Summary
- The new scribing system in The Elder Scrolls Online allows for over 4,000 skill combinations, enhancing build variety.
- Players can mix primary, secondary, and tertiary scripts to create unique abilities with different effects in combat.
- The scribing side quest introduces new lore about the godlike Luminaries and offers engaging challenges for around six hours of gameplay.
While every new Chapter release for The Elder Scrolls Online comes with new zones to explore and quests to undertake, they also tend to introduce a new system or mechanic that changes the game in major ways. High Isle brought the Tales of Tribute card game, Blackwood introduced NPC companions, Greymoor had the Antiquities system, and Summerset gave players Jewelcrafting. With the new Gold Road chapter, the big ticket item is a scribing system that opens up further doors for build variety alongside a surprisingly involved quest line.
The Best War Games recently had the chance to preview some of The Elder Scrolls Online's Gold Road chapter to experience the scribing system and its associated quest line. We were provided with both a maxed-out character with the entire system unlocked and a "fresh" max-level character to see how the system's progression might unfold for a typical endgame player.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road Hands-On Preview
The Best War Games spends some time playing The Elder Scrolls Online's new Gold Road chapter and revisiting a classic Oblivion location.
Scribing Makes New Elder Scrolls Online Builds Possible
Given that ESO is an MMORPG and game balance is excruciatingly difficult already, ESO's skill customization system is not quite as freeform as Oblivion's spellcraft system but that doesn't mean it lacks depth. At launch, players will have access to over 4,000 combinations of scripts and grimoires, and the system automatically filters out overpowered or useless combinations. 11 brand-new skills are being introduced to the game as grimoires with one grimoire per weapon, world, and guild skill line. These grimoires serve as the foundation of scribing skills, and the same grimoire can lead to some very different outcomes by combining three scripts: a primary "focus" script, a secondary "signature" script, and a tertiary "affix" script.
- The focus script largely defines the ability's place in a build, determining its damage type and the resource it uses, and some abilities can even be turned into taunts or crowd control abilities.
- The signature script provides a synergistic effect like damage and healing over time or increased movement speed.
- The affix script typically adds a buff or debuff application like Prophecy, Savagery, or Lifesteal.
While it's unlikely that a player's build in ESO will revolve entirely around scribed skills, the system is a great way to round out weak points in builds or gain new capabilities. Players struggling with survivability may opt to add something with lifesteal to their repertoire, or an attention-seeking tank may wish to to put together an extra taunt that doubles as a defensive buff. Signature scripts can even alter the appearance of the ability altogether, and we had fun trying a variety of elements with Elemental Explosion to watch it change from fire to ice and then to a bloody red explosion when modified with a physical damage script.
The Elder Scrolls Online's Scribing Side Quest Feels Like A Main Quest
The quest line attached to the scribing system is one of the more memorable quests we've tackled in ESO over the years, particularly because of the new lore it introduces regarding the mysterious and godlike Luminaries. We won't spoil the story, but the Luminaries are important to the overall gameplay loop since there are four Luminaries and the player has reason to jump through hoops to impress them in any order they choose. Merely finding each Luminary is quite a journey, as we had to ascertain the locations of key fragments by deciphering clues in a book, leading to a brief "find the hidden objects" mini game at the destination.
Once a Luminary has finally been found, they'll ask the player to complete a few out of a handful of gameplay challenges. These can involve clearing delves or Dark Anchors in a specific zone, killing enough of a certain species, or even participating in PVP battlegrounds. Although it offloads some of the quest's work onto existing gameplay content, we appreciated the incentive to explore neglected zones and engage in other content. We predict the entire quest line to take players roughly six hours in total, though fiddling with the scribing system will likely occupy plenty of time beyond that. Based on what we've seen, this massive new system and its engaging quest line are highlights of an already strong Chapter.
The Elder Scrolls Online
- Released
- April 4, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an ever-expanding story across all of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online, an award-winning fantasy RPG. Explore a rich, living world with friends or embark upon a solo adventure. Ultimate freedom—Create your ultimate RPG character, play solo or adventure with friends, and determine your fate in an ever-expanding world. With no level restrictions, go anywhere at any time in a truly open world.
Choose your adventure—Begin your adventure where you like: emerge from Coldharbour in the Base Game, battle Dragons in the Elsweyr Chapter, or get ready to face the Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, in Blackwood. All content is accessible for new players, and you can switch adventures whenever you like.
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
