Info about The Elder Scrolls® Online:

Official game description:
The Elder Scrolls Online: Deluxe Edition
========================================
Get the Deluxe Edition to experience all ESO adventures in one place and begin your journey in the world of Tamriel. Includes the Base Game, 2025 Content Pass, and all eight previous Chapters.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Housing Starter Pack
==============================================
Begin (or bolster!) your housing adventure in Tamriel with the Housing Starter Pack, featuring a brand-new Unfurnished House and 800 Crowns for Furnishings to decorate your new home with (or anything else you desire in ESO’s in-game shop, the Crown Store)!  
This bundle includes:  
• Seabloom Villa Unfurnished House  
• 800 Crowns  
Seabloom Villa Unfurnished House  
Blossom lovers will delight in this picturesque villa perched on the western coastline of Auridon! With its elegant design, this cozy home awaits any who seek to nurture its blooms to life while enjoying how the light dances on the nearby rippling waters.  
800 Crowns  
The Crowns are for use in the Crown Store. The Crown Store can be accessed in-game to browse and purchase unique furnishings, houses, pets, mounts, costumes for your character, and other virtual goods and services.
The Elder Scrolls Online: The Hailcinder Mount Pack
===================================================
Ride into your Tamrielic journey with the Hailcinder Mount Pack, featuring an exclusive Vale Elk Mount, 3000 Crowns for use in the Crown Store, as well as a Pledge of Mara Scroll to aid in your adventures.  
This bundle includes:  
• Exclusive Mount: Hailcinder Vale Elk  
• 3000 Crowns  
• Pledge of Mara Scroll  
Mount: Hailcinder Vale Elk  
Some claim a ghost possesses this proud steed, providing it with a haunting glow. Others point to its chosen diet: glowing flora and fungi. Regardless, riders feel as if they're gliding on air.  
3000 Crowns  
The Crowns are for use in The Crown Store. The Crown Store can be accessed in-game to browse and purchase unique pets, mounts, costumes for your character, and other virtual goods and services.  
Pledge of Mara Scroll  
Pledge commitment on sacred ground to bond a single character to another. Both will earn 10% more experience while adventuring together. Pledge is consumed on use.
About the Game
==============
Includes The Elder Scrolls Online base game plus the Morrowind, Imperial City, Orsinium, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood adventures.
Every legend starts somewhere and in The Elder Scrolls Online, it starts with you. Write your story into a vibrant chapter of Tamriel’s distant past that takes place nearly 1,000 years before the iconic TES V: Skyrim, and discover a world steeped in adventure and possibility.
**WELCOME TO SEASONS** - Step into new stories and experimental content inspired by classic TES history, delivered every three months. Play and unlock epic rewards with Tamriel Tomes.
**A DIVERSE FANTASY WORLD** – Travel Tamriel and discover a world of adventure. Explore mushroom forests in Morrowind, battle Daedra in Oblivion, or duel other players in PvP combat.
**RICH STORIES ON A SHARED CANVAS** - Immerse yourself in storytelling crafted with the same spirit as your favorite Elder Scrolls games. Discover an ever-growing world with friends or solo.
**PURPOSE IN EVERY PATH** - Choose from an array of quests and challenges that fit your desires and ambitions. Make this Elder Scrolls world your own - you belong here.

Release date: May 22, 2017

Categories: Open-World Exploration, MMORPG, Character Customization, Housing System, PvP, Crafting, Story-driven Gameplay, Endgame Content

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Aggressively Monetized / Predatory; summary: Elder Scrolls Online implements a multi-layered predatory monetization system on top of a full-priced box purchase. The game forces reliance on a monthly ESO+ subscription for essential quality-of-life features (craft bag), fragments content via a high volume of paid DLCs, and adds a Battle Pass requiring separate payment even for subscribers. A Crown Store sells exorbitantly priced cosmetics and convenience items that can be obtained easily in-game, while Crown Crates (loot boxes) with extremely low drop rates and a pity system encourage spending hundreds of dollars. This combination of subscription, DLC, Battle Pass, loot boxes, and premium currency creates an aggressive 'create problem, sell solution' environment with heavy FOMO and real-money pressure.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: The Student; summary: Primary complaint is the need for external guides and wiki to learn game systems, builds, and quest outcomes. Players feel the game does not teach its mechanics or provide clear direction, forcing reliance on third-party resources.
