Angespielt: The Elder Scrolls Online
500 Bücher für die Bibliothek
Fazit
Grundsätzlich hinterlässt «The Elder Scrolls Online» einen fantastischen Eindruck. Wo andere Online-Rollenspiele neben den unzähligen Missionen herzlich wenig zu bieten haben, kann man sich in Tamriel auch neben den typischen Aufgaben beschäftigen. Kommt dazu, dass man viele Elemente aus den früheren Games wie das Schlossknacken auch hier wieder antrifft. Allerdings sind die Monatsgebühren mehr als nur ein Wermutstropfen. Wer sich aber nicht daran stört, erhält hier ein Spiel, das sowohl Solo- wie auch Gruppenspieler für lange Zeit beschäftigen dürfte.
The Elder Scrolls Online, ab 2014 für PC, PS4 und Xbox One, ab 12 Jahren
Ausblick
Auch wenn ich mir der technischen Grenzen eines Onlinerollenspiels bewusst bin: Nach dem fantasievollen, großen Sykrim ist es einfach ernüchternd, die vergleichsweise starren Kämpfe und die recht trocken erzählte Geschichte zu erleben. Auf meinem bisher sehr kurzen Ausflug sah ich ein hübsches Tamriel, das aber auch die Kulisse vieler anderer Abenteuer sein könnte. Immerhin entdecke ich die Welt nicht über vorgegebene Markierungen ab, sondern dort, wo ich ich den Alltag ihrer Einwohner beobachte. Ich freue mich auf das freie Charaktertraining, das Learning-by-doing sowie die Experimente beim Herstellen mächtiger Ausrüstung. Gruppenkämpfer bereiten sich hingegen auf Belagerungen vor, die sie vielleicht zum Imperator machen. The Elder Scrolls Online wird ein großes, umfangreiches Spiel. Dass es spielerische Fußabdrücke hinterlässt, bezweifle ich.
Nach höchst erfolgreichen Games für Solisten wie «Morrowind» oder «Skyrim» mutiert die «Elder Scrolls»-Reihe zum Online-Rollenspiel. Wir haben den epischen Titel angespielt.
Fazit
Erstaunlich wie viele Elemente die Entwickler aus den Solospielen übernommen haben, um sie auch in «Elder Scrolls Online» zu verwenden. So kann man auch hier jeden Raum auf den Kopf stellen, um neue Bücher, Alchemiezutaten oder andere Items zu finden. Kommt dazu, dass mit über 300 Stunden Gameplay wohl auch vom Umfang her mehr geboten wird, als zum Start vieler anderer Online-Rollenspiele. Bleibt noch die Frage offen, mit welchem Bezahlsystem das Game an den Start geht und ob allfällige monatliche Abonnementsgebühren anfallen. Dazu schweigt man sich bei Bethesda noch aus. Erscheinen soll das Spiel im Frühling 2014 für PC, PS4 und Xbox One.
Die Redaktion der Webseite Gamestar.de hat ein Vorschau-Video mit Gameplay-Szenen zum kommendem MMORPG "The Elder Scrolls Online" veröffentlicht. In dem Video könnt ihr erstmals die First-Person-Ansicht inklusive Hände und Waffen der Spielfigur in Augenschein nehmen.
Fazit: Eines hat der kurze Ausflug nach "The Elder Scrolls Online" definitiv geweckt: Die Lust, viel mehr zu entdecken. Denn gerade das Action-Kampfsystem scheint sehr viel Potenzial zu besitzen. Wie gut die einzelnen Elemente des Spiels am Ende ineinander greifen, bleibt jedoch abzuwarten.
Elder Scrolls IP is "first step" in Online reaching consumers
"We're in beta right now, we're almost feature complete. We'll go into the bigger betas and test everything. We'll split the team off at that point and have one team dedicated to beta feedback and one working on post-launch content. We're absolutely planning on post-launch content from the day after launch, because really it's a service. Day one for an MMO is not a launch date, it's the first day of a service. Players are always going to want more and we're going to deliver the content."
