I'm not advocating that they move from what we perceive to be our medieval times straight to what would represent our industrial era, but it seems Tamriel has been stuck in the medieval times forever, with no signs of that ever changing.

The lack of technological advancement in most areas seems to be non existent. I mean, it's not as if those great thinkers and scholars don't have anything to work from, there's Dwemer technology and maybe other pieces of technology from past civilizations that I may have missed. Same goes for weapons with the exception of crossbows, they all seem to be stuck at their most basic inceptions. Obviously I'm not including staffs/staves because there are no real life comparisons to be made and they are what they are.

Magic aside, same holds true with other aspects of technology such as transportation, lighting etc.

My answer is no not yet.

For the next twenty years I want Bethesda Game Studios to develop The Elder Scrolls video games to be medieval fantasy RPG video games.

There's to many modern day or future video games on the video games market selling right now.

In 2036 then I will want Bethesda Game Studios to develop modern fantasy The Elder Scrolls video games with cannons or modern day machine guns, Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV's), computers, electronics, stuff like that.

I'm just plain tired of modern day and futuristic video games.

World War I, World War II, Vietnam war, cyberpunk, etc.

In 2017 we got Mass Effect Andromeda and probably Star Wars Battlefront 2 being released for sale by Electronic Arts (EA) and possibly Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt RED.

I just want more medieval and medieval fantasy video games. That are AAA video games, not indie video games.

I agree with Ballowers. As a matter of personal preference, I want them to stick to the Medieval-inspired universe we have known from past games.

But besides, I think the presence of magic in this universe upsets everything. Tamriel doesn't play by the same rules. Why should they bother to invent guns when they can destroy enemies with fireballs? Why invent steam-powered locomotion when they can mark and recall? Why invent mechanical air flight when they can levitate?

TES has actually been going the opposite direction. It's LOST technology and knowledge, and quite a bit of it. Everything from Energy Weapons to Space Travel. Of course, it's technological foundation is magical in nature, so even if it was moving forward, it's developments would be unlikely to resemble anything from the real world.

This. It's one of the things I enjoy doing as a modder, creating 'lost Dwemer tech' solutions such as refrigerators with 'thaumoenergetic power', with Terry Pratchett as my inspiration (maybe next time you'll lift the lid and find that it's powered by tiny mice).

It's also worth noting that technology isn't a singular, continuous march forward. It's a constantly shifting paradigm that is in response to numerous influences. Weapons constantly change in response to armour, which constantly changes in response to weapons, but that change isn't always in one direction. We went from metal helms, to maille coifs, back to helms again, because the types of weapons being used shifted and the defensive response to them reacted. And if you throw Magic into that mix you're going to get even more back and forth.

The world of Nirn is about 7,000 years old, and has gone through it's own shifts in traditions, influences and styles. Just like in the real world, the various alterations that have happened to weapons, armours, construction techniques, agriculture etc have gone back and forth with the particular needs and mentalities of individual periods. But even if it WERE to follow some consistent paradigm with the real world, we'd be expecting the earliest stages of the Iron Age in Europe and Asia, not advanced alloy metalworking and the Printing Press.

Tamriel is not the real world, and trying to judge it based off how things progressed in the real world is an endeavour doomed to fail.

Pretty much, even looking at ESO you can tell that they even lost so much magical knowledge.

Tamriel isn't Earth and I don't know why people keep trying to have Tamriel be a 1:1 version of Earth.

No, thanks.

No thank you. Like Ballows said, there is just way too many games with modern equipment and weapons. I like the medieval setting in my fantasy games.

Lady Selene puts my thoughts on this in to words well. I'd like TES to remain TES, and not go in the direction towards Quake or (horrors of horrors) anything still more modern. If anything I in fact hope they just keep losing "technology", such that magic takes up less space in the games. I've spent exactly 8 seconds thinking about this so just throwing it out there, but I think it would be interesting if they made magic comparatively rare or difficult, such that you only see it from the most fierce of foes and can't do things like heal yourself unless you've really invested in becoming a higher level mage. Being able to do all kinds of incredible magic tricks as effortlessly as it's been in past games takes the magic out of the magic a little, as it were.

Won't really make sense setting wise. Everything is made out of magic in Nirn it's the basic building blocks of life, the "Sun" and "Stars" are constantly radiating Nirn with magic too.

It's what I like about the setting, it's pretty high fantasy and not just another generic medieval setting.