- Proton/Linux: score 30; verdict: Minor Tweaks; summary: The Elder Scrolls Online runs well on Linux/Proton for most users, with consistent reports of stable performance comparable to Windows. Some users encounter minor friction during setup (double installation, launcher quirks) and occasional issues with Wayland refresh rates or controller detection, but these are solved with simple tweaks like Proton-GE or basic configuration. No reports of anti-cheat blocks, critical crashes, or inability to reach gameplay. The consensus is that the game is playable and enjoyable on Linux.
- Steam Deck: score 60; verdict: Tinkering Required - Launcher and Stability Issues; summary: The Elder Scrolls Online has mixed Steam Deck performance. While some report smooth 60+ FPS and consider it nearly 'verified,' serious issues dominate: frequent crashes, inability to load in, intrusive launcher pop-ups, controller detection problems, and corrupted launcher updates. The external launcher often forces re-downloads or fails entirely, requiring tinkering.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The Elder Scrolls Online performs well on most Windows and Linux hardware, but players with 8-11GB VRAM on Windows frequently encounter crashes due to anti-cheat conflicts, and low-VRAM systems with more RAM show mixed results.
  - Sample size: 301 (4% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 81 reports): The game runs well on low-spec systems, with most reports of smooth performance and only occasional crashes or login issues.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (positive, 72 reports): Performance is excellent on higher-end systems, with consistent high frame rates at 4K and only one report of persistent crashing.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (negative, 62 reports): Frequent crashes dominate this cohort, often caused by anti-cheat conflicts with software like RTSS, making the game unstable for many users.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (mixed, 39 reports): One player reports smooth high-fps performance, while another experiences an endless update/crash loop that prevents playing.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (positive, 22 reports): The game runs well at 4K with no major issues reported.
  - Linux / Proton 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 7 reports): Runs but suffers from poor optimization, requiring strong single-core CPU performance.
  - Caveats: 301 of 7691 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The community frequently suggests buying the base game on sale, with prices around $10 or less considered excellent value. Some players mention that even a full price of $18-$20 is acceptable given the amount of content, while others feel that paying more than $5 is too much. Overall, the consensus indicates a fair base-game price range between $10 and $20 USD, as this covers both sale and full-price expectations.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 1000.0h
  - Story completion: 45.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The data shows a range of playtime metrics. Game completion is supported by a quote about 'hundreds of hours' from a review, indicating a large overall time investment. Story/campaign completion is evidenced by a player finishing the main quest in ~45 hours. Session length is inferred from a mention of a daily routine taking ~2 hours, common for MMO sessions. Endgame is weakly supported by a quote about new content finally becoming accessible, suggesting significant post-story engagement, but not a specific hour count. Some fields remain null due to lack of specific evidence.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Elder Scrolls Online has a slow, grindy start with a poor tutorial, but many players report the game becomes genuinely enjoyable after reaching level 50 and engaging with harder PvE content or playing with friends.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After level 50 and entering champion system
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: poor and vague tutorial; slow and grindy leveling pre-50; repetitive and dull early combat; unclear progression and mechanics; monetization pressure and subscription advantages; server lag and connectivity issues
  - Unlock drivers: playing with friends or guild members; reaching level 50 and entering the Champion system; participating in dungeons and trials; seeking out rich lore and story quests; exploring build variety and theorycrafting
  - Conditions: solo exploration with rich lore and story quests; co-op play with friends or guilds; roleplaying and housing; theorycrafting and build customization; endgame PvE dungeons and trials
- Player Archetypes:
  - Solo Lore Pilgrim (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploring Tamriel's stories and atmosphere without pressure
    - Playstyle: Plays alone, follows main and side quests, explores zones, often avoids PvP and hardcore group content
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: solo player; Elder Scrolls fan; lore enthusiast; casual adventurer
    - Reference games: Skyrim; Oblivion; The Witcher 3
  - Value-Conscious Critic (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting fair value for money without feeling pressured to purchase
    - Playstyle: May enjoy the game but constantly evaluates cost-benefit; often plays without ESO+ or only the base game
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: frugal gamer; anti-subscription; completionist
    - Reference games: World of Warcraft; Guild Wars 2; Final Fantasy XIV
  - Build-Identity Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Meaningful class distinction and diverse viable builds
    - Playstyle: Optimizes builds, tests subclassing systems, engaged in endgame PvE and PvP, monitors patch notes for class changes
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: theorycrafter; veteran player; builder; class purist
    - Reference games: World of Warcraft; Elder Scrolls series single-player
  - PvP War Strategist (buy)
    - Motivation: Large-scale strategic PvP battles and alliance warfare
    - Playstyle: Participates in Cyrodiil alliance wars, battlegrounds, coordinates with guilds, focuses on PvP builds and siege mechanics
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: PvP main; war gamer; alliance loyalist; siege enthusiast
    - Reference games: PlanetSide 2; Guild Wars 2 WvW; Dark Age of Camelot


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Thousands of hours of content (weight 0.32): The game offers an enormous amount of content, with players reporting hundreds to thousands of hours of playtime. The base game alone provides more content than most will ever finish.
- Well-written and immersive quests (weight 0.26): Quests are consistently noted for being interesting, well-written, and emotionally engaging. Both main and side quests have strong narratives and memorable characters.
- Beautiful and atmospheric world (weight 0.21): The world is praised for its stunning design, atmosphere, and deep lore. Graphics are described as beautiful, clean, and imaginative.
- Excellent solo play options (weight 0.19): The game is highly praised for being enjoyable and fully playable solo, offering a single-player-like experience. It supports flexible play with friends or groups as well.
- Friendly and helpful community (weight 0.19): Players consistently describe the community as wholesome, supportive, and welcoming. New players benefit from a friendly environment and helpful content creators.
- Abundant quests and variety (weight 0.16): The game offers a large number of diverse and enjoyable quests, including many side quests and zone quests. The quests are varied and can be completed solo.
- Engaging and smooth gameplay (weight 0.15): The basic gameplay is praised as good, fun, and smooth. Players find the overall game enjoyable and well-executed.
- Rich lore for Elder Scrolls fans (weight 0.13): The game is highly recommended for Elder Scrolls lore enthusiasts, filling gaps and expanding the world of Tamriel. It delivers a true Elder Scrolls experience with rich storytelling.
- No pay-to-win mechanics (weight 0.12): The monetization is praised for not being pay-to-win, as purchases do not provide direct stat advantages and are mostly cosmetic. Players appreciate the fair model.
- One of the best MMOs (weight 0.1): Many reviewers call this the best MMO they have played or one of the greatest on the market. It is considered a top-tier MMORPG experience.
- Deep and meaningful crafting system (weight 0.09): The crafting system is simple yet deep, with deconstructing, harvesting, and profession flexibility. Every resource has a purpose, making crafting rewarding.
- Great build variety and freedom (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the incredible build variety and freedom to create unique characters. The game offers diverse options for different playstyles.
- Great housing system (weight 0.08): The housing system is highly praised as fantastic and well-done, with many decorations and furnishings earnable in-game. Players enjoy this feature.
- Extensive character customization (weight 0.08): Character customization is account-wide and flexible, offering many options for armor, hairstyles, and markings. Players appreciate the variety.
- Flexible skill and progression systems (weight 0.08): The skill system is customizable with rich talent trees and mixable skills. Character progression offers deep flexibility.
