Alright, people. We've finally gotten a look at and quite a bit of information about the season-long story for ESO this year: The Dark Heart of Skyrim. This specific thread will be for discussion about it. What do you think about what ZOS had to say regarding this year's content during the live reveal? What confirmed content excites you the most? What are you hoping for or predicting will come out in terms of locations, monsters, dungeons, etc.? So on and so on.

And...discuss!

* I'll bet the quest DLC that drops in the second half of the year will involve the "Reachmen."

* The vampire revamp was hugely needed; I am glad they are fixing them! (or rather: hope the changes fixes them, lol).

* I am not as excited about this Chapter as I was about the last three; but they always do such a good job on the Chapters that I will probably pre-order the Collector's Edition anyway (want the "Arrow to the Knee" emote, )

I’m very interested in this new chapter. Really hoping it involves the Reachfolk in some meaningful way rather than just more fodder for our characters to destroy.

Agree 100%.

I mean, there has to be at least one Reach clan that isn’t compromised entirely of murderous psychopaths, right?

Maybe?

Most we’ve seen in lore from the time of ESO to Skyrim are a bunch of murderous wild-warriors, and given the fact that the Daedric Princes they serve range from Namira, Molag, and Hircine, there’s not much room for anything else.

I’m hoping to meet some less murderous ones, for sure.

Now what I’m hoping for this chapter? Lore. I really like the fact that we’re getting to meet new characters and familiar ones, too.

The new vampires are apparently not Volkihar but another clan entirely. Since Skyrim, I’ve wanted to know what other clans are out there. They’ve been mentioned indirectly a handful of times. Harkon and his people are prepping for the events of Dawnguard, which in my honest opinion, is a lot of prepping.

I’m also interested in seeing the conflict between clans. Apparently the Rivenspire crew is going to go against the vamp crew in Skyrim, and Lamae’s quest will be reworked, most likely to fit the vampire lord ultimate skill. They also pretty much confirmed the suspicion that vampire lord form is NOT exclusive to the Volkihar, but pure blooded vampires in general.

Blackreach is apparently very, very big!

I'm a bit confused if the Blackreach in ESO is supposed to be the same cavern we had in TES V: Skyrim, or the latter was just part of a larger underground realm, cut off by that time. So ESO gets the potential for it to spread under other provinces?

I also haven't quite caught whether the vampires are in Blackreach, or somewhere else in the new zone. At least they're going to be consistent with the single-player versions. Morrowind had competing vampire clans, so they don't even need to be on the same side for consistency with that.

Reachfolk could be multiple factions too. In Skyrim, Madanach's group were friendly after you aided his escape, but all the others still attacked you. They're sort of just a sub-race of Breton.

They showed those vampire attacks on the surface (actually in daylight) before they showed us the parts about Blackreach; so = probably will be both above and below ground.

I really hoped when they did the vampire fixes that they would reinstate the "Not in Daylight" thing like they had in Oblivion.

Oh, and kind of on topic: I was wondering how well they handled the changes they made in the Werewolf skill line a little over a year ago; does anyone know? And did they keep those changes or nerf them down shortly after making them?

That might be an indication on how they will be doing the changes for the vampires.

And: (other than what Gina said; that they will be reversing how they have it now as far as feeding making you a stronger vampire or weaker one) = does anyone have any idea what the new skills will be? Because that vampire in the vid was moving VERY fast; and turning into a raven.

Well, so much for the hope for a non-world-threatening scenario, lol: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/up...hapter/greymoor



I mean, that won't stop me from getting the story by any means and I'll keep an open mind, but Ysmir's Beard, another plan of a continent-wide cataclysmic proportion? Really? We don't need to save the world every time. And really, how many times can one character save the world in a span of a couple or so years?

