I think you may want to re-read the quest dialogue in this game. But yes, if you want to say that all story narratives are the same, you're essentially right. Zenimax's writers, however, are telling the same stories in interesting ways.

To quote myself from another thread that's similar going on right now:

That's the great thing about this game. The developers appear to have finally designed a game where multiple approaches and numerous combinations are just as effective.

I am not infuriated lol, just puzzled. When I want action I play Battlefield or the now available titanfall. RPGs are a fantasy reprieve of story telling and adventure for me. Imagine if game of thrones ended up like MMORPG's? The first few books were great but then the next 4 or whatever were just chapter after chapter of speed dungeon runs and innocuous debates over DPS... Barf.

I agree with the video totally... I even suggested several times sandbox style ideas for ESO (to built our own keeps, fill them with hirelings and via treasure maps, to trap monster and get them into the keeps, thereafter to be able turn our keeps into dungeons...)..etc

But it seems they love it to be a theme park

but lets hope they do stuff like this... because thats how they can maintain the sub plan... Only if they want it to be f2p in a point, they wont do anything...

Eulogy, the guy is actually on you side, you might want to apologise to him ;P

Because people know [censored] about RP in RPG. RPG once meant pen and paper, friends, [censored] and beer around a table, spending a night together and having lots of fun. Since the advent of videogames the word has been ruined.

No video game really offers a true role playing experience, they have their limits which should be glaringly obvious to anyone.

I think the RPG terms shouldn't be even used for the videogames, it's just confusing. Role playing games were always a synonym of absolute liberty in a virtual world, at least for me. You could anything, be anyone, go anywhere.

Videogames don't work like that, there's always a script, rigid rules and finite content.

I don't get mad at videogames, I just accept them for what they are - a small, malformed simulation of a true role playing game.

I think I'm getting old...

Quest dialog usually contains a lot more than "go here, kill that". The people who skip dialog are the same people that spam zone chat with "where's the stone ship! Why is the entrance to the cave I'm looking for in a not so obvious place? Which option should I choose? Why is there no quest marker/waypoint?". Read the dialog, read books, journals, letters, etc.. and you get more immersion, rely less on interwebz walk-throughs etc..

The best, is when somebody is continually stomped by an "impossible to solo" boss. But if they had simply taken the time to read dialog, they would have soloed it and been on their merry way a lot sooner than those who didn't and are rage posting on forums looking for a solution.

We call em cigs here and yes you and I are clearly getting old. Table Top was a great time. I agree that true to Table Top Rping cannot exist in a video game, but what I do not get is what the appeal is of min/max stat padding and speed running content... In what way is that fun?

This.

RPGs can have action. Skyrim and Oblivion have shown us such. ESO has plenty of action as well.

The issue has nothing to do with the RPG genre but moreso with the current direction of the MMO genre.

People who play these games are looking to compensate for the shortcomings in there own lives whether it's with relationships, power, money or physical looks. People often rush past the actual game to make a statement about themselves. (aka Look at me! I'm the strongest, most rich, guild master, emperor, sixiest.. etc.)

It is.. in a way.. a twisted form of roleplaying.

average min/max player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhNFrPtbKGc

Sorry couldnt help it

Well, games are a form of escapism, aren't they?

Well I used to "theorycraft" before there was something to "theorycraft" in an electronic machine The difference was, creating a character around an idea was all about giving it life. Adapting abilities and stats to the background, taking perks and peculiarities to make it stand out. The so called "gimped" characters were always the most fun to play as you had to struggle around your limitations and overcome them. Now it's all some sort of math exercise, an eternal research for the philosophical stone of gaming, the perfect "something". Much fun appears lost in the way while numbers whirl in an infinite vortex in those unseeing eyes...I digress.

I think what is needed is a return to the origins. I know it may seem a trite slogan or some sort of hippy-chant but I believe it's true. GIve us a sandbox world, no rules, no numbers, as little restrictions as possible. I know that some day it will be possible...I'm a dreamer

They are, of course. But MMOs moreso than others because you have a world of people that your power, class, wealth and looks actually matter to.

This drives people to rush through the game's content to make a statement about what it is that they're lacking.

I remember in Star Wars Galaxies there were always the FOTM guys with the most awesome powerful PvP builds, but then there were the other people who just had the builds they liked and had fun doing it. The variety of professions and mixtures of different professions made most people pretty unique, which was for me one of the best things about the game. That's one of the reasons I like ESO system, even though it isn't as complex and everyone at some point may be kinda homogeneous.

Yeah a lot of folks are clamoring for that. Should watch the video posted earlier in the thread, it pretty much settles this.

It's easy, mispronounce "olde" and "ye" and you have what people think is Old English.

There's a game in Alpha called The Repopulation that looks a lot like UO and SWG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdOUvIZ5-MI

This. Truth.

BUT, if people at least TRY to RP in online games, fun can be had by all with greater depth into the game than NOT RPing.

I don't think it's right to judge people based on the way they enjoy playing games. The average role-player isn't any better or worse than the average min-maxer, they just don't enjoy the game the same way. The people that bother me are role-players trying to force -their- enjoyment on others and the min-maxers doing the same. Lets all enjoy the game the way we want, yes?

And on the whole Theme park vs Sandbox debate, I actually quite enjoy the Theme Park model. I do feel like a true Sandbox would be very interesting though, I'm just not sure how such thing could be made possible via this video game medium.

This^

I like to RP outside the realm of video games because I can be and do just about anything.

But I like to RP within the realm of video games as well, despite the obvious limitations of creating a character because it's very simple to get in contact with other people thanks to online play, such as in MMOs.

QFE.

In most MMOs, if I'm trundling through a zone and somebody screams "Help me! Help me! I've been ravaged by a troll!" I'll probably stop to rez or help them. If I hear "Need help/rez at coords 153x4996" I'll probably just keep trundling along.

That post has taken me back a few decades. Good times

Yeah you're right, no computer game can rightly be called an RPG in the original sense. Most at best are action/adventures with character development. It's not possible at this point to have a game respond to any possible thing you could do in a truly reactive and imaginative way.

I see things a bit differently. I think ESO has made several large strides towards a more Sandbox approach, and look what is happening --- massive QQ of epic proportions. Do I think there are several things they can do to go further? Sure, but to make these kinds of changes (back to where MMORPGs were a decade ago in same ways while keeping others in place), will require taking baby steps, followed by periods of time for the majority of players to see, "Hey, that will work, and it's even more fun ... who knew?!?".

Perhaps the worst thing folks who want a more open approach can do is to join the mass of folks on the other side and become one big mob of complaint. I guess I'm saying that devs and producers are people too, and people need encouragement when they are making the right decisions to continue to move forward.

Yup, I agree.