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Rank Blackwood: 1 - 10

  • Kendaric
    Kendaric
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    A 4 from me.

    The writing is worse than Greymoor's, which wasn't great either for the most part. Eveli is just annoying and the overused "big bad Daedric Prince invading Nirn" story doesn't help there.

    Visually the zone was mostly nice.

    Companions, even though they are still lacking. are the saving grace for me and are actually the reason I got the chapter.
      PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!. PC EU/PC NA roleplayer and solo PvE quester
    • AzuraFan
      AzuraFan
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      My thoughts on Blackwood:

      The good:
      • Companions - yep, I like them. I'm hoping to see more of them.
      • Quests - the main quest had a good twist to it. I've seen others comment on how the writing went downhill, but I thought a lot of it was quite good with some pretty entertaining side quests. I also liked that not every quest ended with killing a named mob. There was more variety. I hope to see more of this.
      • Overland combat - I like that there aren't mobs every two inches. It gives me a chance to breathe and explore without having to constantly fight trash.

      The bad:
      • The zone has a generic feel to it, or perhaps it's just that we've seen similar environments before (in Murkmire, for example).
      • There's no group activity like dragons or harrowstorms or dolmens. As a mainly solo player, I never thought I'd say that (not that dolmens can't be soloed). But there's something missing (I'll get to the Deadlands below).
      • There's no reason (yet) to come back to the zone once it's finished, meaning it's often dead. Sure, an event will bring players back for a short time, but then it'll be dead again.
      • Same old 6 delves, 6 world bosses, X number of map quests, 1 or 2 public dungeons, etc. Shake it up, please.

      The ugly:
      • The price. It's great to see familiar NPCs, but the environments, the NPCs, are all recycled now. There's nothing new. And the zone isn't all that big. So why was it so expensive? If I'm going to pay full price for an expansion, I expect something new beyond the quests. Only companions made this worthwhile, and just barely.
      • Deadlands - total fail, IMO. I dread the next DLC if it takes place there. Monotonous environment. Boring. I don't like these split environments, that started with Greymoor, where part of it takes place underground or whatever.

      Overall, Blackwood kept my main entertained for a week, and then I returned once a day until my main finished the boss daily achievement (still working on the delve one - do one of those every once in a while). Other than that, I rarely revisit the zone unless I have a treasure map. I still regularly play in all the other zones - base zones, all the expansions, all the DLCs. So what's missing from Blackwood? There's not much to do. Nothing to go back for. Too generic.

      I love ESO because there's so much to do for all play styles, but there's something lacking about this zone.
    • BlueRaven
      BlueRaven
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      Wow! I remember this poll! I forget what I voted, but I am sure it was a low number.

      Obviously opinions are my own;

      PROS:

      A )The story is better than greymoor, but that is a low bar to clear. Also while it is better then Greymoor, it’s not as good as the other chapters. It’s fine, but in a disappointing way.

      B ) The terrain looks nice, but it does not feel like a forest. Still looks nice though.
      Ironically Blackwood feels like more of a “moor” than a forest, while the terrain of Greymoor feels more like a forest than a “moor”.

      C ) Companions are nice, but feel 1/2 finished. They need more varied dialogue, and they need to actual interact with some environmental objects. It would be cool if they sat down, or if they are near a crafting station (in a home) they started using it. (I don’t want to block other players.)
      Skyrim companions felt more “alive” then these do.
      Still it’s a nice starting point for hopefully something better.

      CONS:

      A ) On going Mac client issues that make the game barely playable in the new areas are STILL happening.

      https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/541794/spontaneous-system-crash-issue-with-video/p1

      B ) I still don’t understand the thinking behind portals. From a narrative standpoint I get it. But from a gameplay perspective they are problematic in many ways;
      They are hidden.
      They are new player unfriendly.
      They are designed for high end dps players only, a lone tank or healer is going to have a hard time.
      If the player is unable to solo the mobs, they have no idea if anyone else is in there to do the portal with.
      Loot is not that great vs the effort.

      In short there are more reasons to ride by them than there are to go in, even if you find one. They feel like content made for just a small sliver of the player base.

      C ) Super difficult to get the new zone specific furniture recipes to the point it becomes a stand out annoyance.

      •••

      In short the zone feels like a place I did once, but now feels like there is no reason to do the story again on other characters. It’s really disappointing overall as ESO’s early chapters were so good.
      Edited by BlueRaven on August 12, 2021 8:47PM
    • Parasaurolophus
      Parasaurolophus
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      What I liked:
      • Location. It turned out very nice and atmospheric. Liked how the architecture and luster of the thriving Leyawiin and the marshland are combined. The architecture is made much better than before. Houses do not crash into each other like in Alinor, there are no lowres textures like in Elsweyr. Realism is felt in architecture. I love it. Yes, my friend, not all of Tamriel is bright and exotic, there is a place for Blackwood.
      • Quests. Perhaps it looked better against the background of Greymour. At least I remember a few side quests.
      • Few trash mobs. Although I am a supporter of increasing the difficulty in locations, I must admit that it is better to let the mobs not be at all in the location than a large amount of annoying trash.
      • Some balance fixes.

