Elder Scrolls Online: Why Developers Love Morrowind So Much

In Elder Scrolls Online, the latest chapter, Necrom, takes you back to Morrowind. This is the part you haven't seen since Arena in 1994. To celebrate, several developers and community team members got together to discuss just how much they love the Dunmer homeland.

"When Morrowind comes to my mind, I think of a lot of places, with ships, volcanoes and dangers everywhere," said one developer. "I'm thinking differently than you. I'm thinking of Vivec and Vivec City, and Dark Elves, lots of wonderful, strange and scary beasts," added another. "The first time I landed in Seyda Neen, I still remember it clearly. At that time, everyone was an asshole in your opinion. Why is everyone so mean and heartless in this place?" The third developer said.

In 2003, it was the first time Morrowind was fully realized. Both Daggerfal and Arena named the continents and locations that later resurfaced. But since so many places are based on procedural generation, none of them have an identity. And, viewed from Tamriel, the cities of Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and all other continents are the same. The arrival of Morrowind changed everything. The original Vvardenfell was an ordinary field and city marked only by a volcano. Later, it suddenly became a dangerous place of ash, surrounded by giant mushrooms and magma.

"This is a game that puts a lot of trust in you. Here, you can say 'already, here are your papers and your name. You are now a person with freedom. Then, this is the world you are in'," one developer said. "When you get to Seyda Neen, you can explore the whole island. I always call it a Willy Wonka moment. For the kids, it's their first time at the Chocolate House. It's also showing us their imagination and creativity," another developer added.

The city here has been wrapped in huge tree trunks. If you want to go to a wizarding school that flies in the air, you can only get there by levitating. There are pyramid-like structures dotted across the ocean, a towering volcano surrounded by a giant force field, and unique houses built inside giant mushrooms.

As the developers say, Morrowind is special. If you look closely at the bizarre architecture there, there are no RPGs or other games quite like it. This kind of architecture that flows naturally is completely different from what we see from the high elves and wood in high fantasy. Let's use Silt Striders as an example, which is a way for you to go back and forth between cities. They're giant bugs, not the kind of horses you'd find in Skyrim.

Through Morrowind's expansion pack and base game, ESO has brought it back to life. However, this time we are going back again. Previously under the art direction led by the 2002 game, Morrowind wasn't well developed. This time, we want to dig out its flourishing side.

"As long as we have Necrom, we can go back to Morrowind. The community will be very excited to explore the Dark Elf culture in this new and interesting way," said a developer. "As City of the Dead, Necrom is an excellent opportunity for us. We are really happy if you can see our efforts and results for this."

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