Game Rant’s Anthony Taormina and Rob Keyes analyze the potential of Elder Scrolls multiplayer.
At last night’s Spike Video Game Awards, Bethesda Softworks pulled out what may have been the only true surprise announcement of the night by revealing the first teaser trailer and release date for the next entry in the Elder Scrolls series. Titled Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the next entry into Bethesda’s fantasy series to fall in line with the other powerful success record of Bethesda’s history of RPG titles. Though the Skyrim trailer contained no real footage to speak of, the real question is what type of game experience will Skyrim offer?
We know it’s coming but what we don’t know, is what type of gameplay Skyrim will feature or if all the hints and evidence about it possibly featuring a multiplayer element (co-op?) or actually being an MMORPG will form the truth about Elder Scrolls V. So for now, let’s talk about how if Skyrim or more specifically, the larger world of Tamriel, can work as an MMO.
With Oblivion and Fallout 3 feeling like ostensibly two similar playing games with different facades, what can Bethesda do to make Skyrim not feel like another retread of similar territory? The obvious answer to the droves of fans that have requested it is to make an Elder Scrolls MMO although such a game would likely explore than just the province of Skyrim, but would allow players to return to previously explored areas including Morrowind, High Rock and Hammerfell. Having not seen any gameplay or screenshots of Skyrim yet, an MMO or multiplayer functionality still remains a very real possibility. Game Rant looked to the footage, Bethesda’s history, and some statements made by Bethesda to find out if Skyrim is the Elder Scrolls MMO gamers want it to be.
Your first thought might be that Skyrim is based in just that one province but Elder Scrolls lore provides opportunity for how such a game with a one-province title could be much more than that. Skyrim is a war-torn land with history of territorial disputes, ranging from invading the province of Morrowind to the War of the Bend’r-mahk which saw Skyrim battling inside the borders of Hammerfell and High Rock.
We want large-scale wars in 'Skyrim'
Since the RPG became one of the most popular game genres in the video game stratosphere, there has always been talk of the more popular series becoming massive, massively multiplayer that is. Ever since the huge boom that is World of Warcraft, a MMO version of an already popular game series, there continues to be rumbling of which other franchises with built-in audiences will make a similar leap. As we speak, LucasArts and BioWare are doing exactly this with The Old Republic, making an MMO out of the widely successful single player RPG titles, Knights of the Old Republic.
The other series that has always been at the top of the list for the MMO jump has been the Elder Scrolls franchise. Not only would the RPG gameplay and the first person melee combat be the perfect contrast to what is done by many other MMO developers, but the worlds Bethesda created in the continent of Tamriel are already so huge, not only in physical size but in history and culture, that they are just calling out for multiple players to inhabit and journey through.
Even the act of playing Oblivion itself called out to something akin to the MMO experience with such a populated and lively world. The franchise’s ability to take away so many hours of a gamer’s life is certainly a quality any MMO player knows very well. Making the leap from single player to multiplayer experience would extend an Elder Scrolls title to not just a 40 or 50-hour game but a game where players are logging weeks or months in their playtime. Some already dedicated an unspeakable amount of hours to Morrowind and Oblivion, and even to Arena years before that.
With Fallout 3 specifically, Bethesda has shown that they are willing to not only provide regular but also rich content to keep the experience going for the gamer. Being able to extend an experience like Skyrim through updates and expansions would be the perfect venue for the developer to continue that long running commitment to fans but also to introduce new and exciting elements without having to completely revamp the engine for a new title. Instead of a piece of DLC adding a new shorter series of quests, Skyrim expansions could do for Elder Scrolls what things like Lich King and Cataclysm are doing for WoW – making the game feel completely new.
More importantly, all of the little details of fundamental fantasy MMO gameplay are there. From questing, to inventory systems, custom clothing and armor, spell casting and spell making, alchemy, mounts, guilds, a variety of classes and leveling up, etc. etc. They’d obviously need to add in the party-making system and more crafting and mounts, but the world and gameplay are there.
Speculation could go all day as to what could or couldn’t go into an Elder Scrolls MMO. What should be included is an engaging storyline, as hinted by the VGA trailer, and an evolution of the gameplay found in Oblivion; hopefully even a return of some of Morrowind’s more popular elements that were removed for Oblivion.