      What I didn't like:
      • Eveli. Not that I do not specifically love Eveli, but she behaves as if Orsinium did not happen in her life. Yes, and it seemed to me that Evely in Blackwood is the same character as Ereltel and Swana.
      • Companions. I hate them. I don't want to farm daily to continue their quest line! God... These Fighters and Mages Guild's daily were awful! They take a lot of time to level up to the maximum, millions of gold on gear, so that they are at least a little useful. They die from AoE! And I remind you that they were introduced as helpers for newbies in group content. P.S. I agree with the idea that companions are complete npcs with their own history and character. Changing their hairstyle, personality and other things would hurt them a lot. Clone problems need to be addressed in other ways.
      • Portals to Oblivion ... Well, they're boring. I am glad that ZoS are inventing fundamentally new anchors, but so far it has not happened.
      • Dialogues with Eveli about DB membership. I hate it and I just can't forgive such an oversight.
      Edited by Parasaurolophus on August 12, 2021 9:43PM
      PC/EU
    • DinoZavr
      DinoZavr
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      PROs:
      - art team never fails, cities are gorgeous
      - the story and the side quests

      CONs:
      - companions. the biggest feature of the Chapter. They might be helpful in the overland content, but this is where even a new player does not need any help. On the other hand in 4-man or at World Bosses they are not of much use.
      i can not believe designers had not thought where players would store companions gear but had not equipped them with any bag (even a shared 60 slots bag dedicated to companions gear (or why that gear has so many traits))
      companions positioning is weird: both Mirri and Bastian run on top of dead carcasses you are going to loot (fortunately NoInteract addon resolves this on PC)
      companions with melee weapons stand in AoE and die in a minute, with ranged weapons they flee and rest bosses and pets control commands do not help much. Take a companion to CoH1 to check if they survive Ilabris twins. That is it.
      annoying repetitive remarks. Yes, Mirri, i understand that in a big family, you have to know how to scrap, i have heard it a bazillion of times! And i need these torchbugs and butterflies for my alchemy.

      Companions could be done much much better. I player Skyrim and companions there are better. Fallout 4 Companions are way better: they have witty comments on your questing and places you visit. And these are also Bethesda products.
      Of course, they are not that totally bad, as i levelled Mirri to 20 and turned her into a mediocre healer, but the very design of companions AI, and the companions gear storage issues seriously devalue this biggest Blackwood feature for me.
      Proper companions are your brothers in arms you can rely on. Blackwood companions are babies you always have to take care about.

      - deadlands: much much worse than dolmens, geysers, and harrowstorms as it take way more time to traverse the area to reach the final boss for the mediocre rewards

      Nowadays Blackwood is quite an empty zone, compared to many other base game and DLC zones. Checking guildmates locations shows not many players return to Blackwood after completing all the quest there.
      Farming furnishing plans could attract players, but the places you could do that are so few.
      PC EU
    • Grandchamp1989
      Grandchamp1989
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      BlueRaven wrote: »
      Wow! I remember this poll! I forget what I voted, but I am sure it was a low number.

      Obviously opinions are my own;

      PROS:

      A )The story is better than greymoor, but that is a low bar to clear. Also while it is better then Greymoor, it’s not as good as the other chapters. It’s fine, but in a disappointing way.

      B ) The terrain looks nice, but it does not feel like a forest. Still looks nice though.
      Ironically Blackwood feels like more of a “moor” than a forest, while the terrain of Greymoor feels more like a forest than a “moor”.

      C ) Companions are nice, but feel 1/2 finished. They need more varied dialogue, and they need to actual interact with some environmental objects. It would be cool if they sat down, or if they are near a crafting station (in a home) they started using it. (I don’t want to block other players.)
      Skyrim companions felt more “alive” then these do.
      Still it’s a nice starting point for hopefully something better.

      CONS:

      A ) On going Mac client issues that make the game barely playable in the new areas are STILL happening.

      https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/541794/spontaneous-system-crash-issue-with-video/p1

      B ) I still don’t understand the thinking behind portals. From a narrative standpoint I get it. But from a gameplay perspective they are problematic in many ways;
      They are hidden.
      They are new player unfriendly.
      They are designed for high end dps players only, a lone tank or healer is going to have a hard time.
      If the player is unable to solo the mobs, they have no idea if anyone else is in there to do the portal with.
      Loot is not that great vs the effort.

      In short there are more reasons to ride by them than there are to go in, even if you find one. They feel like content made for just a small sliver of the player base.

      C ) Super difficult to get the new zone specific furniture recipes to the point it becomes a stand out annoyance.

      •••

      In short the zone feels like a place I did once, but now feels like there is no reason to do the story again on other characters. It’s really disappointing overall as ESO’s early chapters were so good.

      Noticed that too, furniture drop rate is soooo low.
    • Urvoth
      Urvoth
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      Companions are a joke for a chapter system and completely useless for anyone who actually has guilds or friends to play with.

      The main story is extremely mediocre, drawn-out, and feels very incomplete and boring. It’s definitely one of the worst main stories yet.

      The zone is pretty drab and just looks like a generic mashup between Murkmire and Cyrodiil without anything particular interesting or unique about it.

      There aren’t any gameplay-altering systems, no performance improvements, no new skill lines, etc.

      The trial is actually great, but that’s the only good thing about the chapter. Otherwise, it’s the worst chapter yet.
    • Kalik_Gold
      Kalik_Gold
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      Average content- beautiful zone. Rock grove is fun (only ran it normal). The portals and underworld lackluster. Companions - meh

      I do like the city for crafting and the visuals of the zone. Questing seems to be on par as last few DLCs.


      Nothing added for PvP in term of content. No new Battlegrounds, or open zones (like IC) or siege zone (Cyrodiil) fixes.

