[Vicky Keeler]

I don't like that idea. I think TES games(at least the main ones) should be single-player, only. For example, why does Bob have two of the same unique item? Why can Bob visit another world, kill everyone in a city, and come back to his world to find everyone in that city alive? Why can Bob make the game easier for someone and help them do things they aren't capable of doing themselves? What happens if Bob decides to steal your items or attack you? What will TES V lose for this?

Well in Borderlands you couldn't kill each other. If you tried to hurt each other, a duel would start and you would fight until somebody lost their health, but after that everything would go back to normal. If Bob steals your items, then you shouldn't have been playing with Bob in the first place. You should only play with friends you trust, not random people or people who would steal from you. As for the unique items, I don't think it matters much, if Bob wants more than one unique item then it wouldn't hurt you, as it isn't a competition, it's co-op. And why would people in Bob's world be dead if he didn't kill them? He wasn't in his game, he was in yours, and killed your NPCs, not his.

[Jodie Bardgett]

http://www.zenimaxonline.com/

Anyone think that the main picture on the site could be some concept art of Hammerfell? (or possibly Elswyr?)

I'm really hoping for some diverse environments, and deserts like that have been on my list forever. All my Lawrence of Arabia/Spaghetti Western fantasies come to fruition. Survival mods where you need water would make it super awesome. I need to stop reading Arabian Sands and Skeleton On the Zahara.

But I would would like a form of online co-op. I wonder if anyone will ever make an MMO that is more in the vein of single player games...kind of like real life. You don't need to find a doctor, a cop, and and a mechanic every time you go to the grocery store. Most things you do on your own. But if you see some guy being mugged, you can choose to help him out, and he may return the favor.

[Charlotte Lloyd-Jones]

Well in Borderlands you couldn't kill each other. If you tried to hurt each other, a duel would start and you would fight until somebody lost their health, but after that everything would go back to normal. If Bob steals your items, then you shouldn't have been playing with Bob in the first place. You should only play with friends you trust, not random people or people who would steal from you. As for the unique items, I don't think it matters much, if Bob wants more than one unique item then it wouldn't hurt you, as it isn't a competition, it's co-op. And why would people in Bob's world be dead if he didn't kill them? He wasn't in his game, he was in yours, and killed your NPCs, not his.

I haven't played Borderlands, but I was/am interested in it, mainly because it also has offline coop, I love sitting with a friend and playing, especially with games which is either rpgs or hack'n'slash. So if anything, I wouldn't particularly mind a coop experience in TES as long as you could also go split screen.

[Sarah Kim]

I'm not really worried about TESV not happening, because Gstaff posted earlier in january, that Todd and his team are NOT working on an MMO, therefore, the only logical thing to assume is that they are working on TESV.

[Laura Tempel]

There are already enough mediocre MMOs on the market. It vexes me every time one of my favorite devs thinks they need an MMO as well. I don't play Elder Scrolls for its leveling system or socialization, I play for its rich lore, entertaining quests and amazing depth.

I can just see the quests to kill rats and wolves now. As I'm running around, looking for them, I realize they're all dead. A guy named "DarthVivec" has killed them all. Guess I'll wait for a respawn.




EDIT:

Further pondering has also led me to the conclusion that TES needs to make me feel MORE epic. Not less. Seems like they make the player less and less significant to the story with each game, culminating with Oblivion, in which you play some guy who kinda knew the hero.

I realize that (for whatever reason I can not fathom,) a lot of people enjoy playing random, unimportant roles. I, on the other hand, have a life which is already full enough of tedium and normality. I play games to be the hero. There are no heroes in an MMO. Everyone has the same capabilities, and you have to keep everyone on an even playing field. No thank you.

This also doesn't factor in the lack of mods and such in an MMO (UI mods and such don't count.) Overall, an MMO would remove everything good about TES and inject more of what the market is already currently flooded with: MMOs which aren't as good as WoW, and therefore feel like ghost towns after six months.

[Lakyn Ellery]

Based on Bethesda's ability to create games that generally change the playing field each time they put out a major title, I have faith that their division that is working on an MMO would likely do the same in their field, i.e. create a game that changes the playing field.

Given that there are different divisions and several teams, I see no reason why they couldn't be working on a single-player game and an MMO at the same time. What IP they will use for the MMO at this point is completely speculative. That being said, I feel that an MMO based on TES would be great. I see no reason they would discontinue creating additional single-player TES games as well. Additionally, I see no reason why a fan of one would "hate Bethesda forever" for making the other type of game, just play the one you want to play.

I have played Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3, and liked them all. I think Morrowind is still my favorite of the TES. I liked the world in Morrowind more than Oblivion, and like many I feel that Oblivion also being released for console games required them to limit it's scope in comparison to Morrowind. Due to this, if they do an MMO, I would prefer one more like Morrowind.

