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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.
The Elder Scrolls Online regales us with the history of a king
Pour a tall mug o' mead, my friends, and prepare to be entranced with the tales of The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax's scribes have crafted a particularly cunning tale of Jorunn the Skald-King for you to enjoy. As Jorunn is one of the key figures in TESO, we figure it's a good thing to keep tabs on him and his history. The short story tells of his upbringing and ascension to the throne of the Ebonheart Pact. The team indicated that we should expect two more stories covering the other faction leaders. Give the short story a read and let us know whether this man is the type of fictional character that your fictional character will swear fealty to or not!
The Elder Scrolls Online: All your Ebonheart Pact questions answered, part two
Continuing a tradition of bi-weekly Q&As, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online has answered another round of questions. This week's AMA continued to look at the Ebonheart Pact. Characters that join the Ebonheart Pact will, if they make certain choices, have the chance to run into Joruun the Skaald-King and other prominent figures like the Nord Companions. All members of the Ebonheart Pact will have a chance to visit the Shadowfen and the Argonian city of Stormhold, which likely means running into the huge, reptilian wamasu that lurk in the swamps. The Great House rivalries that players came to love in Morrowind will figure into TESO, although players won't (initially, at least) be able to formally join a House. Similarly, players who loved Skyrim will find that while the land is familiar, it's got substantial differences as a result of being about 1,000 years younger. Argonian players who're fond of the extremely reptilian look will be pleased to hear that character customization will allow for "much more variety than [the team has] been able to convey in the screenshots released so far." To read the full answers, hit up the official Q&A.
The Elder Scrolls Online grapples with questions of race, story, and setting
You have questions about The Elder Scroll Online (probably many questions, yes?), and ZeniMax has a few answers in return. The developers took on a half-dozen queries from the community, many of which were concerned with setting and story, not to mention why typical adversaries are working together all of the sudden. If you're concerned that the three factions will offer thinly veiled copies of each other's quests, the devs have good news: "Each Alliance's content in TESO is as varied and dynamic as the Alliances themselves are -- your adventures an Argonian in the Ebonheart Pact, for example, will be quite different than those of a Bosmer in the Aldmeri Dominion." Another player asked how similar places will be that are covered in both the single-player titles and the MMO; the devs replied, "The stories and events that unfold in these areas during The Elder Scrolls Online will be different than those in past Elder Scrolls games. The people living in these familiar places won't be too different from their brethren in later times; however, they will have different views and tales to tell, based on the current events that are impacting their daily lives."
Name this Elder Scrolls Online Dunmer
See this strapping Dunmer lad? He's got it all. Youth. Power. Insider status with the Mage's Guild. And of course his handsome mug plastered all over the official Elder Scrolls Online website. One thing he doesn't have is a name, and that's where you come in (provided you've got a lore-appropriate imagination, that is). Yep, ZeniMax wants you to christen this particular NPC so that he can more properly assist adventurers in Tamriel when the fantasy title goes live sometime that isn't today. The naming contest starts on November 13th and runs through November 21st. Read all the entry details via the links below.
ZeniMax releases nine-minute Elder Scrolls Online preview clip
Last month we flew to Maryland to report from The Elder Scrolls Online's first press event. While we were getting some hands-on time with the title, we were also watching a nine-minute video that ZeniMax put together in order to introduce the game to a wide audience. Today the firm has published the clip for the first time, and it features a mixture of fly-through footage, talking head interviews with creative director Paul Sage and lead designer Nick Konkle, and snippets of PvE and PvP gameplay too. See for yourself after the break.