      .
      Edited by Kalik_Gold on August 12, 2021 10:21PM
      Main Character:
      Ras Kalik a Redguard Templar, the Vestige

      PvP Pure-class:
      Goliath of Hammerfell a Redguard Dragonknight
      Jux Blackheart a Redguard Nightblade
      Aurik Siet'ka a Redguard Necromancer
      Cacique the Sage of Ius a Redguard Warden
      Kaotik Von Dae'mon a Redguard* Sorcerer

      PvP: Subclassed or Specialty
      Movárth Piquine a Nord Vampiric Necromancer (Tank)
      Voa a Priest of Sep a Redguard* Necromancer (Healer)
      Tsar af-Bomba a Redguard Vampiric Nightblade (Bomber)
      Two-Big-Horns an Argonian Arcanist /Sorcerer
      Uri Ice-Heart the Twin a Nord Vampiric Warden (Ice-Theme)

      PvE:
      Cinan Tharn an Imperial Dragonknight (Tank)
      Herzog Zwei the Genesis an Akavari* Templar (Healer)
      Bates Vesuius of Dawnstar an Redguard** Dragonknight (Raid Damage) --- Name change needed

      PvE: Specialty
      Tyrus Septim an Imperial Sorcerer (Dungeon Damage)
      Tav'i at-Shinji a Redguard** Warden (Arenas)
      Lucky Hunch the Gambler - a Redguard Nightblade (Thief)

      Leveling...
      Styx of Akatosh a Goblin*** Arcanist --- Race change needed
      Zenovia at-Tura a Redguard** Lycan Sorcerer
      Yesi af-Kalik a Redguard Templar
      ======
      Passives of another race used:
      *Breton
      **Imperial
      ***Argonian




      __________________________Backstories:_________________________

      Ras Kalik the Vestige, a renown Redguard warrior; He has been blessed to save Tamriel from Molag Bal’s destructive Planemeld while reuniting the Five Companions. His further accomplishments after defeating Molag Bal, has been to stop the destruction of Morrowind, the Clockwork City, return order to the isle of Summerset and create a new king in Wrothgar and a queen in Elsywer. These events have made him a living legend and continue to lead him into new adventures throughout Tamriel, as well as into the hearts of many ladies including the Elf Queen, Aryenn. Over many years of adventurous travels, Ras Kalik had become a loner, until he re-visited his homeland of Alik'r.

      Alik'r and it's cities were overrun by the undead Ra-Netu and therefore he made an allegiance with Alik'r's own Ash'abah tribe. These Ash'abah with his help, cleansed the city of Sentinel in Alik'r desert and it's surrounding areas of the undead brought to life by the Withered Hand. After rescuing Sentinel from the undead zombies, King Fahara’jad’s personal bodyguard the Goliath of Hammerfell, who was given this name by Imperials in the region; was asked to assist the tribe after learning of the defeat of the Withered Hand to the Ash'abah. Kalik promised Goliath he would task him with fighting living enemies on the battlefield if he so desired. Goliath being a Yokudan warrior wields a massive sword in respect to the Ansei, a gift given by the Imperial, Cinan Tharn. Not many soldiers are able to wield double two handed weapons, but Goliath loves to get up and personal in a fight, so he also carries a giant maul, both weapons laced with magical flames.

      Jux Blackheart is a master thief that masquerades as a Bard at the Sisters of the Sands inn, with his younger sidekick Lucky Hunch for pilfering and gambling during this time. Jux was known to infiltrate any towns bank vault he came across and even delved into Ayelid ruins without detection. Kalik can vividly recall the night he met the famed thief. Jux found himself rummaging thru a slightly inebriated Kalik’s pocket for too long, on a full-mooned night and because of his greed and the glimmer of his golden armor in the moonlight. He lost his left pinky fingertip as a lesson! But in return, he gained a new friend, as it was his first time since a child being caught red-handed...

      Upon arrival back in the Alik'r after many moons of adventuring, Ras Kalik ventures to Bergama. Visiting The Winking Jackal, he runs into Jux Blackheart, who introduces him to the coin game Crowns vs Forebearers (Heads vs Tails) and Golden Dwemer (RBG).... Jux constantly takes gold from the unfortunate thru theft or gambling, his biggest gambling victim is actually his partner in crime known as Lucky Hunch the Gambler. Lucky doesn't mind losing any gold coins to Jux... as Jux saved him from Altmer slavers in Summerset, by stealing a key and sending him on a boat to the mainland years prior. Lucky spent years in slavery with Khajiits in Summerset and picked up the art of subterfuge, using illusion magic disguises and stealing there.

      Kaotik Von’Daemon an outcast, and a half-caste between a Breton mother and a Redguard father. Kaotik become a pariah due to his conjuration of Daedra pets. He was taught healing magic during his childhood years by his Breton mother. His father due to Redguard customs exiled him from the desert, sending him by wagon caravan to be a soldier in the war in Cyrodiil. He happened to meet Kalik while traveling from Alik'r, during this long caravan ride the caravan he was in was ambushed in Bangkorai by a group of bandits. Kalik by chance was also traveling thru this area on his Auridon Warhorse (which was bestowed to him by his friend, Darien Gautier). During this ambush, Kalik was able to rescue five hostages from the bandits. Kaotik was the first rescued, and Ras Kalik also recruited him to be in the Ash'abah tribe. These core Ash'abah tribesmen may never be seen together in travel as they partake in their own adventures but they always know what each other is doing; as they frequent a hideout in northern Bankorai. Their hideout an old Orc castle ruin, is kept watch by Nuzhimeh and she passes messages written between them, and frequently they also enjoy her company and her bed.

