Can we finally have underwater exploration?

cmetzger93 · July 2020

It’s been in all other elder scrolls games. People have always said the engine can’t handle it but this was never explicitly said in the ESO armchair developer segment. I’m not asking for combat but just exploration (chests, special mats, potions of water breathing). Is this something anyone else but me would like to see at some point? I know performance would have to be improved before such an addition

idk · July 2020

I am pretty sure I recall Zos stating there are challenges and limitations for going underground due to the engine. Swimming underwater is pretty much underground.

Even if it could be done it would require a very compelling idea to do the work to make it happen. Chests and matters are far from that compelling idea.

Kagukan · July 2020

In another MMO I use to play I remember when they added an underwater zone. It was the beginning of the end. The game is pretty much dead now.

Sylvermynx · July 2020

I loved the Vashj'ir zone in Wow. One of the better zones IMO. There was a water zone added to RIFT too, I think, but it might have been after I quit playing.

OmniDo · July 2020

The only reasons to go underwater in ESO would be:

Underwater Mats; alchemy, cloth, etc...
Treasure Chests
Water Monsters for Loot
Potential underground Caves / Delves / Public Dungeons

That's basically the only purpose water served in the other elder scrolls games.
For Zeni to rework so many areas and locations just for that, eh...not worth the expense really.

Now on the other hand, water-walking spells and such were prevalent in the other games as well.
I wouldnt be opposed to them adding a potion or ability that added this as a feature.

VaranisArano · July 2020

I went looking at past threads on this topic and there was an interesting tidbit here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/150813/underwater-swimming

Terminus wrote: »

One important thing to understand about water in ESO is how it actually works.

Basically, the water you see in-game is actually just a different textured ground layer that changes the way you move across it. As a result, if you can get far enough out to sea, the ocean will literally end and you'll fall onto the ocean floor, no longer drowning. Yes, you can walk around underneath the ocean without drowning, if you can get to that level through a clip glitch or getting to an unplayable area.

So basically, in order to make underwater exploration, they'd need to completely redo the way that the servers render the ocean to allow us to explore in it.

Source: I've been there, man. And I saw things, things nobody should see.

TequilaFire · July 2020

And add tridents, spearguns, Sponge Bob race and of course enable under water PvP.

YandereGirlfriend · July 2020

idk wrote: »

I am pretty sure I recall Zos stating there are challenges and limitations for going underground due to the engine. Swimming underwater is pretty much underground.

Even if it could be done it would require a very compelling idea to do the work to make it happen. Chests and matters are far from that compelling idea.

Well said.

It would be interesting to potentially have it implemented like the hook-shot, which is to say as a scripted gimmick in, say, an Argonian-themed expansion dungeon and then on an as-needed basis going forward.

It would be the best way to get the mystique of exploring underwater without the hassle of having to worry about, say, aquatic combat or having to create underwater environments for all areas of the existing game (even if engine limitations were worked around).

Nemesis7884 · July 2020

uuuu makes me want to play gw2 again...its has awesome underwater content

Wildberryjack · July 2020

GW2 has the best underwater content I've seen in any game. I love it. I really hate that this game doesn't have such content.

Wing · July 2020

Wildberryjack wrote: »

GW2 has the best underwater content I've seen in any game. I love it. I really hate that this game doesn't have such content.

i was about to mention this in that

GW2 abandoned it, as it was not interesting and didnt add anything, it was a hassle to have "underwater weapons" and they just dropped it as a thing.

they only way i could ever see it done is just as a method for adding treasure chests or alchemy mats, and not going further then that.

that being said, the effort vs payoff is just not there.

TheNuminous1 · July 2020

They already laid out the lore for it. Let's go to thras. Then let's go deep under and find Ul'vor'kus

Kalfis · July 2020

It'd probably somehow break the game. The engine is so finicky and bad already.

Kram8ion · July 2020

TequilaFire wrote: »

And add tridents, spearguns, Sponge Bob race and of course enable under water PvP.

