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Elder Scrolls Online anyone?
MikeJT
Member UncommonPosts: 84
I first experienced The Elder Scrolls with Daggerfall. Absolutely loved that game.
I've been playing Oblivion recently and it's rekindled my love of Tamriel. Now I'm just thinking: "How awesome would a Elder Scrolls MMORPG be?"
Or should I say, how awesome COULD it be.
Surely there's millions of other people thinking along these lines?
Comments
I forsee to much circle strafeing.
I always thought Ryzom had an Elder Scrolls flavour to it.
It's skill-based, you can learn everything and there aren't spells/abilities that you gain at certain levels, like in other games. Instead players assemble spells/abilities from their basic parts - kind of like you do in ES games.
One of the reasons I think it has potential as an MMORPG is because the long history of the game world gives plenty of rise to player lead diplomacy between different regions of the game world. Players could rise to high levels of government and influence the actions of governments which players can then be a part of or shy away from. Furthermore, the darker forces within the game world (which players could become a part of if they choose) can always attempt to bring about the downfall of Tamriel. Players could form their own Daedric cults if they so choose.
I think it would be brilliant to see a world largely based on PvP suddenly turn to a PvE world when players unite against a PvE threat that could destroy everyone.
That leads me to another point - permanent death. I find myself constantly saving whilst playing Oblivion, and the real 'death' factor is probably what makes the game so exciting, even though I know I can just reload.
As such, I think an Elder Scrolls MMORPG would need to break the mould and have permanent death. It actually gives your decisions more meaning.
Yeah I know what people are going to say: "I don't want to work my way up to level 50 just to have my character die!"
Well that attitude is the exact problem that I think most MMORPG's suffer today. People want to be superman - they don't want to be forced to take calculated risks. They want to be able to go through hell and walk out with minimal consequences. As such, their interaction in the game world is inherently meaningless.
My first experience with an mmo was WoW. Prior to that I spent most of my gaming time playing Morrowind. I think one of the things that made WoW such an amazing experience (i don't play it now but when I did I really enjoyed the game) was the feeling that i was playing Morrowind (albeit dumbed down) AND having real-time in-game web forum discussions. Grouping, economy, guilds and all that just made the whole thing better and better (for me). The closest I can find to an Elder Scrolls mmo is what I am playing now, Istaria, and I do think Istaria is a great game. Not really the cup of tea for the pvp'ers but then I don't find pvp fun for longer than an hour. I would be curious to see what the minds at Bethesda might churn out though.
Man, how ... HATE oblivium.
Please, never make a game like oblivium again, and more games like morrowind!
If you make a whois to www.theelderscrollsonline.com you will notice it belongs to zenimax media, parent company of Bethesda softworks.
Are they going to make one?, I dont know, but I wish they will.
If the game is developed by whoever designed Oblivion game mechanics, count me out.
There was a bit of a gaming news-media storm about this last year. Apparently, the registration of this domain loosely coinsided with ZeniMax Studios securing an extra US$400M in funding, which lead industry analysts to believe that the $400M in funding was to develop an Elder Scrolls MMORPG. It was later revealed that the $400M was for a variety of projects, not one single project.
However, I don't put $400M in development costs out of reach for an Elder Scrolls MMORPG. I think it would be a much more complex undertaking than something like World of Warcraft, and development costs in that range probably aren't unrealistic (Grand Theft Auto was supposed to be $100M). Although I really should qualify that statement - $400M would be an all in cost - including getting a few servers up across key locations.
And the only reason why I think that a $400M project could pay off for ZeniMax, isn't because Elder Scrolls is so frickin' awesome, but because the same online system used for it could be recycled for a Fall Out MMORPG, and then sublicensed to other companies.
Oblivion has one of the most complex single player environments I've ever witnessed. The scale and the imagination that went into it is incredible. If they managed to transfer that same creativity and scope into the MMO world, then it would be an MMO of EPIC proportions.
The fact that an NPC gets up in the morning, walks to his place of work, does work, gets paid, goes to get something to eat, goes back to work, and then returns home for a nights rest, is more detailed than alot of other games. (the best example of this is the guards in the Castle at Chorrol, there's a quest in Chorrol that really lets you see how the guards change shifts and everything).
All though it is still an 'illusion' of a fully functioning economy, it does a much better job than other games I've seen.
You're counted out. The quota for people who suck at good games is already filled.
You're counted out. The quota for people who suck at good games is already filled.
Oblivion had its strengths (namely, combat), but a lot of Elder Scrolls fans are bitter about the things it discarded in the process.
Additionally, Oblivion had a number of problems, thankfully many of which can be alleviated via mods, but fundamentally it was broken. That didn't stop it from being a fun game, of course.
I would elaborate but we're already in danger of diverting the topic's focus.
I would love an Elder Scrolls MMO if it was made with the same player freedom in mind that makes the Elder Scrolls series so great. It would really be a throwback to games like Ultima Online.
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Sure I'd love to see an Elder Scrolls MMO, but so many things could go wrong wtih trying to translate a single player game into massive multiplayer...it would be very tricky and I'd be interested but cautious.