As for the vampires, I hope we get an in-depth look at multiple vampire clans. Clans that hate each other and think they are superior to the others, and actively oppose each other. It's not often you get that in stories in general. And if you have a vampire character, there'd have to be something about you that the main antagonists would scoff at. Maybe they see you as thin-blooded or something like that. Given that this is an MMO, I don't see how they could give you the option of siding with the antagonists, unlike in Skyrim's Dawnguard expansion. I wonder if there will be any references to Volkihar clan in this expansion though? I'm glad ZOS isn't shoehorning them in since it wouldn't make any sense lore-wise.

As for Reachmen...well, when are they NOT murderous psychopaths? Lol. I mean, I'm sure there's got to be some of them that are much more reasonable, though. Maybe it has just been a characterization issue. Besides somewhat of an exception of Madanach's crew in TESV, they are pretty hegemonically and straightforwardly evil. ZOS confirmed that one of the later DLCs will involve them, so I suppose it will be a while before we get more info on that.

Regarding Blackreach, it is the same as what was in TESV, but we will see even more of it. So big it is supposed to be its own zone (although I don't know if I am a fan of its potential to be under all of Tamriel). Maybe there will be some story bits that suggest why we can't go to these new areas in the time of TESV, but it could just as likely be more of a technical and artistic choice for ZOS to expand it.

EDIT: Oh, and I am all for the more gothic tone of this chapter. Nice change of pace from previous chapters in that regard, at least.

I feel that they could easily do a... I won’t say friendly, but a less hostile Reach clan that worships Hircine. I’ve never really felt that Hircine is evil, especially when compared to the likes of Bal. Likewise his worshippers wouldn’t have to attack people on sight.

The thing about Daedric Princes in general is that they often have more than one aspect to them, and the same goes for their followers. The Glenmoril Wyrd venerate the nature side to Hircine, while the Reachmen value his feral side and champion violence through hunting for sport. It really depends on the clan to be honest.

Very true.

I think we’ll see more than a single vampire clan. It’s been mentioned that House Ravenwatch group is gonna help the player defeat the vampires in Skyrim, and that the Volkihar won’t be the main vampire menace. Harkon is out doing his thing and the ones we face are a different type.

Agree with most of this; but I am with Khajiit in wanting to have at least one quest that gives us a side of the Reachmen other than the psychotic killers. (like they did with the Ashlanders in Stonefalls; that one tribe of Foresworn in Skyrim; and the Great Khan in New Vegas; etc).












I really enjoyed that Ravenwatch Clan questline; so I do look forward to them coming back.

I loved the House Ravenwatch quests. Those are some of my favorite NPCs in ESO. Super happy to hear they will have more to do in the new chapter.

Since the Skyrim game’s Forsworn were a product of Forth Era events, maybe the ESO Reachfolk will be era-appropriate. Even in the Skyrim game not all of The Reach’s natives were Forsworn. So I have some hope that ESO’s Reachfolk won’t all be tribal and hostile.

The Forsworn are not simply murdering psychopaths. They are freedom fighters struggling against centuries of Nordish oppression.

From a certain point of view, huh?

I mean, I guess, it really just depends on if you accept Madanach’s story as truth. He didn’t really seem to have any reason to lie about any of it, in my opinion. The treachery of the Nords in the Reach was on full display. Look how they treated Ulfrich the instant he became inconvenient for them.

I think that there are some legitimate grievances...but their responses are mostly unjustified and seriously damage their credibility. Murdering a whole bunch of people that were not responsible for taking your homeland (if we assume it was theirs to begin with) isn't the way to gain sympathy for your plight.

That's the way I see it, at least.

Keep in mind, a lot of the murders and raids carried out by the Forsworn were ordered by the Silverbloods and were politically and financially motivated.

So I just finished the Rivenspire questline again, this time with Evelona, and it just occurred to me that the end of it might have major relevance to the Greymoor storyline. I don't think ZOS has said anything about that specifically, but they did say that Verandis Ravenwatch would be back.