- DLCs purchasable with in-game gold (weight 0.08): Players can buy DLCs using in-game gold, either through in-game exchanges or trusted sellers. This makes content accessible without real money.
- Addons improve quality of life (weight 0.08): The game supports addons that greatly enhance quality of life and gameplay. Players find them essential for a better experience.

Common complaints:
- Expensive and excessive DLCs (weight 0.22): Many players complain about expensive DLCs, with total costs reaching hundreds of dollars if purchased individually, and a confusing pricing structure.
- High ESO Plus cost (weight 0.19): ESO+ subscription costs around 12-13 euros per month, which many players consider too expensive, especially given its nearly mandatory status for full content access.
- Predatory monetization practices (weight 0.16): Players criticize predatory loot boxes, battle passes, cash shops, and FOMO mechanics that rely on RNG and gambling-like elements.
- Crafting bag paywall (weight 0.16): The crafting bag, essential for inventory management, is locked behind ESO+ subscription, making it feel like a necessary purchase.
- Inventory management issues (weight 0.13): Inventory and storage space are very limited without the subscription, forcing players to pay for basic convenience.
- Poor combat balance (weight 0.11): Combat balance is lacking in both PvE and PvP, with terrible balance in PvE and poor PvP balance.
- Outdated graphics quality (weight 0.1): Graphics are considered outdated even on maximum settings, with some describing them as poor quality.
- Frequent and long maintenance (weight 0.08): Server maintenance occurs weekly or bi-weekly, often lasting 12-18 hours and sometimes exceeding scheduled time by hours.
- Developers ignore feedback (weight 0.08): Players feel the developers do not listen to their feedback and ignore requests for years.
- Overwhelming for new players (weight 0.08): New players can be confused and overwhelmed by the enormous amount of content and systems without clear guidance.
- Essential features paywalled (weight 0.07): Many base features like essential items or content are locked behind paywalls, making the game feel pay-to-play.
- Lag in Cyrodiil PvP (weight 0.06): PvP in Cyrodiil suffers from high lag, server stutter, and FPS drops when many players are present.
- Low overworld difficulty (weight 0.06): Overworld combat is too easy, especially at low levels, making leveling feel unrewarding, though a difficulty mode is being addressed.
- Unhelpful customer support (weight 0.06): Customer support is described as virtually non-existent, with standard replies and denial of help.
- Level scaling issues (weight 0.06): Level scaling makes progression feel meaningless and stagnant as everything levels with the player.
- Repetitive quest design (weight 0.06): Many open world quests are repetitive, consisting of fetch, kill, and collect tasks.

Gameplay feedback:
- Expansive Open World Tamriel (weight 0.34): Players frequently praise the vast open world set in Tamriel, featuring diverse zones like Morrowind, Skyrim, and Elsweyr, rich in lore and exploration opportunities. The world is described as living, with cities, ruins, and NPCs that enhance immersion.
- Solo-Friendly MMO Design (weight 0.29): The game is recognized for being solo-friendly, with 90% of content playable alone, including questing, dungeons, and exploration. This appeals to players who prefer a single-player experience within an MMO framework.
- Multiple PvP Modes Available (weight 0.27): The game offers several PvP modes including Cyrodiil large-scale siege warfare, Battlegrounds (8v8 and 4v4), and Imperial City, catering to competitive and open PvP interests. Cyrodiil's territory control and alliance battles are highlighted as standout features.
- Rich PvE and PvP Content (weight 0.21): Players appreciate the balance of PvE (dungeons, trials, story quests) and dedicated PvP zones, providing varied gameplay. The inclusion of both cooperative and competitive elements is a key draw.
- Deep Crafting and Exploration (weight 0.16): Crafting and exploration are core activities, with players enjoying gathering materials, housing, and inventory management. These non-combat systems add depth and longevity to the game.
