Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[E3 2013: Stealing cabbages in The Elder Scrolls Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/e3-2013-stealing-cabbages-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/e3-2013-stealing-cabbages-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/e3-2013-stealing-cabbages-in-the-elder-scrolls-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Stealing cabbages, hands on with The Elder Scrolls Online at E3
I eagerly consumed about 45 minutes of The Elder Scrolls Online during E3 this week. I stayed glued to my keyboard and headphones until the expo hall closed and I was told to clear out. Part of this time was spent interviewing the nearest willing Bethesda employee, and every other second was hauling Orc butt around ESO.

My character of choice, an Orc Dragonknight, loaded into the game on the other side of a polygon-rich bridge from an equally polygon-rich town. The Bethesda employee standing nearby mentioned I could go into the town for some guided content the team had prepared. I made a sharp right turn into the stream and killed a deer instead.

Continue reading E3 2013: Stealing cabbages in The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyE3 2013: Stealing cabbages in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium Everyone gets an Elder Scrolls game!
The more convention coverage I read and the more conventions I go to, the more I'm concerned by them. The atmosphere is unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and rubbing shoulders with the developers of some of my favorite games has its perks. But you hardly ever get to the meat of what determines a great game. Amidst the hype and free booze, every game looks and tastes great, but even the greatest games are less filling under those circumstances. Even we observers from home receive only a candy-coated glimpse of what a game really offers.

The news pouring in from the The Elder Scrolls Online really exemplifies the layers of fluff that the convention atmosphere can place on a game. Two of our reporters spent time talking to the developers of the next venture into the world of Tamriel, and both stepped away with a very positive experience. Admittedly, I feel the excitement, too. I'm twitching with joy. Our freelancer Andrew's note that he "just didn't realize [he] was starting a quest when [he] talked to [quest givers]" piques my interest. Have we finally found a game that feels like a living world? And quotes from the ESO developers like, "You can pick up a sword and shield if you start as a sorcerer class and become a sword and shield user, and that's fine" have me wondering if we haven't stumbled upon the best mix of sandbox and themepark in an MMO.

This week and next, I want to delve deeper into the reports from E3. Do we find some concerns that the developers are trying to gloss over, or is ESO everything we ever wanted from an Elder Scrolls game?

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Everyone gets an Elder Scrolls game!

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Everyone gets an Elder Scrolls game! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online Interview
E3 is the time and place for game creators to show their work, and Bethesda is no exception. The company offered a quick presentation of The Elder Scrolls Online, which consisted of a short introduction video followed by a brief play session. In the video, Bethesda confirmed what we already knew: that The Elder Scrolls Online will launch on PS4 and Xbox One, along with PC and OS X. The targeted release window is currently spring 2014, a delay from fall 2013 for the PC version. The video also showed off some of the content that wasn't on display for testers, including high-level PvP battles featuring 200 on-screen players, group combat, first-person mode, and familiar locations like Windhelm and Morrowind.

Our own Jasmine Hruschak attended the TESO live demo event and managed to snag a Bethesda employee for an impromptu interview. Check out the full text after the break, and don't forget to read Andrew's hands-on as well!

Continue reading E3 2013: Bethesda talks next-gen consoles, endgame, and character skills in The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyE3 2013: Bethesda talks next-gen consoles, endgame, and character skills in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESO
I was kind of new, so I figured I'd practice on some sheep first. A little blood, some meat, some fat. Interesting, but kind of simple. I understood some of the basics on how to move and fight, but I figured I should check out the town. Now, I'm kind of old and ugly, so when the dog came at me, I figured it was attacking me. After a few moments, I realized it was friendly and talked to it. It seemed it wanted me to follow it. This was the start of my first quest in The Elder Scrolls Online.

Now, to be clear, I came into my ESO demo at this year's E3 as a skeptic. I played Star Wars: The Old Republic. I figured "MMO with story" meant kill 10 rats; choose 1, 2, or 3; then look for another quest icon. It's not a terrible model, but it's one that left me wondering if there was a better way to do things. Why make it an MMO when you could just do a multiplayer RPG? I'm not sure I know the answer to this yet, but I do feel I'm getting closer.

