Author Topic: Elder Scrolls Online (was "A Self-Interested Update") (Read 20346 times)

SuckerPunch · « **on:** September 23, 2011, 11:27:42 AM »

Hey gang! The new issue looks amazing and I actually decided to come back to the game a bit. I highly doubt I'll have the time to work on Titan, but I wanted to drop in and say "hey".

So: Hey!

There is one bit of news I thought might be relevant or interesting to some of you guys. I lost my previous job last June, and had hit a bit of a rough patch over the summer. However, at the end of August I started working at my new place, and here's where it gets interesting:

Zenimax Online Studios. That's where I work! We're owned by Zenimax Media, and we're a sister company to Bethesda, Id, and a few other studios. Our main function is make online games, and we're currently working on our first MMO! I can't really say much about the game at this point, but I do guarantee you it's going to be awesome.

Anyway, what's even cooler is that I was hired on to be the UI/UX guy for all of our web presence, meaning the marketing site, the player account pages, etc ... and we're building out tools that are VERY similar to what we here at Titan have been working to support CoH.

So basically I get paid to do very similar work for what I was doing here at Titan and CoH, just for a different game. That's probably the coolest thing.

Oh yeah, one more little tidbit: Floyd Grubb (Castle) and Zeb Cook (Lord Recluse) work here too! They're both really nice guys.

eabrace · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2011, 01:38:23 PM »

Awesome news, man!

I'm still semi-in-touch with Floyd/Castle through other message boards, but I had no idea Zeb was working there.

I love that they're thinking far enough out to build tools in-house for the game.

TonyV · « **Reply #2 on:** September 23, 2011, 02:25:55 PM »

Awesome, man, congratulations! I'm glad everything is working out. That sounds awesome, and I'm glad to hear that Floyd and Zeb are making another run of it. I'll definitely keep an eye on Zenimax to see what they're up to.

I agree with Eabrace about building tools in-house. Well, actually, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I would love for Paragon Studios to contract with us so that we could do this full time. My biggest enemy is my daytime job, which sucks away a LOT of my time. On the other, since I don't work for Paragon Studios, I feel like that gives us a large degree of freedom to do stuff like pull other community people in to help out or play around with things "unofficially" than we'd have if we actually worked with or even for the studio. Also, if the studio, for example, released a new hero builder, it would be really hard to compete with that and I'd be genuinely worried that ours would pretty much die out, barring coming up with some "killer feature," which they could relatively easily probably integrate into their own planner.

Still, I won't lie, some months I look at the hosting costs of the Titan Network and sigh, thinking, "Man, that could buy so many Paragon Points..."

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2011, 04:58:39 PM »

One of the plans that is already in place are robust APIs for fans to access our data. I'm pushing really hard for all that, knowing what I know about working here on Titan

Trust me, with me here, I'll keep them in shape and fan-focused.

The first time I saw Castle in the hall I felt like a stupid fangirl. I had to shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciated everything he did in CoH and how great he was with the community. Dude is tall.

Zeb has a great beard.

GuyPerfect · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2011, 06:21:06 PM »

Oh good. Punch Castle in the face for me for his un-work with the villain Ancillary pools. (-:

Fleeting Whisper · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2011, 10:30:28 PM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on September 23, 2011, 11:27:42 AM

Zenimax Online Studios. That's where I work! We're owned by Zenimax Media, and we're a sister company to Bethesda, Id, and a few other studios.

I applied to id Software (for Level Designer and Gameplay Programmer; Dallas location) a few weeks ago and never heard back. You can get me a job there, right? >.>

WanderingAries · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2011, 06:32:35 AM »

So...what you're saying is...I need to read all these programming books FASTER?!?!

