General:Tamriel Unlimited AUA

Posted by u/ZOS_MattF

Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Reddit AUA covering Wednesday’s big Elder Scrolls Online announcements: Console release dates (June 9), Console launching without required subscription, PC changing over to B2P on March 17, re-naming the game to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited and much, much more.

I'm Matt Firor, Game Director for ESO, and joining me today are the following members of the core design team for Elder Scrolls Online:

 

Paul Sage, Creative Director
Nick Konkle, Lead Designer
Chris Strasz, Lead Gameplay Designer
Eric Wrobel, Lead Combat Designer
Lee Ridout, Lead e-commerce Designer

We look forward to a lively conversation covering any and all topics from Wednesday’s announcement, to anything else Elder Scrolls Online-related. Let’s get to it!

Update: 3:00pm eastern time. Thanks everyone! We enjoyed hanging out with you for a few hours. Thanks for the great questions, and sorry we couldn't get to more of them.
----
epadi: Will Plus subscribers be able to obtain clothes [blacksmith attire] or mounts through PVE [questing, vendors, crafting] without having to spend additional money on the Crown store?
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:Some items will be available exclusively through the store, some will be available exclusively in-game, and some items will be available through both. Plus subscribers will be granted an amount of Crowns they can use to buy things from the store. How they use their Crowns will be completely up to them.
:ZOS_MattF: Some of the costumes in the game simply look like popular lower-level armors (Lion Guard, for example) or fan-favorite NPCs (Crafty Lerisa), and some of those outfits can be made by crafters, as they look like standard armors.

:However, some costumes are custom-made for the Crown Store - for example, Blacksmith, Wedding Dress, etc. - and those are available only in the Crown Store. If you are a Plus member, you will still have to purchase those in the Crown Store, but you'll be given 1500 Crowns/month as part of ESO Plus benefits to make those purchases.
----
se7en1216: EDIT: Thank you so much for doing this for everyone!

The Sticky B2W Comment

During the ESO Live show, you said that you will do your best to avoid the "buy to win" but commented that with new DLC, "Thematic Armor will be available for purchase". Obviously this decision could have grave implications so it is very important to a lot of us.

Question
Can you please clarify what you classify as "Thematic Armor"? Does this refer to DLC themed costumes? Are you planning to sell Motifs? Or are you talking actual armor sets with stats/set bonuses that will directly breach the Buy 2 Win model that you saying you will avoid?

Costumes

One of the newer additions with the B2P conversion is the new Costume Sets. While these are great additions, they will make more people look the same and defeat the purpose of the Update 1.3 Dye Systems.

Question
Are there plans to allow us to dye costumes for a bit more versitility so that everyone doesn't look "the same"?

Tabards

In addition to the Update 1.3 Dye System changes, Tabards have been a backburner item from the beginning. The current system slots tabards or costumes in the same spot, meaning you could never have them both at the same time. With the Enforcers Tabards coming with the Justice System, this adds even more issues as it means we are forced to remove any costumes or our guild tabards to participate in the Justice System as an Enforcer. So I have a two part question.

Question
Are there plans to slot Tabards separate from Costumes to bring back some usefulness with guild tabards?
How do you plan to address the Guild vs Justice System Tabard conflict?
:ZOS_MattF: Three questions in 1!
:1. Some of the costumes in the Crown Store look like some of the most favorite armor sets in the game, turned into a costume. There are a few lower level armor "looks" in the game right now that are pretty cool, and we've gotten some commentary that players sometimes don't want to upgrade to a new armor piece in the game because they like the they way they look. So, we have several costume packs that basically give you the look of some in-game full armor sets (Lion Guard, for example). We have no plans to sell armor or armor pieces in the Crown Store, just costumes that look like them.
:1. We are looking into dyeing costume functionality, but it won't be available at Tamriel Unlimited launch.
:2. Tabards and costumes will take up the same slot, for now. We are looking into ways to split them apart so you can have a costume with a Tabard over it, but we aren't going to support it at Tamriel Unlimited launch.
----
[deleted]: Can we hope for a PVP arena DLC?
:ZOS_Sage: We are still looking at plans for possible 'battlegrounds' being introduced to the game. Whether such content would be DLC (paid for expansion) or something we deliver in a normal update is not known at this time.
::Jargo: Are you talking WoW style battlegrounds or DAoC style battlegrounds?
:::ZOS_Sage:
::: 

:::ESO Style battlegrounds. Currently looking at defined play times (12 minutes for example) with objectives centering around varying play-styles. Capture the flag, kill the Emperor, etc. These are all still in the exploratory phase.
----
MrUrbanity: Can you detail what will be a "DLC" and what will not be considered DLC. I think we want to understand what kinds of content will be free and what will be paid for going forward... also how often we can expect to see "DLC".
:ZOS_Sage: It is likely that large updates such as a zone will be DLC. Such zones might come with new items, new style books, etc. This will almost certainly be paid for content. We also have plans to introduce systems, balance changes, new abilities as updates that are not paid for. It is important to note that this model is relatively new, and we will keep players informed as to what exactly constitutes DLC long before the DLC becomes available.
----
Jamesetay1: I want to ride around on Bears. Can we have bears?
:ZOS_Ridout: We too want you to ride around on a bear!
----
[deleted]:
#How will this change to B2P effect the rate at which "significant and meaningful" content is released and in-game bugs and balance issues are fixed?
#Speaking of, when is the LFG tool going to be fixed so that it is working and reliable?
#Speaking of, when can I expect you to fix block-casting so PVP isn't a ridiculous sword+shield fest?
#Speaking of, when are DKs going to be balanced in PVP? Call this QQ, but when a guy can charge into and vampire cloak out of 20+ enemies when he is all by himself, something is seriously wrong.
:ZOS_Eric: Eric here from the combat team so I can answer #3 and #4.

:Block casting is at the top of our list of combat issues to be addressed in the future. One of the biggest changes to PvP is the additon of increased AoE caps - Abilities can how hit up to 60 targets! Additionally we've rebalanced the way ultimate is generated so it will be more balanced and fair for all classes. Ultimate generation is a static value instead of based on your number of hits and critical strikes.

:With regard to class balance we're gone over all abilities in the game with patch 1.6. The main focus was buffing weaker abilities. However there there a few abilities such as the DKs Reflective Scales that we tweaked to be more in line with the rest of the game. This ability now can only reflect 4 projectiles instead of an infinite number.
----
T_Umber: With the release of consoles in June, do you plan on giving the PC version a controller implementation option?

I currently use Xpadder to play ESO with an Xbox controller because I love the feel of kicking back while playing, but also love the addons and graphics PC offers.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: This is something we are shooting for and it's a goal to have gamepad support for the PC version of the game, but this won't be available at the same time as the console release.

:I hear you on the enjoyment of using a controller with the game. I go back and forth myself!
----
Jargo (edited): So the other day a dev post on the forums talked about the changes to mounts, but I still find myself a little bit confused.

What's going to happen to the +10 stat of the more expensive horses? Will that be transferred to all of my horses as well? Will it be trainable now? Or will I have to buy these more expensive horses now to still get a +10 to my preferred stats?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Sure thing Jargo. So with the new system your character will have what we call Riding Skills that will replace what was previously tracked on each mount. This maps to the 3 attributes you had previously (speed, capacity and stamina). The highest value you have on your existing mounts will transfer over to the new riding skill system.

:With this change, you can choose the look of the mount you want without sacrificing bonuses since that's determined by your Riding Skill now.
::Jargo: I understand that much, but are the new riding stats higher than previous feeding stats? I'd imagine they'd have to go to at least 60 to make up for the more expensive mounts having a +10 bonus. Or is that +10 bonus just going to completely disappear? I'm curious because I'm wondering if I HAVE to buy two more of the expensive mounts NOW and feed them as much as possible before launch or get screwed.
:::ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Yes they are higher than the previous feeding stats. :)
::xaraan: Will you still raise your riding skill the same way as raising a horse's stats? i.e. buying upgrades at the stable, or will we raise stats a different way after that?

::Also, will the mounts have bonuses still? For example, maybe I put all my points into Speed, but will the Speed horse still have that little bonus of speed on top of what I've put in making it a bit faster than a stamina horse with full speed?
:::ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Raising the riding skill is identical to how it currently works.

:::Mounts themselves serve as the appearance of what you're riding with this new system. They do not have bonuses on them. That doesn't mean this gets lost though. The riding skill caps for each of the attributes accounts for the bonus that was on horses so if you had put in 50 points on a horse that had a speed bonus of 10, your riding skill in speed will be 60.
----
somnariffic: Did the fact that you were going B2P slow down the release of new content? Is that why there has been so little since the summer?
:ZOS_Sage: Anything we add to the game does cost dev time, so the answer is "yes." That said, 1.6 has a huge number of changes, and all of those changes, Champion, Balance Changes and Justice had far more to do with it than our Crown Store. This is a big update!
----
dominoid73: Thanks for taking the time for a quick AMA

 

Can you please talk about your planned pace of content/updates post 1.6? It will be more than a full quarter between 1.5 and 1.6 once 1.6 makes it to the live servers.

