I didn't believe it when I heard about it late 2012 and I still have a hard time believeing it now. Never has one of the modern Elder scrolls games even attempted multiplayer and BANG, we are moving straight into MMO territory, and what a bold move that is for the team at Bethesda with this legendary series of games. Not to say they don't have the experience, by now they certainly do but just think of the impact... think about how these games have always come with the strongest set of history, thought and planning as well as the richest and most vast and perilous environments, such a combination creates an unforgettable mood for a game. No one in the gaming industry pays more attention to little and big details alike than the Elder Scrolls series. For years and years I have hoped the next game will allow me to enter a friend's world so we could do glorious multiplayer while making the environment twice as hostile! But no, we move straight into MMO land and the level of hype AND apprehension for me is about even that is: off the scale.

I have spent hours doing research today and while I could pick at how the 3 alliences don't entirely make sense it is only because these guys created such a vast and brutal history in the first place, and have now been careful enough to make the setting far back enough to give themseleves some freedom of movement, so I won't go on about that I am certain there are hundreds of such threads right now that I could explore, instead I would like to take some time to ask some (mostly technical) questions and if someone with this knowledge and equal passion about these games were to come forth and answer some of them I would be entierly greatful!! Thank you in advance.

1) I have heard that to fully experience the game one will have to play at least 3 characters, one from every faction. Fair enough but what level of interaction will my primary character have with the remainder of the world? Will I be able to freely explore the rest of the continent? will there be large cities perhaps meant for trade between the varying factions, will I be able to perhaps travel through perilous enemy territory and make it into a safe haven such as one of these cities? wouldnt that be amazing? If 2/3 of the world is truly cut off from my main character I will be very dissapointed and I will feel like that is far from the spirit of the elder scrolls, where the most renown adventurers have been known to make pilgrimages into the most hellish and hostile of territories.

2) How will playing with friends impact my experience if we are not of the same faction? I have always (since morrowind naturally) loved the dark elves and that will be my first choice without a second of hesitation but my best friends are inclined to play Orc, another might play Khajiit etc. This one is a simple question: to properly interact together and quest/explore together will we have to share the same faction? Is it possible to make friends with members of other factions? Everyone should not have to think alike just because of current politics, woulndt that be AMAZING if you could create proper friendships and parties with anyone?

3) Those two are really my primary concerns at this point concrete answers to those would be beyond appreciated, I'm gonna throw in a 3rd question just to justify this crazy long post and because I just can't shut up about this game right now: I guess this really ties in with question 2, will open world pvp be a serious agenda? Will we be able to enter enter enemy territories despite the obvious peril involved and attack/make friends with other players? Are there going to be massive player raids on enemy settlements a thing? will one be able to raid enemy territories in general in small sneaky groups.

That's about all from me for now, sorry about the length, would love to hear some answers as well as opinions from the community, Thanks!!

Colonial Marines or regular Alien?

wow, you are SO hilarious I just crapped my pants laughing, no really.

Both Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire and The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey had support for multiplayer.

Bethesda isn't developing the game, http://www.zenimaxonline.com/ is.

Big build up to a faction lock question.

After I read the first sentence I laughed because Battlespire.

Anyway, to address the whole "my friend is in another faction" thing. It was heavily hinted at in the Skype interview (I think?) that you could create cross-faction guilds to keep in touch with players from other factions. That coupled with how Cyrodiil isn't just PvP but also has a lot of PvE elements, I'm sure you could party up with someone of the opposite faction to do a dungeon. Well, maybe you won't be able to invite them to party but clearing public dungeons won't be hard. The only problem then is friendly fire, seeing as how you're constantly flagged for PvP in Cyrodiil regardless.

Other than that, tough luck

Yeah was certain Id be picked up on the multiplayer thing, no need to be captain obvious Ace Kalmera, It's just that spanning that far back is not really relevant to todays market and what they are doing and how much all of it has grown (the games and the teams)

However: This I had no idea about, Zenimax is making the game? I don't know anything about them I imagine some of the teams that made the last 3 elder scolls games will be on the team working on this surely? or at least a lot of collaboration

I see what you mean, so maybe we could at least co-exist in all the provinces from a PvE perspective and the imperial province alone could be where you are constantly flagged for PvP? This is really a BIG deal coz no group of friends could decide on ONE of the factions unless they really arent at all that into the games in the first place

"No" and "I don't think so"

they know the backgrounds and of cause they try and catch that TES exploration feeling.
but anything else will be slightly/totally different