They way ahead of us rams have been floating to the top of keep gates for ages so it’s a sure thing lol

Jerkling · July 2020

please no

ImmortalCX · July 2020

Every time I go into the water, the slaughter fish get me.

I would love to see the underwater animation for that!

slicksteezin · July 2020

Let's be real - they can't get this game's engine to run even remotely fluently in its current state. Adding underwater mechanics would just be the final nail in the coffin to a game that, from a technical standpoint, was fatally marked from the start. ZOS knows this, which is why we don't see any major content/mechanic updates to the game. They'd rather bleed it out whatever remaining lifespan ESO has with development emphasis on up-selling inflated microtransaction cosmetic and P2W items.
From a business standpoint I can't say I disagree with them. Ethically, well, that's another story

Artheiron · July 2020

Only thing other than spellcrafting that can bring me back to eso

I don't understand why people are keep mentioning things like engine and other technical stuff here. I'm pretty sure you have no idea what a game engine is and how these games are made and maintained. The problem is more likely the game play and design issues it may bring. Most cases technical difficulties can be solved with manpower but designing and conceptualizing a game is something else.

You have to stick to your game's theme and also a new system like this should fit perfectly in the bigger picture, balanced well and it shouldn't alienate the player who experience it. That's not an easy task.

So they must ask this question, is this profitable? gw2's new cantha expansion and the mysterious water dragon probably will answer this. If people like it and zos loses players in mass to arenanet, it may force zos to consider giving the game more Z axis gameplay. I personally believe this is needed in eso, maybe not in every single map but at least in some dungeons or certain places to make exploring interesting.

DreamsUnderStars · July 2020

idk wrote: »

I am pretty sure I recall Zos stating there are challenges and limitations for going underground due to the engine. Swimming underwater is pretty much underground.

Even if it could be done it would require a very compelling idea to do the work to make it happen. Chests and matters are far from that compelling idea.

We go underground all the time, in dungeons, delves, storylines, Darkreach is underground.

GW2 has an under-developed underwater.. they didn't do much with it though besides some zone quests here and there and a swmming area in that resort-type tow. WoW has underwater bits. FF14 has a pretty neat underwater content in it.

There are ways to implement underwater content, the main problem would be content, what would we do, what would the story line be? Can we do other stuff besides swimming just for swimming?

thorwyn · July 2020

In another MMO I use to play I remember when they added an underwater zone. It was the beginning of the end. The game is pretty much dead now.

I guess you are refering to DAoC?!
That game did not die because they introduced underwater combat though. That being said, I don't think it would be a great addition to ESO tbh.

Algorax · July 2020

OmniDo wrote: »

The only reasons to go underwater in ESO would be:
Underwater Mats; alchemy, cloth, etc...

Treasure Chests

Water Monsters for Loot

Potential underground Caves / Delves / Public Dungeons

That's basically the only purpose water served in the other elder scrolls games.
For Zeni to rework so many areas and locations just for that, eh...not worth the expense really.

Now on the other hand, water-walking spells and such were prevalent in the other games as well.
I wouldnt be opposed to them adding a potion or ability that added this as a feature.

You forgot slodas: they are still there, waiting for a chance...

Zardayne · July 2020

Kagukan wrote: »

In another MMO I use to play I remember when they added an underwater zone. It was the beginning of the end. The game is pretty much dead now.

Daoc Trials of Atlantis? That bs killed it for me and most of my friends who played..not the water though..the huge timesink of the pve for artifacts & their leveling for a game with a mainly pvp endgame. I remember floating under water for hours on a Saturday one time just waiting for one mob to spawn so I could advance the master level questline or whatever it was called. It was painful..

OFF the water topic a sec...When I finally got one of my artifacts (my Reavers whip maybe), I had to hunt cobras in the desert at one certain pit to level it, BUT ONLY AT NIGHT ARGHh...whew felt good to vent and get that off my chest..

I loved that game too..

**I'd also like to have some above water exploration. I wish we could have ships and such and be able to explore islands, etc. That would bring back the old Ultima Online days for me, hunting sea serpents and finding treasure chests. **