The zone of crappy loots.

It has to be Skyrim, we’re due for a nostalgia trap.

Elsweyr please

I can’t predict, because we can’t even guarantee that they’re going to give us more zones. As far as we know, the only things this game intends to do is some form of Crossplay, some form of Overland Difficulty, and “tee hee we have secrets and we’re not telling but you should hype yourself up impossibly high so you can be utterly disappointed when we reveal something mundane!”

Heck, we don’t even know if they intend to do anything like balance or bugfixes in the future.

Anyway, ESO’s stories have been on a severe downswing, and the latest is following the trend. While it may not have been as excruciating as High Isle was, the problem with Solstice’s both parts is the fact that they can’t even keep the lore straight within the same content pass. Seriously, how carelessly was this done?
“Solstice is an insular isolated island that nobody from the mainland knows about… except it’s just as diverse as the mainland and half of the NPC’s have friends and relatives there.”
“Eastern Solstice? It’s so mysterious and we know little about it since only one tribe lives there and nobody goes over there. Oh, except for one of the Colleges, and they go back and forth all the time.”
“Hey, we need a staging ground to prep for war on a small island. Let’s use a different island on the other side of the world as a staging ground so we can ensure we get the troops their needs as slowly as possible!”

Ugh…

My biggest fear is that they’ll do Solstheim in the future.

Here’s the thing: I love Solstheim. Two of my characters are Skaal. But I do not trust the current team to be able to do it justice at all.

Solstheim, at this point in 2E, has literally nothing. Skaal Village is there, the All-Maker stones are around, and that’s it. Thirsk isn’t founded until Hrothmund the Red at the beginning of 3E. Fort Frostmoth is built well after that as the Imperial home of the East Empire company to oversee the construction of Raven Rock in 3E 427. None of these settlements exist in 2E. And as for Skaal Village, that’s not a hub city, it’s a handful of homes living in isolation. If anything, it’s closest to the Nord village on Solstice (which itself exists for some reason…)

If they did Solstheim, I’d want it to feel isolated. Don’t give it a zone story, just have a series of dailies for the Trials of Aevar Stone-Singer and that’s it. I’d actually be intrigued if they designed it to have a max size of 12 players so it feels really isolated, and make it the “frontier zone” like OG Craglorn. That I would accept.
But shoehorning some inanity like Eveli Sharp-Arrow complaining her way through some contrived story where the Skaal need to help pull Stibbons out of Lady Laurent’s buttocks while Raz tries desperately to get the player in bed with him? 🤮

Other: who says we're getting a zone next year?

Given recent trends, I'm definitely not going to hype myself up for anything that isn't even confirmed.

I mean ok, they'll probably cobble something minimally viable together out of old assets, because something shiny and "new" is what brings in the bucks, but my expectations really could not be lower, and I suppose I don't really care what the chosen zone is because it'll just be more [or probably less] of the same.

Next trial should be held in WORLD OF THROAT.

No skimpy fashion, wear thick warming fur coat, and with mountain gear.
Let's mount highest mountain in the Tamriel.

Erickson9610 wrote: »

If we're getting something Dark Brotherhood-themed, we probably will get a zone that matches it. Frankly, I think Skyrim will be their move, because of the Dark Brotherhood's presence in TES V: Skyrim. I can't really think of another place on Tamriel that makes as much sense that also isn't just a rehash of the Gold Coast.

I hope we get Solstheim, though. Any excuse to get Werewolf related things is a good excuse in my book. Maybe we'll finally get werebears in ESO that way. Then we can work out things like Werewolf Companions, Werewolf Transformation Skill Styles (including one to look like a werebear), Werewolf Scribing Grimoires, and so on. Maybe even the ability to sneak as a Werewolf and assassinate targets from stealth, if the content is themed after the Dark Brotherhood anyway.


Also, I hope we get Hammerfell in ESO before TES VI releases, just because people say it cannot possibly happen. I want to see how different the same locations are in ESO versus in the mainline TES titles, anyhow.

