Apocrypha Delve Design is A+

joe_schmo · June 2023

Just wanted to give a shout out to the devs on this one - the delves in Apocrypha are so beautifully eerie and well designed. I had an absolute blast going through them all, with standouts being Fathom's Drift and Quires Wind. I love going into first person mode, turning off the HUD, and just walking around soaking up all the delicious visuals and atmosphere. Absolutely beautiful concepts and such a grand sense of scale that really reminds you of a place you'd see in a dream. One of my favorite parts of the expansion - more delves like this please!

TheImperfect · June 2023

Absolutely agree, all of Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha is amazing including delves and public dungeons. The details are stunning.

emilyhyoyeon · June 2023

I agree, as usual whatever teams design the environments delves etc have blown everything out of the water. Quires Wind is also one of my favorites, and I also really liked Camonnaruhn.
Both public dungeons were also incredible IMO. I was really pleased with Gorne especially because

it was actually a good representation of Sheogorath related stuff in both story and especially visual design. I think Gorne's quest story took itself way more seriously than something like the one in Elsweyr where he appears as an alfiq, and I think Sheogorath has a lot more potential when he's taken, basically, 80% serious and 20% silly instead of the reverse. Silly doesn't do what's essentially the patron deity of mental illness any favors.
The visual split in the delve is also great. Overall it's subtle, where all the details come out beautifully once you notice the obvious Saints on one side, Seducers on the other. The fact that the delve is also split between north and south with Saints and Seducers respectively is also perfect (I'm assuming that was intentional considering everything else).

katanagirl1 · June 2023

I agree that they are quite striking visually, though I am surprised at your comment about turning off the HUD.

As a console player without a mini-map, I have found trying to complete every delve daily so far very frustrating because of the overlaid multilevel design on a 2D map. I can see the quest circle near me, but I can’t figure out how to get to the proper level. I think Quires Wind might have been the worst for this. I keep running circles around, fighting the same enemies, stopping to open the map and see where I am, until I just drag them behind me throughout the area.

valenwood_vegan · June 2023

Totally agree that they look awesome! Wish there was more to do in them... going back to repeat the same mindless fetch dailies really does them a disservice.

Beilin_Balreis_Colcan · June 2023

katanagirl1 wrote: »

I agree that they are quite striking visually, though I am surprised at your comment about turning off the HUD.

As a console player without a mini-map, I have found trying to complete every delve daily so far very frustrating because of the overlaid multilevel design on a 2D map. I can see the quest circle near me, but I can’t figure out how to get to the proper level. I think Quires Wind might have been the worst for this. I keep running circles around, fighting the same enemies, stopping to open the map and see where I am, until I just drag them behind me throughout the area.

I view multilevel delves like that as containing a puzzle, a 3D one.

emilyhyoyeon wrote: »

I agree, as usual whatever teams design the environments delves etc have blown everything out of the water. Quires Wind is also one of my favorites, and I also really liked Camonnaruhn.
Both public dungeons were also incredible IMO. I was really pleased with Gorne especially because
it was actually a good representation of Sheogorath related stuff in both story and especially visual design. I think Gorne's quest story took itself way more seriously than something like the one in Elsweyr where he appears as an alfiq, and I think Sheogorath has a lot more potential when he's taken, basically, 80% serious and 20% silly instead of the reverse. Silly doesn't do what's essentially the patron deity of mental illness any favors.
The visual split in the delve is also great. Overall it's subtle, where all the details come out beautifully once you notice the obvious Saints on one side, Seducers on the other. The fact that the delve is also split between north and south with Saints and Seducers respectively is also perfect (I'm assuming that was intentional considering everything else).

I've noticed a similar dichotomy in the overland part of Apocrypha, it brings back fond memories of Dementia and Mania!

boi_anachronism_ · June 2023

Visually this expansion is my favorite by a mile

kynesgrove · June 2023

Something I love every expansion, especially this one:
The secret lives of NPCS.

There are so many neat and funny interactions that NPCs do when idling or with each other. All the little stories being told when just watching or overhearing them. Or them doing things with their environment.

One of my favourites is watching the Dremnaken roll around like naughty dogs on the books they shred.
The watchlings being adorable around each other.
NPC chatter in Necrom.
Or the unexhaustive list of things mudcrabs do.

The amount of effort to make the world feel so alive.