Quote

Aries has chosen to bulster the Resume by reinforcing the programming background from the ground up...all 50lbs of it. >.<

GuyPerfect · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2011, 06:47:58 PM »

The first thing you should learn is how the CPU executes programs. The second thing you should learn is how OOP contradicts that. Then you'll be golden. (-:

WanderingAries · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2011, 09:38:10 PM »

Quote from: GuyPerfect on September 24, 2011, 06:47:58 PM

The first thing you should learn is how the CPU executes programs. The second thing you should learn is how OOP contradicts that. Then you'll be golden. (-:

You mean linear/parallel vs what the GUI makes you Think is going on?

Tazhyngarth · « **Reply #9 on:** September 26, 2011, 02:34:02 AM »

<----envy of SP for now.

Zwillinger · « **Reply #10 on:** September 27, 2011, 01:10:13 AM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on September 23, 2011, 11:27:42 AM

Hey gang! The new issue looks amazing and I actually decided to come back to the game a bit. I highly doubt I'll have the time to work on Titan, but I wanted to drop in and say "hey".

So: Hey!

There is one bit of news I thought might be relevant or interesting to some of you guys. I lost my previous job last June, and had hit a bit of a rough patch over the summer. However, at the end of August I started working at my new place, and here's where it gets interesting:

Zenimax Online Studios. That's where I work! We're owned by Zenimax Media, and we're a sister company to Bethesda, Id, and a few other studios. Our main function is make online games, and we're currently working on our first MMO! I can't really say much about the game at this point, but I do guarantee you it's going to be awesome.

Anyway, what's even cooler is that I was hired on to be the UI/UX guy for all of our web presence, meaning the marketing site, the player account pages, etc ... and we're building out tools that are VERY similar to what we here at Titan have been working to support CoH.

So basically I get paid to do very similar work for what I was doing here at Titan and CoH, just for a different game. That's probably the coolest thing.

Oh yeah, one more little tidbit: Floyd Grubb (Castle) and Zeb Cook (Lord Recluse) work here too! They're both really nice guys.

Tell Wheels and Corrie I said "Hi!"...and all of the other former Mythic folks there (there was a lot of us, I know).

Aggelakis · « **Reply #11 on:** September 27, 2011, 02:03:10 AM »

Quick! It's a wandering redname! DOG PILE!!!

GuyPerfect · « **Reply #12 on:** September 27, 2011, 03:11:52 AM »

I specifically made sure I wouldn't be identified as a bluename on this board. I'm not an admin in the sense that I can help people. (-:

WanderingAries · « **Reply #13 on:** September 27, 2011, 03:15:17 AM »

Quote from: Aggelakis on September 27, 2011, 02:03:10 AM

Quick! It's a wandering redname! DOG PILE!!!

For a second I got worried. :-O

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2012, 04:03:24 PM »

Elder Scrolls Online announced.

eabrace · « **Reply #15 on:** May 04, 2012, 12:10:53 AM »

Hooray!

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #16 on:** May 04, 2012, 01:29:17 PM »

Stay tuned, at 10am the thing I've actually been working on goes live

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #17 on:** May 04, 2012, 01:55:06 PM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on May 04, 2012, 01:29:17 PM

Stay tuned, at 10am the thing I've actually been working on goes live

www.elderscrollsonline.com

eabrace · « **Reply #18 on:** May 04, 2012, 02:28:38 PM »

I'll have to look when I get home since all I see is a few text links here at work. Probably getting mostly blocked by the proxy but not completely so.

Tazhyngarth · « **Reply #19 on:** May 04, 2012, 07:59:27 PM »

Sweet!!!

eabrace · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2012, 12:21:00 AM »

Now that I've gotten to look at it from home...

Ooo! Pretty!

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2012, 03:39:40 PM »

Thanks guys

It's unfortunately not the greatest showcase of the game so far (or my talents), but the next few revisions that go out will be way more interesting.

TonyV · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2012, 03:02:04 AM »

Looking forward to it, and congratulations again!

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #23 on:** May 18, 2012, 04:14:26 PM »

WHOAH!