      The other men rescued were a Dunmer banker, an Imperial mercenary and two other soldiers, an Imperial and a Breton Knight, stating proudly he was an Akavir descendent. One of the Imperials, Cinan, claimed to be related to Abnur Tharn the Battlemage of the Imperial Elder Council (One of Ras Kalik's mentors in the Five Companions). Cinan Tharn was really Abnur's drunkard treasure hunting illegitimate son. He was caught smuggling artifacts out of the Ayleid ruins in Cyrodiil and the elder of the two Imperials was Tyrus Septim a retired Imperial navy battle-mage (now a Lycan mercenary living in the city of Rimmen) and guard to the Tharn family. As much as Abnur Tharn hated his half-sister Euraxia, he dislikes his bas†ard son Cinan more. Tyrus now a ruffian and privateer had been paid by Abnur Tharn to watch over Cinan as much as possible. Cinan Tharn a drunkard, loves to drink at least a quarter barrel of Nord mead before he raids various delves and dungeons for relics to sell on the black market. Cinan also plans to one day, run an illegal gambling ring... which he thinks will net him more gold for his wares.

      The Dunmer captive shackled to the Imperials looked familiar to Kalik from his time in Morrowind.... and he recognized him as Tythis Andromo a House Telvanni slave-owner and banker from Vvardenfell. During a rough interrogation to Tythis, Ras Kalik learnt why the bandits accosted him. The racist Dunmer was providing slaves as soldiers for the Three Banner War. The bandits were trying to negotiate a lucrative ransom for Andromo and the Imperials.... Kalik did not need any of this gold and he could never set Tythis free as he did with the two Imperial soldiers. His past involvement with slavery and war crimes, made Kalik's blood boil. He chose not to execute Tythis, as he figured the worse punishment for this former rich and opulent slave owner, is to now be an imprisoned servant for Ras Kalik and the tribe.

      Herzog Zwei the Genesis a reknown Imperial/Akavirri battle-mage. His roots going back to Akavir through his mother’s bloodline. (His mother is descended from the Akaviri, through Versidue-Shae, and his Imperial father met her in Hakoshae, while traveling) Herzog earned the nickname "the Genesis" from his father as a child, as he was his mother's first born child, and last, as she tragically died in child-birth.

      Herzog was seeking to purchase an artifact from Cinan Tharn, before their capture and was meeting Tyrus while in Rimmen, who introduced him to Cinan. This artifact being the Ayelid artifact; the sword Sinweaver. After their rescue and the exchange of gold to Cinan for the sword he decided to slip away before Ras Kalik could question who he was, and why the Akavir descendant really wanted that sword. Herzog was headed to Nagastani — An Ayleid ruin in eastern Cyrodiil. He had read in scrolls that the Sword would give him magical powers to meet his mothers spirit, if he performed an Ayleid ritual at an old shrine hidden there. Equipped with the artifact sword, he was off to start his own adventure but Ras Kalik, did indeed notice the sword however and instead sent a letter to Jux Blackheart (whom also was interested in Ayleid treasures), to attempt to find Herzog and acquire the sword. (*Azani Blackheart in Elder Scroll's Oblivion is Jux's descendant some 747 years later)

      And so the Redguard, Imperial and Akaviri men parted ways ... While Ras Kalik went off to Elsweyr to encounter the latest threat to Tamriel, with Abnur Tharn and Sai Sahan - - DRAGONS!! Little did Ras Kalik know a few people were awaiting him in Senchal besides Sai. A necromancer survived his attack on the Withered Hand, while in Alik'r. The necromancer known as Auriek Siet'ka is also following him to the land of the Khajiits and Cacique the Sage of Ius a Shaman mystic who has become attuned spiritually with Tu'whacca (a Redguard God) and Ius (the Animal God), after being burned severely by the escaped dragons in Elsywer, is awaiting his arrival also. Aurik is a soldier of the Daggerfall Covenant that was introduced to necromancy while in the military, even though this magicka art is not spoken of openly by most of the Military leaders. He came to Alik'r and worked with the Withered Hand before Ras Kalik intervened on their plans. After the defeat of the Withered Hand, he aligned with the Worm Cult, and is constantly adapting and perfecting his necromantic arts.

      After his journey to Rimmen, Kalik heads south to Senchal, in the southern regions of Elyswer. This new adventure will also put him on a path to meet a strange Redguard man. The stranger which was infected with an untreated Peyrite disease and also was the exiled from the Order of the New Moon cult, due to his sickness. He originally joined the cult to worship Laatvulon, the green dragon, mistakenly thinking it was the Daedric prince Peyrite. This confused and suffering cultist is known as Tsar al-Bomba and he is on a path to spread the disease. He was originally infected in Orccrest while recruiting members there. Can Ras Kalik and the shaman Cacique cure this poor soul, only time will tell. Little does Tsar al-Bomba know, that his infection is tied to Vampirism, and eventually the desire for blood will take over his mind. Senchal also offers Kalik his latest love interest... Aeliah. Whom he fondly led thru battles with the Dragonguard.

      After the trek thru the heat, tropical and desert climate of Northern and Southern Elyswer, Ras Kalik heads north to the cold mountain range of Skyrim. His companion friend Lyris beckons for him with a letter sent by crow...

      Movárth Piquine - a former vampire hunter (now infected), within the Fighter's Guild (and a secretive necromancer) was in Skyrim working with the Morthaal Guard. On a patrol mission he was caught in Frewien's ice curse outside of Morthaal with the frozen undead. Movárth's vampiric infection kept him from becoming an undead minion to the curse. He was able to use necromantic ice-magic to encase himself safely until he was freed with Freiwen, when the Vestige Ras Kalik broke the curse.