- Endgame Trials and Dungeons (weight 0.15): Endgame content includes 12-player trials with normal and veteran difficulties, as well as dungeons with role-based queues (tank, healer, DPS). This structured endgame caters to group-oriented players.
- Champion Point Progression System (weight 0.15): After reaching level 50, the Champion Point system provides continued progression up to 3600 CP, offering extensive character customization. This prestige-like system is a major long-term goal.
- Fully Voiced Story Quests (weight 0.15): All quests are fully voiced, featuring narrative-driven stories with branching dialogues and choices, avoiding generic 'fetch and kill' tasks. This immerses players in the rich Elder Scrolls lore.
- Subclassing and Classes System (weight 0.1): The subclass system allows further specialization within classes, adding depth to character builds. Players appreciate the variety from 6 classes and 10 races across three factions.
- Three Factions with Unique Quests (weight 0.09): The game features three distinct factions—Ebonheart Pact, Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant—each with their own questlines, adding replayability and narrative variety.
- Economy via Trading Guilds (weight 0.07): Trading relies on guild-specific NPC vendors, creating a player-driven economy that requires guild membership. This system is viewed as unique and engaging for commerce-minded players.
- Crown Store Monetization (weight 0.05): The Crown Store offers cosmetics, DLC, and convenience items, which is a point of discussion for monetization. Some players feel it impacts the free-to-play experience.
- MMO with Elder Scrolls Feel (weight 0.05): While an MMO, the game retains core Elder Scrolls elements like first-person view, lore, and exploration, satisfying franchise fans. It's seen as a different but related experience.

Performance notes:
- Frequent server disconnections (weight 0.16): Many users experience random disconnections, error messages (307/103), and long queue times. Server stability is a major concern.
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.16): The game crashes constantly for some users, including within minutes of launching. Mac (M4 Pro), Windows incompatibility, and launcher updates are cited causes.
- PvP lag and optimization issues (weight 0.13): Players frequently report high ping, lag, and phantom hits in PvP zones. Performance drops significantly during large-scale battles in Cyrodiil.
- High ping and latency problems (weight 0.11): High ping on EU servers, audio delay, and general latency degrade gameplay. Players on certain regions (e.g., Latin America) are particularly affected.
- Optimization issues and overheating (weight 0.11): Poor optimization leads to overheating of graphics cards, extreme stuttering, and lag even with high-end hardware. Manual config editing may be needed.
- Excessive weekly maintenance (weight 0.1): Weekly maintenance can last 8-12 hours or more, and unscheduled downtime is common, frustrating players.
- Crashes after updates (weight 0.08): Updates, especially launcher updates, often cause startup crashes or system instability. Forced updates (30GB) lead to frequent issues.
- Large storage and load times (weight 0.08): The game requires over 250 GB installation and has long load times. Frequent large updates force reinstallation for some.
- Graphics dated but variable (weight 0.07): Texture resolution not 4K, aged engine (2014) but graphics look better on PC than console. Some praise excellent music and lighting.
- Combat lag in groups (weight 0.06): Lag and freezing occur in group content, especially in trials with full groups using many skills, or in battlegrounds with loading screen delays.
- Loading screen freezes and crashes (weight 0.06): Infinite loading screens, zone loading issues, and freezes during loading are reported, especially during events.
- Steam Deck runs well (weight 0.06): Despite some drops in towns, the game runs well on Steam Deck (60+ fps) with no lag or loading issues, close to verified status.
- System requirements reasonable (weight 0.05): Game runs smoothly on mid-range systems and older hardware (GTX 1060 equivalent recommended). Good optimization for average PCs.
- Stable engine and rare crashes (weight 0.05): Some users report that the engine is stable and rarely crashes, indicating sporadic crash problems.
- MacOS bugs and UI issues (weight 0.04): Mac users report bugs causing UI frustrations and black screen issues requiring window switches.
- Comfortable controls for MMO (weight 0.04): Controls are comfortable for an MMO, though addon dependency suggests poor visual clarity in combat.