But what really made me think about the two storylines being connected is the Lightless Remnant, that artifact at the end that Baron Wylon Montclair was using for his vampiric powers and that Verandis had to whisk away to Coldharbor. The color of the Harrowstorms that are supposed to feature heavily in Greymoor are the same color as the essence being given off by the Remnant. The Remnant was also supposed to have some region-wide catastrophic power if it wasn't taken by Verandis elsewhere. I'm guessing that, for whatever reason, the Lightless Remnant's power broke loose in Western Skyrim, and the storyline is going to prominently feature it.

So from what I'm hearing, it looks like we might not be getting Whiterun, Dawnstar, or Winterhold this year. If that's the case, that's pretty disappointing. Yes, I know, that's a lot to include, but Whiterun and Winterhold were two of my most desired major cities to see in this chapter. Whiterun for obvious reasons, but I want to see Winterhold before it all went to [censored]. I'm not sure about this particular timeframe, but in lore, Winterhold was supposed to be a bustling and highly prominent city at its height, and one of the themes of Winterhold in TESV is how it is supposed to be barely a shadow of its former glory, much like the Empire as a whole. Also, what is the College of Winterhold like when it was still widely respected? Shame that it appears we won't get to see.

I'm sure Solitude will be great, but what I'm really curious about is Morthal. Of all the cities in TESV, Morthal felt the least like one, even less than Falkreath. Obvious game limitations aside, Solitude, Markarth, Whiterun, and Windhelm still all felt like cities, with Riften and Dawnstar a bit less so. I hope ZOS knocks it out of the park with Morthal, especially considering that we are tangling with vampires in this chapter.


So, without major spoilers (which probably none of you have but just in case), what are some key things you can tell me about the upcoming zones as seen on the PTS? Like I said in the Today in Tamriel thread, I want to wait until the whole thing is done to experience it.

I think they will give us another section of Skyrim in the last quarter of the year like they did with Elsweyr; and since they called this one "Western Skyrim;" I am guessing the DLC they drop will be "Eastern Skyrim." Since we already have Riften and Windhelm; I am pretty sure the DLC that drops in the second half of the year will contain Whiterun. I hope so, it is my absolute favorite town in Skyrim.


** Go back and listen to the Announcement on it; they said they plan to do a full year thing with Skyrim like they did with Elsweyr. That means we will probably have to do the Dungeons to get some rewards that will all be connected like they did with the Lunar Champion House.

If the reward has anything to do with that cave in Blackreach; that might explain why there was only a landing spot = maybe they plan to dole it out in 4ths like they did the Lunar Champion house.

I consider Eastmarch and the Rift to be "Eastern Skyrim", so they could have a "Central Skyrim", but I really don't believe they want to close the gaps between Alliance territories yet. Each one borders on Cyrodiil, but none of the others, and I believe they'll only fill in those parts right at the end. Since they've introduced Blackreach as part of this chapter, there's a lot more map available underground.

It's still possible they'll expand to Whiterun and the Pale, and leave a narrow gap, like the one between Anequina and Pelletine. After all, the Throat of the World is a decent barrier between the holds. Further north, it's harder to guess. Since Winterhold won't fall into the sea for a long time, that could remain a independent buffer. Maybe the Mages Guild keeps it neutral?

Right, but from what I hear (I'm not sure if it is a rumor, speculation, or actually confirmed by ZOS), the 2nd zone of the year is going to the Reach, which means it will have Markarth. Eastern Skyrim is probably considered to be The Rift and Eastmarch since they are already there. Seems like we won't be getting "Central" Skyrim, which is a shame. The map is already a bit wonky with Windhelm being too far north and Winterhold being pushed too far west.



These buffer zones are getting a bit bothersome to me. I get what you mean about that and why ZOS would do that, but it still cuts out some really cool stuff by making tiny strips of key missing landscape. I agree that Snow-Throat/Throat of the World is a sensible barrier, though I wonder how exactly they would make it off-limits. I was trying to find how exactly they blocked off Red Mountain but couldn't quite figure it out.

But I hope they at least give us Whiterun and Helgen. I guess that is still a possibility but I doubt we are going ever going to see Dawnstar and Winterhold. If we ever get those two, I'd wager it would be a zone similar in size and content to Murkmire and Southern Elsweyr.

