This is what a creepy dungeon should look like ZOS!

Valencer

RSram wrote: »

MADshadowman wrote: »

This is a screenshot i made in the beta. Doesn't look all that bad, doesn't it?

Excellent screen shot from beta, but I haven't seen any areas with lighting like that. Do you remember where you took it? I'd like to seen if the lighting has changed since beta.

If I'm not mistaken, that's Tanzelwil.

Early Dominion story quest where you help Queen Ayrenn gain the approval of the altmer ancestors. I think you fight advisor Norion in that particular room.

Edit: I think I see queen Ayrenn standing in that screenshot so it's most likely correct.

clocksstoppe

No it doesn't. And cherry picking images invalidates your "proof".

Zershar_Vemod

That's not creepy OP, that's just low res......wait.....low...res.......... AHHHHHHH

Lynnessa

I dunno...

When I was a kid, my prized possession was my Game Boy. I didn't have access to any other electronic form of entertainment.

No game has ever terrified me as much as Metroid II: The Return of Samus. By the same token, I've never felt such a sense of achievement as when I played the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

It certainly wasn't the lighting that made my experiences with those games so memorable! I suspect many of us had powerful experiences with games, and to this day we still chase that "high".

But it will never again be like the first time, no matter how realistic a game environment or how intelligent the AI... and that is bittersweet, am I right?

PBpsy

Scariest experience in a PC game




I think it didn't help I was 8 or something.
I don't think I genuinely been scared by a game after that.

RSram

Valencer wrote: »

RSram wrote: »

MADshadowman wrote: »

This is a screenshot i made in the beta. Doesn't look all that bad, doesn't it?

Excellent screen shot from beta, but I haven't seen any areas with lighting like that. Do you remember where you took it? I'd like to seen if the lighting has changed since beta.

If I'm not mistaken, that's Tanzelwil.

Early Dominion story quest where you help Queen Ayrenn gain the approval of the altmer ancestors. I think you fight advisor Norion in that particular room.

Edit: I think I see queen Ayrenn standing in that screenshot so it's most likely correct.

I just did that quest and the lighting in the dungeon looks nothing like your screen capture.

Mettaricana

honestly the dark room in molag bal's home turf was the most innovative dungeon thing yet a true sense of wtf is around me. not the brightly lit caves we visit need more hard to see dungeons with limited lightning and hidden enemies

phairdon

Funnily enough. I got a sense of dread sometimes, passing particular dungeons in Cyrodiil. When the Paladins of the lost Divines mod came out, it introduced werewolves to one of the dungeons. They were powerful, their glowing eyes stood out in the gloom. Always went into the dungeon with apprehension.

Ouranos

Yann wrote: »

ESO's lighting is superior to Oblivion's in every way, IMHO.

I don't think the issue is that ESO is technologically inferior to TES4 so much as the way the dungeon designers used lighting was much more artistic, emotional, immersive, etc. ESO has much more rampant sourceless lightning.

Also, from a design standpoint more general than lighting, TES4 had ruins with larger halls in general and deeper, more windy tunnels than really made me feel like I was being eaten by some colossal beast, not running a four-point circuit with a little tail to get you back to the exit after claiming a Skyshard.

The actual dungeons (not delves) suffer from too much theatrics, IMO. They try to make each one too epic. They need to add large NOT epic dungeons like this with the same amount of care and attention.

Edit--

If I missed any occurrences of "lightning" for "lightning," please excuse me. I'm slightly drunk.

NotSo

Wouldn't mind a solo gauntlet styled dungeon.

Lord_Draevan

Ah, Oblivion... my first Elder Scrolls obsession.
Now I have to go play it once I'm done with this ESO character. Thanks, OP.

Caroloces

Ah, Oblivion... my first Elder Scrolls obsession.
Now I have to go play it once I'm done with this ESO character. Thanks, OP.

Yeah. I just bought the Anthology collection. The first 2 ES games, Arena and Daggerfall, are so dated they're just about unplayable. I played Morrowind as my first ES game when it came out, and now I want to play it and Oblivion using the updated graphics from the TesRenewal project (http://tesrenewal.com/).

This forum topic has inspired me to pursue this a bit more, so thanks to the OP for that. Although I remain intent on pursuing more XP on my vet chars in ESO so I can earn more champion points in 1.6. Oh, the choices we're forced to make!

