Wayshrines: In-Character or Out-Of-Character

Winchester1306

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening

I trust everyone is having a lovely Saturday so far, no matter where in the world you are.

I would like to establish where the Elder Scrolls Online Roleplay Community stands on the subject of using Wayshrines. Are they acknowledged and used In-Character (IC); or are they a gameplay mechanic that is rather ignored and if you would like to get from Skyrim to Valenwood you have to travel there the old fashioned way?

MAEK

I don't really know, but if your character is mortal (not soul-shriven) they can't actually use the wayshrines.
However, teleportation exist in the elder scrolls universe, so if you travel to a wayshrine from nowhere, it can be used as just a normal spell and be totally lore-friendly.

menedhyn

Other (Please elaborate)

To be honest, I don't like to use them. I much prefer to travel from place to place by walking or taking boats. I do this because when I first set out to play ESO, I was determined not to rush the content. I also wanted the journeys from town to town, or region to region, to mean something significant to them. To me, Tamriel feels vast because of it.

This has meant that all but one of characters conveniently ignore their function, though not their presence. My one sort-of-mage character who does recognise them for what they are prefers not to use them... a least for now.

Krist

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I put no, but must elaborate on it because it is not really a strict no.

Obviously they are accepted as lore to some degree, but the use of them takes away from journey and separation of cities and factions. If we accept that all can use them, then why did the factions march armies when they could have all just used wayshrines? We know they marched. An argument can be made that wayshrines cannot handle such an amount, and I say that because I argue the point in my own head...lol....but they do. Everyday.

Even with ingame quests, sometimes they finish by saying meet them somewhere else, and they run off, away from the wayshrine.

Sooooo...that is my no. I know there are good reasons for yes.

MAEK

Krist wrote: »

I put no, but must elaborate on it because it is not really a strict no.

Obviously they are accepted as lore to some degree, but the use of them takes away from journey and separation of cities and factions. If we accept that all can use them, then why did the factions march armies when they could have all just used wayshrines? We know they marched. An argument can be made that wayshrines cannot handle such an amount, and I say that because I argue the point in my own head...lol....but they do. Everyday.

Even with ingame quests, sometimes they finish by saying meet them somewhere else, and they run off, away from the wayshrine.

Sooooo...that is my no. I know there are good reasons for yes.

The reason that the armies marched and such is that to use the wayshrines one would need to have their soul separated from their body, and since the Vestige is conveniently soul-shriven they can port around Tamriel like crazy.

Dark_Claw

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I used Wayshrines during the main quest and Cadwell's Silver/Gold, but after completion of the latter I use solely carts, boats and my own two feet to get about. The only time I've broken that rule is when I returned to Craglorn and redid all the reset quests, but I don't have a problem with that because having to redo quests was immersion-breaking anyway.

RebornV3x

The problem is you can't get from Valenwood to Skyrim on foot would be nice if the next zones connected the game

Elsonso

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I say no because it makes no sense that we can instantly travel the world of Tamriel in this manner. Additionally, why should it be free to go from wayshrine to wayshrine, and cost gold to go from anywhere else to a wayshrine, and then cost even more gold if you do it again? The entire concept is for game design reasons and is not really rooted in anything else.

This feels like it was borne from a discussion following the question on how to implement an Oblivion fast travel. From appearances, and the fact that they chose wayshrines, it seems to have been decided at a time when ZOS did not yet have the feel for how to make an Elder Scrolls game. All they knew was how to make an MMO game, and copy what had been done for Oblivion. Knights of the Nine probably gave them the idea to use wayshrines. By the time Skyrim came along, which included the carts between major cities, it was decided that wayshrines were good enough.

We have to use it because there is little other travel structure. It is getting better, with the Navigators. Morrowind sounds like it will have some traditional options, too.

In this game, I bow to the game design. When I want to travel like we are "supposed" to travel, I use anything but the wayshrine system.

Krist

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

MAEK wrote: »

The reason that the armies marched and such is that to use the wayshrines one would need to have their soul separated from their body, and since the Vestige is conveniently soul-shriven they can port around Tamriel like crazy.

The vestige receives their soul back, but continues to use wayshrines. I see how that would work for a while though. Maybe some left over ability from the loss of the soul?

Rev Rielle

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

They're in the game and our characters use them as such so sure.

Do my characters understand the finer points regarding just how they work? Not a chance. But knowledge is not required for acceptance, especially in this Magicka-soaked world. They just put it down to some sort of mages-guild or some such invention, similar to those portals the mages can open.

They are of course there primarily for ease of us getting around the game-world (Though I wish they would have put a horse/cart system in the game instead), but the general mechanic can be worked into role play and lore; such things are fluid after all.

As is always the case, role-players can either see such obstacles as stepping stones or stumbling blocks.

