Balmora is under-utilized

ProfesseurFreder · November 2017

Balmora is a great little town, beautifully designed, but there aren't enough reasons to go there, and none to hang around.

Unless I'm mistaken, the only services in Balmora are Guild Traders, A Stable, and a Caravaner. There isn't even a bank! A town that big should at least have a bank and craft tables.

It would help draw some of the congestion out of Vivec Ciry if basic services were available in Balmora (and that that other nice small town that's nearby).

Apache_Kid · November 2017

There should definitely be some shops and crafting stations. Totally agree that it's under-utilized.

AsheronRealaidain · November 2017

It would be awesome if there was a bank and crafting tables, was definitely my "home town" in the original Morrowind days being part of House Hlaalu. Would definitely hang out there all the time. Doesn't make any sense it's treated like some off-the-beaten-path village unless there's some lore reason I'm unaware of. Definitely disappointing. You're right about Vivec City, the loads can be annoying sometimes on console with so many people. Invisible assets, etc. Make Balmora great again!

Aliyavana · November 2017

We have feedback during the beta and they didn't care so if they didn't care then they won't care now

kojou · November 2017

An apartment to buy there would be nice as well. It was my favorite city in the original Morrowind, so I was disappointed they made it so minor in ESO.

Nestor · November 2017

I can't believe we do not have a Townhome to buy in Balmora. Almost every character I had in SP Morrowind had a house there, at least at some point.

I am also surprised there are no real services in that town. Crafting stations would be nice. Sure, it's just a Wayshrine a way. But, most of my characters are not all that religious so the whole Vivec City thing is kind of lost on them. They would much rather be away from the fuss.

Of course the Dark Elves may not want Outlanders living in their city. But I say screw em. I want to hang around and live there just because it bugs the zenophobes. If someone can't get along with me, bug them until they go nuts.

Gilvoth · November 2017

because of the refusal to copy paste the vanilla version, and not deviate and not customize from its original form, meaning that both Vvardenfel And Balmora should not have been used with customizations or updates applied to it.
if that were the case then it Would have been a Huge success!

boombazookajd · November 2017

absolutely agree. I'd love for the population to thin out in Vivec as I loathe trying to go there during any peak hours via way shrine and when I do get there, its often full of black silhouettes and invisible crafting stations. At least for logistical reasons..

TarrNokk · November 2017

I love balmora since I played the original Morrowind. In balmora I occupied a npc house and made it my home and I was so happy to find balmora almost originally designed. If zos gave it a bit more love, as well as vivec city would need it, it would be great.

Hauteecole_Rider16 · November 2017

Never played the original MW game - I admit I just couldn’t get into it. However, in ESO MW, when I arrived in Balmora the first time, I was charmed. What a beautiful city! Had a great time doing the quests here. Then I finished the quests, and looked around. No reason to stay - no home to purchase, no basic stations to pass time at.

Such a beautiful little town with no reason to remain seems like such a waste to me. I’d love for at least a room at the inn there, and the basic crafting stations as well. It would make it a reason for me to make that my Vvardenfell HQ once the quests there are completed . . .

VerboseQuips · November 2017

One way to make Balmora more interesting would be to add the Bal Molagmer to the Chapter, and to make Balmora a daily quest hub for them, for quests like "steal this precious item from a mansion". Rewards could be pages of a "Bal Molagmer" motif, for example.

I would also like to have some Skaafin motif, by the way.

bloodthirstyvampire · November 2017

aliyavana wrote: »

We have feedback during the beta and they didn't care so if they didn't care then they won't care now

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Ok, want to address a few things here.

As for us "not caring" about PTS feedback, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Many of our devs stay late just to read your feedback, whether it be on new systems, areas, or yes, even combat balance and changes. We've mentioned this before, but just because we don't change something doesn't mean we aren't reading and taking it to heart. PTS is extremely valuable not just for feedback, but also bug reports. Look at each week's patch notes - you are a big part of why things get found!

Everyone, let's please stop bashing the team or making assumptions. This is your first and last warning.

Elsonso · November 2017

Seems to me Zeb Cook mentioned that they were really strapped for time doing Vvardenfell. That is why the Sheogorad area was not part of the Chapter. That probably means there was no time to add amenities to Balmora.

THWIP71 · November 2017

On the flipside, it's kinda refreshing to have a major town that's not constantly overrun with the madness of dueling players, crafting and merchant areas overrun with players, pets, mounts, etc. , and banks that are so jam-packed, finding the banker is like playing Where's Waldo? .

Taleof2Cities · November 2017

It was brought up in the closed Beta (April 2017) for Morrowind ... as was posted above. Though admittedly by the time Beta was released on PTS, it’s already too late to work on any world-building related to the content release.

Here’s a very interesting read:

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/338917/lets-talk-about-the-towns-of-vvardenfell/p1

Aliyavana · November 2017

bloodthirstyvampire wrote: »

aliyavana wrote: »

We have feedback during the beta and they didn't care so if they didn't care then they won't care now

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Ok, want to address a few things here.