Sindala

PBpsy wrote: »

Scariest experience in a PC game




I think it didn't help I was 8 or something.
I don't think I genuinely been scared by a game after that.

Shizz...you never played Doom. That shizz was creepy with the spooky sfx and those flying burning skulls. *shivers*

nathan_bri

daneyulebub17_ESO wrote: »

Agreed! Want to make things scary? Give us CONSEQUENCES for dying--not just "resurrect here?" or at the beginning of the dungeon, with some minor damage to your armor.

There were no consequences to anything in Oblivion or Skyrim. Make a wrong choice? Go down the wrong path and get eaten alive by monsters? Just load up a previous save and it is as if it never happened. At least with an online game like Elder Scrolls Online, there are some persistent non-reversible repercussions to things you do.

P3ZZL3

Forestd16b14_ESO

I admite Oblivions Alyeid ruins were creepy BBUUTT they were a little to creepy half the time i couldn't see anything with how dark it was and next thing I know I got a jump scare from a zombie running at me from the dark or some secret door that opened.

Pman85

you should see ESO dungeons on my PC. that 4k def is no joke

OrangeTheCat

Yann wrote: »

ESO's lighting is superior to Oblivion's in every way, IMHO.

Exactly. The OP lost all credibility with me when he claimed the ESO lighting "engine" is inferior.

OrangeTheCat

Rosveen wrote: »

Yann wrote: »

No offense to Oblivion, lol. It was my first TES game and I remember being scared as hell while exploring. I'd never played anything similar and the thought of entering a cave full of zombies and whatnot made me *** myself.

But the reason it was so scary is because the game itself was immersive, not because the design or lightning were better than ESO's.

In ESO mobs are just standing around, are stupid as hell and even if they kill you just respawn in like 5 seconds. There's no way you can make a MMORPG scary...

I couldn't agree more. ESO will never be as immersive and emotional for me as the single player games because I can't really affect the world. I can't clear out a cozy cave and make it my home. I can't kill an annoying NPC to permanently shut them up. Whenever I look behind, they've already respawned. And I can't blame ESO, it's the way it has to be because there's a hundred of other players lining up to clear that location, but still. Can a dungeon really be creepy when five other people are casting spells left and right and I can run through it in circles forever, mowing down respawning enemies?

They could make use of instancing of "public" dungeons. That was one of the first comments\feedback I made back in beta; it was so strange (for an ES game) entering into a dungeon and there were other people there (farming more often than not). If they did that, then they could have taken one step more: save the state of your instance of the dungeon (if you wanted to make it a "home" as you say).

LordBurl

lordrichter wrote: »

Merlin13KAGL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

Man, that screen shot reminded me of how bad the Oblivion graphics were. I know you wanted creepy but when I saw it, all I said was, "ewwww".

Bare in mind the timeframe - that was a decade ago, and it was quite impressive at the time. They were the first with dynamic lighting and built in physics, etc - find another game at that time that had blades of grass move as you did.

They did more with integrating the environmental sounds, too.

For what it's worth, OP, (and to make @lordrichter‌ cringe even more), Morrowind had a very good nervousness factor built in.

There were no leveled zones, dungeons were not simple counterclockwise squares...you approached everything with caution.

Add in things like Speed (and the fact that as a new character you had none), Athletics, etc - you didn't automatically run full tilt.

I distinctly remember the first time I ticked off a clanfear near a daedric ruin and went bailing towards the imperial outpost, bobbing and weaving the entire way.

There was no tethering. I swear I could almost feel that thing nipping at my heals.

I cringe, but for the reasons you mentioned. Wandering off the path in Morrowind was not to be done lightly by low level characters.

