What is your favorite expansion year in terms of storytelling??

  • Malyore
    Malyore
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    So what changed at zos in 2020 which gives these poll results?
  • L_Nici
    L_Nici
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    Summerset was peak, Elsweyr was fine and then honestly I felt like the quality massively dropped.
    PC|EU
  • Kalik_Gold
    Kalik_Gold
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    Loved Elyswer
    Main: (PvP & PvE)
    Ras Kalik a Redguard Templar, the Vestige

    PvP:
    Aurik Siet'ka a Redguard Necromancer
    Cacique the Sage of Ius a Redguard Warden
    Jux Blackheart a Redguard Nightblade
    Goliath of Hammerfell a Redguard Dragonknight
    Kaotik Von Dae'mon a Redguard* Sorcerer

    PvP: (Specialty)
    Tyrus Septim an Imperial Lycan Sorcerer
    Tsar af-Bomba a Redguard Vampiric Nightblade (Bomber)
    Movárth Piquine a Nord Vampiric Necromancer
    Uri Ice-Heart the Twin a Nord Vampiric Warden
    Voa a Priest of Sep a Redguard* Necromancer

    PvE:
    Cinan Tharn an Imperial Dragonknight (Tank)
    Bates Vesuius of Dawnstar an Imperial Dragonknight (Damage)
    Herzog Zwei the Genesis an Akavari* Templar (Healer)
    Tav'i at-Shinji a Redguard** Warden (One-Bar)
    Lucky Hunch the Gambler - a Redguard Nightblade (Thief)

    Leveling...
    Two-Big-Horns an Argonian Arcanist
    Styx of Akatosh a Goblin* Arcanist
    Zenovia at-Tura a Redguard** Sorcerer
    Yesi af-Kalik a Redguard Templar
    ======
    Passives of another race used. (RP)
    *Breton
    **Imperial




    __________________________Backstories:_________________________

    Ras Kalik the Vestige, a renown Redguard warrior; He has been blessed to save Tamriel from Molag Bal’s destructive Planemeld while reuniting the Five Companions. His further accomplishments after defeating Molag Bal, has been to stop the destruction of Morrowind, the Clockwork City, return order to the isle of Summerset and create a new king in Wrothgar and a queen in Elsywer. These events have made him a living legend and continue to lead him into new adventures throughout Tamriel, as well as into the hearts of many ladies including the Elf Queen, Aryenn. Over many years of adventurous travels, Ras Kalik had become a loner, until he re-visited his homeland of Alik'r.

    Alik'r and it's cities were overrun by the undead Ra-Netu and therefore he made an allegiance with Alik'r's own Ash'abah tribe. These Ash'abah with his help, cleansed the city of Sentinel in Alik'r desert and it's surrounding areas of the undead brought to life by the Withered Hand. After rescuing Sentinel from the undead zombies, King Fahara’jad’s personal bodyguard the Goliath of Hammerfell, who was given this name by Imperials in the region; was asked to assist the tribe after learning of the defeat of the Withered Hand to the Ash'abah. Kalik promised Goliath he would task him with fighting living enemies on the battlefield if he so desired. Goliath being a Yokudan warrior wields a massive sword in respect to the Ansei, a gift given by the Imperial, Cinan Tharn. Not many soldiers are able to wield double two handed weapons, but Goliath loves to get up and personal in a fight, so he also carries a giant maul, both weapons laced with magical flames.

    Jux Blackheart is a master thief that masquerades as a Bard at the Sisters of the Sands inn, with his younger sidekick Lucky Hunch for pilfering and gambling during this time. Jux was known to infiltrate any towns bank vault he came across and even delved into Ayelid ruins without detection. Kalik can vividly recall the night he met the famed thief. Jux found himself rummaging thru a slightly inebriated Kalik’s pocket for too long, on a full-mooned night and because of his greed and the glimmer of his golden armor in the moonlight. He lost his left pinky fingertip as a lesson! But in return, he gained a new friend, as it was his first time since a child being caught red-handed...

