‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ Character Creation Video Released

Up until now, the video that Elder Scrolls fans have likely watched on an unending loop was the first cinematic trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios may be following in the footsteps of RPG giants, but they’re certainly not taking the easy way out.

As the latest video detailing character customization shows, the developers are intent on keeping up the high bar of the Elder Scrolls franchise. The wealth of choices come as good news, but will no doubt have fans of the series wishing release day was much, much closer. Oh well; gamers can dream.

The TESO character customization experience looks to be the same one we tried out when we played the game firsthand, simplifying the categories of body makeup and ‘heroic’ faces by implementing a triangular scale. The systems can be applied to all playable races – Human, Argonian, Orcs, and more – with even this brief glimpse at the level of customization showing that players won’t be disappointed.

It may not be as influential on the overall game experience as dungeon design or, you know, the actual gameplay, but the importance of an expansive character creation system can’t be understated. After all, when players are making their way across the game’s expansive world, exploring every nook and corner for crafting supplies and loot, how could they not be even more invested in their character’s fiction when they’ve determined the exact size of their hands? Exactly.

It’s too early to say if the rest of the game is built to the same level of detail (it is an MMORPG, not a singleplayer environment), but getting players to start on the right foot is a wise move. Especially if the team at ZeniMax Online hopes to still have a healthy player community when they reach the end of their five-year plan.

So far, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the game’s social elements, whether it’s the constant stream of content to encourage groups of friends to log in regularly, or the ability of players to immediately travel to their friends’ location. Nothing can sabotage that kind of effort like limiting a player’s ability to distinguish their own character, so we’re optimistic.

Has this video already gotten you thinking of your dream character? Or do you still require some convincing to get on board with TESO?

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‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ Will Launch With Subscription-Based Model

There is no shortage of variety when it comes to subscription models for massively multiplayer online games. MMOs like The Secret World and Guild Wars 2 are still staying above water with free-to-play models and the use of microtransactions; Star Wars: The Old Republic gives players the choice to play for free or gain perks by sticking with the monthly fee; and World of Warcraft is still raking in monthly subscription fees from millions of players almost nine years after its release. For The Elder Scrolls Online the question of whether or not it will require a paid subscription has been answered.

According to ZeniMax game director Matt Firor, the TESO will ask users to drop $15 a month to play the upcoming role-playing game. In an interview withGameStar, Firor explained that, “Charging a flat monthly (or subscription) fee means that we will offer players the game we set out to make and the one that fans want to play.”

Despite the failure of powerful brand-name MMOs including Age of Conan, DC Universe Online, Lord of The Rings Online, The Old Republic, etc. to succeed with strict subscriptions and all adopting free-to-play models (among many other MMOs), Firor is confident that the quality and depth of the game will justify the monthly subscription fee and that The Elder Scrolls Online has no need to jump onto the free-to-play train.


“The Elder Scrolls Online was designed and developed to be a premium experience: hundreds of hours of gameplay, tons of depth and features, professional customer support – and a commitment to have ongoing content at regular intervals after launch.”

Did we mention that Rift is also going free-to-play and that rumors have Warhammer Online also possibly making the jump?

While some hardcore players enjoy the idea of a paid-only premium service (and resulting dedicated playerbase), others will inevitably be disappointed to hear they’ll need to shell out a recurring payment – especially with the other added monthly fees required to play games online on the PS4 and Xbox One – but Firor’s statements suggest that a project of this size just won’t be able to support itself on microtransactions. In order to help win over gamers who are still on the fence,TESO will offer 30 days of free play along with the client. After that first month, the recurring $15 fee will kick in. Firor did hint that the studio will announce some kind of pricing discounts in the future.

Standing by the subscription model in a market where practically all MMOs offer at least some level of free-to-play definitely comes off as a bold move, and perhaps a risky one. As more details about the game emerge later this year, fans will have to decide how much money The Elder Scrolls-with-friends experience is worth. Ourhands-on TESO experience at E3 2013 left us unsure whether or not the the project had simply succeeded in adapting the franchise to the realm of generic fantasy MMOs, or if it had something new and unique to offer.

If Star Wars: The Old Republic couldn’t sustain full-on subscriptions, can The Elder Scrolls Online with its initial mixed reactions?

In the meantime, interested MMO players may want to check out the trailer forWorld of Warcraft’s final content patch for Mists of Pandaria and the recently released free-to-play Dungeons and Dragons title, Neverwinter.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in early 2014.

