Elder Scrolls Online Announced

Nodferatu · 03-05-2012 10:44pm #1

the-elder-scrolls-online.jpg?w=600&h=400&crop=1

— Bethesda’s finally rolling its titanic The Elder Scrolls fantasy roleplaying series into an online version, coming next year for both PC and Mac. The news is breaking now, courtesy Game Informer. The magazine hints the game will cover all of Tamriel, the continent on which the series’ stories have so far played out.

GI says The Elder Scrolls Online will basically combine the series’ already massive exploration dynamic with the social angle of an MMO. The game will take place a millennium prior to events in Skyrim “as the daedric prince Molag Bal tries to pull all of Tamriel into his demonic realm.” Elder Scrolls wonks with memories like steel traps and who bother to read all the series in-game literature will no doubt shortly have the full backstory up on the web (in fact, here you go).

“We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted,” said the game’s director Matt Firor in a statement. “It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made – and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.”

The game will be the first developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, whose president – TESO director Firor — was one of the founders of Mythic Entertainment (Dark Age of Camelot). ZeniMax Online Studios is owned by ZeniMax Media, the same company that owns Bethesda Softworks.

GI‘s tease mentions solo questing (check), dungeons (of course) as well as “player-driven PvP conflict that pits the three player factions against each other in open-world warfare over the province of Cyrodiil and the Emperor’s throne itself.” (Nifty!)

Is anyone surprised?

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2012/05/03/move-over-skyrim-here-comes-the-elder-scrolls-online/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fnerd_world+(TIME%3A+Techland)#ixzz1tsrS3Xyi

MrShine · 05-05-2012 2:04am

I, personally, cannot wait for this! I need to start saving up for a high end computer now, just so I can play this! The only thing that's bothered me is the placement of the ring on the Gameinformer cover. Why place it over Black Marsh and Morrowind? This leads me to believe the game will be set in only those two provinces, with PVP in Cyrodil. This is just a guess based on a single picture though, I hope it's a Tamriel-wide game!

MrShine · 05-05-2012 2:10am

Actually, I've just seen the full front and back cover, and that shows the full map, so forget I said anything.

ShaneScouse · 05-05-2012 2:11am

Using heroengine

hypermuse · 05-05-2012 1:45pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWV0Ud0VRTM

Lockky · 05-05-2012 4:24pm

I can not wait for this! ever since i picked up my first elder scrolls title which was oblivion in may 2006 (a bit late to the party i know) i said how great it would be as an mmo if they could maintain the exploration and control we had over our characters. what i think set elder scrolls apart was that you could be exactly what you wanted to be: a battlemage casting fireballs from behind steel armour or any other combo your heart desired. i loved that and i think if they are to bring TES into the mmo market they should focus on this aspect rather than taking what wow did well and moulding it to TES cos this game has i think serious potential!

MrShine · 06-05-2012 2:05am

Judging by the screens released, it just looks like another WOW clone. One of the most important thing about TES, in my opinion, is the first person view. Everything happens from "your" point of view, you're not just watching some little chap waving a sword or throwing fireballs around the screen. I really hope they keep this feature in, even if there is a drop in the graphics. It'd set them apart from other fantasy MMOs.

CiaranC · 06-05-2012 2:09am

Do not want

Lockky · 06-05-2012 11:31am

MrShine wrote: »

Judging by the screens released, it just looks like another WOW clone. One of the most important thing about TES, in my opinion, is the first person view. Everything happens from "your" point of view, you're not just watching some little chap waving a sword or throwing fireballs around the screen. I really hope they keep this feature in, even if there is a drop in the graphics. It'd set them apart from other fantasy MMOs.

In TES you could choose to play 3rd person too just as in WoW you could play first person via the mousewheel. i think theyll do it like WoW whereby each user can individually choose because the devs for elder scrolls have always maintained the importance of rp to their game so i reckon there will be an allowance for both.

However i doubt this will be a WoW clone. In fact I feel pretty confident that this will be one of the few non-WoW clones to succeed in any real way since WoW was released. I dunno about "WoW killer" but I think that the devs will have seen how messed up BioWare had SWTOR at launch and how it affected the game so I think (and hope) that they'll have learned from that! It already has a loyal fanbase which isnt just your typical mmo crowd and not just your typical rp crowd either so like WoW it could conceivably draw in multiple millions of subs (or users depending on the payment model. although i personally prefer a once per month sub but i realise im probably in the minority by now with that).

Nodferatu · 08-05-2012 10:06am

ShaneScouse · 08-05-2012 4:11pm

I love the elder scrolls SP games, always have due to the lore the plot, the fact your this lone hero who will save the world wandering around not knowing what u will run into.
cant see how alot of that will transfer over to a MMO, coop being announced for the next SP elderscrolls woulda been a far better news then a mmo based on the IP. You will be a pawn in a mmo world with thousands of others doing the Qs, u wont be the hero, the combat will be changed drastically cause its so unbalanced in all the ES games so far, etc.