 

Will update 1.6 be the last content update before console launch? If not, how do you plan to incorporate patch 1.7 into Tamriel Unlimited without having "day 1 DLC" on consoles and the PR hit that will ensue because of it.

 

Please talk about how the PVP portion of the Justice system will work with Tamriel Unlimited. Is this portion now DLC?

 

With no PVP content since launch and the Imperial City being such an integral part of Cyrodiil when launched, will the IC be now considered DLC? It would seem quite difficult to separate the two.

 

You said new DLC in Tamriel Unlimited will scale to the player level allowing the player to play the new content regardless of where they are in the leveling experience. Is there any plan to bring this mechanic to the game as a whole?

 
:ottoginc: Follow up question: When is ZOS going to hire dominoid73? I feel like you guys should already be paying him...
::ZOS_GinaBruno: All of us have noticed what a great supporter dominoid has been!
:ZOS_MattF: These are all great, astute questions, and are things that have led to many internal discussions over the last couple of months here at ZOS.
:#We are not going to keep up our 2014 pace of updates in 2015 - and our future update pace will focus more on new adventures and game experiences than system changes. It's time to let the game breathe a little - we've done so many new features so quickly that we want to make sure everyone is on the same page with us. 1.6 alone has a complete rebalancing of most player abilities - we don't want to do that again, for example. Our #1 priority right now is getting Tamriel Unlimited launched on PC, and then focusing on a successful console launch. While we do those things, we have other teams already working on DLC and expect to see that start rolling out at some point after console launch settles down.
:#yes, 1.6 is going to be the last major update before console launch, for obvious reasons. We will continue to do interim updates as necessary. As Paul said in another thread on this AMA, we're now developing for 4 platforms at once, and it is inherently more complex. We're committed to having content hit all the platforms at roughly the same time, so it will necessarily slow things down a bit.
:#This remains to be determined - I've been pretty clear that PvP justice is pretty scary from a game balance perspective, and we need to be very careful how we implement it. If/when it makes it in to the game, it will not be as part of a paid DLC.
:#We're working through the details for this right now - stay tuned for details.
:#We have definitely talked about this, but it would be a huge change to the game, and one that would require a major effort to adjust leveling rewards (loot cadence/levels, etc.). We'll keep this on the back-burner for now.
----
peskoly: Hello ZOS,

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy work day to answer our questions!

Q: Under the right conditions(3 way fights @ emp keep, scroll fights, etc), Cyrodiil lag/fps performance issues become very noticeable, even on a high end machine. Considering the fact that console hardware specs aren't quite up to par with current high end machines, does ZOS plan on taking steps to relieve consoles of those issues? Example: Reduce population caps in AvA campaigns?

Thank you!
:ZOS_Sage: As I mentioned in another answer, performance is our top Cyrodiil concern, and we are looking at several ways of addressing it. Some of these will be in 1.6. As with anything going to console, we will evaluate performance and make adjustments as necessary, though it may or may not be population caps.
::peskoly: Thanks for the response!

::Lots of guilds plan on testing cyrodiil PvP out on PTS. We hope to see you guys in game so we can have quick communication in regards what causes issues during cyro fights!
:::ZOS_GinaBruno: We're actually planning another playtest where you can join the devs on the PTS for some PvP action! More details will be posted next week.
----
wasd-gamer: Will houses ever be a thing for players?
:ZOS_Sage: We have a number of things we'd love to add to the game. We are not currently working on housing, but it is on the top of the list of things we want to add.
----
Korith_Eaglecry: What will be your process for deciding if an item should or shouldnt go into the store?
:ZOS_Ridout: Convinience and Customization is our goal

:If it shortcuts some time, it can get considered. If it makes you look cool, it will get considered!
----
Jamesetay1: What is he approx dollar to crown conversion? Also, can you give us some examples of how much a mount or follower will cost?
:ZOS_Ridout: PTS will be up soon! You will be able to preview the offerings at that time.
----
j4nds4 (edited): Could your next version of the ESO box say on the code sheet that it's a scratch-off? That would save... some people a lot of humiliation.
:ZOS_Sage: Lottery tickets must be a very disappointing affair for you. I'll see what I can do.
----
dominoid73: We know that players will be able to keep items and gear earned in a DLC from a plus membership, should they allow they're membership to lapse. However another interesting scenario arises. Will players without a plus membership AND without having purchased a specific DLC be able to purchase items in a guild store from a DLC they do not own or have access to? A "No" answer means you are "punishing" the player's who own the content by limiting the pool of players they can sell to, but a "yes" would allow B2P players to acquire items and gear that perhaps they shouldn't be able to get.
:ZOS_Ridout: Yes. Players who have access to DLC and get normal drops from that DLC they will be able to sell it in the Guild Store.
::dominoid73: But can players who don't have that dlc buy them? That's kind of the important part. ;-)
:::ZOS_Ridout: Yes. They can.
:ZOS_Ridout: I'll throw another response here at the top...

:We are not done with the first DLC so some things can change. In general though... Typical items, weapons and armor can be freely traded/sold to those that do not own the DLC. But some/many capstone rewards will be highly visible and not tradable.
----
carl2431: The DLC that is playable as soon as you purchase it: Do you scale to it or does it scale to you? How will this affect play with friends who buy the DLC together but are at differing points/levels of the game?

Thanks much
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:The player will scale to the content. Our hope is it will make playing with your friends even easier.
----
p3zzl3: QUESTION

I'm new to the game (signed up Jan 3rd 2015) and have to say I love it. My question to the team is regarding the Drops and Drop rate of Sets and Items. Can the ESO team give the community an assurance that the Store WILL NOT sell these set items as it would effectively make the essence of the game, the journey the player goes on to EARN these items, irrelevant?
:ZOS_Sage: We have no plans to sell weapon or armor sets in the crown store.
----
Cubby94: Will you be changing the drop rates of items purchasable in the crown store (eg: potions, soul gems) so that it is more difficult to obtain these items in the world?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: We won't be changing the drop rate of items that have Crown Store versions.
----
lvillanueva5: Will there be a Beta available for the console version prior to release? I was in the initial beta, however, found the keyboard controls too frustrating for me to handle. (more of a console gamer) so decided to pass on the PC release.

I've been waiting eagerly for the console version, but wanted to be able to test drive it before committing to spending the $60 for the game.
:zos_konk: Yes, we're absolutely planning to have a Beta available prior to console release. More details about it will be available as we get closer to launch.
----
Browntown_07: Greetings! Quick question in relation to the release on console:

Subscription for PLUS will be an option on PC, but will PLUS be offered to console players? What will be the equivalent option for them, or will there be no PLUS option?

Thanks!
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hi Browntown_07, we are currently working out the details of how membership will be handled on the console and will be releasing more information in the future.
----
stronkjoe: Can i obtain the content of 'Explorer's Pack', if i buy 'Tamriel Unlimited' Edition?

Will there be 'Tamriel Unlimited Imperial Edition'? Any chance to get to play as Imperial w/o 'Imperial Edition' (box or upgrade)?
:ZOS_MattF: You will be able to purchase the digital Imperial Edition upgrade bundle in the Crown Store. It is the same one that is on the ESO website right now - but after Tamriel Unlimited launches, it'll be available in the Crown Store.

:And yes, there will be physical ESO: Tamriel Unlimited Imperial Editions available.
----
FallenSoldierC7: How much will each DLC pack cost if we do not have a subscription
:ZOS_Ridout: That has yet to be determined but we intend to price around standard DLC pricing.
----
TheBethke: Are you planning on implementing PvP balances/fixes?

This includes WoE broken, snipe strength, and the usual problems (dark cloak, etc.).
:ZOS_Eric: The combat team is continuing to support all current abilities with future updates for free to all customers.

:With update 1.6 we've made a number of balance fixes to all abilities, as well as bug fixes for abilities such as Dark Cloak. In Cyrodiil we've updated the Battle Spirit buff to give players a buff that adds more health and damage reduction.
----
jfraser_CP: I had ordered the Imperial Edition with a 180 day subscription when ESO came out. After a few months, though, it lost its luster and I let my subscription lapse.

Since it hasn't been renewed, will I be able to reap the reward of having a previous subscription, or would it need to be active?

Would I be able to access my old characters still, or start anew?

Here's hoping that ESO continues to look and feel like a quality MMO, now that FTP means Pay-to-Play with the inclusion of crowns. Will players who still want to enjoy ESO but don't (or can't) pay the extra money for the "goodies" still be able to progress in a meaningful game?
:ZOS_MattF: Your characters are still there and your account will be magically active on March 17 as subscriptions will no longer be required. Just patch the client, log in with the account info you used back when you played, and you'll be off and running.