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The Elder Scrolls Online: 30-Minute Gameplay Video

While the video game industry has never seen as many role-playing experiences and free-to-play MMOs as it currently enjoys, there’s no denying that The Elder Scrolls is still among the most respected and polished – a fact proven by the release of Skyrim. That unwavering momentum is what Zenimax Online Studioshopes to capitalize on with The Elder Scrolls Online, their MMO set within the fiction of the franchise.

Our hands-on experience with TESO convinced us that it’s still too early to tell if the game will merely succeed in adapting the franchise to the MMO sphere, or offer something genuinely new. For those who would like a bit more information with which to judge for themselves, the developers showed off over twenty minutes of gameplay at Quakecon 2013, available now for your viewing pleasure.

Beginning with the character customization (packed with enough fine-tuning to keep most fans content), the video reveals that combat and conversation operates much the same way as they have in the series’ past. And while the environments and characters may be familiar to any Elder Scrolls fan, it doesn’t take long to see how the shift to an MMO has resulted in a few changes in design and graphics.

There’s no question that one of the more unwelcome aspects of the MMO grind is covering large distances – specifically, when seeking out a party of players, or merely trying to complete lengthy quests. While one might argue that a massive game world is a bonus, not a hassle, exploring the environment and gathering resources isn’t a full-time occupation. As such, the developers of TESO have implemented both a fast travel system (to previously discovered locations) and the ability to travel to a fellow player in your group.

Once the video shows off the similarities of TESO to any previous Elder Scrolls title – with user interface and HUD elements mimicking those of Skyrim, in particular – it’s time to focus on the true heart of any fantasy MMO: the dungeons. The group mission allows the developers to show off their AI ‘pack behavior,’ which forces players to approach combat encounters with at least some sense of strategy, if they hope to not be simply overwhelmed by enemies. The ability to turn enemy forces to your own side is clearly an isolated twist, but a promising one nonetheless.

Given Bethesda’s mantra that restricting class abilities and perks is only taking potential away from players, it’s nice to hear that the same tenets are being upheld by Zenimax. Any class can wear any kind of armor, use any kind of weapon, and truly tailor their very own character to adapt to any number of situations.

There’s no question that the game’s name will attract attention upon release – as will its launch on both the Xbox One and PS4 – but it’s still hard to tell if a standard MMO styled after the world and races of The Elder Scrolls will succeed in one of the most highly-competitive genres today. Regardless, be sure to share your thoughts on this footage, and TESO in general, in the comments.

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The Elder Scrolls Online comes to PC, Mac, Xbox One and PS4 in spring 2014.

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‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ Developers Detail Dungeon-Delving Strategies

Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax Online Studios’ new fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online has now entered closed beta, so you’ll have to submit an application if you’d like to be considered as one of the chosen few permitted to dip their toes into the early model of the game.

Dungeon-delving is a noble and long-standing tradition with the Elder Scrollsseries, and Skyrim had dozens of dungeons that the player could easily explore and conquer single-handedly (unless, of course, you feel like taking Lydia along and using her as a human shield). Since The Elder Scrolls Online is based around co-operative play, however, taking the cowboy approach to dungeons is a fast way to get yourself killed, and the developers assure prospective adventurers that they’ll need three other party members in order to stand a chance of success.

The dungeons are apparently so tough that the Elder Scrolls Online developers have delivered a survival guide for parties who wish to explore a dungeon. The game is apparently designed so that players can develop multiple, varied skill trees and abilities. For example, if the tank goes down, other members of the party can combine their combat efforts to make up for the fallen fighter, and if a healer bites the dust there should be another member of the group with the restoration magic required to keep the remaining players going.

Based on this guide, it sounds like the dungeons will be challenging enough that you’ll need to use every tool at your disposal in order to succeed; charge in full-throttle without any decent healing, stunning or dodging abilities, and your party will likely end up crawling away, licking their large collection of wounds and probably carrying a lopped-off limb or two.

Although there will be a degree of flexibility in the skillsets of party members – and therefore the roles that they will be able to perform within a battle – The Elder Scrolls Online will emphasize the two classic go-to techniques for succeeding in a fight against multiple creatures: tanking and healing. The tank should havesubstantial amounts of armor and health, as well as the ability to throw a heavy punch, in order to attract the attention of the monsters and draw their fire away from the slightly more vulnerable members of the party. The healer is arguably the most important member of any group, and holds the main responsibility for dampening the damage taken and patching up fellow adventurers in the middle of battle. These two types of party members combine to form the backbone of a strong adventuring crew.

