How Elder Scrolls Online will balance factions

ZeniMax Online explains how it will balance the three factions in The Elder Scrolls Online.

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The Elder Scrolls Online will have three playable factions, which ZeniMax Online hopes will help strike a natural balance. Since so much of the PvP is defined by large-scale battles, though, the company has taken a few steps to help keep everything fair and square.

The studio explained the systems in a lengthy fan Q&A. It claims that, since it has three factions, one that is over-populated could be brought down by the other two. Even so, it's planned out ways to keep the scores roughly even regardless of population disparities.

"There are alliance population caps per campaign to make sure one alliance doesn't fill up a campaign entirely," the studio stated. "There are also scoring incentives for alliances that are tailing behind when capturing resources and keep, from the winning Alliance if the score is imbalanced. You'll get more points by taking keeps and resources from the winning alliance and holding your own keeps, helping you catch up in the overall score. Lastly, keeps can be captured with smaller groups than you may expect, so even under-populated alliances have a real shot at claiming the throne."

It also pointed out that the PvP isn't limited to the large-scale battles, and some quests will be explicitly designed to put you into confrontations with opposing factions. "There will be lots of chance encounters and roaming players to kill in Cyrodiil. Many of the quests from towns and from alliance entry locations are designed to send you into enemy territory. If you’re looking for a fight outside of large-scale keep battles, there's a good chance you’ll run into enemies near Chorrol, Cheydinhal, Bruma, Cropsford, or Vlastarus."

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 10, 2013 3:30 PM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, How Elder Scrolls Online will balance factions.

    ZeniMax Online explains how it will balance the three factions in The Elder Scrolls Online.

    • reply
      September 10, 2013 4:55 PM

      I really need to stop reading stories on this game....its just getting worse.

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      September 10, 2013 5:35 PM

      Playing Skyrim has reminded me of the best part of Elder Scrolls games and also the reason why Online will never work:

      making completely overpowered shit

      It just won't be the same if you can't use alchemy to brew a potion that increases your alchemy, or craft an amulet that gives you 100% magic resist or permanet invisibility or whatever.

      Blizzard games are fun because they're brilliantly balanced. Bethesda games are fun because they're brilliantly broken. Without that, all Zenimax have is a (let's face it) fairly mediocre fantasy universe.

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        September 10, 2013 5:39 PM

        That's really not the best part. Exploration and discovery is the best part.

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          September 10, 2013 6:20 PM

          Right. If they can create an MMO that isn't a themepark, but feels open and inviting of exploration, just as the single player games are, then they might have a chance.

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        September 11, 2013 8:29 AM

        For me its the mods. If Bethesda didn't support TES modding I wouldn't play the game longer than 6 months.

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      September 10, 2013 7:53 PM

      This makes it sound like they will be doing Warhammer Online style balancing (none). The large pop alliances will just grief the smaller ones until they quit.

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        September 11, 2013 6:24 AM

        Warhammer Online only had 2 factions, having 3 factions does help as it means it doesn't have to be completely balanced as long as 1 faction isn't a lot bigger than the other 2 factions combined.

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