Continue reading E3 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyE3 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda has just announced plans to bring The Elder Scrolls Online to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in spring 2014. Sony confirmed during its conference at E3 tonight that the PS4 will be the first platform (or possibly just the first console -- it's unclear) on which the ESO beta will be available. The game was slated to release on PC this fall, but the press release (and a tweet from Bethesda's Pete Hines) seems to imply that the PC launch window has also been delayed to next spring: "The game will launch on these consoles, in addition to the previously announced PC and Mac versions, in Spring 2014."

ZeniMax has also today released a brand-new trailer to coincide with the announcement; we've tucked it behind the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in! Additional source: Bethsoft press release.]

Continue reading E3 2013: The Elder Scrolls Online will land on the PS4 and Xbox One

MassivelyE3 2013: The Elder Scrolls Online will land on the PS4 and Xbox One originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium Fictional loyalty
On many occasions, my guild members have talked about different aspects of MMOs, MMO culture, and of course, what makes our guild work as well as it does. The simple answer to the last question boils down to common bonds and shared interests, just as with any group of friends, I'd imagine. And when we seriously decided to take this guild we made beyond the borders of just one game, we discovered new hurdles to overcome. Although the roots of my guild extend far beyond one MMO, it kicked off seriously only in Star Wars: The Old Republic and has since extended to Guild Wars 2 and Neverwinter.

Many of my friends have expressed more than a fleeting interest in The Elder Scrolls Online, but faction selection could pose a problem for us. I always liked Imperials in the other Elder Scrolls games. One member wants to relive his Skyrim adventures and play a Nord. And of course, we have that hold-out who will play nothing but elves (or the closest approximation) in whatever game she's playing. Although I very much want these players to play whichever race they will have the most fun playing, it places the guild as a whole in an interesting position: With so many conflicting loyalties, which direction does the guild head?

The Elder Scrolls Online created a solution within its guilding system. Does the ESO system encourage loyalty to a faction or is factional loyalty just fictional loyalty?

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Fictional loyalty in Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Fictional loyalty in Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeniMax views TESO as more multiplayer Elder Scrolls than MMO
Game Reactor has published another Matt Firor interview from last week's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview event. The ZeniMax game director had plenty to say about the game world, the social design elements, and the team's desire to draw in players who may not be MMO fans.

"This is more a multiplayer Elder Scrolls game than an MMO. [You'll see] very limited UI, nice and clean, not a lot of bars," Firor explained. "The combat system is very much action-based. It's also soloable, you can solo almost the entire game. We wanted to get Elder Scrolls players who were unfamiliar with online games and MMO terms to get in, play, have fun and get introduced to the multiplayer aspects."

[Thanks Jack!]

MassivelyZeniMax views TESO as more multiplayer Elder Scrolls than MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off gameplay footage
Have you been itching to feast your eyes on actual The Elder Scrolls Online game footage from the eyes of a player, but you haven't managed to find your way into the Bethesda offices? Thanks to Marty Sliva and Caleb Lawson of IGN, you can; the pair had the opportunity to jump in and play a couple hours of the upcoming fantasy MMO and created a video with some highlights of their adventures.

As a non-MMO player, Lawson described the draw to the game and an Elder Scrolls fan. He noted that it felt like being back in that world, from Daedric quests to being dropped into Oblivion. Sliva added, "[TESO] captures that same sort of spirit of exploration and adventure of Skyrim and Oblivion, but there is this great MMO attached to it."

Lawson also shared that developers stated that hands will be added to the game to give the first-person experience even more of a Skyrim feel. Hear more of their thoughts and see the gameplay in the video after the break.

Continue reading New Elder Scrolls Online video shows off gameplay

MassivelyNew Elder Scrolls Online video shows off gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium Everyone's a clicker in The Elder Scrolls Online
There is enough information on the interwebs to have at least a basic discussion of The Elder Scrolls Online combat. For those who don't know, I can tell you right now that ESO combat is not at all what we expect from a typical MMO, although it doesn't exactly play like the single-player versions of Elder Scrolls games either.

For a long time, I've been itching for a highly interactive and highly skill-based combat system in an MMO. Until recently, we have been restricted by inherent issues of playing online, like bandwidth. But over the last couple of years, we have started to see games that are so dynamic that we literally have milliseconds to react to a given stimulus -- there's no more gameplay with a turn-based-cooldown system. This does raise some concerns for the traditional MMO gamer: Will we be able to adapt?