The guide also offers some insight into the behaviors of the creatures that you will be attacking. There is a strong focus on pack mentality, meaning that attacking a single monster is likely to bring five or ten more screeching down upon your party, so be sure to have your blades/staffs/bows/fists ready before you draw first blood. With that in mind, however, not all of the creatures will attack at once; some will hang back and “prepare” during the first wave of attack, but these can be drawn out early if a player strays too close to them. In general, close proximity is a fast way to antagonize enemies into taking a swipe at you.

Read through the guide and your strategies for surviving MMORPG dungeon with us in the comments. Does the key to success lie in good preparation, clever party configuration, or in pure fighting reflexes?

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Getting Hands-On With ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ For The First Time

Bethesda made a surprise appearance at Sony’s E3 2013 press conference where it was unveiled that ZeniMax Online Studios’ ambitious attempt to bring The Elder Scrolls franchise into the MMO market would not be PC-exclusive, but would be coming to next-gen consoles as well.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be coming to PS4 and Xbox One and we just played it for the first time and as game director Matt Firor told us, it’s a testament to how powerful consoles, describing them as “beefy PCs at heart.” So how does TESO compare to Skyrim and the series as we know it? Read on for our preview.

Unlike last year’s E3 where we were witness to a gameplay video sizzle reel for The Elder Scrolls Online, this year with the game already in closed beta, Bethesda and ZeniMax were ready to focus on letting players play. No big fancy presentation. Because an MMO of this size cannot be properly explored in one-hour session, we were shown a short video highlighting some of the higher level content, from big bosses and unique environments, to the epic magic abilities. We also briefly saw the late-added first-person gameplay which we were told is working in the dev version but not quite ready for the public to try.

The big question veteran games have on their mind is whether or not TESO lives up to The Elder Scrolls name and MMO players are wondering if it’s just another – albeit bigger budgeted – traditional MMO that doesn’t offer much newness in terms of gameplay. At this point, nearly a year before the game will be ready for release, it’s hard to tell.

We began in the character customization screen which MMO fans and The Elder Scrolls gamers will appreciate. It’s very comprehensive, letting you customize every aspect of the physical design of the character. In this build we could only choose the Daggerfall Covenant, meaning we were limited to Breton, Redguard and Orcs.

There are four classes to choose from, which mostly serve as pre-defined templates that you can still edit around.
Dragonknight
Sorceror
Templar
Nightblade (not playable here)

There are sliders to customize each specific physical attribute, divided into sections - what you’d expect from TES game:
Upper Body – torso, chest, gut, waist, arm, hand
Lower Body – hip, posterior dimensions, leg, foot, neck, skin color
There’s also a triangular slider where players can simply lean towards thin, large, muscular and it adjusts all of the affected attributes.
For the character face, there’s a similar option for choosing a heroic, soft, or angular face, heroic being the big-jawed.
Only 8 hairstyles on the Breton male
5 ages to choose from
Face – forehead slope, cheekbone size/height,jaw, chin size/height
20 eye colors
Eyes – size, angle, separation,height,squint
Brow – eyebrows, height, skew, depth
Nose – shape,height, width, length
Mouth – height, curve, width
Ears – size, rotation, height, tip flare
You can randomize as well. We did and got a pirate-looking Mickey Rourke.

We began the gameplay session at level 5 and therefore had a few skills points to assign. We unlocked 5 skills, including a group healing ability, a ranged attack and a melee attack, which must be dragged and dropped onto the hotbar. They’re then used in-game by hitting the number keys like any other MMO. As for primary weapon-based combat, left click swings, holding it down does a power attack and right-click blocks. Holding both buttons down lets you stun enemies attempting to cast spells against you – if you’re close enough.

The controls are simple but mastering them is more about learning the right combinations (and order) of power attacks and melee strikes, depending on the enemy type. The early build we played had a few issues in this regard, with incoming ranged attacks passing through environmental objects, and damage dealt and blocks not always representative of what’s actually occurring visually between the combatants on screen. This is where the issues of MMOs take over. It doesn’t feel like the combat in Skyrim, at least not yet.

We started equipped with heavy armor but the game brings back, light and medium as well. Any character class can wear any armor and the same goes for the weapons. All of it factors into the stamina bar, which is brought back along with the standard TES health and magicka bars as well. The map, journal, character and inventory screens will feel very familiar for Elder Scrolls fans as well and it’s evident that in most aspects of the game’s design, ZeniMax is attempting to replicate what those fans are looking for.

