Hello all,

I have thought about this for a considerable amount of time and I truly believe multiplayer can be implemented into the Elder Scroll games if done correctly. I think multiplayer should come in the form of the arena featured in Oblivion. But instead of only fighting NPCs, you would now have the ability to enter into a match online with another player. There could be multiple arenas all over the Skyrim landscape that offer different kinds of matches and matches with different levels of skill. The arenas would offer an offline experience as well as an online experience. The players access the multiplayer mode by entering a certain door or area of the arena where they would be matched up fairly with a player of similar skill.

The matches would then be one on one battles to the death. The player that wins, could earn money, items, or some other various reward. This can even be expanded upon where the arena matches would include multiple combatants. Right now, one on one may be enough. This allows for people to compare their characters with other players. I often fight with my friend over whose character would win and with this addition, we can finally settle the debate. I'm sure most of you have had this same argument.

I think the arena multiplayer could also be expanded past the physical combat in the matches. I think it would be cool to be able to bet on matches as an observer. Similar to Oblivion where you could bet on matches, but this time you would be betting on actual players. You could view each player's stats and make a monetary bet. If you are correct, you walk away with some ingame money for your character. If you are wrong, then, of course, you lose money.

What do you think? Could this system of multiplayer work in Skyrim?

I don't like the idea of an Elder Scrolls game going online. Sorry.

It would be unbalanced and lame.
Do not want.

Would be cool, but I don't know how that would work together with mods on the PC. It could probably not be that much of a problem on consoles though.

But for this to be a good idea the game needs to be balanced ,and certain rules would need to be applied to the online matches (levitation, and other exploitive features not allowed).

Did not vote because I'm not sure if I'd want this or not.

everyone would run around with Reflect/absorb magicka/damage 100%....

Yes I am stereotyping, these kind of encounters never fail to appear.

sorry not interested.

What if during a fight I open console and type "killall"?

Obviously removing the console and all freedom is the only option, for there *must* be multiplayer!

Great idea. Do want. Also Co-Op mode please!

Generally speaking, I do not want multiplayer in my elder scrolls experience. I love multiplayer games, but i also love elder scrolls (and sp rpgs in general) because it satisfies a different need and mp would destroy that part of the experience.

However, specifically the arena, and the arena only, would be much more fun against real people. The whole purpose of the arena is to measure some individual's or (teams) skill against each other in a fight to the death. Playing against predictable and bug prone ai is just "dry", like playing against bots in an mp game.

It'd be fairly simple to make it work, balance wise. In the arena you can only use standard arena equipment maybe a few arena specific spells, and the devs only need to balance those. No potions, no custom equipment or spells, no other factors whatsoever besides the own skill of the combatant. The players' level and skill levels should not make any difference either within the arena.

The reality is however that it'd be simply too much hassle, with too little benefit to implement this in an elder scrolls game. It'd require a hidden networking system that synchronizes players (a server browser would really be out of place for this kind of game), and would also have to make sure that people who modified arena specific features could not go online.

So in short, there will be no multiplayer arena, and i wont miss it either... although i wouldnt mind a separate gladiator style online game.

Since i wouldn't use it anyway i voted no. But "IF" any future TES games should have any kind of multiplayer, an online arena is definitely the way to go. It wouldn't affect the single player games the same way co-op or MMO would so i don't actually hate the idea.

Well, there is a solution to that.

Don't let people do that AT ALL. It's overpowered whether you are online or fighting NPCs.

NO!!! NO!!!! Oh please God no!!!! GOD NO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! (joke)

Seriously don't add multiplayer to Skyrim.

If they don't completely revamp the combat system, I really can't see any way how this could work.

Online Gladiator matches would be pretty cool. But I highly doubt it. As a wise man once said:

"You wish others to help you in your quest? Coward! If you must, search for the Argonian Im-Leet, or perhaps the big Nord, Rolf the Uber. They will certainly wish to join you."

The game is designed around you vs the world. I dont see pvp ever being balanced with all of the things you can do in these games. It would probably have to be made mostly seperate from the actual game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ

I really don't want any multiplayer added at this point because it may distract from the development of the single player experience. Possibly in future expansions we could.

It would be extremely difficult to do. But not impossible.

First off, for balancing issues, everyone's character ought to be set at the same level. Before the match, you pick a class, and you can be proficient in blade (for example) or magic. For stealth, I suppose some Chameleon spells would be provided, plus a proficiency in blade and marksman. Also, a player's race and birthsign would carry over, but the class in the multiplayer version ought to be changeable by will. Changing class in multiplayer, of course, wouldn't affect class in the single player game.

There could be multiple game modes set in relatively decent sized maps that are both indoor or outdoor, just like any multiplayer. Capture the flag? Marksmen battle (where everyone just has bows)? Mage brawl (where everyone uses just magic)?

A mode where everyone is riding a dragon and there is a deathmatch in the sky?

If they have mounted combat, there could also be a joust mode.

Call of Duty: Medieval Combat?

Decided to vote for "no".

Eh, it's a good idea, but they could definitely spend more time developing single player. The time it would take for them to create the arena would not be worth the enjoyment I get out of it.

I would rather like co-op in the game if it was something in the vein of Fable 3.

if it's ONLY and I mean ONLY in the small ARENA that queues you up against other players, then yes. It doesn't effect the game world, it just replaces the Arena AI with another player and is optional.

Once you enter the arena you can be phased in an online zone that queues you up against others. (optional, can be vs AI as well like other TES arenas)

why not?




well put. If you are too scared to face a human over AI in the city Arena, don't do online-arena mode. keyword:optional.

that garbage shouldn't be allowed anyways, TES games are probably the easiest i've ever played because of 100's of way to become a god without even knowing it.

Once again, why does everyone assume that having multiplayer means you must havesingleplayer work exactly the same? It can just be a console free zone, or even a seperate program. Something TOTALLY seperate from the game where you just take your character with a limited amount of items and spells and fight each other. You CAN still ahve the console in the normal game.

^ This.
Also, having mods involved would ruin it, so it'd require a vanilla game.
No thanks. ^_^