For everyone deeply concerned about The Elder Scrolls Online payment model, especially about the cash shop take a moment to have a listen to this podcast. It is an hour long, but it's worth listening too. The team had Paul Sage on their show as a guest. They talk about the following.

Podcast:

http://elderscrollsotr.mymiddleearth.com/2013/09/05/episode-81-the-paul-sage/

• Veteran Points (''Not the badge system from WoW'')
• - Character Related, Similar to Skill Points as progression
• - Can be earned in both PvP and PvE
• - Earned from level 50 onwards
• - Used in crafting
• - Veteran Ranks enable the player the ability to wear certain unique armours

• Cash Shop - Better named ''Services 'TAB'''
• - Services provided (Name Change exampled)..Character slots.. etc...
• - More than likely website based
• - Paul Sage confirms that Matt Firor simply picked his words poorly when he said there would be a cash shop. Sage says that Firor was talking about things like name changes, things you cannot normally do in a regular gameplay. He even states there is no cash shop that to his knowledge.

• Gameplay Hours
• - Killing and questing rushing to 50- how long will it be to kill and quest to 50 - full speed - 150 hours - With skipped content
• - With a new alliance characters, can go to 450 hours
• - Some faster, some slower

• Dungeons
• - 16 group public dungeons
• - More caves and guild content to consider
• - 16 dungeons, 6 master level dungeons (Assumingly level 50)
• - Master Level Dungeons: Same locale as earlier dung, find out what happens in part two, opening new areas and new spawn, new story and quest line
• - Solo dungeons (instanced dungeons) Ability to avoid some combat inside with sneak depending on map layout.

• Exploration
• - Large land mass, future expansions will be based on player feedback
• - Allows a lot of exploration, but doesnt make it over whelming that you get lost
• - No level restrictions on quests, only suggested levels
• - Areas won't be level restricted/locked, but the monsters will be strong enough to destroy you if you aren't careful

• Content Team
• - Their goal
• - The issues they face

• Undaunted Guild Skills
• - Focuses on co-op active skills, allows a another player to activate a secondary effect
• - Gain levels similar to Fighters Guild progression (Killing Daedra, finding books, doing dungeons)

• 'Crafting' - Touches on BETA Feedback
• - Taken crafting feedback on-board, making alterations for the players
• - Skill points can be used to improve crafting lines

• Werewolf and Vampire
• - Exclusive skill lines, one or the other
• - 'How' is secret and will not be publicly announced by staff

What do you guys think?

Kind of an old interview. Decent one, though. Sad part is most people don't care what it says because cash shop is such a sensational topic.

It is a little outdated, but still some nice points for anyone who is slightly new to the scene, I just feel there is so much negativity surrounding the cash shop, needs to be made obvious..... that it might not be as bad as it seems...

Yea everyone cried about the micro transaction side of ESO and there isnt one, that i call EPIC.

that better be website only, but it's still vague, but to be able to purchase character slots? Smells like they already plan to go f2p and limit normal accounts to 3 characters or even less, there is no reason for that since we already get 8, more than enough for logical purpose. having the ability to purchase more is only an omen to f2p..

god i hope i'm wrong but everything points towards that so far.... sooner or later is relative though.

That was just an example of the type of things that he was suggesting, normally im with you, don't need many more than 9 maybe. But for me as a avid RPlayer, I will want more to create my individual characters/ different genders : > Not sure im fully understanding on where you say it smells F2P? Most games I play seem to offer that service regardless

*Added Podcast link to main post.

The thing is 1 character in ESO will be like 5 in another MMO, you have so many skill points its not worth to level another, its more worth to explore and get skyshards.

So the only reason to increase character slots its either they simply want to put it there for the sake of having it in case some one really buys it or they are planning to restrict it, and whom do you restrict charcter slots from? f2p accounts....

it costs them nothing to have it there and maybe get some extra cash, so maybe its there to take advantage of people who don't read about the game, but it can be both ways, thats what i fear.

Edit: Nvm

I'm liking how this sounds!

I can kind of understand your point, but I can't help but fear you may be reading into it a bit too much, at least I hope you are wrong. But I will be happy to eat my words and take some humble pie if it happens, maybe it will, but it will still have a good run if it does as a P2P.

I struggle to understand such negativity for this title, other than the cash shop, which in my eyes has eased some concerns for me after that podcast.

I updated the main thread, with a link somehow I managed to miss it first time round. Doh!