We begin our journey in a forest and looking at the minimap in the top right we can see points of interest (POIs) which are unexplored ruins, structures, caves, etc. Going up to these locations earns XP so players can literally level up from being explorers, and earn more than just loot for being adventurous. New quests and quest objectives also show up on the map so players always have somewhere to go, it’s just up to them to decide what to do.

We checked out an old stone tower and found an entrance to an underground structure. There were two higher level guards too difficult to beat at level 5, despite our stubborn repeated efforts, so we left and met a stressed out fellow hanging out with two guards on the road. Talking to him led to quest to seek out a ghost haunting that man’s property, so we accepted and went on our way. The objective was to search three piles of rubble for evidence of the ghost and by doing so we found a journal and jewelry which told the story of a cowardly rich man who gave a necklace to the family’s hired help whom he claimed to love. The man’s mother found out and condemned the girl to prison and the man said nothing to stop him. Sharing that info to the man lead to another quest to find a book to draw out the ghost and speak with her, but that led to another quest and another, a thread in interesting story bits, all voice acted, that involved a moral dilemma. In our one hour we couldn’t take on other quests to see if most of them are that in-depth, but we were happy that fetch-and-retrieve nature of question was more dynamic.

Part of that mission did take us into the downtown of Daggerfall which had the look and feel of an Elder Scrolls town and in it we spoke to one NPC who sold scrolls and there were a ton to buy. We unfortunately didn’t see how much there is to buy or how the crafting works, but we did see one example of lockpicking.

At this point, with the game still a long ways off, The Elder Scrolls Online has a lot of potential but our limited play session led us to believe that it’s not much different than other MMOs in terms of the hour-to-hour gameplay. There is of course a large story in the background we’ve not witnessed and the element of there being three different factions across the massive continent of Tamriel. The combat needs improvement and we’re excited to see it refined in first-person mode. The other selling point is of course the social and online play. We saw other players wandering by and occasionally helped battle some flying imps with them, but there are group quests and perhaps even more excitingly, 200-player wars where every character on screen is another player.

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‘The Elder Scrolls: Arena’ Returning; TESO Gets Screenshots & Video [Updated]

Players who’ve not signed up for The Elder Scrolls Online should get on that if interested since another wave of closed beta invites went out last week. For everyone still waiting, we have another few glimpses into the world of Tamriel as depicted in ZeniMax Online Studios’ ambitious MMORPG.

Along with several new screenshots detailing several of the environments and creatures of The Elder Scrolls Online, the devs share a behind-the-scenes look at crafting one of the more recognizable enemy creatures. Also, there’s word of the original game that started it all making a return: Arena [Updated at bottom of post].

We recommend that interested players read our extensive Elder Scrolls Onlinepreview roundup to help put the images in better context:

As for the creature getting the spotlight this week, the Ogrim, first seen in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – I still remember the Ogrim artwork in the instruction manual – is one of the obvious returning NPC creatures in TESO and ZeniMax Online Studios have taken to their blog to begin detailing the art and design work that goes into realizing the many lifeforms from The Elder Scrolls lore and to take fans behind-the-scenes.


When creating the ogrim, we first looked at the Morrowind model and existing lore fromThe Elder Scrolls games. This helped us get a feel for the creature and gave us a great starting place for bringing it into ESO. As with any art that goes into the game, the ogrim began life in the concept phase. Concept artists drew up several thumbnails—quick, small sketches—with lots of ideas for visual direction. Once the Art Team settled on a direction, more images were created: color studies and several different, more detailed concepts were developed to be used as reference by Figure Artists. Below, you can see some concept art for the ogrim.

 

For the ogrim (and all of our other creatures and NPCs), it was important to make sure it fit in with the world. It didn’t just need to look good on its own; it needed to fit into the environment and look appropriate alongside player characters and other enemy creatures. The artists paid close attention to this throughout the process and always work to ensure that every piece of art works with the game’s overall style; consistent visuals help us create and maintain immersion.

Longtime fans of the series and veteran gamers may appreciate the next bit of news. Much like Australia provided the original reveal of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, that very same ratings system is spoiling a major surprise from Bethesda. The Elder Scrolls: Arena was age-rated last week by the Australian Classification Board for a multiplatform release.

The original Arena was made freely available (the full game – download here) by Bethesda previously so this could be a mobile version of the game or what we’d much prefer: an HD remake or an all-out remake of The Elder Scrolls I. Bethesda did promise that they’ll be taking the spotlight this year with some major announcements. Pete Hines was quoted last week saying:


“I think you’ll hear us making considerably more noise this year than we did last year, as a publisher. Obviously The Elder Scrolls Online is out and we’ve got the Dishonored DLC, but we will be announcing new stuff and making some noise, and I think when we get the chance to show you guys what we’re up to, that you’ll sit up and take notice.