Prognose: The Elder Scrolls Online
Schade: Wann der Beta-Test von "Elder Scrolls Online" beginnt, konnte Bethesda uns noch nicht sagen. Wir sind jedenfalls gespannt, ob die Entwickler den hohen Standard halten können. Denn bisher hält "ESO" so ziemlich alles, was es verspricht und hat genau den richtigen "Skyrim"-Faktor - beste Voraussetzungen also.
Fazit der Redaktion:
Schau an, dieses ESO scheint dann doch genau das zu werden, was uns die Entwickler bisher versprochen haben. Miteinander verbundene Questketten, massig zu entdecken, eine liebevoll und imposant gebaute Welt, das Gefühl der Elder Scrolls-Spiele eben - auch für Solo-Helden. Hut ab, Zenimax! Ich bin jetzt endgültig guter Dinge, dass das Spiel auch für ausgewiesene Fans der klassischen Elder Scrolls-Reihe und Freunde klassischer Rollenspiele reizvoll werden wird. Für letztere ist besonders die im Genre-Vergleich komplexe Charakterentwicklung ein Highlight. Für MMO- und insbesondere PvP-Begeisterte bietet der Titel ohnehin reichlich Leckerchen.
Nur die Freunde von großen Raids, die schauen zunächst in die Röhre. Ich würde Zenimax raten, insbesondere da noch nachzulegen, denn gerade die Raids sind ein nicht zu unterschätzender Erfolgsfaktor bei MMOs. Aber bis dahin hat The Elder Scrolls Online schon so viel zu bieten wie kaum ein anderes Online-Rollenspiel zum Start. Vor allem scheinen durch die jetzt enthüllten zusätzlichen Möglichkeiten der Generation-50+-Helden auf clevere Weise Engpässe im Endspiel vermieden zu werden. Hut ab, Zenimax!
Startgebiet des Dolchsturz-Bündnisses angespielt - Preview
Fazit:
War das Startgebiet des Ebenherz-Paktes schon bereits schön gestaltet und die Geschichte dort gut inszeniert, hat uns der Auftakt für Kämpfer des Dolchsturz-Bündnisses noch einen Tick besser gefallen. Das lag zum einen an der verbesserten Grafik, aber auch an der Insel selbst. Die Quest-Gebiete sind abwechslungsreicher als auf Bleakrock, die Story-Wendungen mit Dieb Jorgan und Crafty Lerise interessanter und auch die zweite Insel mit der Zeitreise ist weniger MMO-Standard als die Gestaden Morrowinds, die Ihr als Flüchtling auf Seiten des Ebenherz-Pakets erlebt.
Solche Beurteilungen sind selbstverständlich äußerst subjektiv. Ein anderer Tester wird es womöglich genau anders herum sehen. Was man aber übergreifend festhalten kann ist, dass beide Startgebiete in der höchsten MMO-Liga mitspielen. Egal ob Star Wars: The Old Republic oder die neueren Startgebiete WoWs, vor der Konkurrenz braucht sich der Einstieg in The Elder Scrolls Online nicht zu verstecken.
'The Elder Scrolls Online' invites gamers to test the new Tamriel
Let it be known: The heavy wooden doors to the fictional ancient continent of Tamriel - not to mention to the latest game to take place in this fantasy-and-magic-filled land - are about to swing open.
Tamriel has been the home and backdrop to the critically acclaimed and best-selling Elder Scrolls role-playing games for some 18 years now. And on Tuesday, the developers at ZeniMax Online Studios announced that they are inviting players sign up to beta test the highly anticipated "Elder Scrolls Online" game - the latest (not to mention most controversial) entry in the series.
