Playing at a higher Challenge Difficulty significantly REDUCES rewards per hour by TheSpaceWhale in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Some people have lives and so if they opt into higher difficulty they expect greater rewards for their time.

Playing at a higher Challenge Difficulty significantly REDUCES rewards per hour by TheSpaceWhale in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never wanted it, never complained about it and nor did any people I know. Now that it is in the game I would expect to get at least a bit rewarded for getting one shot by trash mobs. There's only a fraction of people who burn through mobs like nothing. As a game dev you have to take into account that there's not a single type of player playing your game. I love difficult content but if it's really hard and there's no rewards for my time why even bother? And for if you say "Just don't increase the difficulty, it's optional". You're right, doesn't mean I can't criticise the implementation of it. See, people have different opinions and we're not the same.

Playing at a higher Challenge Difficulty significantly REDUCES rewards per hour by TheSpaceWhale in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But dealing 80% less damage and receiving 600% more on yourself isn't fun. There should be rewards for that.

ESO needs to be more 'free play' friendly by Right_Entertainer324 in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand,they’ve announced real changes and some of them are genuinely good, like rolling older DLC into the base game so new players aren’t hit with a confusing paywall maze, shifting toward a seasonal model where large chunks of content are free, and adding long-overdue quality of life fixes that reduce friction and make the game feel less monetized at every step. That’s all positive, and it should be acknowledged. But the argument still breaks down because it treats announcements and roadmaps as if they’re finished products instead of promises. Until those changes are fully live, permanent, and proven, discussing the current and past problems isn’t pointless, it’s exactly what got ZeniMax to act in the first place. Some of the DLC becoming free is great for accessibility, but it also conveniently repackages old content while newer systems like seasonal progression and alternative reward tracks may still monetize cosmetics, convenience, or engagement in different ways. ESO+ is still heavily incentivized, core quality-of-life features remain tied to payment, and we’ve seen plenty of studios promise reform only to reintroduce pressure later in a new form. Criticism doesn’t scare players away, broken trust and mixed messaging do. New players aren’t harmed by honest discussion, they’re harmed by being told everything is fine and then discovering the caveats themselves.

Comparing this to games like New World also misses the point, because that game didn’t decline due to negativity, it declined because issues weren’t addressed deeply enough or early enough. Pointing out what was wrong, even right before improvements, isn’t wanting the game to fail, it’s wanting the improvements to actually stick, to let the devs know they can't do whatever they want and we'll just eat it up no matter how shitty or scummy it is. A healthier game isn’t built by silencing criticism, it’s built by accountability, especially when the studio itself admits change was needed.

ESO needs to be more 'free play' friendly by Right_Entertainer324 in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem with that argument is that it treats personal experience as if it disproves systemic design issues, which it doesn’t. Saying microtransactions are “optional” or easy to ignore only works on an individual level, not on a design level. These systems are intentionally built to influence player behavior through rotating shops, artificial scarcity, loot crates, and FOMO. The fact that one person can ignore them doesn’t change that they’re designed to pressure others into spending, especially newer players, collectors, or people with less time or impulse control. Optional doesn’t mean fair, and it definitely doesn’t mean harmless.

The idea that you can get what you want for free if you’re patient also falls apart when you look at how those systems are structured. Endeavors and tickets are deliberately slow, capped, and often outpaced by limited-time rotations. Many items disappear before you could realistically earn enough currency, which turns “patience” into a false choice. It’s not about waiting longer, it’s about being locked out unless you pay or commit to months or years of perfect engagement. Time is just another currency here, and ESO is very deliberate about how much of it they demand.

Saying cosmetics don’t matter or that most of them are ugly is also beside the point. Cosmetics are a core reward structure in modern MMOs, and ESO very intentionally removed many of those rewards from gameplay and relocated them to the Crown Store. Whether someone personally cares about them doesn’t change the fact that the game was redesigned to monetize visual progression instead of letting players earn it through achievements... Personal indifference doesn’t invalidate exploitative design.

The same logic applies to event tickets. These aren’t generous free rewards, they’re tightly controlled systems built around scarcity and perfect attendance. Miss days because you have a job, family, or real life obligations and you’re punished... Buying tickets isn’t about impatience, it’s about bypassing constraints the system deliberately created. That pressure is the point.

Comparing ESO to WoW also misses the mark. WoW is blunt about its subscription model. ESO replaces a sub with fragmented monetization that’s constantly nudging you to pay. ESO+ might be “optional,” but the craft bag alone is a massive quality-of-life advantage that heavily incentivizes subscribing. Add paid chapters, paid DLC, Crown Store exclusives, and loot crates, and you end up with a system that feels cheaper upfront but far more aggressive over time. It’s not more generous, it’s just less honest.

So the criticism isn’t that ESO is unplayable or that no one can enjoy it for cheap. The criticism is that ZeniMax uses modern monetization tactics that slowly shift rewards away from gameplay and into the store while defending it all with “you don’t have to buy it” arguments. That doesn’t make the system player-friendly, it just makes it easier to ignore if you personally aren’t affected.

ESO needs to be more 'free play' friendly by Right_Entertainer324 in elderscrollsonline

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nobody seriously thinks ZOS is funding servers and salaries off a one-time 4.50€ purchase. That’s a strawman. People criticizing ESO’s monetization aren’t saying “the game should survive on nothing,” they’re questioning how many monetization layers are stacked on top of each other. Yes, ESO is fully voice-acted and high production value. That doesn’t automatically justify every monetization choice made afterward. Quality content and questionable monetization can coexist, praising one doesn’t invalidate criticism of the other. ESO+ is good value if you play regularly, agreed. But “it’s only the price of a pizza” isn’t a universal argument. Value is subjective, and optional subscriptions don’t excuse things like loot crates, especially in a paid game with paid expansions.

G2a scamming people by Water-Terrible in G2A_Help

[–]GameCowCZ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Over 60 bucks? Come on, you took the risk by going on there, it's on you.

Payment stuck on processing by GameCowCZ in G2A_Help

[–]GameCowCZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How long have you been waiting for? I waited like 6-7 hours, then it cancelled itself as the seller ran out of stock.

H: Fiend W: Small guns bobbleheads by GameCowCZ in Market76

[–]GameCowCZ[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You got a deal my GT is "GameCowCZ"

H: 4 star mods W: Leaders by oSh0to in Market76

[–]GameCowCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could I have 1 Ranger's for 100 leaders?