“I think we’re continuing to do the stuff that we get excited about, and people will get really excited about when they hear what we’re up to, which is continuing to push the boundaries, reinvent – find really smart, passionate teams who know what they’re doing and have an idea that they really want to do and do well.”

Could Arena be “reinvented” as The Elder Scrolls VI?

[Update 1: Nope, not happening. Bethesda says it was a mix-up]

Bethesda VP of PR and Marketing Pete Hines tells Joystiq:


“It apparently was never formally in their system because the release of Arena pre-dated [the Australian Classification Board's] existence. This is simply an error on [the classification board's] part. It should just say PC, not multiplatform. We’ve notified them and they’re going to fix. There is no new version of the game coming. Just a clerical mix-up.”

[Update 2: Skyrim is complete.]

Bethesda announced on their official blog that the team behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is moving on the their next project.


For the last year and a half we’ve been working on new content for Skyrim; from the game updates, Creation Kit, Steam Workshop, Kinect support, to DLCs. Parts of our team have also been in pre-production on our next major project, and that game is at the point where it requires the studio’s full attention to make it our biggest and best work yet.

Even though we’re moving on, we’ll still have minor updates to Skyrim as needed. We’ve invested so much of ourselves into Skyrim and will never truly say goodbye to it.

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Bethesda Teases New, ‘Boundary-Pushing’ Announcements in 2013

Discounting the noise it received after failing to release any Skyrim DLC on the PlayStation 3, 2012 was a relatively quiet year for the team at Bethesda.

Announcing a foray into the MMO universe with The Elder Scrolls: Online, exploring the dystopian depths of Dunwall with the riveting Dishonored, revivingDoom 3 with the release of its updated BFG Edition last October: The developer/publisher blipped about radar screen last year, but never did it replicate the resounding success and acclaim garnered by 2011′s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – despite furnishing two admirable expansions for the game in Dawnguard and Dragonborn on the PC and Xbox 360.

But the tempered tone only lends more intrigue to 2013. With the next generation looming and E3 2013 just two months away, Bethesda, which presides over a triumvirate of triple-A franchises (the aforementioned Elder Scrolls and Doom, along with Fallout) and has pursued its share of new endeavors recently (publishing Arkane Studios’ Dishonored in 2012 and id Software’s Rage in 2011), may well be aligning itself for a lively year.

At least that’s what Pete Hines, Bethesda’s PR and marketing VP, hinted at this week. Speaking in the latest OXM Podcast on his firm’s upcoming plans, Hines wouldn’t divulge specific game details, but promised that some eye-raising announcements were fast approaching:


“I think you’ll hear us making considerably more noise this year than we did last year, as a publisher. Obviously The Elder Scrolls Online is out and we’ve got the Dishonored DLC, but we will be announcing new stuff and making some noise, and I think when we get the chance to show you guys what we’re up to, that you’ll sit up and take notice.

Hines goes on to express pride in the way Bethesda is “continuing to push the boundaries” and “reinventing” the way it cultivates new talent:


“I think we’re continuing to do the stuff that we get excited about, and people will get really excited about when they hear what we’re up to, which is continuing to push the boundaries, reinvent – find really smart, passionate teams who know what they’re doing and have an idea that they really want to do and do well.”

It goes without saying that Hines’ foreshadowing is… superficial, at best. But much of the conceivable “new stuff” in Bethesda’s future has been rumored for quite some time.

If the publisher were priming a new game announcement for the coming months or E3, a Fallout 4 reveal would coincide with rumors of Bethesda scouting prospective locations for the game last year (not to mention Three Dog voice actor Erik Todd Dellums’ curious comments from January). id Software’s Rage 2was confirmed to be cancelled last week, but the developer, under the scrupulous direction of John Carmack, has channeled its full efforts back into Doom 4. MachineGames, meanwhile, is believed be conjuring up a new Wolfenstein gamewith the powerful id Tech 5 engine. And out in the Bethesda boondocks Human Head Studios has yet to renounce its dedication to the beleaguered (but “in limbo”) Prey 2.

Furthermore, it was discovered this February that Bethesda was soliciting talent for next-generation production. That could pertain to any future project at this point, considering Microsoft and Sony’s new consoles both look to be on shelves by the holidays. That said, come the end of the world or the ends of Tamriel, we’ll be waiting for what the company has in store.

What do you think Bethesda is working on for 2013 — and beyond?