    Upon arrival back in the Alik'r after many moons of adventuring, Ras Kalik ventures to Bergama. Visiting The Winking Jackal, he runs into Jux Blackheart, who introduces him to the coin game Crowns vs Forebearers (Heads vs Tails) and Golden Dwemer (RBG).... Jux constantly takes gold from the unfortunate thru theft or gambling, his biggest gambling victim is actually his partner in crime known as Lucky Hunch the Gambler. Lucky doesn't mind losing any gold coins to Jux... as Jux saved him from Altmer slavers in Summerset, by stealing a key and sending him on a boat to the mainland years prior. Lucky spent years in slavery with Khajiits in Summerset and picked up the art of subterfuge, using illusion magic disguises and stealing there.

    Kaotik Von’Daemon an outcast, and a half-caste between a Breton mother and a Redguard father. Kaotik become a pariah due to his conjuration of Daedra pets. He was taught healing magic during his childhood years by his Breton mother. His father due to Redguard customs exiled him from the desert, sending him by wagon caravan to be a soldier in the war in Cyrodiil. He happened to meet Kalik while traveling from Alik'r, during this long caravan ride the caravan he was in was ambushed in Bangkorai by a group of bandits. Kalik by chance was also traveling thru this area on his Auridon Warhorse (which was bestowed to him by his friend, Darien Gautier). During this ambush, Kalik was able to rescue five hostages from the bandits. Kaotik was the first rescued, and Ras Kalik also recruited him to be in the Ash'abah tribe. These core Ash'abah tribesmen may never be seen together in travel as they partake in their own adventures but they always know what each other is doing; as they frequent a hideout in northern Bankorai. Their hideout an old Orc castle ruin, is kept watch by Nuzhimeh and she passes messages written between them, and frequently they also enjoy her company and her bed.

    The other men rescued were a Dunmer banker, an Imperial mercenary and two other soldiers, an Imperial and a Breton Knight, stating proudly he was an Akavir descendent. One of the Imperials, Cinan, claimed to be related to Abnur Tharn the Battlemage of the Imperial Elder Council (One of Ras Kalik's mentors in the Five Companions). Cinan Tharn was really Abnur's drunkard treasure hunting illegitimate son. He was caught smuggling artifacts out of the Ayleid ruins in Cyrodiil and the elder of the two Imperials was Tyrus Septim a retired Imperial navy battle-mage (now a Lycan mercenary living in the city of Rimmen) and guard to the Tharn family. As much as Abnur Tharn hated his half-sister Euraxia, he dislikes his bas†ard son Cinan more. Tyrus now a ruffian and privateer had been paid by Abnur Tharn to watch over Cinan as much as possible. Cinan Tharn a drunkard, loves to drink at least a quarter barrel of Nord mead before he raids various delves and dungeons for relics to sell on the black market. Cinan also plans to one day, run an illegal gambling ring... which he thinks will net him more gold for his wares.

    The Dunmer captive shackled to the Imperials looked familiar to Kalik from his time in Morrowind.... and he recognized him as Tythis Andromo a House Telvanni slave-owner and banker from Vvardenfell. During a rough interrogation to Tythis, Ras Kalik learnt why the bandits accosted him. The racist Dunmer was providing slaves as soldiers for the Three Banner War. The bandits were trying to negotiate a lucrative ransom for Andromo and the Imperials.... Kalik did not need any of this gold and he could never set Tythis free as he did with the two Imperial soldiers. His past involvement with slavery and war crimes, made Kalik's blood boil. He chose not to execute Tythis, as he figured the worse punishment for this former rich and opulent slave owner, is to now be an imprisoned servant for Ras Kalik and the tribe.

    Herzog Zwei the Genesis a reknown Imperial/Akavirri battle-mage. His roots going back to Akavir through his mother’s bloodline. (His mother is descended from the Akaviri, through Versidue-Shae, and his Imperial father met her in Hakoshae, while traveling) Herzog earned the nickname "the Genesis" from his father as a child, as he was his mother's first born child, and last, as she tragically died in child-birth.

    Herzog was seeking to purchase an artifact from Cinan Tharn, before their capture and was meeting Tyrus while in Rimmen, who introduced him to Cinan. This artifact being the Ayelid artifact; the sword Sinweaver. After their rescue and the exchange of gold to Cinan for the sword he decided to slip away before Ras Kalik could question who he was, and why the Akavir descendant really wanted that sword. Herzog was headed to Nagastani — An Ayleid ruin in eastern Cyrodiil. He had read in scrolls that the Sword would give him magical powers to meet his mothers spirit, if he performed an Ayleid ritual at an old shrine hidden there. Equipped with the artifact sword, he was off to start his own adventure but Ras Kalik, did indeed notice the sword however and instead sent a letter to Jux Blackheart (whom also was interested in Ayleid treasures), to attempt to find Herzog and acquire the sword. (*Azani Blackheart in Elder Scroll's Oblivion is Jux's descendant some 747 years later)

