Okay, so I've been pretty hard on the devs about the(admittedly limited) information we've received so far about this upcoming MMO. I understand that not everyone shares my view and I do respect that, even if I vehemently disagree with some of the decisions that have been made. There has been one good thought that I've had concerning this whole thing, and that was that at least the MMO will have no effect on the main series, since they are separate development teams and all that.

And then I slept, and upon waking, viewed the situation with fresh eyes. There is a way in which this game might affect the main series, and will affect any fans of the series that play the game. TES:O is going to take place in all of the provinces, including the ones that haven't been seen in a TES game since Arena(which I haven't played). So at the very least, the manner in which the provinces are represented will influence player expectations when said provinces are featured in future TES games, and could possibly influence how Bethesda portrays them.

Now I just want to put this out there: this does not have to be a bad thing. In Oblivion, Bethesda showed that they are quite willing to retcon their own lore by changing Cyrodiil from a jungle to a standard fantasy setting. If Bethesda holds ZeniO to the lore, it's possible that this could prevent future retcons(although the manner in which they changed Cyrodiil demonstrates that a lot can happen in 1000 years).

The biggest potential problem is that if Bethesda does decide to change the province from what appears in TES:O, some players may actually prefer the ZeniO version and find them disappointed with the original studio's vision of the province. In any case, I hope that Bethesda is at least providing some consultation to ensure that the look and feel of the setting stays in keeping with their own future plans.

This is my greatest fear. I hope that the fact that TES VI will not be released until around 2017 means that the BGS devs will have such superior tech that they can justifiably make it different.

If not then I hope we get to go to Akavir or maybe a Daedric realm

My biggest concern is that if the MMO is successful, it will influence what the devs will and will not do in future single player releases. This could be in the form of lore (if a storyline works well in the MMO, importing it over), gear and weapon creation (mirroring how gear/enchanting work in the MMO for familiarity), and dozens of other possibilities. I'm also concerned about how much lead time Zenimax will give Bethesda if the MMO does well- monthly subscriptions make a lot more money than a single game created over five years. I don't want *any* influence of this game in the single player format.

you are not the first person to point this out.

but i believe it to be foolish to assume that Zenimax would not be using gamesas as a resource of artwork and lore info as reference material for crafting the whole world.
nothing is really lost here imo, retcons svck, but sometimes they do make the series better. it seems lore friendly so far, i saw a kagouti in one of the GI article screens.

well said i totally agree

There is armor in the game that looks identical to Skyrim's Orcish, but thats not the complaint so much. Art changes game to game, Landscape and placements might not. Don't forget though, there could very well be an Ice Age starting in Tamriel for TES VI. Times are different by a lot. A game set in america 1000 years ago would we exclusivley Native American based. A game set there now looks like Call of Duty.

Usually for a multi-project franchise there will be a 'bible'. If anyone wants to alter something it will involve a lot of consultation, and it's not taken lightly. While this could be something to worry about, it's still such early days, and any problems are far in our future. At some point you just have to trust the people who create the things you love. And vote on their decisions with your dollars...

Good points OP. Although I am not seeing it as becoming a huge success because I think it will be just like every other MMO out there. Same style with a different name and a "different" world. That being said, I am hoping it doesn't ruin the single player existance, but if it does, then I hope there will be another company that will take over what beth might give up if ESO becomes a success.

Just to be clear, I do not believe that TES:O will have any major impact of the series proper. Bethesda has shown that they can and will retcon the setting where they feel it benefits the games. Because of the epic weirdness that is Michael Kirkbride's writing, they can even make retcons fit into the lore seamlessly. I may not be a fan of retcons in general, but Bethesda can handle the situation. It's more the expectations that could result of a successful TES:O that could be problematic.

Preferred, not problematic.

I'm just going to have to ask for a clarification here: are you saying that you would rather Zenimax Online be the company that dictates lore than Bethesda? Because that's what your terse response comes across as to me.

Successful MMO would mean the series will continue to go in the direction it needs too...

Let me just remind you that this game takes place 1000 years before Skyrim. (right?)

Suppose TES 6 takes place 250 years after Skyrim? What was earth like 1250 years ago in 762 A.D.? North America was a forest, for example.

I don't think the representation of TES:O must be reflected in future games.

The direction of small, poorly crafted provinces with generic MMO gameplay?

As I was reading your post, this is exactly what was running through my mind. Cyrodiil's wilderness was changed from lore.

The reasons it was changed was all due to development time and money. (I'm so sure of this that I left out the "IMO".) A junge would have been extremely difficult back then (and probably even now), but you need a wilderness so trees, rocks, etc. go into the game. I'm not slighting Bethesda; it was all good. (I wanted Cyrodiil to wait until later in the series, but I understand the mother company can pull the plug at any time. You gotta publish big to stay in business.)

My lost point is that the development team (who ever they are) looks at (A) lore, then looks at their (B ) game engine, next is ( C ) the game-play plan, then (D) their timeline. "What can we do to accomplish this goal (of such-and-such game play style) given our resources?"

A + B + C + D = production. Make any of them small and it diminishes the end result.

An MMO certainly will have a toned-down engine compared to the single player version; it's got to, it has to transmit nearly everything through the internet.

I used to be opposed to the idea of TES going on-line. And contrary to the impression I give above, I'm now OK with the notion.

No need to remind me. I said that in my original post. As for the second part, your anology is dependent upon Tamriel experiencing a massive influx of new people necessitating a push to settle the currently wild parts of the continent coupled with an industrial revolution. I suppose it's possible that Bethesda will turn TES VI into Arcanum, but I'm guessing that's not going to happen.

If the Black Marsh will look like Wetlands in WOW I will lmfao. And they better attach some damned tails on those Argonians.

many argonians dont have tails

Source?

Yes because surely, the MMO players will rage when they see their beloved, if somewhat scaled down and simplistic province, turned into a huge, lovingly carfted world with tons of character and infinite attention to detail.

In all seriousness I don't think this will be a problem. Zenimax will take the basic inspiration from Bethesda's lore when creating their provinces so whatever they make, it will hopefully not be fundamentally different from what Bethesda would make in future TES games. And if Behtesda then expands and improves upon a region previously seen in the MMO, I really don't think that's gonna upset anyone.

This is my guess at least.

Are you basing this on the screenshot of an orc people were mistaking for an argonian, or the concept art with the argonian with its tail behind its back (and visible behind its head)?

The concept art has three Argonians in it surrounding what appears to be a Hist tree and none of them have tails or even anything that could be mistaken for tails.

You've seen the provinces Dragonbone?

What will you say if they are large and crafted with care? You should wait and see before you judge, imo.

Get over it man,seriously the wheels are in motion.You can moan and wet as much as you like,nothing is going to change.No one is forcing you into this forums or to follow the game,plenty of people are prepared to wait and see.If you are not then don't let the door hit you on the way out FCS.

The official forums can't come quick enough IMO.