In The Elder Scrolls Online, more detailed information about the justice system and the legal system has been presented. The first phase of this system is expected to come with Update 6, which will be released on the test servers in early 2015.
The justice system has been planned and explained for quite a while. It clearly has its roots in the single-player series. Players will soon be able to rob, attack, and even murder non-player characters.
This justice system will be introduced in several phases. The first phase is even planned for Update 6, which will require postponing the Imperial City.
The legal system and the final phase of the Champion System are the basic requirements for Zenimax to bring The Elder Scrolls Online to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Everyone can imagine how significant both systems are for Zenimax.
The justice system was introduced in the ESO Live stream show on Friday afternoon US time. A user in the official forum summarized the changes presented in ESO Live.
NPCs in TESO are supposed to become smarter and follow their daily routines
To make the justice system feel right, Update 6 will also introduce a new, altered world. The NPCs in TESO are expected to follow a daily routine. They will sleep, clean up, and even go fishing.
The time of day will determine whether shops are open or closed. Houses are also expected to become “more exciting”, with some treasure chests or a safe possibly hidden there. In the future, houses will also have locks.
The various crimes that can be seen in the impressive clips are already quite sophisticated:
- The “theft” will be executed as in the single-player series: if someone steals a sword from a merchant that is lying in front of them, they steal a sword and not an axe or something.
- If someone lingers too long in other people’s houses, they are more likely to be attacked by the residents.
- And if someone can stay unnoticed behind a victim for longer, their chances of pickpocketing will increase.
- NPCs that require other players to progress in a quest or similar cannot be killed.
- Stolen goods can only be sold to fences; otherwise, there are significant restrictions. However, fences do not take all goods at once.
The entire system can be disabled; anyone who does not want anything to do with the “justice” system just has to make it clear with a click. The normal setting will, however, be set to “Active”.
You are what you steal, or whom you catch in the act
Crimes draw increased attention from guards; this is referred to as “heat” that a player attracts. Those who commit too many crimes should first hide and wait until the worst is over.
There will be three “heat levels”:
- At the first level, the guards leave you relatively alone unless you get too close to them; then they want to impose the penalty.
- At the second level, the guards aggressively pursue the player and impose the penalty.
- At the third level, the guards no longer want to hit the player in the wallet but in their life.
There is also a very drastic way to rid yourself of this “heat”. If someone eliminates all witnesses to a crime, they need not worry about “heat” unless they are seen during these murders…
In the future, TESO will also introduce a “Fame and Infamy” system, meaning a clear distinction between being “well-regarded” and “notorious”. Those who catch thieves and stand on the side of justice receive discounts from merchants. Those who sway into a rogue can find it difficult to buy anything from merchants or may have to pay a hefty markup.
The third pillar of the justice system is the bounty, the penalty that must be paid.
List of Crimes – these will land you in jail in Tamriel
A list of potential crimes can also be observed. The following offenses are punishable:
- Murder
- Theft
- Bodily harm
- Pickpocketing
- Lycanthropy – transforming into a werewolf in public
- Vampirism – it is prohibited to walk around as a level 4 vampire
- the public draining of other beings
- Burglary
- Trespassing
- Aiming at NPCs with weapons
- Slaughtering foreign livestock
This won’t all come at once
For those rubbing their hands together now: Much of what is described in detail here will not come with Update 6, but rather in the follow-up updates. The “PvP” component, the game of cops and robbers, will be introduced later.
So initially, Update 6 will only provide means to be “evil” and to harass NPCs. The justice fanatics will join in later. Update 6 is expected to be launched on the test server in early January 2015.
