Elder Scrolls Online?

[Droo]

Rumour has it that Bethesda will be throwing their hat into the MMO ring with their much-loved Elder Scrolls franchise.


From Gamespot (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/elder-scrolls-mmog-reveal-in-may-6366626):

The site's source suggests the Elder Scrolls MMOG--to be titled Elder Scrolls Online--will be set an entire millennium before November's Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This timeline would put the new game "several hundred years" in front of any Elder Scrolls game. This information was substantiated by two additional sources speaking to the site.

Additionally, the source says Elder Scrolls Online will sport three playable factions. Details are thin concerning these roles, but the tipster said each will be represented by animals: a lion, a dragon, and an unspecified bird of prey.

On top of an official announcement in May, Elder Scrolls Online is "likely" to have "some sort of presence" at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo. A showing at August's Quakecon--put on by Bethesda--is also believed to be planned.

I guess we'll find out in May if there's any truth to these reports. It's no mystery Bethesda have their eye on the MMO market, what with their long and arduous campaign to secure the rights to make a Fallout MMO, but what does this mean for the future of their hugely-successful titles?

I remember when TOR was announced there was a whole lot of backlash from Bioware fans who wished for KOTOR 3, presumably they felt that with Bioware pouring their resources into such a massive endeavor, the likelihood of ever seeing another KOTOR game was slim-to-none. Are such fears justified in this case? I'd hate to think the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises were about to be sidelined to accommodate their online versions, especially when there's a risk that our gaming experienced will be watered-down into generic MMO fare. And then there's the part of my that gets excited at the prospect that perhaps, what with the more mature nature of their games, Bethesda might actually strive to break the mold and bring something refreshing to what is becoming a rather stale genre.

[Sanis Prent]

I probably need to play an MMORPG before I cast full judgment, but from everything I've seen/heard, the plot effects and story take a back seat to grinding and party raids, is that fair to say?

I'm pretty well committed to the story-heavy immersion-centric single player sandbox games, and I'm kinda leery about the idea of taking away from the detail given in those worlds. Surprisingly, Mass Effect 3 actually put a nice angle on how you can dabble with a little multiplayer to provide synergy, so what would be kinda interesting is if these big sandbox games "bundled" an optional MMORPG element alongside that allowed you to have your mindless multiplayer fun but also to use that as an end to the single player option.

Probably a pipe dream, but I actually did like how that was executed.

[Tom Harriman]

I'm finding it hard to get excited about either of the rumoured Bethesda MMOs, to be honest.

I can certainly see how an Elder Scrolls MMO could be made. There is plenty of backstory to explore, and the game already boasts things like factions, resource gathering, dungeons, trade, and crafting. However, I'm not sure they'd be able to preserve the quality of storytelling once they start adding in a bunch of extra heroes.

Multiplayer games don't lend themselves very well to letting the player make sweeping political changes. How could you have arcs where you become leader of the thieves' guild, or cure the Companions of lycanthropy, when there are dozens of other players who have done the exact same thing?

I'd be worried about the level of character / ability customisation getting watered down as well due to "balance" concerns - trying to balance the current near-infinite combinations of weapons, skills, abilities and spells would be a nightmare.

Once you take out all of that stuff, what is it that would separate an Elder Scrolls MMO from other online games in the swords and spells genre?

[Droo]

I probably need to play an MMORPG before I cast full judgment, but from everything I've seen/heard, the plot effects and story take a back seat to grinding and party raids, is that fair to say?

There is story in MMO's, more so than ever since TOR hit the scene, however the experience is nowhere near as personal or profound to the player, and those new to the genre, coming from games like rich single-player games like Fallout and Mass Effect, will undoubtedly find the story element diluted. That said, there is room for improvement and I think Bioware have hopefully started a very positive trend with their work in TOR, so who knows what will happen?

One of the biggest appeals of games like Fallout and Skyrim is the sandbox element. This can actually lend itself wonderfully to an MMO-type game, we saw it in full swing in Star Wars Galaxies, and allows the community to effectively build up their own environments around them. Imagine your own Riverwood, built and populated by SWFans players, and should the guild grow, so too can your quaint little village, into a grand community built city. That's the potential, at least.

Other exciting possibilities is the option of aligning yourself with multiple clashing factions, according to rumours there are three major players in Elder Scrolls Online, but who's to say there couldn't be a handful of secondary factions at play? Also, looking again at SWG, I'd like to see a much more open-ended character development system which breaks away from the trinity system (tank, healer, DPS) and allows players to cherry pick the perks and abilities which will define their playstyle.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I can't say I'm that optimistic about the idea of another MMO, but it's hard to form an opinion when we don't have a lot of information yet. It will take a lot to convince me that this is a good idea, however.

[Peter McCoy]

I'm interested in the idea. I already found an in-development mod that adds multiplayer code into Skyrim, which would allow for - at least initially - small co-op gameplay in Skyrim and any other modded-in areas the network code could work with, and eventually they aim to increase the client count until there are hundreds of people running around the same world.

