Official Discussion Thread for "A Storm Rises Over Tamriel during ESO’s Upcoming Global Reveal"

ZOS_Kevin · January 2022

This is the official discussion thread for the blog article, "A Storm Rises Over Tamriel during ESO’s Upcoming Global Reveal Show"

Get ready to discover what adventures await in this year’s Chapter and year-long saga during the upcoming ESO 2022 Global Reveal.

Olauron · January 2022

The three ships of three Alliances travel to new adventure. Intriguing.

colossalvoids · January 2022

Well I wonder featuring tattered alliance banners also...
Anyway it looks and sounds Fre... Breton as hell, will see what the features will be as third year without good one would be devastating.

ZOS_Kevin · January 2022

A brand-new Elder Scrolls adventure is coming. 📜

Tune in to the ESO 2022 Global Reveal on Thursday, January 27 at 3PM EST/8pm GMT on https://www.twitch.tv/bethesda to get a first look at the upcoming Chapter, DLCs, and more.

seecodenotgames · January 2022

If the stream is on the 27th, does that mean PTS starts on the Monday 31st?

Ilsabet · January 2022

Well this isn't much, but it's enough to get me excited. Three-banner armada actually working together, and the locale is beautiful. I wonder how much actual seafaring there will be in the gameplay, but either way it's a cool visual. And they're running into a bit of trouble there at the end, so that's suitably ominous.

Also I'm not sure whether to hope or dread that the evil knight looking guy is someone we know...

RandomKodiak · January 2022

Looks good but was more hoping for Redguard over Breton but oh well will be there

Araneae6537 · January 2022

colossalvoids wrote: »

Well I wonder featuring tattered alliance banners also...
Anyway it looks and sounds Fre... Breton as hell, will see what the features will be as third year without good one would be devastating.

I wouldn’t mind if they just improve on what we have, maybe even refresh a few dated elements, and then focus on telling a good story in an interesting location.

New features can be fun but I don’t think it’s needed every year.

M_Volsung · January 2022

Ilsabet wrote: »

Well this isn't much, but it's enough to get me excited. Three-banner armada actually working together, and the locale is beautiful. I wonder how much actual seafaring there will be in the gameplay, but either way it's a cool visual. And they're running into a bit of trouble there at the end, so that's suitably ominous.

Also I'm not sure whether to hope or dread that the evil knight looking guy is someone we know...

That knight is Darien's evil twin.

Ilsabet · January 2022

M_Volsung wrote: »

Ilsabet wrote: »

Well this isn't much, but it's enough to get me excited. Three-banner armada actually working together, and the locale is beautiful. I wonder how much actual seafaring there will be in the gameplay, but either way it's a cool visual. And they're running into a bit of trouble there at the end, so that's suitably ominous.

Also I'm not sure whether to hope or dread that the evil knight looking guy is someone we know...

That knight is Darien's evil twin.

BlossomDead · January 2022

Hopefully the servers will be able to cope with this new content. The game is already increasingly unplayable.

Chips_Ahoy · January 2022

Meh, if I did not know that it is a new chapter I would think that it is Summerset 2.0.

I hope there is no other talking skull.

RedBranch · January 2022

This teaser already exceeds my expectations for 2022. Looking forward to 1/27!

Einstein_ · January 2022

will there be something for the PvP community ?

MajThorax · January 2022

I wish cities looked actually like this. Instead we get 6 buildings and a tower. Also it looks a lot like Karnaca from dishonored 2.

Lumsdenml · January 2022

Chips_Ahoy wrote: »

I hope there is no other talking skull.

Same, because he is the best character in the game.

Lumsdenml · January 2022

New PVP content!!!!!

(I don't believe it, but fingers are crossed)

VaranisArano · January 2022

Someone should've warned sword-wielding person that dunking people in the drink is how you get heroes coming after you.

Big TES II: Daggerfall vibes with this one, starting off the Agent's journey with a magic storm at sea and consequent shipwreck.

Of course, the Vestige is no stranger to surviving shipwrecks either after washing up on the shores of Khenarthi's Roost, Bleakrock Isle, Stros M'Kai, and Vvardenfell.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · January 2022

Pyandonea? My main will be pleased if so.

johnjetau · January 2022

Me keeping a watch on X-Box social media for any leaks that they may "accidentally" reveal.

Alexium · January 2022

Nice teaser! Covenant ship going from Illiac Bay to the some western isles. But why is the Dominion ship coming from the north of Tamriel and the Pact ship coming from the south?

Anyway I love the Breton theme!

MaisonNaevius · January 2022

TonyRockaroni · January 2022

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Pyandonea? My main will be pleased if so.