The Elder Scrolls Online gets shiny concept art, bi-weekly Q&A
Have you been searching for a way to represent your favorite fantastical faction? Put down the stencils and spray paint: The fine folks behind The Elder Scrolls Online have seen fit to provide you with Twitter and Facebook avatars representing the Ebonheart Pact and its constituent races. Bear the crest of the Pact, Argonians, Dark Elves, or Nords with pride! While you're at it, you might ogle the fancy concept art that accompanies the avatars. If the Ebonheart Pact isn't your fantasy consortium of choice, maybe you simply don't know enough about it. In that case, an upcoming Q&A about the Ebonheart Pact may be just the thing for you. The TESO dev team is starting a bi-weekly Ask Us Anything Q&A to address questions about the game and its development. Each of the Ask Us Anything sessions will focus on a specific topic, which the team requests you keep in mind while thinking up your "anything" to ask. For the inaugural Q&A, which will go up next week, you can ask whatever you like about the Ebonheart Pact. You can find more information on the official site or submit questions through the official Facebook page.
The Elder Scrolls Online updates its site and adds a story page
The Elder Scrolls Online does not want for backstory. If anything, its biggest obstacle is the surfeit of backstory presented over the course of five games, enough so that even setting the game during a previously unexplored time can cause issues. So it's not surprising that along with a massive overhaul to the official website, the game's team has put together a new story page providing series fans with a solid set of information to place the upcoming game in the context of its fellow installments. Seeing that page may still not entirely comfort longtime fans of the lore, which is why the site has also provided a new article explaining how the team at ZeniMax Online Studios is handling writing for TESO. The short version is that the game has intentionally been set in a time period during which players have plenty of space to shape the world without derailing future parts of the game, and the team has been working very hard to keep the lore of the new game in line with past and future developments.
The Daily Grind: What 2013 MMO are you anticipating the most?
It'll probably be hard to top 2012 when it comes to MMORPG hype. Several big-name games came out this year, and another launched so late in 2011 that it might as well have been a 2012 release. Next year looks much calmer, though the impending arrival of The Elder Scrolls Online and possibly ArcheAge will no doubt register on everyone's hype meter. So how about it, dear readers. What 2013 MMORPG release are you anticipating the most? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively
Sometimes, you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. EVE Online player loses tiny ship worth over $6,000 EVE Online is well known for its sandbox gameplay and ruthless citizens, with monumental kills and record-breaking scams popping up year after year. Earlier this week, player "stewie Zanjoahir" reportedly lost over 213,000,000,000 ISK when he tried to transport a huge cache of valuable blueprints in a tiny, unfitted frigate. Through EVE's currency conversion, that's worth about $6,422.50 US. League of Legends finals get some serious viewership If you're a League of Legends fan, odds are good you know all about the championships that took place recently. If you're not, however, you might be wondering whether or not this was really a big deal or just something the fans are fixated on. Turns out that it was kind of a big deal after all, as Riot Games has revealed that the live coverage of the finals was watched by over 8 million individuals, including more than 2 million from Korea. Massively's hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online he Elder Scrolls Online has caused quite a clamor since it was first revealed back in May. MMO gamers are deeply divided about TESO, and some vocal potential players are most displeased to see the venerable sandbox world of Tamriel being reduced to yet another themepark MMO experience, but is that actually the case? Massively takes the game hands-on to find out! Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
Massively's hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online
Last week, I ventured forth from the subtropical paradise (read: sweltering wasteland) of the Florida panhandle to the frozen northern wastes of Maryland to visit the studios of ZeniMax Online to spend some time with the studio's premiere foray into the MMO space, The Elder Scrolls Online. The Elder Scrolls Online has caused quite a clamor since it was first revealed back in May. Since then, everything has calmed down, everyone is discussing everything reasonably, and... I can't keep a straight face. In reality, MMO gamers are deeply divided about TESO, and some vocal potential players are most displeased to see the venerable sandbox world of Tamriel being reduced to yet another themepark MMO experience. So after about four hours of hands-on time with the title, I'm here to answer some questions. Have the folks at ZeniMax run The Elder Scrolls off the rails, or have they just taken it in a bold, new direction? Join me after the cut and I'll tell you what I think.%Gallery-168863%
The Elder Scrolls Online hosts lore limerick contest
There once was a High Elf from Tamriel / whose foppishness the villagers did tell / she had many fears / about bees flying in her ears / and thus plugged them with honey so well. Think you can do better? Bethesda is hoping you can, which is why the studio is hosting a "lore limerick" contest for potential players of The Elder Scrolls Online. Fans can submit a single limerick about Elder Scrolls lore to the team by August 31st. Winning warrior poets will receive several different TESO prizes, including canvased and signed concept art, t-shirts, and a mention on the official TESO Facebook page. The contest is restricted to US and European residents who are 18 or older.
