Report: Bethesda Working On Elder Scrolls MMO

[gNetkamiko]

If this is true, and if it does survive in the MMO market, what I see before me are 2 huge problems with it:

Problem #1: How would you explain thousands apon thousands of playable characters being "the chosen one, destined to save the continent"? I can think of a number of MMOs that have this problem, not the least of which being the Conan MMO.

Problem #2: If the news is to be believed, then, in my honest and insightful opinion, it would have most of the same mechanics as WoW, with a lot of grinding for XP and gold.

Again, if the new is to be believed, I hope that they find a way to avoid those 2 problems. Otherwise, it would be the same experience as many MMOs on the market (more-or-less, anyways.)

 

[OniaPL]

If this is true, and if it does survive in the MMO market, what I see before me are 2 huge problems with it:

Problem #1: How would you explain thousands apon thousands of playable characters being "the chosen one, destined to save the continent"? I can think of a number of MMOs that have this problem, not the least of which being the Conan MMO.

Problem #2: If the news is to be believed, then, in my honest and insightful opinion, it would have most of the same mechanics as WoW, with a lot of grinding for XP and gold.

Again, if the new is to be believed, I hope that they find a way to avoid those 2 problems. Otherwise, it would be the same experience as many MMOs on the market (more-or-less, anyways.)

Regarding problem number one: Why does the player have to be a chosen one? What is with this tradition? Why can't it be something like pokemon, where a bloke matures and leaves his home in search of his fortune? Or why can't he just be drafted by the army, and that is why he has to leave his home?

Regarding problem number two: As far as I know, the reason why there haven't really been a mmo with a large open world and an interesting combat mechanics is because with something else than the WoW- combat model the amount of data that the servers would need to transmit in real time would be ridiculous. Though I am not sure if this obstacle has been overcome since TERA is coming out.

 

[Spud of Doom]

I'm sure I've heard a rumor about Elder Scrolls Online every few months for the last 5 years, and several direct denials from Bethesda about it.
While this is more detailed, I remain entirely unconvinced until official announcements.

 

[laggyteabag]

For a company that has absolutely no Multiplayer experience to suddenly jump into making an MMO just seems a little odd.

 

[Faerillis]

Snipped

Regarding problem number one: Why does the player have to be a chosen one? What is with this tradition? Why can't it be something like pokemon, where a bloke matures and leaves his home in search of his fortune? Or why can't he just be drafted by the army, and that is why he has to leave his home?

Regarding problem number two: As far as I know, the reason why there haven't really been a mmo with a large open world and an interesting combat mechanics is because with something else than the WoW- combat model the amount of data that the servers would need to transmit in real time would be ridiculous. Though I am not sure if this obstacle has been overcome since TERA is coming out.

Well Problem #1 isn't really a problem. In Oblivion you weren't the chosen one, you were just the guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time. If you'd been the chosen one you would've had a chance to fight Mehrunes Dagon.

The second problem is more of balance. The Elder Scrolls system is fun as hell, but calling it imbalanced is like calling the sun "A bit hot."

The third problem is that it can't be a Second Era game. There is no way the game couldn't screw up the lore in so many different ways.

 

[Pat8u]

Double points to anyone who can craft a convincing argument for how this game might topple Blizzard's World of Warcraft empire.

it would be on consoles ? i mean it would right ? Elder Scrolls is on consoles.

there has never been a "breakthrough" console MMO.

its one of those things that everyone knows will happen at some point but simply hasn't happened yet.

this, if true, is a very serious contender.


PS here's my bet for the factions:
Dragons: Dovahkiin led or inspired "rebellion" (possibly including NPC Dragons)
Lions: The Cyrodiil Empire
Bird of Prey: The Aldmeri Dominion

if my knowledge of elder scrolls lore is correct the dragon most likely will be the benggings of the imperial legion

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Did you notice that in the single player game you had to queue up to use a crafting station? What rationale could they possibly have for that unless they were adding code for possible future multiplayer use.