:As for your second question - if you don't spend any additional money on the game other than the initial purchase, you'll be playing the same game as everyone else. The game won't be dumbed-down for non-Plus members. You would, however, see players riding cool mounts and wearing costumes you wouldn't have unless you purchased them in the Crown Store.
----
RangeroftheNight: Will there be any type of offline mode in the console versions?
:ZOS_GinaBruno: No, there will not be an offline mode for console.
----
markywings: Hi ESO. I have been looking forward to this game all year and can’t wait for it to become available on the PS4. I would like to know if Chatbox will be available on console versions, as it is on the PC? I am deaf myself so I would be relying on Chatbox to allow me to communicate with other people on the game.
:zos_konk: Yes, you have the option of using the text chatbox on console as well. Furthermore, you can plug in a standard USB keyboard into your PS4 and use it to type, if you want.

 

:The chat window collapses by default, but can be pinned to the HUD if you want.
----
evedgebah: Hi, thanks for doing this AMA. I have several quetions:

First, what is the plan regarding PVP, buff servers, and emperor flipping?

To be competitive at the highest level of PVE content, buff servers are essential. This also makes it so that cross faction alliances can team up and deny another alliance their buffs, thus making them less competitive with nothing they can do (not when 2 factions team up).

If I might make a suggestion to keep players vested in PVP: Tie buffs outside of Cyrodiil to PVP rank, incentivising PVP without letting troll-playing and cross-faction alliances preventing one alliance from being as competitive. Then, have some other kind of in-campaign buff for keep ownership to make it worthwhile to have a home campaign.

Second, why was the decision made to multiply attribute (and other) values instead of just rebalancing them with minor adjustments for 1.6? It's a logical fallacy that % bonuses will be more powerful, as they'll simply scale with the increased values, the numbers will look higher, but the relative value of a % increase with 150 health vs 100 magicka/stamina will be the same as with 1500 health vs 1000 magicka/stamina (or 160 vs 90, or 10,000 vs 700 or whatever different ratio was selected). By scaling the attributes so much, it just makes it confusing to players to readjust to what values of health/magicka/stamina etc are suitable for which content and goals.

Third, with regards to the Crown Store and the Buy-to-Play model, a common theme with Free-to-Play/Buy-to-Play models and content cash-gates with cash shops is that in order to remain competitive, the best gear/potions/etc are obtainable in the cash shop. This is likely the #1 cause for playerbase dissatisfactino with the model. Will you promise us, in writing that the Crown Store will have nothing superior to in-game acquireable goods?
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:First: Our most important priority for the Alliance War is to keep working on improving performance. Next priorities include incentivizing players to play in smaller groups and we have considered making the Cyrodiil buffs only apply to Cyrodiil.

:Second: This is mainly a display of progress. Not being able to see progression, even if it exists behind the scenes is often confusing to people. We made the decision so people can see their progress clearly.

:Third: Our goal with the Crown store is to offer convenience and cosmetic items. Convenience will allow people to save themselves time. It will not allow people to get the best items or become more powerful in the game than another player could achieve. I will say openly that some people feel 'time-saving' items are buy-to-win such as being able to gain experience faster. But our perspective is that removing time barriers is something players want, without providing an unfair advantage in power.
----
tinythinker: I hope this day finds you all well.

It was announced that DLC will be scalable to all levels to be accessible upon purchase, yet character progression is more meaningful when it unlocks new places to go and new things to do. At the same time, good end-game content requires more than just a difficulty slider (such as clever mechanics). Will there still be new zones that require level 50 or completion of certain quest lines? I am wondering, for example, what challenges Cadwell's Silver and Gold were preparing us for in in-character/rp/lore terms.

Thanks for any information you can provide and for taking the time to answer such questions.
:ZOS_Sage: Certainly leveling is one clear way to provide accomplishment, but I think with the Champion System we'll be looking at other ways to provide a great feeling of accomplishment. To be blunt, however, I think the days of gating content by level are probably behind us.
----
lizzardduck: My questions is about the Rings of Mara. The player I married will not be moving to console with me. Does that mean my rings are lost forever? Or will they be reset, since the player is no longer on my server?
:ZOS_Sage: Your rings are lost forever. I'm sorry they won't be moving with you.
----
Thayn_Silverblade: Given the potentially drastic change that may occur in the community that ESO has established with the introduction of B2P, not to mention the potentially large influx of players thus inflating queue times, my question is:

Will there be a ESO Plus - Only campaign (or set of campaigns)?

Thanks!
:ZOS_Sage: I think that making decisions based on speculation that our community will deteriorate due to a change in business model is really premature at this point. There was a very positive post on this subreddit talking about how community leaders drive the mood of a community. I have always been amazed at our in-game community, and I am very appreciative of them.
----
R3012: For start, sub. mods & devs, thank you for the AMA.

My questions:
#With the change to B2P, can we expect the development time of dlc's to take longer? So far we had a new patch every 4 or 6 weeks, will that time (for example) double after the B2P conversion?
#hy should PvP players subscribe? We haven't seen a dedicated PvP patch ,at all, from the start of the game. And by that I mean a patch that will introduce (for example) a new and exclusive mechanic into Cyrodiil. How much longer will it take to open the Imperial City?
#Have you prepared / Are you going to prepare the Megaservers for March 17th? I think a lot of us remember the chaos that happened with the long log in queues and etc.
#Customer support in ESO is great. Can we expect the same kind of treatment after March 17th to both Subscribers and people that only buy the game?
#Are there any thoughts for other consumables for the Crown store? A lot of people do not like the idea of potions that will give you an extra edge over other people (example XP boosts, siege weapons that deal x amount more damage etc.) On a side note, I think a lot of us are very keen with the idea of buying services instead, for example, extra character slots, extra bank space, appearance / race change etc.

All in all, you have a great game, I hope to see it grow in 2015. Thank you for your time.
:ZOS_Sage:
: 
:#It has less to do with a change in model and more to do with the fact that development on four platforms is more complicated than two. We fully expect a longer time between updates. But remember, there will be some updates which are free and some which are DLC. This will impact the schedule because it is a different delivery plan than our current model.
:#Imperial City is something we are evaluating internally. To give a look behind the scenes we didn't feel Imperial City was ready for release. When Imperial City is where we are happy with it, we will release it. Again, Cyrodiil performance is out top priority right now.
:#We've made several changes to the game such as increasing delve size, reducing the phasing, and even lowering the number of players that can be in a delve at one time.
:#Thank you. I believe we will keep to our current standards.
:#It is very tough to provide a value for the money people spend and keep a respect for the integrity of the game. I think we our customization and convenience plan provides a good road for Tamriel Unlimited.
----
JamieAubrey: Will we be able to ( in the future ) be able to change our characters appearance like in Skyrim ?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: We'd definitely like to introduce a "barbershop" feature into the game that would allow you to adjust your appearance.
:ZOS_Ridout: We have seen this request a lot and are investigating how we might deliver this feature.
----
Apantos (edited): I wanted to begin with saying that i have been very happy with the effort zos has put in to this game compared to most devs thus far, and i still really appreciate how good zos has been to us for the most part. I still have VERY high hopes for the future of the game, and a lot of trust in the devs, but i do have some concerns still.

I just really hope this just adds cosmetics and vanity items (which i have been craving) and doesnt slow or affect the release of content in a negative way.

QUESTIONS :

#Many members of the ESO team have previously said that the reason for going sub only was so they didnt "have to make sacrifices because of using a different model".

I think many of the community would like to know if/what sacrifices will now be made because of the B2P model? and if none, what has changed since launch to make this possible?

2) Subscribing after the launch of eso+ will earn you 1500 crowns, however to show your appreciation to those who have supported, tested and paid for this game for many months, you are awarding 100 crowns per month..

This to me sounds like more of an insult than a kind gesture, is this going to be changed, or can you explain this decision?

3) My khajiit doesn't look how i wanted him to look as i didnt fully understand how the Triangle in the customisation screen worked back then, are you planning on allowing us to fully recustomise our characters, and not just hair?

4) The time between content updates has been about 4-6 weeks, will this slow down at all now? are you able to give us a rough timeframe between updates going forward?
:ZOS_MattF
:#We don't foresee any huge changes, other than us keeping an eye on the Crown Store and making sure that we have items there that people want to purchase. DLC will be gated to players who have purchased the pack directly on the Crown Store or are Plus members.
:#We also have 3, 6, and 9 month subscriber loyalty rewards (we've already given out the 3 and 6 month rewards), and we'll have a special loyalty reward for all of you who have subscribed from original launch through the Tamriel Unlimited transition. I mistakenly called this the "12 month" reward on our twitch show the day before yesterday, what it is intended to do is to make sure that people who subscribed the entire time the game was sub-based get a really cool exclusive reward. Expect details on that soon.
----
ZOS_MattF: A quick note about version 1.6. It has a ton of new features and items that we have talked about, but also some things that we haven't talked about enough. Here's a general list, in no certain order. I'm sure I missed some, but these are the larger ticket items:

Justice System

Champion System

Crown Store and Collections

Combat animation and timing fixes - this was one of the most requested features over the last seven months. We've done many months of tweaks and fixes to animations, timing, and overall "feel" to make combat feel better and weightier. These fixes go live in 1.6, you'll see them on PTS and will be included in the console release.

