The Elder Scrolls Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing video game developed by ZeniMax Online Studios. It was released on April 4, 2014 for Microsoft Windows, OS X and on Steam[6] on July 17, 2014. It is a part of The Elder Scrolls action fantasy video game franchise, of which it is the first open-ended multiplayer installment.
Upon creating a character, players have access to four classes: Dragonknight, Templar, Sorcerer, and Nightblade. As in previous The Elder Scrolls titles, gameplay is mostly nonlinear,with a mixture of quests, random events, and free-roaming exploration of the world.The game does not provide a mode for single-player offline play, although the developers have stated that there will be "plenty of content" designed to accommodate players who prefer to play solo
The player is able to play as numerous races such as Nords, Redguards, Bretons, Imperials, Dunmer (Dark Elves), Altmer (High Elves), Bosmer (Wood Elves), Orsimer (Orcs), the cat-like Khajiit, and the lizard-like Argonians. The Elder Scrolls Online has a lot of character choices beyond those of race, such as the player character also being able to become either a vampire or a werewolf, each of which grants its own skill tree. As well as many different guilds in-game that the player can join, plus the PvP events.
Setting
As with other games in The Elder Scrolls franchise, the game is set on the continent of Tamriel and features a storyline indirectly connected with the other games. 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. It has a broadly similar structure 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 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. As the player, you have been sacrificed to Molag Bal, and Molag Bal has stolen your soul, the recovery of which is your primary game objective. The game begins in the Wailing Prison in Coldharbor, where your soulless husk has been enslaved. This opening continues another Elder Scrolls tradition, of beginning the game with the player as a prisoner.
Most of the continent of Tamriel is available in the game, although much of it is locked off for expansion content. Players have the opportunity to join any of the three factions warring over the throne of the Emperor of Tamriel the First Aldmeri Dominion (represented by an eagle), composed of the Altmer (High Elf), Bosmer (Wood Elf), and Khajiit races; the Daggerfall Covenant (represented by a lion), composed of the Bretons, Redguard, and Orsimer (Orcs); and the Ebonheart Pact (represented by a dragon), composed of the Nord, Dunmer (Dark Elf), and Argonian races. Players may also unlock an additional race, Imperial, which may be a part of any of the three factions. Pre-ordered copies of the game included the "Explorers' Pack", which allowed all races to be played in each of the factions.
Development
The Elder Scrolls Online had been in development for 7 years before its release in 2014. It is the first project for ZeniMax Online Studios, which was formed in 2007. Matt Firor, studio lead at ZeniMax Online, is also the director of The Elder Scrolls Online.
While rumors of a massively multiplayer The Elder Scrolls game had been circulating for years, accurate information about the game and its imminent May 2012 announcement was not leaked until March 2012, to online publication Tom's Guide by an anonymous industry source.[12] 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. Several actors were announced to voice the characters of The Elder Scrolls Online, among them John Cleese, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, Lynda Carter, Alfred Molina, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Hale, Malcolm McDowell, and Peter Stormare.
Beta sign-ups for The Elder Scrolls Online began on January 21, 2013, and continued for seven rounds until February 26.
On June 2013, Sony announced that The Elder Scrolls Online would be available on PlayStation 4 at their E3 press conference. It was later clarified by Bethesda that it would also be available on Xbox One.While players on PC and Mac play together, those on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 play only with others on the same platform. In August 2013, at Gamescom, it was announced that The Elder Scrolls Online would have a monthly subscription fee upon release for all platforms.Subscriptions can be purchased in 30-, 90-, and 180-day increments. While it was announced in January 2014 that the game would not require a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online, the Xbox One version will require an Xbox Live Gold subscription in addition to a The Elder Scrolls Online monthly subscription. 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 was once again delayed into the Spring of 2015. ZeniMax Online Studios announced that players who purchase The Elder Scrolls Online before the end of June 2014 will have the opportunity to transfer their characters from Microsoft Windows or Mac OS to either console platform and receive a free 30-day subscription.
Release
It was announced on May 3, 2012 in an exclusive reveal by Game Informer and formally revealed in the same month's issue of the magazine
The Elder Scrolls Online was released on April 4, 2014 for PC and Mac. Home console releases for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are scheduled for June 9, 2015.
Shortly after the game's launch, it was reported that some players were unable to activate the 30-day complimentary game time included with their purchase until a subscription had been set up and—in "a strange state of affairs" and "most likely a mistake"—after a full month had been paid for. A serious item duplication exploit was discovered that allowed players to gain huge fortunes, which was patched shortly after release.ZeniMax later announced that they had permanently banned thousands of accounts because of the exploit.
On January 21, 2015, it was announced that an active subscription would no longer be needed to play the game effective March 17, 2015.Aside from the initial game price, there will be an optional subscription called "ESO Plus" which grants free access to all current and future downloadable content (DLC) and a monthly allotment of 1500 Crowns, the in-game currency as long as the player stays subscribed. The DLC will also be available for separate purchase in the Crown Store. Additionally, the optional subscription grants various perks that allow players to progress slightly faster than a free player.
Receptio
On January 21, 2015, it was announced that an active subscription will not be needed to play the game effective March 17, 2015. The game was renamed to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One console versions are due to be released on June 9, 2015.
As with other games in The Elder Scrolls franchise, the game is set in the continent of Tamriel and features a storyline indirectly connected with the other games. The Elder Scrolls Online had been in development for seven years before its release in 2014. It has received mostly mixed reviews..
