Lack of an overland connection between The Reach and Bangkorai/Craglorn

theamazeman

I have always loved the world of The Elder Scrolls. My biggest draw towards The Elder Scrolls Online in 2014 was the promise of exploration in all of the provinces of Tamriel. The journey is almost as enjoyable to me as the destination, and for that reason I am a big fan of NOT using fast travel services such as Wayshrines, Wagons, Boats, and other assorted 'teleports'.
Because of this, I greatly prefer zones that have overland connections to other zones so that one might ride from one zone to another. Examples of this include the Fort Virak/Fort Fullhelm pass between Stonefalls and The Rift in the base game, and even the road between The Reach and Western Skyrim in the upcoming content.
However, I noticed that The Reach - while sharing an enormous border with the regions of Craglorn and Bangkorai - does not have any sort of road or pass that would allow a player to travel from The Reach to either Bangkorai or Craglorn.
This is nonsensical, especially when one considers that Bangkorai literally has a road meant to lead into The Reach in Jackdaw Cove. With Western Skyrim being connected to Eastmarch via Blackreach, an enormous opportunity to unite two thirds of the game world overland has been squandered by making The Reach a geographical dead end. It would have been possible to make a journey as lengthy as from Shadowfen to Glenumbra overland without any ports had The Reach only been connected with Bangkorai or Craglorn.
I know that connecting later content zones to existing zones is not something the developers are against, either. In 2015, Wrothgar was connected to Stormhaven and Bangkorai through the Merchants and Friendship Gates. In 2016 with the launch of One Tamriel, the Bangkorai Gate in Craglorn made travel possible between the two zones. As recently as 2019, Northern Elsweyr contained gates linking it to Reaper's March and Grahtwood.
In short, there is no reason why The Reach should not have overland passage into Bangkorai or Craglorn. Neglecting to include such passage(s) is not only a tremendous waste of an opportunity to make the map of The Elder Scrolls Online truly interconnected, but also an unwelcome sign that players who value exploration and immersive travel are not taken into consideration and a deviation from the free-roaming and explorative spirit of The Elder Scrolls.

Please, please, at the very least make the northwestern Bangkorai gate in Jackdaw Cove lead into The Reach since it already exists and would require minimum effort or alterations. I have included images to reference the path and where it ought to lead.

Welewa

You're not the only one who dislikes having to teleport somewhere to reach it, like the crap that was done with Murkmire being an isolated zone and only being able to use a wayshrine to reach it.

I can only hope I'm mistaken in the belief that its simply pure laziness as to why no connections are made where its obvious that there would be (and should be) some. The more areas that are not connected in such a manner, as well as areas that get left out such as the strip of land between Northern and Southern Elsweyr, contribute to such a perception as well as the feeling that Tamriel is piecemeal and fragmented.

Kajuratus

In 100% agreement with the sentimentality here. One of my main hopes for this game is to, one day, be able to traverse from one side of Tamriel to the other, without the use of any fast travel. Either that or make a complete circuit around Cyrodiil without any fast travel. Now I don't think the devs should necessarily focus on only releasing zones that border pre-existing zones, if they want to have a DLC set in a corner of Black Marsh which is far away from anywhere else in game, like the city of Archon or something, then more power to them. Its their decision where they want to tell their stories. But when they add content right next to zones that exist in game, they really should connect the borders up. The most powerful thing about a game is the stories you create yourself. We're meant to be able to complete this Dark Heart of Skyrim story in any order, right? We can do Markarth before doing Greymoor, right? So put your money where your mouth is, and let us naturally come across the Reach before entering Western Skyrim. Let us choose how we enter the Reach. Its great that you connected Western Skyrim to the Reach, but thats far from enough for a game that is meant to let you go anywhere and do anything.

Oggdo_Frogdo

Just got Markarth and this was the first thing I looked for. Pretty disappointing that not only does the gate not work, but that there is no caravan in the major cities to fast travel there without using wayshrines (like the ones that go to Orsinium and Senchal). ZOS please fix!

Taleof2Cities

Welewa wrote: »

I can only hope I'm mistaken in the belief that its simply pure laziness as to why no connections are made where its obvious that there would be (and should be) some.

Anyone who's played ESIV:Skyrim knows how tall the mountains are west of Markarth (on the border with Bangkorai) ... making it difficult for travel anywhere.

Although you really don't need to have Skyrim gameplay experience. It's possible to check out one of the many online maps.

Mistaken?

Kajuratus

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

Welewa wrote: »

I can only hope I'm mistaken in the belief that its simply pure laziness as to why no connections are made where its obvious that there would be (and should be) some.

Anyone who's played ESIV:Skyrim knows how tall the mountains are west of Markarth (on the border with Bangkorai) ... making it difficult for travel anywhere.

Then we should have no problem getting into Whiterun Hold from Western Skyrim. There shouldn't be any obstruction from Western Skyrim into Whiterun, because there's no terrain blocking the way in TES V.

Oh, hang on a minute...

Just because there is an obstruction in terrain there, doesn't mean that the people living there wouldn't have thought of a way around that. Remember that the Reachmen who are present in Bangkorai had to get there somehow, and when theres a gate literally leading into the Reach, it strains credulity that it doesn't connect up to the zone for us players. There's a mountainous terrain in between Skyrim and Morrowind called the Velothi mountains, that didn't stop ESO from connecting up Stonefalls and The Rift.

Although you really don't need to have Skyrim gameplay experience. It's possible to check out one of the many online maps.

Excellent, I'll whip out the map from Arena that shows two connections between Skyrim and Hammerfell. One from Falkreath to Elinhir, one from Snowhawk to Dragonstar that passes through the Reach.
images.uesp.net/c/c1/AR-map-Arena.jpg
Surely you can agree that a connection between the Reach and Craglorn is necessary now?

Vevvev

They added a cart allowing you to travel between the two zones did they not?