    And so the Redguard, Imperial and Akaviri men parted ways ... While Ras Kalik went off to Elsweyr to encounter the latest threat to Tamriel, with Abnur Tharn and Sai Sahan - - DRAGONS!! Little did Ras Kalik know a few people were awaiting him in Senchal besides Sai. A necromancer survived his attack on the Withered Hand, while in Alik'r. The necromancer known as Auriek Siet'ka is also following him to the land of the Khajiits and Cacique the Sage of Ius a Shaman mystic who has become attuned spiritually with Tu'whacca (a Redguard God) and Ius (the Animal God), after being burned severely by the escaped dragons in Elsywer, is awaiting his arrival also. Aurik is a soldier of the Daggerfall Covenant that was introduced to necromancy while in the military, even though this magicka art is not spoken of openly by most of the Military leaders. He came to Alik'r and worked with the Withered Hand before Ras Kalik intervened on their plans. After the defeat of the Withered Hand, he aligned with the Worm Cult, and is constantly adapting and perfecting his necromantic arts.

    After his journey to Rimmen, Kalik heads south to Senchal, in the southern regions of Elyswer. This new adventure will also put him on a path to meet a strange Redguard man. The stranger which was infected with an untreated Peyrite disease and also was the exiled from the Order of the New Moon cult, due to his sickness. He originally joined the cult to worship Laatvulon, the green dragon, mistakenly thinking it was the Daedric prince Peyrite. This confused and suffering cultist is known as Tsar al-Bomba and he is on a path to spread the disease. He was originally infected in Orccrest while recruiting members there. Can Ras Kalik and the shaman Cacique cure this poor soul, only time will tell. Little does Tsar al-Bomba know, that his infection is tied to Vampirism, and eventually the desire for blood will take over his mind. Senchal also offers Kalik his latest love interest... Aeliah. Whom he fondly led thru battles with the Dragonguard.

    After the trek thru the heat, tropical and desert climate of Northern and Southern Elyswer, Ras Kalik heads north to the cold mountain range of Skyrim. His companion friend Lyris beckons for him with a letter sent by crow...

    Movárth Piquine - a former vampire hunter (now infected), within the Fighter's Guild (and a secretive necromancer) was in Skyrim working with the Morthaal Guard. On a patrol mission he was caught in Frewien's ice curse outside of Morthaal with the frozen undead. Movárth's vampiric infection kept him from becoming an undead minion to the curse. He was able to use necromantic ice-magic to encase himself safely until he was freed with Freiwen, when the Vestige Ras Kalik broke the curse.

    Uri Ice-Heart - brother of Urfon Ice-Heart. The twin sons of Atli and Oljourn Ice-Heart. The Ice-Heart family are originally from Markarth but now reside on the Jerall Mountain range near Cyrodiil, with their younger sister Araki. The twins had joined the Winterborn Reachmen while living in Markarth. Urfon pushed west to Orsinium with the Winterborn Clan, leaving his family behind. Uri stayed behind with his parents and sister to live in the family cabin for safety, avoiding the Vampire plague infiltrating the Reach. After news reaches him and he hears of Urfon's death... Uri leaves and heads home and is seeking vengeance. Meanwhile, his sister has also moved on to Windhelm to join the Fighter's guild. He will visit his sister, once before going to seek vengeance and she will craft him armor mixed with ice, called Stalhrim armor. Uri fearing death, after his brother's passing, falls victim to the convincing talk of Movárth at a Nordic tavern, and will also becomes a vampire.

    {time moves forward through the hour-glass}
    PS5/NA - Ras Kalik a Redguard Templar - Daggerfall Covenant • 1550+ Champion
    Returning player - 2017-2022, back in 25'
  • freespirit
    freespirit
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    I voted for Elsweyr but not because of the Dragons, because of Southern Elsweyr, I loved the stories there most, out of all the stories! <3
    When people say to me........
    "You're going to regret that in the morning"
    I sleep until midday cos I'm a problem solver!
  • Heren
    Heren
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    Gonna be Orsinium for me aswell - lot about Wrothgar having been said, so I'm not going to add anything, except it was really great, the kind of story(ies) I'd rather have over the now permanent end of the world / universe / reality / everything we have to deal with every year ( busy period for Tamriel eh ).