Blud

Other (Please elaborate)

No opinion. I just wanted to see the results.

Mivryna

Other (Please elaborate)

To some degree it's difficult to even find RP without some means of getting around Tamriel quickly. I figure it could still require a skilled mage to perform teleportation, and that they need the wayshrines as guidance.

max_only

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

I'm pretty sure npcs explain the the mages guild maintains the wayshrine sand that's why we pay a fee. One of the crafting hirelings sends you a letter about it. Also in Cyrodiil they have mages actively "creating" and sustaining wayshrines. One of the Writ Collection npcs also comments something to the effect that it would be too expensive to send their shipments through wayshrines, I believe it's the one in Malabal Tor.

So I find it to be a transportation service brought to Tamriel by the Mages Guild in order to keep up funding for expeditions and such.

Rohamad_Ali

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

They are apart of world and the lore . I still sometimes use ship travel when Roleplaying just to mix it up .

Rev Rielle

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

They are apart of world and the lore . I still sometimes use ship travel when Roleplaying just to mix it up .

Me too, especially now with the appearance of Boatswain (and other) Navigators around the place.

SirAndy

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

max_only wrote: »

I'm pretty sure npcs explain the the mages guild maintains the wayshrine sand that's why we pay a fee. One of the crafting hirelings sends you a letter about it. Also in Cyrodiil they have mages actively "creating" and sustaining wayshrines. One of the Writ Collection npcs also comments something to the effect that it would be too expensive to send their shipments through wayshrines, I believe it's the one in Malabal Tor.

So I find it to be a transportation service brought to Tamriel by the Mages Guild in order to keep up funding for expeditions and such.

ProfesseurFreder

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

They are a part of the world. So I use them unless I just want to sight-see. Magic is an accepted mechanic, so this type of travel strikes me as reasonable.

I would not, however, use a Star Trek transporter!!! THOSE THINGS KILL YOU AND THEN CREATE A DOPPELGANGER ON THE OTHER END!!! <-- humor.

Rickter

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

I voted yes because . . . magic has no bounds.

But its a hesitant yes because honestly, which other TES games used wayshrines? I dont remember them in morrowind or oblivion and i kind of skimmed over skyrim so when were they introduced?

I think if ESO is the only TES game with wayshrines, then yeah i think id need to lean to a no they are not RP acceptable.

But at the same time, if teleportation exists in TES - then wayshrines should not be out of the realm of possibility

Dustfinger81

Other (Please elaborate)

Other.

While they are acknowleged in game, they are a gameplay mechanic shoehorned in. Realistically, almost no one would risk traveling dangerous roads or spending weeks on a ship or cart if their freely accessable public teleporter only had a modest fee. So, I'd acknowlege their existence but fanfic that there is some factor limiting their general use.

The cost to ship large amount of product doesn't really address it because Uber is an impracticle mass transportation method but for personal use, the convenience beats a ship or a guar cart.

Uzmati

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I see Wayshrines as... well, shrines in the way. May sound obvious, but i see them as places of rest usually used by travellers. Maybe its lore could be certain points in the road common amongst pilgrims or adventurers, no more, each one having a plate for make some offerings to the gods, seeking for protection and fortune.

Dustfinger81

Other (Please elaborate)

Uzmati wrote: »

I see Wayshrines as... well, shrines in the way. May sound obvious, but i see them as places of rest usually used by travellers. Maybe its lore could be certain points in the road common amongst pilgrims or adventurers, no more, each one having a plate for make some offerings to the gods, seeking for protection and fortune.

You mean like a sort of rest stop? if so, that would make sense. Our modern rest stops were created for similar purposes of cross country highway travelers. It would make sense for a similar institution to be created for foot travelers in a time when foot traffic is common. They could also work as a sort of outpost for the lone road wardens as they patrol commonly used trade routes.

fiftypercentgrey

Other (Please elaborate)

I incorporate them as some kind of new device which is not that stable and can transport only one person (me) in one go.
If my character had to escort a prisoner, a merchant, a herd of animals, a wagonload of stuff or something else it would not work or at least my character would have no control over where the other person or persons would teleport to.

So for traveling in an emergency it is ok. No one would think twice about my character saying something like "I just arrived by wayshrine an hour ago..".
For traveling with baggage it won't work that well (there are caravans, wagons and ships for that).

I wouldn't think too hard about it. Things like that are there to make it easier for the player and for people to play together. They probably aren't there to take away roleplaying opportunities.

