Skyrim Vs Online

[Elwanda Menhennett]

TheElder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.[2][3] The game is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2015, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.[4][5]

The Elder Scrolls Online is set in the continent of Tamriel and features a storyline indirectly connected with the other games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. The game had been in development for seven years before its release in 2014, which required a mandatory monthly subscription model.

Like previous Elder Scrolls games, The Elder Scrolls Online can be played from either a first or third-person perspective. Gameplay is mostly non-linear, with a mixture of quests, random events, and free-roaming exploration of the world.[8] The game does not provide a mode for single-player offline play, although the developers stated that there would be "plenty of content" for online solo play.[9]

Players also choose one of seven classes when creating a character: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade, Templar, Warden, Necromancer, or Arcanist. Each class gives the player different attacks, spells, and passive effects. The game has other character choices beyond those of race and class, such as the player character also being able to become either a vampire or a werewolf, each of which grants access to its own skill tree. There are seven different crafting skill lines: Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Clothier, Enchanting, Woodworking, Provisioning, and Jewelry Crafting.

The Elder Scrolls Online is set on the continent of Tamriel during the Second Era, but not all places in Tamriel are playable. The events of the game occur a millennium before those of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and around 800 years before The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Its structure is broadly similar to Skyrim, with two separate conflicts progressing at the same time, one with the fate of the world in the balance, and one where the prize is supreme power on Tamriel. In The Elder Scrolls Online, the first struggle is against the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, who is attempting to meld the plane of Mundus with his realm of Coldharbour, and the second is to capture the vacant imperial throne, contested by three alliances of the mortal races. The player character has been sacrificed to Molag Bal, and Molag Bal has stolen their soul, the recovery of which is the primary game objective.[2]

Many parts of the continent of Tamriel can be explored in the game, with all zones accessible regardless of faction or player level. Some zones become accessible only through DLCs, which can be either purchased from the Crown Store or are available for free as part of the ESO Plus subscription service. Players have the opportunity to join any of the three factions warring over the Ruby Throne of the Emperor of Tamriel:[2] the First Aldmeri Dominion (represented by an eagle) led by Queen Ayrenn and composed of the Altmer (High Elf), Bosmer (Wood Elf), and Khajiit races; the Daggerfall Covenant (represented by a lion) led by High King Emeric and composed of the Bretons, Redguards, and Orsimer (Orcs); and the Ebonheart Pact (represented by a dragon) led by Jorunn Skald-King and composed of the Nord, Dunmer (Dark Elf), and Argonian races. Players may also unlock the Imperial race by purchasing the Digital Imperial Edition Upgrade in the Crown Store, which may be a part of any of the three factions. The other major ruling faction of Tamriel is the Empire itself, led by Empress Regent Clivia Tharn, which has fallen into instability and disrepair and serves as a non-joinable faction. Pre-ordered copies of the game included the "Explorers' Pack" which allowed all races to be played in each of the factions, and this feature is also available in the Crown Store.[10]

The game begins in the Wailing Prison in Coldharbour, where the player character's soulless husk (known as a soul shriven) has been enslaved. This opening continues another Elder Scrolls tradition of beginning the game with the player as a prisoner.[2] After escaping, the base of operations becomes the Harborage, a cave found at each of the starting cities where the Prophet opens portals to the locations of the main questline. Once the Amulet of Kings is retrieved, the headquarters shift to the Hollow City, a location in central Coldharbour blessed by Meridia. Civilians saved from Coldharbour's prisons arrive in the Hollow City, and it is from there that attacks are orchestrated on Molag Bal's controlled areas.[11]

The Elder Scrolls Online had been in development for seven years before its release in 2014.[2] It was the first project from ZeniMax Online Studios, which was formed in 2007 as a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. Matt Firor, studio lead at ZeniMax Online, served as director of The Elder Scrolls Online.[3] ZeniMax Online licensed the HeroEngine in November 2007,[12] which was used as a whiteboard for the game while the main production engine was in development.[13] The game's development was funded by Providence Equity Partners and reinvested profits from the success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.[14]

