If you like hearing podcasts about Elder Scrolls Online, then you’ve very likely been paying attention to the Kinda Funny limited “gamescasts” over the past few weeks. If you don’t like podcasts, then you’ve likely missed some bean drops from the latest episode in which game director Rich Lambert and studio director Matt Firor discuss, among other things, an attempt to bring Cyrodiil PvP back up to 900 players at once.
When the devs were asked about how ESO attempts to futureproof itself, discussion about reeling back the number of players in a Cyrodiil campaign came up; that decision was made because of the number of abilities that players have access to causing server issues. However, some recent testing will help the devs “redo the ability system” specifically in Cyrodiil in order to bring three teams of 300 players back to the zone.
“Now it’s time to go back and actually look at the PvP system,” Firor says during the cast. “It’s gonna come if this test works. It’ll be you have a separate set of abilities in PvP than you do in PvE; they’re named the same […] they just act a little different in PvP to be a little more performant.” Firor also noted at one point in the podcast that there will be a Cyrodiil-specific gear or ability chase, again assuming the tests work.
Part of this renewed focus on PvP in general and Cyrodiil in specific, which the devs admit has been ignored for some time despite PvP’ers “screaming” at them, is possible in part due to the shift from massive chapters to comparatively smaller seasons, which has freed up development resources and allowed for tests like the ones being performed for Cyrodiil. “It gives us the chance to pry out these six to eight week tests, the time to develop them three months, whatever it takes that we can do these experiments,” Firor confirms. “And now if this works, we have the basis for a system that then we can flesh out into a real new Cyrodiil.”
In the meantime, players are being introduced to one of the new companions coming in Season of the Worm Cult Part 1, Walks-In-Ash, a powerful mage of the Ebonheart Pact and staunch ally with those who fight against the forces of Coldharbour. Just in case anyone wants a fire-flinging lizard lady along for their adventures.
