General:Ask Us Anything: Ebonheart Pact (Part 1)

Originally published November 13, 2012. The original article can be found here.

The first ESO "Ask Us Anything" is now live! This one includes a mix of questions about the Ebonheart Pact and general topics.

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Will the faction PVE areas each have their own quests? Or will they be mirrors of each other? – By El Hefe

Each Alliance (and area) has its own completely unique quests and storylines, layered on top of their individual internal struggles and history. When we design content in The Elder Scrolls Online, we aspire to create storylines, experiences, and characters that are befitting of the Alliance they are a part of. Each Alliance's content in ESO is as varied and dynamic as the Alliances themselves are—your adventures an Argonian in the Ebonheart Pact, for example, will be quite different than those of a Bosmer in the Aldmeri Dominion.

Should you choose to play characters in each of the three Alliances (and we hope you do!), you will experience completely different content that is representative of each Alliance's story, history, and politics.

Obviously the Elves and the Nords have never got along too well - are the nations in the factions entirely happy with the alliance, or are there rogue/rebel groups within, say, Skyrim or Morrowind? – By George Trotter

The foundation the Ebonheart Pact was built upon—one of mutual desire for survival—makes for a deeply complex and ever-shifting political atmosphere. The Argonians, Nords, and Dark Elves have set aside their differences, for now, to unite under one banner against their shared enemies—but to say that everyone is happy or even content with the Alliance would be a far cry from the truth. A certain level of distrust and resentment roils just beneath the surface for many members of the Pact.

While some are openly accepting or critical of the Alliance, most Pact members you'll encounter fall somewhere in between, and hold their true feelings about the arrangement close to their chest. It really depends on each individual character's perspective and life experiences. Most you encounter are not willing to bring up their personal feelings to a stranger, but you will meet some who are very open with their praise or disdain for the choices their leaders have made.

This might also entail the rest of the game, but how big will Morrowind be compared to how big it was in TES 3? I get that the landscape will be different, but will it still be the same size, and have a similar layout? – By Ryon Burridge

It's difficult to make a direct size comparison between the two, as they actually take place in different areas of Morrowind. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind takes place on the northern island of Vvardenfell. In The Elder Scrolls Online, you'll get to explore Morrowind's mainland and see areas you've never seen before, or haven't seen in to the level of detail we're presenting it in. One such area is Deshaan, the region of southern Morrowind that borders Black Marsh. That's not to say adventurers in The Elder Scrolls Online won't ever be able to visit Vvardenfell.

^{update Alliances link?}
Looking at http://elderscrollsonline.com/en/game-guide/alliances I noticed some areas were grayed... or rather, "browned" out; Black Marsh and Vvardenfell, most notably, and with Solstheim, large portion of the western Skyrim (the areas containing Markath and Solitude, for example), and most of the eastern portion of Morrowind. The question itself is as follows: Do you have future plans regarding these areas, possibly including them at expansions, etc? And is the "only" playable area for the Pact the area colored in red - not to forget Cyrodiil, of course? If so, might we gain a rough estimate of the amount of "zones" (areas with short loading screens separating them) this seemingly massive area includes? – By Juho Kola

It's too early for us to start discussing the exact number and names of locations that each Alliance will be able to explore when The Elder Scrolls Online launches, but we have plans to expand and open up more regions of Tamriel in the future.

As for the colors you see on our Alliances page map, those are rough visual representations of each Alliance's territory. That map is meant to give you a general idea of each Alliance's regions—what you see there is not intended to be exact.

Given the fact that Windhelm will most definitely be in TESO, how familiar will it be to the Windhelm of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? It's quite a bit younger in TESO, but still of Ancient Atmoran aesthetic, being built by Ysgramor himself. – By Madison Harmon Bullock IV

We've taken great care to be extremely faithful to the existing Elder Scrolls lore, history, and visual feel. This includes our approach to how we've designed places you've visited in previous Elder Scrolls games, such as the city of Windhelm, in Skyrim's Eastmarch region. If you've played The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim, walking through the streets of Windhelm in The Elder Scrolls Online will feel very familiar. The same goes for Cyrodiil—those who visited the region in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will notice familiar villages and points of interest in ESO's Cyrodiil, such as Chorrol.

That being said, the stories and events that unfold in these areas during The Elder Scrolls Online will be different than those in past Elder Scrolls games. The people living in these familiar places won't be too different from their brethren in later times; however, they will have different views and tales to tell, based on the current events that are impacting their daily lives.

Will we see dragon temples in the Skyrim area? If I remember correctly, dragons had disappeared thousands of years ago at the time of Skyrim. Loved seeing these temples in Skyrim! Including them will give a really cool feeling. – By Wynand van Wyk

Yes, if you explore Skyrim, you will discover Dragon Temples in The Elder Scrolls Online. Their massive size and characteristic architecture is very recognizable, especially if you're familiar with what they look like in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Some of the Dragon Temples from Skyrim are also in The Elder Scrolls Online, such as the grand mountaintop temple of Skuldafn, but there are also new Dragon Temple locations for you to discover. We look forward to seeing who among you will find them when The Elder Scrolls Online launches.