Fazit:
Insbesondere die Fans von Skyrim und seinen Vorgängern müssen sich weniger Sorgen machen als befürchtet. Bei den ZeniMax Online Studios arbeiten durchweg erfahrene Entwickler, die in ständigem Austausch mit den Jungs von Bethesda stehen und das klare Ziel vor Augen haben, die gewohnt authentische Welt mehrspielertauglich zu machen, ohne sie durch zu viel "massively" ihrer Seele zu berauben.
The Elder Scrolls Online spielt sich schon jetzt flüssig und scheint technisch auf der Höhe der Zeit. Die Idee mit den Megaservern beseitigt nicht nur das Problem der Serverwahl, sondern bietet nebenbei auch die Chance, seinem eigenen Freundeskreis auf Wunsch in der virtuellen Welt zu begegnen - oder sich einfach mal für ein paar ruhige Stunden auszuklinken.
Wann genau The Elder Scrolls Online erscheinen soll, steht derzeit noch nicht fest - auch zum Geschäftsmodell wollte man sich noch nicht äußern. Eines scheint jedoch sicher: Es ist noch nicht aller Tage Abend im Genre der MMOGs und mit The Elder Scrolls Online erwartet uns im kommenden Jahr ein Spiel, das altbekannten Problemen mit neuen Ansätzen begegnet. Drücken wir Matt Firor und seinen Leuten die Daumen.
The Elder Scrolls Online: buffed hat TESO erstmals selbst angespielt!
Fazit:
Goldene Regel: Man darf nicht alles für bare Münze nehmen, was sich die Entwicklern in der Entwicklungsphase zusammenträumen. Denn die Wirklichkeit holt auch die kreativsten Köpfe meist spätestens in den Monaten vor Release ein. ABER: Zenimax Online Studios haben mit dem aktiven Kampfsystem, der Megaserver-Struktur und dem umfangreichen Storytelling den Beweis angetreten, dass sie vor umfangreichen Innovationen nicht zurückschrecken! Okay, Zenimax erfindet das Genre damit nicht neu, sie kombinieren jedoch geschickt viele moderne MMO-Features mit einigen bewährten Elementen. Eine vollständig andere Spielerfahrung ergibt sich dadurch natürlich nicht, schließlich soll TESO immer noch ein Online-Rollenspiel sein, in dem sich Fans des Genres zurechtfinden. Es lehnt sich aber stark an dem an, was man von Skyrim, Oblivion und Morrowind her kennt. Und das ist schließlich etwas, was Fans der Serie und die MMO Community wollen, oder?
Von Skyrim nach Morrowind: The Elder Scrolls Online im Hands On
Fazit:
Es sind viele Aspekte, die The Elder Scrolls Online für mich höchst interessant machen. Da haben wir zum einen die Technik des Megaservers, die noch sehr spannend wird. Dann gibt es ein riesiges PvP-Gebiet, auf das wir in unserem Interview mit Brian Wheeler noch genauer eingehen werden. Auch die Individualisierungsmöglichkeiten des Charakters mit seinen Fähigkeiten und die dadurch anpassbare Spielweise klingen interessant. Doch es sind vor allem die spannenden und abwechslungsreichen Quests die The Elder Scrolls vom MMO-Einheitsbrei abheben. Die Entwickler schaffen es, im ersten Gebiet einen Entdeckerdrang in mir zu wecken, der mit einem Singleplayer-Spiel vergleichbar ist und das hat es seit Jahren nicht mehr in einem Onlinerollenspiel gegeben. Trotzdem müssen sich viele der angesprochenen Pluspunkte erst noch beweisen und es wird sich zeigen, ob die tolle Linie durchgehalten werden kann.
To offer a room full of hungry games journalists a free lunch can usually be compared to the running of the bulls. But on this occasion we were all too busy happily questing, slaying and stealing the contents of the town folks' rooms to bother for a while and then only to bring our food to the computers so we could munch away while we continued playing.