The dark brotherhood had a presence in most provinces so I doubt it would have to do anything to do with the presence in tes 5. If they are doing a dark brotherhood like storyline or a continuation then it would likely be not within Skyrim. I think it would likely be within Bravil and that small area of cyrodiil they can do an entire zone in. As it would be a good place to like continue such a storyline because Bravil is like central to the whole dark brotherhood being the location of the night mothers crypt and from where many of the dark brotherhoods assassination orders come from. So it would be an ideal spot for continuing the storyline for the dark brotherhood but its possible they may do something in Skyrim with it.

Thevampirenight wrote: »

Erickson9610 wrote: »

If we're getting something Dark Brotherhood-themed, we probably will get a zone that matches it. Frankly, I think Skyrim will be their move, because of the Dark Brotherhood's presence in TES V: Skyrim. I can't really think of another place on Tamriel that makes as much sense that also isn't just a rehash of the Gold Coast.

I hope we get Solstheim, though. Any excuse to get Werewolf related things is a good excuse in my book. Maybe we'll finally get werebears in ESO that way. Then we can work out things like Werewolf Companions, Werewolf Transformation Skill Styles (including one to look like a werebear), Werewolf Scribing Grimoires, and so on. Maybe even the ability to sneak as a Werewolf and assassinate targets from stealth, if the content is themed after the Dark Brotherhood anyway.


Also, I hope we get Hammerfell in ESO before TES VI releases, just because people say it cannot possibly happen. I want to see how different the same locations are in ESO versus in the mainline TES titles, anyhow.

The dark brotherhood had a presence in most provinces so I doubt it would have to do anything to do with the presence in tes 5. If they are doing a dark brotherhood like storyline or a continuation then it would likely be not within Skyrim. I think it would likely be within Bravil and that small area of cyrodiil they can do an entire zone in. As it would be a good place to like continue such a storyline because Bravil is like central to the whole dark brotherhood being the location of the night mothers crypt and from where many of the dark brotherhoods assassination orders come from. So it would be an ideal spot for continuing the storyline for the dark brotherhood but its possible they may do something in Skyrim with it.

You know what I'd love to see for a DB themed thing? Bravil... as a Dungeon.

Hear me out:

The dungeon entrance would be from the north, and you'd meet Elam Drels to give you the quest: he has a contract on the Count of Bravil (but he is being evasive if you keep asking him questions). The town is a mess, since AD forces are fighting Imperial deserters and Bravil guards are trying to hold the town together after Jena Apinia's massacre recently before. The path to the castle then goes south along the street, but there are barricades and fighting armies, so you have to pass through some of the houses.

The fun tactic they add though would be the ability to pull out your best sneak mode and you could technically sneak all the way to the first boss without any combat. There would be an achievement for doing that in a full group (but then you obviously can't get challenger since you didn't kill all the things).

After you cross the bridge and get into the Castle, you meet the first boss in the great hall: the captain of the guard. The count is expecting Elam and they have a bit of dialogue before the count runs off and Elam pursues him, so you're left to fight off the guard captain.

After that, you go back out the castle and the barricade to the western street has opened so you can head off toward the chapel, fighting guards along the way. You finally make it to the Lucky Old Lady statue at the center of town where Elam has finally cornered the count... and then he kills him. But that's when he finally lets it slip - the count was a Dark Brother who had offended him, and this was personal. But because the tenets forbid it, you get the second boss: the Wrath of Sithis.

Once you get through that fight, it takes you directly to the final encounter below in the Night Mother's Crypt. You fight her shade, and this should be a hard fight.

mid elsweyr

I don't think we get a new zone at all. Maybe we get something like Tideholm to pick up quests, but the new content will be spread over base game zones.

WE KNOW. (zone specifically I'm waiting to be surprised)

tomofhyrule wrote: »

Thevampirenight wrote: »

Erickson9610 wrote: »

If we're getting something Dark Brotherhood-themed, we probably will get a zone that matches it. Frankly, I think Skyrim will be their move, because of the Dark Brotherhood's presence in TES V: Skyrim. I can't really think of another place on Tamriel that makes as much sense that also isn't just a rehash of the Gold Coast.