CuppaJo just started working here!

eabrace · « **Reply #24 on:** May 18, 2012, 06:03:05 PM »

Getting the band back together?

GuyPerfect · « **Reply #25 on:** May 19, 2012, 02:40:57 AM »

Meh. Tell me when Ocho and Pohsyb show up. (-:

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #26 on:** May 23, 2012, 07:40:21 PM »

Quote from: eabrace on May 18, 2012, 06:03:05 PM

Getting the band back together?

Seems like it, a little bit.

Since Jo'll be running the community, we'll get to work together a fair amount since I'm one of the guys you know, building the community stuff

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #27 on:** June 05, 2012, 08:34:38 PM »

New version of the site up, with a new teaser trailer:

www.elderscrollsonline.com

eabrace · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2012, 03:41:36 AM »

Just had a chance to take a look. That's a pretty nice little facelift.

eabrace · « **Reply #29 on:** November 09, 2012, 03:49:02 AM »

New video!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxJTsq2XeKY#!

Rotten Luck · « **Reply #30 on:** November 09, 2012, 04:41:18 AM »

I so got to try Elder Scrolls Online.

therain93 · « **Reply #31 on:** November 09, 2012, 01:35:14 PM »

That looks pretty impressive.

CapaDevans · « **Reply #32 on:** November 09, 2012, 07:31:01 PM »

Thanks for posting this; I wouldn't have seen anything about it otherwise.

The video looks stunning and having seen a friend play other parts of the series, that's not a surprise.

But it's all about gameplay for me and what I heard in that video was encouraging. Particularly about character appearance/play customizability.

PvP doesn't interest me and the max level stuff sounded a bit like 800lb Gorilla but if I can play lots of little characters and level them without it seeming like a grind, then I'm in.

Couple of friends are looking for a game after the 30th too and I'll be sure to direct them to ESO. Definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

Best of luck to you and all the ex CoX peeps.

Ampithere · « **Reply #33 on:** November 13, 2012, 02:33:24 AM »

Just please pass the word along that bug fixes > new content.

Don't pull a GW2 and just ignore the insane bugs and broken classes at launch so that you can have some fancy events

In all seriousness, that's awesome that someone from Titan is working on ESO. I've heard snippets about it, I'll be a lot more interested now than otherwise.

Golden Girl · « **Reply #34 on:** December 11, 2012, 07:18:19 PM »

Quote from: Ampithere on November 13, 2012, 02:33:24 AM

Just please pass the word along that bug fixes > new content.

In an Elder Scrolls game?

houtex · « **Reply #35 on:** December 12, 2012, 03:03:48 AM »

NVM. Just.. nothin' here, but I can't delete the post overall. kinda skip over this if need be.

/Necroposting ftw though, GG.

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #36 on:** January 22, 2013, 08:33:53 PM »

Beta signups launched today

www.elderscrollsonline.com

therain93 · « **Reply #37 on:** January 23, 2013, 12:57:24 PM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on January 22, 2013, 08:33:53 PM

Beta signups launched today

www.elderscrollsonline.com

I have an "above average" chance of getting into the beta. Interesting -- looking forward to checking it out.

healix · « **Reply #38 on:** January 23, 2013, 11:59:51 PM »

Same here...it's the only game i'd be interested in after my City.

JWBullfrog · « **Reply #39 on:** January 25, 2013, 01:09:43 AM »

Looks interesting but I'll need to see a bit more of the actual in-game visuals. That's the 'make or break' point for me. If I can't stand looking at it, it doesn't matter how good it is.

healix · « **Reply #40 on:** January 25, 2013, 10:46:12 AM »

JW...here is a video that might help you. I found some familiar character movements....

ESO gameplay

JWBullfrog · « **Reply #41 on:** January 25, 2013, 10:59:00 PM »

Environments look quite nice. The people look...ok... as far as I can see. I might need to take a look.