As time was running out on the play test, I was urgently wrapping up the Blackrock Isle content, as not only did I want a look at the next area - Bal Foyen, located in Morrowind - but I genuinely wanted to find out what happened next in the story.
It's certainly still early days and of course some things need work, such as some combat animations and a need to add more heft to the feel of some attacks, but those four hours flew by; which is something I've not been able to say about some games' new player experience even at launch.
There's plenty of ambition and vision at ZeniMax for their game - for my take on that, read my overview of the studio tour and the revelations about more of the games' systems later today - but from what I experienced hands on, rest assured that their MMO is distinctly The Elder Scrolls.
Overall Impressions
Deciding what to highlight for our first hands-on experience with The Elder Scrolls Online is an admittedly daunting task. There is a lot to the game that simply couldn't be covered in a single article, so be on the lookout for additional coverage from the event later this week.
In the meantime, if I were to impress any one thing upon you based on my hands-on time with TESO it would be this: the game works as both an Elder Scrolls title and an MMOG, and will no doubt appeal to gamers from either background. That said, don't expect that TESO is going to be exactly like Skyrim only with more players on the map, nor will it be exactly what you'd expect from your standard AAA MMOG. Instead, it represents a true marriage of the two.
Once you factor in the extremely smart design decisions behind the world PvP system (think another worthy successor of DAoC's RvR), a robust character creation system, and overarching objectives like the mages and fighters guilds, The Elder Scrolls Online has all the makings of a game you'd want to spend time playing over a longer period. I'm excited to see how development progresses and we'll be keeping you up to speed all things TESO related in the meantime.
In the interest of balanced coverage, there were some game elements which concerned me as a devoted gamer. The absence of technical stat and skill dependent advancement systems from previous Elder Scrolls games simplifies TESO as an RPG. It remains to be seen to what degree stat allocation, perk choice, and weapon selection suffice as rich character advancement mechanisms. I also felt that, as with so many modern MMOs, the rate of experience gain was far too generous. By exploring each area, completing quests as I found them, and accumulating finesse bonuses from combat I swiftly outleveled the game's content. I achieved level 7 before leaving Bleakrock Isle, which was intended to carry players to level 4. Even after skipping several quests to reach Crow's Wood before the end of the event, I found myself at level 10 facing level 5 and 6 enemies. Hopefully ZOS increases the resistance of their level curve otherwise I fear that players will not only achieve maximum level in a short amount of time, but will also dispel much of the game's natural challenge by dramatically outpacing the game's content. As a final point of concern, enemy attack tells were very generous, and low level combat was incredibly easy. I am confident that this is a deliberate move to gently ease players in to what will be a new control system to many gamers. In terms of higher level content, however, I hope the lethality of enemies is improved and the margins for player reaction are narrowed.
If it works as advertised, the concept of the Mega Server could change the MMO genre forever - and mark The Elder Scrolls Online as revolutionary.
One thing is clear: the message is no longer mixed as it was at E3. The Elder Scrolls Online is clearly an MMO with ambition but first and foremost it's clearly an Elder Scrolls game - and that'll ease the fears of many fans greatly.
TESO is just about what one might expect from a synthesis of The Elder Scrolls franchise with the MMORPG genre. Zenimax Online Studios seem content not to revolutionize the MMORPG and instead bring a highly polished, Elder Scrolls-esque multiplayer experience to life using methods and designs that are known to please.
The game certainly feels like The Elder Scrolls most of the time, and it's not just a matter of familiar armor types or monsters; it's a matter of atmosphere. Unfortunately, there have been sacrifices made in the transfer from single player experience to MMORPG. Elder Scrolls players might find a lack of interactivity and detail. They might be frustrated that they can't open every book and fill a house with butterfly wings. They might also condemn the lack of novelty, although perhaps the unique individual stories that come out of a playthrough of Oblivion or Skyrim will be replaced by unique collective tales shared by friends, but not every single player. This remains to be seen, as does the longevity of TESO's conservative MMORPG gameplay, which may not be novel enough to survive in the genre today.
