An Actual Time Point, Please. Greymoor contradictions.

DuckInRealLife · February 2020

So, one thing I have noticed is on the website for Greymoor, it says it takes place almost 1000 years before Skyrim.
However, when looking at the expansion pack within the crown store in game, it says Greymoor takes place 800 years before Skyrim, which leaves about a 170 year gap when you take away the 20 or so years to bring the start of the Planemeld.
If it is 800 years exactly, The Second Era ended in 897, the Third Era went for 433 years and Skyrim starts in 4E 201.
So by math, 800 - 201 - 433 = 166 897 - 166 = 731.
This means Greymoor would have to take place in 2E 731, 148 years after the Planemeld, more importantly, how is Lyris still alive?

Additionally, if you take ESO clock as a source of time (https://esoclock.uesp.net/) it is currently 2E 606 (23 years after), due to how the day/night cycle works.

Can we please get a definite time frame?

Nomadic_Atmoran · February 2020

Everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582. This has been confirmed by Tuttle the Loremaster and the devs have stated they have no interest in moving the clock forward out of concern it would confuse new players.

Obviously when they say almost 1000 years. They aren't trying to be exact. Its just them rounding up to the closest even number. Its just a easier way to convey the distance in time.

So a little math here using the dates we know for sure.

Current ESO Year: 582
End of Second Era: 897
End of Third Era: 433
Current Skyrim Year: 201

If we subtract the Current ESO Year from the End of the Second Era number we get is:

897 - 582 = 315 years

And if we take that new number and add it to the End of 3rd Era number and the Current Skyrim Year number we get this:

315 + 433 + 201 = 949 years

The simplest explanation for the error here is that it was simply a mistake on the part of whomever wrote the synopsis. But we have not left the year 2E 582.

Arunei · February 2020

I'll just nudge in here to say that using the UESP clock is not the clock to be using. I highly doubt day and night in Nirn last a few hours and days go by that quickly; it's just a game mechanic that time passes that fast, because obviously they can't align day and night to real-world times as that would make it day for people where it's night and vice versa.

It's also stupid that everything is happening in the same year, though, because that's just as confusing as making time go forward. They've already said Orsinium (and by default every expansion afterward) happens a year after the Planemeld, yet upon making a new character you get put into the Elsweyr tutorial instead of the game's MQ. That means you do all this stuff with Abnur BEFORE everything to do with the Planemeld story, which puts things out of order to a major degree. The best way to fix this would be to say "yes time has been moving forward" and people playing older content are just going through a sort of 'flashback' where they're doing stuff that happened in the past until they get to the most recent expansion. It would make more sense than what they're doing now.

DuckInRealLife · February 2020

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

And if we take that new number and add it to the End of 3rd Era number and the Current Skyrim Year number we get this:

315 + 433 + 201 = 949 years

The simplest explanation for the error here is that it was simply a mistake on the part of whomever wrote the synopsis. But we have not left the year 2E 582.

Not really, you went forward, I went backward from using the fact on the DLC notes in game it says 800.
It still doesn't change the fact if you take 800 as it states and subtract backwards there's still an 170 year gap.

Yes, almost 1000 isnt exact. But 800 is and it is still is a big gap.

Arunei wrote: »

It's also stupid that everything is happening in the same year, though, because that's just as confusing as making time go forward.

If ALL that stuff happened in one year, I'm sorry but I'm looking for my sandwich board.
Natural disasters happen, (e.g. Planemeld) But if you had several of those in one year all affecting pretty much the whole continent. How many do you think we realistically have in real life that affect whole countries?

Nomadic_Atmoran · February 2020

DuckInRealLife wrote: »

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

And if we take that new number and add it to the End of 3rd Era number and the Current Skyrim Year number we get this:

315 + 433 + 201 = 949 years

The simplest explanation for the error here is that it was simply a mistake on the part of whomever wrote the synopsis. But we have not left the year 2E 582.

Not really, you went forward, I went backward from using the fact on the DLC notes in game it says 800.
It still doesn't change the fact if you take 800 as it states and subtract backwards there's still an 170 year gap.

Yes, almost 1000 isnt exact. But 800 is and it is still is a big gap.