More player separation fixes: we've gone back through quests and reduced the phasing as much as possible that results in players being separated from one another.

Provisioning Update

Re-balancing player abilities to be more consistent and better balanced across different builds
:CupOfCanada: Any new dungeons/delves?
::ZOS_GinaBruno: Not in this upcoming update.
----
winter-roses: Hello ZOS! Thank you for taking the time.

#Bantam guar pets?
#Will the stuffed guar ever come back in stock in your store, or is it a retired item now?
#Guildwide mail is currently only achieved by add ons which are a bit onerous to use. Are there any plans in the works for a guild mail system? I'm a GM who would like to send a weekly mail about events.
#Any ETA on a Purge making Wall of Elements tick fix?
#Any ETA on the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild?
:ZOS_MattF:
:#yes! they are awesome. They will be in the Crown Store at Tamriel Unlimited launch
:#I don't know the answer to this, but bought two of them when they were available. I'll see if we can get some more in stock.
:#Chris will answer this one in a minute
:#it's in 1.6
:#Expect to see them in a DLC pack, details TBD
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: On 3, it's something on our list but didn't make it for 1.6. We did however, update the MOTD so that when it's changed a notification is broadcast to members. Additionally, we've increased the character limit of the MOTD.
----
Kaladinar: Can you tell us your target resolution and frame rate for PS4 & XB1 versions?

Also, is there a chance to see the console UI available on PC for those who want to play with a controller?
:zos_konk: For your first question, the targets are 30 fps and 1080p resolution for both platforms.

 

:For your second question, we're definitely looking to add controller support to the PC game (including the same UI as console), but that won't be available until after console launch.
----
M0RL0K:
Will xp-gain crafting-xp etc for non-subscribers actually decrease, or will it stay the same compared to now?
Are there any plans to release Imperials as a standalone-DLC, or altogether make them playable for everyone?
Will you introduce cloaks (there are early screenshots and artworks of them)?
Will you releaseAkaviri and Yokudan motif eventually? Or are these styles reserved for special gear?
Are there new motifs (apart from Xivkyn, Glass etc) planned for Wrothgar? Maybe orcish-themed ones?
Any plans to either let us dye weapons, or make the base colors less ridiculous? Running around in normally-colored armor, but with shiny blue shield+sword is just immersion-breaking for me and surely a lot fo other players.
:ZOS_Ridout: XP was not adjusted down to push ESO Plus. Those bonuses are intended to be a 'thank you' for those committed players.

:We have not broken the Imperial Race out of the Imperial Upgrade.

:I too love cloaks but we lost them in exchange for other customizations. Would love to see them return but I dont know if that's in the cards for us.

:Expanding the dye system gets discussed internally a bunch. That's a good sign!
----
Comment removed by moderator
:ZOS_MattF: First of all, thanks for subbing since the beginning. That's awesome. I just answered the reward question in another post, check out that one.

:As for how Plus benefits vet players: the boosts affect all characters on your account, so if you start an alt, they will have the boosts to help you level faster. Also, you'll get 1500 Crowns per month to spend on items in the store.
----
GilmerInSpace: Will we ever be able to change our character names?
:ZOS_Ridout: This has come up enough times that we know its desired. We will be investigating how/if we can implement this feature.
----
[deleted]: as someone that only likes b2p games and not subscription games I can't wait to start playing and participating in this great and welcoming community!
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Can't wait to have you join the community, sinnex!
----
Kipawa: I'm a solo player, but I like the ability and option of grouping up with people to run dungeons / raids and whatever else. As it is I have to tip into Craglorn to turn in my blacksmithing daily. The zone is beautiful and I want to explore it but I can't since it's not very... solo friendly. Certainly I can get a group, but I like to take my time, read the stories, get immersed and explore; things that random people just really oftentimes have no patience for.

Do you plan on making more group-orientated content like Craglorn? If so, what would the draw be for someone like me to want to purchase this type of content? At this point when I dig into it I know it'll be a rush to A, B, C as quick as possible - > turn in. I love dungeons, I love the mechanics, I love tanking, but there is not a SINGLE dungeon I have completed that I know WTF the story is all about, because I have overzealous people running ahead, or chiding me, "come on tank....."

So can we expect to see solo content still? Content that is still challenging would be nice, but on the other end can we still see more raids and trials and dungeons (public / private) and over-land-type group events? (dolemans).

Secondly, I wrote a suggestion in the official ESO forums about companions. I know it was said there would NEVER be permanent combat companions in game, but could it be a consideration? This would also make a great item to sell in the Crown Shop, too (provided the companion you "hire" is not as powerful as the type you get in-game).

Just some musings. Thank you.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: We definitely are planning to support the game with solo content as well as group content. One of our future updates, Orsinium, will be providing solo content for players.
----
bogusnot: Hi ZOS people!

Thank you so much for doing the AMA today, it is very positive that you are engaging the community as you are making some major changes to the game and it is much appreciated.

I would like to ask about PVP specifically as myself and many others almost exclusively play for this aspect of the game. In general, could you give us a sense of what you see as the road ahead for the pvp player?

If you are feeling like generous gods, you could answer some more specific questions that are burning away in /z chat constantly:

#Have you thought about assigning a community manager to pvp specifically to streamline bugged issues like purge and unbreakable talons?
#Is there any progress on the lag issue that would allow the population caps to be increased again?
#Are there GMs in pvp during peak hours?

And a request: Could you send DC more Australians? We need more Australians.

Thanks for taking the time and your patience with what can be at times a tough crowd. I wish you all the best in the next year!
:ZOS_Eric: Eric here from the combat team. Can't speak to all of your PvP questions, however the issue with the Purge ability is fixed in 1.6. Have not heard about the unbreakable talons issue but will research it when I get back to my desk. Please message me with any details you have :)
----
Leiloni: Whose the   handsome fella carrying the sign?
:ZOS_Eric: Me! Haven't shaved in a while :)
----
Comment deleted by user
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: Any game time cards already applied to an account after the launch of Tamriel Unlimited will add the equivalent duration of ESO Plus membership to your account.
::steelblade66: Does that apply to non-prepaid sub cards? Like, if I have a current sub that runs through March 17th will the remaining time I have be converted?
:::ZOS_JessicaFolsom: Yep!
----
Lukar115: Will the PC version of ESO receive controller support to match the console versions? I recently bought ESO for PC and am excited to try it this weekend, but I mostly play games with an Xbox One controller, so an option for that would be 10x easier for me.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey Lukar115, we'd like to add gamepad support for the PC. I'm the same way, I play some PC games with a controller as well so I understand where you're coming from :). It's not something that will arrive at the same time as the console launch but it's something we'd like to add in.
----
Tierney369: Will spellcrafting still be an added feature in the near future ?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Yes this is something that we're still planning to add to the game.
----
NathanDickson: When do we get the option to keep our camera centered all the time?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey Nathan, with 1.6 you will have options to change the camera in this way. You can change the horizontal position of the camera in 3rd person view.
----
[deleted]: So, if my character has three mounts, currently all maxed in different attributes, does that mean that in 1.6, I will have max speed, stamina, and carrying capacity on every mount I ride?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: That's correct, yep. For that character your mounts would be maxed out, regardless of which mount you're on.
----
lordrichter: Will we be able to tell the difference between ESO Plus and non subscribers in the game or via the API?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: You won't be able to tell the difference between an ESO Plus and non-ESO Plus player.
::prototypefb: ESO plus khajiits will have longer tails ;P
:::zos_konk: Haha, that is awesome! I'm tempted to go evaluate what it would take to make this happen.
----
Safirex (edited): Are you planning to add "gear preview " feature into game ? So i can preview how my character will i look with crown shop costumes,or see the look of linked armor in chat etc ? Thanks.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey Safirex, we actually have item previewing for the crown store so you can see how all costumes, pets, and mounts look in relation to your character before purchasing them. This is something we've talked about expanding beyond the crown store as well.
----
Cole-train99: Will console have emote support?
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Yes, you will be able to use emotes on console versions. /cheer
----
Comrade1981: Will we ever see the console controller UI and support as an option for PC? Lot of folks want to know.
:zos_konk: Yes, it's something we're looking to add to the PC game, but it won't be available until after console launch
----
TeijiSenpai: Hello and thank you for allowing us to launch numerous questions at you,

Questionareeno, /u/ZOS_ChrisStrasz

I love TESO, It's great. The one thing I dislike, in all games, is RNG, dependence on this I loathe. In the Veteran Dungeons, there is gear dropped which has been in-game since launch, early-access even, I'm yet to obtain a full set of any of the VR dungeon gear due to the intense drop-rate. Receiving numerous duplicate Undaunted Shoulders which I'll never use, their purpose is to take up space.

Now, we have gold and Alliance Points. You can work to get alliance points to get gear, which you can't obtain with gold. Which is great, we can get pvp gear from both - RNG rolls with the mail rewards or work towards purchasing it, we have security of knowing we can work towards getting it in a fun, definite way.

