Witches' Festival Crown Store Items: An Issue With Timing

Acrolas

Gidorick wrote: »

I have clamored for one thing since the Crown Store began, for the items to be intelligently and creatively included in Tamriel.

They have, though.
As private property.

Rather than diluting them within the game, ZOS went the route that these are specialty items acquired by individuals for their personal use. It's no different than a custom-painted car or a tattoo or those Pepsi Perfect bottles.

You don't need to legitimize or validate something that chronologically will only be used or owned by a small percentage of the population. Lore should never be designed around minority stakeholders. That's why I dislike "Chosen One" narratives so much. They try to bend the entire world to fit the specifics of one person instead of the entire culture.

ESO is still about the entire set of cultures, though. Crown store items aren't changing the cultures, just individuals within them.

dodgehopper_ESO

I have no problem with the Frost or Fire horse though, and I'll tell you why. There's a mages college. They summon atronachs, daedras, planty things like lurchers, and when they're villainous and don't have scrutiny sometimes skeletons. I don't have a problem with elemental horses for the simple fact I can totally picture a mage summoning up a magical horse, and it makes more sense that I magically whip up an ice atronach horse in cyrodiil, then *poof* a tiger appears out of nowhere. These things are better than the Lone Ranger's horse in that regard, we don't even have to whistle.

On the matter of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years I love those holidays, but I really hope they don't cut and paste the same tired MMO tropes from real life observances into the game. For example, please no candy canes when a wintry sweetroll makes more sense? I wouldn't mind seeing some guards with a winter arrow in the knee though.

Asherons_Call

We're in October. Close enough!

Enodoc

lordrichter wrote: »

Gidorick wrote: »

Now, after saying all that. I will also admit that I have become a bit defensive about this specific issues because I have keep getting the "get over it" response from the community and no response from ZOS. I do believe these issues should be voiced and opinions, even unpopular ones, must be heard. Especially when it concerns the integrity of the game. Because if I stop caring about the fact that there is no fire horse represented in the game and I stop caring about the fact that they are masquerading halloween items in ESO as witches festival items , I loose the primary reason I'm playing ESO... and I'll just go play something else.

I'm sure right now many of you are thinking "Yea Gid. You should."

Nah, I don't think that it is time to leave, yet.

It is obvious that ZeniBeth is actually more interested in Halloween than they are Witches' Festival, but that does not mean the whole thing it a total loss as far as Elder Scrolls is concerned. There is lore there, and part of what I said was just that it does not matter what ZOS does, so long as ZOS does not bury the lore under Troll poop. With what there is today, there is room for lore and for ZOS to do the happy dance for the Great Pumpkin.

The upcoming assault by ZeniBeth marketing for Christmas will be epic compared to this little issue with Halloween. There are a ton of lore friendly things that they could do in December that are not Christmas, but would be fun to do. It makes me sad to know that they won't be doing any of those things. Whatever special observances that happen in Tamriel during Evening Star will be morphed into something "Christmas-y" so that they can capitalize on it for revenue. Like with Halloween, costumes, mounts, and other Crown Store merchandise, will contain the necessary iconic references so that everyone sees "Christmas" but the words they put below those pictures will be some Tamrielic holiday that no one will care about... because CHRISTMAS!

It remains to be seen whether Elder Scrolls and CHRISTMAS! can coexist in the game.

That's not even really hard. Just look up the customs associated with Saturalia and New Life.

Gidorick

Enodoc wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

Gidorick wrote: »

Now, after saying all that. I will also admit that I have become a bit defensive about this specific issues because I have keep getting the "get over it" response from the community and no response from ZOS. I do believe these issues should be voiced and opinions, even unpopular ones, must be heard. Especially when it concerns the integrity of the game. Because if I stop caring about the fact that there is no fire horse represented in the game and I stop caring about the fact that they are masquerading halloween items in ESO as witches festival items , I loose the primary reason I'm playing ESO... and I'll just go play something else.

I'm sure right now many of you are thinking "Yea Gid. You should."

Nah, I don't think that it is time to leave, yet.

It is obvious that ZeniBeth is actually more interested in Halloween than they are Witches' Festival, but that does not mean the whole thing it a total loss as far as Elder Scrolls is concerned. There is lore there, and part of what I said was just that it does not matter what ZOS does, so long as ZOS does not bury the lore under Troll poop. With what there is today, there is room for lore and for ZOS to do the happy dance for the Great Pumpkin.

The upcoming assault by ZeniBeth marketing for Christmas will be epic compared to this little issue with Halloween. There are a ton of lore friendly things that they could do in December that are not Christmas, but would be fun to do. It makes me sad to know that they won't be doing any of those things. Whatever special observances that happen in Tamriel during Evening Star will be morphed into something "Christmas-y" so that they can capitalize on it for revenue. Like with Halloween, costumes, mounts, and other Crown Store merchandise, will contain the necessary iconic references so that everyone sees "Christmas" but the words they put below those pictures will be some Tamrielic holiday that no one will care about... because CHRISTMAS!

It remains to be seen whether Elder Scrolls and CHRISTMAS! can coexist in the game.

That's not even really hard. Just look up the customs associated with Saturalia and New Life.

At least Saturalia and New Life coincide with the real world holidays... so we won't have the specific problem with timing.

For those interested, I discuss what ESO holidays equate to real world holidays here: http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/221826/real-world-holidays-related-to-tamriel-holidays/p1

Prepare yourself... valentines exists almost identically in Tamriel in the form of "Heart's Day"

Elsonso

Enodoc wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

It remains to be seen whether Elder Scrolls and CHRISTMAS! can coexist in the game.

That's not even really hard. Just look up the customs associated with Saturalia and New Life.

It's not hard, which is why I say that there are a ton of things to do with these holidays without turning them into Christmas. I fear, and expect, that they will turn it into Christmas.

The text will say "Saturalia" or "New Life Festival" but 99% of the players will read it as "Christmas" simply because the reindeer mount will be wearing a red nose and there will be an elf costume to match. I have no doubt that all of the items will be immediately recognizable as "Christmas!" to anyone who sees them, even non-players. Some, like the scare crow polymorph, will be suitable for just about any game on the market today that wants to do Christmas.

Also, they are not going to use Saturalia. Too obscure. If they pick a holiday, it will be "New Life Festival" simply because they can make it into both New Year ("New") and Christmas ("Life") and nail two holidays with one visit from Santa.

I don't have a problem with Tamriel holidays that coincide with real world holidays, and they can definitely service the cash greedy accountants, as well as the players in both the lore and non-lore camps. I do think they should spend more time making them for Tamriel than they do making them for the real-world holiday. By not going overboard on the real-world connection, they can bring the non-lore people in a little closer without smothering them in lore.

The items, pets, mounts and costumes for Christmas are already done. It is only a matter of time until they appear in a Data Mining thread here on the forum.

Enodoc

lordrichter wrote: »

The items, pets, mounts and costumes for Christmas are already done. It is only a matter of time until they appear in a Data Mining thread here on the forum.

Well they're not there yet