Official TES V Speculation Thread # 59 : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:58 am

Yes finally we can hear some news and they can tell us about the new engine.

» Tue May 17, 2011 6:21 am

I personally hope that they revamp the Gamebryo engine extensively, if not even building an entirely new one, though the latter might prove too costly. Personally, I felt Gamebryo worked well for showing sweet environments and similar, but I can definately see improvements that I'd like. Preferably a well done V than one just "for the heck of it".

» Tue May 17, 2011 9:32 am

According to digitalspy.com, Bethesda may be announcing TES V quite soon. Todd Howard apparently revealed during his QuakeCon talk that Bethesda has been working on their current project for over two years. Now I don't know the validity of this statement from Todd Howard, I was playing golf yesterday and wasn't able to watch the live stream of QuakeCon. But the article has gotten me excited...

Here's a link: http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a261323/bethesda-working-on-secret-project.html

The last line of the article says "Bethesda is expected to make an official announcement about the project soon". The word "expected" is probably referring to Elder Scroll fans. Unless its true, Bethesda may see it differently. They'll announce something when they're ready.

» Tue May 17, 2011 1:28 am

The last line of the article says "Bethesda is expected to make an official announcement about the project soon". The word "expected" is probably referring to Elder Scroll fans. Unless its true, Bethesda may see it differently. They'll announce something when they're ready.

"Expected" could also refer to the gaming media.

» Tue May 17, 2011 10:49 am

Just to get this cleared, it isn't because they have been revamping the engine all of last year that the game has only started this year. (Meaning their first 1.5-ish years of development were all programming.) Not all members of the team are programmers. The art department has probably finished concepts and all plots, and possibly even (all?) models, meshes, textures, animations (I don't know how engine-dependant that is). Right?

I don't know how long the actual world-building and play-testing stages take, especially since they now have the cash to hire more world decorators. Maybe one year for a short, 1.5 for a hands-on demo and then a release on the 2 year mark? If that would be correct, and they've been working on it since the beginning of the year, that could mean a release in the holiday season in 2011 (and coverage all summer).
I know it's a rather tight deadline, but I'm sure you'll agree it would be an ideal time line marketing-wise and postponing it another full year would probably kill the hype.

» Tue May 17, 2011 7:55 am

I can't wait anymore!

I've been waiting for it to be announced for about 2 years and there is no single word about it! Good thing that they actually said that they are working on a new game.

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:42 am

I know it's a rather tight deadline, but I'm sure you'll agree it would be an ideal time line marketing-wise and postponing it another full year would probably kill the hype.

What hype? Where, other than this sub-forum, is there anything a marketing team would call 'hype'? If you asked people on gaming forums and blogs if they would like to see TESV, they would say yes, but thats not hype, thats just low-level background interest. Hype comes much later, and is a product of a marketing team as much as of the fandom.

Hype will start when they announce, and the PR/marketing folk will massage it with care and confidence honed from years of handling this kind of thing.

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:51 am

What hype? Where, other than this sub-forum, is there anything a marketing team would call 'hype'? If you asked people on gaming forums and blogs if they would like to see TESV, they would say yes, but thats not hype, thats just low-level background interest. Hype comes much later, and is a product of a marketing team as much as of the fandom.

Hype will start when they announce, and the PR/marketing folk will massage it with care and confidence honed from years of handling this kind of thing.

Well now that we have learned the definition of hype what do we do next?

» Tue May 17, 2011 3:39 am

I haven't been here in a while: Are we speculating an announcement during or shortly after QC?

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:47 am

We're speculating about an announcement sometime this decade. If we're lucky.

Seriously, no one knows but it propably ain't happening too soon. Current quesses put it this or next year :shrug:

» Tue May 17, 2011 3:31 am

This thread is hilarious, an endless source of laughs. Really.

Anyways, I find that "expected to make an official" whatever-whatever soon on that article reassuring.

» Tue May 17, 2011 3:32 am

only a few of those topic are even discussed here. what TES5 will have it in is done in the other thread.....this is purely about when it will come out.

maybe you should read the first post.

Do we really need 596 pages of "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?...

...Are we there yet?...

...Are we there yet?...

...Are we there yet?...

...596 pages and counting.

If this speculation thread is just for release info, then we need another type of speculation thread. A thread about speculating on the effects of applying the rumors and suggestions to in-game situations.

An Applied Speculation thread is what I was suggesting http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1110163-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-59/page__view__findpost__p__16275279.

» Tue May 17, 2011 12:08 am

Todd Howard never said to expect an announcement on their project soon. I think that article didn't know what it was talking about.

» Tue May 17, 2011 1:37 pm

So there was no news from Todd refering th TESV?

» Tue May 17, 2011 5:59 am

So there was no news from Todd refering th TESV?

Nope no official news of TESV. Though Todd did say that they've been working on their current project for 2 years, and they spent the better part of 2009 building up their game engine, but he never said that it was going to be Elder Scrolls V.