The developers are dedicated to making TESO an excellent experience at launch and beyond. Director Matt Firor ensured us during a presentation that they'll be prolific with post-launch content. Level cap increases, expansions, new regions, and new features (the Dark Brotherhood, perhaps?) are all promised. A broad 2013 release window was given, but no mention was made of the pricing structure. Keep an eye out for updates related to the upcoming beta as well.
TESO offers a highly polished social experience in the vein of the Elder Scrolls franchise. The game seeks to augment the benefits of the MMORPG with the best elements of the Elder Scrolls single-player games. Exploration and detailed questing prevent mindless combat and looting, and TESO resembles a single-player game more so than any MMORPG I've seen. This might just be what a few million RPG fans have been yearning for. Perhaps The Elder Scrolls Online calls for a bit of a genre redefinition after all: the transition to a more natural, immersive, and organic MMORPG.
While it's difficult to judge an online RPG with as much content as The Elder Scrolls Online intends to have from a four hour slice of pre-alpha gameplay, but from what I've seen it's clear that Zenimax Online has a good start. First off, the game was extremely stable and the only time I did get stuck in an environment, I didn't have to restart as there was a game master on-site (we were at Zenimax Online's massive customer support center that will be fully active when the game launches) to quickly save me. How I wish I had that in Skyrim. While the game does dip a little too far to the MMO side of the scales at times, it strikes a much better balance than I had expected.
Being able to play through the entire main quest solo is a big plus, especially for someone coming from the single-player side of things. Battles in The Elder Scrolls Online are the most fun I've had with combat in the series to date and PvP seems to be a unique twist on simple faction battles, as alliances will be storming, and defending, castles in a constant back and forth swing much like in a real war.
There is a lot of variety here, so if the quests stay interesting throughout and exploration opens up more, then this game could be a real success for Bethesda. The pricing structure is something that is still not being talked about, but with the quick swap over of Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play and the seeming success of the subscription-less Guild Wars 2, the devs would do well to consider avoiding a monthly fee.
As a fan of the Elder Scrolls series and not so much MMOs, I was surprised just how much I was getting into ESO once I got past the linearity of the tutorial zones. Under the right circumstances (read: with no monthly subscription), this would be something I could easily see myself playing through solo while occasionally teaming up with friends to go through more challenging dungeons, diving into a PvP session to storm a castle, or simply hunting for some cool new armor. This is especially true since there are no server shards that you have to be tied into. Using a technology called Megaserver, all players will log into a single server and using matchmaking features, players will be able to seamlessly team up with friends and others that they had positive experiences with without having to worry about being on the wrong server. This alone helps relieve worries of picking the wrong server and having to hope for a transfer later.
There is still plenty of time before the game launches next year, so my concerns could easily be addressed before then. This is especially true since the development staff was very interested in our feedback, no matter how critical. The message was very mixed at the initial reveal and it was difficult to truly explain how much the team was trying to make this more of a social Elder Scrolls experience and not just another MMO. That said, there are a lot of things here that make The Elder Scrolls Online a compelling experience for both MMO fans as well as those of us who simply enjoy the Elder Scrolls world and lore. And for someone who is not typically an MMO fan, the fact that this game now has my attention speaks volumes.
Recently, Bethesda and ZeniMax invited MPOGD to a special preview event for their upcoming Elder Scrolls Online, which takes the up until now single-player RPG series and transfers it to the realm of MMOs. The game was only announced not that long ago and from that early coverage it seemed that most information was speculative and what the developers wanted the game to be and with maybe a little video footage on display too. I expected much the same and honestly I would have been happy with that as one of my fondest gaming journalism moments was watching video of Fallout 3 and seeing a nuclear explosion happen before a lot of people had even seen the game yet. So imagine my surprise then when we were told that they didn't want to just talk to us about the game, but rather have us play it and discover things for ourselves, and with a flourish the curtains were pulled open and there were computers running Elder Scrolls Online just waiting for us to get our hands on. People keep waiting for the next big MMO, and while many games have come and gone (or either found a little footing but not been a huge success) most have contributed nothing more than a minor innovation. Elder Scrolls Online borrows some of those innovations, while introducing some of their own and more importantly bringing the universe and gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series to the world of MMOs, and even in the game's current alpha state, I see a game I'm yearning to play more of than all the other MMOs right now on the market.