      Uri Ice-Heart - brother of Urfon Ice-Heart. The twin sons of Atli and Oljourn Ice-Heart. The Ice-Heart family are originally from Markarth but now reside on the Jerall Mountain range near Cyrodiil, with their younger sister Araki. The twins had joined the Winterborn Reachmen while living in Markarth. Urfon pushed west to Orsinium with the Winterborn Clan, leaving his family behind. Uri stayed behind with his parents and sister to live in the family cabin for safety, avoiding the Vampire plague infiltrating the Reach. After news reaches him and he hears of Urfon's death... Uri leaves and heads home and is seeking vengeance. Meanwhile, his sister has also moved on to Windhelm to join the Fighter's guild. He will visit his sister, once before going to seek vengeance and she will craft him armor mixed with ice, called Stalhrim armor. Uri fearing death, after his brother's passing, falls victim to the convincing talk of Movárth at a Nordic tavern, and will also becomes a vampire.

      {time moves forward through the hour-glass}
      PS5/NA - Ras Kalik a Redguard Templar - Daggerfall Covenant
    • Chips_Ahoy
      Chips_Ahoy
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      I have seen other surveys of yours in the past...

      what do you do with that information?

      are you developing a game?

      are you a spy for another company?

      where is my donkey mount?
    • Darkstorne
      Darkstorne
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      Yeah, I don't understand the zone visuals and geography at all. It seems like the engine just... can't do forests? Like, at all? Even Valenwood is really sparse for what it should be. And this region of Cyrodiil should be dense jungle and mangrove forest. Instead it's the standard ZOS approach to forest design - "One huge mature tree here. Another one 100 yards over there. Another one 100 yards in that direction. Maybe there will be some saplings, maybe not. Grassland in between. Forest!"

      Skyblivion just released their latest dev blog that showcases their version of the Blackwood region and the city of Leyawiin (video here, timestamped to Blackwood for you at 04:43). THAT'S Blackwood. I don't know what ZOS's version is, with their bizarre forest design of almost exclusively mature trees 100s of yards apart, and where they forgot (just like Bethesda did with TES4!) that ships need to be able to sail through Leyawiin and up to the Imperial City, and not be blocked by low stone bridges in the city.

      I love this game, but man does their engine (or their environment artists?) make it a love/hate relationship :tongue: Please just employ an ecologist to advise you on how forest structure works. And please sort your engine out. Its flora quality with lack of proper tree animations genuinely makes it almost Morrowind quality, a 2002 game...

      Oblivion's Blackwood (2006 engine)
      791h6j7q5je31.jpg

      Skyblivion's Blackwood (2011 engine)
      pbqchzg6d3151.jpg

      ESO's Blackwood (2014 engine)
      20210420_ESO-Blackwood-23.jpg
    • Pevey
      Pevey
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      I like the zone, and Leyawiin is my new home. But there was nothing really new in terms of the game mechanics to make people who tend to come back for expansions want to stick around. They quickly got bored again. Unlike Morrison’s with battlegrounds and a new class, summer set with jewelry crafting. The new trial is, well, icky. Don’t have a better way of describing it. Just doesn’t het higher marks from me.

      Blackwood doesn’t really deserve the title of “expansion.” The zone is nice, but it is dlc at best.

      Eso players have been asking for things for years that would have been good options to truly expand the gameplay. For example:

      Guilds. Completely overhaul the guild system. Something like the endeavor system, on a massive scale. Let guilds “compete” with each other in various things, trials, fishing, crafting writs done, whatever. All sorts of options. Let being part of a guild mean something in some way. Maybe 7 and 30 day campaign rewards like for the cyro campaigns. Maybe certain types of activities could count toward a “bid bonus” so that if the guild bids on a trader, the bid is enhanced by some percentage based on those guild-level endeavors. This would wash out if all guilds are doing it, but some guilds would rally more than others, and it could be interesting. True guild halls. Better guild tabards. All sorts of opportunities to do more with guilds, and I think zos already knows from their numbers that people who keep playing this game for years are involved very much in guilds.

      Also, housing. Housing could be so much more. Players have been asking for more Stardew Valley/harvest moon aspects to housing. I believe this could be balanced so as not to be op, and it would make houses actually have some purpose.

      Something related to actually gameplay enhancement would have gone a long way to make Blackwood a better expansion.

      Edit: pls excuse typos, autocorrect can be not so helpful sometimes
      Edited by Pevey on August 13, 2021 12:42AM
    • Blinx
      Blinx
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      feels like it should have been a dlc and not a chapter to me, very mediocre imo, only bothered getting bastion, the game was already an inventory nightmare, now it's worse with campanion gear

      Orsinium> Blackwood
      Orsinium's Eveli > Blackwood's Eveli (really loved the character in Wrothgar)
    • francesinhalover
      francesinhalover
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      I rated a 1 because after it released my game went to *bad word*
      my pc legit starts making more noise , i face blue screen rarely , freezes , insane lag and after i exit eso my pc stays slowww for a while.

      I'm not sure how a game that's caped at 60 fps on a place where i can easily have 110 + fps makes my graphics card go full plus ultra
      I am @fluffypallascat pc eu if someone wants to play together
      Shadow strike is the best cp passive ever!
    • Slyclone
      Slyclone
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      It's lacking nodes.

      Otherwise excellent.

      8
      That's it, that's all.
    • NotaDaedraWorshipper
      NotaDaedraWorshipper
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      Darkstorne wrote: »

      Skyblivion just released their latest dev blog that showcases their version of the Blackwood region and the city of Leyawiin (video here, timestamped to Blackwood for you at 04:43). THAT'S Blackwood. I don't know what ZOS's version is, with their bizarre forest design of almost exclusively mature trees 100s of yards apart, and where they forgot (just like Bethesda did with TES4!) that ships need to be able to sail through Leyawiin and up to the Imperial City, and not be blocked by low stone bridges in the city.