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Everyone's a clicker in The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Everyone's a clicker in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online
If you're the type to commit your early-morning hours to gaming as I am, you're probably waiting for E3 to open its floodgates. This year's Expo might be a few weeks away, but the gaming community is getting its fair share of glimpses and leaks thanks to publisher previews, and last week, Bethesda and ZeniMax joined forces for a press event in LA to preview The Elder Scrolls Online.

Mystery and suspicion has surrounded the game so far; it's the MMO entry in a long series of single-player installments for a beloved IP, so players are anxious to see how the transition from single-player adventuring to massively online gaming will play out. Unfortunately, the build I saw used only a third-person perspective and excluded PvP, but I still got a solid look at the game.

Continue reading Massively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview

MassivelyMassively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium Elder Scrolls Elves are supposed to be ugly
I don't know if you noticed this, but in the fully rendered trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online, the Aldmeri Dominion elves looked nice. In traditional fantasy lore like Lord of the Rings, elves are some of the most beautiful creatures in the universe. However, I've always seen the Elder Scrolls elves as somewhat alien -- like the grey-men kind of aliens. In fact, the dark elves with their ashy skin really looked like grey men, especially if they were bald. Yet that particular MMO trailer presented a different kind of elf.

Of course, that's just a CGI trailer, and CGI trailers rarely represent what we will see in the game. I can accept that. But more and more screenshots have popped up and more in-game videos have appeared on different websites, and in each of them, it appears to me that the elves -- the "mer" -- have received a makeover. And it's not just the elves; even the Argonians and Khajiit look different. I suspect there's a reason for this.

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls elves are supposed to be ugly

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls elves are supposed to be ugly originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet The Elder Scrolls Online's legendary wamasu
Meet the wamasu, ancient terror of Black Marsh! A creature barely hinted at in existing lore, the wamasu is a new addition to the stable of foebeasts in The Elder Scrolls Online. The wamasu, it turns out, are overgrown, electrified lizard-monsters. According to legend, wamasu have "lightning for blood." They're fond of nesting, protecting their eggs, and unleashing lethal tail strikes and lightning beams on anyone who pops their personal space bubble. There's an extra-scary high-voltage boss variant waiting in-game to kill you!

Skip below the cut to check out the wamasu in action.

Continue reading Meet The Elder Scrolls Online's legendary wamasu

MassivelyMeet The Elder Scrolls Online's legendary wamasu originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online answers crafting and exploration queries
ZeniMax scooped up all of the questions that fans had after seeing The Elder Scrolls Online's crafting and exploration video, and answered several of the most pressing of them in a new post.

TESO will feature five crafting professions: weaponsmith, armorsmith, enchanter, alchemist, and provisioner. Of these, players are able to train in two fields so that a robust economy will develop between crafters. While there aren't any recipes in the game, players have multiple avenues to combine ingredients and make the same item. The studio indicated that those who have played previous Elder Scrolls games might have an advantage in knowing familiar plants and crafting ingredients and how they interact.

Other topics in the AMA include fishing lures, how big your library can get (there's no limit, basically), the use of Mundus Stones, and the difficulty of lockpicking. "Your lockpicking will automatically improve as you level, gradually making chests that were once very difficult to open a much easier prospect. Though your lockpicking skill will increase as you level, the chests you encounter in higher level areas will also be more difficult," ZeniMax explained.

MassivelyElder Scrolls Online elaborates on crafting and exploration originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium ESO factional divides
The Elder Scrolls Online's Tamriel hosts many races that are generally segregated from each other. Nords of Skyrim usually stick to their northern frosty mountains. Argonians settle in their Black Marsh. Khajiit rest in Elsweyr. But we know from playing other Elder Scrolls games that individuals of all races most definitely move around the map, mostly adventurers like our possible TESO characters. It is very possible from a canon perspective that my Redguard will wander through Morrowind. Unlike other faction-based MMOs, TESO has an interesting plan for those players with wanderlust.

For today's column, I've found a community member who explains some of the implications of factional divides for us. I'm also interested in how you will personally handle some of these factional issues.

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls Online's factional divides

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Elder Scrolls Online's factional divides originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online wants you to explore everything
Any RPG player worth his or her salt knows that there are two primary maxims to making it big: explore everywhere and take everything not nailed down. Fortunately, ZeniMax subscribes to this philosophy as well, which is why the team has placed an emphasis on exploration and loot-gobbling in The Elder Scrolls Online.