Elder Scrolls Online Previews: The Comprehensive Preview
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW
Now 3,000 words into this recap of three hours spent playing Elder Scrolls Online, what have you learned? I hope you've seen that there's a whole more lot to ESO than many would have thought initially. The team at Zenimax Online Studios set out with the monumental task of bringing one of gaming's most revered franchises to the MMO space. We've seen it fail before. But through careful consideration, a true love of the franchise, and the knowledge from years of MMORPG development, I think that it's safe to say Elder Scrolls Online is shaping up to be one of next year's best titles. Not just in the MMO realm, but in gaming as a whole. Yes, there's definitely a lot more to discover about this game. It's still pre-alpha, after all. But those three hours in this new version of Tamriel were not nearly enough. I want more, and I'm genuinely sad that we've got months and months more to go before I get another taste. And, if after all these words you're still a skeptic? Fair enough. That's your right. But me? I'll be on the other side of that fence with the believers. I really hope the invite me back soon, because I'm going to need my fix.
Before coming into the presentation and hands-on demo, I will admit, I knew very little about The Elder Scrolls Online. I knew the game was in the works, but I was hesitant as to how the MMO aspect would be implemented into the world that I held so dearly to my heart. Coming out, I feel confident in saying that the game will satisfy and impress many as it combines the best that The Elder Scrolls has to offer, while implementing a redefined MMO experience.
For my time with the game, I played as a Dark Elf Dragonknight, one of the two classes available during the demo, but only one of several that will be available with the final build. My adventures in the Ebonheart Pact (the only covenant available of three at this point) started on Bleakrock, a small island belonging to Skyrim, and eventually progressed to the Morrowind city, Bal Foyen. I only cracked the surface of what the game has to offer, but I got a great feel for what it has to offer.
The first thing you will notice is how good the game looks. The environments are vast and detailed and each province of Tamriel that you explore has the distinct feel and look that you will remember from previous Elder Scrolls entries. From the cold, mountainous region of Skyrim, to the strange, otherworldly look of Morrowind, great attention to detail went into recreating each area.
The game controls very well. The combat is responsive and intuitive, and considering the Alpha stage it was in, the game was remarkably stable. That being said, one feature that I found to be rather underwhelming was the first person view option. While I am glad to see its inclusion, it seems to be a feature implemented simply as a means to get a better view of an area. While in it, neither of your character's arms, hands, weapons, etc. appear on screen making it extremely inconvenient when engaging in battle. Distances are difficult to judge and I was never really sure if my attacks were landing. I have hopes that a better first person mode will be included in the final build, but I will understand for various reasons if they decide not to. While it's certainly not a deal breaker, I played both Oblivion and Syrim entirely in a first person view and I'd feel much more at home doing the same with ESO.
In terms of gameplay, ZeniMax knows that the audience is tired of the basic collection quests that plague the genre and is putting in great efforts to ensure that missions of this type only play a small part in a wide variety of quest tasks. Indeed, in my brief (compared to the entire scope of the game) play experience, I didn't come across a single collection quest. Enemies weren't mandatory to kill to complete the quest as they are in some games, but rather, were obstacles in which I had a choice to approach head on or sneak around. It gives the player the sense that they have control over how a quest plays out and they are free to play the way they want.
