Elder Scrolls Online will add paid-for health, XP boost potions "This gives the player a choice."

[GeneralTheoryOfBadassery]

The Elder Scrolls Online will soon allow you to buy health, stamina, magic and experience boost potions using real-world money.

These will be available from the MMO's Crown Store, which will let you convert your cash into the new crown currency.

You'll also be able to buy aesthetic items: upgraded mounts, vanity pets, fancy costumes and the like.

Developer Zenimax Online Studios has described the Crown Store's stock as simple "customisation and convenience" items, none of which will affect TESO's core gameplay.

"[Potions] can be purchased with crowns, but they're functionally very similar to the potions you can purchase from in-game vendors, and they're somewhat weaker and less effective than player-crafted potions," game director Matt Firor explained in a new blog post.

"This gives the player a choice: spend some crowns to get potions right now, or play a while to earn in-game gold and then spend it either at a vendor, another player, or at a Guild Store."

The Elder Scrolls Online will next month drop the need for a PC subscription, but those who choose to remain paid-up will receive an allowance of 1500 crowns pocket money every month.

"The easiest way to take advantage of the Crown Store and Tamriel Unlimited is to be an ESO Plus member," Firor continued. "As a member, you'll get bonuses to many in-game levelling systems (experience point gain, inspiration gain for crafting, etc.), 1500 crowns to spend in the Crown Store each month, and access to all DLC game packs for the duration of your membership.

"Existing ESO PC subscribers will automatically be enrolled in ESO Plus when Tamriel Unlimited launches, so no further action will be required to become a member if you're a subscriber at that time."

Loyal members who have been paid up for nine months or more will next month be rewarded with a unique Mask of Cheerful Slaughter costume, while anyone who has been paid up for 300 days will receive a unique Striped Senche (giant cat) mount.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of The Elder Scrolls Online are set to follow on 9th June. There will be no subscription fee on consoles, but you will need a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live membership to play.

None of the items bought through the store can be traded. Everything is bound to the account. Consumables like health potions will scale with the characters level however no potion will be more powerful than what you can get in game, and player crafted and world dropped items will always be the most powerful.

This is what they said during their live stream, so I cannot directly give you a source other than look through their archive (it was the B2P announcement stream).

Source :-http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-13-elder-scrolls-online-will-add-paid-for-health-xp-boost-potions

[Zeke]

Oh my god it turns into TF2.

[Guest MrE]

Just to add to the OP:

None of the items bought through the store can be traded. Everything is bound to the account. Consumables like health potions will scale with the characters level however no potion will be more powerful than what you can get in game, and player crafted and world dropped items will always be the most powerful.

This is what they said during their live stream, so I cannot directly give you a source other than look through their archive (it was the B2P announcement stream).

 

Edit: link to the live stream going over the crown store etc: http://www.twitch.tv/zenimaxonlinestudios/v/3711373

[TechFan@ic]

Are they joking ? since when is health and XP boosts "customisation and convenience" options. You call health boosts "convenience" options ? Seriously ?
This is totally pay to win. It's extremely sad that one of the best RPG franchises has been run into the ground by money grubbing men in suits.

[daemonowner]

Almost every microtransaction can be defended by saying "it's the players choice". That's not an argument, that's not good enough.

[Guest Kloaked]

Are they joking ? since when is health and XP boosts "customisation and convenience" options. You call health boosts "convenience" options ? Seriously ?

This is totally pay to win. It's extremely sad that one of the best RPG franchises has been run into the ground by money grubbing men in suits.

 

The boosts are temporary buffs and they're weaker than player-made potions. They're more for nooby level, not PvP and PvE - no one is going to use those potions over player-made ones in end-game content, lol.

[elkenrod]

Oh my god it turns into TF2.

 

If that means I can play for 700 hours and only pay a dollar, then I don't see the down side.

[Majestic]

Just to add to the OP:

None of the items bought through the store can be traded. Everything is bound to the account. Consumables like health potions will scale with the characters level however no potion will be more powerful than what you can get in game, and player crafted and world dropped items will always be the most powerful.

