The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online will increase the level cap to VR 16. In the long run, they still want to abolish it.
It is not so easy to follow the news on The Elder Scrolls Online. The main source of information is a long live stream, the ESO Live show, late on Friday nights our time. It is usually hosted by the English-speaking community managers who are incredibly cheerful and really pack everything into this show.
On Friday, they first made the introduction, then interviewed a sound designer, showcased fan creations, until after 45 minutes, the lead combat designer Eric Wrobel appeared on screen. He bears a striking resemblance to actor Sean William Scott (Stifler from American Pie), brings an energetic comedy vibe to the show and does not fit the image of the more reserved lead designers of TESO that we usually see. Matt Firor, for example, could easily pass as his father.
The Veteran System and Champion System currently exist alongside each other in TESO
As complicated as it is to follow the news about TESO, it is to describe the current state of the game regarding some core systems.
At the PC release of TESO, they had as “character progression” after reaching the natural maximum level of 50 the veteran ranks available. In these, you advanced slowly and received relatively little new content in return. Later, the veteran ranks were increased several times: first with an update shortly after release to 12, with update 4 last summer then to VR 14. However, no one was happy with the system, so they switched to another one, a champion system – which works similarly to the paragon levels in Diablo 3.
With this change, they have not yet completed it (like with the justice system), they are in the third of four phases. The console release came in between, so currently, the veteran and champion systems exist alongside each other. The veteran system still largely determines how strong a character is, as the best items in The Elder Scrolls Online also require the highest veteran rank.
Back to the show.
In the long term: Veteran system will disappear; in the short term, the veteran system will continue to be expanded
Wrobel dropped the bomb after 45 minutes: “It is a controversial appearance. We will introduce two new veteran ranks.” The new maximum level is thus at veteran rank 16. It is still planned to ultimately abolish the veteran ranks. But that is just a “long-term goal.”
The veteran system is currently so intertwined with the item system that as a short-term solution, to allow character progression, two new ranks are being introduced here. This also means that the items will make a substantial leap forward.
Leveling will be easier for veterans in The Elder Scrolls Online
However, they are aware that it is quite painful to level up veteran ranks in The Elder Scrolls Online, therefore they have planned 4 changes to the EXP system, Wrobel said:
- Veterans will need 15% less EXP to level up a veteran rank. This applies from 1 to 16 (or even higher if further updates come)
- The veteran quests from VR 1 to 16 give 50% more EXP. With this, they want to enhance questing, which they previously saw as too weak a source of EXP.
- Public dungeons will give double EXP, meaning the dungeons between delves and instance dungeons, of which there is roughly one per zone, they are significantly harder than the “delves”
- Everything in Kargstein will give 20% more EXP.
All of this is supposed to go live with the next major update, Update 7.
More news about The Elder Scrolls Online and the planned changes can be expected on our site in the coming days.
