April has been a turbulent month for AAA titles: While the genre leader World of Warcraft is currently hibernating for its two-year break and preparing for the next expansion, The Elder Scrolls Online has gone through a turbulent debut month. An update has caused a stir for Guild Wars 2, and WildStar is heading down the home stretch.
The MMORPG calendar year is packed, and the big titles are vying for a window in which they can capture players’ attention or create a stir. The market’s biggest title, the 400-pound gorilla World of Warcraft, ultimately remains the fixed star by which others are guided.
The date for the next expansion has not yet been set, but it is generally expected to be at the end of September. Two titles are in direct competition to establish themselves on the market by then: The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar. Both rely on the subscription model, which was considered dead until recently. But Guild Wars 2 is also doing well in its second year.
In our column “State of Play,” we take a look at the three contenders for the MMORPG throne. Who has gained ground, who shows weaknesses, and which title can take advantage of World of Warcraft’s slumber?
The Elder Scrolls Online: Great potential but some launch difficulties
The Elder Scrolls Online is the title with the greatest renown among the challengers. After all, the Elder Scrolls franchise has a huge single-player tradition behind it. The release at the beginning of the month attracted many players. It occurred in three waves: Heroes were allowed into Tamriel five days and three days before the actual release. The initial reaction was positive: No MMORPG launch had gone as smoothly as this one so far, people heard everywhere.
But that was just the calm before the storm. Now, at the end of the month, The Elder Scrolls Online is undergoing its fourth mini-crisis and revealing some issues. However, this should always be put into perspective: Often, only a loud minority creates a negative impression because they shout particularly loudly. Nonetheless, The Elder Scrolls Online is still a long way from a PR miracle or choirs of jubilation.
At the beginning of the month, players complained about issues when starting the free first month, for which they needed a valid payment method. This led to a reprimand for the manufacturer Zenimax from the consumer protection agency. Later, players were mostly disturbed by some dead-end quests that affected gameplay enjoyment. Gold sellers, botters, and speed hackers made many honest players despair. The dupe exploit caused stress over Easter; currently, the forums are heated because some overpowered abilities in PvP threaten to run amok.
Variety of skills leads to a multitude of problems
These problems stem partly from the fact that TESO could have used a bit more development time. But they also arise because The Elder Scrolls Online is taking some interesting paths.
With a modular skill system, players can build their heroes from a whole set of skills. The choice of class, weapon, and armor provides the foundation.
Additionally, there are optional skill lines and bonus abilities when, for example, becoming a vampire. Especially the Ultimate ability of the vampire, which charges too quickly because an AE ability requires too little mana and affects too many targets, currently creates a “bomb” atmosphere in the PvP area of Cyrodiil.
This multitude of skills is wonderful for anyone who wants to leave the rigid lines of an MMORPG. On the other hand, it is a nightmare to ever balance or make every skill function as intended.
Meta-Critic score in the yellow zone, 70% still want to extend
Zenimax is not burying its head in the sand about all the problems and issues but is addressing each difficulty anew. Complaints about an overwhelmed support team appeared soon after, but gradually the manufacturer is regaining the trust of fans.
Bots are now being directly killed by Gamemasters; unjustly banned players received their access back within hours, and the dupe exploits have been fixed. According to recent reports, players who lost their items due to inventory issues have been compensated with large amounts of gold.
If one compiles all of the criticisms from worldwide gaming magazines, it results in no particularly spectacular score. However, in our survey asking players whether they wanted to extend their subscription, 70% of 450 voters said “Yes”.
Surveys on reddit or other magazines run similarly. The game provides such a great deal of content and long-term enjoyment that it is simply too alluring. It also surely helps that there are no other competitors waiting in the wings for May.
The outlook
The Elder Scrolls Online divides the audience. Those who play it intensively and proceed to the higher areas often notice bugs and encounter issues that considerably hinder gameplay enjoyment. Those who have had negative experiences with some early issues or had different expectations of the game are also not pleased.
However, those who embrace the TESO experience, accept the game as it is, and can overlook the early issues can gain much enjoyment from The Elder Scrolls Online.
At the beginning of May, when players have to decide whether to extend their subscription, the first major content update is due. By the end of May, however, Zenimax urgently needs to address the biggest problems. They are on the right path.
MMORPGs never launch without issues, but such a wise realization doesn’t help during frustrating moments.
Guild Wars 2: Mega-servers cause mega-frustration
The Buy-to-Play MMORPG Guild Wars 2 had announced a major feature update for April. It was supposed to bring mainly “Quality of Life” improvements: an account-wide wardrobe, a streamlined skill system, and other goodies. However, it also introduced the mega-server, which created some challenges that threaten to overshadow the success of the update.
Guild Wars 2 and the problem with the “Oomph”
Guild Wars 2 is in a unique position. It does not rely on large, paid expansions but consistently releases content throughout the year in the form of connected events. However, this also means the game lacks an “oomph” moment that comes with an expansion, which could entice lapsed players to look back into the game.
The April update, which we have already presented in detail was supposed to create just such an “oomph” moment, until the mega-server came.
For weeks, individual details of the feature patch were unveiled to create an atmosphere of excitement. But when forums are flooded with threads like “What has happened to my game?” in the days after a patch, it seems the goal may have been somewhat missed.