Tenzhi · « **Reply #42 on:** January 26, 2013, 08:26:42 PM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on January 22, 2013, 08:33:53 PM

Beta signups launched today

www.elderscrollsonline.com

Does the beta signup not progress to a confirmation screen? I filled in the info and clicked the NDA acceptance box and clicked the button to complete the application and then nothing happened except the button going dead. There should be *some* sort of confirmation, one would imagine.

Surelle · « **Reply #43 on:** January 26, 2013, 11:18:12 PM »

Quote from: Tenzhi on January 26, 2013, 08:26:42 PM

Does the beta signup not progress to a confirmation screen? I filled in the info and clicked the NDA acceptance box and clicked the button to complete the application and then nothing happened except the button going dead. There should be *some* sort of confirmation, one would imagine.

There is. I applied the minute it became available, lol. But probably the site is getting hammered so badly by now that it might have had some sort of hangup or mini-crash on you. I'd try again later.

JWBullfrog · « **Reply #44 on:** January 27, 2013, 02:42:09 AM »

Well, I've tossed my name into the BETA test hat. Lets see what comes of it.

Victoria Victrix · « **Reply #45 on:** January 27, 2013, 02:44:48 AM »

Me three. Cuppa works on this, and it is very pretty. Not being able to fly might be a game breaker though. The UI might also be a game breaker.

JWBullfrog · « **Reply #46 on:** January 27, 2013, 02:49:42 AM »

to be honest, I know nothing about the elder scrolls 'verse. So, having no preconceived notions to hold me back, I'll be able to be as objective as anyone can be.

... but if they don't have something approximating a controller I'm going to be disappointed.

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #47 on:** January 27, 2013, 03:29:38 AM »

Quote from: Victoria Victrix on January 27, 2013, 02:44:48 AM

Me three. Cuppa works on this, and it is very pretty. Not being able to fly might be a game breaker though. The UI might also be a game breaker.

I work with Cuppa all day erry day. It's surreal and awesome. Jo rocks.

SuckerPunch · « **Reply #48 on:** January 27, 2013, 03:30:04 AM »

Quote from: Tenzhi on January 26, 2013, 08:26:42 PM

Does the beta signup not progress to a confirmation screen? I filled in the info and clicked the NDA acceptance box and clicked the button to complete the application and then nothing happened except the button going dead. There should be *some* sort of confirmation, one would imagine.

The company we outsourced this too have done nothing but f'd it up. If you haven't try to register using Chrome.

Tenzhi · « **Reply #49 on:** January 27, 2013, 05:06:42 AM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on January 27, 2013, 03:30:04 AM

The company we outsourced this too have done nothing but f'd it up. If you haven't try to register using Chrome.

Chrome is the browser I was using with no luck. I'll have to try again in the next couple of days.

Oh, and the number of games beta tested maxes out at 8 for some reason...

Nyx Nought Nothing · « **Reply #50 on:** January 29, 2013, 02:26:22 AM »

Quote from: SuckerPunch on January 27, 2013, 03:30:04 AM

The company we outsourced this too have done nothing but f'd it up. If you haven't try to register using Chrome.

Luckily it worked fine for me a few days ago using Firefox.
In retrospect it occurs to me that i could have listed the various CoH closed betas i was in as betas, or at least the CoV beta. Not that i have a huge amount of free time to put into beta testing currently anyway. Still, i've enjoyed the Elder Scrolls setting in the past enough to sign up for the beta.

MindBlender · « **Reply #51 on:** January 29, 2013, 05:58:25 AM »

I have been looking at this for some time. I have been playing Skyrim since the shutdown of our city. I love the trailer and if the game is that pretty (close to Skyrim quality) I am soooo in. This also means that it is time for a new computer. The massive amount of gfx processing would have my single core and 512mb gfx card smoking up a storm in no time.

Tenzhi · « **Reply #52 on:** January 29, 2013, 06:01:10 AM »

Finally got the signup to work.

