Is it goodbye to the cinematic trailers?

ADarklore

I don't think they will ever move away from quests and story content, because THAT is the bread and butter of TES. I think because it's an online game, they want to have some mini-events but even those aren't permanent. So depending on how the later released mini-event goes, we could probably see more in the future- along with further stories and quests. But, because they know a huge number of players play 'alone'- they know those players also probably wouldn't be interested in mini-events... those are more for the 'with friends' players.

Syldras

ADarklore wrote: »

I don't think they will ever move away from quests and story content, because THAT is the bread and butter of TES.

I hope so.

But they have also said in one of the end-of-year letters that there's already so much story content in the game, and story releases have been reduced already, from 1 chapter and 1 winter story dlc to just one chapter, and then the chapters got smaller (both in terms of maps and quest numbers), and now we get a chapter basically split in half. Story content is also rather costly to produce, as you need writers and voice actors on top of everything else.

And now they've changed from "chapters and dlcs" to "seasons", which looks to me like the next thing removed will be the chapter- or dlc-sized content releases. So maybe we'll get new furnishings in one month, a new group dungeon in another, some new tavern game in a different month, etc. I think it will, in total, be a reduction of new content, and story content will be relased only very irregularly, and only small bits.

I honestly can even see how smaller, more regular releases could be seen as something bringing a consistant player flow - people logging in more regularly than just after a big new chapter, even if it's just out of curiosity to see the new thing. The question is whether this will really be a success on a long term, and whether people will deem the releases interesting enough. If there's, say, a new tavern game, and people only log in once to look at it, then leave again, that might look like a "success" in log-in numbers, but I wouldn't really call it one. I personally, fully see the risk that there will be more frequent relases maybe, but often nothing of interest for me personally.

But the main problem is that if you only release small bits, it can't be something super complex, especially in terms of storytelling. They already squeeze too much into the short prologues now, making it seem superficial because it might be a lot that happens, but it's lacking depth because you're rushed through. If all new story releases will be like that, well... Or maybe they have in mind so split the stories into several parts like they split the current one in 2. Maybe it's 4 for the next story, or 6, or 10. I'm just not sure whether people would like story-telling soap opera style, with a "dramatic cliff-hanger" at the end of every short plot bit. I know I would not, because it annoys me if a story barely manages to build some substance, and then there's an artificial break again and you have to wait for the next part. I might be waiting until the end of the year then to play it all at once, and I think I wouldn't be the only person doing that, so they would, again, only have increased log-in numbers when the whole story is released.

ADarklore

There is already so much story content, IF, you have never done them. But if you don't want to have multiple alts, don't want to run the same stories over and over again... then there really is never enough story content.

For me, I'd be happy with them re-using existing zones to tell new stories. Give us more dailies, more companions to level and get to know, I don't need a whole new zone every year... just new quests, companions, public dungeons and delves. I mean, there is enough space they can add more to existing zones. Furthermore, they could even expand further into the Daedric realms- I'm still waiting to see Meridia's realm.

Aliyavana

Was hoping to see CGI Gabrielle

phantasmalD

alternatelder wrote: »

phantasmalD wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

So this year, we worked on a live action trailer. Never say never to cinematic trailers, but this year, we wanted to focus on a different kind of trailer. You can see the new live action trailer now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kobhrqdVjBg

That..... map. Thanks, I hate it.
Absolute AI garbage.
AND it didn't even fix that atrocious Skyrim-Morrowind coastline. Double whammy.

What? You've never explored areas such as Berchensod, Smagewfen, Murrmirf, Grantwido?

I was too busy exploring West Weha. :B

amig186 wrote: »

alternatelder wrote: »

phantasmalD wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

So this year, we worked on a live action trailer. Never say never to cinematic trailers, but this year, we wanted to focus on a different kind of trailer. You can see the new live action trailer now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kobhrqdVjBg

That..... map. Thanks, I hate it.
Absolute AI garbage.
AND it didn't even fix that atrocious Skyrim-Morrowind coastline. Double whammy.

What? You've never explored areas such as Berchensod, Smagewfen, Murrmirf, Grantwido?

Are you sure it's AI and not just a hand-drawn map with scribbled names?

As for the video itself, I think it would make me curious about ESO if nothing else, so it does its job.

Some of them you could make a case for just being a smudged handwriting, but there are some really egregious ones.

I think the most obvious is whatever Bangkorai is supposed to be (Bragrus?). It's not even the right amount of letters.
Same goes for Vvardenfell. And Stonefalls.
Also, Stormhaven isn't even marked, lol.

The most damning evidence tho is right in the center of the map, where Niben meets Lake Rumare.

The banks of the river just straight up merge into one line.

But there are a lot of other nonsensical lines as well. Just random lines cutting off small sections of known regions. Like the left bank of Blackwood (sorry, Bercuwood).
Or check out the north-west corner of West Weald.
Or Alik'r Desert apparently has a landborder with Stormhaven. :P

That little extra area next to Alik'r Desert is also just part of the region proper, but for some reason it's cut off.

