14 DAY TRIAL // There’s probably more than one year left before the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online, but the development team at ZeniMax Online is ready to offer more details on the universe of the game and the options players will get by choosing one of the three main factions.
During an official Questions & Answer session, the developers have disclosed that players who are interesting in fighting for the Ebonheart Pact, an alliance between the Norse, the Dunmner and the Argonians, will be able to visit all new areas of the game universe, including the Shadowfen and the city of Stormhold.
Gamers will also interact directly with the ruling Tribunal, with ZeniMax saying that, “As the rulers of Morrowind, both spiritually and politically, the Tribunal are quite prominent in the Ebonheart Pact – especially Almalexia, who’s been handling temporal affairs since the recent Akaviri invasion.”
Because of the time frame of The Elder Scrolls Online, no pretender has yet risen, which means that players will have to actively forget some of the events that have happened in the single-player-focused Elder Scrolls titles.
On the other hand, some familiar elements will return and the team has talked about the way the player will deal with the Companions seen in Skyrim.
The Q&A says, “The Companions—the legendary group of Nord heroes you met in the city of Whiterun in Skyrim—have been part of Nord culture since Ysgramor’s arrival on the shores of Skyrim before the First Era, so they certainly have a presence in ESO.”
ZeniMax Online also wants to give gamers more customization options for their characters and fans of the Argonians will be happy to know that, since the recent gameplay trailer, more choices have been added to the reptilian race.
The Elder Scrolls Online will focus on an action-driven set of mechanics and will use a free-to-play structure.
The game will appear on the PC in 2013.