The Elder Scrolls Online's Matt Firor on moving the franchise online
There's a lot of pressure on Matt Firor these days as he heads production on The Elder Scrolls Online. Fans of the franchise have a lot of expectations about what the game will look like when it finally launches, but as Firor explains in a recent interview, his main concern is making the best possible game for the widest possible audience. Thus, rather than marketing specifically to everyone who loved Skyrim, the team is concerned with making the best possible overall game for a wider audience. Firor also elaborates on the fact that the success of the game does not determine the future of the franchise. Bethesda and ZeniMax are different studios with different priorities, and the success of either helps the other. If you're interested in the production values behind the upcoming title, take a look at the full interview. It's light on game details, but it's an interesting glance behind the scenes.
The Soapbox: BioWare, meet ZeniMax; ZeniMax, this is BioWare
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Once upon a time, a group of decision-makers at a big AAA studio set out to brave the wilds of the MMORPG. This studio had several hugely successful single-player RPGs under its belt, and it also had quite a bit of consumer goodwill in the bank thanks to its pre-MMORPG efforts. The studio spent a ton, and I do mean a ton, of money recreating an MMO that already existed in dozens of different games. It also spent a ton of money trying to convince gamers and gaming press that it wasn't making a retread and was instead adding another pillar of awesome to the standard MMO formula. This studio was, of course, BioWare. Unfortunately for Elder Scrolls fans, it's also ZeniMax.
CCP: It's 'deeply wrong' to assume that repetition is the way forward
CCP's got opinions. This isn't news. The Icelandic developer behind EVE Online isn't afraid to share its opinions, which is also par for the course. MMO developers rarely comment on other games, though, and so we read lead EVE designer Kristopher Touborg's thoughts on The Elder Scrolls Online with some interest. PC Gamer provides the setup, in which the magazine shares a quote from TESO's Matt Firor with Touborg. "At this point in the evolution of MMOs, every MMO has tried something at one point or another that you're going to do in your game. There aren't any more truly innovative features," Firor said. Touborg's response was lengthy and fills out most of the source article listed below. "It's kind of waving a white flag. Like, yeah. I don't like that statement. Because I think that's part of why there's such an attrition with MMOs. People go in and play an MMO for a month and they just want to throw up because they've leveled to 60 in ten different titles," Touborg says before going on to express his hopes that developers try something new. "Otherwise the same [MMOs] are just going to continue on the trend we see every time, where they sell a load of boxes and people play it for three months and then they go somewhere else. There has to be something else out there."
The Daily Grind: Do you need to be the hero?
"In the Elder Scrolls games," Matt Firor says, trying to make the case for solo story in The Elder Scrolls Online, "You're always the hero, whether you want to [be] or not, in some cases." That declaration was news to me; I've been playing cutpurses and scapegraces in the Elder Scrolls series since Daggerfall. In fact, I think the best part of sandbox RPGs (online or not) is that I don't have to be the hero -- I can ignore the main quest line and play my own way or even just lend some firepower to the actual hero NPC, as in Oblivion, which Firor seems to have forgotten. What about you? Is ZeniMax going the wrong route by insisting that everyone be the hero in his own little sliver of the world? Do you need to be the hero in an MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
ZeniMax: The Elder Scrolls Online's real-time combat 'is all pretty much new'
If ZeniMax seems a bit defensive about The Elder Scrolls Online, you can hardly blame the company. Since its announcement this spring, the upcoming MMO has been met with a steady chorus of fan disapproval due to perceived similarities with other themepark fantasy MMOs. In a new interview with Kotaku, ZeniMax head honchos Matt Firor and Paul Sage attempt to accentuate the positive and differentiate TESO from its genre competitors. "When people sit down and play it, they'll realize it's different. Like our whole real-time combat system of blocking and dodging is all pretty much new," Firor explains. Firor also comes out swinging vis-à-vis the notion that TESO is nothing more than a World of Warcraft analog. "Making an MMO is making an MMO. I worked in the industry before World of Warcraft, so I can tell you that World of Warcraft had a lot of influences from a lot of games. Our priority is to make a great game and not to make a clone of anything," he says.
