German site ESOHub.de has posted an interview with Zenimax Online developer Matt Firor working on The Elder Scrolls Online. According to Bethesda, the subscription model is the one that works best for the game that they want to create and they don't want to charge consumers too much specifically for content – the monthly fee will allow players full access to all game areas and activities.
Firor says there will be an open beta before release which all Elders Scrolls Online players can extensively test to decide if they want to buy it at release. More information about this will follow in the future including details for Europe. At Sony's E3 press confernece, it was announced that PS4 owners would get early access.
For players to reach the maximum level, you will need to play for about 120 to 140 hours, after which you can still play with other alliances and your character can then be improved still further. Overall, this will take about 540 hours.
The leveling is described as being more like that of a single player game. However, if you encounter problems in a dungeon and call for help, you can quickly find other players and socialise.
If you meet unfriendly players in the game, they can be reported by the player.
Firor says that currently there is a problem in PvP battles because the opposing faction Alliance can read along as tactics are posted in guild chat. However, the developers have already noticed the problem and are working on an improved system to resolve the issue.
Guild membership is tied to your account and as such it is difficult to spend time away from your guild.
The bosses in ESO will not be unnaturally large and for boss battles the developers are working more on a PvP system.
In each area you will find two dungeons, one of which is public. In the game there are 16 public dungeons in total and more which can be reached through quest lines. Even in public dungeons you can play on easy, normal or hard difficulty.
Throughout Tamriel, there will be forts that you can take with you your guild. These fortresses have defences such as walls or towers which can be destroyed. After a battle, you can then repair the destroyed sections of the castle. To do this, you'll need materials from mines and farms.
Fortresses can also be taken by other players while you're offline. So you have to organise yourself to ensure that the fortress is always protected.
Firor finds the term "MMORPG" for ESO to be too general, he says the game is rather an online RPG. Role players should therefore fit right in.
The Elder Scrolls Online is set for release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One in 2014. Bethesda is trying to remove the game from the Xbox Live Gold paywall and presumably from PlayStation Plus as well.
