Mountains, mountains and... more mountains. Vvardenfell vol. 2.

Serjustin19

I want to go to those islands. No mountains right there.

Apache_Kid

That is.... not good. Seems very small.

Let's not forget the entire zone of Vvardenfell felt unfinished. No towns outside of Vivec city offered any real services and the whole "Vivec City under-construction" story-line felt like an excuse to just give us a half-finished city. Also, the entire Sheogorad reason is inaccessible in Vvardenfell. Summerset looks like more of the same by the maps shared in this thread.

Priyasekarssk

Okiir wrote: »

Astrid_V wrote: »

I don't care if these mountains are for immersion, more beautiful views or whatever.
I prefer Summerset to be completely flat like a damn desert, BUT at least filled with quests and other activities in these areas.

The problem isn't really mountains. It's that mountains in ESO are unexplorable (unlike previous TES games).

"See that mountain in the distance? You can't go there"

ESO Mountains works like fillers in map. Just make map look big. Pure laziness.

Vahrokh

Turelus wrote: »

I know we want playable areas and all but... they can't just remove mountains and volcanos from the world to make every section of every map explorable.

How many inside or separate from the base zone areas are there to explore?

That's OK, but in order to create less content, expect a next expansion to be an HUUUUUUUGe mountain.
You cannot travel on top it. The map only comes with that mountain and two tiny towns, one to the north of it, the other to the south. And, of course, a lone teleport all to the east of the mountain.
Resulting map: larger than VVardenfell, playable content: two postcards.

xbobx

Kuramas9tails wrote: »

This looks smaller than Auridon.

How?

Edit: It literally looks like you have more to explore in Auridon than here but it's suppose to be a bigger map.

so they lied. Did they not say this would be the biggest map added? looks like it might be the smallest.

Turelus

Okiir wrote: »

Astrid_V wrote: »

I don't care if these mountains are for immersion, more beautiful views or whatever.
I prefer Summerset to be completely flat like a damn desert, BUT at least filled with quests and other activities in these areas.

The problem isn't really mountains. It's that mountains in ESO are unexplorable (unlike previous TES games).

"See that mountain in the distance? You can't go there"

But even in other TES games they were just areas with nothing of interest. ZOS would let us walk all over them but if there is nothing to actually be done there then... why?

Cinbri

Idk, how Summerset, but at least on Vvardenfell you can have access to volcano and all the empty zone around it, at least for RP and panoramic angles, unavailable otherwise.

Priyasekarssk

Turelus wrote: »

Okiir wrote: »

Astrid_V wrote: »

I don't care if these mountains are for immersion, more beautiful views or whatever.
I prefer Summerset to be completely flat like a damn desert, BUT at least filled with quests and other activities in these areas.

The problem isn't really mountains. It's that mountains in ESO are unexplorable (unlike previous TES games).

"See that mountain in the distance? You can't go there"

But even in other TES games they were just areas with nothing of interest. ZOS would let us walk all over them but if there is nothing to actually be done there then... why?

"But even in other TES games they were just areas with nothing of interest. "
Completely false statement.
Why not put content in mountains similar to high wrothgar in skyrim ? Who will even forget explorable mountains & waters in previous elder scrolls games ? Explorable Waters & mountains makes the game really beautiful and lore friendly. Especially for fantasy games.

Map should not be just fillers to fool people by showing map area , which is not even playable area . When mountains are about half of the actual map dont expect consumers take it lightly. They will only take it as a betrayal. Dont put any inaccessible fillers in the map. Its very bad example for game design , which currently no games does that. At least make maps explorable , just as sight seeing or put player houses there, even if no playable content or quests there.

Everstorm

Doesn't look promising but I'll reserve my judgement until it comes out to see how big the actual playing area is. I too was quite disappointed that you couldn't explore Red Mountain, if they pull that crap again I might think again on buying future chapters. Exploring is one of my favorite things about games like this.

Kiralyn2000

Priyasekarssk wrote: »

Okiir wrote: »

Astrid_V wrote: »

I don't care if these mountains are for immersion, more beautiful views or whatever.
I prefer Summerset to be completely flat like a damn desert, BUT at least filled with quests and other activities in these areas.

The problem isn't really mountains. It's that mountains in ESO are unexplorable (unlike previous TES games).

"See that mountain in the distance? You can't go there"

Mountains works like fillters in map. Just make map look big. Pure laziness and fooling people.