MindBlender · « **Reply #53 on:** February 11, 2013, 05:38:15 AM »

Signed up for beta and just waiting for an invitation to give it a shot. Hope it looks as pretty as the announcement vids.

healix · « **Reply #54 on:** February 12, 2013, 10:03:46 AM »

It's the only game that has sparked any interest since our City went dark..it started long ago with Morrowind for me, and I still fire up Oblivion.

Captain Electric · « **Reply #55 on:** February 12, 2013, 10:28:01 AM »

Quote from: healix on February 12, 2013, 10:03:46 AM

It's the only game that has sparked any interest since our City went dark..it started long ago with Morrowind for me, and I still fire up Oblivion.

No Skyrim?

healix · « **Reply #56 on:** February 12, 2013, 11:22:58 AM »

Haven't gotten Skyrim yet...but will. It's been a harsh couple of years moneywise.I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it's not an oncoming train

MindBlender · « **Reply #57 on:** February 27, 2013, 01:31:48 PM »

Quote from: healix on February 12, 2013, 11:22:58 AM

Haven't gotten Skyrim yet...but will. It's been a harsh couple of years moneywise.I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it's not an oncoming train

I think you would enjoy Skyrim. I love wasting time on it, but I do miss playing with friends. Skyrim being single player only does get to me. As far as the beauty of the game, wow...just wow! Hoping ES Online matches it

Maressa · « **Reply #58 on:** March 28, 2013, 09:05:06 AM »

I got to play ESO at PAX East for nearly 2 hours. They basically had to drag me out. Amazingly beautiful game! I cannot wait to get my hands on it properly. I also wrote about my experience! http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Elder-Scrolls-Online/news/PAX-East-2013---Elder-Scrolls-Online-Closer-Look

Rotten Luck · « **Reply #59 on:** March 28, 2013, 12:58:39 PM »

I just signed up for the Beta.

Heroette · « **Reply #60 on:** March 28, 2013, 05:41:54 PM »

My son played Skyrim constantly when it came out. In fact, that is all he did until he moved on the Minecraft, I think it was. He might be interested in the online version but he is going to have to pay for it (he's in college).

FatherXmas · « **Reply #61 on:** March 28, 2013, 09:23:32 PM »

Oops, wrong thread.

MindBlender · « **Reply #62 on:** May 01, 2013, 04:45:38 AM »

Bethesda, please give me a date when this will be open to enjoy... I'm going a bit nuts waiting for my new place to rest my gaming head while I wait for the Plan Zs. I have very little hope that our game will be released by NCSoft, so I am betting all my chips on Plan Zs. I love Skyrim (and Oblivion) so I want to see what the open world MMO "version" will look/play like. Videos do not tell the whole story.

Rust · « **Reply #63 on:** May 01, 2013, 05:17:59 AM »

There's just something inherently "wrong" with a MMO style Elder Scrolls game. I dunno, it's probably just me but I prefer Elder Scrolls being a single player experience.

Also, with the exception of the Aldmeri Dominion, none of the factions make sense. Redguards, Bretons, and Orcs? Redguards and Bretons routinely gang up to go all Genocidal on the Orcs, and the Orcs respond in kind by ravaging said cities. But that's almost plausible before the epic team of Nords, Dark Elves, and Argonians.\

If ever there were three races that would happily slit each others throats...

downix · « **Reply #64 on:** May 01, 2013, 02:27:13 PM »

Quote from: scalebeast on March 28, 2013, 05:41:54 PM

My son played Skyrim constantly when it came out. In fact, that is all he did until he moved on the Minecraft, I think it was. He might be interested in the online version but he is going to have to pay for it (he's in college).

I used to play Skyrim like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee....

eabrace · « **Reply #65 on:** May 01, 2013, 02:30:55 PM »

Quote from: downix on May 01, 2013, 02:27:13 PM

I used to play Skyrim like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee....

MindBlender · « **Reply #66 on:** May 02, 2013, 10:44:08 AM »

Quote from: downix on May 01, 2013, 02:27:13 PM

I used to play Skyrim like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee....