Absolutely nailed it on Morrowind. I remember when I cracked level 8 on my first character. I was starting to feel pretty powerful (this was my first character in Morrowind, and my first ESO game, so give me a break here, okay, lol), so I decided to go adventuring off into the wilderness rather than follow the quests I had at the time. The first 15 minutes went well, then it hit the fan. I stumbled into a thieves den, and promptly got my skull split open. Then I said "well, I will come back here in a few levels, let's see what else is in the area". This time, I wandered into a tomb full of vampires, and was promptly devoured on the spot. So then I said "well, it can't all be like this, let me just check out another spot". I then discovered my first Daedric Ruin, entered, and was promptly crushed by the biggest 2 handed hammer I have ever seen, wielded by a Daedra worshiping Orc. Needless to say, after that, I went back to following the quests, and I don't think I tried wandering off the beaten path until after level 15 or so, where I was immediately devoured by a bunch of Deadra and their summoners. Morrowind lesson of the day: that cozy cave over there is indeed full of creatures that are well above your character level, and will show no remorse in eating your corpse, so don't go in it!

Sausage

Yann wrote: »

No offense to Oblivion, lol. It was my first TES game and I remember being scared as hell while exploring. I'd never played anything similar and the thought of entering a cave full of zombies and whatnot made me *** myself.

But the reason it was so scary is because the game itself was immersive, not because the design or lightning were better than ESO's.

In ESO mobs are just standing around, are stupid as hell and even if they kill you just respawn in like 5 seconds. There's no way you can make a MMORPG scary...

I cant remember Oblivion anymore but are you sure it wasnt becaues we couldnt just stand up after death. Risk and Reward is exciting feature, too bad so underrated even today. Sure its coming back with Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Diablo 3.

DenMoria

Yann wrote: »

No offense to Oblivion, lol. It was my first TES game and I remember being scared as hell while exploring. I'd never played anything similar and the thought of entering a cave full of zombies and whatnot made me *** myself.

But the reason it was so scary is because the game itself was immersive, not because the design or lightning were better than ESO's.

In ESO mobs are just standing around, are stupid as hell and even if they kill you just respawn in like 5 seconds. There's no way you can make a MMORPG scary...

I always wondered about ESO being that way, with the respawning, almost immediately. I killed the same boss at least a dozen times because he kept respawning as I tried to explore his lair and pick up what I could. I must have really pissed off the other people that came in to the room 'cause I kept killing him. I suppose it's because it's an MMO and new players are coming in constantly, but, it's still weird. Hey! I just killed 1/2 a dozen vampires and 3 werewolves! Woo Hoo! Wait! There they are again! I'm not even up the stairs yet.

RSram

I like to update my statement in my OP. Setting the gamma in ESO using the standard settings gives ESO a washed out bright appearance, but if the gamma setting is turn down to where the center image is almost invisible, than the ESO lighting is actually quite good and gives the dungeons the creepy look that I was looking for.

IMO to give the game the more immersion , I think that all of the questing zones should be phased for single player only. If a player requires assistance then he could create a co-op group to help him out.There should be no re-spawns for dead NPCs period. Only Craglon and Cyrodill should have multi-player and group participation. and re-spawning NOCs.

No re-spawns would eliminate the farming of mobs and bosses; another benefit would be a more accurate accounting of XP by the game system.

OzJohnD

Love the lighting in Witcher 3

Violynne

Of the TES games I've played, Oblivion, Skyrim, and TESO, for me, the best lighting award goes to Oblivion. The Aylied ruins were creepy with the eerie greenish glow. TESO tries to do something similar, but the white lighting (not sure where it comes from) diffuses the green, and makes it too bright.

I think the biggest factor was that in Oblivion, dark was dark, which meant if you weren't Khajiit, you couldn't see squat easily. Remember getting out of the prison the first time, and how freaking dark it was? I still remember the distant light shining from the first goblin carrying the torch. Now that's immersion!

With today's HDTVs being somewhat more bright, I think it sort of comes with the territory now. Before TESO started, it stated to ensure all the symbols were visible, but I only set it where I can see two. My nights are a bit darker for it, which really helps when exploring jungles and plains. Feels more... real-ish.

But it still pales in comparison to Oblivion. Skryim's lighting was... well, it did cater to more people, and I'll just leave it at that.

ShiunTraze

Hmm yes there is this thing about some games, something ESO lacks. Oblivion was my first ES game so I didn't know what to expect, I'd just heard it was an awesome fantasy game from my sister. Bought it on PS3, the 5th Anniversary Edition, and I was hooked instantly.