I hope we get Solstheim, though. Any excuse to get Werewolf related things is a good excuse in my book. Maybe we'll finally get werebears in ESO that way. Then we can work out things like Werewolf Companions, Werewolf Transformation Skill Styles (including one to look like a werebear), Werewolf Scribing Grimoires, and so on. Maybe even the ability to sneak as a Werewolf and assassinate targets from stealth, if the content is themed after the Dark Brotherhood anyway.


Also, I hope we get Hammerfell in ESO before TES VI releases, just because people say it cannot possibly happen. I want to see how different the same locations are in ESO versus in the mainline TES titles, anyhow.

The dark brotherhood had a presence in most provinces so I doubt it would have to do anything to do with the presence in tes 5. If they are doing a dark brotherhood like storyline or a continuation then it would likely be not within Skyrim. I think it would likely be within Bravil and that small area of cyrodiil they can do an entire zone in. As it would be a good place to like continue such a storyline because Bravil is like central to the whole dark brotherhood being the location of the night mothers crypt and from where many of the dark brotherhoods assassination orders come from. So it would be an ideal spot for continuing the storyline for the dark brotherhood but its possible they may do something in Skyrim with it.

You know what I'd love to see for a DB themed thing? Bravil... as a Dungeon.

Hear me out:

The dungeon entrance would be from the north, and you'd meet Elam Drels to give you the quest: he has a contract on the Count of Bravil (but he is being evasive if you keep asking him questions). The town is a mess, since AD forces are fighting Imperial deserters and Bravil guards are trying to hold the town together after Jena Apinia's massacre recently before. The path to the castle then goes south along the street, but there are barricades and fighting armies, so you have to pass through some of the houses.

The fun tactic they add though would be the ability to pull out your best sneak mode and you could technically sneak all the way to the first boss without any combat. There would be an achievement for doing that in a full group (but then you obviously can't get challenger since you didn't kill all the things).

After you cross the bridge and get into the Castle, you meet the first boss in the great hall: the captain of the guard. The count is expecting Elam and they have a bit of dialogue before the count runs off and Elam pursues him, so you're left to fight off the guard captain.

After that, you go back out the castle and the barricade to the western street has opened so you can head off toward the chapel, fighting guards along the way. You finally make it to the Lucky Old Lady statue at the center of town where Elam has finally cornered the count... and then he kills him. But that's when he finally lets it slip - the count was a Dark Brother who had offended him, and this was personal. But because the tenets forbid it, you get the second boss: the Wrath of Sithis.

Once you get through that fight, it takes you directly to the final encounter below in the Night Mother's Crypt. You fight her shade, and this should be a hard fight.

Really nice! But I think you are months late for this to be implemented next year XD

Agree on Skyrim most likely since it will be its 15th anniversary but I also would like to see Solstheim - I want snow, gimme some snow, please!

We already know from the hint in this year‘s content stream that a coming season will be about Dark Brotherhood.
Well, near Dawnstar there is the oldest Sanctuary in Skyrim. We know that from TES V. We don‘t really know how old exactly but I‘d assume it was already there in 2E.

I really wanna fill those gaps in Skyrim. And I doubt that we will visit the rest of Hammerfell or Highrock before TES VI is released.

If not Skyrim, I‘d love to visit Pyandonea.

I didn't vote. I'm with @tomofhyrule . There's no zone coming next year. It's like people haven't been listening. They want to reuse old zones. They said this. They couched it in PR speak but I don't think we're getting any zone. Maybe some quest locations in old zones. My raid team is on holiday hiatus, with the plan to come together a couple months before the next trial. I'm a little sad as who knows if we're gonna get a next trial.

This year was the last year of old style content. They already said this is a transition year. 2026 will be short, maybe 3 months seasons. First up, 3 months of dark brotherhood. New Sanctuary in an old zone. Quest line that takes us around old zones. Reused assets. Reskinned crown crates stuff. They said they made this change so they could release more content, dynamically and weren't hemmed in by the old model, but the reality is something I've been saying, which I think is funny but sad.

Zos is out of quarters. When the ride stops, ESO as we knew it will be gone. Yearly big chapters with zones and side quests and new systems etc. Q4 story DLC has been gone. Look at this years mess. We think it gets better from here?

I hope I can go back to Breezehome in Whiterun one day. After this they can shut down ESO, I'll got my peace then.