[SUGGESTION] DLC for 2024: Focus on Argonian Culture

SilverIce58

phantasmalD wrote: »

More argonian content is inevitable, as the end goal is to have a fully mapped out Tamriel by the time ESO dies. Black marsh is one of the only 5 provinces left with significant unexplored landmass, next to Cyrodiil, Morrowind, Skyrim and Hammerfell,
with High Rock and Elsweyr both having enough free space for one more DLC or maybe even a chapter.

The leftover area is big enough for 3-4 chapter/dlc, so it would be prudent to spread out Black Marsh chapter over the next decade and do an argo chapter the next couple of years, otherwise they will eventually get to a spot where their only course of action is to spam the same province over and over again. Which I think people would hate more.
Or the other option would be to do one giant BM chapter, but that would be deeply unsatisfying and a big waste of potential.

However, I'd really prefer if they ruminated a bit more on it tho, instead of rushing out a Murkmire 2.0 chapter, where they just copy paste the same assets from 2015 (*). Like how Necrom is shaping up to be Vvardenfell 2.0.
Really create some new vistas and ideas, and give a chance for lilmothiit to appear in some capacity.

Hammerfell is prob the most deserving of a dedicated chapter right now, I just hope ZoS can move past the idea of Hammerfell == desert. It supposed to have some luscious jungles too.


*A large percentage of Murkmire's assets was created for a scrapped adventure zone and was occasionally used in unrelated content, like in the Maelstrom Arena, before the release of the DLC. The real innovation that Murkmire brought to the table was the flora and fauna, hostile plants and new enemies.

Fun fact: Argonians are the only race who didn't get a new Wayshrine design with their dedicated content, ZoS opting to reuse the base game version instead. :P

The real innovation Murkmire brought was a swamp where we could ride in a straight direction without constantly being dismounted lol. No but Murkmire was a great zone and Blackwood was also nice as well (even if the zone story wasn't great). I think we're due for another Argonian chapter soon (despite everyone constantly hating swamps and Argonians), as it will have been the same length of time from Murkmire to Blackwood as Blackwood to another swamp zone.

zaria

Following the standard, 2024 should be more AD focused not sure where, perhaps Colovian Highlands with Skingrad north of Reaper March
After that an DC one then EP who might well be Argonian focused.

Araneae6537

Ragnarok0130 wrote: »

The main problem with both the Argonians and the Bosmer is that low civilizations dwelling in muddy swamps and forests don't really entice people to purchase expansions like the higher Tamrielic civilizations do such as the Dunmer, Aldmer, Imperials, Bretons etc which is undoubtedly a point of contention for ZoS. We also got a fair amount of exposure to the lore for the Bosmer in the base game.

Out of the three civilizations Redguard, Bosmer, and Argonian mentioned frequently in this thread I think the Redguard would be the best out of them to base an expansion. I'd personally love to learn more about the lost continent of Yokuda and its cultural descendants and we didn't learn very much about the Redguards in the base game or even in the Dragonguard expansions. Plus deserts and savannah are much easier to traverse than the Grahtwood or the swamps for my two cents.

In my opinion, that is all the more reason to show other aspects of Argonians such as an enclave that has continued or evolved from the civilization of the Xanmeer.

I particularly enjoy games and expansions that focus on peoples and societies unique to them, which is part of why Morrowind (especially as portrayed in TES III) and Elsweyr stand out for me and I really liked the Heart of Thorns GW2 expansion that focused on the sylvari (plant people). Human-focused, especially the typical sort-of-but-not-exactly medieval Europe or vikings is so overdone and boring to me.

BlueRaven

zaria wrote: »

Following the standard, 2024 should be more AD focused not sure where, perhaps Colovian Highlands with Skingrad north of Reaper March
After that an DC one then EP who might well be Argonian focused.

There is not really a pattern anymore.

After Elsweyr (AD), they went to Skyrim (EP), to High Rock (DC), then on to Morrowind (EP again).

They could just as easily go back to a DC area again, in fact (being the upcoming 10th anniversary) I would not be that surprised if we stayed in the EP and opened up more of Skyrim.

EDIT: And I am not sure if the Colovian Highlands would be considered part of AD anyway.

Lumenn

There's too much mystery around the Argonians. While I'd LOVE to see them solved, I believe they will just use the easy dwemer route and be " ooh it's a MYSTERY and no one knows" type deal rather than fill in the holes with content. Like how advanced were the Argonians before they let the swamps take their xanmeers? Why did their civilization fall? Is there some long term multigenerational plan from the Hist that needs the Argonians to be "humble" and spread out? A race so "humble" they were enslaved, yet when they had enough they (most likely) released a plague killing a good chunk of the known world without reptilian blood. A "humble" race that remains the only one who's inner lands are still unexplored and a mystery. A "humble" race that is the only one to have the daedra retreat and close off gates in fear when they tried to invade. What of the naga? The Sarpa? What's in the center of black marsh that no outsider has seen?

These mysteries and more need answers. But I'm sure a combination of public demand, possibly politics, and an unwillingness to actually fill in "mystery" lore will see us with bosmer or redguard material. Good for the ones that want it 👍. But such a shame the Argonian lore isn't fleshed out more.