      That Leyawiin is such so much better, despite being done on Skyrim's engine and looking so empty in the video. Following the awesome concept art (Which makes ship able to pass!) to improve the city and not just copying the illogical thing we got in Oblivion with tiny improvements.
      [Lie] Of course! I don't even worship Daedra!
    • rpa
      rpa
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      I caved in and got the chapter for teh -35%. Zone is rather large for the thinly spread content and wayshrines and parts of main quest are gringeworthy. (I have few Silencers and done enough DB to unlock Shadow Rider passive with more.) This far I've had few hours play with Mirri and already feel annoyed of repetitive dialog and getting in way when trying to interact with anything else. Also companions need their own inventory for their junk yesterday.

      It would be an ok dlc if the zone was proper size for the content. As expansion it feels lacking even for sale price. A 5 from me: zos delivered a product with several hours of interest.

      For me the highlight of the chapter has been the Stibbons quest.
      Edited by rpa on August 13, 2021 4:36AM
    • MaisonNaevius
      MaisonNaevius
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      I am a player who particularly likes the Imperials. And my opinion of Blackwood is ... Extremely mixed. Originally, I expected Colovia because of Markarth's Lyris final dialogue and the book of Investigator Vale that appeared in the zone.

      Blackwood announcement was a real cold shower... It is, for me, the most empty and uninteresting zone of TES IV.
      So I know ... Zos makes attractive areas that are not attractive in solo TESs. And this is visually true. The main story was awesome too.

      Two months after its release, some embarrassing bugs have been fixed... Like Zathmoz.
      Others ... Are still there ... Such as Lyranth who does not articulate his jaw. There's also always this issue of Eveli not interacting with a chest in the prologue quest...
      While exploring the Blackwood from time to time, even if only by doing the daily WB, I discover a lot of mapping errors ... which means that we can see through the ground or the waterfalls.

      The appearance of Lovidicus but also of the other advisers was my greatest expectation. Although the beginning of the main story sounded a bit of an insult, even if it made sense.
      I found Eveli less childish. So much the better, she has matured even if I certainly did not wanted her for Colovia. And again, it could be interesting ... We will surely have someone else to accompany us there, hoping for a new character and not an unwanted return.
      Regarding the big villain (High Priest) of this Chapter, I had already identified him a few years ago... I had a lot of suspicion about the character in question in a book dating from IC. Did you notice it? Carius Vandacia in Anvil is the model used to advise Ertus Vandacia in his "special area".

      A little disappointed with Gideon... The colony seems much smaller than what had been planned for the original Murkmire...

      The zone is interesting but very empty and flat depending on the location. Leyawiin does not have the charisma of a Skingrad who in ESO seems badass.

      As an Imperial, Blackwood is clearly not the region where I will spend my time.
      > Wiki spécialisé sur Cyrodiil / en cour de rédaction <
      https://tescyrodiipedia.blogspot.com/

      - Naevius-
    • wishlist14
      wishlist14
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      I'm a big eso fan just so you know cos I can compare Blackwood to other expansions and rate it accordingly.

      I voted 5 and I was being generous by 1 point cos of familiarity and my long lived love of this game. I wanted more than anything for this expansion to wow me but I wasn't surprised when it didnt.

      I think my main reason for not rating it bit higher is the fact that it just feels too much like other previous zones. I dont neccessarily like or dislike the new champions point system, im simply not fussed about it or im feeling blase.

      The one factor that saves this expansion for me are the 2 companions to be honest. This is a totally new idea to eso and I like it a lot. The main storyline was ot riveting at all....i wish it was but sadly it did not get there for me, not like other expansions.

      Im glad i didnt get the limited edition this time....ive been getting every limited edition for each expansion since launch when i bought the imperial limited edition.

      I still love eso
      Edited by wishlist14 on August 13, 2021 9:20AM
    • vesselwiththepestle
      vesselwiththepestle
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      I just got Blackwood with the QuakeCon offer, so I can't say to much. The thing is... Of course I got the companions first. Now I am doing fighter's guild, mage's guild and undaunted guild quests, which takes me to base game content from 2014. I wonder when I get more to see more from Blackwood :).

      I just wish I could let my companions go fishing for me.

      I liked the voice acting in the companions quests, though. Speaking of voice acting, I could swar I recently heard the voice of Patrick Warburton as a cultist, but I can't find any source of Patrick Warburton doing voice acting for ESO. So I think ZOS should definitely hire Patrick Warburton for a character in this game.
      1000+ CP
      PC/EU Ravenwatch Daggerfall Covenant

      Give me my wings back!
    • LyricsEcho
      LyricsEcho
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      I voted 4. I'm not very impressed with companions and I am taking my sweet time max leveling Bastion and Miri on my main.

      With that said Blackwood is a very nice place visually. It took me less than a day to clear the whole zone. Just the price tag is a bit too high for a new trial and a viable set that is being nerfed two months later. Eh.
    • ADarklore
      ADarklore
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      Urvoth wrote: »
      Companions are a joke for a chapter system and completely useless for anyone who actually has guilds or friends to play with.

      And this is exactly the people that Companions WERE NOT designed for. Not every addition to a game is designed for every single player, I certainly don't complain when they add group content or PVP content, even though those are things I do not play.

      I actually gave this Chapter an 8 solely because of the introduction of Companions. I find them very useful, especially as a healer for when I solo World Bosses, and any additional DPS is beneficial.
      I've never had a Companion die, except when I had Bastian as a tank and left him on his own against a WB while I took on the additional WB; that was MY fault as I should have had his back. I think far too many people blame companions when it's their job to have their Companions back as much is theirs to have ours.
      Edited by ADarklore on August 13, 2021 11:42AM
      CP: 2105 ** ESO+ ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
      ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025 | Returned: March 2026~~
    • Paulytnz
      Paulytnz
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      I give it a solid 8.

