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You have questions about The Elder Scrolls Online, the development team has answers
Prospective players have a lot of questions about The Elder Scrolls Online. What will I need to do to be a tank? How will I heal other people? Will I be carrying around every wheel of goat cheese in the world for no reason? The development team has sat down and answered a variety of player questions in a new feature addressing several assorted topics. Players interested in tanking will be happy to know that while you will generally want to be in heavy armor, a properly designed character should be able to last for quite some time in light armor. Those who prefer playing a pure role will also be happy to note that while the developers have harped on hybridization a bit, being a "pure" role will be perfectly viable and possible. And lore fans will be happy to see a variety of lore questions answered, especially concerning organizations and races that are important in later games but aren't necessarily around in The Elder Scrolls Online. So odds are good that when you read through the answers, you'll be happy.
The Elder Scrolls Online celebrates 1M Facebook likes with new armor concept art and videos
Zenimax Online and Bethesda Softworks were feeling generous on this Valentine's Day by giving us a bit of a peek at some concept designs for heavy armor in the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls Online MMO. The armor concept shows off High Elven, Nordic, and Breton heavy armors. In addition, the developers celebrated one million Likes on their Facebook page by releasing a short tribute video. And speaking of videos, one more from the TESO team: the eleventh edition of "Developer Question of the Week" features UI designer Kristy Keaton. Check out all the new goodies over at the game's Facebook page.
TESO's newest story post delves into the life of High King Emeric
Meet High King Emeric, a true renaissance man. He's a Breton, a merchant lord, a skilled fighter, leader of the Daggerfall Covenant, and a diarist. A new story post for The Elder Scrolls Online tells the story of his training and ascension, as told by our daring hero himself. Read the riveting tale of how he goes from studying accounting to breaking sieges, finding a bride, taking a throne, and ruling. If the Daggerfall Covenant isn't really your speed, there are similar tales for the leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion and the Ebonheart Pact.
TESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour
If The Elder Scrolls Online were to serve snacks to players, what would be on the menu? Now you can find out! On March 10th, the TESO food truck will start a cross-country jaunt across the US to bring tasty treats and swag giveaways to fans. Starting at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, the truck will make 11 stops over the year at various conventions -- including PAX and PAX East, E3, and Comic-Con -- as well as a number of universities. Joining the kick-off festivities in Austin will be composer and singer Malukah. For more details on other tour dates, check out the official announcement.
The Elder Scrolls Online lead deals with differences between the MMO and single-player RPGs
With all of the excitement over The Elder Scrolls Online's beta signups, Game Director Matt Firor has his hands full adjusting the expectations of those used to single-player Elder Scrolls titles. Firor danced around several specific questions by The PA Report on how the MMO would tackle the world, heroism, guilds, and politics in comparison to the single-player games. Firor expanded a bit on how the team is putting together the larger world of Tamriel, especially the areas yet unseen by single-player gamers: "The Elder Scrolls IP is very down-to-earth and gritty, so we had to take the traditional 'these are High Elves' fantasy visuals -- tall towers, white marble, landscaped terrain -- and merge them with the grittier and more medieval-realistic (there are poor High Elf farmers, etc.). It came together very well." He said that while players won't always be at the center of attention, game NPCs will recognize great deeds and instancing will be used for important moments. One thing that won't happen as in the single-player titles is for characters to become the heads of game guilds (as opposed to player guilds). Firor also hinted that the Emperor of the world will be based on player PvP performance, but declined to give any further specifics.
Leaderboard: Cinematic trailers - awful or awesome?
So ZeniMax released a spiffy teaser vid for The Elder Scrolls Online last week. The six-minute clip had it all: dank dungeons, luscious locations, and enough daredevil gravity-defying combat to fill an entire summer's worth of action films. The only problem, to hear some folks tell it, was that none of the thrills, chills, and gratuitous violence on display will be possible in the finished game. The video was a cinematic, you see, and even though there's a decent amount of TESO gameplay footage floating around the internet already, the trailer served as something of a rallying cry for fans who'd rather see the cinematic's budget go toward a gameplay trailer. What say you, Leaderboard readers? Are MMO cinematics an awful waste of development dollars or do you enjoy them for what they are? Settle the score once and for all after the cut. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Elder Scrolls Online beta signups now live, six-minute cinematic released [Updated]
Bethesda and ZeniMax want you to know that beta signups are officially open for The Elder Scrolls Online. A new press release trumpets the announcement (though "timing and details of the start of playtests will be provided at a later date"), and the firms have also released a slick new cinematic trailer that will whet your appetite for Tamriel over the course of its whopping six-minute run time. TESO will make use of ZeniMax's megaserver technology to "avoid the hassle of shard selection." The game will also feature a built-in social network which the company says makes the new MMORPG "one of the most socially enabled games ever created." You can sign up for beta via the game's official website, and we've embedded the new trailer just past the break. [Source: Bethesda press release] [Update: ZeniMax has also uploaded an FAQ regarding the beta. Enjoy!]