As for us "not caring" about PTS feedback, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Many of our devs stay late just to read your feedback, whether it be on new systems, areas, or yes, even combat balance and changes. We've mentioned this before, but just because we don't change something doesn't mean we aren't reading and taking it to heart. PTS is extremely valuable not just for feedback, but also bug reports. Look at each week's patch notes - you are a big part of why things get found!

Everyone, let's please stop bashing the team or making assumptions. This is your first and last warning.

And to add to insult, they ignored our threads on the missing skillpoint pre morrowind characters cannot obtain

TheShadowScout · November 2017

ProfesseurFreder wrote: »

Balmora is a great little town, beautifully designed, but there aren't enough reasons to go there, and none to hang around.

Unless I'm mistaken, the only services in Balmora are Guild Traders, A Stable, and a Caravaner. There isn't even a bank! A town that big should at least have a bank and craft tables.

Craft tables? Maybe...

But a bank? DEFINITELY! Considering how we know from TES-III that Balmorra is going to grow into "the" Hlaluu town in the coming centuries, it really would make sense to have a lot more vendors and places of commerce and trade show up there! Bank. Guild traders. Perhaps even a Hlaalu daily "trade" quest giver (go there, pick up trade goods, deliver there, don't let bandits take it on the way, and there might or might not be random ambushes, toll inspectors casing for a bribe or other difficulties...)

Tasear · November 2017

We need more banks in general to encourage exploration.

MasterSpatula · November 2017

This is, indeed, one of the major disappointments of the Morrowind Chapter. For old-school TES3 players, Balmora is THE city. Vivec is a place you go to for various reasons, but Balmora is the focal point of everything. Home of Caius Cosades, a major quest hub for the Temple and the Morag Tong, likely the place you'll start out in any guilds you join, and council chambers for House Hlaalu.

And, of course, who could forget the Balmora Council Club, the site of the first mass slaughter everyone commits.

I love that the questline of Balmora is so involved, but I really wish the town had more going for it than just that. It should. It deserves it.

vyndral13preub18_ESO · November 2017

My biggest disappointment of Morrowind. Balmora.

vyndral13preub18_ESO · November 2017

My biggest disappointment of The forums. Double Post.

Vanthras79 · November 2017

They should go back and add more stuff to existing content even DLCs and Chapters. Some QOL changes would not go unnoticed. @ZOS_RichLambert

RANKK7 · November 2017

I completely agree. Same thought I had when visited that city, very well done and a shame there are no reasons to visit the place after the quests are done.

If a house was released there, a medium one in Saint Delyn style with a countyard, that would be just awesome

I would buy that immediately even if there are no services around.

Though yes, I wish they would add a bank and the crafting benches with dye station, it surely would be more populated because it's a beautiful place.

Epona222 · November 2017

I would love to see more facilities in Balmora - there is no rule that says there can only be one bank per zone (there are 2 in Auridon for example), and some crafting facilities, shops, and more places to visit would be great.

Sleep724 · November 2017

Would also love for Balmora to have a bank and crafting stations. It’s my favorite city in all the elder scrolls games and would be awesome to station all my characters there.

TheShadowScout · November 2017

...personally I would have liked to see even the thieves guild in Balmorre instead so close to Vivecs eye... on the other hand, back in TES:III the Morag Tong are right under his nose too, so what the heck... still, it -would- be neat to have one fence in a inn backroom around Balmorra, just to spread things around a bit...

LadyAstrum · November 2017

I think there are lots of places under utilized for housing. Auridon, for example, could do with a nice medium sized house to make up for the laughably small inn room. Not everyone wants a mansion.

EttinTheBreton · November 2017

I agree, Balmora is too beautiful to not have many players hanging around. I don't want to detract from your main point, but I think there are many places in Tamriel that are under-utilized. We have a lot of beautiful countryside throughout ESO, even in the base game, where not many players go. Is it possible to make a place more worthwhile to visit and spend time at, without simply throwing down a crafting station or Townhome?

My first thought is introducing a new kind of random event (e.g. Hang around the streets of Balmora, talk with passersby, and oh no! A pickpocket! Chase them down to retrieve the goods!), but those ideas run the risk of becoming trivial, meaningless, and not fun.

Could we get a new skill that can be improved all across Tamriel? As a player, I would like to be able to see more people and chat with them as I travel the countryside, in addition to when I visit Balmora, so what could we do instead of simply adding more banks, crafting stations, and other facilities?

Tarum · November 2017

This would be great. I favored Ald'ruhn as a Redoran City in TES3 but in ESO Balmora is my top choice.
I never bought a house, but I would in Balmora!
Suggested location: Caius Cosades location

Also it would be great if a little Fighter and Mages Guild could find their place where they are in TES3, aswell an outlaw refugee in the tavern on the other side of the river, where in TES3 we have the Thieves Guild.
I would buy Morrowind again just for that!

MattT1988 · November 2017

Yeah. I’d like to see a banker and crafting station there for sure. Sadrith Mora needs this too. In fact, I’d like to see Ebonheart get this kind of upgrade too.