So you'd prefer that no adventures ever happen in or near mountainous terrain? After all mountains are just "laziness and fooling people".

red_emu

Astrid_V wrote: »

If you thought Vvardenfell was just Orsinium with volcano on top, look at Summerset map.

Hmmm.... Is is just me or does Auridon feel bigger? And Summerset was meant to be the bigger of the islands?

Nevermind Vvardenfell 2.0, it Vvardenfell 0.5 or Auridon 1.01

Sting864

Nermy wrote: »

That transitus at the north end looks a bit lonely.

That may be a clue... Good eye! Perhaps there is a hidden bit in the mountains SW of there... I should go look.... (People who say there are "un-navigable" areas may just be giving-up too soon....)

Masel

This is a common packaging principle in business: Put smaller content in a bigger box so people think there's more in it than air. Most obvious examples are chips and cornflakes bags. Gaming is no exception to that. There's many ways where you can see that ZoS is trying to make the operations as effective as possible:

Reskins of the same mounts with every update. No new mounts coming with a patch that literally includes gryphons. They also remodel enemy textures almost exclusively.

Monsters in summerset use old models, such as velidreth, hungers etc. Only new ones are gryphons and Z'maja....

You can complain about it as much as you want, but companies have to be competitive nowadays, and it is these little things that save them lots of resources. I also noticed this though and was a bit disappointed...

It has less landscape than auridon, even though it should have at least 1.5 times the surface.

TelvanniWizard

If at least we could go to the mountains... They could have been a really nice enviroment, with another landscape, some delves and world events, map verticality...

Frugl1

I don't care much for the size of the overworld. What matters to me is the amount of indoor/dungeon locations used in quests.

Marabornwingrion

Frugl1 wrote: »

I don't care much for the size of the underworld. What matters to me is the amount of indoor/dungeon locations used in quests.

There are plenty of places like in Vivec City - buildings with permanently locked doors...

Malthorne

ZOS appears to be happy delivering the bare minimum. As long as fanbois are happy to defend their laziness, half baked content is all we may get with ESO from now on.

There is so much more they could have done with the landmass of Summerset and Vvardenfell. A ton of missed opportunities to show off their talents and be really creative. Think I’m wrong? Take a look at the massive zones and varied environments that WoW, FFXIV, and GW2 released with their expansions.

ClockworkCityBugs

can anyone find a quote from @ZOS_GinaBruno said on the similar screenshot its not true?

so Gina, why you lied to us?

Fivefivesix

Wrothgar DLC wins again.

ThumbtackJake

ClockworkCityBugs wrote: »

can anyone find a quote from @ZOS_GinaBruno said on the similar screenshot its not true?

so Gina, why you lied to us?

Right here.

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

zadrotscrolls wrote: »

nice

Not sure where this image came from (the red parts, that is) but just want to call out this isn't completely accurate and is not an exact representation of the playable area.

So, not technically a lie, seeing as there are little nooks and crannies here and there, plus Artaeum, but yeah. It's not the complete truth either.

Marabornwingrion

They need to sell their product and make money so it's obvious they won't tell the whole truth. Remember when they said year ago how big is Vvardefell? Well, they didn't mention that 1/3 of the island is useless volcano.

I'm not sure how much Gina explored of Summerset Island, but I spent a lot of time exploring it, as well as other players.

Crafts_Many_Boxes

Some of my fondest memories in Oblivion were exploring the mountain ranges. There were a lot of secret / hidden things up there, including a few dungeons, some unique items, and even a few unique enemies. Skyrim had some of this, but not as much.

Point being, I'm in the "let's have mountain exploration" camp. It really does make the world feel more alive when you can find signs of life in seemingly remote areas, or actually explore them for that matter.

Marabornwingrion

Crafts_Many_Boxes wrote: »

Some of my fondest memories in Oblivion were exploring the mountain ranges. There were a lot of secret / hidden things up there, including a few dungeons, some unique items, and even a few unique enemies. Skyrim had some of this, but not as much.

Point being, I'm in the "let's have mountain exploration" camp. It really does make the world feel more alive when you can find signs of life in seemingly remote areas, or actually explore them for that matter.

Unfortunately, mountains in ESO cannot be explored like mountains in old Bethesda games.

In ESO their role is being a filler, to fool customers about size of the map and content they are paying for.