» Tue May 17, 2011 2:12 pm

Well, considering how much Todd insists that they've only been working on their new game since Fallout 3's release, I guess we've got to believe him. Here's a newly updated timeline:

http://i33.tinypic.com/j7sqrt.png

Do we really need 596 pages of "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?...

If you don't like this thread, don't post in it. Simple as that. :shrug:

» Tue May 17, 2011 12:15 am

Well, considering how much Todd insists that they've only been working on their new game since Fallout 3's release, I guess we've got to believe him. Here's a newly updated timeline:

http://i33.tinypic.com/j7sqrt.png

If you don't like this thread, don't post in it. Simple as that. :shrug:

Okay, seems like were going to wait until 2012 for TESV (perhaps). I actually believe Todd this time. Lets just hope the engine turns out great!

» Tue May 17, 2011 1:07 am

Looking at the timeline im assuming late 2011 to early 2012 maybe sooner since they have more money to spend on developers artist ect ect. But thats just my 2 cents

» Tue May 17, 2011 12:06 pm

"Expected" could also refer to the gaming media.

It's like we started a religion, in which, our holy book consists of dev quotes, and now we trying to anolyze them in order to understand kingdom come.

I know it's a rather tight deadline, but I'm sure you'll agree it would be an ideal time line marketing-wise and postponing it another full year would probably kill the hype.

STARCRAFT 2(if you know what I mean)

» Tue May 17, 2011 3:31 am

I think TESV work started well before 2008... or at least before the release of Fallout 3. I doubt all of BGS was focused on just Fallout 3, there might've been some work done on the lore and background information of TESV, and possibly art such as models and other stuff. The engine can be reworked, but the art department would not have to wait until the engine is finished. 3D models are 3D models, an engine just makes them exist in a game world. Since they are using an updated Gamebryo, the 3D models would not necessarily need much of a format change to work in an updated engine for TESV, if any. As for graphics of TESV, I bet it will overshadow Fallout 3, and that game was incredible in the graphics department. Imagine what some of the effects of Fallout 3 would look like in TESV - what if, in the TESV story, there was a really big explosion - Fallout 3 already did that in the Power of the Atom quest that allowed the player to make Megaton asplode. Of course in TESV it would not be a nuclear blast, but it could be say a massive spell cast by a careless wizard, or the explosion of Umbra, or eruption of a volcano, or something really big and explosive... maybe even a spell the Player can cast. Not just explosions, but translate all of the buildings, bridges, ruins, rivers and junk of Fallout 3 to rocks, rocks, trees and rocks of a massive epic fjord in Skyrim or a walking tree in Valenwood or something else. I'm sure the optimization will be massively improved.

I bet at this point, they might even have some work done for TESVI. Not anything serious, but concept art and that sort of stuff.

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:01 am

I bet at this point, they might even have some work done for TESVI. Not anything serious, but concept art and that sort of stuff.

I doubt it. Fallout 4 will be next.

» Tue May 17, 2011 12:35 am

I doubt it. Fallout 4 will be next.

Edit, miss read, sorry. thought you meant fallout 4 before Tes5

» Tue May 17, 2011 5:11 am

Just to get this cleared, it isn't because they have been revamping the engine all of last year that the game has only started this year. (Meaning their first 1.5-ish years of development were all programming.) Not all members of the team are programmers. The art department has probably finished concepts and all plots, and possibly even (all?) models, meshes, textures, animations (I don't know how engine-dependant that is). Right?
I don't know how long the actual world-building stage takes.

Believe it or not. The models and textures are made completely without the engine. I remember watching the making of Splinter Cell Conviction and they interviewed the man who was working on Sam Fisher's face. He talked about how it took him less than a week and how after the model is done they run it with the engine. In short, they can finish everything except testing before the engine is done. They might have to make some adjustments here and there but the majority of the work can be done.

I think TESV work started well before 2008... or at least before the release of Fallout 3. I doubt all of BGS was focused on just Fallout 3, there might've been some work done on the lore and background information of TESV, and possibly art such as models and other stuff. The engine can be reworked, but the art department would not have to wait until the engine is finished.

Well to tell you the truth. Near the end of a game's development the team is working early mornings and late nights. They are busy out of their brains. The team that made Oblivion is the very same team that made Fallout 3 and the same team that is making the new BGS game (supposedly said to be TES V). After the success of Oblivion I do not think that the CEO of BGS would be okay with somebody else starting the creation of TES V. The most that would have been done would be concept art and lore discussion.

» Tue May 17, 2011 4:49 am

Well to tell you the truth. Near the end of a game's development the team is working early mornings and late nights. They are busy out of their brains. The team that made Oblivion is the very same team that made Fallout 3 and the same team that is making the new BGS game (supposedly said to be TES V). After the success of Oblivion I do not think that the CEO of BGS would be okay with somebody else starting the creation of TES V. The most that would have been done would be concept art and lore discussion.

I feel like a jerk for complaining about oblivion if thats the case.

» Tue May 17, 2011 11:26 am

I feel like a jerk for complaining about oblivion if thats the case.

Yeah, i have watched countless "The Making of" videos and each time they say that. How so, by the way, do you feel like a jerk?