That and the heroengine is a piece of dirt, everyone saw that in SWTOR

Lockky · 08-05-2012 8:24pm

Here is a video (19mins) of the Creative Director talking about the new game.
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/05/07/the-challenge-of-elder-scrolls-online-an-interview-with-the-creative-director.aspx

If what he says is real then I think it'll be a good game. I think that having an incentive to make players want to engage in mad world PvP would be great. I can see that becoming a real hit. It was something WoW did well in vanilla only to let it tail off after a while.

Then there is this: I dont know how much of what the first poster Nirolak says is true but here is a bit more on the game http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472749

Apparently its pulled from game informer's June edition but again I can't confirm its authenticity so pretty please dont flame me I'm as clueless about this as you guys!

That being said if half of what is said here is true then yes we are looking at another fairly generic high fantasy RPG. Yet somehow I still hold hope for this game cos to be honest I rather liked WoW back when world PvP was fun and games. I hate battlegrounds i find them to be the most annoying set up going so if ZeniMax deliver on the world PvP id be happy cos i trust them to figure out most of the rest - this is Elder Scrolls after all! the rest is what they do best!

Edit: just noticed that the guy "Nirolak" said itll be 3rd person. how big of a deal breaker would that be to you MrShine? just curious to know your thoughts on it

MrShine · 09-05-2012 9:14pm

Lockky wrote: »

Edit: just noticed that the guy "Nirolak" said itll be 3rd person. how big of a deal breaker would that be to you MrShine? just curious to know your thoughts on it

It wouldn't stop me from getting it, but it'd have to be pretty special in other ways. Like, if i'm just clicking on an enemy, and then just sitting there watching my character stab it in the face over and over, that'd ruin the immersion for me. Even if i'm choosing skills or whatever to use, it still doesn't really do it for me.

That said, I love the elder scrolls, and if its a somewhat entertaining way for me to explore more of the lore, and the different unseen regions, then I'd say I'd give it a go.

Washington Irving · 08-11-2012 7:09pm

Introduction trailer released today:

Dr Bob · 09-11-2012 2:19pm

Maybe I'm easy to please but this doesn't look too bad.
Its probably best to think of it as an MMO game that uses the TES lore and back story,rather than an actual TES MMO (i.e. not Skyrim/Oblivion/Morrwind/etc with other players).
IF I remember rightly that video mentions perks as a whole ' customize your character the way you like' thing i.e. stealth healer/warewolf rogue etc.
Hopefully that's the case but in my experience , due to balancing and people min/maxing to be most useful in raids/pvp etc in MMO's there's usually only only one or two viable combinations for each class ,anything else is nice but you'd be shunned for picking it as its less efficent.
Oh yeah the other worry is that that there'll be a massive amount of people playing as the nords because of Skyrim, which could imbalance the other factions . (Me? I'll probably go Breton if I do ever play it).

IRL_Sinister · 22-01-2013 9:28pm

Sorry for bump.

Trailer released:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=57vaJgNDLS0

saiint · 28-01-2013 8:14pm

looks deadly
i havnt exactly got a great pc so i hope i at least meet the minimum requirements

Dr.Diablo · 05-02-2013 1:12am

i for one am dieing for this game so much, i love these games and ive loved the elder scrolls and hope this online one tops them all

GavRedKing · 25-02-2013 3:28pm

Got told about this one recently, thought it was bo**cks, had a quick search and cant wait for it now.

MadYaker · 04-03-2013 7:02pm

Thats all very exciting but its a cinematic trailer, I want real gameplay. Also, any idea when the closed beta will start?

MadYaker · 04-03-2013 8:31pm

Another good video here:

This looks like one of those games that turns you into an anti social recluse! Only venturing from the PC for food and bathroom.

Headshot · 04-03-2013 11:00pm

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/04/the-elder-scrolls-online-beta-invites-to-be-sent-out-end-of-march/

Please god let me be in that beta

krodman · 14-03-2013 2:52pm

Did anyone get into the beta?

MadYaker · 14-03-2013 3:16pm

No email about it yet but I thought it was the end of march when they would be announcing who is in.

degrassinoel · 22-03-2013 11:55am

there should be more info about at PAX this weekend.

Noxin · 27-03-2013 10:16am

First round of invites sent out.

Apparently a small round.

Anyone get in? If so, I hate you! :P

degrassinoel · 31-03-2013 10:43pm

nope, not yet at least. fingers crossed for the next one

Noxin · 09-04-2013 11:24pm

A second batch of invites went out today. Again a small batch. Just fyi to check your email

who_me · 12-04-2013 6:30pm

Never was an MMO player, can something like this be played solo? Would love a new Elder Scrolls game.

MadYaker · 12-04-2013 7:12pm

I lied my arse off in the application. They said I had an excellent chance! Still no email.

Temptamperu · 15-03-2014 1:02am

I got a beta key for this weekend if anyone wants it.

Elder Scrolls Online Announced

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