Everything was just so new to me and I loved it. I remember the caves and Ayleid ruins. The monsters, zombies, traps etc. inside scared me so much. The lighting definitely contributed to it, as well as the graphics of the creatures, they were very harsh and especially dark - even a civilian would scare me from time to time!! It also felt like as I was walking through these dungeons I didn't know what to expect coming up, that was really scary for me.

If I remember correctly, as I played the game being a noob, it got to the point where the frightening dungeons and fear of being killed in them would actually mess with my mind. I was terrified. I even began playing the game less and less. Until the point when I think I flat out stopped playing it because I was too frightened of the game. I felt that even exploring the world was scary, bandits scared me, everything scared me.

After a few months I must have "grown a pair" and decided it was too good of a game to miss out on so I got back into it. It took about several months or even a year after buying the game until I finally started the DLC - being so cautious actually spent a LOT of time. Truth be told, I don't think I ever fully explored the Shivering Isles. Similarly to Cyrodiil in Oblivion, I was just creeped out (amazed at the same time) as to what i would discover and Sheogorath's home just had a very strange, creepy sense about it.

Oh. I almost forgot to mention. My first Oblivion Gate. Goodness me I was terrified. Absolutely terrified. Probably shaking. Inside the towers I think i literally sneaked everywhere. It wasn't just the creatures, or the visuals. It was also the atmosphere generated by sound and feeling. I could constantly hear the lava whilst outside. Or the daedra from around the corner. It was these small, even tiny additions to the game that made it incredible(y scary). It made your mind think differently and react differently to other games. As I'm walked through the Oblivion tower, a daedra would possibly pace around the corner. Such small things like these made it a very engaging game.

This brings back so many good memories. They were good days, playing Oblivion and Skyrim (still haven't played Morrowind!)
It is...tempting...you know...to return to those days Maybe it's time...

As much as I really enjoy ESO, I doubt that they could bring this atmosphere to an MMO. It is possible, but ZOS would have to be highly committed and focused as well as intelligent about doing it right. We can only hope that the game continues to improve and that ZOS fixes 'current errors'.

RSram

Violynne wrote: »

... I think the biggest factor was that in Oblivion, dark was dark, which meant if you weren't Khajiit, you couldn't see squat easily. Remember getting out of the prison the first time, and how freaking dark it was? I still remember the distant light shining from the first goblin carrying the torch. Now that's immersion!...

I agree %100 with that statement. This is one of the things that ESO is really missing. You can't fix this by adjusting the gamma.

Noomfy-Mop

Yann wrote: »

No offense to Oblivion, lol. It was my first TES game and I remember being scared as hell while exploring. I'd never played anything similar and the thought of entering a cave full of zombies and whatnot made me *** myself.

But the reason it was so scary is because the game itself was immersive, not because the design or lightning were better than ESO's.

In ESO mobs are just standing around, are stupid as hell and even if they kill you just respawn in like 5 seconds. There's no way you can make a MMORPG scary...

I think that's because oblivion was harder in pretty much every way.
Just like you oblivion was my first elder scrolls game and (maybe because it was my first I don't really know) it was a fight right from the beginning.
The levelling system was harder, the mobs were harder and every time I went into an oblivion gate I knew I was in for a tough as hell fight, a real struggle and a handful of deaths.
IMO you really had to think about and choose every battle wisely in that game.

Don't get me wrong at all I'm really enjoying ESO.. Perhaps a little TOO much . But I haven't found it to be the challenge that oblivion was and I definately haven't died nearly as much so far

wafcatb14_ESO

All of their Dungeons are generic most have the same layout loop pattern reminds me of World of warcraft where over 3/4 of the dungeons in the game at launch all had the same simple layout ,

in eso it just a loop pattern kinda boreing, don`t think i`ve seen a mmo with really orginal and unique dungeons since EQ all of theirs were completly different and fun from the illusionary walls, the floor traps, secret passages etc.

Gidorick

wafcatb14_ESO wrote: »

All of their Dungeons are generic most have the same layout loop pattern reminds me of World of warcraft where over 3/4 of the dungeons in the game at launch all had the same simple layout ,

in eso it just a loop pattern kinda boreing, don`t think i`ve seen a mmo with really orginal and unique dungeons since EQ all of theirs were completly different and fun from the illusionary walls, the floor traps, secret passages etc.

That loop pattern really annoys me. Why not dungeons that have a different entrance and exit?