    Thieves Guild was also really good and appreciable, even if some characters were... not my cup of tea. But seeing a lot of characters receiving great development of their stories, through personnal quest, it was really a good thing. I know people are generaly not very fond of delayed / time gated story telling, but I would say that in some occasions it is done right, it allow ( or force ) to take time to enjoy the new stories being told, rather than chugging through everything. And in the case of Thieves Guild, I kinda liked the more slow-paced rythm, I really think it contributed to my enjoyment of various stories.

    I'm going a bit off topic, but in the newer chapters ( and in other games aswell ), I sometime feel a kind of tension between focusing alsmost exclusively on the main quest because hey, world's gonna end so better hurry, and doing side quests that can ( not alway though ) bring more insight about the main story, and that are here, on my path. Blackwood try to bring some solution by making you consider some side quests as way to muster allies for the final fight, but more often, I don't see any logical reason to do side quests while I'm on the main quest, because hey, clock's ticking, don't waste time !

    Delayed / time gated quests give more time to work on side content ( sometime it force you to do side content in order to advance the main quest ), and I understand people complaining about that kind of model, but I think it has some merits. Same could be said about an fully open / free approach vs a more railroad one. The time I've spend doing exploration, side quests, etc, in Oblivion, before I even remember that I had to protect some heir of the empire that were the only one capable of preventing the destruction of Tamriel... It was more funny to try get my throat cut at the Red Mare in, what was that town, Bravil ?

    On a side not, for me it really feel like The Reach was some kind of missed opportunity. I really liked some new ideas being brought, but the story felt a bit rushed, and the ending was quite bare, sadly.
  • whitecrow
    whitecrow
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    I think I have to go with Summerset, but Elsweyr is close behind.
  • Desiato
    Desiato
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    Northwold wrote: »
    Thieves Guild (Hew's Bane) though this is rather unfair as the early content drops they had a lot more time to develop. It's pretty obvious when you look at them but was also confirmed in the recent podcast. The "year of" format then forced everyone into a production line mode of content creation. Perhaps, after this transitional year, they will be able to do things in this way again.

    ESO had a much larger art team the first half of 2014 and a lot of the content that was rolled out the first couple of years was shown in advanced states during Quakecon 2014.

    For example:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ABAiQ87qA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqivTnEteG0

    And even more than that!

    When ESO was launched, we were promised an aggressive content release schedule of around every 4-6 weeks -- all included with our sub!! But after the bad launch, which resulted in a total refactor of the game and the business model (from sub to b2p to chapters) the content team was cut in half around August 2014 and we only got Craglorn the first year and a half.

    Of course, this part of ESO's history isn't one they want to talk about as much!

    IMO, it's also why the first few DLC zones had more detail and a fluid, hand-crafted feel compared to what came after. Like the basic ground geometry of zones like Summerset, High Isle, Western Skyrim, etc seem more jagged and generated to me somehow. Northern Elsweyr feels more like one of the early DLC zones though.

    Edited by Desiato on 15 July 2025 14:45
    spending a year dead for tax reasons
  • IviRo
    IviRo
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    All story arcs until 2020!
  • cyclonus11
    cyclonus11
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    What happened after Elsweyr that caused such a drop off?

    Edit: Reading this post:
    Desiato wrote: »
    Northwold wrote: »
    Thieves Guild (Hew's Bane) though this is rather unfair as the early content drops they had a lot more time to develop. It's pretty obvious when you look at them but was also confirmed in the recent podcast. The "year of" format then forced everyone into a production line mode of content creation. Perhaps, after this transitional year, they will be able to do things in this way again.

    ESO had a much larger art team the first half of 2014 and a lot of the content that was rolled out the first couple of years was shown in advanced states during Quakecon 2014.

    For example:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ABAiQ87qA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqivTnEteG0

    And even more than that!

    When ESO was launched, we were promised an aggressive content release schedule of around every 4-6 weeks -- all included with our sub!! But after the bad launch, which resulted in a total refactor of the game and the business model (from sub to b2p to chapters) the content team was cut in half around August 2014 and we only got Craglorn the first year and a half.

    Of course, this part of ESO's history isn't one they want to talk about as much!

