ESO
Latest
ZeniMax publishes Elder Scrolls Online interactive map
MMO maps are pretty cool, no? Heck, maps in general tickle my fancy, and there's a new interactive one on The Elder Scrolls Online website that's worth checking out. ZeniMax says that users can "see new screenshots and concept art and read journals, excerpts from books [...] and more from the world of ESO" by using the map.
Elder Scrolls Online beta keys are going out now
If you've been eagerly awaiting your chance to get in on ZeniMax's Elder Scrolls Online, you might want to check your inbox. The company has confirmed that additional beta invites are being sent out right this very moment and should be arriving shortly. ZeniMax also offered a heads-up: Check your spam filters and don't forget the Gmail "Promotions" tab. If you didn't receive a key, don't worry -- ZeniMax will be sending more out in the near future.
The Elder Scrolls Online devs talk war campaigns, lockpicking, and lore in latest Ask Us Anything
It's time once again for another installment of The Elder Scrolls Online's biweekly Ask Us Anything feature, in which the folks at ZeniMax Online tackle a number of questions from information-hungry fans. This round of questions is a true grab bag, and topics run the gamut from PvP mechanics and lockpicking to character naming and a few lore tidbits to boot. On the character naming front, many players (especially those fond of Argonians and Khajiit) will be pleased to know that character names will be able to include "a maximum of four hyphens, apostrophes, or spaces in total," so players should have plenty of room for creative and lore-appropriate (or not) names. The devs also clarify that war campaigns will feature a "soft cap to limit the number of participants from one alliance," so no one faction will have the advantage of overwhelming numbers. Other highlights include details on how lockpicking will function in ESO, plus a couple of lore questions that shed some light on the presence (or lack) of characters such as M'aiq the Liar and the vampire Serana. For all the fine details, check out the full post at ESO's official site.
Tamriel Infinium: An Elder Scrolls Online community connection
The primary reason I play the MMOs I play stems from the people I play with and the community as a whole. The Elder Scrolls, being a well-established intellectual property, already has a well-established community. MMO players, like many of you who read Massively, have their own culture and community as well. With the Elder Scrolls Online, we see a melding of these two communities, but not necessarily in the same places. Some sites tend to be MMO-focused, as I try to be in this column; others focus on the Elder Scrolls. I've mentioned Tamriel Foundry from time to time. This site started in August last year as a theory-crafting and mechanics site for ESO. But it's blossomed into a large community that focuses on many parts of the ESO landscape, from lore and classes to guilds and armoring. Although founder Andrew "Atropos" Clayton and his team have been writing articles for well over a year now, the recent articles have touched on some solid mechanics and gameplay issues. But given the growth and nature of the community there, the team has branched out to cover more than just the mechanics of the game and has covered a bit of lore as well. Let me highlight a few of my favorite bits, and then we will tackle a statement from a Massively community member.
Tamriel Infinium: The critical elements of Elder Scrolls Online character creation
When I think of The Elder Scrolls Online character creation or MMO character creation in general, my thoughts usually extend beyond the mechanical idea of what my avatar looks like. I'm usually contemplating motivation, history, and skillset as well. When I'm creating a pen and paper character, the actual appearance of the character is secondary to what the character could do or where he came from. Of course, I always end up drawing the character, but the art was born on the character sheet. MMOs, and frankly most RPGs, do character creation backward. They usually start with the appearance of the character when it should start with some sort of history or class. But there are some very important elements that every MMO character creation screen should have and still more that I'd like to see specifically in ESO.
The Soapbox: No, 'we' don't hate the subscription model
If you're a casual reader of Massively and read a post or two from a few writers about business models, then you might get the impression that the Massively staff does not like the subscription model. While it's true that some of us praise some games for the choices their publishers have made regarding pricing models, others of us believe still other games have missed the mark. Lately, the subscription model has fallen under some hard scrutiny, but that doesn't mean that all of us dislike the subscription model completely, nor should a few writers' opinions be misconstrued as the opinion of the site as a whole, as if the site were some sentient thing to begin with. Economists have made extremely persuasive arguments in favor of the subscription model, citing its cost-effectiveness with hard numbers and statistics. We've also seen free-to-play and buy-to-play models allowing companies to revitalize their game, and most importantly for the people employed by the developer, doubling and sometimes tripling their revenue. So at what point does the subscription work?
The Elder Scrolls Online answers questions about character creation
Players have yet to really explore the character creation options available in The Elder Scrolls Online. How could they? The game isn't out yet. But when you release a trailer on character creation, people begin to speculate; when people begin to speculate, they start asking questions; when people start asking questions, the developers behind The Elder Scrolls Online generally take some time to answer some of those questions in a public forum. You see where this is going. According to this latest batch of answers, every race will have certain unique customization options in addition to sharing certain options with other races. How much is shared varies; Khajiit and Argonians obviously can't share hairstyles with humans, as the races are simply too different. There will also be more character options than were present in the original video, so those of you worried about the fact that the men could have beer bellies while the women could not will be appropriately mollified. For more details, peruse the full list of answers.