- Weaving harder on low-end machines (weight 0.02): Players on low-end machines struggle with weaving due to lag, impacting gameplay performance.
- Server queue times during events (weight 0.02): Long queue times are common during events, adding to downtime frustration.
- Steam login issues after maintenance (weight 0.02): Steam login fails after maintenance, requiring additional troubleshooting.
- Addons reduce performance (weight 0.02): Spanish addons can reduce performance, impacting gameplay on lower-end systems.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for Elder Scrolls fans (weight 0.31): Players strongly recommend this game to fans of The Elder Scrolls series, citing the deep lore and familiar world as major draws.
- Buy base game on sale (weight 0.14): Newcomers are advised to purchase only the base game at a discount, avoiding full-price or deluxe editions until they know they enjoy the content.
- Good for solo players (weight 0.13): The game is praised for its extensive solo-friendly questing and exploration content, making it accessible to players who prefer single-player experiences.
- Overall not recommended (weight 0.12): A significant number of reviews advise against buying the game, citing various negative aspects outweighing the positives.
- Start without ESO Plus (weight 0.12): Reviewers recommend newcomers enjoy the base game first before committing to the ESO Plus subscription or DLC, to avoid unnecessary expense.
- Join a guild for help (weight 0.12): New players are encouraged to join a friendly guild early to receive tips, assistance, and community support.
- Subscription recommended later (weight 0.1): For players who enjoy the game and engage in crafting or inventory management, ESO Plus is highly recommended after initial play.
- Worth at least trying (weight 0.09): Several players suggest giving the game a try, as it has enough content and quality to be worth a test run.
- Recommended for MMO fans (weight 0.08): MMORPG enthusiasts will find a community-driven experience that appeals to fans of the genre.
- Predatory monetization issues (weight 0.08): Several reviews criticize the game's monetization model as predatory, leading to a lack of recommendation despite the game's merits.
- Lore and exploration over gameplay (weight 0.07): Some players recommend the game primarily for its Elder Scrolls lore and exploration, not for its core gameplay mechanics.
- Better to play Skyrim instead (weight 0.07): A few reviews suggest skipping this game in favor of single-player Elder Scrolls titles like Skyrim or Oblivion, especially with mods.
- Avoid wasting time and money (weight 0.07): Some reviews strongly advise against spending time or money on the game, claiming it will not improve and is not worth the investment.
- Requires significant time investment (weight 0.06): The game is best suited for players with many hours to dedicate; casual players with limited time may not enjoy it as much.
- Suitable for MMO beginners (weight 0.06): Newcomers to MMOs find the game accessible and a good entry point into the genre, especially for solo play.
- Good for casual gamers (weight 0.06): Casual players who prefer easy quests and a relaxed community atmosphere will enjoy the game, especially those not focused on PvP or min-maxing.
- Better with friends (weight 0.05): Playing with friends enhances the experience significantly, making the game more enjoyable and engaging.
- Not for PvP seekers (weight 0.04): Players seeking balanced competitive PvP are advised to avoid the game due to constant balance issues and a toxic community.
- DLC zones are worth it (weight 0.04): While the base game is solid, some reviewers recommend focusing on DLC zones for the best content.
- Regional and server issues (weight 0.04): Players outside North America should be cautious, with some specifically warning against EU servers due to performance or stability problems.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.26): Players are frustrated by aggressive monetization, including pay-to-win elements and a subscription required for basic features like the crafting bag. Persistent bugs, performance issues like lag and crashes, and unbalanced PvP with hackers further compound the frustration. The combat system feels repetitive and unsatisfying, and the community is often toxic.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Players are disappointed that the game has declined from a beloved MMO into a cash grab, with once-rich features now locked behind paywalls. The combat feels floaty and impactless, classes have been homogenized, and content has become repetitive. Poor support and a lack of meaningful endgame content have left long-time players feeling let down.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players are satisfied with the vast amount of content and the freedom to play solo or with others without feeling rushed. The game's lore, fully voiced quests, and immersive world are highly praised. Fair monetization, a non-pay-to-win design, and a friendly community contribute to a rewarding experience.