2 snaps up in a circle! (In Living Color reference for anyone not in my sad little brain...)

healix · « **Reply #67 on:** May 02, 2013, 07:52:12 PM »

This is the only game, other than CoH, that I have any interest in. I got hooked a few years back on Morrowind/expansions and still play Oblivion. (I will get Skyrim when I have the extra funds)

JWBullfrog · « **Reply #68 on:** May 03, 2013, 10:31:05 PM »

Quote from: MindBlender on May 02, 2013, 10:44:08 AM

2 snaps up in a circle! (In Living Color reference for anyone not in my sad little brain...)

I got that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWdL9mrYNmQ

Turjan · « **Reply #69 on:** May 04, 2013, 12:10:55 PM »

The Elder Scrolls worlds have always been a love of mine - I modded the hell out of Morrowind on the PC, even to the point of creating a whole island full of interlocked scripted adventures, weird buildings, and custom reskinned character models for a group of online friends.

Fast forward to the present and Skyrim on the XBox is my current TES fix, where months after I started playing, I'm still busy being swept away by a tidal wave of sidequests, exploration and sight-seeing...

So naturally I was seriously interested when I learned of TES Online!
...until I found out about the factions that is.

IMO the way they're handling factions and communications in ESO is an immediate game breaker for me before I've even set foot in the game. There are over 20 years of unique lore already there in TES, but the game's production company appears to have ignored all of it and gone with a completely lame and out of date Warcraft style concept of factions.

"For the sake of gameplay" they say. Hah! What a load of bs - if they had any respect at all for the millions of people who've played games in the world of Tamriel and fallen in love with its lore, they'd never have dared pigeonhole players into arbitrary fixed factions. If there's one thing I've learned from playing TES games over the years, it's that the world of the Elder Scrolls is in perpetual flux. The whole point of the RP games is that a character of any race can, if they wish, be any class and follow any career path - career paths which quite often mean simultaneously being part of rival organisations.

For me, it's that unrivalled open-ended flexibility that has made the Elder Scrolls games what they are. And this MMO spectacularly misses that core feature of all the TES games by dismissing two decades' worth of lore with a wave of the hand, all in what seems to me to simply be a sad attempt to steal a few WoW players.

Unlss they change the way factions are handled in ESO, I'm afraid I just can't bring myself to play it. To do so would feel like I was endorsing the betrayal of an old friend. Which upsets me on several levels because of all the MMOs I've looked at in the dark post-CoH days, ESO was the one I really wanted to work, thanks to my love of the world and lore of Tamriel.

MindBlender · « **Reply #70 on:** May 14, 2013, 04:43:12 AM »

Now that Skyrim has the Legendary system in place, I have more options on the game to keep me busy. I still want the MMO, for the community feel (which damn well better not get all WoW like!). I feel that they have taken some liberties with the Lore, but on the whole I am happy with what I have seen on youtube on gameplay. There is just too much to like about it to NOT give it a chance.

Floride · « **Reply #71 on:** May 14, 2013, 05:34:25 AM »

I would prefer an Elder Scrolls MMO over a Skyrim one. I'd love to go to Elsweyr or Black Marsh as much as Morrowind and Skyrim.

Rust · « **Reply #72 on:** May 22, 2013, 11:35:32 PM »

For the life of me, I can't sit down and "get lost" in Skyrim like I could in Morrowind and Oblivion. Whether it's because I'm older or something else, but I just find myself wandering away the game at about the 30 hour mark. I haven't even done any of the expansions despite paying for them.

It's maddening because I adore the game and the design. Heck, I rank it far higher then Oblivion and I spent enough time in that game to get 100% completion on everything.

But for whatever reason, Skyrim just can't hold my interest past Hour 30.

News:

Author Topic: Elder Scrolls Online (was "A Self-Interested Update") (Read 20346 times)

Surelle