With Undaunted and the VR dungeon "set" items, Ebon Armory, Worm Cult, Hircine's Veneer. It's just RNG, have you considered creating a system, similar to Cyrodiil vendors where players are able to exchange duplicate Undaunted 2-piece items, traits, armor types, whatever as well as a way of obtaining Ebon Armory and the other two sets without such a horrifying drop rate? I recall in the past the mention of "season-gear" and the possibility of purchasing previous season-gear, but yeah, I hate assuming so I ask this question. Being able to definitively work towards a goal such as "Okay so in order to get the Ebon Shoulders I need to do X runs and acquire Y so I can get them after X amount of days" or something, being able to do this would be great.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey teijiSenpai, we've considered a system like that but it's not currently something we're working on.
----
Dimitris8895: As a huge fan of your game, I am actually glad that you are doing these changes and transitioning to B2P because the game will be re-reviewed for consoles, and with all the updates and the Justice / Champion System will get better scores and positive publicity that's all it needs atm to be honest. People to see that not what is constantly preached on the Internet is true, and that the game is worth playing.

Just a couple questions for you guys:

Do you think that launching in B2P would be better instead of launching with a subscription model? The current trend on MMOs is to launch B2P or F2P, subscription seems to be a model that flops and is unsunstainable (something that saddens me a lot because I actually like paying a subscription instead of having a shop.
Will the crown points which someone who has subbed for about 6-8 months and will be an ESO Plus member gets (and the respective crown points per month) be enough to get stuff from the store, or will they be such a small amount that will act as an incentive for someone to fork even more money in order to get a costume or something else from the shop? For the sake of space, will I be needing to save my crown points for like 2-3 months in order to be able to get a costume? (SW:ToR does it and it's annoying)
Will the cash shop be intrusive? I really like the minimal UI you guys have going on in the game, and I would totally hate to have a large spinning dollar/septim/crown/whatever telling me to "BUY ALL THE STUFF", especially if I am a current subscriber.
Do you think that you will be able to push out updates as efficiently as you did pre-B2P? If we exclude the 1.6 Update (because it's a pretty much big update; essentially an overhaul if you will), you seemed to have a pace of 4-6 weeks / update. Will that continue?
If I recall correctly, you guys have been saying that you liked the more minimal approach to the game, and that you are not fans of big, flashy things on the screen. Now that you have gone with selling cosmetics, would you guys add flashy and/or silly things to the shop in order to incentivise someone to click the big ol' Buy button? Please no swimsuits or skimpy outfits! Nor flaming pauldrons!

Relevant "No pay2win shit or I am out" plug, because I really love the game and don't want to stop playing, please guys, don't make me quit.

Much love and hope you guys keep up the good work!

Also, can I be friends with the glorius Konk? Big fan!
:ZOS_Ridout: I can get a part of this.

:The crown store is not intended to be intrusive. We do not direct the player to it or pop it up in front of you when you run out of potions.

:Its just there when you want it.
----
Balian01: Hello ZOS team!

I'm curious as to how patches will work with the new B2P model. Will we still receive monthly patches for the non-sub members that we dont have to pay for with medium to small content (like dyes, vet dungeons, etc.) like we have been and the more "beefy" updates (new zones/larger content) be DLC exclusive?

Also, will the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves guild updates be free patches or be tied to DLC?

Thanks guys!
:ZOS_Sage: We plan to have updates that add new systems, address balance, etc. These will come to all players of the game and not have a cost.

:There will also be DLC and new store items that will have a crown costs. ESO Plus members will have access to this DLC of course.

:We aren't yet ready to discuss how Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild will be introduced.
----
bensor74: Hey !

I would like to know if you still intend to implement Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood and Morag Tong. Some people are quite worried since you said you would implement less systems from now on.

Thanks !
:ZOS_MattF: Expect to see Thieves Guild / Dark Brotherhood content in a future DLC pack. We may introduce systems with that DLC pack, although details remain to be worked out.
----
Comment deleted by user
:ZOS_GinaBruno: It's something we'd certainly like to do, but don't currently have an ETA.
----
[deleted]: Has there been any improvements to the console UI that has adopted popular add-ons features? I.e. sorting/organizing features, permantly marking junk items, DPS meters (optional of course) or other quality of life features?

Additionally, and probably a long shot, but will there be add-on support for consoles?
:zos_konk: There will absolutely be numerous useful updates to the console UI, and some of the updates are based on popular PC add-ons. For example, a lot of the functionality in the "Loot Drops" mod is a part of the console UI by default. There are others add-ons we have drawn inspiration from as well, but I'm calling this one out specifically because I really like it.

 

:Unfortunately, there will be no add-on support for consoles.
----
lordrichter: It has been asked, but I would like to ask again in case it was missed.

Are there any plans to add the console VOICE feature to the PC/Mac?
:zos_konk: It's definitely something we're looking to add to the PC/Mac version, but it won't be available until after console launch.
----
Comment deleted by user
:ZOS_Sage: Remember, there will still be leveling, just not in Wrothgar. Also, CHampion Phase 4 will change leveling, but won't remove the 1-50 experience.
----
[deleted]: del  
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: How giant? Reference pics, please! ;)
----
DL_ArcAngel: Will there be an in game funtion for console players to create guilds/clans?
:zos_konk: Yes, the functionality is equivalent to the PC. You can be a member of up to 5 guilds (with up to 500 members each) and can be the guild master of 1 guild.

 

:The console guild screens have a different interface than the PC, of course, but you can do all the same things.
----
BiddyM: Will former PC players have to play full price to switch to console?
:zos_konk: If you had an active account on June 30th of last year, you'll have the opportunity to buy a console version of ESO for $20.

 

:In addition to the discounted price, we will also do a one-time copy of your PC characters to your console account (as they exist just before the console launch date). The characters would then progress independently on each platform.
----
amigonumber1: Could you provide some context to the value of the crowns compared to the content they are used to purchase. For example how much would costumes, mount, zones or potions cost. Will the game return to having updates every 4-6 weeks or are we looking at longer times between patches going forward?

If additional skill lines (like maybe jewel crafting for example) were added to eso in the future, would these need to be unlocked at the crown store or would they become available to everyone right away?

Will the update that fully removes the veteran levels be in the game before the console release?

Is spellcrafting still on the table for some point down the line?
:ZOS_Eric:
: 

:Yes spellcrafting is still on the table! We've got a lot of cool abilities planned for this.
----
xaraan: Will we get new content before console release?

Last new content was with 1.5 (City of Ash) and if we only get the CS and a couple update style fixes before then, it will have been like six months+ by the time console comes out. Will we get some new content (not just changes) that we can get our hands on before then on pc?
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Yes, Update 6 will be available on PC before console release. We're actually aiming to have this on the PTS next week.
----
codegame: Will everything in the crown store remain true to the lore of elder scrolls or will we have silly things like bathing suits, shirt and pink unicorns?
:ZOS_Ridout: We might have some fun but nothing inappropriate.
----
Throren: Also will mounts like Guars have visual upgrades like horses and will the visual upgrades apply to your current mount via the riding skill?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Yep, Guars and other mounts will have the visual upgrades just like horses! Your riding skill determines what visual upgrades show up on them.
::ZOS_GinaBruno: Fun fact: When you want your guar mount to go faster, you give him a little smack on the rear :D
----
allianortis: PC gamers and console gamers will access the same megaserver? They will be able to play together?
:ZOS_JasonLeavey: Console players will not play on the same megaserver as PC or Mac players. There will be both a North American and European megaserver for PS4, as well as a separate North American and European megaserver for Xbox One players.
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:PC players and Mac players will play on the same megaservers. XBOX One players will have a separate megaserver. Playstation 4 players will also have their own megaserver.
----
b92303008: I there going to be a Road Ahead letter this month?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: We're working on it; it might be beginning of February.
:ZOS_MattF: Yes, if I wasn't typing so much on Reddit right now, I'd probably be working on it... :)

:Seriously, expect it sometime in the next few weeks.
----
JohnnyKing94:
#You said on the FAQ that the crowns can be purchased by your store (i think the website shop). Will the crowns be sold in packs or not?? How much will they cost in EURO/DOLLARS?
#The ESO Plus will be the same as cost as the old subscription?
#When you said that the convenience items are shortcuts for old people who have not so much time to play, can you assure me that there will be no other shortcuts in future like buying gold or buyins random sets on the Crown Store?
:ZOS_MattF: Crowns will be sold in packs. Exact pricing is still being determined, as is pricing in Euros and other currencies.

:2) yes, ESO Plus will be the same price as the old subscription

:3) our plan is for customization and convenience items only.
----
lordrichter: The description of the horse vs rider skills did not make it clear whether the rider skill was going to be a player/account or character skill. Is the rider skill a character skill where each alt will have a different skill?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Riding skill is character based.
----
dreamwinder: Way back last year I played the Mac beta, and got a character to around lvl 8 before I had to concede that my machine simply wasn't up to the task, especially in larger zones. I expect the answer is no, but is there any chance that I will be able to take that character onto my XB1 in June? ( haven't played since that beta)
:ZOS_MattF (edited): We do have a character transfer (details about that will come soon), but you can only transfer characters from live accounts, not beta. That being said, it wont' take very long to get to level 8 so starting over is probably the best thing to do.