And it might be for the best gaming-wise after all, too.

Do they need to advance? With magic not much else is needed.

Well, in all honesty, magic is something that offers much greater options that we had in real life. From some "realistic" point of view, chances are big that magic, and study of old dwemer technology would result in rapid advancement. I can hardly think of serious problems that we had in our history that can't be dealt with easily with magic in TES. Diseases, transportation, building, all becomes trivial with magic.

for clarity's sake, Cannons already exist in TES

Honestly I'd really like to see a futuristic elder scrolls in the fifth era with plasma weapons and stuff as well magic and everything. Like warhammer 40k, but elder scrolls.


It could just be a side game or a one off, not that I want to see elder scrolls permanently in the future, just if they made one. Take place on the moon where the kahjiit and dark elves settled and the numidium is destroying nirn. They can even end the story arc by beating numidium and breaking the dragon and putting everything back to normal. I think it'd be an interesting take on the elder scrolls.

I, too, do not wish for heavy science-fiction elements in TES. The theme of technology regressing is very interesting, and light dabbling in such elements here and there adds a unique flavor to the series. Too much sci-fi would be dentrimental for TES, IMO. There's nothing wrong with sci-fi in and of itself--in fact, I love it a lot of times--but I'd rather have TES largely steer clear of it and keep its predominantly fantasy tone.

granted, it is quite possible to have the game that is clearly High-Fantasy, but has a fair share of sci-fi elements underneath..



although, I don't necessarily think it would work in the TES setting very well..

Which might be if it'd be obvious in the actual games, as of now unless someone digs deeply through the books there is absolutely nothing obvious in the franchise that doesn't say "this is a typical high fantasy, medieval equivalent of time in TES, game with swords and magic", except Morrowind, only because of it's artistic style, which is basically the only game with an actually unique flavor.

it's a damn common trope in fantasy worlds that ancients had more advanced technology than the real world, but in modern times everyone is a dirt farmer living in a hut with daylight shining trough the roof

I just want an elf sniper with sniper file, but that's what Shadowrun is for (love that fantasy/cyberpunk mixture ).
But no, i don't think that is for TES, TES is high fantasy, even though Bethesda works real hard to hide that

Wouldn't mind a non-canonical TES+Fallout spinoff, though

Cannons exist only in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard.

and mentioned to be among Sentinels Armaments in one of the in-game books



so yes, Cannons do exist

Yes spaceships exist as well.

As I said though I don't want any modern day or about modern day or so, no futuristic anything in The Elder Scrolls video games until 2036. I don't think I even want musket rifles and pistols either.

All pure medieval fantasy with axes, daggers, any sharp weapon, armor, spells, bows, and crossbows, etc.

which Cannons are fyi..


"medieval times" are commonly considered to be roughly between the years 600AD, and 1400AD.. current evidence points to Cannons being used in warfare as far back as 1126AD in China, with certain writings suggesting the first one to actually be successfully manufactured was possibly dating as far back as 940AD.. if we wanted to go even further indepth, it is believed the first Hand-Cannon's were used in the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1262 if I am remembering my dates properly (university was several years back)..



I agree with you that more Traditional Weapons should always be the focal point, but what I don't understand is why you think "cannons" are "modern" or "futuristic" weapons when they are not in the slightest.. they have existed since the early Middle Ages, but the cost of manufacturing and supply coupled with the inaccuracy, risk of backfire, and destructive potential of early models just caused them to not be very common and most armies would instead use Catapults trebuchet or Ballista which were considered to be better from a "cost-reliability" standpoint.. although, certain cultures did put alot of work on further developing Gunpowder weaponry..


actually, if we want to go really far back, the first recorded use of Gun Powder Weaponry is very likely the famed Greek Fire, an incendiary weapon used as far back as the 670s AD..




so yeah, "Cannons" are not futuristic or modern in the slightest.. a rifle musket would be considered a little more modern, but "cannons" and other forms of gunpowder based weaponry are a very very old concept..

My memory maybe is lacking, but I don't ever remember many decades ago in history class that cannons existed as far back as 600 AD, 1400 AD or 1126 AD at all. I know China was the first to invent gunpowder and fireworks.

The latest I remember of a cannon being invented and used is in 1492 and the first firearm being invented was over 500+ years ago.

And I wasn't talking about gunpowder. Cannons are old, but not as old as gunpowder.

We all know they used gunpowder explosives probably even around the Greeks time like you said.