The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online will receive an important new addition with the Imperial City in the coming weeks on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but how difficult will it be?
In a blog post, Zenimax once again discussed the Imperial City and talked about what they had in mind during the planning. This time, Zenimax introduced the “Arboretum District”. Some fans of the series remember it from Oblivion. However, in The Elder Scrolls Online, you are many centuries before that time, and the district is overrun by Daedra who are burning books there.
Imperial City designed for 2-player teams, beautifully unforgiving
The blog post explains how they learned from the past and how internal playtests helped shape the difficulty of the Imperial City. The Imperial City is designed for groups of two players. Good solo players can also play alone, but the city feels unforgiving.
During internal tests, it was also noted that the city was too full of monsters, so the number was reduced to also give space for PvP. Additionally, they increased the respawn time of the monsters, so they stay dead longer.
However, they removed the so-called “Leashing” mechanic, which ensured that monsters would only chase players for a while when they fled. This is no longer the case. The introduction of large monsters that specialize in clearing large groups of players also brings a dynamic element in.
Fewer quests to keep the main thread intact
In the past, it is believed at TESO, there were so many quests that even the developers sometimes lost track. This has now been reduced. There will be 7 quests and it is still ensured that each area has its own story. For this purpose, they created an NPC, the Dragon of the Blades, who will serve as a pivot point between the areas.
Learn more about the Imperial City in our report from Quakecon: Everything about the Imperial City from Quakecon – Armors, Monsters, Dungeons
The Imperial City will be released on PC on August 31, and on consoles in mid-September.