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But i really do hope they have multiplayer on Skyrim. 2-4 or 6-8 would be so awesome lol
I hope they fix the fighting system… When fighting in large groups with allies and enemies.. I hate it when you attack an enemy and an ally steps in the way. Then instead of fight one group your fighting with everyone. There needs to be a friendly fire system. So you can turn it on and off when ever you need to. (Kind of like Fable. But I hope to god that Skyrim is nothing like Fable)
Also… Online would be an awesome addition to the game. But I can already see difficulties happening with it.
I disagree with having mass multiplayer in the upcoming elder scroll title as I believe it wouldn’t allow mods to be introduced to the game. I would argue that this is one of the main reasons why you had many playing the game for a long time.
To be honest, your right. But you should be able to invite a friend to help you do a quest, (Not the whole world).
Elder Scrolls 5 will have a whole new engine. At Least thats what they have said. At any rate Its Probably the most anticipated game of…well of EVER. Thats a day 1 pick up For me. Im not too worried about it becoming an MMO or not. if anyone knows how to do RPGs right its them.
OMG what i would give or so to have it at least system link multiplayer come on ive been wanting that for ever since hammerfell yes i played the original one lol but my friends and i have wanted multiplayer for it feels like venturies lol……omg Im EXCITED O.o
I hope so badly it’s not MMO… that sort of takes the whole part of the story away that makes you feel like an important piece of the story…. It would be cool to have maybe 3 person multiplayer though… and I say 3 because once you hit four then it’s a group and not a trio… It would be cool to go archer, mage, and fighter… For the most part it would seem kinda weird marching through towns with a troop of friends… That would also kinda ruin the fighting… As two or three you feel more inclined to work together rather than rush ahead to try and get at least one kill for yourself… It would also make item distribution much less argumentative… But whatever they do… I just really hope it isn’t MMO… I would probably cry xD … besides I hate pay-to-play-every-month… there’s a reason why League of Legends is so awesome
WOW, if it is a MMO i will cry… but online on ps3 maybe? or co-op, i dont know, but paying to play it.. will ruin it.
I hope it’s not an MMO, but that it has a co-op mode, maybe team up with 3 teammates, you’d have let’s say a fighter, a mage, an archer and a healer, or whatever possibility! This would be awesome, teaming up with friends.
But PLEASE not an MMO, like Alex said it would take the whole part of the story that makes you important!
for online im thinking that they should have an arena where you can battle your friends. you can have 1v1, 2v2, 3v1(if your feeling lucky) or whatever. or you can have you and a friend against some enemies in the arena. I think the arena would be pretty cool.
Whan I first started playing oblivion I thought it would be kinda cool if it were a mmo but the more I think about it the more I realise just how much an mmo would ruin it. I mean if it became incredibly popular then you would have no more random encounters while wandering the wilderness, you couldn’t permanently change the game world (e.g. killing someone or defeating Mehrunes Dagon), and then you could end up with super strong enemies that it would take groups to kill which would just take away from the feeling of accomplishment from killing semi overpowered enemies by yourself. it would also make you feel insignificant if there were 100,000 other last hopes of the world instead of there just being you. instead maybe bethesda could make a co-op mode where there is actually a story as to why a guy has just appeared next to you like maybe it’s a different aspect of your essence or something but even that would be flawed because in oblivion when you died it really felt like you died not like you had to walk all the way back to where you were from a safe zone but like you were dead. anyway I think that maybe having up to three other players with you might be good but I’m just not sure about anything multiplayer in oblivion. note to self “stop rambling”
I think that it’s the right time for them to try the muiltiplayer out there giving the game a whole new engine there fixing the glitches that oblivion had and there making it look so amazing.
if they put multiplayer in now then they can see if it has potental.