Arunei wrote: »

It's also stupid that everything is happening in the same year, though, because that's just as confusing as making time go forward.

If ALL that stuff happened in one year, I'm sorry but I'm looking for my sandwich board.
Natural disasters happen, (e.g. Planemeld) But if you had several of those in one year all affecting pretty much the whole continent. How many do you think we realistically have in real life that affect whole countries?

I did not "go forward" as you put it. I did very simple math to show you where things actually are and why numbers like 1000 and 800 are being thrown around. Tuttle and the Devs have made it clear that everything we see in game has happened in 582. Its quite obvious that they made a mistake in stating 800 years seeing as the 949 year difference has been known in the ESO community since the first days of the games release.

No amount of acting outraged is going to change any of this.

DuckInRealLife · February 2020

Nowhere did I say I was outraged, nor am I. I think you’re unclear what I’m trying to say here.

You have two different figure being displayed both very different. 1000 and 800 are vastly different figures which by stating 800 throws everything off time wise.

For everything to happen in the same year is not only catastrophic it is almost a world ending scenario which looking back at the further historic events something this big only happened once in a era so to speak. Which is why I agree with the other person everything to happen in one year doesn’t make sense.

Yes 949 is almost 1000 but it is also not close to 800 either. Which is what I’m trying to say...

Due to a marketing tactic, Zenimax has literally contradicted theirselves with what they have posted in two different locations they actually control, so that needs to be cleared up...

I’ve even asked people how they think the time scale works and honestly I think that it is to a person’s interpretation.

From a role play perspective eso clock would make half of people characters born as the planemeld happened.

I have also heard the story that 1 day in real equals 3 days in game which would make every year 3 years.

Some people take it as 1 expac = 1 year in time considering they now market the dlc sections as year long campaigns. This would make the most plausible sense.

Elsonso · February 2020

Unreliable narrator. Never know who to believe, these days.

DuckInRealLife · February 2020

The fact being taking this out of the context of it being an mmo, where everything can be done whenever, everything still has a logical order in which it happened.

This is why dolmens only exist in the base of the game as opposed to keeping them in all of the game.

Number_51 · February 2020

The 800 year figure is usually mentioned in conjunction with The Oblivion Crisis (or the end of The Oblivion Crisis). My guess is it's just a mistake.

I also don't recall, but could be wrong, them saying specifically everything takes place in 582. I do remember them saying that "time is personal to the player". I take that to mean that they try to avoid pinning an event to a specific time to allow the player to determine the sequence of events by playing (or not playing) in whatever order they want.

Nomadic_Atmoran · February 2020

Number_51 wrote: »

The 800 year figure is usually mentioned in conjunction with The Oblivion Crisis (or the end of The Oblivion Crisis). My guess is it's just a mistake.

I also don't recall, but could be wrong, them saying specifically everything takes place in 582. I do remember them saying that "time is personal to the player". I take that to mean that they try to avoid pinning an event to a specific time to allow the player to determine the sequence of events by playing (or not playing) in whatever order they want.

There is a discussion here in the lore forum right now that has a screenshot of Tuttle stating everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/473075/all-eso-events-base-chapters-and-dlcs-are-happening-in-582-only-what/p2

DuckInRealLife · February 2020

I read the screenshot too myself they said both, and nobody really agreed with their statement following the rest of the comments.

They contradicted theirselves again there by saying “time is personal to the player“ which basically says we want you to make up your own mind and that “we assume”.

Like said in this post again, orsinium hints at it being 583. But the main reason this is done is for people to be able to play it in whatever order.

But it still has a canonical order.

Sjestenka · February 2020

Is it even possible to count the exact number of years? There's been matter of Big fetching Walker fetching twice <.<

Number_51 · February 2020

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Number_51 wrote: »

The 800 year figure is usually mentioned in conjunction with The Oblivion Crisis (or the end of The Oblivion Crisis). My guess is it's just a mistake.

I also don't recall, but could be wrong, them saying specifically everything takes place in 582. I do remember them saying that "time is personal to the player". I take that to mean that they try to avoid pinning an event to a specific time to allow the player to determine the sequence of events by playing (or not playing) in whatever order they want.