The Elder Scrolls Online lore video covers the history of war
If you've been keeping an eye on The Elder Scrolls Online, you've probably noticed that its three chief factions are at war. The Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant, and Ebonheart Pact have been established as mortal enemies -- but why? Loremaster Lawrence Schick sheds a little light on the three-way conflict in a new lore video. You're a hip, savvy Internetter; we know you don't have a lot of time. Here's the skinny: All three alliances want to control Cyrodil, the central part of the continent that houses the very heart of Tamriel. The Tharns that rule Cyrodil are weak, and each alliance thinks that it has the power to steer Tamriel in the proper direction. Skip below the cut to watch the video to learn about all the intricate details. [Thanks to groovy webizen Paul for the tip!]
The Elder Scrolls Online answers queries about the Daggerfall Covenant
The word "Daggerfall" has special significance to the Elder Scrolls community, which is perhaps why the Daggerfall Covenant has received considerable interest among those following the development of The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax has a brand-new player Q&A that covers the lore and history of this faction. The Daggerfall Covenant encapsulates the Bretons, Redguard, and Orcs, and is symbolized by a lion. A significant question is why the Orcs would join forces with the other two races. The devs responded by saying that the race feels inferior to others and is trying to get established as an Imperial province, although it's "an alliance of convenience." The developers also talked about the variety that's going into the Alik'r Desert, a plague of werewolves that's a significant part of the game, what towns we'll be seeing in the region (Bergama, Camlorn, and Lainlyn), and how the alliance between the races overcomes their religious differences.
The Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2013
Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had. Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them. But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.
The Elder Scrolls Online exalts the Unforeseen Queen
The Elder Scrolls Online's latest lore entry is asking you to read between the lines just a little bit. On its surface, the entry is straightforward enough, giving players a peek at the reigning queen of the Aldmeri Dominion. Ayrenn the Unforeseen Queen is just another one of the Alliance leaders, right? But the fact that the entry is written in the style of an in-game document allows for some additional hints to be dropped along the way. In the official documents, Ayrenn is nothing more or less than the culmination of tradition, a perfectly prepared queen to lead the High Elves. But it becomes clear from the story that this is a queen who left her tradition behind for quite some time until she decided to return, a woman more than willing to break the rules to obtain what she wants. Take a look at the full entry and get ready to bend your knee to the queen in the game, since she may very well bend it for you otherwise.
Elder Scrolls Online's dreugh is one ugly mutha... shut yo mouth!
If you've a taste for anthropomorphic bugs with faces that only a Predator could love, you'll probably enjoy the latest Elder Scrolls Online update. ZeniMax has posted a new entry on its website detailing the creation of the game's dreugh (emphasis on ugh) that features a bit of lore and a brief video clip of the creatures in action. "Dreugh are primarily found in the eastern areas of Tamriel," ZeniMax explains, "but can likely also be found anywhere coastal. Land dreugh can be found as far inland as Cyrodiil." If you've played Morrowind and Oblivion you've likely encountered earlier versions of the dreugh, and if not, well, what are you waiting for? Head past the cut for the clip and then to the official site to learn more. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
The Elder Scrolls Online gets some myths dispelled
Are you looking forward to seeing what happens when the developers at Bethesda finish working on The Elder Scrolls Online? Are you unsure how the game's Skyrim-based combat will work when accounting for lag in your aim? Do you have a fear of having everyone grouped on a single server? If you answered yes to any of those questions, it's probably a good idea for you to take a gander at the video below the cut, because all of those questions are based on misconceptions that the video aims to correct. The fansite Tamriel Foundry has put together a short video hitting several of the most common misconceptions about The Elder Scrolls Online, explaining both the inaccurate belief and the truth of the matter. This covers everything from the actual developers (Zenimax Online) to the changes to the combat system (you won't be actively aiming, with the game instead establishing a soft target lock on your selected target). Even if you think you know all there is to know about the game already, it couldn't hurt to sit and watch -- and maybe have a few mistaken ideas cleared out.
The Elder Scrolls Online on Elf cannibalism and the lineage of cat people
The Elder Scrolls Online spotlight has shifted away from the Ebonheart Pact faction and is now shining most brightly on the Aldmeri Dominion. The first part of a new community Q&A peppers the devs with questions about this player faction and how it differentiates itself from the others. The playable races of the Dominion are the central focus of several questions. Players have the choice of the Wood Elf, High Elf, and Khajiit races. The latter feline humanoids may prove to be quite popular, although the devs say that there will be only one subset of the race -- the Suthay-raht -- available at launch. The team isn't avoiding the issue of the Wood Elves' cannibalism, saying that players should find mentions of it while exploring. Both Elf races will be getting plenty of story love: "We've made sure that this kind of lore about the Elves will be included in the game -- in plenty -- in all the classic ways cultural lore is delivered in the Elder Scrolls games: quest dialogue, conversations with NPCs, lore books of all kinds, music, item crafting, and so forth." The lands covered by the Dominion are touched on in the Q&A as well, including the vast jungles of Valenwood and the stunning beauty of High Elf cities.