This is what they said during their live stream, so I cannot directly give you a source other than look through their archive (it was the B2P announcement stream).

 

If this is true, then it's pretty harmless.

[BobbyG2]

I find this quite acceptable. Let's just hope they don't take it too far in the future.

[Ddm5]

Oh my god it turns into TF2.

Not entirely sure of what you're talking about, it's far from TF2, and far being in another dimension, your comment makes 0 sense. 

[Thronar]

I haven't played ESO so I don't know how useful health potions are but it sounds stupid

 

and the xp thing is a great idea in mmos because you dont have to grind even longer

[That Norwegian Guy]

So there will be XP potions.

 

If the base leveling speed stays the same as before B2P = that's fine

If they reduce the leveling speed to sell more potions = a thousand mosquito bites upon your families

[Guest MrE]

If this is true, then it's pretty harmless.

 

They where very firm on that stance and said it multiple times over the course of the stream.

Found the link to the archive: http://www.twitch.tv/zenimaxonlinestudios/v/3711373

 

So there will be XP potions.

 

If the base leveling speed stays the same as before B2P = that's fine

If they reduce the leveling speed to sell more potions = a thousand mosquito bites upon your families

 

In the stream (see above link) they highlighted several times that the game would not change. You would just be able to pay for additional benefits but the game would stay the same for non subs. Or at least that is what I could gather.

[FaustoGomez]

Meh. When the game first came out, I was like "Well, OH YEAH. I love Skyrim so playing this would be great " Then I heard about the monthly subscription about 15$ (which is too much for me, and I beleive too much for nearly everyone who is a student) and I said "Argh.. Why don`t they make it a one time payment of 60$? Then I would buy it."

 

And now here it is, turned into something like, I don`t know, Knight Online ?  I didn`t really like Massive Multiplayer Online games anyways. I can`t enjoy them. I don`t enjoy grinding in that way even though I enjoy grinding in, lets say, Skyrim (improving smithing skill as a very basic example, can be considered "grinding").

 

I think I will wait for the ESO:VI  :mellow:

[Misanthrope]

Are they joking ? 

 

If you like the Elder Scrolls series then yes, I suggest you assume this is all a big fucking joke for the sake of your mental sanity, the game certainly is a joke already for bearing the Elder Scrolls names.

[ThomasD]

Oh my god it turns into TF2.

Everything turns into TF2

 

It is only a matter of when.

[Zeke]

Not entirely sure of what you're talking about, it's far from TF2, and far being in another dimension, your comment makes 0 sense. 

F2P base game with paid customizations and convinience options.

[Entropy]

These guys are going through their first MMO rodeo, but they've managed to make a f2p system that is pretty much amazing, or so it seems. Allowing for only cosmetic changes and an option to save in game time, while in no way taking from players who opt not to pay.

Nice.

[Guest Kloaked]

If you like the Elder Scrolls series then yes, I suggest you assume this is all a big fucking joke for the sake of your mental sanity, the game certainly is a joke already for bearing the Elder Scrolls names.

The game is seriously not as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

F2P base game with paid customizations and convinience options.

  

These guys are going through their first MMO rodeo, but they've managed to make a f2p system that is pretty much amazing, or so it seems. Allowing for only cosmetic changes and an option to save in game time, while in no way taking from players who opt not to pay.

Nice.

It's not going free to play.

[Misanthrope]

The game is seriously not as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

 

Alright partially conceded so I'll rephrase: The game has no business bearing the Tamriel Lore and the Elder Scrolls name. It could have just as easily worked as generic mmo #487 without pissing as many people off failing at both some mmo aspects and many elder scrolls aspects that just do not translate to that type of gameplay.

[Guest Kloaked]

Alright partially conceded so I'll rephrase: The game has no business bearing the Tamriel Lore and the Elder Scrolls name. It could have just as easily worked as generic mmo #487 without pissing as many people off failing at both some mmo aspects and many elder scrolls aspects that just do not translate to that type of gameplay.