Tamriel Infinium: What you need to know about Daedra in The Elder Scrolls Online
Who are the scariest monsters in The Elder Scrolls Online? With Halloween being yesterday, it might be appropriate to talk about some of the quintessential spooky monsters found in ESO. The traditional fantasy monsters like dragons and orcs, obviously, found their way into the Elder Scrolls universe, but traditional scary-movie monsters find a home in Tamriel, too. We've seen vampires, and ZeniMax even did a write-up on werewolves. However, I want to talk about devils, or as they are called in ESO, Daedra. You might argue that Daedra aren't devils. They have been compared to Greco-Roman gods and demigods. I'll accept that opinion, but they carry too many demon-like qualities for me to believe some of them aren't at least comparable to those evil creatures, especially when you consider the variety of creatures that fall under the category of demons. Because Daedra are so essential to the world of Elder Scrolls, we should probably know as much about them as we can.
The Elder Scrolls Online blog explores the werewolves of Tamriel
It's no secret that as you adventure through the world of Elder Scrolls Online, there is a chance you will be set upon by vicious werewolves. It's also possible that you may become a werewolf yourself, cursed to roam the woods at night killing unwary hunters, howling at the moon, and surfing on vans. Today's ESO blog dives more deeply into lycnathropy in the game, discussing the design of player werewolves and the challenges it presented. The blog talks in-depth about inspirations for transformation and attack animations as well as tiny graphical touches like blood on your muzzle after a kill. It also touches on the player werewolf's sound design; the team took human, wolf, dog, and other animal noises to create sounds meant to strike fear into the hearts of other adventurers. The full post is worth a read if you're planning to spend the bulk of your time in ESO on four legs.
Tamriel Infinium: Does The Elder Scrolls Online revolve around PvP?
At the conventions this summer, the ZeniMax staff gave us only a taste of what The Elder Scrolls Online will offer us in the PvE department. Massively's staff appeared to enjoy that PvE side of the game well enough, but why didn't ZeniMax show off PvP? Probably because that part of the game is not complete enough for public consumption. But if rumors are to be believed, beta testers have begun testing the PvP systems that will eventually appear in the launched game. And developers have begun to talk about the ESO PvP systems extensively, although we still don't know a whole lot. After examining our limited knowledge of ESO PvP, I have to wonder whether PvP is still the primary focus of endgame (though even if it's not the primary focus, it will likely consume a large chunk of development resources all the same). We already know many of the systems coming at launch and one that will be introduced shortly after, so let's break them down a bit.
The Soapbox: Free-to-play wasn't our idea
Free-to-play is surging. In just a few short years, free-to-play has become the go-to mechanism through which studios broaden audiences, entice players, and build revenue. No other method of monetization has proven to be so lucrative and effective with such consistency, whether it be a monthly subscription fee, a one-time purchase price, or some combination of the two. Free-to-play's growth has created a world in which non-free games are the exception, not the rule. Of the most popular MMOs and online games as of my typing these words, the vast majority are free-to-play. Games that are bold enough to buck the trend and launch with a sub fee are met with derision and suspicion from the online gaming community; the many thousands of words dedicated to ZeniMax Online's decision to require a subscription for The Elder Scrolls Online are likely the most recent and high-profile examples of this trend in action. When players complain about a game launching with a subscription, their opinions are often countered by a self-appointed gaming elite who believe that things were better in the good old days, when games cost money and poor people didn't ruin everything by demanding free stuff. The argument summarized is something like, "I am sick and tired of lazy, entitled gamers wanting everything for free." There's just one problem: Lazy, entitled gamers didn't invent free-to-play. Studios did.
You asked, ZeniMax answered: Another TESO AMA is here
The folks at ZeniMax Online have posted another edition of their Elder Scrolls Online Ask Us Anything blog feature, this one tackling topics from equipment progression to lycanthropy. Information revealed in the post? Gear will not level, skills will morph only one time, campaigns last for three months and have persistent consequences, guild stores will be accessible by players of the same alliance, and book/chest spawns have some elements of randomness. The ZeniMax team also dodged hard answers on a couple of questions. According to the post, veteran system rewards may or may not remain cosmetic-only and players who become werewolves or vampires may or may not be able to cure themselves and switch sides. Make of that what you will.
Tamriel Infinium: Selling your wares in The Elder Scrolls Online
When it comes to the economy of MMOs, I usually run the other way. I admit that I'm not an economist, nor would I consider myself a crafter by any stretch. But I'm not completely ignorant of how important in-game trading is for the overall health of an MMO. If the auction house or player stores are consistently stocked, then there is an organic element to the larger game. I find that exciting, and despite my aversion to crafting, I do enough material-gathering and playing the trading game to appreciate the finer details of a healthy, growing game economy. Until recently, we have heard only bits and pieces of how the Elder Scrolls Online economy will work. Developers claim to have a robust crafting system, and given the history of the single-player Elder Scrolls games, I can accept that. But how do I get my wares into the hands of other players? Gameplay Designer Nick Konkle spoke to Shoddy Cast about that very thing. Surprisingly, he revealed quite a bit, and although it's a very interesting listen, I don't think any MMO has tried anything like it. I'm scared and very intrigued.