Rickter

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

I found this information in another thread and it is supported with in game text and documented on UESP.net. Wayshrines are 100% supported by the lore:

Enodoc wrote: »

In ESO, the reason you are able to use wayshrines for fast travel and as respawn points is entirely related to the fact that you are soul shriven. In order to use a Wayshrine for fast travel, your soul must be 'unmoored from the Mundus'. You respawn at wayshrines after you die because they are conduits to Aetherius. You resurrect when you come into contact with a filled soul gem or a wayshrine because the Anuic essence of the soul within the gem or the high Anuic valence of the wayshrine kick-starts the reformation process of the Padomaic Chaotic Creatia that your body is formed of.

All of this is possible because at the start of the game, you are killed by Mannimarco and sacrificed to Molag Bal, thus having your soul stolen and replaced by a Daedric vestige, and your original body destroyed on Nirn and reformed out of Chaotic Creatia in Coldharbour.

hope this helps

Dustfinger81

Other (Please elaborate)

Rickter wrote: »

I found this information in another thread and it is supported with in game text and documented on UESP.net. Wayshrines are 100% supported by the lore:

Enodoc wrote: »

In ESO, the reason you are able to use wayshrines for fast travel and as respawn points is entirely related to the fact that you are soul shriven. In order to use a Wayshrine for fast travel, your soul must be 'unmoored from the Mundus'. You respawn at wayshrines after you die because they are conduits to Aetherius. You resurrect when you come into contact with a filled soul gem or a wayshrine because the Anuic essence of the soul within the gem or the high Anuic valence of the wayshrine kick-starts the reformation process of the Padomaic Chaotic Creatia that your body is formed of.

All of this is possible because at the start of the game, you are killed by Mannimarco and sacrificed to Molag Bal, thus having your soul stolen and replaced by a Daedric vestige, and your original body destroyed on Nirn and reformed out of Chaotic Creatia in Coldharbour.

hope this helps

So the use of wayshrines as an available form of public transportation is not a lore thing. That is definitely helpful. Ty.

Majeure

Other (Please elaborate)

They are part of the lore, however only the Vestige can use them, therefore you may not.

We can't all be the Vestige, you know.

Nocturaglencoe

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

I don't use them all the time but in some cases I can't bother travelling on horseback.

When I do the Enchanters' Writs for instance I travel to the drop-off point by wayshrine but for most quests I don't use them. I actually only use them for quests if I want to get that quest done without getting distracted by all the others on the way there. It's not unusual for me to spend days getting from one point to another purely because of all the interesting stuff I find during travelling.

Dracindo

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

If anything, I just compare it to fast-traveling in Skyrim: I tell myself I did travel the entire distance, on foot, horseback or carriage. Nothing happened on the road, and now I'm at my destination.

Surprisingly the sun or moon hasn't changed position. Must be the work of some evil force messing with time again.

Krist

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I think we can come up with rp reasons, from simply traveling without incident, to tying into soul shriven. However, let's face it, they were not put there for lore. They were put there for convenience, and thank goodness they were. My hat off to those that have good rp reasons behind their use, as well as those that simply use them for convenience sake but do not recognize any rp in it.
I personally simply view them as fast travel, but that in no way is at odds with those that see lore in it. It simply boils down to preference in personal rp. Not all of my characters are Vestige, therefor that cannot work for all of mine, as they all live in the same time line, and can absolutely know one another (though few do).

I guess my point is that there is no wrong answer here. I admire anyone's rp that has actually put thought into this, whichever their decision on it.

Good thread, and thought provoking subject.

yashualaydin

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

Dracindo wrote: »

If anything, I just compare it to fast-traveling in Skyrim: I tell myself I did travel the entire distance, on foot, horseback or carriage. Nothing happened on the road, and now I'm at my destination.

Surprisingly the sun or moon hasn't changed position. Must be the work of some evil force messing with time again.

TOTALLY AGREE.

Seminolegirl1992

No. They are there for gameplay reasons and should not be used for In-Character purposes.

I say no but I should explain why. OOC I use them all the time. But IC, no, never. They ride there, use boats, or use magic to teleport, but it requires quite a bit of energy and can be exhausting, putting the mage in danger of not being able to protect themselves. If wayshrines could be used by anyone, then armies should use them, or daedra. I saw another person's comment that the reason we can is because we're soul shriven. So, if you rp your character as such, then sure. But not all of my toons have the exact same storyline. That would imply in the rp sense that every single character in the game is this special.

I want to add that during rp we often use them purely for convenience if the distance is simply too far, but to keep with immersion, the story is that they were on foot. We do not incorporate shrines into rp.

SydneyGrey

Yes. They are acknowledges and accepted as In-Character devices.

Krist wrote: »

... If we accept that all can use them, then why did the factions march armies when they could have all just used wayshrines? We know they marched.

My explanation is because the soldiers would have to use the wayshrines one by one, which means they can simply be picked off one-by-one as they get to their destination via the wayshrine. The soldiers are much safer staying in numbers by marching together, rather than risk being killed as soon as they go through a wayshrine.