My time with The Elder Scrolls Online has left me wanting more. The game is successful in bringing the immersive world of The Elder Scrolls to the MMO world to give the genre a breath of fresh air. With a release date of 2013, ESO is a game to keep on your radar, because when it launches, it has all the makings to be something big.
Massively's hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online
Ultimately, I left my time with The Elder Scrolls Online feeling considerably more optimistic than I had expected. The team at ZeniMax Online has done a great job so far recreating not just the world of Tamriel but also the feeling of an Elder Scrolls title. A few small quirks aside (and really, it's pre-alpha; I didn't go in there to nitpick bugs), TESO is shaping up very nicely. If you're one of the folks who thinks that what ZeniMax is doing to The Elder Scrolls is tantamount to blasphemy, I urge you to fight back the rage and keep an eye on this game because it may end up surprising you as it surprised me. If you've got any questions or if you'd like to question my loyalty to The Elder Scrolls, feel free to speak up in the comments and I'll answer everything the best I can.
Guild UMBRA was invited to take part in a special event at Zenimax Online Studios last week. While there we met the Community Team lead by Community Director, Jo Burba along with his team: Jessica Folsom, Gina Bruno, and Geoffrey Calver. They hosted the event that gave us an opportunity to meet the Developers, gain insight into the game design philosophy, and ultimately get our hands on the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO).
It seems that Zenimax is on the right path with this release of the Elder Scrolls as they are intending on making a RPG first; their consistently messaged narrative is that they are making an Online Role-Playing Game vice a MMO. Thus, this is Elder Scrolls that you can play with your friends. Yes, they seem to know what they want to be when they grow up, and are not falling into the MMO trap of trying to appeal (pander) to folks by trying to be EVERYTHING to EVERBODY.
MMO fans, with a success criteria of:
1. Story immersion
2. Exploration based content, no rails
3. Removal of rotation based combat
4. Choices that matter
5. Next Gen social experiences
6. Meaningful PVP
7. The creation of something fresh in the online space
Elder Scrolls fans, with a success criteria of:
1. A new Elder Scrolls game of the quality expected
2. Immersion in the living world
3. Beautiful landscapes
4. Continuity with the established lore
5. Familiar combat controls - Left Click Attack, Right Click Block
6. A variety of ways to complete tasks
7. Play the way you want
8. Choices that matter
9. Finally being able to play Elder Scrolls with your friends
Special Episode: The Elder Scrolls Online Press Event
Joe and Evarwyn were invited to Zenimax Online Studio's HQ in Baltimore to PREVIEW The Elder Scrolls Online! During the MASSIVE two day event, the guys sit down with Game Director Matt Firor, Creative Director Paul Sage, Lead Gameplay Designer Nick Konkle and interview them on how The Elder Scrolls Online is an Elder Scrolls game that happens to be an MMO! Oh yeah...AND WE GOT TO PLAY THE GAME FOR HOURS!!!
I had the pleasure of visiting Bethesda Softwork's studio (Baltimore, MD) on Thursday, October 18th, 2012 for a special preview showing of their upcoming The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) RPG. Bethesda was absolutely a wonderful host and I can't thank them enough for allowing me to represent the Acolytes Gaming Community (my gaming guild). During the special showing we were given a personal walk through the very early stages of TESO, along with granting us the privilege of playing a pre-alpha build (for just over 3 hours). I will be sharing my personal experience with you all, detailing the Character Creation Process, revealing TESO's new Social Interaction System (featuring the Mega-Server Technology), PvP and PvE Gameplay Elements and finally going through the event Q&A session.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a game backed by nearly 20 years of intellectual property, set 1,000 years before the events in Skyrim. (From the first rendition of the series, The Elder Scrolls: Arena in 1994, to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Hearthfire expansion in 2012.) TESO's philosophy is simply to make a great, outstanding Elder Scrolls game, with an engaging social experience and by providing a premium service of regular content updates throughout the life of the product. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Mobile support are key elements in delivering the most complete social experience ever experienced in a mmo.