Rumors of a massively multiplayer Elder Scrolls game had been circulating for years, first prompted by a domain registration by ZeniMax Media in November 2007 for ElderScrollsOnline.com.[15] Information about the game and its imminent May 2012 announcement was leaked in March 2012 to online publication Tom's Guide by an anonymous industry source.[16] According to the leak, the game was scheduled to be shown at E3 2012 in June and QuakeCon 2012 in August. On November 8, 2012, Bethesda released a video on YouTube called "An Introduction to The Elder Scrolls Online", in which the game's developers talk about the game's content and development.[17] Several actors were announced to voice characters in the game, including John Cleese, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, Lynda Carter, Alfred Molina, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Hale, Malcolm McDowell, and Peter Stormare.[18] Beta sign-ups for The Elder Scrolls Online began on January 21, 2013, and continued for seven rounds until February 26.[19][20][21]

In June 2013, Sony announced that The Elder Scrolls Online would be available on PlayStation 4 at its E3 press conference. Bethesda later clarified availability on Xbox One.[22] Cross-platform play was only supported on Windows and Mac, and not Xbox One or PlayStation 4.[23] In August 2013, at Gamescom, it was announced that The Elder Scrolls Online would have a monthly subscription fee upon release for all platforms.[24][25] Subscriptions could be purchased in 30-, 90-, and 180-day increments.[26] It was announced in January 2014 that the game would not require a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online,[27] but that the Xbox One version would require an Xbox Live Gold subscription in addition to an Elder Scrolls Online monthly subscription.[28] On May 8, 2014, Bethesda spoke about development of the console editions, announcing that the release date for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game would be delayed until the end of 2014, though it was revealed in December 2014 that the game's console debut had once again been delayed into early 2015. ZeniMax Online Studios announced that players who purchased The Elder Scrolls Online before the end of June 2014 would have the opportunity to transfer their characters from Windows or Mac OS to either console platform and receive a free 30-day subscription.[29]

The Elder Scrolls Online was announced on May 3, 2012, on the Game Informer website and in that same month's issue of the magazine.[2] It was released on April 4, 2014, for Windows and Mac. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles on June 9, 2015. The game was later ported over to Stadia on June 16, 2020.

A subscription is no longer needed to play the game since March 17, 2015.[33] Aside from the initial game price, an optional subscription called "ESO Plus" grants access to all current and future downloadable content (DLC) and a monthly allotment of 1650 Crowns, one of the in-game currencies, requiring subscription which also grants perks of 10% faster progress than a free player.[34]

The Elder Scrolls Online has received multiple major expansions in the form of downloadable "Chapters" since the game was released in April 2014, with each new chapter releasing on a yearly basis. Eight total Chapters have been released. The most recent Chapter, Gold Road, was released in June 2024.

On January 31, 2017, the first downloadable expansion, or Chapter, for The Elder Scrolls Online, entitled Morrowind, was announced by ZeniMax. The expansion is set in Vvardenfell, the setting originally playable in the 2002 video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.[37] Unlike previous DLC, Morrowind was initially sold separately and was purchaseable with Crown points. It includes a new class, a new trial, and a new player vs. player mode called "Battlegrounds".[37] It was released on June 6, 2017.[38] Morrowind was subsequently introduced to the Crown Store by Bethesda during the June/July 2018 sale and is now included with the base game.

On March 21, 2018, the second downloadable expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online, entitled Summerset, was announced. The expansion is based around Summerset Isle, a setting that has not been playable since the 1994 game The Elder Scrolls: Arena.[39] Summerset introduces a new zone, a new story line, jewelry crafting, and a new skill line based on the Psijic Order. A new trial, Cloudrest, was also launched.[39] The expansion was released on May 21, 2018 for Windows and macOS, and on June 5, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[39]

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