And here I thought I'd be the only one thinking this. I distinctly remember a few storm-related quests involving Maormer being encountered several times already. That and the fact they showed an island, and Pyandonea is an island continent. So while everyone else is thinking Breton, my mind is 100% thinking Maormer.
If the Covenant or other alliances ARE involved, perhaps one or more of them tried to colonize on Pyandonea, and the Maormer decided they didn't like that very much.

Araneae6537 · January 2022

TonyRockaroni wrote: »

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Pyandonea? My main will be pleased if so.

And here I thought I'd be the only one thinking this. I distinctly remember a few storm-related quests involving Maormer being encountered several times already. That and the fact they showed an island, and Pyandonea is an island continent. So while everyone else is thinking Breton, my mind is 100% thinking Maormer.
If the Covenant or other alliances ARE involved, perhaps one or more of them tried to colonize on Pyandonea, and the Maormer decided they didn't like that very much.

From everything that’s been said, including focus on a playable race that hasn’t had a deep dive yet, it must be Bretons or Redguards (or Bosmer, but unless there are Bosmer elsewhere that live nothing like those in Tamriel I will await Falinesti another year). There was nothing about the watching character that looked Maormer — too short and stocky and that armor looks very Breton and definitely not Maormer. Maybe they play a role, but I would not expect the chapter to be focused on the Maormer.

Elsonso · January 2022

Araneae6537 wrote: »

TonyRockaroni wrote: »

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Pyandonea? My main will be pleased if so.

And here I thought I'd be the only one thinking this. I distinctly remember a few storm-related quests involving Maormer being encountered several times already. That and the fact they showed an island, and Pyandonea is an island continent. So while everyone else is thinking Breton, my mind is 100% thinking Maormer.
If the Covenant or other alliances ARE involved, perhaps one or more of them tried to colonize on Pyandonea, and the Maormer decided they didn't like that very much.

From everything that’s been said, including focus on a playable race that hasn’t had a deep dive yet, it must be Bretons or Redguards (or Bosmer, but unless there are Bosmer elsewhere that live nothing like those in Tamriel I will await Falinesti another year). There was nothing about the watching character that looked Maormer — too short and stocky and that armor looks very Breton and definitely not Maormer. Maybe they play a role, but I would not expect the chapter to be focused on the Maormer.

My feeling is that while Maormer could be a potential 11th race in ESO, an introduction to a new race should focus on the story of that race, not some playable race. Going to the land of the Maormer, but not doing a deep dive into that race, would be like heading to Paris and eating only at McDonalds.

If the intent of the Chapter/Year Story is to deep dive into a playable race that has not had a deep dive, it will need to be something like Breton, Redguard, or Imperial. Those are the three races that have not had a deep dive.

The content of the video actually supports all three.

1) Breton... as has been noted, the "armored knight" seems to be wearing Breton-ish gear. This is rather weak, as we know nothing about this person and who they are. For all we know, that is "us", as was the Redguard in the Gates of Oblivion movie. However, they put deliberate clues into the movie, so we also have to look at the clip with that in mind. The Breton-ish armor may indicate the deep dive race as part of the intended hints. It could also be the new motif that is coming out....

2) Redguard... The map at the start of the movie shows water west-ish from Hews Bane and Hammerfell. This is actually the area of the Abecean Sea that is usually claimed by Hammerfell, which includes Stros M'Kai, The Chain islands, Cespar, Herme, Systres, and Pankor. If we are heading into the Abecean Sea, one of these will probably be our destination. Additionally, the ship on the map is undoubtedly departing from Hammerfell, probably Hegathe or Gilane. That suggests a Redguard deep dive.

3) Imperial... We see three ships of three designs with no clear banners. The design indicates the possibility of the three alliances being involved, but they might just be three ships. If they are coming from each alliance, one has to ask why all three alliances are suddenly out sailing about in the ocean. If we assume that the reason is war related and related to a deep dive, then it is possible that they are heading out to counter an Imperial-In-Exile that threatens all three alliances. This is weak, and not just because Imperials are the *** step child playable race in the game that is universally the enemy.

The movie told us nothing about the chosen race that has not already been guessed. Even though we know less about the Imperial race than any other playable race, my thinking is that this is between Breton and Redguard. I am still leaning towards Redguard, though.

Of course, there are other things in the movie that do not point to a playable race. The storms at sea are more the Maormer thing, as we learned in Khenarthi's Roost. That does not mean that Maormer have the exclusive rights to sea storms, if the storms were even made by man or mer.

The town on the bay is not really specific to any race. It does not appear to be a place in Tamriel, unless they really took artistic license with the flyover approach. It suggests large island, which could be anything from a Yokudan island in the Sea of Pearls, to an island in the Abecean that is larger than it looks. Nalonga, in the south part of the Sea of Pearls, Samara, in the north part of the Sea of Pearls, and Pankor, in the Abecean Sea, have bays that could be represented in the movie.

