The Elder Scrolls Online Director on Loyalty Rewards, Crown Store, Console Versions

In a new “The Road Ahead” update, The Elder Scrolls Online game director Matt Firor talked about the loyalty rewards program for long-term subscribers of the title (as a reminder, the game will be switching to a buy-to-play model with an optional subscription in March), the new Crown Store, and the console versions. A couple of choice snippets:

Our goal in designing setting the criteria for eligibility [for the loyalty rewards] was to ensure that we reward players who have been with us from the start, but to allow for the occasional lapse in subscription, as well. The criteria you’ll need to meet to receive this very special mount are:

• You are an active ESO subscriber when we transition to Tamriel Unlimited.
• You have paid for 300 total days of subscription time (non-consecutive), prior to March 16th.

Another part of our transition to Tamriel Unlimited will include the retirement of the Loyalty Program. We hope you’ll treasure the special rewards you earned as some of our most dedicated players!

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The most important thing to remember about Tamriel Unlimited’s virtual currency system is that we’re not adjusting the base game it will be exactly the same game, with the same leveling pace, experience point gain, user interface, etc. that you have been used to since April of last year. We’re adding customization and convenience items in the Crown Store, but those will be added to the game as it is now; we’re not going to make it harder for you to enjoy the game you already play to encourage you to use the Crown Store.

I want to take a moment and talk about the philosophy we use to determine the types of items we put in the store you’ve heard us refer to them as (customization and convenience” items before. Simply put, this means that an item in the Crown Store serves one of two purposes: it either provides a visual upgrade or distinction for your character, or it provides a way to save time at the expense of spending crowns. When it comes to this second category of items, we generally will make in-game variants of similar items available either as drops or as player-craftable items, as well.

Some good examples of this are the health, stamina, and magicka potions that are available in the Crown Store. They 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. 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.

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The easiest way to take advantage of the Crown Store and Tamriel Unlimited is to be an ESO Plus member. As a member, you’ll get bonuses to many in-game leveling 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.