The Elder Scrolls Online: starter area, combat system and overflow servers
Less than a month away from launch, Zenimax Online announced some considerable changes for their leviathan project The Elder Scrolls Online. Following the feedback of beta testers, the developer made changes involving the starter area, tweaks on the combat system and the installation of overflow servers. These adjustments will be introduced in the next beta patch.
The former starter isles, where new players used to spawn after finishing the prologue, will be replaced by a major city of the player’s faction. This was done to make sure that players wouldn’t feel to constrained until reaching level ten. The starter islands will not disappear, but instead be an optional choice after you wake up in the city. The new starter areas were designed to allow players greater freedom and give them enough places to discover, without running into high-level opponents.
The combat system was also criticized for being more like a MMO and less like e.g. Skyrim. Players lamented that due to missing feedback the combat feels a bit stiff and unreal. The developer reacted by implementing certain tweaks, such as changes to animations and sound effects to enhance the experience. Furthermore a much requested hitbox was implemented, so that players would no longer be able to walk through NPCs.
Last but not least, Zenimax said that they would install other servers to compensate for a possible congestion on launch date, April 4. If the mega-server would be working to capacity, players on the waiting list would be able start right away with their adventure. This is done to ensure a problem- and lag-free experience on Day One. (We all remember the Diablo 3 launch, don’t we?) As soon as the necessary capacities are there, waiting-list-players will be transferred to the mega-server. While on overflow servers, options like PvP, guild access and the friends-list will not be accessible. The acquired level, items and completed quests however, will be available without disadvantages.