The only problem I have with a Skyrim multiplayer (which I can appreciate this thread is not about) is that too many players running around might make the world seem smaller than it really is. But a full-blown Elder Scrolls MMO would likely not have such a problem. Imagine if they included Tamriel in its entirety. Like Warcrafts zones linking with each other without loading screens (aside form moving across continents), how awesome would it be to head north from Imperial City in Cyrodiil, past Bruma, over the mountains and then down the other side into Skyrim just south of Helgen. A seamless transition throughout Tamriel would just feel epic.

I share Droo's love for Star Wars Galaxies so a similar skill system used in it would be my ideal choice. Plus, Elder Scrolls 3 to 5 all have open-ended skill development where you get better and things by doing them, rather than having a set increase of all skills when you level up. Galaxies even had the equivalent of Perks - when you gained enough relevant experience you could unlock a skill block, which came with certain abilities and/or bonuses. You really could be a jack of all trades or a master of none. Obviously an Elder Scrolls MMO would have to have a maximum total number of skill levels since maxing out everything would be boring since everyone would be just as powerful in everything so there's no situational advantage to be gained.

The other aspect of Galaxies that would be magic for an Elder Scrolls MMO would be player towns and cities. Mining enough stone would allow you and your friends to construct a fort or even a larger fortress given enough time and effort, which you could then live in and allow trade and vendors. But enemy guilds could lay siege to it, and the ruins remain. If you move on, perhaps a small group of player bandits decide to take up residence.

The scope for an Elder Scrolls MMO has just as much potential as other MMO's have during development. But given how rich and open Tamriel is, I think Bethesda have a greater chance of pulling it off than other developers.

[Crusader]

TL: DNR

Before Bethesda goes the MMO route they should finally add COOP into their games. What good is a nice view over the world of Skyrim/Oblivion/the Capital Wasteland if you can't share it.

I hate the fact that everyone wants to go MMO or competitive multiplayer these days. Bioware has proofen that dialog trees work in multiplayer as well and sometimes even lead to "You didn't just say that moments" that are worth sharing.

It is a shame that only Fable and Dead Island feature a coop mode.

Plus why challenge Blizzard in an uphill battle when you can find your own niche.

[Droo]

And it's been confirmed:

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[Anastasia Xivelle]

I have SUCH mixed feelings about this...

I'll be giving it a try, though, that's for sure.

[Dasquian Belargic]

First screenshot

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2012/05/GI-Elder-Scrolls-IGN-600x375.jpg


Not many specifics are available yet, but according to Game Informer you'll be able to play as one of three factions, take part in open-world player versus player combat in the province of Cyrodiil and vie for control of the throne of the Emperor.

Still don't know what to think right now.

[Droo]

That's a horrendous choice for a first screenshot. Looks like totally generic fantasy MMO fare.

[Crusader]

Agreed! What a waste of a good franchise.

I hope they at least don't go the subscription based route for this one and make it free to play from the start like Guild Wars.

[Peter McCoy]

Free to play is very unlikely given the production values Bethesdas games are known for. But stranger things have happened.

[Crusader]

Well I bet SWTOR will be free to play within the next 18months as well. Most MMOs have profited from changing to this model but you are right the privat shareholders of ZeniMaxx Media will be more happy with a fast win at launch instead of a slow but constant gain from the project.

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/29/elder-scrolls-onlines-main-backbone-story-is-a-solo-affair-you-dont-see-other-people-in-it/

Sounds like this game will use instancing in a similar way to SWTOR, to allow players to experience certain story elements of the game solo. However...

http://gamerant.com/the-elder-scrolls-online-public-dungeons-tao-151374/

There are also going to be 'public dungeons', a feature which has been phased out of a lot of other MMOs.

[Dasquian Belargic]

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[Droo]

http://youtu.be/YlEipFtHw7o

New gameplay trailer. I have no opinion on this yet, since someone at YouTube seems to have left the brakes on.

Edit: Basically, just another fantasy MMO, although there were a few things that stood out. The high levels of class customisation sounds interesting. The idea of exploring all of Tamriel has its appeal. It looks nice. The emphasis on objective-based PvP could mean anything though, for example, are we talking about battlegrounds or world PvP? Either way, unless the information released between now and next year comes with some exciting revelations, I'm going to be quite happy to give this one a swerve.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I can't say that I'm particularly excited about it.

I think I'm just burned out on MMOs, to be honest. Especially subscription based ones.

[Ecidae Mandrill]

My worry is that Skyrim is already pretty much a single player MMO: the only thing that is missing is the other people. There's already an extensive crafting system and a broad spectrum of character customisation. You can already get your hands on player housing, and engage in all manner of side quests that will impact your standing with various factions. The only thing you can't do is team up with other people for cooperative play.

In order to gain that multiplayer aspect though, I'm worried about the other baggage it will bring along with it, and what they'll have to sacrifice in order to make space. Skyrim has a very personal story, which is part of what makes it so immersive: but being the one and only hero of the realm can't really work in an MMO. It's a problem I've found with Guild Wars 2: while the gameplay for GW2 is really enjoyable, I often find that I can't be bothered with the personal quest line all that much, because it's just not as exciting or engaging as it is in other games like Skyrim, Mass Effect, or (to a lesser extent) SWTOR.

Also, while I'm not necessarily burned out on MMOs... I'm definitely getting burned out on sword and sorcery. If this was a Fallout MMO instead of an Elder Scrolls one, I'd probably be more interested: but fantasy MMOs are a bit dime-a-dozen these days.