9 things to dislike about The Elder Scrolls Online if you’re an MMORPG player

So The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) came out at the start of April, and we’ve run our first impressions of it, as well as written a handy general guide for newbies. Of course, TESO is going to take some time to review completely, but that doesn’t mean we can’t already tell you what’s wrong with the game.

Don’t jump to conclusions just yet, though; TESO, by far, does not suck. It does, however, lack of lot of features that a typical MMORPG player is going to miss. Here are some of the things Zenimax Online have seemingly completely forgotten about, or have just plain chosen to neglect.

1. There are no visible EXP bars

This is criminal. For the MMORPG player, grinding is everything. “Just one more level” is his or her mantra. Now imagine playing a game where you need to grind, but where you also aren’t told how much more EXP you need to get the next level or how many experience points you just picked up. There just isn’t anything in the standard user interface that shows you how you’re progressing. This made and still makes me sad.

(See: The Elder Scrolls Online first impressions: old scrolls, new adventures)

2. Quest progression is poorly designed

There are quest hubs in the game, typically in outposts and towns, but quest progression branches out and can lead you to both ends of the area you’re in, at once. In some MMORPGs, quest progression is neatly delineated, and you’re usually able to complete all quests without leaving the same area. Not so for TESO, though; expect to be running around like a headless chicken completing your quests, and to pick up even more quests along the way that won’t be anywhere near each other.

3. Too much damn running with no quick recall

Most MMORPGs have an item or spell that lets you recall your character to your preset town of choice. TESO does not have this (though I am in a very early stage of the game), not for free anyway. The only quick travel options available in the game are waypoints, which you can use to return to at any point in the map for a small fee. I wish there was a better way to travel, though. Running endlessly is very last-gen.