In a new video, Creative Director Paul Sage shows how players can loot all manner of goods in the world and then use those items for crafting. He also points out how the world will be populated with readable books, fishable areas, hidden chests, and ability-boosting stones. So if you were wondering if it's OK to rob a church in TESO, the following video should assure you that it's more than fine -- it's encouraged.

Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online wants you to explore everywhere

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online wants you to explore everywhere originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 May 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tamriel Infinium Stepping into the world of The Elder Scrolls Online
Many players in my guild are really looking forward to Elder Scrolls Online. Nearly everyone has signed up for beta. I cannot confirm or deny whether some of them might be in playing right now. When I announced that I was taking on the ESO column for Massively, I could feel their questioning eyes burning through the internet: Why would you want to do a column on the Elder Scrolls? You have said that you were burned out on fantasy. Skyrim gave you trouble because of the first-person view. And there are no playable dwarves. They might have caught me on that last one, but the others are partially true, as well. I have played a lot of fantasy games, but TES bends a lot of the traditions of high fantasy. And thankfully, you can play all of Skyrim in third-person view.

There are three major factors that have kept me intrigued with the entire world of the Elder Scrolls. Tamriel is full of deep and rich lore. Granted, most of ESO's lore is future-tense, but a good chunk can be applied to the current timeline -- much as in Star Wars: The Old Republic, my other editorial focus. Secondly, Elder Scrolls Online intends to keep the mechanics and the flavor of the franchise within an MMO setting. This includes a PvP system that pits three factions against each other. Although I usually have a take-it-or-leave-it approach to open-world PvP, I have always been fascinated by how three-faction systems work. Lastly, the community is passionate. I enjoy connecting with people who are looking to connect with each other and share their hopes for a game that hasn't even been released yet.

Those will be the three main focuses of this column. Let me tell you how it will work.

Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Stepping into the world of The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Stepping into the world of The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's your lore. There are giant spiders. Kill them. What else is relevant?
We're not kidding about that title. The latest set of answers for The Elder Scrolls Online's Ask Me Anything is full of lore. Spilling over with lore. Its lore cup runneth over. Do you want to know how old an elf has to be before he's actually old? 200-300 years is old. Want to know if there will be any Dragonborn running around a la Skyrim? Nope, and shouts are a thing of legend. It's all the lore you've wanted and were clearly not afraid to ask about.

There are some other answers in the mix as well. Players will have to guess about the abilities of their opponents in PvP to some extent, since the armor system will not allow you to guess at abilities by appearance. Players can also expect to find puzzles in the game rather than pure combat encounters, although no details are given. So while you'll find the most meat if you're looking for lore, even more system-focused players will find some relevant answers in the full set.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online answers all your questions, assuming they're about lore originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online gets a new trailer, Journey to Coldharbour
The Elder Scrolls Online team has a present just for you: a new trailer! ZeniMax just released Journey to Coldharbour, a video showing off some of the Oblivion plane where Molag Bal, the God of Schemes, makes his home. Lead Loremaster Lawrence Schick and Lead Writer Wynne McLaughlin explain that Molag Bal steals players' souls at the very beginning of the game, leaving players to track him down, figure out what makes their souls so desirable, and stop his wicked schemes.

Skip below the cut to feast your eyes on the new trailer.

Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online gets a new trailer, Journey to Coldharbour

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online gets a new trailer, Journey to Coldharbour originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online concept art
Going to Gamescom this year? If so you can get your hands on a playable demo of The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax is bringing its MMO fantasy opus to Cologne for Europe's largest gaming con from August 22nd through August 25th.

ZeniMax's website update says that Gamescom is its first Euro convention, but it's certainly not the last. Further details about TESO's 2013 event docket are forthcoming.

MassivelyPlay The Elder Scrolls Online at Gamescom this August originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screenshot -- The Elder Scrolls Online
The interwebs have been all aflutter because of the recently leaked video of The Elder Scrolls Online beta footage, and it's left many people clamoring for more beta details. Thankfully, ESO Game Director Matt Firor has stepped forth to provide just that. In a new interview, Firor didn't care to comment on the leak itself, but he was more than willing to answer a number of questions regarding the game's ongoing closed beta.