- Anger (weight 0.07): Players are angry at the predatory inventory restrictions that make the game nearly unplayable without a subscription. Customer service is terrible, and players report being banned unfairly with no recourse. The company is seen as greedy, ignoring community feedback while introducing unwanted changes like a battle pass on top of existing monetization.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Players enjoy the rich quests, beautiful world, and the ability to build houses and explore at their own pace. The social experience with friendly guilds and the depth of systems like crafting and scrying add to the fun. The game successfully provides a relaxing atmosphere with a variety of activities.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Players are excited by the massive open world, deep character customization, and the epic storyline with surprising elements. The game offers an immense variety of content, from PvE to PvP, housing, and crafting. New updates and the ability to share the experience with others generate anticipation for many hours of gameplay.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the fully voiced quests, helpful community, and regular updates that keep the game fresh. The game's lore consistency with other Elder Scrolls titles and its inclusive representation are valued. Recent quality-of-life improvements show the developers are listening.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Players feel nostalgic for the early years of the game and the older Elder Scrolls aesthetic from Morrowind and Oblivion. Memories of playing with friends and the soundtrack evoking Skyrim and Morrowind contribute to this sentiment. Long-time players appreciate returning to familiar worlds and lore.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players love the beautiful world, immersive storylines, and the endless exploration possibilities. The art direction and soundtrack create a deep connection to the Elder Scrolls universe. This affection persists despite some issues, showing a strong emotional attachment to the game.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Players are annoyed by overpriced shops and the monetization of basic features. Inconvenient trading systems and time-gated mechanics like inventory management disrupt the experience. Persistent bugs and the lack of integration for popular mods add to the frustration.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Players express gratitude for the game as a positive escape from hard times and for the friendships formed through guilds. The community is often kind, with experienced players helping newcomers. This social support is a significant source of appreciation.
- Contentment (weight 0.01): Players feel content with the game as a solo-friendly experience that offers relaxed gameplay options. The constant updates and immersion provide a comfortable, enjoyable time. Playing at a slow pace with a supportive guild enhances this sense of satisfaction.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players are awed by the beautiful and diverse zones, such as Summerset and Vvardenfell, and the sheer amount of content even after hundreds of hours. The massive, living world in Cyrodiil and the breathtaking graphics create a sense of wonder. The music and detailed environments leave a lasting impression.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sad watching a beloved MMO decline due to aggressive monetization and the firing of developers. The game is seen as a shadow of its former self, with friends leaving and content quality dropping. This sense of loss is especially strong for those who have invested years in the game.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players express hope that ongoing updates and the efforts of the current developers will improve the game. Improvements to difficulty and campaign design are seen as positive steps. They are optimistic that the game will be in a good place within a year or two.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's world scale, atmosphere, and attention to detail, such as wind affecting plants and NPC expressions. The amount of content and the fact that it still holds up after ten years compared to other MMOs is praised. These elements make the game feel like a masterpiece.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players find joy in beautiful moments like watching sunlight over Skyrim snow and in the friendships formed through guilds. Random exploration and the sense of an immersive world provide consistent delight. The game's engaging activities and long-term fun are key sources of happiness.
- Resignation (weight 0.01): Players feel resigned to quitting the game due to monetization changes and the pressure to spend money. Some acknowledge being hooked despite the negatives, while others express a sad goodbye after years of decline. The grind and paywalls have made the game no longer enjoyable.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players find the combat too easy and the start of the game very slow, leading to boredom. The meta feels stale and content often falls into repetition. This lack of challenge and variety makes the experience dull for some.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players are amused by absurd builds like a Khajiit tanking with a mustache and by the antics of bombers wiping parties. The endgame fashion culture is humorously described as 'Fashion Scrolls Online'. Some find humor in mocking the negative reviews from highly experienced players.}