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‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ Preview Highlights & New Screenshots

At first glance upon its initial announcement, The Elder Scrolls Online seemed to be “doing it wrong,” not embracing the style, combat and general gameplay that fans of The Elder Scrolls series of single-player games loved so much. To their credit, developer ZeniMax Online Studios turned it around, beginning with a proper(re)introduction using gameplay.

They later followed it up with one of the coolest cinematic trailers we’ve seen in a while – and although such a video is entirely misleading in regard to promoting the gameplay experience – it was timed well with beta sign-ups to encourage players to at least try out the game. And try out the game, people have begun.


The marketing campaign is about to begin for The Elder Scrolls Online and several press outlets have already gotten hands on with the title. Here are the key details and highlights pulled from all of the published previews:
First thing players do is pick a faction: Daggerfall Covenant, Aldmeri Dominion, and the Ebonheart Pact

The game’s intro/tutorial sees the player killed by the primary antagonist, Molag Bal, and then awakened in Coldharbour (in Oblivion) and then escaping with the help of the Prophet and emerging via portal on the shores of Stros M’Kai (Hammerfell), where the player is then found by a smuggler. That starting zone depends on which faction is chosen, but the basic story for each player involves reclaiming their soul. Every player is “the hero” and the game can be played solo, or grouped up with other heroes.
Molag Bal is stuck in Oblivion so his attacks come via Dark Anchors which pull parts of Tamriel into his realm. It’s up to players and members of the Fighters Guild to break the anchors.

Each faction has a region of Tamriel and their quests take place strictly there until they finish and hit level 50. There is cross-region PvP however (takes place in Cyrodiil) and when a player hit the cap and completes all the main quests in their starting region, they’ll be able to visit the other regions with that same character and play again (like end game content) and the difficulty and loot will scale up accordingly. Once two regions are conquered, the player can play the third one, at an even harder difficulty. There are reportedly 120-150 worth of quest content in each region for launch, and as players take their characters to foreign lands, they can still only group with their faction allies.

There are four classes: Dragonknight, Templar, Sorcerer and Nightblade, but the goal is to have players craft their own character. Classes do not restrict armor and players can customize their character (and name and age) as expected in an Elder Scrolls game.
There are multiple skill trees for Guild (i.e. joining the Fighters Guild or Mages Guild) and Race, even things like Vampire which is still being kept under wraps. The familiar Fighters and Mages Guilds will be included in The Elder Scrolls Online when the game launches later this year, but other notable guilds (i.e. Thieves and The Dark Brotherhood assassins) won’t be added until sometime later.

Upon leveling up, players can choose to boost the three staple bars of The Elder Scrolls series: Stamina, Magicka or Health. Players can put their limited amount of points into familiar skills like two-handed weapons, destruction or bow and by doing so, unlock active/passive skills. Active skills also level up based on use, and according to PC Gamer, at level 5, players can upgrade/morph those skills along one of two paths. The example they gave let them turn a summoning skill into ” an exploding scamp or a hulking clannfear.”
The Elder Scrolls Online also includes a crafting system that falls in line with the series, including weapon weaponsmith, armorsmith, alchemy, enchanting, and provisionist. Players can do all of them but can only select on major skill to master.

General gameplay mixes traditional MMO with modern TES, meaning left-click is for attacks and right-click if for defensive blocking/posturing. Destructoidlabeled it boring at first, explaining that it got better when projectiles and other abilities were unlocked through progression.

The big announcement is that TESO will be playable in first-person (thanks to fan feedback – all animations will be ready for launch) in addition to tradtional MMO third-person.
Double-tapping in any direction offers a quick evade move, but for spells/abilities, these are not equipped like in previous games, and instead are accessed via the hotbar.
Like most MMOs, there’s a hotbar for quick access to abilities but it’s not based on cooldown timers or turns. There are six slots on the bar with an additional one for an “ultimate” skill. Using them depends on your Magicka/Stamina/Health bars as with any TES game.
HUD features are minimal across the board, keeping screenspace clean and focused on the world. There’s the usual TES crosshair, bars for Magicka/Stamina/Health, and a minimap.
There’s a stealth mechanic, but it’s not as comprehensive as Skyrim. Players can enter the traditional sneak mode (and will get the traditional eye icon over the crosshair, and attempt to avoid being seen. Players can also wear disguises to bypass NPCs.
Players can fast-travel by paying in-game currency to use Wayshrines (think:Guild Wars 2)
NPCs (all voiced) with quests glow to indicate they have something to talk to the player about. Although the quest system is familiar, players are not stuck traveling from one quest area to the next and can take their own path.