Firor states that the game's beta is progressing "very smoothly so far" and that the team is now "focusing more on the gameplay exerience" and "getting valuable feedback from beta testers." He goes on to explain that the current beta focus is on "moment-to-moment gameplay," including questing, combat, and the game's progression system. Also on the table are questions about the game's AI, the introduction of guilds, the importance of crafted gear, and of course, when the next round of beta invites will go out (spoiler alert: the answer is incredibly nonspecific). Regardless, there's probably some useful information to be found for ESO fans, so click on through the link below to check it out for yourself.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online's Matt Firor answers closed beta questions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESO
The Elder Scrolls Online team waded through an AMA about PvP recently. Are you ready for some knowledge? Because we are so about to drop some.

Alliance Points will be tied to the PvP ranking system. Siege weapons can be obtained and created by anyone who has enough Alliance Points to purchase them; there are no other resources necessary to buy and deploy them. Players can effectively starve out an enemy area by depriving them of resources from surrounding lumber mills, farms, and mines. Seizing those resources before laying siege has a double advantage of also switching off various enemy patrols. Villages in Cyrodiil are Alliance-neutral, but if you control nearby keeps, you'll have NPC patrols in their surrounding villages and towns.

The team isn't quite ready to talk about some features like territory ownership perks and large team sizes. You can delve into full detail over on the official post.

MassivelyLearn about PvP in The Elder Scrolls Online's latest AMA originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online beta footage
Want an early look at the first 20 minutes of The Elder Scrolls Online? Get it while you can after the cut, as a lengthy snippet of leaked gameplay footage has made its way onto YouTube.

The clip shows off character creation, nine playable races, and a choice between three classes (Dragonknight, Sorcerer, and Templar). You can also see the UI, skill trees, and various quests at different points in the video. There's plenty of combat on display, too, both third- and first-person.

Continue reading First 20 minutes of Elder Scrolls Online gameplay leaked

MassivelyFirst 20 minutes of Elder Scrolls Online gameplay leaked originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online's latest Q&A talks phasing, PvP, and more
The latest edition of The Elder Scrolls Online's Ask Us Anything series is live on the game's official website. In it, you'll find a focus on Cyrodiil and PvP, as the well as the answers to questions about fast travel and sweet rolls.

In terms of PvP, one thing to note is that zone level scaling will bump everyone up to max level (50). ZeniMax says that "you'll be able to remain competitive, but a true level 50 will have the advantage of having more skills and abilities than you."

There's also a bit of info on layers and channeling in TESO, including answers to questions about gameplay choices and how player actions will affect the ability to play with people who make different choices.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online's latest Q&A talks phasing, PvP, and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lizard-dogs don't care about game mechanics. They just like snacking on your face.
How do you keep character skills interesting and relevant when you've only got six slots to equip them? According to the latest series of community answers for The Elder Scrolls Online, the key is what kind of abilities are relevant. The skills on those slots are meant to serve as utility rather than raw damage, with your main attacks serving as your primary means of doing damage. Although a few skills will have added damage under certain circumstances, that's not the overall goal.

Beyond that, the answers also address the issue of charging attacks and moving, which is both allowed and encouraged. Crowd control can be reliably broken out of with Stamina, but if your Stamina bar is low you can be caught and held for a while. You can also rest easy knowing that there will be no ammunition in the game, freeing archers from the tedious process of acquiring arrows at the worst possible time. Check out all of these answers and more in the full rundown.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online answers more fan questions about combat originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screenshot -- The Elder Scrolls Online
Last October, I paid a visit to the ZeniMax Online studios in Maryland in order to get some hands-on time with the studio's upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online. Well, today at PAX East I got to pay the lands of Tamriel a second visit to see how far the team has come since my first look at the game. Honestly, I was initially dreading writing this because I was sure that I wouldn't have anything to say that I hadn't said in my previous review, but thankfully, I was worried for nothing.

The game was hardly recognizable to me because of the sheer amount of attention that's been given to it since I first played it in its alpha stage last fall. Gone was the functional-but-barebones UI with which I was familiar; it's been replaced with a sleek, polished interface leaps and bounds above the (notoriously awful) interfaces seen in the single-player entries of the series. On top of that, I got my grubby paws on a different faction, swapping my Dunmer of the Ebonheart Pact for a Breton of the Daggerfall Covenant. After character creation (which, by the way, is insanely detailed with dozens of appearance sliders and customization options), I was dropped into Stros M'Kai, the starting zone for members of the Daggerfall Covenant. From there I was let loose to roam, explore, quest, and fight for a solid two hours.