Also have to agree about oblivion... huge disappointment for me, only playable with major game changing mods... if whoever is responsible for oblivion is going to make the MMO version.... nevermind.
Depending on who was publishing it, I would be first in line for an ES game, but I just get the feeling it would be more of a social MMO than the traditional raid centric MMO.
This sword here at my side dont act the way it should
Keeps calling me its master, but I feel like its slave
Hauling me faster and faster to an early, early grave
And it howls! it howls like hell!
You can have raids in a social MMO. I would just prefer to play a game where those raids are realistic. ie "No one's been to this cave in 3 months and recently people have been dissappearing on the road between x and y, with the cave right in the middle. Go check it out."
But it would actually be 3 months in game time (so maybe a month in real time) since a player has actually been there. It's not just a never ending spawn point for monster x so when a player goes to quest dispenser a and hears the same story 2,000 players before him have heard he gets some baddies to fight, it would actually be the case that some whatevers have decided it would be a nice place to nest/gather/congregate (based on an in game AI or whatever) and moved in because it was quiet.
If players check it daily no monsters will ever show up. If there are good border patrols for an entire region, monsters will never be in that region again.
I want an MMORPG sandbox world. Not a bunch of spawn points regenerating monsters no matter how frequently someone comes along and slaughters them.
I think the brilliant thing with TES is that there's plenty of opportunity for PvP conflict, driven by the history of the game and the incumbent governments, but if the PvP action gets too chaotic (entire armies marching to war against each other) then the server moderators can just throw in a daedric cult bent on world domination to give the players something to unite for. It goes from PvP to PvE.
Of course, I think for this to really happen... the game needs permanent death. If no ones really going to loose their character and everything they've worked for, then no one's going to be willing to form alliances and work together to get out of a really bad situation.
EDIT: Raids are boring. You know what's going to happen already. I'd rather be escorting a defenseless family down a treacherous road. Or being part of a crew on a merchant ship sailing from harbour to harbour trading goods.
Actually, the one reason I like ES so much is because it's a single-player game. Dont get me wrong, I like WoW and MMOs but sometimes I want to play a large, freeform game BY MYSELF and without some sodding noob spoiling it.
You missed?! How could you miss? He was three feet in front of you!!
Actually, the one reason I like ES so much is because it's a single-player game. Dont get me wrong, I like WoW and MMOs but sometimes I want to play a large, freeform game BY MYSELF and without some sodding noob spoiling it.
Another reason I'm a big advocate of permanent death - the noobs get sick of dieing so often and eventually quit. In games like WoW death has only minor consequences, and they just keep on playing. It's big carrot, little stick.
Introducing permanent death is big carrot, big stick. There's alot of things to achieve, alot of things to do, alot of experiences to be had - but at some risk. It's at even greater risk than playing an Elder Scrolls game in single player because there's no save and reload option.
It acts as a moderating influence in PvP as well. The more powerful your character becomes the less likely you are to flaunt that power and abuse it - because you worked so hard to acheive it you're not just going to run around beating on noobs, because eventually they'll gang up and kill you.
If you murder someone in the game (which is against the law of the land, not against any server rules), you don't want your player to rot in virtual prison for 25 years (maybe 8 years real time) or until someone decides to bust him out (although that could be a fun objective for your second character!). And no matter how powerful you get, there will always be someone to come after you, or an army to march against your castle.
Permanent death encourages players to use their power wisely in the game world. If they get powerful enough and decide to raise an army of undead to conquer the world, then they do so at the risk of loosing a character they might have built up for years. Not just levelled up to 80 over a couple of weeks like the last 5 characters they had.
Obvious : build a house
Elderscroll Online would be crap though, Bethesda lost the plot years ago.
I'd rather go for Ryzom II, SWG (original) II or Horizons (Istaria) II.
And thats PvP included of course
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Playing : Uncharted Waters Online
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I would certainly be interested in such a game. I've played since the first ES, and Morrowind and Oblivion were both well-done (but flawed) games worthy of over 100 hours each and much praise by me and my friends.
I started with Zeldas, then Final Fantasys, then Morrowind, KOTOR, and have now played wow for over 4 years. Though I love WoW, am in a progression raiding guild, and appreciate the lore, I am ready to try something new.
These are personal opinions of mine, I am not trolling or flaming anyone.
Of the games on the horizon, SWTOR looks like the best game in the world to me right now. If they can take KOTOR, add an end-game and make it fun at max level, I'm jumping ship. I love Star Wars, I loved KOTOR and Mass Effect, and Bioware is am amazing company.
Next on the list of games I would like to play would be Elder Scrolls Online and/or Fallout online. I've had just about enough of high fantasy, and SWTOR and Fallout could fill two different non-fantasy niches.
I don't see many other existing IP's or game worlds or movie worlds that look to be good games for what I want. But these two will challenge *my* wallet for money over WoW, I can't speak for others.
I wish I can become the emperor, then people would yell: "PROTECT THE EMPEROR" at me.