There is a discussion here in the lore forum right now that has a screenshot of Tuttle stating everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/473075/all-eso-events-base-chapters-and-dlcs-are-happening-in-582-only-what/p2

Yes, I followed that thread for a bit nearly a year ago, but hadn't seen the recent replies since it was revived. I had forgotten the full quote, so thanks for linking.

As DuckInRealLife mentioned, he seems to contradict himself in the quote. In my mind he just misspoke, or wasn't fully clear in what he meant. It's just my opinion of course, he may have meant exactly what he said. We'd have to ask him. I interpreted it as "So, time in-game is personal to you. Given that multiple players can play content in any order, we've resisted the push to advance to 2E 583. For that reason, we assume that all events of ESO [could] take place in 2E 582."

In other words, they won't advance time and pin anything to a specific date. The game begins in 2E 582 and continues in whatever order and in whatever time-frame the player desires. Much like what Enodoc said:

Enodoc wrote: »

I don't think it's specifically supposed to be "everything happens within one year". 2E 582 is the only year that is given so the events can happen in any order. So if you played base game at launch, that is 582, and if you're doing Elsweyr now, that's 585 or so. But if you do Elsweyr first, that's 582 and the original main quest could be 584 for you.

(The only place this doesn't actually make sense is when characters specifically reference years, as mentioned above.)

Obviously there are limits. I don't think any event in ESO can take place after 2E 730 (when Artaeum returns to Tamriel). But the remainder of the 6th century of the second era and, as near as I can tell, all of the 7th century is wide open.

As I said, it's all speculation and opinion on my part, but it works for me.

Ajaxandriel · February 2020

DuckInRealLife wrote: »

But it still has a canonical order.

Or not.

Just sayin...

Nomadic_Atmoran · February 2020

Number_51 wrote: »

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Number_51 wrote: »

The 800 year figure is usually mentioned in conjunction with The Oblivion Crisis (or the end of The Oblivion Crisis). My guess is it's just a mistake.

I also don't recall, but could be wrong, them saying specifically everything takes place in 582. I do remember them saying that "time is personal to the player". I take that to mean that they try to avoid pinning an event to a specific time to allow the player to determine the sequence of events by playing (or not playing) in whatever order they want.

There is a discussion here in the lore forum right now that has a screenshot of Tuttle stating everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/473075/all-eso-events-base-chapters-and-dlcs-are-happening-in-582-only-what/p2

Yes, I followed that thread for a bit nearly a year ago, but hadn't seen the recent replies since it was revived. I had forgotten the full quote, so thanks for linking.

As DuckInRealLife mentioned, he seems to contradict himself in the quote. In my mind he just misspoke, or wasn't fully clear in what he meant. It's just my opinion of course, he may have meant exactly what he said. We'd have to ask him. I interpreted it as "So, time in-game is personal to you. Given that multiple players can play content in any order, we've resisted the push to advance to 2E 583. For that reason, we assume that all events of ESO [could] take place in 2E 582."

In other words, they won't advance time and pin anything to a specific date. The game begins in 2E 582 and continues in whatever order and in whatever time-frame the player desires. Much like what Enodoc said:

Enodoc wrote: »

I don't think it's specifically supposed to be "everything happens within one year". 2E 582 is the only year that is given so the events can happen in any order. So if you played base game at launch, that is 582, and if you're doing Elsweyr now, that's 585 or so. But if you do Elsweyr first, that's 582 and the original main quest could be 584 for you.

(The only place this doesn't actually make sense is when characters specifically reference years, as mentioned above.)

Obviously there are limits. I don't think any event in ESO can take place after 2E 730 (when Artaeum returns to Tamriel). But the remainder of the 6th century of the second era and, as near as I can tell, all of the 7th century is wide open.

As I said, it's all speculation and opinion on my part, but it works for me.