    IMO, it's also why the first few DLC zones had more detail and a fluid, hand-crafted feel compared to what came after. Like the basic ground geometry of zones like Summerset, High Isle, Western Skyrim, etc seem more jagged and generated to me somehow. Northern Elsweyr feels more like one of the early DLC zones though.

    Edited by cyclonus11 on 15 July 2025 17:12
  • whitecrow
    whitecrow
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    cyclonus11 wrote: »
    What happened after Elsweyr that caused such a drop off?

    Once you've seen Elsweyr, there's noweyr els to go.
  • DragonRacer
    DragonRacer
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    Toss-up between Summerset and Elsweyr for me.
    PS5 NA. GM of The PTK's - a free trading guild (CP 500+). Also a werewolf, bites are free when they're available. PSN = DragonRacer13
  • CristiC
    CristiC
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    Orsinium DLC. Great story, location and, if you're and orc, you can become king of clan Shatul 😁. Clearing vMA for the first time and getting the inferno staff are also reasons why I really like this dlc.
  • Desiato
    Desiato
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ZK8333jrk
    Upon entrance to the Orc homelands, Br'i meets with the Emperor of Orc Town. (is that even a real place?? Is that even a real title?? I think he may have buffed his resume!)

    Because Orsinium is getting so much love, I thought I would share this. I didn't create the video, but my Orc DK, Khorev, is a performer in it. It's called Majesty and features many majestic backgrounds from Wrothgar and some of Orsinium's main quest. It's really an amazing zone.

    Edited by Desiato on 15 July 2025 17:32
    spending a year dead for tax reasons
  • ZOS_Kevin
    ZOS_Kevin
    Community Manager
    @Tariq9898 Thanks for starting this thread. Feedback here would be most appreciated. We will pass this along to the dev team. That way, they are aware of the narrative stories that have resonated with you.
    Community Manager for ZeniMax Online Studio and Elder Scrolls OnlineDev Tracker | Service Alerts | ESO Twitter
    Staff Post
  • spartaxoxo
    spartaxoxo
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    whitecrow wrote: »
    cyclonus11 wrote: »
    What happened after Elsweyr that caused such a drop off?

    Once you've seen Elsweyr, there's noweyr els to go.

    LOL! I actually do like some stuff since then but this a top tier pun!
  • KAT0MI
    KAT0MI
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    My favourite story was and always will be the clockwork city. Story wise it was the perfect length and it gave us more interactions with characters we never really had a chance to interact with in the stand alone games. I loved the potential for the zone but it didn't live up to my expectations. Loved the unique fish but wished there was more events or things to do within the zone environment.

    The zone I find I spend the most of my time in between events and questing is Vvardenfell. I wish there was a way of expanding the areas on the island or progressing time so the cantons develop with the time leap of Solstice.

    That being said I am apprehensive of the new DLC coming out. They finally gave Darien back but now he's more cold to the vestige. But to date the chapter I didn't care for was Gold Road. Tbh I just sped through the storyline and don't even know what happened apart from we got a new daedric prince but she had to be forgotten for the good of nirn. Solstice is slightly better in terms of engagement as I love the catch up stories with the NPCs.

    One DLC I can say I disliked was High Isle. It never lived up to the story hype and it was pretty barren and repetitive. The story was pretty predictable. It also made me wish for Maormer DLC which it seems we will never get.
    PS4/PS5 NA | GM of Great House Indoril | PSN: XKat0m1x | Proud Member of Alok-Dilon Alliance (AD Alliance)
  • Erickson9610
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    I was incredibly hyped for the Greymoor Chapter. I love the gothic theme with all of the vampires, werewolves, and witches in it. I wish we would get more content like that.

    Though what really stuck out to me about it was the lore they brought in for the Markarth DLC and subsequently the end-of-chapter content you get for completing Markarth and Western Skyrim's storylines. Although the writing in Western Skyrim felt like an imitation of Northern Elsweyr's story, that finale made up for it.
    PC/NA — Lone Werewolf, the EP Templar Khajiit Werewolf

    Werewolf Should be Allowed to Sneak
    Please give us Werewolf Skill Styles (for customizing our fur color), Grimoires/Scribing skills (to fill in the holes in our builds), and Companions (to transform with).
  • spartaxoxo
    spartaxoxo
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    Snipped for brevity
    Heren wrote: »
    Gonna be Orsinium for me aswell - lot about Wrothgar having been said, so I'm not going to add anything, except it was really great, the kind of story(ies) I'd rather have over the now permanent end of the world / universe / reality / everything we have to deal with every year ( busy period for Tamriel eh ).

