The Elder Scrolls Online plays differently than many MMORPGs. Creative Director Rich Lambert recently reaffirmed this in an interview. His advice to you: “Just take your time!”
Who is Rich Lambert? Rich Lambert has been active in the gaming industry for almost 25 years and works at the developer ZeniMax as Creative Director of The Elder Scrolls Online. This makes him one of the heads of the studio.
In the past, Rich has often answered our questions in interviews. Therefore, we asked him for a conversation ahead of the new Chapter expansion Greymoor and received a lot of interesting info about ESO.
What did Rich Lambert say about the game pace? When we asked him what advice he could give new players starting Greymoor, Rich said:
The most important thing is: Take your time! This is a different kind of game, where the journey is more crucial than the endgame. Don’t rush it, experience the story, learn more about the world, and take your time to learn how to play the game. You will have much more fun with it and get along better with other players when you reach the endgame.
Progress in ESO and in other MMORPGs
Rich Lambert’s words may not fit a typical MMORPG very well. In these games, the race to the endgame is usually an integral part of game design. In games like WoW, this pattern repeats with every expansion.
This is how progress works in most MMORPGs: Like a tempting carrot, the new max level with dozens of new item tiers hovers before the player. To play with your guild and friends, you must quickly unlock the new content. This means leveling up as fast as possible and rushing through the new content.
As a result, you quickly achieve a sense of accomplishment. However, you may have consumed a significant portion of the new content in a short time.
ESO is not like WoW and others
This is how ESO was in its early years: The Elder Scrolls Online launched in a similar manner in the following years. You would reach the endgame and engage with the relevant content. So, it was a classic vertical progression spiral.
However, this did not sit well with a portion of the ESO target audience. While the typical MMORPG player usually saw nothing wrong with it, the progression in ESO rather discouraged traditional Elder Scrolls single-player fans.
They were used to exploring and doing anything they wanted in an Elder Scrolls game at any time. In ESO, however, you had to awkwardly follow predetermined waypoints and could only enter a specific area once you completed all the preceding zones and tasks.
That changed in ESO in 2016: At the end of 2016, everything was restructured. The ambitious concept “One Tamriel” turned the game concept upside down, and suddenly you could play ESO like Skyrim or Oblivion: just run around and have adventures! Neither levels nor equipment nor faction affiliation mattered anymore.
A level 3 noob fresh from the tutorial could team up with a mid-level player and a veteran with numerous champion ranks to complete a dungeon together, and everyone could contribute to success and receive appropriate loot.
ESO – The perfect MMO for casual players
That’s why the ESO approach is so good: I, Jürgen, have always played MMORPGs more casually. I scour the area for hidden bonuses, talk to NPCs, and read the lore texts. It usually takes me many months to reach the endgame. The only downside is that many of my fellow players do not see it this way, and I quickly can no longer play meaningfully with them.
In ESO, however, the pace is perfectly suited to my playing style. I could take as much time as I wanted, and my extremely high-level buddy could still join when we crossed paths. And unlike in my SWTOR days, where as a veteran you did so reluctantly to run a low-level dungeon with newbies, in ESO, you always receive (somewhat) appropriate loot for your level.
ESO is especially good for parents: Especially, since I became a father, the ESO concept is almost indispensable for me. Because I rarely have time to spend more than an hour or two in a game. Hence, the “content buffet” of ESO suits me well, as I can do exactly what I feel like doing.
And if I don’t log in for a few days, I can easily continue from where I last left off and my friends are theoretically still available as teammates.
Therefore, I can only agree with Rich Lambert: When you play ESO, take it easy, take your time, and explore the world and the lore. Or play other MMORPGs if you prefer to rush to the endgame. That is also a legitimate way to play an MMORPG, but in ESO, it is rather not recommended.
ESO is not just casual:
- It is also wonderful for players who enjoy solo playing.
- And also role-players will find joy in ESO.
