Nearly a week ago, restless and discontented voices were silenced with a gift package in The Elder Scrolls Online. On one hand, Matt Firor brought five free days for every player with an active subscription.
However, much more important for the peace of the realm was a long list of announced improvements and expansions that are set to gradually find their way into the fantasy MMORPG over the coming months and years. In our special, we take a closer look at the list.
I confess: I was overwhelmed by the list. While we were piecing together the news about the five free days, Dawid, who was working with me on the news, kept discovering new points on the list that excited him: There are new raids planned, the thief quest is coming, and so on. It was too much to comprehend all at once.
Additionally, new topics constantly pushed in, but today, nearly a week since “THE LIST” (by Matt “Grisham” Firor) has been among the people, it is time to take a closer look at the most important points.
Hey, take your hand out of my underwear drawer!
- A legal system where theft and killing of NPCs (non-player characters) have consequences if you get caught.
This is the point at which most people have clicked their tongues. A clear commitment to the single-player series with an embedded moral gray zone.
The MMORPG ArcheAge brings a similar system. Players accumulate penalty points, can be tracked down and arrested by other players, must answer to a jury, and ultimately serve their sentence.
Many players have resented TESO for the absence of a punishment system. On the other hand: How exactly should it work? Will it then be possible to kill innocent NPCs? For that, they would first have to be introduced.
And will the chronically kleptomaniacal TESO players cope with not peeking into other people’s underwear drawers? Will Zenimax go a step further and prohibit the quick reading of 200 tomes in four seconds while casually looting and eyeing skill points?
Anticipation: High. The system simply belongs in TESO. It will be exciting to see how it will be implemented.
When will this come? I think relatively late. This is a typical “nice-to-have” feature that will require a lot of work. Maybe with a first expansion? The best time for such a feature would be at the launch of the strategically important console release of TESO (which will play on its own server and not with the PC gamers, who otherwise would have too much of an advantage.)
Cosmetic fans, pay attention
- Dyeing and tinting of armor
A small thing at first glance, but important to many players. Especially because the rather “realistic” color choices currently look like gray in gray in ochre gray – like a rainy November day. A splash of color here and there would be nice. Purists, however, will roll their eyes. Should the spectacle slide into bright Asian colors, the path to costumes in the in-game shop would not be far. Next, players would be running around with Khajiit masks and thinking they are Catmen! Wait, I think I saw one of those recently…
Anticipation: Low for some, but for those who spend six hours in the character editor, it could hardly be higher. It just doesn’t fit the grim atmosphere in TESO. However, Zenimax has so far proven to have a pretty good hand and could limit themselves to subtle colors.
How do new guilds fit into the game?
- Story and quests for the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood
A major point of criticism from the “This is not like Skyrim” faction. While the Fighter’s Guild and the Mage Guild made it into the game, the Thieves and the Dark Brotherhood did not. Even an MMO player with little connection to the Elder Scrolls series would concede that the storylines of the Mage and Fighter guilds represent highlights in the game.
Great stories could surely arise around the Dark Brotherhood. The only question is: How should this work? Do you want to start them at level 10? Then the content would be unattractive for a large number of players who by then would already be strolling in veteran ranks? Or do you introduce them directly at the end level? Then newcomers would have to wait a long time.
Anticipation: For newcomers (keyword: console version), this could be a great thing; for veterans, not necessarily. Except as a high-level version or if the guilds become quest givers in new adventure zones: then it would surely be a great idea that many would appreciate.
When will this come: Maybe with one of the next zones? Or only with a possible expansion? Maybe Firor will surprise us here and pull some members of the Dark Brotherhood out of his Santa Claus hat for the next adventure zone. The assassins and thieves surely won’t sneak into the game just like that. You will definitely hear some fanfare.
Spell weaving! Sounds complicated? It is!
- Weaving spells
Spell weaving was the first thing that raised questions: “Is it really what I imagine?” And the answer was a wise nod.
Spells that a player can assemble themselves are an interesting concept in an MMO, especially in one that proudly boasts such a large kit of skills from which a player can customize their character.
If spell weaving comes, it will surely happen within strict parameters, similar to how it was with glyphs in World of Warcraft. If certain aspects of a spell are too good (a flame strike without range but with eightfold damage, like a Three-Finger-Fire-Deathpunch), it ruins the already fragile balance.
Perhaps one could change a color or slightly modify something. A major overhaul of the game’s balance will not be allowed.
Anticipation: Probably too high. But we are happy to be pleasantly surprised by Zenimax.
The return of Darkness Falls?
- PvP dungeon in the Imperial City
Here I can shine with my Dark Age of Camelot expertise, because this idea comes from the old-timer. A PvP dungeon!
In DAOC, it was a particularly tasty dungeon that offered rich loot. It was only open to the realm that was currently ahead in PvP. The realm then had access to the dungeon for a certain period of time, could undertake a realm-wide action to send the resident arch-villains to the other side, and fill their pockets.
It was roughly like storming a department store during a winter clearance sale, only everyone was armed and it wasn’t about fur coats but about loot being carried out. Well, at C&A, a thousand-eyed demon monster that sucks the souls of the fallen isn’t usually slain… On the other hand, I haven’t been to a C&A in a long time.
Moreover, the PvP dungeon was a great place to level up; the exp was increased.
A particular joy was when the realm changed that occupied the PvP dungeon. Then it was like a spring cleaning. A new army stormed into the PvP dungeon after the triumph over some castle and killed mobs alongside enemy players until Darkness Falls belonged to them alone. Such a sweeping action was possible because only those who still had access to the PvP dungeon could respawn directly on site. The rest found themselves at a graveyard outside.
This also set off a constant circulation in the PvP area, because when 200 people from the currently dominant realm were in the PvP dungeon, they couldn’t defend their fortresses…
Anticipation: Probably too low at the moment. This was a huge deal in DAOC, gave everyone a goal, and breathed new life into the game. The exp was good, it was a “server-wide” event, and the slaughter after each change was a lot of fun for the whole family.
When will this come? Probably the first time Firor thinks the game needs a gameplay boost. End of the year? Around Christmas maybe?
Things that are simply due now
This was of course not the entire list; it will be completed by a whole host of changes that players would have wished for at release.
- Better facial animations of NPCs
This is urgently needed and has been noted as the big weakness in the presentation since beta. Unfortunately, such things typically take a long time…
- Migration of the European mega server to our European data center.
The European servers somewhere in America (probably in Maryland) have indeed angered many German players because the impression was given before the release that the servers would be located in Frankfurt. Well, at least most had assumed that if there was already a European server, it would also be in Europe.
There is no date for the move yet, but every week, one of the officials reaffirms that it is really high on the priority list and that they will definitely do it as soon as things calm down regarding bugs, bots, and gold sellers.
When will this come? Soon. I think by the end of May, this should be settled.
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- A system that allows players in groups to see each other even if they are in different phases.
- Personal adjustment of the field of view
- Two new veteran dungeons: Crypt of Hearts and City of Ash
- New region in Kargstein with a new trial: the Serpent
- Improved ways to pick up items in the world
- Horse racing
- Dragonstar Arena – similar to trials, but for up to four players
- Improvements in fishing
- Improvements in the crafting system
- Improved group search
- New guild features: changes to the user interface of the guild store, customizable guild emblems, tabards, and guild kiosks – guild stores that are accessible to everyone and available to the highest bidding guild.
- Automatically leveling dungeons that adapt to the level of your group leader.
- Achievements for repeating dungeons
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What do you think? What are you most excited about from the long list of things? Let us know in the survey! Or do you have something else in mind? Then share it in the comments!