    This actually touches on one of the reasons I loved The Reach so much.

    Although the scale is very grand, it still feels very human. Rada al-Saran is not human and his motivations are monstrous and grand scale. He wants to create a whole new dimension. He wants to slaughter a city to do it.

    But, the core emotional truth of them are very grounded. He loves his comrades and he wants to spare them from suffering. He wants to protect the people he loves. That's something all of us can understand and feel. He is a monster so we cannot agree with his methods. But we can empathize with the core emotional drive behind them. This is something that I think is lacking in subsequent releases. His downfall is his extreme arrogance but also his love for his people. He has noble ambitions but clearly and unequivocally evil methods. Nowadays we have either "they're just evil villains," or there's too much sympathy for clearly bad actors. As if having noble motivation is enough.

    High Isle should have been a return to this type of character but instead it was a pure evil with grand scale ambitions again.
    Edited by spartaxoxo on 15 July 2025 17:51
  • zenonuk
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    cyclonus11 wrote: »
    What happened after Elsweyr that caused such a drop off?

    For me, the story-telling became a lot more simplistic.

    I sort of felt either the authoring team changed, or the original team had ran out of ideas by the time Greymoor came out. The earlier stories - from base game, through TG/DB, Orsinium, etc - were a lot better written imo, a lot more immersive.

    By Greymoor you sort of knew who you'd be fighting at the end pretty much from the beginning - there was no mystery. With the sole exception of Blackwood (but even then you sort of knew - not going to put any spoilers here), all story telling since Elsweyr has felt slightly lazy and obvious. High Isle's Galen update was nice, but again at the start you really sort of knew what that cargo was going to be. A lot of the wow/surprise factor disappeared in the later chapters.

    I voted Elsweyr (mainly because I also liked the set design, and the addition of dragon lore), but in reality everything before Elsweyr also counts in my mind.

    Edited by zenonuk on 15 July 2025 17:50
  • ApoAlaia
    ApoAlaia
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    I understand that is outside the scope of the poll - already cast my vote on the available options - however for me Orsinium still takes the cake.

    I enjoyed the more grounded narrative of the zone, both in terms of MQ and SQs.

    Also, Orsimer. What's not to like?

    The MQ in IC is also a highlight for me - as opposed to the zone itself, really not a fan of PvPvE - and the Drake of Blades is someone that remains memorable to this day.
  • SerafinaWaterstar
    SerafinaWaterstar
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    Elsweyr for story about a big bad that made sense. And Khajiits.

    Orsinium & Murkmire for stories that were more grey. No cartoonish secret yet obvious from the first quest enemy. Interesting and well written.

    I also quite like Necrom/Gold Road for this too.

    Thieves Guild & Dark Brotherhood were ok but I hated the gated progression.
    Edited by SerafinaWaterstar on 15 July 2025 19:26
  • heaven13
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    Year 1: Wrothgar/Thieves Guild/Dark Brotherhood are, by far, my favorite content pieces we have. The stories were good, the characters interesting, and it wasn't such obvious hand-holding that we have now. Since that content wasn't an option, I went with Summerset because I truly loved the story here (but it wouldn't have existed without Morrowind so honestly they're kinda tied). I'd still love to see the continuation and payoff for the Colored Rooms and Meridia but with the writing quality as it is now, maybe it's better we don't go there.
    PC/NA
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  • thepandalore
    thepandalore
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    Orisinium, hands down, followed by Vvardenfell, Summerset, Northern Elsweyr, Murkmire, and Western Skyrim, though my love for Western Skyrim is unique in this list.

    Regarding my first choice, Orsinium, Malacath's interjection in the Temple of Ire, in deus perorans, was a moment that I haven't forgotten and probably won't soon forget. Also, allowing players to become a more-or-less welcome part of Clan Shatul added a depth of immersion, albeit a bit underdeveloped (Chief of Clan Shatul title, pls? Potential for daily quests?), that I'd love to see emulated and enriched in future chapters. The storyline's conclusion felt earned, bittersweet, and appropriate for the both the local and broader geopolitical settings. Top tier storytelling, IMO.

