» Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:29 pm
As has been pointed out before, the dynamic of an Elder Scrolls game is one where you are put in the shoes of a singular hero who shapes the future of the world. Admitedly, the ability to shape the world is an illusion, as since Morrowind there really has only been one possible outcome for each game... Gods forsake having a Warp In The West type event every time something important happened.
Anyway, to the point. The general dynamic for MMO's and other online games involves lots of group work with little in the way individual acheivement. This doesn't mesh well with the TES theme, which is all about individual acheivement. Look at WoW, for instance, the single most sucessfull MMO. To date, not a single 'Boss Kill' is attributed to PC's. Meanwhile, The Warp in the West, the fall of Jagar Tharn, the defeat of Dagoth Ur and the whole Oblivion Crisis thing were all done by the PC.
Co-op has some degree of potential, i think, but only if implremented in the same way as Fable. That is, your 'partner' is just some generic follower, not another heroic figure. Under normal TES circumstances, this would be more ballanced, but in Skyrim, with the Shout dynamic, i don't think it would have been possible. It als means your partner gets to play second fiddle and has to follow with your every dibious moral choice, which decreases the appeal.
I don't feel there is any reason for TES games to take a turn towards Online compatability, beyond perhaps being able to talk to friends while playing (But thats what Skype is for eh what?). Even the adoption of the follower dynamic, which has been ever popular in mods, stretches the feeling of heroic acomplishment.
Dovahkiin ; "Oh yeah, i did it, i defeated the evil Dragon God. I am the hero of the hour!"
Lydia ; "Cough cough"
Dovahkiin ; "Oh... Right... Well, you helped. I'm sure the history books will remember that. Maybe. Probably not."