I haven't dived into ESO because I don't even know what to expect. First, a digression:
I don't recall a single instance of do-Y-at-Z-X-times in both KOTOR 1 or 2. I loved it. As soon as I began to do that more often than not in SWTOR, I quit, especially since outside of multiplayer missions, other people just got in the way of my awesome Sith Warrior.
I can't say the same for Skyrim. As far as I can recall of my several hundred hours there, the majority of quests are the kill-who-recover-what variety. I no longer even care. I spend a big chunk of my time just walking; perhaps a stranger or a giant or both are around the corner. Another chunk is spent combing dungeons for loot I don't need while avoiding bloodshed; one door may lead to another Blackreach. Then there are Hearthfire, mods, and such things too involved for me to discuss. I feel such a personal connection to my Skyrim that my obsessive-compulsiveness is stimulated to its full ugly glory.
Even if the quests in ESO are as good as in Skyrim, they'd fall short. I don't know how much ownership I can personally stake in a MMO, but I do know ESO is not built to be 100% multiplayer. So I am at a loss.
What is playing ESO? At its core, is it just like playing the single-multiplayer hybrid that is so many other MMORPG?
Convincing. We can certainly use a few more single player games like this; too many are focused on an immersive experience where the player lives vicariously through the game, where 20 deaths total (let alone in one area) would completely unravel the experience. More games like DS II would be good; trying to be more like Dark Souls would be bad for most RPG today.
I think the prevalent emphasis on difficulty in discussions is a bit excessive. The challenge certainly makes the game work, but DS players are not masochists. They enjoy the difficulty the same way chess players seek out better opponents. The other side of the coin is that many who shun Dark Souls are not so much afrad of a challenge as they do not find entertainment value in heavy investment to get better at a game; they simply want to experience the game world.
Know Thyself. Personally, I take my beatdown from TBS or TBS/RTS hybrids.
@Thanatos2k I am not saying single player Sim City is bad. I just thought EA moved beyond it. I guess a competitive environment is also possible with AI, but that restricts what tools EA can give to players since each tool will require a new faucet be added to AI, and it's a lot harder to develop good AI than to come up with gameplay variations.
@Thanatos2k That's most disappointing. I thought they were redesigning Sim City to be a multi-city network experience. Cities competing with neightbors to attract business, improve QoL for residents, encourage professional sports teams, maybe even global events like bidding to host international games and such. A lot possibilities open up when cities interact within the contraints of finite global wealth.
I feel sorry for EA. Instead of pushing for and sticking by their vision, I don't even know what that is now, they are standing at crossroads going nowhere. Sim City has regressed to offline mode, making me question just what the hell they were trying to do with online mode in the first place. Instead of making sure the multiplayer portion of BF4 plays perfectly, they made sure to include a single player campaign. Instead of just being despised by many fans of old franchises they acquired, which is understandable during transitional times, EA now just comes off as incompetent.
Maybe all these old franchises are dragging EA down. Instead of trying to please everyone, find a market and make a good, nearly bug-free game for it.
@Sl4cka That's a good combination, but I still expect some unique and useful standalone functionality of a phone with this feature. Otherwise, I would rather have a dedicated glass/scanner set for entertainment. Conversely, Google could push for a glass/phone set as standard mobile gadget like phones are today, provided they make it more useful than just entertainment. Either would convince me.
One thing I wanted to know but wasn't covered is whether this is a game more about thieving, as in grand heists, or more about a thief caught up in some other plot.
The tech sounds great, but I hear it's already available on other devices. Augmented reality that uses this tracking/mapping also sounds promising, but I'd want to experience that on something more immersive than my phone screen. Why does it have to be on my phone?
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