Elder Scrolls Novel

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:11 am

I could care less about the novel, but the author accidentally dropped info about TESV.

Check it out:
http://kotaku.com/5388787/elder-scrolls-novel-potentially-confirms-elder-scrolls-v

He says the book bridges the gap between Oblivion and ESV, which is 200 years later.
Kind of cool, hope it isn't an MMO.

EDIT: Actually, this makes me think it isn't. Thank God.
http://kotaku.com/5339301/bethesda-clarifies-no-elder-scrolls-v-statement

Sload · Post by **Sload** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:27 am

everyone who knows anything knows that there is a tes v and that its set in in skyrim and as a bonus point i guessed the game would be set 200 years later back in 2006

right on the fuckin money ayayay

Night0205 · Post by **Night0205** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:58 am

I hope TES V goes back to the Morrowind way of quests. I got bored of Oblivion telling me exactly where to go, but they probably won't change becuse they want to reach the masses. Shame.

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:09 pm

lol Night. Trying to appeal to the masses. Is that the new reason that X game doesn't have Y feature these days?

I agree, though. As nice as V/Os are, they limit the scope of Dialogue in the game. Especially when you've only got like, 6 actors.

Monkey · Post by **Monkey** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:55 pm

I can't wait to see TES V finnished and play it, i just hope its not an utter failure, and im the same, id like to be able to try and figure out what to do instead of having my hand held all the way through the game

Oblivion was just way to easy, short and unimaginative
But looked and played amazing

Katze · Post by **Katze** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:02 pm

It didn't look or play amazing either. Technically very pretty, stylistically very uninspired. The game still has potential though, if only through modding efforts like our own. We just need modelers!

FelixAmherst · Post by **FelixAmherst** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:07 pm

Well I can't wait for TES V. I don't want it to be like MW or Oblivion, I want it to be it's own style. MW and Obliv are stale now, in their raw states. But Beth made MW different from Daggerfall (lol, daggerfall) and oblivion different from MW, so the hances are, they will make V different too.

At least I hope they do - PLEASE get rid of the "Jauffre" Voice actor - bleh.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:16 pm

What makes you sure that TES V will be really set in Skyrim?

Monkey · Post by **Monkey** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:30 pm

What always puzzled me is that the oblivion map seemed so small compared to morrowind but on the map oblivion is clearly bigger

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i201/Vality7/TamrielMap.jpg

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:34 pm

Witty remark Monkey, but don't forget that Oblivion is made in a different scale.

Monkey · Post by **Monkey** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:46 pm

Yeah i know, and the scale went the wrong way

Sload · Post by **Sload** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:42 pm

osiris wrote:What makes you sure that TES V will be really set in Skyrim?

the best proof is that they've trademarked Skyrim, but comments have been made publicly (but obscurely) by people involved with the project which unequivocally point toward Skyrim as the setting of the next game

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:03 pm

Sload wrote:the best proof is that they've trademarked Skyrim, but comments have been made publicly (but obscurely) by people involved with the project which unequivocally point toward Skyrim as the setting of the next game

I'm fine with Skyrim, just as long as they do it right. Where was that article Lady N wrote?

Katze · Post by **Katze** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:08 pm

It was here: http://ladyn.tamriel-rebuilt.org/Skyrim.php

Really good article, that. Goes to show that Skyrim doesn't have to be about clichÃƒÂ©, drunken Vikings after all.

Four Greyhounds · Post by **Four Greyhounds** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:00 pm

FelixAmherst wrote:I don't want it to be like MW or Oblivion, I want it to be it's own style. MW and Obliv are stale now, in their raw states.

i'm with felix here. i don't understand why everyone wants TESV to be like morrowind. morrowind and oblivion were both great games, but now it's time for something new.

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:47 pm

Four Greyhounds wrote:i'm with felix here. i don't understand why everyone wants TESV to be like morrowind. morrowind and oblivion were both great games, but now it's time for something new.

No it isn't.

Thrignar Fraxix · Post by **Thrignar Fraxix** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:48 pm

Oblivion was a great game?

Lady Nerevar · Post by **Lady Nerevar** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:08 pm

in its own right, yes. but it doesnt matter what you think about that, because a remake of morrowind would be just that, morrowind with prettier graphics. morrowind had plenty of its own flaws, and i too want TES V to be unique (not Morrowind 2 of Oblivion 2 or Daggerfall 2). some things can always be improved.

now, lets direct this discussion back to the novel...

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:56 pm

Lady Nerevar wrote:now, lets direct this discussion back to the novel...

This thread has nothing to do with the novel except the for the topic title. I barely even mentioned the novel in the post and it hasn't been mentioned since. Maybe I should change the name of the thread...