Hey I hope I'm wrong, but this particular evidence can be looked both ways, i rather call it realism instead of negativity . I rather not be all "OMG I NEVER THOUGHT THIS COULD HAPPEN", and know something was coming or if it never comes, "phew thank god I was wrong".

Cheers!

Its a pointless discussion because you cant even get people to agree on the meaning of terms like 'cash shop' or 'p2w'.

Very fair point, I didn't mean for the point to come across as saying 'you' were being negative, bad choice of words, but generally people hate all over it just because 'someones said' there was a cash shop. If anything I will tip my hat to you and respect you not for spewing hate all over it

Understand where you're coming from (especially wanting it website only) but never underestimate the altaholic. I have about 35 characters on my DCUO account, many with the same powersets. I could just use the character respec station but that wouldn't feel true to the character to me. I used to know a guy who paid for six Ultima Online subs for the extra character slots. He had a character who he would only craft weapons with. People can be crazy when it comes to their characters. As easy as it may be to change things around or build characters that take advantage of the current setup, there will always be people who will not deviate from what they think their character should be regardless of what the game lets them do. I would rather they be sold extra character slots than be forced to sub up for extra accounts in order to do so.

This is what I was trying to get across, seems your more awake than my mind is this morning! I feel this comes as a standard along with gender change/Server Transfer/Appearance Change stuff like that.

I guess some people will go extreme lenghts.

But again eso offers a single character a huge amount of power limited only by the number of skills in the 1-5 buttons, so I see no reason to have many characters, but hey, fair point, some people might want a crafter for each single skill line for w/e reason .

Possibly, but I still feel this post has other info useful to people without breaking NDA as it was all info from the staff team.

Yes probably just plausible examples, I see play race in any faction even faction change for high level character as more relevant.

Limit on character slot however is common for F2P

Not intending to criticize but remember when the nine races of Tamreil would be split into three distinct warring factions? Fast forward to today, buy the Explorers pact feature and you can play any race in any faction. The logical conclusion to be drawn is that any feature related to money is fluid and a cash shop is definitely money-related.

The Imperials are just an extra, they weren't even in a significant form of power in this era, this is just an additional bonus to the purchase, it would make sense also that certain people would branch off their Alliance, which I understand is a common argument but a very valid one. it's not uncommon in war, if you don't want the choice to play as any race/alliance, don't buy the imperial edition.

Then you have the game you want, some people want too branch off to restrict players is far worse in an MMO than to offer a bonus. But you don't have too, you do have a choice to purchase or not. They still offer what they said, but if you want more from the game, you can have the chance too later on down the line.

I understand it comes across as a concern, but too many people are falling into the sheep crowd and screaming the same stuff, when actually when you take away the cash shop, because as far as im aware and my experience, I cant see any formal public announcement there is a cash shop so at this point, im inclined to say there isn't one. There will be additonal services but not on the scale people are shouting.

Then look at the Imperial Edition as a bonus to those would like a different experience in their Role Playing game. One which would not be good to offer the masses as standard because then there would be way too many imperials runnning around, and offering a freedom of choice to branch off if something happens you don't like in your alliance.

There is a positive to every negative. People need to start seeing more positive, instead of such negativity all the time.

That isnt a direct personal attack on you buddy, but it's this view I am trying to change a little with this thread because it's unjustified madness all this accusation.

Im against any item/service outside the game that you have to pay for. Not for the cost, but for the fact that if you start heading that way, you wil end u with mini battle pets you can get true TGC and all that crap.

If you go F2P wich im also strongly against then, in my eyes you have the right to use a cash shop. And no cash shop where you can buy epix and legendaries ofc.

P.S. im not talking about collectors edition, altho i do understand that people who play this game for its lore dont like the imperials but to me its just a good way to provide a tank to each faction.

Why bring this up again, this has been rehashed over and hover and how the hell is having your character name changed a cash shop? Every stinking mmo has had this eventually and its not a cash shop. you people act like if you spend money on a game its automatically a cash shop. Get over yourselves and go back to neverwinter or whatever f2p game gets your jollies off.

Its not a right, its a NECESSITY. These developers (read: all developers, not just ZOS) aren't making these games for charity purposes. Its their job, they're here to make money. A "free" game isn't free because the company that made the game still needs to make money because money lets you have food and a house and all that sweet stuff that people need.

Some of us would rather pay a flat fee up front than get nickel and dimed.