I halfway agree. It could have been called something else with it's own lore.

But, people getting pissed off? Lol. I get it, people are disappointed since TES carries a reputation, but to get as adamantly mad about it as I've seen some people is stupid, imo. It's a game you don't like, big woop. Find another game, like Skyrim.

The game is already better than world of warcraft, as slow as their new content is getting pumped out - frankly I hate how they milked PC gamers this last year so they can do a console port and not give us any actual new content.

[Zeke]

It's not going free to play.

Ah, I've misinterpreted that. Not that I really care for TESO, don't like it anyway.

[Ddm5]

F2P base game with paid customizations and convinience options.

Not entirely sure where the convenience part of what you're on about comes from. 

[Misanthrope]

I halfway agree. It could have been called something else with it's own lore.

But, people getting pissed off? Lol. I get it, people are disappointed since TES carries a reputation, but to get as adamantly mad about it as I've seen some people is stupid, imo. It's a game you don't like, big woop. Find another game, like Skyrim.

The game is already better than world of warcraft, as slow as their new content is getting pumped out - frankly I hate how they milked PC gamers this last year so they can do a console port and not give us any actual new content.

 

Good points: I'm not really pissed off since I'm fairly cautious when buying games and didn't even thought about getting it, most people should be cautious as well nowadays. But truth to be told, I've had more than 1 conversation with people with passing interest on Skyrim that told me "Oh I wanna play the elder scrolls online that must be awesome!" And I had to spend a few minutes explaining that his was not a game made by bethesda and with little in common with Skyrim and Oblivion and they were highly disappointed.

 

A lot of people genuinely thought this would be Skyrim: Online, not saying they actually bought the game or anything but I bet they were counting on that kind of far reaching power a popular franchise has. 

[Guest Kloaked]

Good points: I'm not really pissed off since I'm fairly cautious when buying games and didn't even thought about getting it, most people should be cautious as well nowadays. But truth to be told, I've had more than 1 conversation with people with passing interest on Skyrim that told me "Oh I wanna play the elder scrolls online that must be awesome!" And I had to spend a few minutes explaining that his was not a game made by bethesda and with little in common with Skyrim and Oblivion and they were highly disappointed.

 

A lot of people genuinely thought this would be Skyrim: Online, not saying they actually bought the game or anything but I bet they were counting on that kind of far reaching power a popular franchise has. 

 

They did attempt to pass it off as that during the development/marketing cycle of the game, and that's what I was expecting going into it's early testing to be honest.

 

I saw countless threads on the test forum, telling the team to make the textures higher resolution, fix the clunky animations, etc - they did a few things but not enough to justify the game purchase at launch (I still bought it since I already had a guild formed and people to play with, and figured the game will get better).  They added first-person (POS mode anyways - so half-assed pre-Update 6 that's coming next month which makes it better) redid some textures and fixed most animations from testing to now, however the game still feels more like an MMO than a TES game. If that's what they were going for - a TES game that's 99% a MMO and 1% taken from the single-player game - they should have been more concise about it during marketing.

 

The only thing that really gets under my skin at all is the payment model they've had since launch and are all of a sudden deciding to change to the b2p model.

 

I said this during testing before they announced any payment model: If they're planning on making this game for console, the game is going to be b2p because who in their right mind would pay a monthly fee on top of the PS+/XBL Gold payments? When they announced the subscription model with PC being the only platform on launch, I was like yeah whatever, I'll pay it. Then they announce the b2p model this last month, which slapped every PC gamer in the face because all of our money has gone into bug fixes that should have been fixed before game launch (every bug that was in the game on launch was reported during beta stages), we only got one actual content update, and the majority of the funding obviously went into console development. 

 

I could rant about it more, but I do like the game and I hope they don't keep fucking it up with these dumbass decisions. I remember sending them a super long feedback message during early beta telling them that I can already see major issues with some of these mechanics, and whoever is making these decisions needs to be fired.