ZOS and Bethesda has always had the "personal experience" attitude towards the content. Meaning whatever you take from it, or whatever you experienced is just as valid as the experience of anyone else. Everyones experience is correct. So if in Skyrim you chose to side with the Imperials but your friend sided with the Stormcloaks. Both of your experiences is what happened. But, for the sake of keeping things in a manageable state for the game. ZOS considers everything to happen in game occurs in 582. And thus they have not moved the timeline forward. You are free to decide for yourself that it is no longer 582 but ZOS is not going to move the date forward. That is what that comment is trying to convey.

ghastley · March 2020

I think a lot depends on your interpretation of "the events of TES V: Skyrim". You can take it as meaning just 4E201, i.e. the current events happening to the player, or those described in Skyim, which includes its history since TES IV. Which just happens to be a span of 200 years - the difference between 800 and 1000.

ArchMikem · March 2020

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582. This has been confirmed by Tuttle the Loremaster and the devs have stated they have no interest in moving the clock forward out of concern it would confuse new players.

That is the saddest thing about this game. Inhabiting a world stuck in time is horrid.

dazee · March 2020

Konstant_Tel_Necris · March 2020

ArchMikem wrote: »

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582. This has been confirmed by Tuttle the Loremaster and the devs have stated they have no interest in moving the clock forward out of concern it would confuse new players.

That is the saddest thing about this game. Inhabiting a world stuck in time is horrid.

Interesting is Soulburst worked as Dragon Break and create Middle Dawn like event in time of 2E 582?

Tethilia · March 2020

Clearly Lyris died and then reincarnated in a body that was exactly the same with all her memories intact.

NewbieOKS · April 2020

@ZOS_LeamonTuttle

Elsonso · April 2020

Tethilia wrote: »

Clearly Lyris died and then reincarnated in a body that was exactly the same with all her memories intact.

Well, so did the Vestige, apparently. Admittedly, the memories being intact are up to you.

wenchmore420b14_ESO · April 2020

Just to add my 2 drakes...
Here is a break down of TES events in time relation to ESO as of the 583 date.

ESO set in 2E583 ~ Talos born 2E827 ~ {244 years after ESO}
3E399 – TES I: Arena ~(1994) ~ {712 years after ESO}
3E405 – TES II: Daggerfall ~(1996) ~ {718 years after ESO}
3E 398- TES Legends: Battlespire ~(1997) ~ {711 years after ESO}
2E864 – TES Legends: Redguard ~(1998) ~ {281 years after ESO}
3E427 – TES III: Morrowind ~(2002) ~ {740 years after ESO}
?E ???- TES Travels:Stormhold ~(2003)
3E 397- TES Legends: Shadowkey ~(2004) ~ {710 years after ESO}
?E ???- TES Travels: Dawnstar ~(2004)
3E433 – TES IV: Oblivion ~(2006) ~{746 years after ESO}
4E201 – TES V: Skyrim ~(2011) ~{948 years after ESO}
(**Note: Unable to find time line for Dawnstar & Stormhold~Approx 3E 397-3E 400 I believe**)

Huzzah!

Foefaller · May 2020

Konstant_Tel_Necris wrote: »

ArchMikem wrote: »

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Everything in ESO takes place in 2E 582. This has been confirmed by Tuttle the Loremaster and the devs have stated they have no interest in moving the clock forward out of concern it would confuse new players.

That is the saddest thing about this game. Inhabiting a world stuck in time is horrid.

Interesting is Soulburst worked as Dragon Break and create Middle Dawn like event in time of 2E 582?

I think it's simply more of a "we aren't going to make an official 'what happened when' order of things because the players might do things differently."

...though it should be noted that when you are doing Cadwell's Silver/Gold you are technically being sent back in time by Meridia to participate in the events prior to the Coldharbour invasion from the perspective of someone belonging to that faction, so there is at least *some* confirmed timey-wimey stuff going on.

Darkstorne · May 2020

Arunei wrote: »

The best way to fix this would be to say "yes time has been moving forward" and people playing older content are just going through a sort of 'flashback' where they're doing stuff that happened in the past until they get to the most recent expansion. It would make more sense than what they're doing now.

Yep, that's the only way you can look at it really. And that's not uncommon for MMOs. A new player in World of Warcraft has an even worse system right now - starting off being told Deathwing is the big bad, then being thrust into Outlands and no-one mentions Deathwing anymore but talks about Illidan instead, then rushed off to Northrend where the Lich King is the bad guy all of a sudden, then back to Deathwing randomly, then pandaland, then suddenly Illidan is back but he's a good guy now, then tentacles.

