To The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), there was a Q&A session with the developers on Reddit, where some interesting details about the new PvP battlegrounds were revealed. Additionally, a new video is available that highlights the regions, landscapes, and creatures of Vvardenfell.
On Reddit, the ESO developers Matt Firor (Game Director), Rich Lambert (Creative Director), Brian Wheeler (Lead PvP Designer), Gina Bruno, and Jessica Fulsom (both Community Managers) answered players’ questions on Reddit. The discussion revolved around the new PvP feature of Battlegrounds, the new structured PvP in a 4 vs 4 vs 4 format, which will be introduced with the upcoming standalone expansion Morrowind.
The Elder Scrolls Online – Battlegrounds – Medals instead of Victories
One of the most controversial statements during the Reddit Q&A related to the ranking of the Battlegrounds. This will reset every seven days and list the top players of the new PvP. Top players will even receive special rewards. However, the rank on this leaderboard is not dependent on the number of victories a player has achieved.
Rather, it is only about the medals earned in combat. These are awarded for (first) kills, mission objective captures, healing, and other achievements in battle. Additionally, the medals determine how much reward each player receives after a round.
Leaderboard Medals: Anti-Team or Pro-Team?
This decision was met with skepticism by many participants of the Q&A, as many players fear that in the Battlegrounds, players will focus solely on their individual successes rather than on team success.
Zenimax thinks completely differently: Medals are only awarded for actions that match the game mode, and therefore a player who collects many medals is always a significant contributor to team success. For example, in the Deathmatch mode, there are many more medals for kills, while in the CTF mode, mission objectives, such as flag capturing and defending, are the main focus.
ESO – PvP Battlegrounds – No Champions!
The decision regarding the medals on the leaderboards was not particularly popular, but on one thing, most players agree: Champion Points are expected to be disabled for Battlegrounds, as they have already caused some frustration in Cyrodiil-PvP. However, the CP rank will still be factored into matchmaking, as players with many CP are usually more experienced and better equipped than players with few CP.
Furthermore, the matchmaking is not supposed to impose role restrictions. Therefore, pure tank and healer teams are still possible. Also interesting: You can use all consumables in the PvP battlegrounds, including poisons and strong buff foods. The gear you can win in PvP is (mostly) also interesting for PvE. There will be specific sets for Battlegrounds, and they will be 5-piece sets. Furthermore, you will receive additional rewards like housing items.
If you are concerned that Battlegrounds will make Cyrodiil-PvP obsolete: The developers see it like dungeons and the regular PvE – players do both, and both playstyles are equally popular and do not take away from each other.
ESO – Morrowind – A Tour through Vvardenfell
In addition to the Q&A session about the battlegrounds, there was also a new episode of ESO Live. This time the developers roam for a good hour through Vvardenfell showing the unique landscape along with its flora and fauna. We have embedded the video here for you. Enjoy!
Also interesting: The Elder Scrolls Online – All Craftable Sets with Locations!