Visualized: Carina Nebula captured with a 268-megapixel camera
Combine a state-of-the-art telescope with a 268-megapixel camera, point it at the sky, add in a bit of calculation and you could end up with a gorgeous photo of the Carina Nebula. That's exactly what the ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile did recently with its brand new VLT Survey Telescope -- just a portion of the resulting inaugural image is shown above. This isn't the first time the ESO has shown a love for large captures: it managed to stitch together a massive 9-gigapixel image of the Milky Way out of thousands of photographs taken with its VISTA telescope earlier this fall. However, with the 2.6-meter VLT and 268-megapixel OmegaCAM camera, the observatory is able to capture huge swaths of sky at a time -- no need for stitching here. The ESO says that it's the "largest telescope in the world exclusively dedicated to surveying the sky at visible wavelengths." As for the Carina Nebula, the star formation region is a popular choice among astronomers trying out new telescopes, and seeing how mesmerizing it is, we can't fault them for it. Click the source link below to see the whole image in all its zoomable glory.
9-gigapixel image of the Milky Way reminds us just how small we truly are
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this just leaves us speechless. Pictured above is a compressed 108,500 x 81,500 pixel image of 84 million stars across central parts of the Milky Way. Taken by the VISTA survey telescope at the ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile, this 9-gigapixel photo is the result of thousands of individual images being meshed together. If it were printed out at the average resolution of a standard book it would measure a mind-boggling 9 x 7 meters. Using three separate infrared filters, VISTA is able to see through dust fields that normally obscure the view of an optical telescope. By studying this monumental image, astronomers hope to gain a better understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. If you'd like to take a look at this galactic work of art in its entirety, you can do so by visiting the source link below. (Image credit: ESO/VVV Consortium)
Infrared telescope can pick out the atmosphere on distant planets, smell what the aliens are smelling
Astronomers in Chile using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope are now able to analyze the atmosphere on faraway planet Tau Bootis b. Using CRIRES, a supercooled infrared spectrograph bolted to the 'scope, the team was able to judge the size of the exoplanet -- and for the first time, take a reading of the atmosphere while not in transit. Historically, the only time researchers have been able to conduct atmospheric analysis is during the transit of its nearby star, which imprints the qualities of the atmosphere onto the light. The team found that Tau Bootis b is around six times the size of Jupiter, but its air is so thick with Carbon Monoxide that we'll have to look elsewhere to plan that expedition to the stars.
Massively Exclusive: Ether Saga Odyssey Future's End preview
As we close in on the launch of Ether Saga Odyssey's upcoming content update, Future's End, Perfect World Entertainment has sent us some lovely new screenshots as well as a bit of new information on what players can expect. First off, there's the titular Future's End, which is a new zone for players level 106 or higher. Future's End is inhabited by a variety of high-level monsters that provide lots of experience and plenty of valuable item drops. Also included in the update are two new types of equipment, known as Dragon Lord and Genesis equipment. What truly makes this new equipment worth fighting for is the new Glyph system, which is used exclusively to enchant Dragon Lord and Genesis equipment, raising the gear to new levels of power. If players inscribe their gear with the right combination of glyphs, they can enable Mantras, which grant attribute bonuses. The update also brings new world bosses, new adventures, and new Signets and skills for Mogui classes. And lastly, for those of you who want to play even when you're out in the treacherous real world, PWE is introducing the Mobile Forge, which allows players to access the Ancestral Forge on the go. For some lovely screenshots to whet your appetites for the upcoming update, click on through the gallery below. %Gallery-65163%
VLT Survey Telescope snaps out-of-this-world photos with 268-megapixel camera
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has just released the first batch of shots taken by its VLT Survey Telescope (VST), and, given the results, we'd say the thing's got a bright future in photography. Not to be mistaken for its cousin, the VLT (very large telescope), the VST sports a 268-megapixel camera, known as the OmegaCAM, and a field of view "twice as broad as the full moon." The images released by the ESO feature the Omega Nebula (located in the Sagittarius constellation) and Omega Centauri in stellar detail. Annie Lebovitz, eat your heart out -- the rest of you hop on past the break for another shot by this up and coming shutterbug.
Ether Saga Odyssey officially launches
Some updates are too big to just write the whole thing off as a patch. Ether Saga Odyssey has just launched today... and if the name looks more than passingly familiar, it's because up until very recently the game was Ether Saga Online. Perfect World Entertainment has re-branded the game with a new title to commemorate the groundswell of content added with this update, including new races, new starting areas, and a brand-new graphics engine for the game. But the launch festivities don't stop with the new title -- there are plenty of other events and rewards to kick off the rebranding. For starters, experience gained will be doubled for the weekend, which should help new players bring characters up to level 30 faster than ever. That's a good thing, as new characters who hit 30 will receive special rewards, as will players who stay logged in for an extended period of time. The promotions end on May 4th, so if you're itching to give the new Ether Saga Odyssey a try, now is the time.