So I actually quite like that ESO always provides a relevant starting location for new players to jump right into the new story, though I'm sad it doesn't tie into the whole "soulless" mechanic even remotely.

It's also why I'd be completely fine with a future Chapter story set in Cyrodiil about the end of the three banners war, and creating a PVE Cyrodiil. Because in the same way we can still go "back in time" to play through the main quest, or the daedric war story, there's no need to cancel the PVP version of Cyrodiil. You'd still be able to queue for that just fine, and you'd be playing "past events", just like you are when you quest in base game zones, Vvardenfell, Summerset, CWC, etc.

Kambo · May 2020

DuckInRealLife wrote: »

Nowhere did I say I was outraged, nor am I. I think you’re unclear what I’m trying to say here.

You have two different figure being displayed both very different. 1000 and 800 are vastly different figures which by stating 800 throws everything off time wise.

For everything to happen in the same year is not only catastrophic it is almost a world ending scenario which looking back at the further historic events something this big only happened once in a era so to speak. Which is why I agree with the other person everything to happen in one year doesn’t make sense.

Yes 949 is almost 1000 but it is also not close to 800 either. Which is what I’m trying to say...

Due to a marketing tactic, Zenimax has literally contradicted theirselves with what they have posted in two different locations they actually control, so that needs to be cleared up...

I’ve even asked people how they think the time scale works and honestly I think that it is to a person’s interpretation.

From a role play perspective eso clock would make half of people characters born as the planemeld happened.

I have also heard the story that 1 day in real equals 3 days in game which would make every year 3 years.

Some people take it as 1 expac = 1 year in time considering they now market the dlc sections as year long campaigns. This would make the most plausible sense.

Okay I'm going to assume you're both past this specific post, but I wanted to focus on this one specifically to make my "comeback" of sorts despite me not being well known at all. My Cadwell theory clearly did not gain the traction I hoped it would despite it ending up being correct lmao. Anyways, let's talk about some stuff.

In case you are not aware, I was literally the person to ask Tuttle what the current year in ESO is because I thought some information regarding the subject in Elsweyr was a bit contradictory. He stated to me that time and what events you take part in are completely relative to the player and what they choose to do, and as such moving the clock forward by even a year could very easily throw off people's individual flow of events as well as force categories to be made on which events happened in this year, and which ones happened in that year, for example. However, he did also say that as a general idea, everyone should assume the year is still 582, but that it's not necessarily a hard confirmation.

When I originally got the answer from him I didn't think it made much sense given how a player's flow of time and events is more a gameplay thing than a lore thing, but having learned more about the lore since then, especially the concept of personal narrative, I now believed Tuttle and the others at ZoS have played it incredibly smart. They could do without dialogue suggesting the year is in the specifics, but past that, having the flow of time and events being completely relative to each player's experience is very smart and lines up perfectly with gameplay and the concept of the Prisoner, which if you want to learn more about that specifically you should to play through Clockwork City and pay attention to the final dialogue with Sotha Sil.

With this in mind, the subject of your original post and these replies debating it further, the same principal can be applied in a way. Regardless of whether the rough rounding of Greymoor's placement in time relative to TES 5 appears inconsistent to what was previously also a rounded estimate, the general idea remains that it's quite a long time before the events of Skyrim.
It should not matter at all whether the number says 1000 or 800 as neither of them are exact, and both of them get the idea across anyway. But if you insist on looking at it as a contradiction through a mistake in marketing, then fine, look at it this way: By providing a definitive exact year either way you end up contradicting the very basis for the flow of time and events as shown in the game. If you were to specifically state it's 948 years before the events of TES 5 Skyrim you are essentially hard confirming the year in ESO to be 582, which is not at all what the writers want to do, as Tuttle himself has made clear. So to take the estimates of 1000 years and 800 years on a literal scale relative to the exact date in which ESO should be assumed to begin in at least, you are implying there is an exact date to the game, which as personal narrative dictates is not necessarily true, at least depending on how you interpret the flow of time and which events you did in which order and all that.

