’ve seen better elsewhere. Ten people are standing around a spawn point waiting for a mob to spawn? In 2014 still? Really? TESO is just one or two generations behind. And when I’m 50, am I just supposed to do the quests of the other factions? Sounds totally like 2008, man!
Quests are the Baggage of Many MMORPGs
Schuhmann: Quests are simply part of an MMORPG, even if they seem increasingly like a relic from the past that needs to be shaken off each year. Especially the somewhat sluggish start of the game could prove to be a mood killer. After level 15, the tasks gradually pick up pace, and the world opens up more and more.
I’m afraid that later there will be content problems. I can’t see how Zenimax will regularly provide content once the initial tasks have been exhausted. Since players will have to do the quests of the other factions in the endgame, the replay value with a twink from the other faction will drastically diminish.
The PvP: Steak or Salmon?
In PvP, The Elder Scrolls Online differs significantly from the competition. Instead of battlegrounds or arenas, there will be a vast zone where the three factions will battle each other. Thanks to the mega-server, there is guaranteed to always be something happening.
Which is a good thing: The zone is enormous, and the action could easily get lost like 200 visitors in a gigantic football stadium.
About Battles and Emperors
In PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online, it’s not about the success of the individual, but about the greater good: Which faction can claim dominion over the capital city of Cyrodiil?
Since the discontinuation of Warhammer Online, a significant gap has emerged concerning PvP of this magnitude.
King Ding-a-ling
Gilreon Birkblatt: I’ve kept away from player-versus-player zones in other games. In Tamriel, I will try my luck this time. However, I don’t expect too much from it. Although it would be nice to be an emperor once *smirks*.
D4rkh4xx0r93 (murmurs to himself): King D4rkh4xx0r93, terror of all noobs! I like the sound of that!
Schuhmann: It’s a strange concept to outfit TESO with a realm-versus-realm zone reminiscent of Dark Age of Camelot. Will players coming from single-player games embrace such a concept?
Such a zone and such a form of PvP target team-oriented, MMORPG-experienced, and mature players. However, power gamers also prefer a constant stream of challenges.
How exactly this PvP fits with the PvE is also a mystery to me. The Elder Scrolls Online remains an exciting mix.
Conclusion
First, let’s wait and see
D4rkh4xx0r93: (still murmuring contemplatively) King D4rkh4xx0r93… I just don’t know. The monthly costs put me off, and the preliminary reports weren’t that great either. None of my friends play it; they’re all playing the new Diablo expansion. Maybe I’ll wait half a year to see if it’s already free-to-play. I’ll wait for the reviews. But then again… a nightblade with a bow…
The Future Lies in PvP
Schuhmann: Hand on heart, I have no idea whether the game will be successful or not. The name “The Elder Scrolls Online” will ensure full servers at the beginning. I think opening up to console players has been a coup for the game.
A lot will depend on whether the PvP is as exciting and balanced as it has been in the endgame of other games. Experience shows that balancing PvP is extremely difficult and ridding it of frustrating bugs. If the PvP is fun, ignites the players’ ambition, and triggers a craving effect, then TESO will be a resounding success.
I see a bleak long-term future for the PvE in The Elder Scrolls Online. That’s not a popular opinion. But simply the idea of making players go through the content of the other factions after reaching max level feels strangely improvised to me. When the next single-player title from The Elder Scrolls is released, it will be interesting to see how the game evolves.
Although even a skeptic must say: 60 Euros for 2 months of fun – until you reach max level and have seen most of it… I don’t think I’ll regret the investment.
What does the community think? The Forum Overview – with open ears in the taverns of Tamriel.
Can’t wait any longer!
Gilreon Birkblatt: Only seven days left *hum* and I will make my way to Tamriel. During the past beta weekends, I’ve increasingly fallen in love with the game and my imperial dragon knight. I have already found like-minded individuals in a guild, and we will tackle the game together.
I think my anticipation will not be disappointed *smiles*.
Co-Authors:
Currently, he is attending vocational school, but only until his Let’s Play channel finally gets the attention it deserves.
Please no jokes about his name. There’s a story behind that, and if you knew it, you would understand!
Professionally, he is a police sergeant and has virtually married four times, adopted twelve children, and been divorced three times. Rumor has it that things are not going well between him and his fourth virtual partner! She wants to play Aldmeri, while he feels committed to the Daggerfall Covenant.
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