      The zone is beautiful, even if it does appear barren in a lot of it. The story wasn't too bad and I welcomed seeing Evili or however her name is spelled again. As a Bosmer main, I really like her. :p And I suspect that most people who say that the Orsinium Update was one of the best, subconsciously think so because of her! There, I said it lol.

      The Companion system/feature is a new, cool little thing to play around with too.

      Now I say to those who say that it was not worth the price, nonsense. It is far worth the price imo than say any of the top end player houses.....come on, those houses cost $140 each in my currency, that imo is daylight robbery for what you get.
      Edited by Paulytnz on August 13, 2021 12:19PM
    • Ghanima_Atreides
      Ghanima_Atreides
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      Paulytnz wrote: »
      And I suspect that most people who say that the Orsinium Update was one of the best, subconsciously think so because of her! There, I said it lol.

      Sorry, nope - to me, she is an annoying, grating part of an otherwise good DLC :#
      [The Beauty of Tamriel] My collection of ESO screenshots

      Show me a completely smooth operation and I'll show you someone who's covering mistakes. Real boats rock.
    • adriant1978
      adriant1978
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      Paulytnz wrote: »
      And I suspect that most people who say that the Orsinium Update was one of the best, subconsciously think so because of her! There, I said it lol.

      Sorry, nope - to me, she is an annoying, grating part of an otherwise good DLC :#

      I liked Orsinium because it was a nice change of pace with political intrigue and mortal-made problems instead of Daedric invasions and falling stars threatening the end of everything.

      Evelli was somewhat annoying in Orsinium but Blackwood dialled her up to 11. :|
    • Darkstorne
      Darkstorne
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      ADarklore wrote: »
      Urvoth wrote: »
      Companions are a joke for a chapter system and completely useless for anyone who actually has guilds or friends to play with.

      And this is exactly the people that Companions WERE NOT designed for. Not every addition to a game is designed for every single player, I certainly don't complain when they add group content or PVP content, even though those are things I do not play.

      I actually gave this Chapter an 8 solely because of the introduction of Companions. I find them very useful, especially as a healer for when I solo World Bosses, and any additional DPS is beneficial.
      I've never had a Companion die, except when I had Bastian as a tank and left him on his own against a WB while I took on the additional WB; that was MY fault as I should have had his back. I think far too many people blame companions when it's their job to have their Companions back as much is theirs to have ours.
      I think this is really important to keep in mind. On the forums, or any enthusiast site like Reddit, we're representative of the more core fans, so of course companions aren't going to appeal to a lot of us here. But the vast majority of MMO players these days (not just ESO, but FFXIV, GW2, SWTOR etc) engage primarily in solo play. Group content is something they might do with a small percentage of their game time, but most of what they like to do is solo questing and exploration etc. They don't read up on meta builds. They don't min/max their characters. They don't care if their badass dragon-looking Argonian isn't the best pick for a PVE Stamina DPS, or even that Stamina in general isn't the best pick for PVE DPS. They just want to chill out in this game and have fun their way. That's the majority.

      Companions are a great addition for those players, and it's good for the game as a whole if the casual players are happy and stay engaged. But companions are also something TESV made a feature of, so they fit the IP really well, and the potential going forwards is huge when you think about how companions have worked in RPGs in general over the decades. It's a great feature foundation to build upon going forwards.

      I haven't rated Blackwood yet (only just picked it up in the Quakecon sale) but while I'm feeling mostly negative about the environment design so far (the engine just doesn't seem capable of dense tree cover), I think the companions are a great feature for those reasons. They don't really appeal to me yet, but that's fine. One day they might release a companion I genuinely get excited about, like a Senche-Raht, and until then other players are enjoying the system, so it's all good :smile:

      On the Deadlands:
      Now this is a system I don't feel worked so well, but I've still only tried it once so it's early days. After about 4 hours exploring the zone, not questing but actual exploration (hunting for chests, mats, and visiting cool looking locations for screenshots) over two play sessions I finally came across a Deadlands Portal. That's just... too long, man. Inside I found it teeming with mobs, so I figured I was the first one here. Great! I carved my way through hordes of enemies, loving the difficulty level. Soloing the mini-bosses all the way up to... wait, where's the end boss? This is a big empty area with portals to leave the zone, but shouldn't there be some kind of boss here..? Was I not the first person here, and all the mobs have just respawned? Damn, guess I just have to leave then? But I did a quick Google search in case I was missing something, and saw this was a common misconception and that if I waited long enough the final boss would respawn. Great, thanks for conveying that to me ZOS!

      I waited for another player to show up, which took about 5 mins. We attempted the boss and wiped when he got down to about 20%. Instead of trying again, the other player rage-quit I think. His character just vanished from the game entirely after resurrecting. I had to wait another 15 mins before a pair of players both with companions finally showed up, and we managed to kill the boss together quite easily. Loot was awful given how long I'd spent in here (seriously, just hunting chests in the overland will be far more productive), but I was lucky enough to get a gold lead for a mythic item, presumably one of the main reasons to farm here? So at least I won't have to return if I don't want to I guess. But that's an annoying feeling given this was a big game feature. I want to want to return! But I don't want to return :tongue:

      It genuinely makes me wish these portals were entirely solo instances, and not a public dungeon. Because it really highlights one of the game's biggest design flaws imo - you rarely ever turn up to a public dungeon in time when it's the latest big location. You're frequently left waiting for respawns. And when it isn't the latest big location, you spend ages waiting for other players, or have to tackle a boss that isn't designed to be solo'd. Maybe companions will help with the latter problem though? I'll have to try them out in other public dungeons. But ultimately I keep thinking "If this was entirely solo, then I wouldn't be waiting on respawns, I'd never be too late or too early to the party, and this content would be well balanced forever as a result." I wish they'd experiment more with solo content like that, because I feel like Maelstrom and Vateshran are really fun challenges, and mini-versions of that sort of content (which Deadlands portals would have been perfect for) with solid rewards to make them worthwhile, could be really cool. I'm not saying axe public dungeons, just maybe try leaning into solo content for one Chapter's big dolmen-equivalent feature and see how that goes.