Press didn’t get hands-on with PvP, but ZeniMax Online Studios did showcase an attack on a Keep where siege weapons (Catapults and Ballistas) were involved. Players were able to take out parts of the wall to allow other players access, while a battering ram attempted to knock in the front doors. The game will support these battles with “hundreds” of players.
Once captured, players can then use Keeps as a method of fast-travel.
There are decision points in a lot of quests, and the examples that arose during the previews involved letting someone poisoned, where the player could choose to let them live or die, recruiting between NPC characters, etc. and they weren’t simple good vs. evil type choices. Each had an impact on how the player was received after.

Some features for missing features) that hardcore fans should be aware of:
Cannot attack any neutral/friendly NPCs (understandably, since its a shared world)
Previous zones don’t scale to player level so aren’t replayable
Players cannot sit down in chairs/benches
NPCs do not drop the items they were wearing/using like previous TES games
Players cannot physically move and drop objects
Players cannot weapon swap until leveled up to unlock that skill
Players are restricted on where they can travel based on quests and such.
Schools of magic reduced to Destruction and Restoration
Thieves & Dark Brotherhood guilds will not be ready for launch
Roads, doors and other objects are disproportionately larger to fit multiple players

From all of the previews, there’s a sense of optimism that The Elder Scrolls Onlineis shaping up to be a fun MMO, but one that’s more of an MMO trying to replicate elements of the series as opposed the series expanding to allow multiplayer. ZeniMax is making it very clear that they want a game that appeals to both MMO players and TES fans, so inherently, die hard Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim fans won’t be getting that same detailed world, visual prowess, etc., but they’re getting something that’s familiar.

If you’re going to attend PAX East, ZeniMax will be hosting a little shindig on Saturday, March 23rd at the Castle Meeting Space in downtown Boston (347th Tamriel Beer Garden). At PAX itself, The Elder Scrolls Online will be playable for the very first time for the public.

Maybe The Elder Scrolls 6 will feature some sort of multiplayer option down the road. What are your thoughts on the franchise and MMO aspirations?

ZeniMax has been noticeably silent and dodgy on the monetization part and there’s still no word on what sort of subscription/freemium service it’ll live by. Perhaps at PAX East next week where TESO will be playable for the first time to the public.

The Elder Scrolls Online is confirmed for a 2013 release for PC and Mac.

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Incredible Cinematic Trailer For ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’; Sign Up For the Beta Now

Since sharing a much-needed gameplay introduction to The Elder Scrolls Online in November, ZeniMax Online Studios went radio silent on the MMO front until today. That 10-minute video also featuring the devs talking about the game helped quell the fears and concerns raised by fans of the The Elder Scrolls series after a poor unveiling earlier in 2012.

With the releasing later this year, ZeniMax is starting 2013 strong by not only announcing that prospective players can begin signing up for the beta, but by also sharing what’s easily going to end up being one of the coolest game trailers of the year.

The Elder Scrolls Online takes place 1000 years before the events of Skyrimwhere three factions fight for the throne of Tamriel. The playable races from the franchise are divided among the three factions: The Aldmeri Dominion (Altmer, Bosmer, and Khajiit), the Daggerfall Covenant (Bretons, Redguards, and Orcs), and the Ebonheart Pact (Dunmer, Nords, and Argonians). The Alliances Cinematic Trailer up top highlights the three groups and their goal (note the White-Gold Tower of Imperial City in the Cyrodiil background), their specialty fighting styles and unique aesthetics when it comes to weapons and armor.

Quite simply, the TESO cinematic trailer is amazing and highly detailed, making us wonder where the hell The Elder Scrolls movie is. In fact, this trailer alone is arguably cooler than must of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, especially in how it handles combat and visuals. Regardless, this is what’s expected of big budget MMOs and like World of Warcraft, its expansions, and games like Lord of the Rings Online and even Star Wars: The Old Republic, the cinematics are unfortunately entirely misleading when it comes to advertising gameplay and a lot of what you see here obviously cannot be done in game.

The Elder Scrolls Online is the first online-supported game in the franchise and according to Bethesda’s Todd Howard (note: Bethesda is not developing this game), the most requested feature from fans of the series outside of dragons, was multiplayer. Matt Firor, game director of The Elder Scrolls Online talks about letting players test the game out in its upcoming beta:

“We’re really excited to get the game into players’ hands. We receive invaluable feedback through the beta process, and that helps us ensure that the game will be one of the best online gaming experiences ever offered — one worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.”