Language confusion, event issues, and an overcrowded world?
With the introduction of mega-servers, the intention was to ensure that every corner of the world feels lively and vibrant, so players never feel like they are playing on a ghost server. The result is, however, not well received by all players, to put it mildly.
Guilds are now struggling to come together for guild events, there is language confusion, some zones feel overcrowded, world boss events end in disconnects, and many are quite angry at ArenaNet.
ArenaNet admitted some difficulties and promised to continue working on the exact mechanisms. It remains to be seen what will come of all this.
Perspective
When a heavily promoted patch leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth, it is hard to talk about a feeling of renewal. As is often the case, it is impossible to say what the player base “really” thinks of an issue and how many players agree with the changes but do not speak out about it.
Unfortunately, our impression is that Guild Wars 2 has missed an opportunity to take a step forward. Especially when it comes to sensitive topics like the sense of community in a guild, many players react much more sensitively than when merely a value is moved up or down by two points. In managing the “crisis,” we believe ArenaNet has also lacked some tact.
The situation and discussion are still ongoing. The game will likely not suffer lasting damage. However, it has not exactly gained points either.
The biggest competitor to Guild Wars 2 at the moment is surely The Elder Scrolls Online, where there are parallels, especially in PvP. However, in Guild Wars 2, no subscription fee is necessary, allowing the game to continuously invite players back when other games do not meet player expectations and are not worth 12 euros a month.
WildStar: Just 5 weeks left, yet relatively little to hear
The SF MMORPG WildStar will be unleashed onto the world at the beginning of June. It is the stark contrast to The Elder Scrolls Online.
While TESO has a big name, WildStar is the first foray into the world of Chuas, the exiles, and the planet Nexus.
While TESO focuses on freedom and immersion, WildStar clearly prioritizes balance and competition among players. There will be leaderboards, there will be first kills, someone will be the best, and someone will be the worst. While TESO tries to cater to MMORPG newcomers, WildStar is aimed more at League of Legends or WoW core gamers.
Meanwhile, the initial impressions are promising, and in the beta, a hardcore fanbase has already formed around the game, eager to tell everyone about this great game WildStar, whether they want to hear it or not.
Is the bright game still too quiet?
MMORPG insiders have had this game on their radar for a long time. However, outside of a relatively small circle, not many have heard of WildStar yet. In the Facebook group, there are just over 200,000 fans, while The Elder Scrolls Online boasts 1.8 million.
WildStar is covered in major gaming magazines, but the respective articles do not receive nearly as much attention as other topics. The discussion about the game mainly takes place on two fan sites. Fans often express frustration that little coverage is being given to WildStar compared to the next mini-news regarding WoW or TESO.
Sometimes, under a WildStar article on one of the mainstream gaming sites, there is simply a disappointed comment from a fan urging for more reporting on WildStar in the future and less on the next mini-news about WoW or TESO.
The Carbine studio will face the challenge in the coming weeks of promoting the game to a wider audience and selling a “new world” to players. Carbine signals that this is now the plan. Strategically, it makes the most sense to deploy resources shortly before launch.
WildStar: Not for everyone?
The initial reactions to the game are mixed: While some immediately fall in love with the new world, either diving into housing or wanting to tackle the comprehensive raid and PvP challenges with an existing guild, others provide counterarguments against the game.
“Not enough innovation,” state some veterans who are looking towards MMORPGs with sandbox elements like Everquest Next or ArcheAge.
A criticism we also heard at mein-mmo.de: WildStar is just a collection of existing MMORPGs. Others criticize an “unserious” story that supposedly appeals to children and teenagers, one that they themselves have long since outgrown. Or they chastise graphics that no longer meet today’s standards.
In his column Wiped from the last weekend, Frank Fischer considers WildStar a last gasp of the western market. He is betting on a revolution from Asia.
Widespread criticisms also include the “Twitter quests.” This refers to the relatively short quest texts that invite skipping or only skimming.
Other gaming journalists, however, see the game as an evolution of concepts, praising the PvP or the fresh raid and item ideas.
Perspective
A lot will depend on whether WildStar can attract more than just the already enthusiastic fans in the coming weeks. Without a strong brand name behind it and with a concept that suggests “like WoW – only better,” the team faces some challenges. While the fantastic promo videos are nice, screenshots or the slightly tedious introduction to the game may deter some interested parties.
Carbine has yet to make a major blunder. Only a few fans are now vocally awaiting a localization to delve deeper into the game.
Can there really be only one?
In such a competitive MMORPG market, none of the titles can afford significant failures. In a few months, Warlords of Draenor will arrive, and for 2015 the sandbox invasion with Everquest Next looms – and high-quality current titles from the east like Black Desert are likely to make their way to the west eventually.
With the emergence of two pay-to-play models like WildStar and The Elder Scrolls Online, which directly compete with WoW, players will also face the question of whether they are willing to commit more than just one monthly subscription for an MMORPG.
This could be a great opportunity for a buy-to-play game like Guild Wars 2 or numerous free-to-play titles. They are ideally suited to be played during content droughts from subscription titles or simply to enjoy alongside others.