Continue reading PAX East 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online, round two

MassivelyPAX East 2013: Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online, round two originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Image
Can't get enough coverage of The Elder Scrolls Online? Did yesterday's hands-on and interview with Paul Sage leave you craving more? We've got you covered with some in-game video footage and a dash of extra details -- narrated by me! -- from my recent trip to ZeniMax Online Studios.

Learn about the design philosophy behind ESO as well as some details about synergies, finesse, and character progression. There are also tiny bits of information regarding mounts and vampire skills. Is your curiosity sufficiently piqued? Let me tell you all about it after the break!

Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online's gameplay and mechanics video

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online's gameplay and mechanics video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online Interview With ZeniMax's Paul Sage
During my hands-on play session with The Elder Scrolls Online at the media event last week, I got a glimpse of the early game experience, and it was delicious. But most MMOs are judged on what awaits players at the max-level endgame, so I sat down with ZeniMax Online Studios creative director Paul Sage to ask about those areas of the game that I didn't get to see.

Specifically, I asked Sage to describe ZeniMax's strategy for keeping players occupied once they hit the level cap at 50. His reply included four main activities: questing in enemy alliance zones, four-player dungeons, adventure zones, and the PvP alliance war in Cyrodiil. Read on for all of the details I gleaned from the interview!

Continue reading ZeniMax's Paul Sage on The Elder Scrolls Online's endgame, PvP, and crafting

MassivelyZeniMax's Paul Sage on The Elder Scrolls Online's endgame, PvP, and crafting originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online
"Turn on your monitors, and for the next four hours, enjoy your hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online." Last week, that tantalizing phrase kicked off my visit to ZeniMax Online Studios, but those words must have also conjured some ancient time-bending ritual because those 240 minutes flew by in an instant.

The first thing I did was create a character belonging to the Daggerfall Covenant, which means I was allowed to choose from the Breton, Orc, and Redguard races. There are two other alliances (Aldmeri Dominion and Ebonheart Pact) and six other races that weren't available for this preview (and the Imperials are NPCs). I had to buck my tendency to spend copious amounts of time customizing the minute details of my character in favor of actually getting to the gameplay. I did, however, take a look at some randomly generated characters of the three available races, and the models looked superb.

Continue reading Hands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online

MassivelyHands-on with The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online invites fans to a PAX party
You, yes you, are cordially invited to attend one of the least exclusive but most festive shindigs at PAX East this weekend. The Elder Scrolls Online team is throwing a party on Saturday evening for any and all who show up (on a first-come, first-served basis, of course) at the Castle Meeting Space in downtown Boston.

Starting at 6:00 p.m. EST, the party includes Tamriel-inspired foods, music, contests, and the opportunity to play TESO in person. The event is open to anyone 13 and older, so you don't have to be attending PAX to get an advance peek at one of the hottest upcoming MMOs!

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online invites fans to a PAX party originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These fine people aren't preparing for combat, they're getting ready for a spirited dance party.
The Elder Scrolls Online is going to feature combat, which should come as a shock to precisely no one. But how is that combat going to work? How important will the holy trinity be in practice? How ornate will your attacks and counterattacks be? These and more are all excellent questions, and they're also questions that have been answered in the latest installment of community answers over on the official site. And that's only a small fraction of the information.

At the moment, the trinity setup is not vital but is certainly helpful, as tester groups without a dedicated tank have managed to clear content (albeit with some difficulties). The soft lock system is based more around offense than defense, as healing abilities are not targeted. Players can also feel free to join in when they see other players fighting things, as all players who participate gain the rewards of fighting as in Guild Wars 2. For more information about the particulars of combat, check out the full set of answers.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online serves up a stack of answers about combat originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serving you a scoop of Elder Scrolls Online beta details
So you know that the beta for The Elder Scrolls Online is coming up, right? Of course you do! But what you don't know are many details about it. Well, slide on up to the counter here and we'll give you the scoop -- with a cherry on top.

Beta events will begin as smaller, scheduled play sessions (usually on weekends) with a limited play window focusing on something specific. Invitations for the first round of public events will start going out at the end of March, with the tests starting shortly thereafter. Events will become more frequent and last longer as launch approaches, and players can receive separate invites for multiple events.

Testers will be selected based on various criteria and all invites will go to the email players used to sign up for the beta. If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time! Just head to the official site to fill out the beta application.