:Edit: I can't spell
----
Istherion: With the store being on PTS, will those who spend real money in it get a some sort of bonus when it goes live? For instance, when RIFT tried their store on the PTS, those who used real money to buy "credits" (crowns) would get double the amount when the store went live. Would be nice to get bonus like that for trying it :)
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: You won't be able to spend real money on the crown store when it hits PTS. Instead, we'll be giving PTS players some crowns that they can use to explore purchases on PTS. These won't transfer to the live servers.
:ZOS_GinaBruno: When we push Update 6 to the PTS, the Crown Store will actually be turned off, but we'll turn it on at a certain time (TBD) to do some focused testing. We'll be granting 5500 crowns to everone to aid in testing, but this will strictly be on the PTS - it will not transfer to the Live megaservers.
----
Ledmonkey96: Will you have to buy all the updates to get the latest one? Or can you pick and choose what you buy? So could I buy 1.9 but not 1.8 or would i have to buy both to play 1.9
:ZOS_Sage: Our current plan is to have DLC be independent of other DLC, meaning there won't be a requirement to own one to get to another.
----
theyoungerscroll: Hi, I've subbed since early access and have a few characters maxed out. If I change my account from subscription to B2P, do I lose content like the Vet zones or Craglorn?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: When we transition to Tamriel Unlimited, you will not lose access to anything currently (systems, content, character count, etc.) in the game.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Everything up to and including 1.6 will be there for you to play without a subscription. This includes veteran zones and Craglorn.
----
erock255555: Hello ZOS. I for one, as afull time sub since early access, embrace this B2P strategy. My question is...

Will we be able to purchase a race change?

I have wanted this option for quite some time now, and am very hopeful the it will be in the Crown Store.
:ZOS_Ridout: Race change, name change, alliance change, appearance change are all commonly seen in posts. These services are all being looked into. No promises on any, but we hear you!
----
[deleted]: Will the PC to console account transfers be available on day 1 (June 9th) of consoles? Maybe even prior to that date so that we can okay with our friends from day 1?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: We plan to make the PC/Mac to console character transfer option available to those who are eligible well before June 9th, 2015 (we're aiming for 60 days before.)
----
Farenor: Will Update 6 go live as soon as it is ready (after Testing on the PTS) or will it come out in March with Tamriel unlimited?
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Update 6 will be released on PC before Tamriel Unlimited, and it will be after we address any feedback from the PTS.
::Farenor: Oh my god Gina answered to me! Hi Gina! You're awesome :D Thanks for the quick answer
:::ZOS_GinaBruno: Hello! And thanks! :D
:ZOS_MattF: Update 6 will go live as normal after testing on PTS. However, when it goes live, it will have the Crown Store disabled and will remain sub-based until March 17 - when we will enable the Crown Store and everyone who purchased the game since launch will be able to log in and play.
----
Chelbele: Questions:

#Will there be more depth to the beginning levels of the game to make it not feel like its grind, grind, grind until level 50? Like adding puzzle's the way how Skyrim does when exploring caves/caverns? -please add puzzles! make my brain actually have to work!-
#Is there going to be added a level of consequences to your actions: e.g. how all Elder Scrolls have been, if you kill/hit a random by-standard, or get caught stealing by any NPC that you are thrown in jail or pay a fine? If so, when will it be implemented? -Even if you never incorporate a thieves guild or the dark brotherhood, consequences have always been apart of the Elder Scrolls. By not having it, it almost takes away the feeling like we have choices in the game and its the better graphic's of WOW.
#Will there be the ability to customize your character in game, barber, tattoo shop etc? What will it cost to pay for it: in-game money or crowns?

Thanks, Chelbele
:ZOS_MattF:
:#This is 100% why we added the Justice System. It gives you a really fun side-game to do while you are a questing and leveling.
:#Yes, most of what you list here is in the game as part of the Justice System - the consequences are much the same as you find in Skyrim when you engage in criminal activity.
:#As for your question about the barber shop / extra character customization, etc. - this is something we are considering right now, but no details yet.
----
Esperys:
/u/ZOS_Eric - How will combat be balanced around skills being available from DLC only (if indeed skills will be locked behind DLC such as Spell crafting?)
/u/ZOS_Ridout - How will you be balancing seeing new things in game as part of the world compared to buyable items. e.g. all the cool new mounts going to the shop or will some be available from rewards / events completed just in game? (excluding subscriber rewards)
/u/ZOS_Ridout - XP, Crafting and Gold rewards are perks of Sub. Nothing for PVP announced currently? Additionally will XP boosts be available in the store if so what impact do you foresee this having on the new Champion System?
/u/zos_konk , /u/ZOS_ChrisStrasz , /u/ZOS_Sage - Can you give us some information about changes planned for PVP excluding Imperial City and the new alliance skills already mentioned. i.e. new stuff and gameplay mechanics? and will this be DLC only? tbh anything would be appreciated here.
Anyone - Imperial City, Spellcrafting, Jewelrycraft - DLC or not? p.s. when can we fight you guys on PTS again :)?

Cheers,

Izanagi
:ZOS_Eric: Because all skills in the game are competing for the 5 valuable spots on a player's hotbar, none are balanced to be better than all the others. That would make the game bland and repetetive. Adding new skills to the game is just designed to give the players more options, as opposed to more powerful options.
----
strangelove2000: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions - much appreciated! I currently play on the PC and would like to continue to do so, but I also plan on getting the PS4 version as well to play with friends there. My question is, if I want the ESO+ benefits, will I have to pay for it twice, one for each platform, or, can I use the same account to log into each game? Thanks!
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey strangelove2000, ESO+ is platform specific so it would require an ESO+ membership on PC and Playstation 4.
----
Xsorus: Is there any possibility about changing the traits on gear in the future, there are some very good heavy armor PvP bag sets that currently just have god awful traits that keep them from being used.

Also can i wear the wedding dress costume as a Male Nord, and if not..why you hating on Cross Dressing Nords?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: We don't discriminate -- your male Nord can rock that Wedding Dress if you wish.
::wasd-gamer: At ZOS do you respect everyone choices to be who they want to be. and due to hearing that I'm planning on RP'ing a male orc who wears a wedding dress
:::ZOS_JessicaFolsom: That's fantastic. We look forward to seeing screenshots and hearing his story!
----
BlueBogToad: As a subscriber, if at some point I unsubscribe, will I keep all the content I've experienced up to that point, or will I have to repurchase DLCs or other things not purchased with crowns?
:ZOS_MattF: ESO Plus members will keep all the Crowns they receive as part of membership, but you will lose access to any DLC that you haven't purchased if you cancel your membership. In that case, you could purchase the DLC a la carte using the Crowns you received while a Plus member.
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:As an example, let's say we release a zone like Wrothgar as DLC. As an ESO Plus member, you will automatically have access to Wrothgar. If you stop being an ESO Plus member, you will lose access to that zone. However, you will keep the equipment you find there.
::Kipawa: Followup question:

::I'm a ESO+ member for 5 months, a huge content update gets released and I play it, but stuff hits the fan for me financially and I need to stop my subscription for a couple of months. After three months of not being a regular subscriber and I re-subscribe will I get that content update again, or will I need to purchase it?
:::ZOS_ChrisStrasz: You'd have access to all the DLC again once you re-subscribe.
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey BlueBogToad, cool name :). If your subscription lapses, access to any DLC content that you haven't purchased won't be accessible. If you purchased it though, it will be available from that point on, regardless of whether your subscription is active or not. This lets you choose whether you want to purchase DLC individually or just have access to them with the subscription.
----
[deleted]: Will there be any support for remote play for ps4 via the PS Vita? :) (I know I asked before, but im excited!)
:zos_konk: It's definitely something we're looking at, though I'm not exactly sure to what extent it will be finalized for launch. We've done some work on this already, and we have been using PS Vitas to play internally. That said, there are some issues we still need to work out before I'd feel comfortable calling it "remote play supported."
----
[deleted]: Now that the PC and console don't share a UI, can we expect improvements to the PC UI?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey rophez, we definitely have many things we'd love to incorporate into the PC UI to provide quality of life improvements. This is something that the UI group always tries to balance along with getting features online for new systems.

:But as an example, there are things we'd like to do to improve inventory filtering. And I know a lot of people want to turn off notifications for trial leaderboard updates. We keep a running list from both internal and external feedback.
::Randactyl: Aww, you guys are going to put me out of a job!