Basically you're arguing that the estimate of 800, which very well might just be a marketing mistake, does not line up with the previous estimate of 1000 when compared relatively to a year which is not even hard confirmed to be the exact year the game takes place in, only potentially when the game begins, and are trying to make a problem out of it when there isn't any inherent need for there to be one at all.

Depending on your interpretation and choice, Greymoor could just as easily take place in 583 as it could 590. That's up to you. Arguing about an estimate for how long the chapter takes place before Skyrim is irrelevant.

Foefaller · May 2020

Kambo wrote: »

DuckInRealLife wrote: »

Nowhere did I say I was outraged, nor am I. I think you’re unclear what I’m trying to say here.

You have two different figure being displayed both very different. 1000 and 800 are vastly different figures which by stating 800 throws everything off time wise.

For everything to happen in the same year is not only catastrophic it is almost a world ending scenario which looking back at the further historic events something this big only happened once in a era so to speak. Which is why I agree with the other person everything to happen in one year doesn’t make sense.

Yes 949 is almost 1000 but it is also not close to 800 either. Which is what I’m trying to say...

Due to a marketing tactic, Zenimax has literally contradicted theirselves with what they have posted in two different locations they actually control, so that needs to be cleared up...

I’ve even asked people how they think the time scale works and honestly I think that it is to a person’s interpretation.

From a role play perspective eso clock would make half of people characters born as the planemeld happened.

I have also heard the story that 1 day in real equals 3 days in game which would make every year 3 years.

Some people take it as 1 expac = 1 year in time considering they now market the dlc sections as year long campaigns. This would make the most plausible sense.

Okay I'm going to assume you're both past this specific post, but I wanted to focus on this one specifically to make my "comeback" of sorts despite me not being well known at all. My Cadwell theory clearly did not gain the traction I hoped it would despite it ending up being correct lmao. Anyways, let's talk about some stuff.

In case you are not aware, I was literally the person to ask Tuttle what the current year in ESO is because I thought some information regarding the subject in Elsweyr was a bit contradictory. He stated to me that time and what events you take part in are completely relative to the player and what they choose to do, and as such moving the clock forward by even a year could very easily throw off people's individual flow of events as well as force categories to be made on which events happened in this year, and which ones happened in that year, for example. However, he did also say that as a general idea, everyone should assume the year is still 582, but that it's not necessarily a hard confirmation.

When I originally got the answer from him I didn't think it made much sense given how a player's flow of time and events is more a gameplay thing than a lore thing, but having learned more about the lore since then, especially the concept of personal narrative, I now believed Tuttle and the others at ZoS have played it incredibly smart. They could do without dialogue suggesting the year is in the specifics, but past that, having the flow of time and events being completely relative to each player's experience is very smart and lines up perfectly with gameplay and the concept of the Prisoner, which if you want to learn more about that specifically you should to play through Clockwork City and pay attention to the final dialogue with Sotha Sil.

With this in mind, the subject of your original post and these replies debating it further, the same principal can be applied in a way. Regardless of whether the rough rounding of Greymoor's placement in time relative to TES 5 appears inconsistent to what was previously also a rounded estimate, the general idea remains that it's quite a long time before the events of Skyrim.
It should not matter at all whether the number says 1000 or 800 as neither of them are exact, and both of them get the idea across anyway. But if you insist on looking at it as a contradiction through a mistake in marketing, then fine, look at it this way: By providing a definitive exact year either way you end up contradicting the very basis for the flow of time and events as shown in the game. If you were to specifically state it's 948 years before the events of TES 5 Skyrim you are essentially hard confirming the year in ESO to be 582, which is not at all what the writers want to do, as Tuttle himself has made clear. So to take the estimates of 1000 years and 800 years on a literal scale relative to the exact date in which ESO should be assumed to begin in at least, you are implying there is an exact date to the game, which as personal narrative dictates is not necessarily true, at least depending on how you interpret the flow of time and which events you did in which order and all that.

Basically you're arguing that the estimate of 800, which very well might just be a marketing mistake, does not line up with the previous estimate of 1000 when compared relatively to a year which is not even hard confirmed to be the exact year the game takes place in, only potentially when the game begins, and are trying to make a problem out of it when there isn't any inherent need for there to be one at all.