Graphically, I see no reason why they would be unable to create an online game that isn't equally stunning as Oblivion and Fallout 3. Check out LoTRO, it has fantastic graphics (albeit the character avatars aren't the best), but the environments are fantastic.

I'm a fan of Bethesda games and have faith that they will continue to produce great single-player games, and their MMO will likely be equally fantastic. Rather than "hating" the company for branching out, just enjoy and continue to play the games they produce that appeal most to you.

[Reanan-Marie Olsen]

I agree: I know I'll never play the MMO, but I'll read up on all the new lore and wait until Bethesda makes a game for my preferences.

[Bigze Stacks]

Oh, I'm not gonna kid myself. If Bethesda made anything at all, I'd eat it up. I played WET, after all, and normally don't consider myself a masochist. But I wouldn't be interested longterm in a TES MMO, as it would lack everything I love about Bethesda games, and bring in the thing that I typically hate about MMOs. Other players.

Don't get me wrong, I met some amazing people in my thirteen or so years of MMO gaming. But for every lifelong friend I've made, there are eighty d-bags with names which are synonyms for 'testicles.' I love to get lost in the worlds that bethesda creates. I don't want to be a cookie cutter class which is just like everyone else's. If I wanted that, I'd go back to WoW.

[Solina971]

You never know, Bethesda might pull of a completely different MMO to the others. What we all hate about MMO's is that they're all about grinding and the likes. Bethesda, with thier knowledge of single player RPGs, might create thier own sort of MMO where we're not all grinding and "pwning noobs". I doubt it'd work myself, but you never know.

And anyways, multiplayer doesn't mean MMO. I personally would love the ability to roll in tamriel with a few friends in my world and team up on stuff. Or the option to go to immensly hard caves where there's a bunch of high level enemies that guard artifacts like Cuirass of Saviors Hide, or Ebony Mail etc. It could be pretty awesome. I've always loved co-op multiplayer games, it just makes it more fun to do it with a friend.

But, the most important thing is, if there's a multiplayer (apart from an MMO, I understand), there must be a way of using mods still. Perhaps when someone joins someone else's world they have to download from the other player, who would be uploading at the same time? It would only be for mods that you don't have, so really big landmass mods, you could download yourself, but download from your friend, the self made mod that makes the new fargoth start 20 miles in the air. Would any of this actually be possible? If not, i'd settle for a small arena based mode, but it wouldn't really be TES, and I wouldn't use it much.

[Killer McCracken]

I haven't read the entire thread, so sorry if I'm retreading old ground...

The biggest issue I'd have with an Elder Scrolls MMO is the entire game system - Spells, Abilities, etc - would have to be completely overhauled, revamped, and made static.

Magic especially would be the hardest hit. No more Custom Spells, at the very least. Enchantment will likely be incredibly stunted, if not removed entirely as well.

The biggest issue with any MMO is balance. Elder Scrolls operated on a system that is very unbalanced - which works wonders as a single player RPG where we all want to be the biggest badasses on the planet by the end of the game. But in a static, multiplayer community you have to ensure no player or play style has an overwhelming advantage over another.

Paralyze and Silence are two effects that'll likely see the axe in any TES MMO. Or, if they aren't completely removed, they'll be so stunted as to be nigh worthless anyway. However, Sound might make a triumphant return as a substitute for Silence - especially if Sound is reworked from "Chance for Spellcasting to Fail" into "Length of time it takes to Cast a Spell".

My finances prohibit me from participating in any MMOs regardless (Hence why I'm revisiting The Elder Scrolls series - long, immersive RPGs are just the trick when money's a problem), but I still don't see The Elder Scrolls working well as a MMO. Oh sure, the Setting is brilliant and begging for Multiplayer action. But as a Full On Multiplayer Experience?

It could work brilliantly, but it won't be using the system we've grown accustomed to over Morrowind and Oblivion (I can't comment on Daggerfall as I got into TES through Morrowind. Though I see Bethesda is offering Daggerfall for free now...)

[sas]

I agree that the spell system would have to be completely revamped.
Also, why would enchanting have to be removed? Almost all MMO's have enchanting in them. It's very easy to do.

[Nathan Risch]

Also, why would enchanting have to be removed? Almost all MMO's have enchanting in them. It's very easy to do.

Those MMOs don't have Elder Scrolls style Enchantment system. Like I said, it'd become incredibly stunted if it was kept in. It couldn't be bound by a players' spellbook anymore, for example. You'd effectively end up with World of WarCraft's Enchanting system.

[Stephanie Kemp]

Vs. and maybe some basic (scored?) co-op levels could be added if the menu and wait functions were disabled. Quick keys could hopefully take care of handy equipping. And checkpoints could be set up for alchemy, journals, armorer...or just all the stuff dependent on some sort pause.

[Nana Samboy]

Some good ideas here!

.