MassivelyServing you a scoop of Elder Scrolls Online beta details originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They build very thick bridges for very small bodies of water in this region.
Prospective players have a lot of questions about The Elder Scrolls Online. What will I need to do to be a tank? How will I heal other people? Will I be carrying around every wheel of goat cheese in the world for no reason? The development team has sat down and answered a variety of player questions in a new feature addressing several assorted topics.

Players interested in tanking will be happy to know that while you will generally want to be in heavy armor, a properly designed character should be able to last for quite some time in light armor. Those who prefer playing a pure role will also be happy to note that while the developers have harped on hybridization a bit, being a "pure" role will be perfectly viable and possible. And lore fans will be happy to see a variety of lore questions answered, especially concerning organizations and races that are important in later games but aren't necessarily around in The Elder Scrolls Online. So odds are good that when you read through the answers, you'll be happy.

MassivelyYou have questions about The Elder Scrolls Online, the development team has answers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online celebrates 1M Facebook likes with new armor concept art and videos
Zenimax Online and Bethesda Softworks were feeling generous on this Valentine's Day by giving us a bit of a peek at some concept designs for heavy armor in the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls Online MMO.

The armor concept shows off High Elven, Nordic, and Breton heavy armors.

In addition, the developers celebrated one million Likes on their Facebook page by releasing a short tribute video. And speaking of videos, one more from the TESO team: the eleventh edition of "Developer Question of the Week" features UI designer Kristy Keaton. Check out all the new goodies over at the game's Facebook page.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online celebrates 1M Facebook likes with new armor concept art and videos originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TESO's newest story post delves into the life of High King Emeric
Meet High King Emeric, a true renaissance man. He's a Breton, a merchant lord, a skilled fighter, leader of the Daggerfall Covenant, and a diarist. A new story post for The Elder Scrolls Online tells the story of his training and ascension, as told by our daring hero himself. Read the riveting tale of how he goes from studying accounting to breaking sieges, finding a bride, taking a throne, and ruling.

If the Daggerfall Covenant isn't really your speed, there are similar tales for the leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion and the Ebonheart Pact.

MassivelyTESO's newest story post delves into the life of High King Emeric originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour
If The Elder Scrolls Online were to serve snacks to players, what would be on the menu? Now you can find out! On March 10th, the TESO food truck will start a cross-country jaunt across the US to bring tasty treats and swag giveaways to fans.

Starting at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, the truck will make 11 stops over the year at various conventions -- including PAX and PAX East, E3, and Comic-Con -- as well as a number of universities. Joining the kick-off festivities in Austin will be composer and singer Malukah. For more details on other tour dates, check out the official announcement.

MassivelyTESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bethesdabethesda-softworksbethsoftcomic-condaggerfalle3elder-scrollselder-scrolls-onlineesofactionsfood-truck-tourMalukahmorrowindoblivionPAXPAX-Eastplease-dont-suckpvprvrsandboxskyrimSouth-by-SouthwestSXSWtamrieltestesothe-elder-scrollsthe-elder-scrolls-onlinethree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvpzenimaxzenimax-mediazenimax-onlinezenimax-online-studiosMon, 11 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Elder Scrolls Online lead deals with differences between the MMO and single-player RPGs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/the-elder-scrolls-online-lead-deals-with-differences-between-the/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/the-elder-scrolls-online-lead-deals-with-differences-between-the/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/the-elder-scrolls-online-lead-deals-with-differences-between-the/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Elder Scrolls Online lead deals with differences between the MMO and singleplayer RPGs
With all of the excitement over The Elder Scrolls Online's beta signups, Game Director Matt Firor has his hands full adjusting the expectations of those used to single-player Elder Scrolls titles. Firor danced around several specific questions by The PA Report on how the MMO would tackle the world, heroism, guilds, and politics in comparison to the single-player games.

Firor expanded a bit on how the team is putting together the larger world of Tamriel, especially the areas yet unseen by single-player gamers: "The Elder Scrolls IP is very down-to-earth and gritty, so we had to take the traditional 'these are High Elves' fantasy visuals -- tall towers, white marble, landscaped terrain -- and merge them with the grittier and more medieval-realistic (there are poor High Elf farmers, etc.). It came together very well."

He said that while players won't always be at the center of attention, game NPCs will recognize great deeds and instancing will be used for important moments. One thing that won't happen as in the single-player titles is for characters to become the heads of game guilds (as opposed to player guilds). Firor also hinted that the Emperor of the world will be based on player PvP performance, but declined to give any further specifics.

