When comparing The Elder Scrolls Online vs Rust, the Slant community recommends The Elder Scrolls Online for most people. In the question“What are the best multiplayer games on Steam?” The Elder Scrolls Online is ranked 21st while Rust is ranked 43rd. The most important reason people chose The Elder Scrolls Online is:
Elder Scrolls games have always placed the world's unabashedly bizarre mythology in the forefront, and ESO is no exception. Between quest storylines, hundreds of in-game books, passing NPC dialog, and the landscape itself, ESO presents a world that feels bigger than the player and can be incredibly immersive.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Built on twenty years of game lore
Elder Scrolls games have always placed the world's unabashedly bizarre mythology in the forefront, and ESO is no exception. Between quest storylines, hundreds of in-game books, passing NPC dialog, and the landscape itself, ESO presents a world that feels bigger than the player and can be incredibly immersive.
Pro Immersive first person play
While the game can be played in third person (which may work better in PvP), there is an option to play in first person view which keeps in tradition of the view found in other Elder Scroll titles. This gives this MMO the feeling of playing Skyrim or Oblivion, which should appeal to those who are fans or familiar. It is also a unique way to play an MMO, which could appeal to those tired of traditional third person view MMOs.
Pro High immersion as minimalist HUD brings focus to action and the world
Minimalist HUD-approach brings focus to action and the world for immersion rather than focus on hotkeys, cooldowns, and other immersion-breaking intrusions
Pro Good single player TES game
With an MMO-ish progression. Also, has great voice acting.
Pro Excellent controller support
Not only is controller support provided, but a combination of elements of the games design (minimal UI, enforced focus on favorite/preferred actions, and a clear vision to design console support in early on) means play with a controller is a great, comfortable experience.
Pro Unrestrictive class system
ESO's character system is based on skill lines; each class provides three. There are dozens of other skill lines, including all weapons and armor, which are open to all characters. Resource stats (Health, Stamina, Magicka) aren't tied to class either. This means any character can use any gear and be built to fill any role.
Pro High build variety keeps PvP interesting
Though "flavors of the month" will arise in any competitive game, ESO's versatile characters and MOBA-like limitation on simultaneous skill availability greatly reward creative builds and counter-building.
Pro Limited skill bar encourages build variety
There are only six skill slots (five regular and one "ultimate") available at any one time. A character can swap between two equipped weapon sets, making at most 12 total skills available in combat. With well over 100 skills to choose from, finding two characters with exactly the same build is the exception, not the rule.
Pro Non-PvP servers are available
If worrying that another player might kill you and loot your corpse is not your thing, or if you don't want to deal with someone constantly harassing your base, there are servers available that take away the risk of other player's malicious behavior.
Pro Building system is simple, efficient and intuitive
Hold a key while holding a hammer, and with your cursor, select the piece you want to build.
Upgrading a piece of building is done in the same fashion.
Pro Game's multiplayer nature creates psychological tension
While there's obviously potential for working together with other players towards achieving certain goals, the more likely scenario is someone trying to kill you to get your stuff. Or even worse, deceiving you in working together to achieve a particularly difficult goal only to stab you in the back when you're not needed anymore. It's easier to take stuff from someone else than gather it yourself. And since your base is a the perfect bullseye to other players, there is constant threat of griefing.
Pro Lots of variety in ways to die
Fauna, including bears and wolves, is trying to kill you, radiation, that's ever-present, is trying to kill you, zombies, in a multitude of colors, are trying to kill you, other players on the server, equipped with guns, are most definitely trying to kill you, and you, yourself, if you don't find food, will die.
Pro Base building allows for less punishing gameplay
Because you can build your base that you respawn back to when killed, losing only what you had on you at the time of death, it allows getting back to where you left off quickly.
Cons
Con Hard to play solo
Rust is all about clans fighting for territory and loots. Solo players (or ones with a couple friends) can easily be killed by bigger clans.
Con Not yet finished (buggy)
Since it's a Steam Early Access game it still has lots of glitches, placeholder text and unreliable infrastructure. But for all its unfinished nature, it's surprisingly playable.