Lady Nerevar · Post by **Lady Nerevar** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:11 pm

that was my way of saying "i dont want to see yet another pointless bash session"

cire992 · Post by **cire992** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:35 am

oh, gotcha.

Anyway, novel's set about 25 years after oblivion and the cover has a picture of a city on a floating landmass.

Fiore1300 · Post by **Fiore1300** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:39 am

So, I guess the question would be...

If you want to talk about the novel:

What is the legacy of the floating city (which sorta looks Dwemer) on the next Elder Scrolls game?

Or, if you want to focus on the 200 year part:

In 200 years, how do you think Tamriel has changed?

I personally think that there will be no new empire, but a collection of independent states: dictatorships, monarchies, republics.

Other questions to ponder: Has another invasion by Akavir occured? Do the Akaviri rule part of Tamriel?

At least I think its safe to say technology won't change. Someone in another forum was all proclaiming they'd leave the series if ESV had guns. Though I don't see any evidence for them to panic. 200 years, really? Tamriel's technology hasn't changed since the Mythic Age. Actually, it has gone backward...So I doubt 200 years are going to make a difference anyway.

That's not to say primitive gunpowder weapons would "ruin" oblivion anyway. Early guns certainly didn't take the place of crossbows/longbows. They were more close-ranged, scare-tactic weapons. Good for ripping through dense ranks of goblins. Not that I'm saying I'd love to see blunderbuss in ESV, I think they would hurt the feel, just saying if by some crazy chance they are, who gives a whoot?

Had to get that off my back.

Hemitheon · Post by **Hemitheon** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:10 pm

My main question is which family is Prince Attrebus from? Has the Septim Dynasty truly run out? Or did Uriel VII or any of his sons leave an heir? Right before Oblivion starts, Princes Enman, Ebel, and Geldall were murdered. Is Attrebus one of their sons? Or has a new dynasty started.

Tyrion · Post by **Tyrion** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:43 pm

Ich bin der Kaiser und ich will KnÃƒÂ¶del!!!

FelixAmherst · Post by **FelixAmherst** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:46 pm

Sie kÃƒÂ¶nnen es nicht? Anyways, Skyrim seems like a good setting for TES V. Snow nao plax.

Four Greyhounds · Post by **Four Greyhounds** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:27 pm

Skyrim ist gut, but how would TR be able to continue with a different province for it? Since TES5 TR recreated the rest of morrowind, all the models and textures were there. With TES4, many of the objects were generic and there was a wide range of textures. With Skyrim, it just seems like there wouldn't be a big selection. It seems like there would have to be ALOT of new textures and models, and it would take a really long time to get started. Personally, I'd like to see Summerset Isles. Summerset Isles would be sehr gut! Ich liebe Summerset Isles!

Thrignar Fraxix · Post by **Thrignar Fraxix** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:55 pm

We really are making HF from scratch, so it would basically be the same. Vanilla OB was next to no help.

Four Greyhounds · Post by **Four Greyhounds** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:08 pm

oh, it seemed to me that with such an eclectic model set, with different architecture for each city, that it would have been easy, if not still harder, than morrowind. my mistake.

Chin Music · Post by **Chin Music** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:41 am

ESV must surely be many years away yet, since apparently Bethesda are working on other projects.

That said, I'm not too hopeful anyway. They will probably continue to refine the gameplay but if Oblivion is anything to go by, it seems Beth are sort of losing focus on the franchise world itself that makes ES one of the most interesting fantasy settings that I've ever seen.

Full voice acting will naturally be expected of them at this point, despite the opinion that it actually inhibits immersion rather than promoting it. But hopefully with a change of scenery to a different province there will be a greater inclination to expand on the world, unlike Cyrodiil which basically just gave them the opportunity to make everything "ye olde fantasy".

brianbusby · Post by **brianbusby** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:34 am

I hope Sload's right and that they do make it in Skyrim rather than Summerset Isles. Although the tropical and exotic atmosphere of that area would be awesome, plus all the new lore and features that would have to encompass things like the Psijic Order and Artaeum. Skyrim would be ten times cooler because the enviroment is way cooler, judging from places like bruma with skyrim influence the architecture is cooler, and the snow and mountains would just be awesome.Kinda like solsthiem but way cooler. And the Nords are easily the best race.
Also, I'm excited for the books but a floating city sounds really far-fetched.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:37 am

Chin Music wrote: Full voice acting will naturally be expected of them at this point, despite the opinion that it actually inhibits immersion rather than promoting it.

I agree. Voice acting is the future and it won't kill immersion if Bethesda will learn from the errors they did in Oblivion.
For example, Gothic 3 uses voice acting as well but its dialogue system isn't bad at all. That game remind me Morrowind in many aspects.