    As a self-described lore nerd, Orsimer fan, and lover of Kirkbride-style esoterica, my preferences strongly favor cultural depth and impactful moments of deity in situ.
  • Tariq9898
    Tariq9898
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    ZOS_Kevin wrote: »
    @Tariq9898 Thanks for starting this thread. Feedback here would be most appreciated. We will pass this along to the dev team. That way, they are aware of the narrative stories that have resonated with you.

    Yay! Orsinium, Daedric War, and Dragon story arc are the top favorites for many of us!

    Personally, I haven’t done the Daedric War but did just start Morrowind. I’ve been playing in chronological order so I’m excited for Vvardenfell, Clockwock, Summerset.

    Orsinium is one of my favorites as well. I’m not even close to starting on the newer chapters so I don’t know how cartoony it gets. But as for Orsinium, I liked the stakes as well as the execution of the story and themes. It not only felt serious, but weighty. As if it the dialogue, voice acting, and immersion was backed by the weight of Orsimer and Wrothgar history.
    Edited by Tariq9898 on 15 July 2025 18:24
  • smallhammer
    smallhammer
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    I love Northern Elsweyr. It has become my homebase sort of.
    Edited by smallhammer on 15 July 2025 18:43
  • 16BitForestCat
    16BitForestCat
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    Orsinium was originally VR15 I think, but still much easier than the original Cadwell's silver/gold.
    Yeah, Wroth is amazing. I agree with everything you wrote. You probably would have enjoyed it even more in its original 2015 vet difficulty. The world bosses and public dungeons were so good.

    Orsinium was never veteran. It was the first PvE DLC made specifically to be battle-leveled so everyone could play regardless of level. Back in 2014, Craglorn had done poorly with players on release because of its difficulty aimed at groups; so many people came to ESO from singleplayer Elder Scrolls titles, where you could also adjust the difficulty. They wanted to keep playing that way. (Or, like me, didn't yet have groups of friends in game to play with and had no luck forming PUG's at the odd hours I could play.)

    ZOS decided to look more into battle-leveling options for content after Craglorn's weak showing, and Wrothgar was basically the test for that. The player response to this was so positive that it ended up paving the whole darn way for the One Tamriel game-wide battle-leveling system we're all still on in 2025.

    Parts of Wrothgar can still be more difficult than newer players may be used to, but that's because ESO on the whole was much more difficult in the early days when Orsinium came out, not because it was wholly aimed at veteran levels. Heck, Craglorn is battle-leveled like everything else now, and it's still pretty difficult if you're unprepared because so much of the original "aimed at veteran groups" design is still there under all the battle-leveling.

    EDIT: I'm not going to make a new reply for this because the thread is winding down, but, good gods, Desiato, don't you ever get tired of being so confidently wrong? You not liking that Craglorn didn't do well at launch doesn't make it untrue. There are literally articles with commentary from the devs themselves about how Craglorn was a flop. We get it, you wanted harder content and no One Tamriel, but that's not what the playerbase as a whole wanted, and the profit numbers prove you were wrong that it's what ESO needed and needs, so deal.
    Edited by 16BitForestCat on 24 July 2025 05:04
    —PC/NA, never Steam—
    Getting lost in TESO Tamriel and beyond since Beta 2013!
    Alliance agnostic: all factions should chill the fetch out and party together.
    If you ever wonder why certain official fandom spaces are so often toxic and awful, remember: corruption starts from the top. ^^v
  • Aliyavana
    Aliyavana
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    Surprised elsweyr got so many votes. I feel it had too many villians.