New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off character creation
For some players, getting the unique look of their character just right is the first step to enjoying an MMO, a fact the Elder Scrolls Online devs understand. In this new video, Art Director Jared Carr not only explains that the team wanted to offer a robust customization system for characters, but he demonstrates the system as well. Players can watch as Carr walks through character creation, showing off the multitude of sliders and palettes available for both the body and the face. From defining your physique to skin color to separate body and face tattoos, players will find plenty of options to create their own look. You can see all the details for yourself in the video after the break.
ESO interview dives deep into combat, rare weapons, and arenas
The folks over at ShoddyCast recently sat down with Nick Konkle, lead gameplay designer for The Elder Scrolls Online, and spent about an hour peppering him with questions about features, mechanics, and other cool stuff. Among the topics discussed? Why combat in ESO feels "floatier" than it does in other Elder Scrolls games, whether the game will see an arena or dueling system, and whether devout players can expect to see exceptionally rare and unique items. Also: horse armor. Konkle noted that the team at ZeniMax Online has been working on making combat feel more forceful and that the criticisms of the system were mostly aimed at earlier builds of the game. He was cagey on the subject of arenas, explaining that while an arena system may come via DLC or post-launch content, players shouldn't expect to see it on day one. As for rare items, Konkle explained endgame adventuring will present opportunities to claim very unique and rare items. The full video is worth the watch if you're excited or curious about ESO. Check it out after the break.
The Elder Scrolls Online community creates emotes for the game
The Elder Scrolls Online has just wrapped up its Emote Creation Contest, naming Trevor Baggett as the winner. Trevor's concept was a twin set of emotions for PvP, one to desecrate an annoying foe's corpse and one to honor a well-fought match. He'll be working with ZeniMax's animators to implement the emotes into the game. Over a hundred fans submitted their own emote ideas, and along with Trevor, a few others will receive prize packages for their efforts. If you've got a chunk of time and like to see people going into great depth about emotes, check out the YouTube playlist for the contest after the break. [Thanks to Jon for the tip!]
Tamriel Infinium: Horizontal vs. vertical progression and the Elder Scrolls Online
The week before last, I talked about a hybrid penalty, and I've realized that I did so without actually talking about how progression is slated to work in Elder Scrolls Online. Because ESO wants to emulate the existing Elder Scrolls games in an MMO, we see many of the same ideas ported directly from the single-player game into the online game. This includes training up in a specific weapon and armor, weapon swapping, and skill-based progression. And if you have played other games' skill-based or non-linear progression systems, then you know about the difficulties of balance. ESO, like other games before it, tackles this imbalance by limiting the number of abilities available to a player at a given time. Skill progression also takes an interesting turn in ESO as well, and I'm not exactly sure how to define it. Most MMOs follow a vertical progression tree in which you place the game's version of skill points in an upward-growing tree or pyramid, with skills following a guided path to the best skill of a given tree at the top. Usually the limitations placed on these trees are based on level, which gives you a finite number of earnable skill points. I call this vertical progression. Although any good class skill system will have some branches to the side, usually the ultimate goal is to reach the top of the tree to gain the best abilities in that given class. Thankfully, Elder Scrolls Online takes a different approach.
EB Expo 2013 - Psykopig's video impressions
When gaming conventions happen down under, you can count on Psykopig being there with camera and microphone in hand. Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi descended on Sydney's EB Expo last weekend to check out The Elder Scrolls Online as well as all the usual cosplay con shenanigans. Check out the video after the break for a taste of the show floor and some fan reactions.
The Elder Scrolls Online opens a grab bag of questions
Sometimes questions don't fit together in a nice theme. The Elder Scrolls Online often bunches questions together with an overarching element, but the most recent round of questions is a real grab bag. It covers everything from resurrection and PvP environments to mixing and matching armor, from weapon styles to disguises. So there's plenty to unpack, in other words. The discussion of Veteran Points and the corresponding Veteran Ranks is probably the most meaty part, shedding light on a system that's only been discussed in brief elsewhere. In essence, Veteran Points serve as a new form of leveling after a character has reached max level, awarded for tasks completed rather than simply slaying enemies. While players still gain stat increases for improving Veteran Rank, the major benefit is the continued acquisition of skill points, allowing players to broaden their abilities even after reaching the apex of power. You can read the full set of answers on the official site.
Tamriel Infinium: The Orcs in The Elder Scrolls Online
It takes a special person to play a character who's considered ugly by our human standards. But people have been playing "ugly" player races since EverQuest with its Ogres and Trolls, for instance. Sometimes the avatars we "normal" people find strange actually end up being some of the most interesting characters to play. Such is the case with the Orcs in the Elder Scrolls Online. Admittedly, I never played an Orc in an Elder Scrolls game, but the more I study them, the more I'm intrigued by the race. To the larger world of Tamriel, the Orcs are considered barbaric, fierce, and bestial not only because of their appearance but also because of their tribal nature. Despite this, Orcs remain extraordinary loyal and actually very progressive regarding gender rank and respect. But where did this Pariah Folk come from and why do many other races look down on them?
