Summerset Chapter Topic, Chapter 2's Spoilery Discussion Options

[monkeyemoness]

Since ZOS placed a more lenient NDA on Summerset--restricting it entirely to the main quest past the first one--I figure it's okay to talk about what goes on in the land of the Altmer.

I couldn't save many screenshots because my antivirus program blocked the PTS from making screenshots, but I managed to save these two:

Jo'zira's favorite spot so far.
Many colors!

I took these in the southeastern corner of the island. Though I deeply detest how cowardly the Altmer's architecture designed, it's almost made up by how vibrant the rest of the island is, even the creatures!

Though the flora is mostly the same across the entire island, there's no shortage of different environments to explore. And holy hell, the island is actually pretty big! I was worried there wouldn't be enough of a tropical feel like Auridon (though its beaches did invoke that somewhat) but man, it was unfounded.

I haven't actually done many quests, mostly I just stuck to exploring and activating the Psijiic skill line. I also looked at jewelry crafting. It sure is...well, crafting I guess? People on the official forums have been saying that the nodes are really rare but I haven't had much trouble finding them, even on Summerset. I think the hardest part will be getting the new traits, especially at first.

Anyways, that's most of what I have to say right now. I'd say I'm pleasantly surprised, but tbh? This is pretty much my experience with ESO. The architecture is bad, but everything else is great. (No spoilers of that kind until May 1!)

This post has been edited by monkeyemoness: Apr 21 2018, 12:38 AM

[hazmick]

Completed Summerset now, so here is my final impression. MILD STORY SPOILERS AHEAD.

First, location. Both Summerset and Artaeum look fantastic, and fit in well with the rest of the world. Summerset especially feels lively and vibrant, with plenty to see. The architecture in the cities is wonderful, and the ancient ruins dotted around the landscape give the whole place a real sense of history. There's very little empty space, and the wilderness areas are packed with trees and plants and streams. The little Daedric locations throughout the main story were also quite striking, and really spiced things up.

Story. Not bad! It's interesting, has a decent amount of lore mixed in, and some nice enough characters. I'm kind of tired of this daedra storyline (it started, what, at the end of Orsinium?) so I'm glad we seem to be more or less finished with it. I thought Sotha Sil in particular played a great role here, and continues to be one of my favourite characters in the game. I completed the main story as Haa-Rei, but may go through again as Cirinwe if I have time.

Side quests. Really really enjoyed them here, as good if not better than the high standards elsewhere in the game. They fill in bits of lore about Summerset and the Altmer people, while presenting multiple views of their society. Particularly enjoyed the quests with the Hulkynd and the acting troupe - I did the side quests as Cirinwe, and it's given me about 1000 different ideas for things to write about and include in her general headcanon.

I think the writers could have gone a little lighter on the 'Altmer are arrogant and dislike foreigners' thing because it started getting a little stale after a while, though good on them for having lots of different dialogue for Altmer characters. Next time, add more [INTIMIDATE] dialogue options so Cirinwe can remind people of their manners.

Overall, pretty good. Better than Morrowind, but I think I prefer the smaller DLCs to these big chapter/expansion/things.

This post has been edited by hazmick: Sep 17 2018, 09:16 PM

[mALX]

Completed Summerset now, so here is my final impression. MILD STORY SPOILERS AHEAD.

First, location. Both Summerset and Artaeum look fantastic, and fit in well with the rest of the world. Summerset especially feels lively and vibrant, with plenty to see. The architecture in the cities is wonderful, and the ancient ruins dotted around the landscape give the whole place a real sense of history. There's very little empty space, and the wilderness areas are packed with trees and plants and streams. The little Daedric locations throughout the main story were also quite striking, and really spiced things up.

Story. Not bad! It's interesting, has a decent amount of lore mixed in, and some nice enough characters. I'm kind of tired of this daedra storyline (it started, what, at the end of Orsinium?) so I'm glad we seem to be more or less finished with it. I thought Sotha Sil in particular played a great role here, and continues to be one of my favourite characters in the game. I completed the main story as Haa-Rei, but may go through again as Cirinwe if I have time.

Side quests. Really really enjoyed them here, as good if not better than the high standards elsewhere in the game. They fill in bits of lore about Summerset and the Altmer people, while presenting multiple views of their society. Particularly enjoyed the quests with the Hulkynd and the acting troupe - I did the side quests as Cirinwe, and it's given me about 1000 different ideas for things to write about and include in her general headcanon.

I think the writers could have gone a little lighter on the 'Altmer are arrogant and dislike foreigners' thing because it started getting a little stale after a while, though good on them for having lots of different dialogue for Altmer characters. Next time, add more [INTIMIDATE] dialogue options so Cirinwe can remind people of their manners.

Overall, pretty good. Better than Morrowind, but I think I prefer the smaller DLCs to these big chapter/expansion/things.

I agree with everything you said here, that is how it came across to me too! I haven't finished all the side quests yet, but plan to soon. Also plan to bring my other characters through the Psijic line to get more of them seeing the awesome Psijic Portals!

Thanks for the update, haz. I agree that Summerset is beautiful and compares nicely to Auridon with a couple exceptions - a higher density of 'nuisance critters' to interfere with the gorgeous scenery and there's a bit too much 'cliff-channeling' (hard to get where you want) for me. I found the quests well-written and often included many wonderful bits of humor. Enjoy!

Yes, the injections of humor in Summerset were some of my favorite parts about the quests!

One thing I really enjoyed about Summerset is the sly humor that quite often surfaces when speaking to the Aldmer NPCs - it's almost as if they are poking fun at their rather stratified society and restrictive culture. It's sly, it's subtle, and it makes me chuckle and even view Altmer/Aldmer in a different light. Now having played Summerset with my Julian, I am giving serious consideration to starting an Altmer toon - which would be my first, as my third AD character.

Now that you mention it, I might bring Pia over there and see how the dialogue differs if you are playing an Altmer, lol.