::I kid, of course. Having something like Advanced Filters available to all players by default would be awesome. I'm sure I could find ways to keep tweaking it :)
:::ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Great job on it!
----
Joey_Rage: How hard is it to keep up with all these questions? lol
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: Not too bad! We're all in a room together answering as many as we can. There are some really great ones!
::ZOS_Eric: It's tough! Everyone wants me to feed the starving troll.
:::ZOS_GinaBruno: I have no idea what you're talking about... >.>
----
Hero_of_None: When you discuss porting characters over to the console, what will transfer?

The character model?
items?
skills and progress?
champion points?
subscription to plus? (So it can be shared pc to console without paying twice)
DLC?
will the character be "moved" or "cloned", so you can still go back to pc with that char if you want?
:zos_konk: Nice, an opportunity to respond with a bulleted list of yes/no. Here ya go:


 
:*Yes: Character Model
:*Yes: items
:*Yes: Skills and progression
:*Yes: Champion points
:*No: Subscription to plus
:*No: DLC
:*A one-time clone. From then on, each version of the character progresses independently

 

:Basically, it's a one time transfer of your characters' data to your console account, but from then on, your PC account is unique from your console account.
----
Korith_Eaglecry: With the addition of the Justice System. Will the Guards be killable with a certain amount of effort or will they be invincible?
:ZOS_Sage: Currently, the guards cannot be killed. In order to make it so the Justice System would not be easily exploitable in multiplayer, this was the decision that was necessary. Players will be able to run from guards and even be able to fight them briefly, but they cannot kill them.
----
prototypefb: are sharpened weapon trait going to be fixed( i believe there is slight error in formula of this trait, perhaps, some1 forgot percentile values is 1/100 not 1, thus making this trait way too poverfull)? also will impenetrable trait for armor be brought in line with others in near future( way too OP atm)? also stealth is effy, half-eye should be equal to closed eye, in terms of skill function, atm half-eye stops stealth based skills from working
:ZOS_Eric: Yes sharpened will be fixed for 1.6.

:Impenetrable has been tweaked in 1.6, it now reduces incoming critical damage instead of reducing the chance to be hit with a critical strike. This means abilties such such as critical surge will now give the caster health. We like the fact that Impenetrable is very powerful in AvA but would like to further adjust the way it works so players have more gearing options in AvA.

:Lastly, in 1.6 we fixed some bugs where the eyeball wasn't properly matching the player's stealth state.
----
deadwavelength: Hey guys, just wanted to let you know the AUA is officially over. Thanks for participating in the sub!
----
Le_Jacob: Jessica, will you go on a date with me?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: I appreciate the offer, but I'm married. :)
----
putinhavenocareforw8: Now that it doesn't require a subscription to play are you planning or considering to translate the game(text or text+voice, I prefer only text) into spanish. A lot of spanish people would like to play the game but only if it were in spanish.
:ZOS_Sage: Market demand is what drives our translation efforts. Spanish is not currently slated, but the answer is we would love to.
----
Hero_of_None: We have several topics on the main forum regarding what we would like to purchase and not purchase with crowns.  Can we get a run down on what ZOS currently plans to sell for crowns...

upon release
upcoming
what will never be sold
on the fence

I know this has been asked a thousand times dice the announcement, but a static page with an evolving list would really help us know what the expectations are.

Also with the crown store, will we see it popping up and sparkling, annoyingly, every time we open the game? Or will this store be on a separate tab and sort of subdued until you want to make a purchase?

Will things like DLC, hoodies, plushies, posters, and other items you normally purchase with real life money be available with total or even partial payment with crowns?

Will there be in game methods to earn crowns, such as getting the fastest trial time, dominating pvp, or rewards for running a character through to top level?
:ZOS_MattF: We're aiming for 1.6 to hit PTS sometime next week, so you'll be able to see the Crown Store then. And a note - part of the purpose of PTS is to test and assess the viability of items on the Store, so we can (and probably will) adjust Crown prices for some items and even add or remove items between PTS and going live.

:That being said, we're going to have a bunch of costume packs, some discrete costumes, six or so mounts (two guars), six or so vanity pets, stamina potions, health potions, magicka potions, repair kits, soul gems, and the digital Imperial Edition upgrade bundle. We may have a couple of other bundles as well.

:You won't be able to purchase any real-world items (hoodies, etc.) with Crowns - those are spent in the crown store only for in-game items. There will be no method in-game earn Crowns.
::Hero_of_None: Thank you for the reply

::Will DLC be purchasable with crowns, or does that still require real life money?

::You mentioned you have no way to earn crowns in game, but what about out of game, in particular for testing on the PTS? It was mentioned previously they wanted to offer an incentive to test but we're unsure with what. It seems like a few crowns for participating in test plans would be a good way.

::Side question, now that unlimited is coming and game time cards are pulled from stores like gamestop, is there an expiration date on unused game time cards?
:::ZOS_MattF: DLC will be purchased using Crowns, not real money. We'll move all DLC pack purchases into the Crown Store. This is a great question, and one that we should have answered before now.

:::As for getting crowns for PTS testing, that's an interesting idea, but not one we can address any time soon.

:::You'll have to ask your retailer for exact details, but my understanding is that existing game time cards will work for ESP Plus membership, just as they currently work for ESO subscription and will continue to do so.
----
crimepoet: Any plans to add +10% AP to the bonuses for the plus subscription? It seems like it would fit with the other bonuses and as primarily a pvper, it's the one I would mostly be interested in.
:ZOS_Sage: That's a good suggestion. We'll look into that.
----
At_Psyan: This change is really worrying me, as a subscriber who was playing prelaunch and there for Beta, I have put a lot of passion and time into this game. I could not stand the community in WoW and ESO was my calling.

But what worries me is the bonuses for subscribers... are they not turning your loyal players from the beginning into the very thing we hate? (ptw) by giving us a MINI "advantage" tbh I would rather just have a free mount that only presubbers get, any future DLC and leave it at that. I don't want a leg up with crowns and 10% boosts. I want to be equal but I also want to keep subbing as I have always been a loyal fan.

Also why crowns? can you honestly make a promise to us that no PTW items will be available in the crown store?

And of course the question that I have asked since launch... capes? :P
:ZOS_MattF: We think of it this way: it is acceptable to make an in-game purchase (or join ESO Plus) to shortcut time. We talked about this on our Twitch show the day we announced Tamriel Unlimited. So, our store will have Customization (things that look cool but aren't statistically better than their in-game counterparts) or Convenience (items that allow you to short cut time, like health/stamina/magicka potions, soul gems, and repair kits) items.

:No capes! Ask Paul about that one. He has strong opinions and spams me with Incredibles links on youtube whenever I bring it up.
----
Kylestien: Hello. More of a general question here from someone who has not played the game yet but is thinking about getting the PS4 version.

So I was watching the Angry Joe Review from 9 months ago, and while I don't know what updates have been done since then and a bit of it is satirical, I was wondering on a good portion of it's points. If you have seen said review (And if you have not you should, I find Joe tends to give good passionate feedback especially since The Elder Scrolls is one of his fav franchises) I was wondering what points in it you have improved on and the like.

In fact, if you have no watched the review, a more general way of putting this is: What lessons have you learned from feedback, what have you fixed or intend to Fix ETC?
:ZOS_Eric: It's been 9 months so my memory is a little fuzzy on all the comments from that review. Here are some of the major changes we've made since launch.

:*Added sweet late game content like new Trials and Dragonstar Arena
:*Combatted botters
:*Fixed bugs with Dark Anchors not spawning properly
:*Fixed the bugs blocking major and minor quest steps
:*Fixed player seperation issues when playing quests in a group
:*Updated balance on all abilities
:*Added new justice gameplay
:*Added new high level character advancement through champion system
:*Improved server performance - Note this is an ongoing task we are always improving
----
TripleTriad: Guys I know our spanish community will never recive a language pack, but can you add the "ñ" to the keymapp please? It's fucking annoying that we can't use it, even if the game is not translated to our language. SWTOR or FFXIV have Ñ, please...

Can you show us some sneak peak for the new skills set revamp? I hope NB get a new self-heal or panic button like DK!
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey TripleTriad, I'll deliver this one personally to the UI group and see what we can do.
::TripleTriad: Thanks mate, your my hero!
:::ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Found the source of the problem, thanks for the heads up!
----
Tierney369: I am a monthly PC subscriber with ESO and will continue to pay monthly but may also buy the game on xbox one will I have all the same privelages as I do on PC or do you have to pay monthy for both platform to have eso plus on both ?
:zos_konk: First off, thanks for considering playing on both platforms at once. That's very exciting for me to hear!

 

:There are a few things to go over with regards to this. To answer your specific question, the membership is specific to the platform.

