There are two pieces of news today about the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online that is nearing release. On one hand, Zenimax has revealed the final subscription prices for the pay-to-play MMORPG, and on the other hand, a small but vocal part of the community is rebelling against changes that came with the last patch.
Discount for multi-month subscriptions
For just 11 euros per month, subscribers will be able to enjoy The Elder Scrolls Online if they sign up for half a year. Those who only want to commit for three months will pay around 12 euros. For month-to-month players in Tamriel, it costs 13 euros. The prices apply for 30 days each.
Amazingly: The British pay only 7 pounds per month for a half-year subscription, which is just 8.37 euros. Otherwise, Zenimax follows Blizzard’s MMORPG World of Warcraft in terms of pricing.
According to the official website, they accept the following payment methods:
- American Express
- Giropay
- iDeal
- MasterCard
- PayPal
- paysafecard
- game time cards
- Visa
- WebMoney
For more important information about the launch of TESO, you can find it in this article on the official site: FAQ – Release and Early Access.
Have you read our preview? The Elder Scrolls Online – The Different Preview
Ruckus over UI cropping!
For most of us, it was just a small clause in one of the last patch notes, but for ambitious modders, it was the death knell of their planned TESO career: Due to changes in the code, it is no longer possible for add-ons to provide information about damage numbers, spell types, buffs, and similar things that are particularly important for raids and min-maxers since the last patch.
It will thus be impossible to change the user interface in TESO to continuously provide “hard” information like in World of Warcraft or other games.
The decision caused an uproar, as modders and some MMORPG players perceived it as a step in the wrong direction, away from the informed gamer who wants to shape their game as they see fit.
Zenimax aims with this decision to ensure that immersion in the world remains intact and is not clouded by too much information. A constant bombardment of numbers creates competitive pressure that they apparently wanted to avoid. Additionally, Zenimax fears that such add-ons could give players a decisive advantage and information edge in PvP. Consequently, all players might feel compelled to use such add-ons as well, lest they become liabilities for their factions.
No matter how you look at it: Part of the player base is imposing their personal play style on another.
Don’t you also want to see Darion’s opinion?: Is Skyrim UI sufficient for The Elder Scrolls Online?
Some very active players in the beta have turned away from the game after these developments. How large this group is cannot be determined. Since they are mainly players who were active and well-connected in the forums and communities, it certainly makes quite a stir.