Marked cities are also super suspicious. Some very notable cities missing, like Leyawiin, for example. Some others are oddly misplaced. (Skingrad or Ebonheart, for example)

katanagirl1

I think you guys are forgetting who the audience is for these commercials. It is not us, the dedicated daily players who also visit the forums every day, but people who aren’t playing the game. My guess is most people don’t come to the game because of lore or whatever, they just want to kill stuff.

EmEm_Oh

I'd like an ESO movie, tbh. Massively untapped $$$ to be had if they had a movie. Release a movie every 3 years or something and it would be awesome.

Syldras

ADarklore wrote: »

There is already so much story content, IF, you have never done them. But if you don't want to have multiple alts, don't want to run the same stories over and over again... then there really is never enough story content.

I agree with you. The question is: Does ZOS share our opinion?

ADarklore wrote: »

For me, I'd be happy with them re-using existing zones to tell new stories. Give us more dailies, more companions to level and get to know, I don't need a whole new zone every year... just new quests, companions, public dungeons and delves. I mean, there is enough space they can add more to existing zones. Furthermore, they could even expand further into the Daedric realms- I'm still waiting to see Meridia's realm.

I'd personally prefer a mix between new zones and adding content to older zones. Completely without new zones... I wouldn't like that. While of course, lore can also be expanded upon in old zones, it's nice for me to explore new areas and see something completely different from time to time.

katanagirl1

Syldras wrote: »

ADarklore wrote: »

There is already so much story content, IF, you have never done them. But if you don't want to have multiple alts, don't want to run the same stories over and over again... then there really is never enough story content.

I agree with you. The question is: Does ZOS share our opinion?

ADarklore wrote: »

For me, I'd be happy with them re-using existing zones to tell new stories. Give us more dailies, more companions to level and get to know, I don't need a whole new zone every year... just new quests, companions, public dungeons and delves. I mean, there is enough space they can add more to existing zones. Furthermore, they could even expand further into the Daedric realms- I'm still waiting to see Meridia's realm.

I'd personally prefer a mix between new zones and adding content to older zones. Completely without new zones... I wouldn't like that. While of course, lore can also be expanded upon in old zones, it's nice for me to explore new areas and see something completely different from time to time.

New zones are the main thing I enjoy in each new update. I may only do the quests on one character, but I take my time and explore all of it. New content for old zones is okay, but truthfully the old zones are pretty maxed out with content already.

whitecrow

Reminds me of the "I am Lara Croft" ad.

alternatelder

EmEm_Oh wrote: »

I'd like an ESO movie, tbh. Massively untapped $$$ to be had if they had a movie. Release a movie every 3 years or something and it would be awesome.

As popular as the Borderlands 3 movie?

I do not want an Elder Scrolls movie, I have no confidence it wouldn't be screwed up with changed lore, terrible casting, etc.

Orbital78

I enjoyed the chapter cinematics, but I'd rather have quality gameplay without the bugs over the fluff. I would have rather had a chapter cinematic than that live action thing though.

I wouldn't be opposed to an Elder Scrolls live action like Fallout show had, if it were done well and not super cheesy.

amig186

@phantasmalD fair nuff, I still think a lot of those could be attributed to bad handwriting, smudging, making the thing in a hurry, etc, but I don't really know how far AI can go these days.

EmEm_Oh wrote: »

I'd like an ESO movie, tbh. Massively untapped $$$ to be had if they had a movie. Release a movie every 3 years or something and it would be awesome.

I'd watch that. It's probably the best era in TES to make a movie about, with all of the races being on more or less equal footing, and they already have 3 main characters they could use, the alliance heroes from the trailers. I know they're technically supposed to be stand ins for players, but I think they're well enough designed that they could make compelling characters if they got proper personalities. You'd have a look at Tamriel from the perspective of all 3 alliances while they're at war, and later more focus on the 3 heroes as they're working together against more universal threats. Maybe there could be a 2nd mini-movie from the pov of an imperial, just so they aren't completely left out.

colossalvoids

alternatelder wrote: »

EmEm_Oh wrote: »

I'd like an ESO movie, tbh. Massively untapped $$$ to be had if they had a movie. Release a movie every 3 years or something and it would be awesome.

As popular as the Borderlands 3 movie?

I do not want an Elder Scrolls movie, I have no confidence it wouldn't be screwed up with changed lore, terrible casting, etc.

The most Elder Scrolls movies to me are Conan the Barbarian ones, sadly 90's-2000's were lacking budgets and soul and modern ones are lacking actual substance and soul, feeling more like a vehicles for plushie sales rather than genuine attempts. Really don't like an idea for one of my favourite media getting a modern "Rings of Power" treatment and that's probably a maximum it could get, if even lucky to. It could always be way worse being not even close to the LotR league endeavour.

A movie industry litmus test would be recently talked about Elden Ring series/film. It's a very close setting imo, have really deep and obscure parts, verging on a mythical and not being just a usual DND settling we're often getting and what's ESO imo getting completely wrong. If this fails under the eyes of such a developer there's literally zero hopes for a good Elder Scrolls adaptation yet. Horrors took insane amount of time to develop a good looking modern interpretations and gaming/fantasy still can't top out 2000's Lord of the Rings, no one being even close to that since.