Why do you view having a choice as a bad thing? Why do people need to play the game the way you want them to? How does it affect you, how I play the game?

Seems off to me to say "I like the starting areas, so it should be mandatory that everyone do them!" I like crafting, it should be mandatory that everyone level each of the crafting professions! I like PvP, it should be mandatory that everyone be forced to PvP.

Isn't the beauty of the TES series is that it's a open, do what you like world?

I'm new to this series, I didn't know there was hype around getting to the Main City. I wonder how many other people don't know that getting to "the city" is a big part of playing the game.

What? They got rid of the starting islands?

How the heck does it work now, then? Won't you be underleveled if you're just thrown into the world all of a sudden?

Stros M'Kai was so great :<

I find it a bit odd, I read so many posts that mmo's never have enough content, then next I see posts about skipping content, one of those things that prove to me some players just don'know what they want LOL

But you can travel back to the starter islands it is just an option to skip, I plan on going back and doing the starting areas for continuity of story, I know some folks don't care about that, but for my game play I do.

I don't believe they got rid of them. You do Cold Harbor, when you escape you are ported to a main City and then you port down to your starting Island or you just walk out the front door and roam freely.

Don't think of them as starting/tutorial islands any more. They're just islands with more content.

I plan on doing the starter islands; i ended up with a lot of crafting material gathered; if i don't want to use it, I can sell it. One character made over a thousand gold from the starter island, without grinding, just gathering.

I forgot about resources good point, I am sure I will be gathering along the way as well..

Well, whatever, if we can still go there and do the story for the sake of continuity, it's good.

Rather disappointed to get pushed into the first major town. Since we no longer get starting gear and ore etc is sparse once you're off the island I'd just as soon stay there long enough to hit level 5 and be geared.

Figured it out... there is a quest from the town you get dumped in to go to the island. Seems silly to me, but ah well.

I'm not sure about the other two factions, but for Ebonheart...instead of walking over to the npc who tells you to go downstairs and talk to the captain, go out the door and talk to the npc who tells you the person who pulled you out of the water is down at the end of the dock if you want to talk to her. Talk to her, and she'll take you back to the island. It is walking a little farther than just down the stairs, but not that much farther.

I know for ebonheart as well, but most of them should be fairly equal.

You go for the faction's docks and a guy/gal there should give you a quest.

safe way to find:

If the guy offering the quest doesn't have voice acting yet, he's probably the one to send you to the starter islands.

You can still go back there if you want.

And they changed the leveling curve to accommodate this change. The quests right around the main city now take you through the levels you would have gotten on the starter islands. They also adjusted it so that the 1-10 curve is faster but the 40-50 curve is slower.

Since there seems to be some confusion on this point...

You now start in the first major town. However, in the town will be a quest giver (the person who rescued you) asking for you to return the favor and go to help the people on the island.

Simple enough really, and overall not a "bad" change even if I feel it was unneeded.

The bad thing to me is that now the "starter islands" will be overrun by higher level players. Even at 50th you'll want to go back there for the sky shards.

It should be the other way around, screweing up the story of the game so people can skip it is stupid of zenimax, it should be an npc ont he starting island you talk to and he ports you to the main city, there is less confusion and less screw up of the story and flow of the game then, they have done it this way and ruined the flow of the game to get mroe subs from plebs, that has shown us what sort of company zenimax is when it goes that low to get the kiddies

A lot of people gave this same feedback on the forums (option to skip, not option to go back).

But that wouldn't attain the "BAM! open world" feeling of an Elder Scrolls game.

As they stated in the article, ESO is about choice. The more options the better in my view. I'm sure after i roll an alt or two, that stuff will get old and i will want to jump ahead to the main world.

They never allowed us to skip the freaking cart ride of skyrim that took the pi lol or the dragon attack etc, the starting islands so have exploration but on a smaller scale, but they could explain if you want to help the citizens of these small islands stay here or if you want to explore the greater world click yes to portal to the town, not SKIIIIIIIP MAIN STORY ALL MAIN STORY BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH you are now in the main city, would you like to go back?

The starter islands were awesome. They did a HUGE disserve by changing them. I played for a few hours this morning as an imperial and didn't feel the "hook" I had when they starters islands were mainstream.

Actually you can skip it.... Just make a character, do the cart ride once, and save after it's over before you choose everything.

Choice is fine, but you need a storyline to "hook" people. It gives a purpose for some people. instead of removing them just add a NPC on the docks of the starter island that says..

"Hey you... yea you! Do you want to get off this rat infected island and see the big town? I can get you a ship outta' here if this place is cramping your style"

Something like that.

The solution is really very simple, make the islands the default, so if you don't know any better you do them, which enables you to learn the story.

Everyone also has the option to skip at any time once on the island! (get a boat ride).

What we don't want is the default to be the skip, as it interrrupts story for those new to the game.

No, but they did allow you to keep a save at the point Hadvar asked what your name was. No new character *had* to take the cart ride. I had a save in Oblivion in the Imperial City sewers right before I walked out the last door. No new character *had* to go through the tutorial.

If they have to give people the option to skip things, I'd much rather it be by talking to a npc rather that "portal" back to the starting area. It might not be much story, but it is continuity to talk to one of the npcs rather than a magical portal.

The cart ride and Alduin attack in Skyrim is Coldharbor in ESO. After Helgin in Skyrim you are put in the open world with choices, its now that Same way in ESO, you do Coldharbor and are then put in the open world with choices.

The story does explain you can go to the Islands and help those that helped you. Its in the Convo with the Prophet when you wake up in the house.

Also the Main story is with you and the Prophet and getting your soul back from Molag Bal, not helping those people on the island. thats just one of many world storys that you come across.

Well I'm now completely lost... I don't even know what to do to get back to the damn starter islands!