Okay, a note on the house in Blackreach: it does not seem to be incomplete in the sense the Lunar Champion one was - there were no spots suggestive of additional rooms. What IS missing is the front portico/stairs leading up to the front door - that whole area has weird textures like something is missing there. You can get into the house if you drop a plank/ramp up to the front door, it's how I got in. I also got it fully furnished so I could see the furnishings: it's . . . interesting.

As for Western Skyrim, it pretty much covers the area around Solitude and Morthal, and the whole zone looks like it was lifted out of TESV. That means Morthal is still the little swamp village it is in 4E; with one major difference: that burned out house in TESV isn't in ESO. Unfortunately, that house is "chained", which means you can't get in. I would have liked to have seen what that house was like before it was burned down. So as you wander around the area, you will find it very familiar. Just remember the Thalmor Embassy doesn't exist, nor does the Penis Eye HQ in Dragonbridge.

mALX, we already have Eastern Skyrim - that's Eastmarch and The Rift. What we will be missing when the next chapter drops will be central Skyrim. I'm already disappointed that Falkreath is a dungeon, not a zone I can properly explore. I'm hoping that they do the central portion (Whitereach/Dawnstar/Winterhold) as the Q4 DLC, but we will have to wait and see.

As I mentioned in another post elsewhere, Proudspire Manor is the same house it is in TESV, to the best of my memory. I did get it furnished also, more to see what those furnishings look like. Already I like them better than the standard Nord furnishings from the base game - mostly because of better textures and finer detail. They're also less blocky. I suspect it's more an indication of how far technology has progressed since ESO Beta first dropped - the base game furnishings are based off of what was already in the game world. Starting with Morrowind I think the furnishings have improved because these designs were new to the game.

I have not done any of the quests on the PTS - I'd much rather wait and do them when they go live. The main reason I went on the PTS was to check out the new houses. I already have the inn room (which is about the same size as the Sugar Bowl) and Proudspire Manor on my "next-to-buy" list. Proudspire is a 300/600 slot house, and it looks like it will be an easy one to decorate and make it look full, much like Velothi Reverie or Twin Arches.

Remember, the PTS is for us to try it out and report any bugs. And believe me, the Blackreach manor will be fixed in the next PTS patch or two.

Yes, I def reported the missing access to the interior and weird textures in a bug report; and also reported that entryway table with no collision in Proudspire too.

They accidentally did that with the Grand Psijic Villa once on the PTS too; I think someone accidentally deleted something they shouldn't have. I'll have to go back and try that plank trick; I never did see the interior except through invisible walls. What I saw so far didn't inspire me to want to buy; but the free room and Proudspire Manor = Oh yeah!!!

What I liked most about the new furniture was the handles on the drawers and cupboards; for once they made them look functional! (also the less blurry textures). I LOVE the horse trough with water in it; that is something I've been begging for a long time. Also really love the one breakfast plate (not the overdone one, the regular one).

Yeah, I usually use the PTS for strictly checking out houses and locations of crafting sets and skyshards. I don't do quests on there either; it is hard enough to find time to do them on the Live, lol.

I completed Western Skyrim's main questline yesterday. I won't talk about spoilers until most or everyone here plays through it. All I will say is that High King Svargrim became one of my personal most HATED characters in the entire game.

The overall questline I thought was solid, though. Luckily they didn't make the werewolves and vampires terribly generic. Not super special by any means, but there is a bit more depth to them here at least than they typically get in media. But I really get annoyed by some of the question choices they give for your character like you're a complete dunce and didn't already learn about something, but this is hardly the first time it has happened in this game. I'll put a couple examples here in spoilers:



Also, for the Eight's sakes, why does it take so damn long for harrowstorms to spawn? Twice now I have spent 15-20 minutes at one waiting for it to spawn and there was time beforehand that it wasn't up and I could see it. Doesn't help that the wayshrines tend to be far away from them.