 

[Epona]

Snipped

Regarding problem number one: Why does the player have to be a chosen one? What is with this tradition? Why can't it be something like pokemon, where a bloke matures and leaves his home in search of his fortune? Or why can't he just be drafted by the army, and that is why he has to leave his home?

Regarding problem number two: As far as I know, the reason why there haven't really been a mmo with a large open world and an interesting combat mechanics is because with something else than the WoW- combat model the amount of data that the servers would need to transmit in real time would be ridiculous. Though I am not sure if this obstacle has been overcome since TERA is coming out.

Well Problem #1 isn't really a problem. In Oblivion you weren't the chosen one, you were just the guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time. If you'd been the chosen one you would've had a chance to fight Mehrunes Dagon.

The second problem is more of balance. The Elder Scrolls system is fun as hell, but calling it imbalanced is like calling the sun "A bit hot."

The third problem is that it can't be a Second Era game. There is no way the game couldn't screw up the lore in so many different ways.

1) Pretty sure this happened at the beginning of Oblivion:

You ... I've seen you...(goes into conversation mode) Let me see your face... You are the one from my dreams... Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength.

and then a few lines later:

Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet.

Sounds like "Chosen One" stuff to me.

 

[FiatCelebrity]

There is nothing special about the idea of an Elder Scrolls MMO. The Elder Scrolls world is just another western fantasy setting that has virtually nothing to distinguish itself from D&D, Tolkien, Warhammer, Kingdoms of Amalur, Dragon Age, or Warcraft. The only thing that would be different would be the company that makes it, and there is no evidence that Bethesda can do a strictly "better" job than Blizzard. The difference between single player Bethesda games and MMOs in general (a genre that has seen almost no mechanical changes since Everquest anyway) is really only the control system.

I'm not even going to mention the beast-men introduction that was basicly unheard of other than shapeshifter's(which is a very insignificant number) in Tolkien lore. Or their own unique take on the origins of vastly different cultures within Mer and Men, which is contrasts the whole "elves are enlightened and at the end of their existance" and "men are teh last hopez!". Im not going to mention probably the most significant piece of lore the Elder Scrolls themselves or perhaps even just as important, the Daedra.

I don't know man. You bring up specific details of the lore, but what I mean is that there is nothing about the Elder Scrolls content that really distinguishes itself in the genre. The most far out thing I can think of, which is probably the coolest part of the lore, are the Daedra that you mentioned. They have comical personalities, they seem to have power over certain aspects of reality, they asked for petty services from their lesser beings, and it brought us the Shivering Isles and Sheogorath which turned out to be the most imaginative art design material Bethesda's has ever come up with. But, really the Daedra are also hit and miss. They seem to each be a pet project of a certain design team member. They Daedra have little interaction amongst themselves. They seem to be preoccupied with toying with humans like children with magnifying glasses. This results in their stories losing a sense of significance, and gives the Daedra a kind of impotence. In the end, when you look beyond the surface of the Daedra, you basically see nothing more than a bit more Greek mythology added to the mix, which already had a rather large conceptual influence on the genre already. The Elder Scrolls is only different from other Western fantasy quantitatively, but not qualitatively.

 

[blackrave]

Setting game during Akaviri invasion would be interesting
Men Empire vs. Mer Empire vs. Akaviri (one of possible scenarios)

But few things
1. All Nirn (at least all Tamriel at first, but everything else eventually)
2. Provinces with sizes at least like in TES2: Daggerfall (biggest TES game and had 2 provinces)
3. 1st person and 3rd person (preferably full 1st person)
4. More action (all MMORPGs I have played had one flaw- it felt like you mail your attacks to enemy)
5. ALL Nirn races (maybe not as playable at first, but at least present in the game, and eventually playable)
6. Keep releasing single player games.

Then why not? It would be interesting experiment
Unless Bethesda looses too much money and are forced to sold themselves to EA, I'm cool with that.