Depending on your interpretation and choice, Greymoor could just as easily take place in 583 as it could 590. That's up to you. Arguing about an estimate for how long the chapter takes place before Skyrim is irrelevant.

I've always liked to headcannon that with my characters that do the latest chapter zone before moving on to the original main quest that they were actually stuck in Coldharbour for a couple years before Lyris found them, which is why many of the recurring characters don't recognize them at first and Tharn/Saihan/Lyris are in such radically different situations from where that character saw them last.

Didn't have one start in Summerset though, but in Darien's case being Meridia's playtoy and Meridia already having previously confirmed timey-wimey powers with Cadwell's Silver/Gold his explanation is that he was sent back in time to deal with the Triad in that case.

Iccotak · June 2020

No everything is not taking place within the same year.
For one Orsinium moved time forward about one year.
If you play the story in canonical order you will encounter characters from the past who talk to you as if the events of the base game was years ago.
Abnur Tharn being a prime example.

How much time has passed depends on the content the player has completed - that is what the developers were trying to communicate.

smh, this game desperately needs a story guide for new players so then at least they have a path they can choose to follow but at least they’ll know the order of the story.

I understand that the developers want players to be able to make their own choices but the truth is that right now new players getting into the game don’t know what’s going on because they’re just being thrust into the latest expansion and then exploring all the zones which have a bunch of unrelated stories.
It is a mess

Aigym_Hlervu · June 2020

Iccotak wrote: »

No everything is not taking place within the same year.
For one Orsinium moved time forward about one year.

The date of 2E 583 was removed from the Birds of Wrothgar book and here is the commentary of Leamon Tuttle on that.

Iccotak wrote: »

smh, this game desperately needs a story guide for new players so then at least they have a path they can choose to follow but at least they’ll know the order of the story.

I understand that the developers want players to be able to make their own choices but the truth is that right now new players getting into the game don’t know what’s going on because they’re just being thrust into the latest expansion and then exploring all the zones which have a bunch of unrelated stories. It is a mess

@VaranisArano wrote a very good guide two years ago called What Order Should I Do ESO's Story Arcs? - A Guide in the Player Guides section and he still updates it. Your message completely ignores it as if that work is useless or does not exist at all. I think Varanis deserves a better show of respect and gratitude for that work, rather than ignoring it.

VaranisArano · June 2020

Cygemai_Hlervu wrote: »

Iccotak wrote: »

No everything is not taking place within the same year.
For one Orsinium moved time forward about one year.

The date of 2E 583 was removed from the Birds of Wrothgar book and here is the commentary of Leamon Tuttle on that.

Iccotak wrote: »

smh, this game desperately needs a story guide for new players so then at least they have a path they can choose to follow but at least they’ll know the order of the story.

I understand that the developers want players to be able to make their own choices but the truth is that right now new players getting into the game don’t know what’s going on because they’re just being thrust into the latest expansion and then exploring all the zones which have a bunch of unrelated stories. It is a mess

VaranisArano wrote a very good guide two years ago called What Order Should I Do ESO's Story Arcs? - A Guide in the Player Guides section and he still updates it. Your message completely ignores it as if that work is useless or does not exist at all. I think Varanis deserves a better show of respect and gratitude for that work, rather than ignoring it.

Eh, Iccotak pretty regularly points folks to my guide. Also, there's a new guide by @NeoGriz that is fantastic for players who want the exactly quest order in far more detail than my guide on story arcs. https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/525351/a-clear-step-by-step-guide-to-playing-eso-in-chronological-order

I'd be all for a better in-game guide to zones and story arcs, or even just an official version of my guide or NeoGriz's. I wrote that guide because of the lack of official answers for players. It would be lovely for ZOS to step up and make it so players didn't need outside resources to find their way through the chronological order of content.

I'm glad you like my guide! Still, if my guide became obsolete due to ZOS adding that info to the game, I think that'd be fantastic!

NewbieOKS · June 2020

There is a also a nice addon called "The Questing Guide"

https://www.esoui.com/downloads/info2612-TheQuestingGuide.html#