Priyasekarssk

Masel92 wrote: »

This is a common packaging principle in business: Put smaller content in a bigger box so people think there's more in it than air. Most obvious examples are chips and cornflakes bags. Gaming is no exception to that. There's many ways where you can see that ZoS is trying to make the operations as effective as possible:

Reskins of the same mounts with every update. No new mounts coming with a patch that literally includes gryphons. They also remodel enemy textures almost exclusively.

Monsters in summerset use old models, such as velidreth, hungers etc. Only new ones are gryphons and Z'maja....

You can complain about it as much as you want, but companies have to be competitive nowadays, and it is these little things that save them lots of resources. I also noticed this though and was a bit disappointed...

It has less landscape than auridon, even though it should have at least 1.5 times the surface.

Any business in the world is built on trust and it can last as long trust last. Trust is the premium currency. Big corporations are turned into dust in no time.

If this is the way to remain competitive forget it. There is no justification for betrayal. If a customer spends 10 dollars, he should feel at least the get around 8 dollars worth in it. Bad mouthing by 1 customer you losing 10 customers. Good luck!!!!

This actually how to become less competitive and become laughing stock of gaming community. Gamers once written off a gaming company , it is written off for ever. ITs very hard to come back. Remember ubisoft. Even later games doesnt deserve those harsh treatment , their fame of cut , copy pasting precedes their bad reputation.

They betrayed their customers in watch dogs 1. Everyone know what happened to watch dogs 2 & latest assasin creed edition. They tried to rectify hard, the errors, no gamers not even listen to them. Even ubisoft went a step higher by using bots & paid reviews. But gamer turned their back completely. See what happened to GTA 5. GTA is almost forgetted. No one is going to preorder or by GTA 6. No matter how rockstar cries and market. Gamers know legacy the GTA created in gaming industry.

Gaming companies often fool themselves by these practices , thinking themselves too smart. There is no other way around. Repeat customer is more important than just earning few extra pennies. After all they need people to buy next game. Its derailing the fame and legacy earned for so long in the name elder scrolls , after so much of hard work put in after all these years by so many people.

We have to wait and see , its another vvanderfall in disguise, when final version comes out.

Mitoice

I agree with OP.... they received a lot of complaints about their maps being small and what do they do?? Fill all the maps with mountains.... one of the features i hated about morrowind qas the inclusion of a lot of mountains with invisible walls.... so from now on they are giving us huge maps with a lotnof invisible walls.... *sigh*

Kiralyn2000

Astrid_V wrote: »

Unfortunately, mountains in ESO cannot be explored like mountains in old Bethesda games.

In ESO their role is being a filler, to fool customers about size of the map and content they are paying for.

And, I would hope, to be scenery.

Just like all that ocean, stretching to the horizon. Taunting players with thoughts of endless vistas to swim, only to be stopped by slaughterfish.

(or hey, those islands in the distance off the north coast of Vvardenfell. How dare they! There should just be a blank wall at the limit of how far you can actually travel. Wouldn't want to fool customers.)

Rouven

Somewhere on this map there is a little easteregg and her name is Heidi.

I'm less concerned with size and more with how it's filled. Unless I have to backtrack all the time because of the layout in general/invisible walls etc.

Minno

In design we can that white space. And you can't have meaningful art without a healthy balance between content and emptiness.

I think that map looks more healthy than Morrowind does.

Jolipinator

Are those tower/portcullis icons more wasted space for battlegrounds?

Elsonso

Turelus wrote: »

Okiir wrote: »

Astrid_V wrote: »

I don't care if these mountains are for immersion, more beautiful views or whatever.
I prefer Summerset to be completely flat like a damn desert, BUT at least filled with quests and other activities in these areas.

The problem isn't really mountains. It's that mountains in ESO are unexplorable (unlike previous TES games).

"See that mountain in the distance? You can't go there"

But even in other TES games they were just areas with nothing of interest. ZOS would let us walk all over them but if there is nothing to actually be done there then... why?

That's the Theme Park thinking of game design. If they, the devs, have no organized activity there, why bother making it?

I climb mountains because they are there and I want to go there, not because some game dev puts something up on top. (Although, it is fun when they do hide stuff up there)

Masel92 wrote: »

This is a common packaging principle in business: Put smaller content in a bigger box so people think there's more in it than air. Most obvious examples are chips and cornflakes bags. Gaming is no exception to that.

ZOS: Some settling may have occurred during shipment.