    Rada was an amazing villian but I didn’t like greymoor itself
    Edited by Aliyavana on 15 July 2025 18:55
  • meekmiko
    meekmiko
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    • Summerset
    • Elsweyr
    • Morrowind
    🌟PC/NA CP2100+ [Been playing since 2016]
    ✨🐪JUSTICE FOR APEX CAMELS 🐪✨ Bring 'em back, ZOS!
    vMA / vVH / vDSA / vBRP / vAA HM / vSO HM / vHRC HM / vMoL HM / vHoF HM / vAS+1 & +1 / vCR+2 / vSS / vKA/ vRG
    • 🌩️ 🏹 EP - Jessamine Seed-Nightrun, Master Angler / Dro-m'Athra Destroyer / Bosmer StamSorc [Main DPS]
    • ☀️ 🛡️ EP - Mihi'Mai-Ra, Plague of Peryite / Khajiit StamPlar [Main Tank]
    • ☀️ ✨ EP - Lady Lapa'au, The Magnanimous / Khajiit MagPlar [Main Healer]
    • 🌩️ ☄️ EP - Ra'venk, Style Master / Khajiit MagSorc
    • 🗡️ ⚔️ EP - Bird gra-Shuzgub, Forge Breaker / Orc StamBlade
    • 🗡️ ✨ EP - Blades-at-the-Ready, Witch / Argonian MagBlade
    • ☀️ ⚔️ EP - Lady Fortuna the Blessed, Grand Champion / Imperial StamPlar
    • 🔥 🛡️ EP - Plays-in Volcanoes, Mighty in Magma / Argonian StamDK
    • 💀 ☄️ EP - Ko'shamari the Doomweaver, Dovahkriid / Khajiit MagNecro
    • 🌱 ✨ EP - Sorvete, Countess / Khajiit StamDen
    • 🔥 🏹 EP - Falora Veloth, The Merciless / Dunmer StamDK
    • 🌩️ 🛡️ AD - Shimmers-with-Static, Spark of Vengeance / Argonian StamSorc
    • ☀️ ⚔️ EP - Amarri-do the Magnificent, Clan Mother / Khajiit StamPlar
    • 🌩️ ⚔️ EP - Z'majii-dar the Quick, Battlegrounds Butcher / Khajiit StamSorc
    • 🗡️ 🛡️ EP - Yana-la the Iron Lotus, Silver Knight / Khajiit StamBlade
    • 👁️ ☄️ EP - Mog gra-Ushug the Scholar, Master Historian / Orc MagCanist
    • 👁️ 🛡️ EP - Mamaea the Sledgehammer, Alpha Predator / Khajiit StamCanist
    • 👁️ 🏹 EP - Elsyiir Lichenhollow, Lady / Bosmer StamCanist
    • 💀 🛡️ EP - Vashpurri-do the Corrupt, Alpha Predator / Khajiit StamNecro
    • ☀️ ✨ EP - Narahni the Moon Dancer, Dro-Ma'thra Destroyer / Khajiit HybridTemplar
    • & I only dabble on the PC/EU server sometimes CP250+:
    • 🌩️ ☄️ EP - Steals-Many-Hearts / Argonian MagSorc
    • 🗡️ ⚔️ AD - Jessamine Seed-Nightrun / Bosmer StamBlade
    • 🌩️ ⚔️ EP - Sings-a-Song-of-Storms / Argonian StamSorc
    • 🗡️ ☄️ DC - Helainie the Shadebringer / Breton MagBlade
    • 🗡️ ⚔️ AD - Pashet the Nimble / Khajiit StamBlade
    • 🔥 ☄️ EP - Furoni the Ember / Dunmer HybridDK
    • 👁️ ☄️ EP - Am-Kesh / Argonian MagCanist
    • 🔥 ⚔️ AD - Eldrinthr the Flame-Heart / Bosmer StamDK
    • 👁️ ☄️ AD - Bajaa the Blackened Beast / Khajiit MagNecro
    • ☀️ ✨ AD - Narahni the Moon Dancer / Khajiit HybridTemplar
  • Destai
    Destai
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    It's a hard choice for me, and it's something that has changed over time. Here's my top 3.
    1. Orsinium, along with the rest of the Guilds-and-Glory stories, is so focused and grounded. There are betrayals that make sense, there are likeable characters.
    2. The Daedric War arc is strong too, especially Clockwork City and Summerset. Summerset will always be one of my favorite zones, but CWC also had really memorable storytelling.
    3. And the Elsweyr year was also strong, at least in terms of storytelling and world building. It's not my favorite, but objectively it's memorable. Abnur Tharn especially one of my favorites.

    There are other years' storytelling that had great world building, like High Isle and Blackwood's years, but the individual stories themselves were tarnished by unlikable characters, odd pacing or obvious outcomes.
  • Hermaeus_Mora
    Hermaeus_Mora
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    greymoor is my favorite because it is an interesting and simple plot without plans, princes and uninteresting worlds. it is a familiar beautiful location with a rich background, gloomy familiar vampires and a chic atmosphere.
    golden road could also be good if it did not have unnecessary Itelia and its history - it is boring
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