The Elder Scrolls Online will let players around most of Tamriel – sections will be locked for expansions and other content updates – and feature large open-warfare. The few select media who’ve gotten hands-on with the title have praised it thus far, and we wonder if in an age of free-to-play MMOs that offer less immersive gameplay than non-MMOs, if TESO will embrace a subscription model or launch off the bat with some form of free-to-play with microtransaction support.

If you’re at all interested, be sure to check out the gameplay footage and sign up for the beta here. I just did.

The Elder Scrolls Online is confirmed for a 2013 release for PC and Mac.

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A Gameplay-Focused Introduction to ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’

Before Bethesda officially revealed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, some suspected that it could be the first ever online multiplayer game in the franchise. That wasn’t the case, but only a few months later Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMaxannounced that The Elder Scrolls Online was a game their own studio had been developing for several years.

In response to The Elder Scrolls Online announcement trailer however, fans expressed quite a bit of dissatisfaction with the game’s art style, which seems to have been inspired more by other MMOs including Lord of the Rings Onlineand World of Warcraft as opposed to the brand it represents, The Elder Scrolls. ZeniMax aims to rectify that with a proper introduction to TESO.

To begin (restart?) the marketing campaign for The Elder Scrolls Online, the team from ZeniMax Online Studios have put together a nine-and-a-half minute video, documentary style, that features many of the dev team speaking of the game’s basic features. All of it is inter-spliced with the first gameplay footage revealed to the public (we saw early footage behind-closed doors at E3).

The video can be viewed up top and below are the highlights (some of which have already been announced):
Set 1000 years before Skyrim
Draws upon 20 years of lore and stories told in the series
Art style from The Elder Scrolls 3-5
Includes basic real-time action system with blocking and power attacks
Hundreds of characters can be on screen at a given time
Includes all the customization options and armors from series
All players are one server (dubbed the ‘Megaserver’)
Pick from one of nine races and pick one class to start
Become a werewolf/vampire
Own pets
Designed to encourage players to explore
Loads of end game content at level 50 (PvP & Heroic quests)

The game features a storyline that can be experienced solo, taking place in the entire continent of Tamriel. ZeniMax is promoting the idea that TESO will be one of the most social MMOs to date and will feature open-warfare PvP with higher player counts.

Strangely, ZeniMax has disabled the comments on the YouTube video, likely to avoid trolling, but the likes vs. dislikes ratio is very positive. The video was very well done and should quell some of the early skepticism of the game, especially with statements including the game embracing the art styles of Morrowind, Oblivion andSkyrim – although it’s evident from the trailer that while the visuals are certainly more detailed, darkened and slightly more realistic, the designs of some environmental, from buildings to water wells, still look MMOish.

Will a story based 1000 years before Skyrim about a three-faction war serve as a good setting for The Elder Scrolls to enter the MMO realm? Will the game offer a subscription service or launch with free-to-play/play-for-free model from the outset?

The Elder Scrolls Online is expected to release in 2013.

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‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ E3 Armory of Real Weapons & Armor

While the ‘Dawnguard’ DLC remains a hot topic for Bethesda as the first content expansion for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it’s that other big franchise game from the series that they brought to E3 2012 alongside Dishonored, their new IP.

The Elder Scrolls Online wasn’t playable, but we did view a demo that showcased the world, factions and action combat of the game. But more on that later. While waiting for Bethesda’s presentation we roamed around in an armory of replicas of weapons and armors from the game.

So, instead of talking about how The Elder Scrolls Online will be accessible to mass audiences or how its action-combat system works, or how vast and varied the provinces of Tamriel are, we’re going to take a brief real-life look at the MMO’s three factions and the weapons and armor players can utilize.

The Ouroboros logo of The Elder Scrolls Online symbolizes the game’s three factions:
Aldmeri Dominion (Eagle) - Altmer, Bosmer, Khajiit
Daggerfall Covenant (Lion) - Bretons, Orcs, Reguards
Ebonheart Pact (Dragon) - Dunmer, Nords, Argonians

The logo and its explanation were on display at Bethesda’s E3 booth:

As were their respective logos, displayed on colored armor sets:

The real fun stuff was the variety of weapons found on the inside walls of the booth, including a detailed bow and quiver of arrows, swords, daggers, a magic staff, a scary looking mace, along with a variety of armored sets and a beautiful Elven cloak.

And of course, would would a game from The Elder Scrolls universe be without an actual Elder Scrolls. Don’t try to read it.

The Elder Scrolls Online releases in 2013 for PC and Mac.

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