P.S. But if my worst nightmare happens and Bethesda gets bought by EA, I'll be the first one planting explosives in EA main office

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

PS here's my bet for the factions:
Dragons: Dovahkiin led or inspired "rebellion" (possibly including NPC Dragons)
Lions: The Cyrodiil Empire
Bird of Prey: The Aldmeri Dominion

'several hundred years before any of the other Elder Scrolls games'- The Aldmeri Dominion hadn't formed, for one thing.

Here's mine:

Dragons have traditionally been a symbol of the Empire, so I'm fairly sure that's that faction.
Lions- Khajiit? Could be the Ka Po'Tun, but then so could the dragon.
Bird of prey is probably going to be some kind of Elvish thing, it is in most fantasy universes

I still don't really like the idea, I don't enjoy MMOs and I'd rather we got a new singleplayer game. The only spinoff kind of game I'd like is a strategy game of some kind a la Total War.

 

[Sovvolf]

You know what? I honestly don't mind the idea. Seems like the kind of world that could really fit into an MMO fairly easy and almost has the world of one anyway. That said, they'd have to make a good amount of compromise to the system, the battling and such in order to make it an MMO.

Though I would like to be able to play an elder scrolls game with more than just myself, perhaps a multiplayer option would be an interesting add to the series. Maybe a limit of up to 4 or 8. Just be fun to have a few friends playing the game with me and bringing their own adventurer into the mix.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

If this is an MMO with normal TES style combat I will not touch the thing in million years. I will never and I mean never install that on my computer or put it in my console. I do like and love playing TES games but the combat and the levelling has always been the very weakest part of the gameplay experience for me. Bethesda can do immersive worlds but not combat.

 

[Faerillis]

Snipped

Regarding problem number one: Why does the player have to be a chosen one? What is with this tradition? Why can't it be something like pokemon, where a bloke matures and leaves his home in search of his fortune? Or why can't he just be drafted by the army, and that is why he has to leave his home?

Regarding problem number two: As far as I know, the reason why there haven't really been a mmo with a large open world and an interesting combat mechanics is because with something else than the WoW- combat model the amount of data that the servers would need to transmit in real time would be ridiculous. Though I am not sure if this obstacle has been overcome since TERA is coming out.

Well Problem #1 isn't really a problem. In Oblivion you weren't the chosen one, you were just the guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time. If you'd been the chosen one you would've had a chance to fight Mehrunes Dagon.

The second problem is more of balance. The Elder Scrolls system is fun as hell, but calling it imbalanced is like calling the sun "A bit hot."

The third problem is that it can't be a Second Era game. There is no way the game couldn't screw up the lore in so many different ways.

1) Pretty sure this happened at the beginning of Oblivion:

You ... I've seen you...(goes into conversation mode) Let me see your face... You are the one from my dreams... Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength.

and then a few lines later:

Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet.

Sounds like "Chosen One" stuff to me.

This isn't like the Nerevarine or the Dovahkiin, where they are clearly Chosen and have great and unique powers. Uriel Septim had visions of the future, him seeing your face doesn't mean you're the Chosen One, it means you're the one he'll cross paths with just before he dies. He chooses you to bear the Amulet of Kings, and you drive the story, but there is no reason to believe that you are actually any sort of Chosen One.

 

[gombie]

i hope not, id rather play their singleplayer games.

 

[kayo of the Well]

.

 

[Darks63]

Yeah cause nothing spells fun time like doing a raid or pvp with 5 guys all named some variation of arrow in the knee.

 

[MrGalactus]

Eeeeh......Fallout 4 first, I hope.

 

[SxyAlfaSheWolf]

LOVE THE IDEA!

Honestly if it was anywhere cheeper than WoW I'd probably play it. I love Skyrim and it already had a mmo feel to me.

As long as it's not too buggy and not extremely expensive i'd totally be into it.

 

[MistahFixIt]

Why must every MMO be eventually compared to World of Warcraft? Okay, yeah, I get it; it's the single most popular MMO in the history of online gaming or whatever, but...

Not every other MMO must succeed or fail at being a "WoW Killer". It is entirely possible for these two games to co-habitate quite peacefully.

And in response henritje's snark, they'll probably have to take out the 'Chosen MacGuffin' plot hooks they've used in the last two games.