I hate the game but it’s the only thing i can compare it to…..Runescape
im just saying running around the whole map meeting people and going quests with each over killing dragons and unlocking secrets you know all that stuff going into the arena and fighting people and becoming the best fighter on in the world on skyrim.
and now some of you are crying because you want it so much well i know i am :’)
I say dont make an mmo, but include a multiplayer, it may help put some minds at ease if the multiplayer and solo were seperate? Have your solo experience then have arena’s with 1v1 2v2 4v4 etc, maybe even big battles? But dont interfere with singleplayer
Indeed the MMO is a bad idea, if i want to see hundreds of players doing the same stuff i am doing causing my doings not to have any kind of an effect on the world and collapsing the RPG side of the game, i’ll just go play WoW. One thing i would like to see though is some kind of an Co-Op mode for 2 or even more players, its fun to play a great game, but imo its even more fun with a friend or two. If they are going to make large scale battles it would be amazing to have a group Dragon Age Origins style just with the exception that it would consist of real players instead of NPCs that you have to control all the time. So MMO thumbs down, but for some kind of controllable multiplayer mode big thumbs up, so that the player himself can decide how he would like to play the game.
I say that an online element would help. I can hardly believe I’m sayin this, but it could be like Phantasy Star Universe(PSU), but without the monthly fee naturally. I doubt Bethesda has to worry about budget with the sales they’re going to have. Moving on.. It could be like PSU in that it has a seperate ONLINE campaign, in which you could import your character from single player into it(similar to Borderlands). The online campaign could allow you to level up your character. That may lead the way for boosters, but it can’t be helped. The party system could be geared like Red Dead Redemption’s(RDR) in that people can apply to join your “posse” as it were. If it was at all possible(and I know it is, as PSU utilizes this) there should be multiple servers. In this way you could sort of “get away” from crowded areas and would limit someone from looting or stealing your kills. My next suggestion could be controversial, in that it limits one of the favorite parts of the Elder Scrolls series, being able to kill anyone you like. There could be a seperate server which allows anyone to kill another player. This could be like the old PVP worlds of Runescape. Or, there could be an option that you could toggle on and off, which allows you to attack or be attacked by other human players. Naturally there would be a restriction on this toggle, so it couldn’t be abused, like the armor lock in Halo: Reach. I would suggest something like a time limit, like in Runescape the “home teleport spell” has a 30 minute time limit between uses. Using this, players would be warned that once they activate this option, they can’t turn it off for the set amount of time. They would have to survive the time limit, holding out in a cave or making a final stand in the streets until they can turn off the option.
Also, adding to an earlier comment, they should totally revamp the crafting systems. The wild resources would either have to be doubled or their respawn times would need to be shortened. And also, they would have to make some changes to the markets. There could be a “central market” in which you could search for any item in the game(in which the player dictates the price), besides rare roots such as nirnroot or any equivalents and player enchanted items. Or, there could be an institution similar to “the Bazaar” in Wizard 101, in which players can randomly drop in to sell items, and the game dictates the price, based on the rarity of the item and how many are available at a time. They could also change the houses available in the game, in which you can customize them in a manner similar to Runescape’s Construction skill.
I think Skyrim should have multi player. It was the only thing oblivion was missing IOM.
You do realise that the Graphics skyrim boasts is much too massive for multiplayer. Ie the reason why runescape, WoW diablo etc etc have such bad graphics compared to Single players. Games like Call of Duty Mondern warfare2 has decent graphics is cause they have small games 16-32 players max i think.
If Skyrim could have done that like tournements that would have been awsome online. Then again I hate steam and windows live
“You do realise that the Graphics skyrim boasts is much too massive for multiplayer.”, alex:
Alex, you do realize that you have absolutely no idea what your talking about. Graphics have absolutely nothing to do with multiplayer capability. Multiplayer deals with internal x,y,z positioning and nothing to do with graphics. L2 Brain. Oblivion would be fine with 4 players. there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to play with a friend. However i agree that MMO would be rediculous.
Has it really been 4 months since my last coming here? Sad how few people actually commented in that time.
Skyrim would be an amazing game with only “CO-OP”,not a sh*tty MMO experience.I love the Elders scrolls series and how it takes away some of your social life (:. The Co-Op mode would be a an amazing addition to the game because youd be able to play with your best friends in the big world of the game. what would be the chances of running into each other at all if you go off and do your own thing. meeting up with a friend to go slay 1 dragon at a low level,then explore dungeons to find treasures, Killing bandits in Thieves dens, Showing off your Armor and Weapons only for the selected Class you pick to play with.