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online lead deals with differences between the MMO and single-player RPGs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 234 Star Trek Online interview
It's a very special episode of Massively Speaking, where we learn about puberty and the dangers of drinking! Actually, Teri joins Justin to talk with Star Trek Online's Dan Stahl and Brandon Felczer about the third anniversary of this galactic game. Set phasers to "amused" as we set sail for the podcast frontier!

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

Get the podcast:
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Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview

MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 234: Star Trek Online interview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaage-of-wulinage-of-wushuarche-agearcheageasiabethesdabethesda-softworksbethsoftbrandon-felczerbrantbrianna-roycechinachinesechinese-mmocrypticcryptic-studiosdaggerfalldan-stahldaniel-stahlelder-scrollselder-scrolls-onlineesof2pfactionsfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgpotatogvghumorjet-lijustin-olivettikidnappingmartial-artsmassively-speakingming-dynastymorrowindoblivionopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentplease-dont-suckpodcastpodcastingpodcastspvppwervrsandboxsandparksci-fiskyrimsnail-gamessnail-games-usastar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestotamrieltestesothe-elder-scrollsthe-elder-scrolls-onlinethree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvpwushuwuxiaxl-gamesxlgameszenimaxzenimax-mediazenimax-onlinezenimax-online-studiosTue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 ESTMassively Speaking Episode 234Massively.com Staff00:53:21podcast<![CDATA[Leaderboard: Cinematic trailers - awful or awesome?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/leaderboard-cinematic-trailers-awful-or-awesome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/leaderboard-cinematic-trailers-awful-or-awesome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/leaderboard-cinematic-trailers-awful-or-awesome/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Elder Scrolls Online cinematic
So ZeniMax released a spiffy teaser vid for The Elder Scrolls Online last week. The six-minute clip had it all: dank dungeons, luscious locations, and enough daredevil gravity-defying combat to fill an entire summer's worth of action films.

The only problem, to hear some folks tell it, was that none of the thrills, chills, and gratuitous violence on display will be possible in the finished game. The video was a cinematic, you see, and even though there's a decent amount of TESO gameplay footage floating around the internet already, the trailer served as something of a rallying cry for fans who'd rather see the cinematic's budget go toward a gameplay trailer.

What say you, Leaderboard readers? Are MMO cinematics an awful waste of development dollars or do you enjoy them for what they are? Settle the score once and for all after the cut.

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

Continue reading Leaderboard: Cinematic trailers - awful or awesome?

MassivelyLeaderboard: Cinematic trailers - awful or awesome? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online Alliance cinematic
Bethesda and ZeniMax want you to know that beta signups are officially open for The Elder Scrolls Online.

A new press release trumpets the announcement (though "timing and details of the start of playtests will be provided at a later date"), and the firms have also released a slick new cinematic trailer that will whet your appetite for Tamriel over the course of its whopping six-minute run time.

TESO will make use of ZeniMax's megaserver technology to "avoid the hassle of shard selection." The game will also feature a built-in social network which the company says makes the new MMORPG "one of the most socially enabled games ever created." You can sign up for beta via the game's official website, and we've embedded the new trailer just past the break.

[Source: Bethesda press release]

[Update: ZeniMax has also uploaded an FAQ regarding the beta. Enjoy!]

Continue reading Elder Scrolls Online beta signups now live, six-minute cinematic released [Updated]

MassivelyElder Scrolls Online beta signups now live, six-minute cinematic released [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TESO
If you've been keeping an eye on The Elder Scrolls Online, you've probably noticed that its three chief factions are at war. The Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant, and Ebonheart Pact have been established as mortal enemies -- but why? Loremaster Lawrence Schick sheds a little light on the three-way conflict in a new lore video.

You're a hip, savvy Internetter; we know you don't have a lot of time. Here's the skinny: All three alliances want to control Cyrodil, the central part of the continent that houses the very heart of Tamriel. The Tharns that rule Cyrodil are weak, and each alliance thinks that it has the power to steer Tamriel in the proper direction.

Skip below the cut to watch the video to learn about all the intricate details.

[Thanks to groovy webizen Paul for the tip!]

Continue reading The Elder Scrolls Online lore video covers the history of war

MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online lore video covers the history of war originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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