Nalonga seems like a top contender to me, as it is large enough to be part of a zone, and as an added bonus, is not rumored to be sunk under the water.

(And... of course... we are talking ZOS interpretation of existing lore, which may not exactly match what we see on UESP. Additionally, if ZOS heads off into uncharted waters (pun intended) and invents new Lore, we have no way to guess.)

Araneae6537 · January 2022

@Elsonso I agree about the Maormer. I meant that I highly doubt that we are going to Pyandonea this next chapter but that I could see them being involved even as they were involved with various factions in the base game Dominion storyline.

Edit: Bosmer have had much less of a deep dive than Imperials or even Redguards, nothing additional at all that I know of except for the Stags of Z’en motif.

Elsonso · January 2022

Araneae6537 wrote: »

@Elsonso I agree about the Maormer. I meant that I highly doubt that we are going to Pyandonea this next chapter but that I could see them being involved even as they were involved with various factions in the base game Dominion storyline.

I was building on what you said about the first part.

As for the Maormer, that is why I even mention the storm at sea. I have no reason to believe that Sea Elves are in any way involved, except for the storm in the movie. As a lead, that is pretty thin. Anorexic, to paraphrase Martin Riggs. I expect that the storms are central to the story, rather than something that just happens. Thus, Maormer influence is still a possibility.

It is also possible that the Sload will join us in the story, given the location implied by the movie. They are much closer to where this seems to take place than the Maormer. The movie does not show anything that would suggest this, though.

What intrigues me about the sea storm is that this could be a hint at the "incursion" event (dolmen, harrowstorm, geyser, etc). If that is the case, it would be unprecedented in ESO if it was actually at sea.

Olauron · January 2022

Elsonso wrote: »

We see three ships of three designs with no clear banners. The design indicates the possibility of the three alliances being involved, but they might just be three ships.

One ship has yellow banners, one ship has blue banners, one ship has red sails.

Elsonso · January 2022

Olauron wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

We see three ships of three designs with no clear banners. The design indicates the possibility of the three alliances being involved, but they might just be three ships.

One ship has yellow banners, one ship has blue banners, one ship has red sails.

When I say "banners", I don't mean the little tiny colored pennants that they have flying. I am talking the banners with the alliance emblem on them.

The AD ship is probably the Prowler under the command of Captain Jimala. The Prowler flies yellow pennants and has AD banners, but I don't think it is part of the AD navy. I think it is also unique among the ships in Tamriel, as most of them are unmarked.

The DC ship might be the Spearhead under the command of Captain Kaleen, although I don't think her ship flies the Daggerfall Covenant pennants. I don't think I have ever seen a blue pennant on the mast of any ship in the game, so not sure what that means.

The EP ship in the video is not a warship. I don't know what it is doing there in the first place.

Olauron · January 2022

Elsonso wrote: »

Olauron wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

We see three ships of three designs with no clear banners. The design indicates the possibility of the three alliances being involved, but they might just be three ships.

One ship has yellow banners, one ship has blue banners, one ship has red sails.

When I say "banners", I don't mean the little tiny colored pennants that they have flying. I am talking the banners with the alliance emblem on them.

I think that these ships are not necessarily actual ships, these ships may be symbols of players from any alliance.

Elsonso · January 2022

Olauron wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

Olauron wrote: »

Elsonso wrote: »

We see three ships of three designs with no clear banners. The design indicates the possibility of the three alliances being involved, but they might just be three ships.

One ship has yellow banners, one ship has blue banners, one ship has red sails.

When I say "banners", I don't mean the little tiny colored pennants that they have flying. I am talking the banners with the alliance emblem on them.

I think that these ships are not necessarily actual ships, these ships may be symbols of players from any alliance.

Hmm. Maybe, but with Gates of Oblivion, they just picked a seemingly random character to represent the players.

What bugs me about the three ships is the one that is out of place. What we see are two alliances, and then a third ship. If this is symbolism, then the two capital warships next to that rowboat is something significant. Call the red sailed cork-in-the-water EP, if you want, and that may be what they intend it to represent, but then why did EP send Rigurt's cog while the rest sent warships? EP has big warships, too.

That said... why can't they be hinting at us seeing ships that we have encountered before? The Prowler shows up all over the place, and I would not find it surprising to see her again in a story that involves the ocean. It would actually make sense to bring both of those ships back, given how they like to reuse characters.

What I am coming to expect is that the symbolism represents the Vestige is on the little red boat, since that is the one that looks like it just capsized at the end. The player always gets the short end of the stick. In Gates of Oblivion, the player was a prisoner being strung up until Eveli came along. Makes sense that this year, we try to drown until our savior, some overly talkative and annoying NPC quest giver, comes along.

Probably Jakarn, since this was accidentally leaked a while back.