Sallymen

Murkmire was a good deep dive of Argonians, can't really say the same for what base game has for Bosmer and Reguads. Would rather see these two have a time to shine.

Evil_Rurouni

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

AnduinTryggva wrote: »

Anyhow we should get more content for those races that did not get the same attention as the other ones.

Agreed. Redguard and Bosmer are the only races that haven't received any DLC focusing on their culture yet.

Thats not entirely accurate.
Craglorn was originally a DLC back in the really old business model ESO used to have, if memory serves, and has old yokudan culture as part of its focus.
Hew's bane and Fargrave also gives slight glimpses into Redguard culture in passing, although the DLC's they're part of mainly focus on other things.

Redguards are only a bit behind Argonians for getting DLC content.
It just seems that Redguards got less because the older content wasn't as well made as the stuff made between 2017 and 2021, so isn't as memorable as the Peak era ESO stuff Argonians got.

Bosmer are way behind both of them, having the same problem Bretons had until recently:
All their territory was mapped out in the base game, and a lot of people weren't enthusiastic about paying to get even more awkwardly wedged into ESO due to how much of it they'd already trudged through, and how mediocre it all was.

Gotta admit, when I finally made an AD toon and a DC toon with my Wardens, the Breton and Bosmer zones were a boring chore to complete, and High Isle almost ended up as the first chapter I didn't buy because of that.


Bosmer could really use a DLC focus, but it'd need to be better that the meh-tier stuff ZoS have been putting out recently to actually sell to people who remember the uninspiring mid-section of the AD base game.

Rageypoo

The main thing they can focus on for Argonians is their swim animations. Why do they side paddle? they are master swimmers. They should flow through that water head first, tails wagging. It's not even a useful skill to have, but by gosh it better look pretty when using it!

Toanis

We can only ever hug the border of Black Marsh, because the core regions are deadly to other races, either because the environment is actually too hazardous for soft skins, or because a hive mind of trees that predate the concept of time wills it so. So it would be more of the same, another border region where the natives are treated as a curiosity at best, commodity at worst, by foreigners that visit their land in search for adventure and riches.

In a Black March campaign non-argonians would require a means to survive, so likely divine protection, most likely also a disguise, the real world templates for what we know about argonian culture had a special use for weird outsiders. The plot would then mainly be about exploration and likely protecting the status quo, can't have the Vestige retire and become a world renowned author on Argonian culture; all that needs to stay a mystery fo the next millennium. The prime candidate for a divine being that would send an agent to discover secrets and then make sure they stay hidden already gets a DLC this year, with pretty much this very plot.

Bosmer had their whole lands mapped in the AD campaign, nothing left there except for a time travel plot. Redguards have vast white areas on the map, even ingame, those desert regions are perfect for places that are literally lost to the sands of time. Not only Yokudan but also Elven and Nedic places to (re)discover, a perfect setting for an Indiana-Jones style adventure, but yeah, we kinda had that in Craglorn.

Jaimeh

I think there was some content in Blackwood as well, at least through the landscape, delves and trial. If they did more Argonian -focused dlc's, it would be cool if they focused on the ancient civilization too, so we could see more xanmeer because they are some of my favourite structures, design-wise in the game. However, I doubt that will be any time soon, since there are races that haven't had their own dlc yet, like you mentioned OP.

FrancisCrawford

I've never disliked another ESO zone as much as Murkmire. Argonian "art" has always been hideous. Murkmire taught us that Argonian people are death cultists. I abandoned the main regional quest very early due to the general lameness of the NPC team.

To my tastes this would be a horrible idea.

AnduinTryggva

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

I've never disliked another ESO zone as much as Murkmire. Argonian "art" has always been hideous. Murkmire taught us that Argonian people are death cultists. I abandoned the main regional quest very early due to the general lameness of the NPC team.

To my tastes this would be a horrible idea.

That is an outsider's misconception of Argonian religion. Argonian belief is that change and transformation is the only steady thing in the world and death is just one aspect of it. And death is just the beginning of something new in it.There is indeed deep wisdom in that and just a philosophic way to look at the big questions of life.

BloodyStigmata

It's ESO's 10 year anniversary next year. I think wherever we're going, it's going to be a big year.

Maybe that means we'll get multiple zones with next year's chapter--one for each of the alliances, and next year will be the year we finally stick it to Meridia.

BlueRaven

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

I've never disliked another ESO zone as much as Murkmire. Argonian "art" has always been hideous. Murkmire taught us that Argonian people are death cultists. I abandoned the main regional quest very early due to the general lameness of the NPC team.

To my tastes this would be a horrible idea.

I get it. Argonian quests can be mentally taxing sometimes. “Ok I get it. The Hist demands! I know, I know…”
But that murkmire quest goes in an unpredictable direction towards the end. Try to finish it.

Araneae6537

Another reason for more Argonian content (and even more so for Bosmer) is furnishings! All in all, 2021 was a great year for housing, but I think there were hardly any new Argonian furnishings and now new Argonian house — not that I want another mud hut, but another Xanmeer (without the bugs and gimmick this time) or even better, an open plot that could be deep in the woods or wetlands, with the structural furnishings to build our own Xanmeer, would be fantastic.