[Stace]

How about multiplayer dungeons? Dungeons that are specifically for Multiplayer, so theyre balanced, also the dungeons could be modded or DLC that adds new dungeons for multipalyer. New multiplayer dungeons could be added.

Maybe a multiplayer underground, under Tamriel where you could meet your freinds in a little underground cave town like Little Lamplight where you could arrange dungeon parties and go spelunking, leaving your own single player world above completely intact as you left it.

So like you're playing your single player game, then A freind comes online, you send a message "Hi" to your freind, you make your way to the underground multiplayer cave entrance, you open the door, it connects you to the muti player caves where you meet your freind and form a party and get ready, then you and your freind enters a portal (door), The party leader chooses a location from any availible, and you and your ferinds begin the dungeon. Later You decide to finish where you are and return to the cave town and make your way back upstairs where you can carry on your single player game, with the loot you got from the caves.

What about dieing you say? There could be difficulty settings to the caves, softcoe and hardcoe, in softcoe you can be ressurected by a freind in the cave, or you go back to town and can re-enter the cave like WoW. In hardcoe mode when you die in the cave you go back to town and cannot re-enter that cave untill your party is dead, then you have to start that cave from scratch all over again.

If they add any sort of multiplayer into TES:V, I'm sure this could be modded into the game. Extra underground caves could be added to the list.

[Guy Pearce]

What do you think the best setting for the MMO would be? Somebody (I think dogsbody, but I'm not sure) once speculated the possability of it being in a series of 'natural' plane's of oblivion: meaning clumps of unused waste material from previous kalpas and dead Et' Ada (ideas.)

The player would chose out of a few lesser Daedra to play as, and would join a 'side' in the fighting (align with one of the princes) This alighnment wouldn't affect the relation to other players besides in battle, but would alter npc dispositions and quests offered. I think the easiest Daedra to use would be the atronachs, considering that they are said to not follow the same Daedroth for long periods of time.

[Philip Lyon]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but In the TESMMO, I'd like to see a traditional Dungeon Master system in place. Like in D&D. Dunno how well it would work in TES though.

[Cameron Garrod]

The only way I would like to see a TES MMO is if the Game is not ONLY an MMO, I want it to be a full game that is better than Oblivion. Then you could also go online and play with your Char.

[NO suckers In Here]

If this intervenes with TESV in any way, I will generally pissed off. This same situation happened with KOTOR3.

[Laura Richards]

If this intervenes with TESV in any way, I will generally pissed off. This same situation happened with KOTOR3.

Actually They knocked off the Knights of part and its just TOR, I hate that to I really wanted to see a KOTOR3 not a Cartoony MMORPG!!! Also with TESV if there is Multiplayer and its anything like Fable 2's they can forget about it!!!!

The only MMO I ever played and actually cared enough to pay for was Runescape, It gets very boring aftera while though. The only reason I could see a TESMMO is so they can milk people for their money. (They already do that with the crappy DLC on Oblivion, only thing worth getting is Mehrunes Razor)

[Nick Pryce]

Nothing wrong with milking people, really.

[Quick draw II]

The biggest issue with any MMO is balance. Elder Scrolls operated on a system that is very unbalanced - which works wonders as a single player RPG where we all want to be the biggest badasses on the planet by the end of the game. But in a static, multiplayer community you have to ensure no player or play style has an overwhelming advantage over another.

This caught my eye and I also think is one of the major problems. Another is how they make the game, someone said they could do it differently and not have the things we all hate about MMOs like grind. Well the point of any game and especially MMOs is to make money, they want you playing and they want to keep you playing. Any better way than a grind to an end game goal for the players? Hardly or someone would have come out with it by now imo. The major thing they CAN change is how they implement that grind, WoW was fun till they dumbed it down, I didnt even notice a grind cause i was busy playing with guildies on nights to progress as a group.

Any ways, if Bethsesda came out with an MMO i'd sure try it, as long as it didnt seem like a dungeons and dragons online... With MMOs though, I think its fun to try them out (if they look any good) and just quit when you no longer have fun, so just trying it wont be enough to keep me playing for sure.

@PorridgeIsGood: its one step away from cannibalism!

[Rachel Briere]

I've said it in the past, but I think it'd work best if it took place from a Daedric perspective; where players play as lesser daedra in various realms, forming and breaking allegiances with the major Daedric powers, carrying out their bidding in exchange for rewards, or doing your own thing, in the middle of the squabbling between the Daedric Princes. And maybe get temporarily summoned to Mundus by a conjurer or witch.

It'd also make respawning lore-accurate, and allow for lots of new lore to be introduced without replacing a lot of existing lore. And imagine the worlds that you could explore.

[Alkira rose Nankivell]

Nothing wrong with milking people, really.

Yes there is, that eventually leads to piss poor games cause they are trying to get a larger audience to Milk dry.

[Rudy Paint fingers]

If this intervenes with TESV in any way, I will generally pissed off. This same situation happened with KOTOR3.

Agreed.