I got the opportunity to go the ESO (Elder Scrolls Online) 10 year celebration event in Amsterdam. Before the actual celebration Zenimax Online and Bethesda held a press event focusing on the new chapter release titled Gold Road. Most of the info was already revealed in a preview session I attended about a month ago. The new scribing system got a visual update (still subject to changes until release) and a few more examples were revealed.
Scribing
Scribing introduces something that resembles an early form of spellcrafting. Elder Scrolls online takes place 700 years before Oblivion and Skyrim so this early precursor of spellcrafting fits the timeline just fine. With Scribing the player will have the ability to use the newly introduced Grimoires. These are new types of skills added to a few select skill lines. With Scripts you’ll be able to have 3 different effects. This will allow players to create variations of the same skill but better fit for their style of play.
Rich Lambert, creative director at Zenimax Online, told us there are 4000 combinations to be made with the new scribing system. This will surely have a huge impact on the way people build (or optimize) their character. Scribing will allow for more personalized character builds that fit the player’s roleplaying preferences. Add in the new Skill types collectables to further customize the way an effect looks and you have a whole new dimension of customization in the game.
I had the chance to speak with Kira Ross Schlitt – Project lead , Brian Wheeler – Lead combat designer and CJ Grebb – Art director about the new Scribing feature. Before the roundtable interview I had the opportunity to briefly experience a test build featuring the scribing system. I concocted a few combinations but could not grasp the vast amount of possibilities and potential subsequences for the way characters will be built in the future within the short period I was given. Luckily the round table interview gave me a few answers I still had after my hands-on with the new system.
I asked the team if setting loose this system with it’s many possibilities won’t create power balance problems in both PvE and PvP environments. Both Kira Ross Schlitt and Brian Wheeler emphasized they designed the scribing system with balancing in mind. For instance, only compatible scripts for a skill that make sense will be available to avoid players making unlogical combinations. If a player chooses an AoE (Area of Effect) that impacts multiple targets, the damage output is tweaked to be lower opposed to an AoE of only one target.
I was told there were a few conversations held about keeping scribing only for PvE to avoid overpowered builds becoming a thing. But the team decided against that idea and focuses on getting the necessary balance implemented from the start for both PvE and PvP. Brian Wheeler mentioned he’s certain, despite rigorous testing – there was mention of a particular tester who went over all 4000 combinations, some players will find combinations a bit more powerful than others… in the right situations (trials, dungeons, …) These will be monitored and when due, tweaked.
Lucent Citadel
The new zone, West Weald featuring Skingrad as the main hub city and the 3 biomes Gold Road, Calavian Heights and Valenwood Annexation were shown again showcasing beautiful autumn-inspired environments. The storyline of Ithelia, the forgotten Daedric Prince, and the seamlessly overnight sprung jungle stemming from Valenwood into Cyrodil were mentioned again with not much more info than what was already told last time during the global reveal a few weeks ago.
There was a bit more focus on the new trial called Lucent Citadel featuring a long-forgotten Daedric Vault to explore. These will feature new foes and bosses adding to the already vast bestiary of Bethesda games.
Matt Firor
I got the chance to also meet and interview the president of Zenimax Online, Matt Firor. Matt Firor is a veteran of the gaming industry specializing in Online gaming. I remember playing my very first MMORPG Dark age of Camelot. It got me hooked on the genre. Turns out many years later I get to meet one of the people responsible for putting that (MMO)RPG seed in my system. Matt Firor was asked to lead Zenimax Online and after 17 years of working for the company he may be very proud of the road traveled with ESO.
The full coverage of the interview can be found here.