The Soapbox: This fantasy is far from fantastic
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. "More innovation!" is the common rallying cry of the disgruntled MMO player. Push forward the genre, build awe-inspiring giant statues instead of sixth grade art projects, do that one magic thing that nobody can agree on to make this genre as fresh and great and interesting as it was. You know, as it was when you first got into these games, that is. For all of the "more innovation!" speeches that I've seen, I never see the one that touches on the most irksome areas of stagnation in the industry, and that is how incredibly lame most MMO fantasy worlds are. Cut 'n' paste, mix and match elements between any two fantasy MMOs, and I guarantee you that nobody would really notice. The truth is that for all their desire to be seen as unique and special, most of these games feature a world carbon copied from each other with minor Mad Lib deviations. Case in point: Have you ever realized just how many of these MMO worlds share almost the same name? Start with T, usually end with A, there you go. Telara. Telon. Tyria. Atreia. Taborea. It doesn't stop there, but it really should. MMO designers need to realize that fantasy is more than just D&D and Tolkien derivations and explore the unlimited scope of what the genre could be.
E3 2012: Matt Firor takes fans inside The Elder Scrolls Online
This year's E3 is winding down, but we're not quite done yet. In addition to Joystiq's interview with ZeniMax's Nick Konkle, we had the chance to join Matt Firor as he gave a preview showing of The Elder Scrolls Online. While he didn't reveal anything earth-shattering that we didn't already know, he did provide some insight into the upcoming title's development. Many fans of the Elder Scrolls series are up-in-arms over TESO's lack of resemblance to earlier entries, but Firor assures us that the studio is doing its best to implement features that will help the game retain its Elder Scrolls flavor. For instance, the game will feature the time-honored resources of health, magicka, and stamina, and as in other Elder Scrolls titles, players will be able to sneak, block, sprint, and so forth regardless of character class. In addition, despite the studio's choice to use often-derided action-bar-centric combat, ZeniMax is still attempting to give combat a more visceral "action-RPG" feel to keep it more in-line with the general type of frantic combat players have come to expect from the series.
E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design
Our fellow feathered friends at Joystiq visited the Elder Scrolls Online booth at this week's E3 and caught up with Lead Gameplay Designer Nick Konkle about the game's look and feel. Konkle made the point that each of the Elder Scrolls game had its own aesthetic, and TESO will carry on in this tradition: "Every province has its own look, but we aim for the realistic -- for the cool." Konkle dives into what will make TESO its own unique creature. One of the mechanics he explained was the game's hotbar. The first two buttons are dedicated to whatever weapon you're wielding, the next three are chosen abilities from your class, and the last button is an ultimate skill derived from your class. "In addition to those six things, everyone has these skills that are always available: sprinting, ducking, and blocking," he said. What is ZeniMax doing to ease those familiar with the lore but not MMOs into the game? "From the very beginning, we didn't set out to make a really big, standard MMO," Konkle said. "Nor did we set out to make a Skyrim clone and just put it online. We set out to make a great game. So we don't just have the standard MMO controls, abilities, and rotations like you're used to." You can watch the 11-minute interview after the jump for more information on TESO's combat and social systems.