Just my 2 cents.
Well, first of all, I disagree that Oblivon is only good or playable with mods. Oh sure, I have quite a few mods but they are mostly to add armor, weapons, houses, etc.
Not to say that there aren't problems, but I think one of the things that people think is a problem is also a strength, namely the levelled mobs to your lvl.
It just wasn't done well. Or to that point, it didnt' have to be done all the time. Things like guards or thugs could have always remained at the same level. Things in caves or ruins could level with you and that would be fine in my opinion.
One of the problems that a game like Morrowind had was that once you got high enough everythign was easy. Heck, I had to make my own mod just to make the end boss a challenge. And I had to tweak it several times to really get it right.
Because, sure, i'm high lvl and can go into any place I want and waste everything. Who really cares? That is enough to get a person to not play. But keep leveraging challenge and then you will get players interested.
Also, the radiant AI was a good thing but it didn't go deep enough. To that point, one of the things I think that Bethesda nees to learn about is Peter Molyneaux's idea of reputation.
In a Bethesda game, for the most part, if you are evil then you will either be met with ridicule or maybe arrested. I recall entering the imperial city with my powerful evil mage (where I decimated the city the previous day) and all I got were rude remarks. That doesn't really cut it. They need to go a bit deeper. Some people running away, some people challenging you, a militia perhaps.
Same with being a hero. It needs to matter a bit more and perhaps open up greater heroic quests.
In any case I don't think an elder scrolls mmo would be good even though the lore and stories are all there. techcnially it would be great but one thing I've learned from mmo's is that in the end there is a junkiness about them. Everyone wants everything open so what it boils down to is a chat room where people do somewhat lackluster quests and sell things to each other.
That doesn't mean i don't like mmo's but it does mean, to me, that what makes the elder scrolls great would be lost or ruined in an mmo setting.
What I could see is perhaps what bioware is doing with their star wars mmo. Or perhaps what guild wars did. Somethign that keeps the game and quests on a more intimate side. Not really an mmo but it would allow for more interesting quests and storylines as opposed to everyhone lining up outside to enter the nevarine instance or fighting Mankar Cameron only to have another group come in and wait while you do it or try to take the encounter away from you.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
You can have raids in a social MMO. I would just prefer to play a game where those raids are realistic. ie "No one's been to this cave in 3 months and recently people have been dissappearing on the road between x and y, with the cave right in the middle. Go check it out."
But it would actually be 3 months in game time (so maybe a month in real time) since a player has actually been there. It's not just a never ending spawn point for monster x so when a player goes to quest dispenser a and hears the same story 2,000 players before him have heard he gets some baddies to fight, it would actually be the case that some whatevers have decided it would be a nice place to nest/gather/congregate (based on an in game AI or whatever) and moved in because it was quiet.
If players check it daily no monsters will ever show up. If there are good border patrols for an entire region, monsters will never be in that region again.
I want an MMORPG sandbox world. Not a bunch of spawn points regenerating monsters no matter how frequently someone comes along and slaughters them.
I think the brilliant thing with TES is that there's plenty of opportunity for PvP conflict, driven by the history of the game and the incumbent governments, but if the PvP action gets too chaotic (entire armies marching to war against each other) then the server moderators can just throw in a daedric cult bent on world domination to give the players something to unite for. It goes from PvP to PvE.
Of course, I think for this to really happen... the game needs permanent death. If no ones really going to loose their character and everything they've worked for, then no one's going to be willing to form alliances and work together to get out of a really bad situation.
EDIT: Raids are boring. You know what's going to happen already. I'd rather be escorting a defenseless family down a treacherous road. Or being part of a crew on a merchant ship sailing from harbour to harbour trading goods.
lol, no mike it doesn't need permanent death. i can envision what you are saying but it sounds to me that you lean more towards the hardcore rp way of playing a game.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
To be honest I think all of the above. That is what Elder Scrolls is. The problem is that you can't have 200 emperors or 300 nevarines.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Man, how ... HATE oblivium.
Please, never make a game like oblivium again, and more games like morrowind!
Morrowind had it's strengths but the combat was pathetic and all of the npc's just stayed in the exact same place so I could turn in my quests.
I think a merging of the two would be more enjoyable for me.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Oh, and for the record, I have a bit of an interest ni the topic because I've been playing oblivion quite heavily over the last few months. Downloaded the free dagger fall but I'm having a difficult time getting into it as it's just so antiquated.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Well if you want an mmo similar to elder scrolls or the closest of what the mmo version of elder scrolls might look like, you have 3 options:
1. Darkfall
2. Runescape
3. Ryzom
(It's in alphabetical order so don't bash meh!)
Those 3 games are similar to elder scrolls in that your character can really be whatever you want it to be (to some extent). Unfortunately though, those 3 games are nowhere near the quality of any elder scrolls game but it's the price you pay for an open-ended mmo.
I'd love a Elder Scrolls MMO if it didn't have the crappy FPS combat.
Sure, I guess it adds "immersion" being 1st person but I'll take fun > immersion any day
Your opinion is immaterial.