At The Elder Scrolls Online, it has now been confirmed that work is being done on many of the important features that have been promised over the years. However, the timelines do not look good.
The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One) maintains a fairly open information policy. Many changes and ideas are discussed by Zenimax with players and presented. This happens long before they become final. In an “Ask me anything” on reddit, many of these topics that were previously touched upon were discussed.
It can be summarized: There are incredibly many features planned and in the works for The Elder Scrolls Online – only with concrete timelines, Zenimax is struggling.
Housing is planned for The Elder Scrolls Online, but it will take some time
So a “Housing” is still planned. This means that players will receive their own “houses” that they can furnish and decorate. Game Director Matt Firor confirmed this on reddit. However, they are cautious with a timeline. First, they want to focus on the first two DLCs in 2016, the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. Only after that, in the second half of 2016, can we expect information about Housing.
The “quarterly” cadence for content expansions will be maintained, assures Firor. Some patches will be larger than others. And in some, the ratio between “system changes” and “game content” may be different than before. Orsinium has set the bar high with its quality, and they are confident they can achieve that.
Veteran Ranks going away, 64-bit client coming
The veteran ranks, as confirmed by Creative Director Rich Lambert, will not be raised anymore before they are completely removed. Information about this is expected next year, by then they will have ironed out the details and be ready to present them. One of the interesting advantages of the new Champion Point system: If you have a Twink at level 50, it will be as strong as the “main” character in The Elder Scrolls Online due to the Champion Points.
A 64-bit client is expected with the next DLC. Firor promises “dramatic performance increases.”
DX12 support, another developer explains, players should not expect just yet. They hope to finish the optimization of the DX-11 code early in 2016 and then be able to address DX12, but cannot promise anything yet.
Next DLC looks even better than Orsinium
Rich Lambert stated on reddit that they are working on a “crafting bag” that should resolve the space issue for crafters. There are no details yet. This will probably be tied to ESO Plus, the premium subscription of the game.
The next DLC, the Thieves Guild is reportedly progressing well according to Firor: It looks even better graphically than Orsinium. They want to maintain the “auto-leveling” for the expansion.
In PvP, the focus at the moment is on improving server performance in Cyrodiil. They have apparently identified a problem with the “physics engine”, but must proceed with caution when tinkering with one of the core systems of the game, Firor reveals.
Regarding the trials, they want to move away from the strong “leaderboard” orientation and open them up more for all players. There will be a “normal” version and one for “veterans”, only the veteran version will be tied to a leaderboard. The next trial will come in the first quarter of 2016.
The Barber, where players can significantly change their character’s appearance, is still planned. However, there is still no date for it.
There are also topics that have not been heard from for a long time, such as poison brewing, spell weaving, or jewel crafting, that are still on the developers’ list. Just like zones like Murkmire, Abah’s Landing, Gold Coast, Clockwork City, and Mephala’s Realm. Abah’s Landing will probably appear in the Thieves Guild, while the Gold Coast will play a role in the Dark Brotherhood.
These were probably the most important topics for the next 7 months for The Elder Scrolls Online in a nutshell. For those who want to know more about the individual topics, our TESO page has news, articles, and columns.
