Following the official release date for chapter Greymoor to MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, Zenimax Online published a blog post dedicated to the new antiquities system coming in the update. As a member of the Antiquarian Circle, you will travel all across Tamriel and dig up its ancient hidden history while discovering unique collectibles, treasure, and even powerful Mythic items. This new system includes two unique mini-games: Scrying, where you use a new tool to augur the location of hidden items, and Excavation, where you actually dig them up!
“With Antiquities, we wanted to create a new activity wholly unlike what you’ve done before, and give you a reason to return to the places you might’ve already explored,” explains Michael Schroeder, one of ZOS’s senior Systems Designers and lead for the new system. “We wanted to celebrate the entirety of Tamriel–every region, every era–and create a whole new way for you to investigate its mysteries.”
“Antiquities would well be described as something enjoyed over a cup of tea. The activities are short, puzzle-based bursts of gameplay. We wanted the system to be accessible to a wide variety of players, so we made sure these activities don’t require lightning-fast reflexes or a deep knowledge of combat.”
“We wanted to provide something for everyone,” explains Schroeder. “There are new adornments and costumes for roleplayers, the new Magicka Lance siege weapon for PvPers, new Motifs and a new Enchantment for Crafters, tons and tons of furnishings for housing players, and Mythic items designed to change builds.”
These rewards also include the incredible Ebon Dwarven Wolf, which you’ll need to uncover piece by piece!
“When crafting the system’s rewards, we really asked ourselves, ‘What elements of Tamrielic history can we shine a light on?’” explains Leamon Tuttle, ESO’s Loremaster. “Some of the things we developed support or expand on more established lore, and some of them provide a new perspective of well-known cultures. Lesser known deities, defunct cultural practices, races lost to time, and puzzling historical mysteries all have a place in the system.”
“For a system like this that doesn’t quite fit a mold, we relied super heavily on collaboration within the Antiquities team,” explains Bobby Weir, ESO’s Lead UI Designer. “This involved a ton of brainstorming between UI Design, Art, Systems, Engineering, Writing, QA, etc. We had to go way outside the box and do a lot of things we haven’t done before. Having a talented group of minds offering varied perspectives on the team made that possible.”