Fiore1300 · Post by **Fiore1300** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:47 pm

Who has the opinion that voice acting inhibits immersion?

Starting out with Oblivion, I've returned to play Morrowind, because of all the good things I've heard, yet I can't say I like all of the silent conversations...

I'm a real big reader IRL, especially in non-fiction. But whenever I play Elder Scrolls, I have an aversion to it. Even with Oblivion, I would rarely ever read the books in the game. Now, in Morrowind, I have to read pretty much everything. I don't know...dialogue seems sort of like a chore.

Anyway, just wondering what the other side is saying. To me, spoken dialogue is better. I'd like to hear why others think its worse.

Katze · Post by **Katze** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:57 pm

The voice acting in Oblivion was much too slow, for one. I read much faster than the characters in the game spoke, so I generally just ended up reading the subtitles and skipping the spoken dialogue anyway.

It's also very expensive to hire voice actors to read out each line, so in a game series that prides itself on being huge and verbose, you end up having a lack of variation in the voice work, and less dialogue overall.

Requiring decent voice work also makes it harder on us modders, not everyone has the equipment to record sounds to the developer's level, and not everyone can voice act. Anyone with a computer can write and implement text dialogue, no extra hardware required.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:03 pm

Fiore1300 wrote:Who has the opinion that voice acting inhibits immersion?

I agree on all what you said, but maybe who think that spoken dialogue inhibits immersion are indeed some hardcore roleplayers (with no offense). After all, probably someone likes to read more than me and you. That's just a matter of personal tastes.

Cathartis is right too. Anyway, I forgot to say that I have the habit of always leave subtitles on (I like them), so basically my gameplay isn't really "only-spoken".

Thrignar Fraxix · Post by **Thrignar Fraxix** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:13 pm

I'm no hard core roleplayer, but when there are less than 10 total voices, the beggars switch between poor and proper, everyone has the same mudcrab conversation, and the acting is just overall poor... well...

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:15 pm

Well, that's right as well. I was talking about mistakes made by Bethesda one or two posts ago... Definitely they have to hire more actors, and write more dialogue.

Fiore1300 · Post by **Fiore1300** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:40 pm

Those are good reasons. I can certainly see where you're coming from now.

As to Bethesda's miskakes, they certainly will need to write and record more dialogue with a greater diversity in voice acting. And I think the interface could be improved as well (hated that bloody minigame, and those rumors that would highlight even after you have heard them). But you've got to start somewhere with these things, and I think Oblivion was a beginning point. And I doubt Bethesda would leave it seriously unchanged. If they do, that's just a sign that the company has become more conservative---which means it might be time to begin looking for a new, innovating rpg developer...

Not to go a little off topic, Bethesda did, in their demo viewing of Oblivion way-back-when, did seem to have more diversity in voice acting. Wonder what happened to that? Not to mention more of...everything.

Yeti · Post by **Yeti** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:20 am

I've never played Oblivion so I can't really comment about the quality of its vocals.... though I don't remember being impressed when I saw clips of it on You tube...

Anyway, I have to say that when it's done right -the Knights of the Old Republic series comes to mind- voice-acting can do a lot that dialogue alone can't. It obviously adds a lot emotion to characterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s dialogue, allowing you to hear the malice in an adversaryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s threats, the gruffness in a mercenary's answers, and wisdom in an elder's consul.

Only having written dialogue is perfectly fine, especially for a game like Morrowind that has thousands of NPC's. It's just something that probably isn't going to be seen too often these days.

Night0205 · Post by **Night0205** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 1:09 am

I have no problem with written dialogue, my favorite game being morrowind, but I think people will expect voice. Which is bad because, similar to oblivion, Bethesda doesn't seem to have the resources or the time to make respectable voice for such a massive game. In fact it almost seems impossible for any company to have that kind of resource in the period of time the game would be expected. Which also makes me feel discouraged that they will make the game smaller, but with better visuals. I think video games are continually getting their priorities more and more screwed up. Knights of the Old Republic is an AMAZING game, not because of the visuals, but because of the story and gameplay. This is why Morrowind > Oblivion. I just hope they can find the balance.

pacificmorrowind · Post by **pacificmorrowind** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:35 am

[quote="Fiore1300"]
Not to go a little off topic, Bethesda did, in their demo viewing of Oblivion way-back-when, did seem to have more diversity in voice acting. Wonder what happened to that? Not to mention more of...everything.[/quote]
well with the VO it was due to penny pinching... they didn't accurately estimate the amount of size the VO would be and when at release time they suddenly realized that it would require 2 dvds instead of one the axe fell on a lot of it. I think that for the more of everthing (ie Sutch) that it was release dates.
Pacific Morrowind