 

:You can, however, choose to link your XboxLive account to your current PC ESO account. This means a few things:

:*Your initial console log in experience will be much quicker. Just type in your UserID and password and start playing.
:*If you purchase a transfer for your PC account, you'll have a copy of your PC characters on your XboxOne ESO game. This is a one-time copy, and your characters then progress independently
:*All your account information is the same, so you won't need to fill out an additional information for Customer Service on console
----
Squeek1980: Hey there, just gotta say I completely love The Elder Scrolls Online, the massive open worlds, the attention to detail and the gameplay overall is simply amazing! I love getting lost in the world of Tamriel. I've been playing since launch and haven't stopped! Thank you so much! Keep up the fantastic work!
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Thanks so much for the kind words, Squeek! Glad you're enjoying the game. :)
----
MissBizz: QUESTION: During the special ESO Live it was stated there would be a one time gift given to people that have "been there since the beginning". I understand all the details may not be worked out.. but can you answer if "from the beginning" means launch day (or prior), or if there will be some (unknown at this time) amount of leeway?
:ZOS_MattF: I answered this in another thread, but that was me that said it, and I partially mis-spoke, although you took away the proper understanding. It's not a "12 month sub" reward, because obviously we're making the Tamriel Unlimited transition less than 12 months after launch.

:What it means is that if you purchased the game and have subbed since April 2014 to March 17, 2015, you'll get the special reward. I don't anticipate there being any leeway.
----
MrSmeeb: I bought the game a few months ago on a sale, but have yet to play it. Will I still be able to use this version of the game disc to play the unlimited version once it goes free to play? I am unsure I will have time to play it until about the time it goes free, and I am afraid I may have wasted my money. Albeit only 20 dollars.
:ZOS_MattF: Yes, this version will still be good after March 17.
:ZOS_GinaBruno: Yes! Any copies of the game purchased prior to Tamriel Unlimited launching will work fine.
::[deleted]: I'm annoyed with that as my box won't look the same. Well it would Prove I got the game a long time before
:::ZOS_GinaBruno: You're an OG.
----
Joey_Rage: Do you plan to add different mount saddles, saddlebags, armor or headgear in the future? Maybe as part of the crown store?
:ZOS_Ridout: This is such a great feature. We actually have tech hurdles to get past to do this right. But again, its so awesome that I bring it up on a regular basis. I think I am wearing the graphics programmers down.
----
Elocinna: What is the difference between a Wedding Dress costume and a Woodland Bundle? Does that simply mean there are more costume pieces in the bundles or...?
:ZOS_Ridout: Yes. The wedding dress is a single dress. The Woodland Bundle has three costumes of various low level armor you could expect to see on a 'woodland scout'.
----
JohnnyKing94: How much the crowns will cost in € or $?
:ZOS_JessicaFolsom: We haven't announced any details regarding this yet, and are still discussing it. We'll let everyone know before March 17th.
----
starving_troll: Class balance/ Development question.

In the December 19th ESO live, there was a discussion about a revamp of the four classes and class skills.

Dragonknights and templars were slated to get complete revamps of existing class skills that improved or completely changed their functionality.

However, when it came to sorcs, the developer being interviewed basically said "Sorcs are fine, but we are working on improving pets"

This frustrated a lot of PvP sorcs that don't use pets and there are several threads on the forums about it.

Can you address concerns of PvP sorcs that don't use pets and suffer from (class skill based) DPS issues when 90% of our offensive class skills can be reflected or otherwise mitigated? Some of use like to use something different than just crushing shock and a destro staff.
Can we also get a PvP effective version of Rune Prison? This would also be a great skill to revamp.

There are tons of good Ideas in this thread

I just want to make sure that non-trials, non-pet and non-crushing shock sorc options get some love.
:ZOS_Eric: Yes I've seen this concern before, thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify comments from the 19th.

:Specifically I was commenting on the fact that these classes were getting a completely new ability and that we liked the funtionality of the Sorcerer abilities. We did a lot of work on the sorcerer to increase both the damage and usefulness of their current loadout. For example, Daedric Curse and Daedric Mines deal significantly more damage now and Crystal Shards has a shorter cast time. The Dragonknight's reflective scales now only reflects 4 projectiles instead of unlimited so there should be more opportunites for dealing damage with that ability. We'll be monitoring PTS forums for more feedback on this specific topic.
----
danno8: With the rebalancing of Ultimate generation, are you also taking a look at all Ultimate skills costs? For instance the NB skill Soul Harvest has a current cost of only 50 Ultimate and can be used quite frequently and most would say is fairly balanced given what it does.

The new Ultimate generation method would only allow 1 use every 17 seconds using no additional Ult. gen. skills which is far less than what can be done now. Have you guys considered these cases?
:ZOS_Eric: We have made tweaks to a few ultimate costs and have also playtested the ultimate generation values extensively in solo PvE, PvP and trial situations. Overall we are very happy with the numbers and hope you will join us on PTS for your feedback.
----
SlayerSyrena: Hi guys! :) Will these ever be available in the Crown store?

More character slots, Guild slots, Emotes (especially character specific emotes, ie: vampire)

(Hope this wasn't asked already. I just got here and haven't had time to read much yet.)
:ZOS_Ridout: I have seen Character Slots come up a few times and believe it is worth investigating but no promises.

:We deffinately want to do something for guilds but this might be a bit further out.

:We have looked a bit into Emotes and they come with some challenges but again, this comes up often enough that we will continue to investigate.

:Sorry I cant be more specific than this. But I can assure you we will work to grow the Crown Store to deliver the goods and services players want.
----
[deleted]: Will there be xbox controller support for PC?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey aweddle14, we're hoping to add gamepad support for the PC in the future. There's no firm date for this at the moment.
----
Kipawa: Any plans to add new skill lines or classes to the game?
:ZOS_Sage:
: 

:The Champion system adds a ton of new passive skill lines. Also, Justice introduces the Legerdemain skill line. Finally, we've made several adjustments to the existing skill lines and abilities. We're probably going to let things settle for awhile after this.
:ZOS_Eric: Spellcrafting is still something we'd like to release. We're also planning on supporting new content releases with additional abilities.
----
Calphurnious: I was plagued with a lot of bugs at launch unfortunately with many spells locking me out of doing anything among other bugs making it an annoying experience for me. Especially when I asked if I could have a weeks worth of game time so I can come back at a later time to see if issues were addressed so I can continue my adventure. I was flat out denied even a days worth of time and haven't played the game since. I always wanted to go back over the year to see how things are going but I couldn't after that treatment. I am glad that I may now be able to continue my journey and have the freedom to play when ever I'd like to now!
:zos_konk: We're happy to have you back! We hope you enjoy all the updates to the game we've made over the past year!
----
IcyVeinz: As someone who hates Pay2Win but loves The Elder Scrolls, will there be items in the Real Money store that empower your character ( armor, weapons etc.) ?
:ZOS_Ridout: Convinience and Customization!
----
Kuratius: I've read that you are currently planning to turn the other morph of critical surge into one that increases spell power as well as weapon power, I'd like to ask if and how sorc caster builds are going to be able compensate for their lack of an efficient self-heal once staffs run on spell damage.
:ZOS_Eric: We'd like to hear your feedback after playing on the PTS, but are considering making the healing power of critical surge avaliable on the base rank of the ability.
----
Xsorus: How will secondary abilities work in PVP after the AOE caps are changed? For Example...Sap Essence from Nightblades, will it hit just 6 for the healing part, or can it hit like 60 people?

Same with Dark Talons as well.

Also recently I asked if Venom Arrow will be blockable similar to Blood Craze in the dual wield line..does this mean the damage will be reduced while blocking or does it mean it just won't apply at all if the target is blocking? Cause it and blood craze would be the only dots that do that in this case.
:ZOS_Eric: Secondary effects don't apply for any target hit beyond 6. So the first 6 targets take 100% damage and are affected by the Dark Talons immobilize, the next 24 take 50% damage, and the last 30 take 25% damage.

:In update 1.6, Venom Arrow will no longer apply the DoT to be consistent with BLood Craze.
----
Tierney369: While I appreciate you cannot give a timeframe do you still plan to implement Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild into the game ?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: Hey Tierney369, yep we are still planning to implement Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild.
----
[deleted]: Is there any talk of removing costumes from Cyrodiil?

I know you're making money off people looking ridiculous now, but it ruins immersion to have people wearing wedding gowns and jester costumes while they're sieging a castle.
:ZOS_Ridout: While I totally appreciate the desire to keep wedding dresses far away from keep sieges, we dont want to limit players in this way. I look forward to seeing armies of skeletons and draugr assaulting keeps.
----
Comment deleted by user
:ZOS_JasonLeavey: ESO Plus is our upcoming optional premium membership service for the game. You will not be required to pay a monthly subscription as of March 17th. Be sure to check out our recent article for more information about the service offers:

:
----
Joey_Rage: I've see the new "rider skill" talked about a few times already and it appears that it will be based of your character's current max-mount attribute of speed, stamina or carry. However, what if I have 3 mounts maxed out in each attribute? Will I be able to choose which one is active or will all three be active?
:ZOS_ChrisStrasz: With the new system, you will be able to max out all 3 attributes. If you have 3 separate mounts that are each maxed out in a different attribute, what will happen is that your riding skill will be mapped to that. So yes, effectively it would max out your riding skill.

:This is assuming you're using the mounts that have a base bonus in the specific stat that you've upgraded to its max.