      So far I'm thinking:
      Environment: 4/10 (explored about 80% so far)
      Companions: 8/10 (but not used them yet, just approve of the feature foundation)
      Deadlands Portals: 3/10 (only been in one so far though, yet also... already no desire to return)
      Story: NA (not started)
      Side quests: NA (not started)
    • SickleCider
      SickleCider
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      I can't make a numerical assessment.

      Zone: Some good areas, like the architecture, ruins and craggy sections. While some places are lovingly detailed there are big swaths of nothing but procedurally placed trees. Feels so sparse. I do appreciate that there's less mob density.

      Delves/Public dungeons: Truth be told, I found most of them forgettable. There was one stand out, though. I loved Zenithar's Abbey! It was like a spooky theme park with different attractions. 🤣 I think it could have doubled down more on the spook and been a more cohesive package; there's a bit too much going on there thematically and with enemy variance. Biggest complaint is all the zoning inside of it. Sidebar, I liked that really pink room in The Silent Halls. 🤷‍♀️

      Story: Could not engage with it. I was bored to tears. There's only so many earth-shattering Daedric plots I can stand. I think it's time for some more grounded stories. The DB link felt shoe-horned in and I find Eveli deeply annoying.

      Companions: Annoying and useless. Tried to give them the fair shake but I didn't go in with any delusions that this was going to be a feature for me. I'll take notice if we ever get animal companions instead of chatty NPCs with gameplay limiting quirks.

      Quests: I liked the Stibbo quest. :) The puzzles were actually a little thoughtful! I also liked running into the admirer. As usual, the side content is usually more interesting to me.

      Portals: ...Annoying and useless. Everything about their design tells me they don't actually want me to interact with them. You can't find them if you actually go looking for them, and they're totally missable because they're just a tiny orange blot on the horizon. I find the Deadlands extremely off-putting, full of really loud ambient noises and repeating textures, a monotonous color scheme (and orange is my favorite color, ironically) and the music sure is a choice. It's the same experience every time, simultaneously way too easy but very difficult for newer players, and it features yet another boss with invulnerability periods to artificially pad out the fight. It's dreadfully boring, lacks in spectacle, and that's very bad because the optimal way to get anything somewhat useful out of these portals is to stay and farm the boss. Frankly, I refuse to do that. I've done a few of these things and that's enough. Also: I find all the Giant People in this chapter very affronting omg stop that.

      Furnishing plans: The Leyawiin furnishings are beautiful! 😍 My only complaint is that there aren't enough of them! I want to pick everything up and take it home with me. The art department really did a spectacular job this chapter. Kudos to them! 👏👏👏 I'm loving the nautical and medieval motifs, and the texture fidelity on some of the pieces is out of this world.

      A conversation a friend and I had:

      "Wow, that is some detailed corn." 🌽
      "Yes, it's very lovingly rendered."
      "Wow."
      "Right?"
      "Corn."
      "Have you seen the tomatoes?" 🍅

      You lost me with the lettuce though. I uh, don't know what to even say about it.
      Edited by SickleCider on August 13, 2021 12:51PM
      ✨🐦✨ Blackfeather Court Commission ✨🐦✨
    • colossalvoids
      colossalvoids
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      ADarklore wrote: »
      Urvoth wrote: »
      Companions are a joke for a chapter system and completely useless for anyone who actually has guilds or friends to play with.

      Not every addition to a game is designed for every single player, I certainly don't complain when they add group content or PVP content, even though those are things I do not play.

      The problem this year is that it wasn't something for everyone as you said it but a niche feature. With MW we got new player class, Summerset gave us Psijic line and jewelry crafting, Elsweyr was a necromancer debut, even Greymoor which is fan worst expansion so far had sticker book and antiquities which are both (maybe collections were Markarth but anyway) became a staple in itemisation. Come on, CWC gave us infinitely useful transmutation and this time it's companions, which are at the very best are small dlc size feature at it's current form, we don't even know if it will be a flop and might be forgotten by devs in couple of years. That's why people complain everywhere in hopes for something more substantial.
      Edited by colossalvoids on August 13, 2021 1:38PM
    • Celephantsylvius_Bornasfinmo
      Celephantsylvius_Bornasfinmo
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      Still haven't bought it. Waiting for better reviews on the next DLC's and more improvements in sectors that need it.
      Hence I can't vote!
    • JJOtterBear
      JJOtterBear
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      I gave it a 7. I found it pretty satisfying overall.
    • MaisonNaevius
      MaisonNaevius
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      I forgot a detail that tires me more and more in the last regions : the locked doors. There are more and more...

      For the script, I dreaded something very similar to Elsweyr. Greymoor being a copy/paste of Elsweyr, even in the gameplay trailer designed on the same model.
      The gameplay trailer was different for Greymoor and the storyline has changed ... although we still have a traitor in the plot.
      > Wiki spécialisé sur Cyrodiil / en cour de rédaction <
      https://tescyrodiipedia.blogspot.com/

      - Naevius-
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